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FGR invades Middle Finger and Work Bathroom Wednesdays
Oh yeah, it’s a ladder.
…in the bathroom. At work.
But where does it go? Some say it goes all the way to heaven. I once suggested that it led to the roof, but was met with much resistance. Someday I’ll climb to the top, open the hatch and see where it takes me. There’s probably a lesson there, somewhere.
I don't do it deliberately, but every time I get a camera, the first shot is of one of my animals. George is usually the closest to me, so she got the honors with the GoPro Hero.
When I'm riding my motorcycle, I'm constantly wishing I had a camera implanted in my eyes. This is cheaper and safer.
There are several models, but I only bought the standard def entry model for several reasons. First: they had it at Costco and once I saw this thing in person I just wanted it right away. Didn't want to wait for shipping.
Mostly, though, there's one critical feature missing from the GoPro lineup that I'm going to wait for, and that's a radio remote. See...this takes still photos like a normal camera when you click the shutter, or you can take them in 2,5,10,30 or 60 second intervals. That's cool. But I want to have the option of just looking at something, hitting a remote button on my handlebar, and taking a photo when I want to take a photo.
Until then, I'm going to have loads of fun playing with this entry model. I will be attaching this to my dogs. Mark my words.
(Note: this camera does not allow you to travel through time. I don't know why it says it was shot in 1970. I'll try formatting the card...)
We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge as made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. [...]
Hannah, can you hear me? Wherever you are, look up Hannah! The clouds are lifting! The sun is breaking through! We are coming out of the darkness into the light! We are coming into a new world; a kindlier world, where men will rise above their hate, their greed, and brutality. Look up, Hannah! The soul of man has been given wings and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow! Into the light of hope, into the future! The glorious future, that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up, Hannah. Look up!
Criamos a epoca da velocidade, mas nos sentimos enclausurados dentro dela. A máquina, que produz abundância, tem-nos deixado em penúria. Nossos conhecimentos fizeram-nos céticos; nossa inteligência, empedernidos e cruéis. Pensamos em demasia e sentimos bem pouco. Mais do que de máquinas, precisamos de humanidade. Mais do que de inteligência, precisamos de afeição e doçura. Sem essas virtudes, a vida será de violência e tudo será perdido. [...]
Hannah, estás me ouvindo? Onde te encontres, levanta os olhos! Vês, Hannah? O sol vai rompendo as nuvens que se dispersam! Estamos saindo da treva para a luz! Vamos entrando num mundo novo - um mundo melhor, em que os homens estarão acima da cobiça, do ódio e da brutalidade. Ergue os olhos, Hannah! A alma do homem ganhou asas e afinal começa a voar. Voa para o arco-íris, para a luz da esperança. Ergue os olhos, Hannah! Ergue os olhos!
Charles Chaplin
Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
life is but a dream.
I am so happy to be back to making doll pictures again!
I've just finished rearranging my house, so now all my dolls, along with all their clothes and photo props, are upstairs in the bedroom that used to belong to my son. (He has been out of the house for a couple of years, so I thought it was safe to use his old room!) I also transferred everything from my old sewing room which was downstairs, up to the new space, so I now have a big studio where I can work, and I can close the door to keep out the cats when I'm done. Up until now I've had a small sewing room with no door, and all my dolls and photography props had taken over our small dining room, which also has no door. I knew it would be a huge and difficult task to move it all upstairs, which is why it has taken so long to happen, but I am so glad I finally did it.
Now that the dust has settled, it's time to be creative with dolls again--yay! In today's photo, Pretty Peony and her friends might be floating down a stream in bathtubs; or perhaps they are safe at home, only imagining this adventure.
Still missing something but we wanted the jumper to look less old fashioned. I think it’s coming together. If anything, we wanted to experiment with proportions of the vest.
Model:
•Elle Ungapatchke my 42cm fashion doll, Wind by Olga(Helga) Reingard/AncientTalesBJD @olga_reingard.
•Optional: articulated shoulders, high heel feet, small bust, no casted panty line.
•Wig, Dress, FaceUp by SnuggleFarts
WigDetails:
•Wig is made from angora mohair in natural brown beige ombre.
DropVestdetails:
Reversible Vest is a Poly Spandex Pincord Corduroy in a Coral. It’s lined with a Cotton Shirting in White with Ditsy Florals in Yellows, Pinks, Blues, and Greens. With Clear Swarovski Crystal Hot Fix
HighWaisted Jumper Details:
• Made from a Pink Synthetic Lace with Tiny Dots. It's lined with a Dusty Pink Cotton Lawn. The same fabric was used to line the Inset Pockets. Waist has a Gold Ribbon Trim Belt with a Gold PB Factory Buckle. Japanese Seed Beads in Pink and Gold were applied to the front. The same Pink Beads were used to accent the Pockets.
•Bodice is a White Synthetic Lace. It gathers to the back of the neck and closes with a Single Gold Metal Snap. Two Black Swarovski Crystal Hot Fix accents.
•Back of the Jumper has two Gold Coated chains and a Single Jump Ring.
•Closes at the back with Three Gold Metal Snaps
This is all part of a narrow, but long park that follows along the Hope River slough. It's perfect for going for a long peaceful walk.
Super Deformed Ultraman heroes and kaiju figures. Apart from four (two Mega block figures and two others) they are all from a Play set. The set was in the form of Ultraman face and when transformed it turned to be the HQ with many vehicles, It was a real cool toy for my son but over the years most of the HQ parts gone missing but a few bits and pieces left somewhere in many boxes stored in the garage. The set was purchased in 2004 but the actual issue year should be earlier than 2004.
Benzos: Is This the World's Deadliest Pill?
Some say it's not opiate painkillers like Oxy, Norco and Vicodin, but drugs like Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin. And doctors are doling it out like candy, causing a surge of hellish withdrawals, overdoses and deaths.
You could argue that the most dangerous “drug” in the world is the venom from a jellyfish known as the Sea Wasp, whose sting can kill a human being in four minutes—up to 100 humans at a time. Potassium chloride, which is used to trigger cardiac arrest and death in the 38 states of the U.S. that enforce the death penalty is also pretty deadly . But when it comes to prescription drugs that are not only able to kill you but can drag out the final reckoning for years on end, with worsening misery at every step of the way, it is hard to top the benzodiazepines. And no "benzo" has been more lethal to millions of Americans than a popular prescription drug called Klonopin.
Klonopin is the brand name for the pill known as clonazepam, which was originally brought to market in 1975 as a medication for epileptic seizures.
When benzodiazepines first came to market in the 1950s and 1960s, they were prescribed for a range of neurological disorders such as epilepsy as well as anxiety related disorders such as insomnia. But over time, a loophole in federal drug-control laws known as the “practice of medicine exception” has permitted psychiatrists and other physicians to prescribe the drugs for any perceived disorder or symptom imaginable, from panic attacks to weight control problems.
Unlike antidepressants, which can take several weeks to take full effect, benzodiazepines go to work right away. That makes them a valuable tool to help people who have severe, crippling anxiety. But their downsides appear rapidly as well.
Prescription numbers have been falling, but it’s a slow process.
The fact that a sudden and precipitous drop hasn't been there is possibly due to the fact that doctors know that people can die from benzodiazepine withdrawal if they’re abruptly discontinued.
Patients should always ask a doctors how to manage a condition like anxiety without drugs first.
As with every medicine, they should be used at the lowest dose for only as long as they’re needed. For chronic conditions, one should talk to their doctors about what’s the long-term goal and ask questions such as: What’s the point of taking the medication? What are the risks and benefits? What else could the patient use other than that medication?
I love graphic design, but I also love decorating interiors from the finishes to the furniture to the colors on the wall, and of course, the accessories, too! I had a good time working with my client, Dr. Rajul Patel, DDS, in developing the look of her new dental office.
To see more custom design projects, visit www.designwithchon.com
Like me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/DesignWithChon
.............................
Design With Chon (DWC), a boutique design studio with defined niches in (1) visual communication, (2) event design and (3) interiors. Each of these industries are huge in themselves, but DWC has an understanding that bridges them together — color, balance, texture, order and a good eye for design. DWC’s goal is to achieve good design in all its various forms, whether it’s from the branding of your business to saying “I do” to transforming a dwelling in your home. Let me, “Chon," be your go-to person for good design, color, great photography and art. A balanced environment makes you feel good, and I am here to inspire your surroundings.
If you’re interested in sharing an idea or a project, drop me a line at designwithchon[at]gmail.com to start the conversation.
©Design With Chon. All Rights Reserved.
++++++tons in comments
The comments are pretty much completely unrelated. I kinda liked them but not really enough to put them as their own posts, so I put them here :)
Mkay so I took a lot of photos yesterday :)
We went on an airboat tour of the Everglades but I didn't have the camera on that part, my daddy did.
After that, we hung out around there for a while and I got chased around by a chicken and people laughed at me. Good times :D
And thennnn we went to the fruit and spice park where I took this picture. I almost ran into that tree with my face :O
Uhh yup that's it. Today is our last full day at this awesome hotel, but that's okay because I'm getting tired of waking up and trying to look okay every morning, just to eat breakfast haha.
Also I have a deathly fear of getting a sunburn. And hairy legs kinda freak me out too :P Along with orange spray tans and old people in speedos. All of which this beach has.
:D Easter is almost here! That means I can almost start texting again...
Havva nice daaay!
P.S. I used 5 emoticons on this photo :) that's six.
Tested Fuji X Pro 1 today at my supplier Mattssons. Here is my test result. Which isn't a test at all.
Not for me: The only reasons I have is that I have a monetary and emotional investment in old F and newer M-mount lenses. and X Pro 1 does not provide an efficient way to focus manual lenses using focus assist of some kind. The way it is done in Sony and Ricoh cameras and (I believe) some Canon video camcorders.
It felt solid in my hands, but very light in comparison with my GXR M. But I guess that was more due to my Zeiss Biogon than my Ricoh body.
This wonderful old house in Rock Island,IL is abandoned but the potential possibilities are endless. Built in 1867, it is of the Italianate style.
I don't recall why I took this photo, but it didn't work. However, I think this, the top-right corner of that original composition, is salvageable!
The hill in the middle of the image, with the attractive individual trees and Coed Acas farm at the right, only reaches ~160 m asl, so doesn't seem to have a name; it's ~2 km from the Castle.
Coed Segrwyd is behind, on the lower slope of Foel Gasyth, which reaches 378 m asl off the left of the image.
The ridge on the horizon, curiously orange in this light (maybe the camera couldn't handle direct evening sunlight), is Gorsedd Brân, with the northern edge of the 100 km² Clocaenog Forest on the 518 m summit. Everything in view is in Denbighshire, but the county boundary with Conwy runs just beyond the ridge line.
The valley between Gorsedd Brân and Foel Gasyth is that of Afon Ystrad; just over its watershed is Llyn Brenig reservoir.
Better On Black?
Nothing but a row of fiery red orbs on today's weather forecast graphic. A stretch of 100 degree plus days at hand with no relief in sight.
OK, there is some (unintentional) comic relief at hand. The local TV news (always good for a laugh) has tapped into their brain trust once again with these gems of wisdom: "don't get overheated, stick to the shade, if possible, remain in air-conditioned spaces, don't leave animals locked in the car in the hot sun with the windows rolled up, don't leave grandpa staked out on a red-ant hill in the blazing midday hours..." I'm not making this up! (well, all except the last one).
I've got a cool, dark basement to retreat into, but that seems perverse, after months of waiting for the Oregon rain to abate, not enjoying the sun when it's here is out of the question.
A shady place, a body of water, the happy shouts of kids splashing, the smell of sunscreen, the taste of watermelon. This is what Life is made for.
Does he kiss your eyelids in the morningwhen you start to raise your head?And does he sing to you, incessantly,from the space between your bed and wall?Does he walk around all day at schoolwith his feet inside your shoes?Looking down every few stepsto pretend he walks with you?Oh, does he know that place below your neckthat's your favorite to be touched?And does he cry through broken sentences like,"I love you far too much"?Does he lay awake listening to your breath?Worried you smoke too many cigarettes?Is he coughing now?On a bathroom floor?For every speck of tileThere's a thousand moreYou won't ever seeBut most hold inside yourselfEternallyWell, I drug your ghost across the countryAnd we plotted out my deathIn every city, memories would whisperHere is where you restI was determined in ChicagoBut I dug my teeth into my kneesAnd I settled for a telephoneSang into your machineYou are my sunshineMy only sunshineYou are my sunshineMy only sunshineAnd I kissed a girl with a broken jawThat her father gave to herShe had eyes bright enough to burn meThey reminded me of yoursAnd in a story told, she was a little girlIn a red-rouge, sun-bruised fieldAnd there were rows of ripe tomatoesWhere a secret was concealedAnd it rose like thunderClapped under our handsAnd it stretched for centuriesTo a diary entry's endWhere I wroteYou make me happyOh, when skies are grayYou make me happyOh, when skies are gray and gray and grayWell the clock's heart it hangsInside its open chestWith its hands stretched towardsThe calendar hanging itselfBut I will not weepFor those dying daysFor all the ones who've leftThere's a few that stayedAnd they found me hereAnd pulled me from the grassWhere I was laid
-The calender hung itself. Bright Eyes
a cloudy-day photowalk around Buddha Vihar, atop Mahendra Hills, Hyderabad. It was good to enjoy the 360 deg view of the city Hyderabad. The walk concluded by drenching in heavy rain and a cup of hot coffee after returning home... :)
___________________________'blog'.
____________________it's a funny word, isn't it?
____first.
this was randomly inspired by this
and is basically just a quick edit
for me to update you guys and girls.
____second.
I'm going on holidays for a week.
Three days later I'll be back at school
attempting [supposedly] the worst
year of highschool yet. yippidydodaaah.
...well, that is if our plane doesn't crash
if it does, you won't be hearing from me
again. But hey! At least you know why now!
_____third.
I'm bored.
I can honestly say I'm getting sick of
writting the same old things.
So if you like my current work, now would
be a great time to let me know.
Or else, I may not continue it and just do
little projects from now on.
Love, Katichi. <3
Medienhafen Dusseldorf
This was once the old port, but is nowadays a completely refurbished district with modern architecture, restaurants and places to go out.
The Medienhafen offers a number of interesting buildings that were built here from the 1990s. The ‘Neuer Zollhoff’ is undoubtedly the most eye-catching, right after the Rheinturm and the building of the WDR television channel. These three skewed office buildings were designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, one of the most important representatives of deconstructionism. He is also known for the Guggenheim Museum in Barcelona.
Another special building is the ‘Colorium’ by the British architect William Allen Alsop. The façade is most like a painting by Mondriaan, with all surfaces of different colors. These days it serves as a hotel. The ‘Roggendorf-Haus’ is very different again. This building itself is quite normal, but it is climbed by 24 brightly colored dolls. These dolls, called Flossis, are the work of artist Rosalie from Stuttgart.
For the rest, the Medienhafen consists of modern office buildings, a few dozen restaurants and a number of hotels.
c1906 in date, but not in its original location - it moved here in 1922 from Fountainbridge after Port Hopetoun and Port Hamilton basins were closed and filled in.
When I grew up in the area in the '80s, it hadn't operated for years - but it was refurbished and reopened in 2005 as part of the Millenium Link project. It is a joy to see it operational!
It might be a surprise that this isn't listed, like many of the other bridges on the canal, but it is actually better protected as a specifically named part of the Union Canal scheduled monument.
Joe Walsh 'But Seriously Folks..." Other Eagles Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Fry and Timothy B. Schmit also appear on this classic from 1978.
This about sums me up;))
Nikon F4. Fuji Pro 160S
Slightly gratuitous usage of the f2.8 aperture but a nice detail of the smooth forms yet gritty texture of this landscape.
Near the Inland Sea, Qatar
Webbigail "Webby" Vanderquack is a character featured on DuckTales. She is the granddaughter of Betina Beakley, Scrooge McDuck's maid and cook. It is unknown what happened to Webby's own parents, but Betina seems to be her legal guardian. At the time of Mrs. Beakley's interview for the position of Scrooge's maid, cook and the Nephews' nanny, Betina and Webby were homeless. She agreed to work only for food and shelter for both of them, a deal Scrooge couldn't refuse. Since then, both have been adopted into the Ducks extended family, as she earned a place in Scrooge's heart, evident by him telling her to call him "Uncle Scrooge" even though they're not related.
Webby is an extremely affectionate, pretty, adorable and emotional little girl and has a great love for animals. She's never without her "Quacky-Patch" doll, a small stitched doll that looks exactly like her, and sometimes keeps small tokens like jellybeans and marbles inside of a hole in its stitching. Webby's love for animals is her greatest asset, since she seems to be able to tame even the most exotic animals indluding dinosaurs and an abominable snowman. Her only conflict with animals came when she got lost in the Outback, her doll was stolen by a koala, and she was chased by warthogs, though she eventually overcame her fear and became friends with those animals as well. The Disney studio promotional material said that her greatest goal is to become the Fourth Nephew. Webby often feels neglected, and this has often been the impetus for her own misadventures. One even caused her to run away from home and join the Beagle Boys in the care of the Beagle Babes.
In a possible future, Webby is the only one of Scrooge's family to help him return to his own time. She's grown into a lady and is married to Doofus Drake. When Scrooge returns to his own time, he suggests he will see them at their wedding, which disgusts Webby.
During the rain the sun shot down and this is the result. There is fresh growth just starting to emerge in the center.
Lumix G1 with 40 year old Sigma 35-70mm f2.8 lens. Taken at full zoom at f2.8 to get some bokeh.
On a very morning two fish sellers were going to their destination. Maybe their directions were opposite but destination was same.
but this time with topaz detail. I do like the new Adjust V4..but if I had to choose, I'd prefer detail over the adjust. The settings are just better for me!! ;-)
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
In the graveyard are, unusually, two morthouses. One is a small turf-covered and vaulted structure, set mostly below ground. The other is a larger, later building in the corner of the graveyard. It is rectangular and has a wooden door. It would appear to be in use as a store today.
Fact that the Statistical Account of 1845 reported that the then late minister, the Rev A Forsyth, was the inventor of the percussion cap, which superseded the flint lock!
This is a ruin of a very old church of the parish of Belhelvie which stands on the site of an earlier pagan centre of worship. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk. There are a number of notable residents buried in the churchyard which include the Rev. Alexander John Forsyth (1769-1843) who invented and developed the Percussion Lock for firearms between 1805 to 1807.
Church of Belhelvie was dedicated to St Neachtan, but at a later date St Columba was made the patron. The church was confirmed to the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1157, along with authority to erect his chapter. By 1256 the church had been erected into a prebend of the cathedral of Aberdeen, with the parochial duties being discharged by a vicar pensioner.
The church is now ruined but was a T-plan church, represented by high W gable with bellcote (dated 1762) and part of S aisle (containing fine but weathered monument to Innes of Blairton). The east wall of the church is probably part of the wall of a Roman Catholic Church. The cemetery is unusual in having two morthouses, one dated 1835. The other, possibly converted from an old aisle, is of uncertain date,.
It comprises a vaulted chamber 2.5m by c.2m, turfed, with an arched and chamfered approached by 5 steps. The water stoup from the medieval church was in the garden of Belhelvie Manse but there is now no trace of it. The bell which was in the bellcote was inscribed 'Henrick-ter-Horst-Me-Fecit-Daventriae-1633' and was stolen in 1966. There is a tombstone of 1722 in the angle of the masonry fragment of the what may have been the S transept, and also a heraldic tomb on the other side of the wall. The churchyard is a rubble-walled enclosure.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
It took me a lot longer than I had expected to get these pictures up from last weekend, but it's been hard to find time between my job and volunteering. Taking pictures just has not been the most important thing for me at this point, but nevertheless I will continue squeezing the shutter whenever I can. Hopefully, we will all be able to see dramatic transformation of these areas back into their original beauty, but it is clearly a long road ahead.
If you live in the area and wish to help, please contact me and I will send you a list of volunteer centers throughout Miyagi as well as a list of important equipment to bring with you. If you do decide to volunteer, please go with an organized group and bring the necessary equipment. I don't mean to frighten anyone, but I was notified again today that there still are dangerous areas. Don't go alone, please.
Here is a video that I took of the area the same day I took these pictures:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CazswZd454o
The area that these pictures were taken, was utterly obliterated by the tsunami. After a few hours of hauling items back and forth between my friends' destroyed home, I started to get a headache and feel sick from the fumes. In my last post, I also mentioned that I had heard of people setting off explosions and starting fires from trying to light their cigarettes.
We worked amidst pure devastation for about 5 Hours, however we were only able to salvage a handful of their things. Sometimes it was hard to know what was theirs, since the tsunami had swept a whole city worth of belongings through the first floor of their home.
Surprisingly, the four-year-old house was in pretty good shape despite the fact that it was blown back off of its foundation about 200 feet and sat about 10-15 degrees off of level (in the video I said 60 feet, but I meant to say 60 meters. The distance and angle is still a total guess, but you can judge for yourself in the pictures/video). The structure of house was in such good condition, that we were able to walk up to the second floor and salvage most of the dry, smaller items. Their daughter was just given a brand new bed and desk-set as an elementary graduation present, but we unfortunately could not take it out.
The reason we needed to go and salvage what we could as quickly as possible was because the house, although it did not look like it, was sitting in the middle of a road. The city and self defense force had given them only a few more days to clear out before they would have to bulldoze it down.
I asked the family if they had tsunami insurance, but apparently there is no tsunami insurance. They will receive a small amount of money from the government, but it will not even come close to covering the damage they sustained.
The most dumbfounding part of that day for me was not surreal experience of walking through the total destruction of an entire town, but rather the laughing and smiling that came from a family who just lost everything- everything except each other. Items and worldly possessions are of little value against the people we hold dear. I tried to reciprocate the smiles, laughter, and healthy conversation (especially in light of the children), but it wasn't easy fighting off the grim emotions lurking below the surface.
This last weekend, I was able to volunteer for a short time in Downtown Ishinomaki and also take a few more pictures/video The downtown area seems to be getting a lot more attention, and about half of the roads seem traversable. Downtown also felt incredibly safe during the day time due to the dozens of police and military (both Japanese and US) walking the streets and distributing food and water at the camps. I will post those pictures later this week.
I know my website is in shambles right now (I just have not had time), but I'm hoping to have it looking nicer as soon as possible. I've never really sold anything from my website, but I'm going to donate all of the money I earn from ANY of the pictures I sell (not just the quake photos) to Red Cross Japan for at least the next year. Please take it into consideration. Here is my site:
In addition, I contributed many of my pictures to QUAKEBOOK.org, and if you have never heard this organization, PLEASE check them out as well. All of Quakebook's revenue will also go towards the Red Cross Japan.
Lastly, you can contribute directly to Red Cross Japan here:
www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html
Thank you very much for facing this tragedy with us. With cooperation, strength, and perseverance, we can accomplish anything.
Take care,
Carsten Knoche
today was the first day of the detox. had oatmeal & a banana for breakfast. a pear & almonds for a snack. i hadn't prepared lunch, so i got some chicken stew. you're supposed to use to the first two days to transition, so i figured soup was good to go. sadly, i succumbed and had a coke. and a few chocolate covered almonds. and i totally enjoyed them. we'll see how tomorrow goes.
after work, i spent forever chopping vegetables, cooking rice & lentils, eating some of it, saving some of it for lunch tomorrow and then cleaning it all up. this is going to be a lot of work. but it will be good for me, so i'll stick it out.
i took some shots of the dry lentils, 'cause they looked so pretty, but then i remembered that chris still had a couple of bell's brown ale from our trip to indiana in the fridge, so i shot one. and here it is.
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and a happy, happy birthday to teena! cheers!
explore # 382
Not for a contest - but rather a great big HUGE enormous ~{THANK YOU!}~ to Shari Carroll and everyone at Hero Arts!
You may remember that just a short time ago I won the Hero Arts Sparkle Clear Alphabet in a giveawy during Shari Carroll's Inchies Week on the Hero Arts blog. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and it looked exactly like this picture that Shari had posted, complete with the polka dot ribbon!
I've just played around with them a little bit so far. One of the things I especially like is that the centers of the shapes are solid. This means they don't get distorted much when you are trying to stamp them.
Another thing I discovered is that every letter in the alphabet comes with a period punctuation mark, in case you want to do initials. While I was playing around, I lined up a whole bunch of them in rows, so that I could stamp polka dots in hommage to the ribbon Shari used on the set when she sent it.
If you happen to acquire the entire Hero Arts Sparkle Clear Alphabet Set, I have found that I like to store mine in a 3" x 5" index card box. This holds all the letters - and the bling - and makes it easy to access them.
I made this card using recycled acetate from packaging, alcohol inks, ribbon, and - of course - the Hero Arts Sparkle Clear Alphabet.
I can't thank Shari Carroll or the entire Hero Arts team enough. Thank you, thank you!
There are very few books that have an everlasting effect on me. I usually remember them all, but every now and then I read one that stays with me afterwards for a very long time. This is one of them. Still Alice a beautifully written book about one woman's battle with early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Alice is able to pull you into her world and makes you see what she does and makes you feel what she feels. I don't know how anyone could read this and not feel apart of Alice herself. I won't lie, but it is a pretty scary feeling. When she panicked I could feel it. It is such a heart wrenching story that I don't recommend reading it unless you are in the right frame of mind. With that said here is a synopisis of Still Alice from the Still Alice website:
Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University.
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind...
Lisa Genova is such an awesome author. I highly recommemd this book.
Submitted for June's TMSH # 5 - Summer reading
But I wonder where were you
when I was at my worst down on my knees
And you said you had my back
so I wonder where were you
When all the roads you took came back to me
So I'm following the map that leads to you
please please please watch it on youtube, it's a different version and i need the views for the contest!
and rate it a 5!
click here for the full contest version
it's for a scholarship contest thing. i know its not that great and that it's weird, but whatever.
10% of the judging is on how "popular" it is, which means how many views on youtube it has. weird. i know.
me and john worked on a video today. though it was fun, the video itself kinda failed. so i decided to make a tea remix.
...and i might just become obsessed with loading videos.
I never wanted to be a fireman, but if I had, I think I'd rather have been a cool one, in Trumpton, than a cheesy Hollywood one in Backdraft.
I think I've solved the mystery of Kidderminster and why it is like it is. I don't have any problem in getting my hands dirty and ruffling a few feathers occasionally, so playing with stuff like depth psychology, for example, isn't a problem. The advertising industry are quick enough to use it, so why shouldn't I, so long as I don't end up doing to people and places what they're clearly capable of doing.
But now that I think I understand Kidderminster and the people, here, miles better, I can pull back from thinking so hard about the place and its culture. Probably wise, as well. It's hard to imagine keeping on thinking the type of stuff I think you need to think to figure some things out. And now that's done and the fire I had to go into is out, I can chill a bit and even empathise to a certain extent with the situation and the people here and maybe just let it be.
It is a mess, this town, and that mess runs pretty deep, but I think I've got a good idea what could fix it. The problem I knew before I even started playing this latest game of 'reform or die' is that not enough people here would even begin to listen to me, anyway, I don't think, especially not in the long-term, when you think of information, networks and power, in context.
Officials in the town, then, think that the culture and mindset here haven't progressed since the 1500s. I can't verify that, but I do get a sense, after really thinking hard about the issues around the town, that these issues have been around for a long time and will probably continue for a long time.
I met Rob in a pub across town. Rob was into sociology and psychology in the 80s. He really believed in making a difference, back then, as a few of us did who went into education. He was a great guy, a really great guy. Today, I spoke with him and I realised that while he's still a good guy in many ways, he's not the Rob I knew in the 80s. Our minds and our eyes didn't connect as much as they once did. Nowhere near. You might say 'that's life', but it's not. It's the result of a bullshit mainstream culture that doesn't value life as it should.
Take my former friend. He recently came to Nero's trying, yet again, his evident skills at misinformation and manipulation, trying hard to make them work so he doesn't face up to the man he's been for a long time. This guy's got a supposed passion for open source software and a picture by his fireplace of Fonda and Hopper in their prime in Easy Rider. I think he's the biggest fraud I've ever met, by a long stretch, a disturbing character, now. The lies are so tragic.
But there's a story. Isn't there ever? It's a story I can't tell here, but, in Nero's, I looked as deep as I could into his eyes and I knew, that the friend I'd had since my teenage years wasn't there any more. The personality he once had was effectively dead. Pretty shocking experience, but evidence from elsewhere in the community is compelling and quite a few people talk about how there's something very wrong about this guy that points to an individual who surrounds himself with a myth while he'll almost certainly try anything he can, like people have confirmed he has done to me before, to simply avoid admitting what he's become. And he'll try to do it at my expense, partly because I confronted and exposed him.
Even though it's a painful experience, it's a good one, that, in a way, in seeing self-interest at perhaps one of its extremes, demonstrating what unscrupulous people can do with information and networks for what ends. That said, you've still got to try to get your head around that especially when you lose people in such ways. Such knowledge can have a big influence in your own psychosocial well-being. That situation will continue, but I understand it and I can deal with his behaviour unless he incites people to violence. I don't rule it out, but I'm not going to let that worry me, because there's nothing I could do about it, anyway. If it happens, it happens, sort of thing. It's just part and parcel of having once had a friend who's become something I don't particularly want to remember.
I expect many of the dramas in Kidderminster to continue. Just because, like with my former friend, I think I have a level of understanding of this town that's comprehensive and accurate, partly because I put the effort in to actually find out stuff and think effectively about it, that doesn't solve the problems of this town. Nowhere near.
There's probably loads of ways to look at a solution to put the main fires out in Kidderminster. I think the one that really takes out the problem is to get people to understand who they are in context and understand their environment in context. There's complications in achieving that, but they're not insurmountable. I've done it and, partly because I'm not perfect, I think if I can do it, pretty much everyone can, with the right information, communicstion and relationships. I'm certain that you can forget the other proposed solutions you hear off many people, or have them as icing on the cake, but let people find themselves beneath all the layers of bullshit in themselves and their environment and the rest will pretty much click into place, because really, really deep down, beneath all the psychosocial and cultural problems I can see in too many people, if you can get people to their core, you'll win them over.
That might never happen. I think mainstream culture has a lot to do with that and I'm sure that an effective social media strategy can be designed to tap into that.
But many people, I think, are also scared of examining themselves, partly because there's so much to prevent us from seeing ourselves in context, partly because no-one has attempted to really tell people the truth about how the mind can work in the face of it all and that it can be all cool if you really think about it.
I'm sure that'd have a knock-on effect, too. Sometimes, I'm pissed off and I can waste no time telling people they're thick. But I'm certain that this thickness is mainly down to people not being able to reach their full potential because the bullshit can so easily get in the way. That, compounded by so many factors in mainstream culture is what needs to be looked at.
So, I think I've slain the Jabberwock in Salem, the main fire is out in Kidderminster and I'm all cool again, till my next mission, whatever that is. You never know what's coming next, but whatever comes next in this town, I know, if I so choose, I can see and place it in the broader context it needs to be seen in. So, maybe I really will, now, have the ability to enjoy my coffee and fag at Caffe-Fucking-Nero, even though it's easily the craziest and most bizarre place I have ever been.
Be careful out there...