View allAll Photos Tagged Commitment
To me commitment is being with someone and trusting that no matter what happens they will be there for you. You must trust them unconditionally, and believe that no matter what path they take you on, you'll always be safe and have each other.
We have a small suburban back yard, but it still takes somewhat of a commitment to maintain it as a pleasant place to spend time. I have 8 rose bushes, a small lemon tree, vines, succulents, azaleas, camellias, lavender, lilies, hanging flower bowls, asparagus ferns, bower vines, star jasmine, 3 planter boxes with vegetables and herbs, one very tall pittosporum tree, one bird feeder and 2 hummingbird feeders. And thank goodness no lawn !
Entrance Walk to GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Constitution Gardens on Lawn between Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and North Elm Walkway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
This is Vegas, and we’re obviously about that EDM life. But instead of tattooing it on our tightly sculpted derrières, we’re commemorating our undying commitment with a 40-foot tribute to the way it makes us feel. Ladies and gentlemen, meet 7,500 pounds of stainless steel, swaying to the beat, Bliss Dance.
Created by artist Marco Cochrane over the course of a year and a half (we can’t even commit to going to the gym for that long), she represented the feminine energy he experienced at the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert. A little place we like to call “the middle of effing nowhere.”
Cochrane’s team of rock star welders worked with hand-cut steel rod before 3,000 LED lights – you read that correctly – 3,000 LED lights were installed to illuminate the statue from the inside. Hopefully, the symbolization of a woman glowing from within didn’t just go over your head.
In a collaborative approach to creativity, Cochrane allowed his female model to choose the pose she liked best and created the mold from it. The result is a statue frozen in an ultra transcendent pose, clearly experiencing that moment when the beat drops and takes you out of your body, making it impossible to think. So you just feel.
The artist, and women’s advocate, wanted to celebrate the appreciation and respect he has for females sans sexual objectification. In a town where scantily clad ladies are plastered on the sides of taxi cabs and party buses, this is saying something. Cochrane created Bliss Dance to be a symbol of women who are completely free from harm, a moment in time when their energy, happiness and power are elevated beyond the physical. Yeah, that’s deep.
Bliss Dance is the centerpiece of The Park between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo. This six-acre outdoor promenade features the T-Mobile Arena, several dining and bar options, outdoor seating and architectural features like water walls and shade structures that were made in the Netherlands.
While moving from Chicago to Jacksonville, I spared some time for a “Traincation” out west with some must-have shots in mind. Watching Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight surf the Pacific from Jalama Beach could not have been left out. Even devoting nearly a full day of precious vacation time for the shot was well worth it.
March 6, 2022
Lompoc, California
Impact Commitment Workshop: Jobs and Skills at the Young Global Leaders Annual Summit 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland, 2 September, Copyright: World Economic Forum/Pascal Bitz
for more information on stray rescue and adoption, please drop by:
"Hong Kong Dog Rescue" site
www.hongkongdogrescue.com/public/index.php
"Animals Asia Foundation"
Ciudad Rodrigo, Semana Santa 2011. Pulsad [L], por favor.
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Ciudad Rodrigo, Easter 2011. Please, press [L].
"Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism. "
Canon 5D markII
All rights received ©2012 Mustafa Khayat Photography
The Serenity Prayer - now found in psychotherapy as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I have often found it amazing that the charamistic section of Christianity bekunks psychotherapy when the best parts of therapy models are based upon concepts in God's Holy Word.
photographed in Milton Road, Milton just few few hundred yards from the Castlemaine XXX Brewery.
The radar showed a small and isolated storm heading towards Lake Wivenhoe, perhaps an hour's drive from home. With another commitment later in the afternoon, I thought I'd be lucky to see anything, as usually these storms either head out to the coast, or wither and fade. Well, I was lucky, as this storm more or less stopped moving over Toogoolawah, and actually developed in intensity. Amazing! So I managed a few shots before heading home - and I made my other commitment! 24 October 2023
Dozens of Greater Manchester’s faith and community leaders stood together against hatred as they signed a new statement pledging their commitment to encouraging strong, diverse communities.
Leaders, including GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Councillor Carl Austin-Behan, Lord Mayor of Manchester, Rt Revd David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, Mrs Sharon Bannister, President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region, Mr Qadir Chohan, Chair, Manchester Council of Mosques and many others came together at Manchester Cathedral to sign the statement, created as a result of a rise in hate crimes following the EU referendum result.
Greater Manchester saw a 23 per cent increase in hate crime in the week after the country chose to leave the European Union at the end of June.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “I believe in a democratic society people should be safe, both from physical harm, but also from hatred. Sadly we are seeing a significant number of people across Greater Manchester being subjected to hate incidents and hate crimes. This is totally unacceptable. Today is an important step in uniting our communities and am pleased to see so many other influential people standing with us to end hate crime and discrimination.
“This statement very clearly reinforces our commitment to encouraging inclusive communities, whilst recognising the difference people bring to Greater Manchester that help make it such a wonderful place. It is also, however, a very strong message to those who go against this – there is absolutely no place for hatred or discrimination in Greater Manchester. We will do all we can to take action against anyone who commits hate crimes.”
Faith Leaders’ Secretary, Canon Steve Williams, said: “The speed with which Faith Leaders acted shows how serious we consider the situation to be. But it also shows that people in our communities want to make a positive difference – to support people who’ve suffered in this way, and to promote good-news stories of acts of kindness and inclusion that build bridges, not barriers.”
The statement is part of GMP’s We Stand Together’ campaign which encourages people to come together as one and celebrate their differences in order to build safer and stronger communities.
It was signed at an event hosted by the Diocese of Manchester on Tuesday, 12 July, which saw speeches from Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, the Dean, Bishop David Walker, The Lord Mayor and the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Anyone who experiences hate crime is encouraged to report it by calling the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or using the True Vision website (www.report-it.org.uk).
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit www.gmp.police.uk
You should call 101, national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
In an initiative developed by Salford multi agency team Project Gulf, the young people have demonstrated their commitment to a safer Salford after spending the last two months creating a play to ‘Stand up for Salford’, a result of taking part in workshops with Greater Manchester Police, Salford City Council, Crimestoppers and Rhema Theatre around organised crime and gangs.
The ‘Stand up for Salford’ programme aims to teach school pupils about organised crime, its dangers and the impact that it has on communities. It also promotes Fearless, Crimestoppers’ dedicated youth service, designed and developed to encourage and empower young people to make their community a safer place.
Pupils have taken part in workshops exploring issues such as gun violence and drug crime. Their thoughts and ideas will be used to help the community safety partnership shape future prevention work for the younger residents of the city.
Project Gulf in Salford is part of the local Community Safety Partnership. Through collaboration with Salford City Council, GMP, partner agencies and the general public, Project Gulf uses various intelligence-led methods to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups across Greater Manchester.
Detective Sergeant Jill Vescovi from GMP said: “So far ‘Stand up for Salford’ has allowed us to engage with hundreds of young people across Salford, spread the message on the criminality behind gangs and ultimately stop children from entering this kind of lifestyle as they get older.
“The pupils who performed have put so much time and effort into learning about the issues and putting their pieces together. It’s a real testament to them and their community that they are willing to stand up for Salford and tackle those who threaten its harmony.”
City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Young people play a key role in defeating organised crime in Salford. If we can support them to reject gang culture, we will build a better future for them and our city. Our work with Project Gulf shows that, by working together, we can disrupt and defeat organised crime but the police need the public on their side, sharing information to help them do their job.”
Since the workshops took place around 150 pupils have worked with Rhema Theatre on a weekly basis to create their own play. The challenge now saw eight schools go head to head with a judging panel, made up of Vice Lord-Lieutenant DL JP, Chair of Greater Manchester Crimestoppers Edith Conn, Superintendent Mark Kenny, Ceremonial Mayor of Salford Councillor Peter Dobbs and others, crowning a winner at the end of the day.
The pupils will then take their play back to their classmates and family members to spread the message about the impact of gangs and crimes associated with them.
The initiative will then see Fearless work with schools to help the next generation say no to organised criminality.
Mike Peacock, Writer, Actor, Director at Rhema Theatre Company said: “Drama is a powerful tool for putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and seeing though their eyes. We remember stories. We relate to stories. This competition for High Schools in Salford is a great opportunity for pupils to look at both individuals and the wider effects of crime on society, and empower those individuals to make a change.”
Greater Manchester Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said: “Salford is often unfairly stigmatised by the national media. The focus on gangs and organised crime has the potential to weigh heavily on the minds of young Salfordians. In truth, Salford is a great city and I am always struck by the optimism and aspiration of the young people I have met across the city.
Projects like this tap into that positive spirit that Salford young people have, and gives them a much-needed voice to stand up against that small, destructive minority of criminal gangsters who try – but will fail – to bring the city down.”
Edith Conn, Chair of Greater Manchester Crimestoppers, Vice Lord-Lieutenant, DL JP said: “The effort and commitment that these young people have put into this project has been fantastic. They care about Salford and their school and wish to make a positive impact and contribute to a safer community. The work that they have produced will really get the message across to their fellow pupils and parents that you can be Fearless Against Crime by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously.”
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit www.gmp.police.uk
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
[ Apologies - due to unexpected work commitments I'm only currently able to upload a small number of the photos taken over the last couple of weeks but I hope to catch up soon. I'm so glad that so many people have been participating and others covering these important protests demanding a ceasefire.]
On Saturday 4 November, tens of thousands of people and possibly as many as 100,000, demonstrated in London's Trafalgar Square in solidarity with Palestinians. It was not just a reaction to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, the escalating death toll and the blockade of energy, fuel, electricity, food and water from 2.3 million Palestinians living in the city and the surrounding strip.
It was also a determination to see an end to -
كما دعا المتظاهرون إلى إنهاء جميع العوامل الرئيسية التي تغذي الصراع.
1) An end to Palestinian suffering from 75 years of Israeli occupation. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since 1967 is officially recognised by the United Nations and most of the world despite the fact that the occupation is often ignored or sometimes even denied by Western media. As Amnesty International reports Israeli occupation has resulted in "systematic human rights violations against Palestinians living there."
نهاية معاناة الفلسطينيين من 75 عاما من الاحتلال الإسرائيلي. إن الاحتلال الإسرائيلي للضفة الغربية والقدس الشرقية وقطاع غزة منذ عام 1967 معترف به رسميًا من قبل الأمم المتحدة ومعظم دول العالم على الرغم من أن وسائل الإعلام الغربية غالبًا ما يتم تجاهل الاحتلال أو حتى إنكاره في بعض الأحيان. وكما أفادت منظمة العفو الدولية، فإن الاحتلال الإسرائيلي قد أدى إلى "انتهاكات منهجية لحقوق الإنسان ضد الفلسطينيين الذين يعيشون هناك".
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2017/06/israel-occupa...
2) An end to Palestinians living under a highly restrictive Apartheid regime as recognised by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and War on Want. Across the West Bank Palestinians are banned from driving on numerous roads that cross the region and as War on Want explains "Jewish Israelis and Palestinians are treated differently in almost every aspect of life: housing, education, health, employment, family life, residence and freedom of movement. Dozens of Israeli laws and policies institutionalise this prevailing system of racial discrimination and domination."
وضع حد للفلسطينيين الذين يعيشون في ظل نظام فصل عنصري شديد التقييد كما اعترفت به منظمة العفو الدولية وهيومن رايتس ووتش ومنظمة الحرب على العوز. في جميع أنحاء الضفة الغربية، يُمنع الفلسطينيون من القيادة على العديد من الطرق التي تعبر المنطقة، وكما توضح مؤسسة "الحرب على العوز" الخيرية، "يتم التعامل مع اليهود الإسرائيليين والفلسطينيين بشكل مختلف في كل جانب من جوانب الحياة تقريبًا: السكن والتعليم والصحة والتوظيف والأسرة". الحياة والإقامة وحرية التنقل.. عشرات القوانين والسياسات الإسرائيلية تضفي الطابع المؤسسي على هذا النظام السائد من التمييز العنصري والسيطرة.
waronwant.org/news-analysis/israeli-apartheid-factsheet?g...
3) An end to restrictions on movement. Across the West Bank there are some 650 Israeli military checkpoints through which only some Palestinians are allowed to pass, often with humiliating questioning and delays, so that they can travel to other towns whether to visit families, seeking medical treatment or for any other reason. In Gaza, travel is even more difficult and only a tiny minority with work permits have been allowed to cross the border - the rest have to remain in what is often described as the world's largest open air prison - the densely populated Gaza strip housing some 2.3 million people.
إنهاء القيود المفروضة على الحركة. يوجد في جميع أنحاء الضفة الغربية حوالي 650 نقطة تفتيش عسكرية إسرائيلية لا يُسمح إلا لبعض الفلسطينيين بالمرور من خلالها، مع استجواب وتأخير مهين، حتى يتمكنوا من السفر إلى مدن أخرى سواء لزيارة عائلاتهم أو طلب العلاج الطبي أو لأي سبب آخر. وفي غزة، يعد السفر أكثر صعوبة ولم يُسمح إلا لأقلية صغيرة من حاملي تصاريح العمل بعبور الحدود - أما الباقون فيجب أن يبقوا في ما يوصف في كثير من الأحيان بأنه أكبر سجن مفتوح في العالم - وهو قطاع غزة المكتظ بالسكان والذي يضم حوالي 2.3 نسمة. مليون شخص.
3) An end to the 16 years of siege imposed by Israel on Gaza which means that around 56% of children were suffering from anemia and only 4% had access to safe drinking water even before the outbreak of conflict this month.
إنهاء الحصار الذي تفرضه إسرائيل على غزة منذ 16 عاماً. ويعني الحصار أن حوالي 56% من الأطفال كانوا يعانون من فقر الدم وأن 4% فقط كانوا يحصلون على مياه الشرب الآمنة حتى قبل اندلاع النزاع هذا الشهر.
www.unicef.org/sop/what-we-do/wash-water-sanitation-and-h....
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391478/
4) The never ending process of Israeli expansion across Palestinian land, including the demolition of 55,000 Palestinian homes since 1967, occurring on a near monthly basis as well as the cutting down of fields of olive trees and the ploughing up of Palestinian farms to make room for yet more illegal settlements subsidised by the Israeli government.
These settlements are illegal under international law, which rightly recognises the 1967 border. However, since 1967, Israel has constructed 250 of them across the West Bank in which over 633,000 Israelis live in subsidised and often luxurious housing with swimming pools and manicured lawns, an unimaginable privilege to the vast majority of Palestinians.
وضع حد للتوسع الإسرائيلي الذي لا ينتهي عبر الأراضي الفلسطينية، بما في ذلك هدم 55.000 منزل فلسطيني منذ عام 1967، والذي يحدث على أساس شهري تقريبًا، فضلاً عن قطع حقول أشجار الزيتون وحراثة المزارع الفلسطينية. وترتكب هذه الجرائم ضد الفلسطينيين لإفساح المجال أمام إقامة المستوطنات الإسرائيلية غير القانونية التي تدعمها الحكومة الإسرائيلية
ومن الواضح أن المستوطنات غير قانونية بموجب القانون الدولي، الذي يعترف بحق بحدود عام 1967. ومع ذلك، منذ عام 1967، شيدت إسرائيل 250 منها في جميع أنحاء الضفة الغربية، حيث يعيش أكثر من 633 ألف إسرائيلي في مساكن مدعومة وفاخرة في كثير من الأحيان مع حمامات سباحة ومروج مشذبة، وهو امتياز لا يمكن تصوره لجميع الفلسطينيين تقريبًا.
icahd.org/2020/03/15/end-home-demolitions-an-introduction/
www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/westbank_a0_25_06_202...
5) Never ending acts of settler terrorism against Palestinians. Western media rightly condemns occasional Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, including the appalling atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October. However, for years illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank have staged attacks against Palestinians, sometimes motivated sheerly by hatred, but often by the desire to inflict terror and to ethnically cleanse an area. The most recent incident was an attack on Wednesday 11 October in which masked settlers killed three Palestinian villagers and then killed a Palestinian father and son attending the funeral the next day.
وضع حد لأعمال الإرهاب التي يمارسها المستوطنون ضد الفلسطينيين. وتدين وسائل الإعلام الغربية عن حق الهجمات الفلسطينية العرضية على المدنيين الإسرائيليين، بما في ذلك الفظائع المروعة التي ارتكبتها حماس في 7 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر. ومع ذلك، ظل المستوطنون الإسرائيليون غير الشرعيين في الضفة الغربية لسنوات يشنون هجمات ضد الفلسطينيين، بدافع الكراهية في بعض الأحيان، ولكن في كثير من الأحيان بسبب التصميم على ترويع الفلسطينيين وتطهيرهم عرقيًا من منطقة ما. وكانت آخر الحوادث هي الهجوم الذي وقع يوم الأربعاء 11 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر، حيث قتل مستوطنون ملثمون ثلاثة قرويين فلسطينيين ثم قتلوا أبًا فلسطينيًا وابنه كانا يحضران الجنازة في اليوم التالي.
theintercept.com/2023/10/13/israel-settlers-gaza-palestin...
arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-dynamics-of-israeli-settler...
6) The division of Palestinian land by the separation wall. The 708 km Separation Wall, completed in 2005, was supposedly built to protect Israel from any Palestinians that might be able to enter the country without permission, but 85% of it runs up to 18 km inside the internationally recognised 1967 boundary ("Green Line"), frequently dividing Palestinians villagers from their farmland as well as running through the middle of farms and dividing arable land from key water supplies.
Some 10% of the West Bank now lies between the wall and the 1967 border, an area into which everyone, except Palestinians, is allowed entry. Not surprisingly, the International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion that the separation wall is a contravention of international law and in 2003 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding its removal by 144 votes to just 4. Analysts also fear that the wall acts as a de facto annexation of all the Palestinian land that lies to the west of it.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier
7) The myth of Palestinian rejectionism. Western mainstream media usually maintains falsely that it is Palestinians that have constantly rejected a two-state solution, whereas the opposite is the case. Arab states and the Palestinians have frequently made clear their willingness to negotiate a future two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 frontiers, while Israel is committed to preventing any such solution and continuing its territorial expansion.
As early as 1976, Egypt, Syria and Jordan presented a two-state solution resolution to the UN Security Council based on the 1967 Green Line (in accordance with the international consensus) but it was vetoed outright by the United States, even though Washington at the time publicly acknowledged the illegality of all Israeli settlements across the Palestinian West Bank. The same happened again in 1980.
Later in 1988, the PLO put forward their position in a declaration by the Palestinian National Council calling for a Palestinian state alongside Israel with guarantees of security to both countries. However in May 1989, Israel's Likud-Labour coalition government made it crystal clear that they would not accept an "additional" Palestinian state between Jordan and Israel, regardless of what Jordanians, Palestinians or the rest of the world might think. The founding charter of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party still "flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan river."
8) The frequent killing by Israeli security forces of peaceful protesters, women, children, journalists and medics, including the assassination of renowned Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh in May last year. In the nine months of 2023 prior to 7 October, 248 Palestinians, 40 of them children, had been killed by Israeli soldiers, but these deaths attracted almost no attention in the Western media. Palestinian lives have always been very cheap.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMIZTiN-TrE
9) The current refusal of Israel to allow any journalists into the Gaza Strip so they can see and report on, obviously at their own risk, the destruction and casualties and suffering of the civilian population.
10) An end to "administrative detentions" across the West Bank under which thousands of Palestinians have been detained without any right to be told under what charges they are being held, let alone any right to a free trial. As the Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem explains
"Administrative detention is incarceration without trial or charge, alleging that a person plans to commit a future offense. It has no time limit, and the evidence on which it is based is not disclosed. Israel employs this measure extensively and routinely, and has used it to hold thousands of Palestinians for lengthy periods of time. While detention orders are formally reviewed, this is merely a semblance of judicial oversight, as detainees cannot reasonably mount a defense against undisclosed allegations. Nevertheless, courts uphold the vast majority of orders."
www.btselem.org/topic/administrative_detention
11) An end to Israeli soldiers controlling access to and frequently preventing Muslims from visiting the Al Aqsa Mosque in Israeli occupied East Jerusalem [Al Quds], considered the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. On several occasions, Israeli troops and/or police have also attacked worshippers using batons, stun grenades and tear gas, igniting understandable anger across the Islamic World. Radical Israeli settlers also sometimes enter under the protection of Israeli security forces and some also perform Jewish rituals in contravention of current agreements about non-Muslims being allowed in, but only as visitors.
www.newarab.com/news/israeli-settlers-storm-aqsa-compound...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/3/12/israeli-police-assault-w...
For those that know my artworks well and my style, you would know my emotional works tend to be internally focused. The emotion I often try to capture is that of the emotions one faces him/her self. What he/she is dealing with in his/her own mind.
Being that, for me this artwork actually captures what I often feel like as I go through most days as a result of my own personal dealings with what I believe to be ADD.
I am an energizer bunny on 5 cans of red bull. My mind never shuts up and is always coming up with ideas in countless directions. The problem is I also often never say NO to running with these ideas - I simply take on another challenge and another opportunity and another business and another creative learning experiment. Many of them lead to commitments and deadlines that others expect of me when I took it on.
Its like a Juggler that has 10 balls in the air and agrees to add another. As long as they all come down at different times, I am OK. But often many come at the same time. Also, even when they come down at a good pace, they never stop coming so I struggle to just for my mind to rest.
So this artwork shows a person like me that struggles to keep his commitments from crushing him. The clouds are the opportunities that have also become commitments and stresses and obligations. I constantly need the incredible strength to keep them from falling to the ground - which to me is a failure.
HE holds up his growing burden of commitments - using all his strength to ensure then don't fall and crush him in the process.
CREDITS & RESOURCES USED:
The subject is from a SecondLife photo I took in 2012 at the Fantasy Faire exhibits. I then used my own personal clouds and blending textures to complete the art.
I've always wanted to participate in SHIPtember, but due to other commitments or just plain "creative intimidation" I haven't.
Up until now that is.
There's no point wondering if your ship is any good or worrying about creative block if you give yourself the following constraints:
1) 24 hours start to finish, no breaks
2) use only the parts & electronics on hand, i.e. no last minute purchases on bricklink
3) work with other builders and make it twice as big! 200 studs baby!
Not only will we build twice a SHIP, but we've got some electronic and mechanical tricks up our sleeves to add a new "spin" to SHIP building!
Join us Saturday Sep 19th 09:00am EDT.
Follow our progress as we upload hourly progress photos on:
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/michaelgale
Instagram: instagram.com/jasonallemann/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JasonAllemannArtist
Twitter: twitter.com/jasonallemann
Multiple camera feeds with time-lapse plus features videos during the build to follow!
To me its all about compromise, Commitment binds a marriage,But really its compromise that makes it work.
Worked on a few ideas iv'e had bouncing around in my head for a while yesterday, funnily enough this wasn't one of them. It is however a template for a future shoot.
Yolanda, I love you.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however we have headed east of Cavendish Mews, down through St James’, around Trafalgar Square and up Charing Cross Road, where, near the corner of Great Newport Street, Lettice is visiting A. H. Mayhew’s*, a bookshop in the heart of London’s specialist and antiquarian bookseller district, patronised by her father, Viscount Wrexham. It is here that Lettice hopes to find the perfect birthday present for the son of the Duke of Walmsford, Selwyn Spencely. The pair have made valiant attempts to pursue a romantic relationship since meeting at Lettice’s mother, Lady Sadie’s, Hunt Ball the previous year. Yet things haven’t been easy, their relationship moving in fits and starts, partially due to the invisible, yet very strong influence of Selwyn’s mother, Lady Zinnia, the current Duchess of Walmsford. Selwyn is not one to make a fuss about his birthday, but under Lettice’s persistent pressure, he has acquiesced and agreed to an intimate dinner with Lettice at The Savoy Hotel** in a few weeks. This gives Lettice just enough time to find a present for Selwyn. As Lettice lingers out the front of Mr. Mayhew’s, peering through his tall plate glass windows that proudly bear his name and advertise that he does purchase libraries of old books, she hopes that somewhere amidst the full shelves inside, there is the book she hopes to give to Selwyn that will further solidify her commitment to him in his eyes.
She sighs and walks up to the recessed door of the bookshop which she pushes open. A cheerful bell dings loudly above her head, announcing her presence. As the door closes behind her, it shuts out the general cacophony of noisy automobiles, chugging busses and passing shoppers’ conversations dissipates, the shop enveloping her in a cozy muffled silence produced by the presence of so many shelves fully laden with volumes. She inhales deeply and savours the comforting smell of dusty old books and pipe smoke. The walls are lined with floor to ceiling shelves, all full of books: thousands of volumes on so many subjects. Sunlight pours through the tall shop windows facing out to the street, highlighting the worn Persian and Turkish carpets whose hues, once so bright, vivid and exotic, have softened with exposure to the sunlight and any number of pairs of boots and shoes of customers, who like Lettice, searched Mayhew’s shelves for the perfect book to take away with them. Dust motes, something Lettice always associates with her father’s library in Wiltshire, dance blithely through beams of sunlight before disappearing without a trace into the shadows.
Lettice makes her way through the shop, wandering along its narrow aisles, reaching up to touch various Moroccan leather spines embossed with gilt lettering of titles and authors, until she nears the middle of the shop, where sitting at his desk before a small coal fire, smoking his pipe, sits the bespectacled Mr. Mayhew in his jacket, vest and bowtie, carefully checking titles on his desk’s surface against a hand written inventory. The portly, balding gentleman is so wrapped up in his work that he appears not to notice Lettice as she stands before him.
“Good afternoon Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice says, her clipped tones slicing through the thick silence of the shop.
“Ahh,” Mr. Mayhew sighs with delight as he realises who is standing before him, removing his gold rimmed spectacles and setting them aside atop his old cash box featuring an old photograph of a Georgian Mansion cut from an old book that could not be salvaged and sold. “Why if it isn’t my favourite Wiltshire reader herself.” He takes one final pleasurable puff of his pipe before putting it aside.
Lettice rolls her eyes and smiles indulgently. “I’m quote sure you say that to every reader whom you know well, Mr. Mayhew.”
“Ahh,” the old man remarks, lifting himself out of the comfort of the well worn chair behind his desk, wiping his hands down the front of his thick black barathea vest. “But not every reader I know as well as you come from Wiltshire, Miss Chetwynd.” He reaches out and takes Lettice’s dainty glove clad hand in his and raises it to his lips.
“You kiss me like I’m the Queen, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice laughs.
“Well, you are royalty, of a sort, to me, Miss Chetwynd,” Mr. Mayhew replies as he releases her hand. “You and your father.”
“Yes,” Lettice muses happily. “I don’t suppose you have many customers who are such avid collectors or rare antiquarian editions of Goethe*** as my father.”
“Now, now, Miss Chetwynd, you play your own part in the success of Mayhew’s,” the old bookseller chortles. “Thanks to you showing an interest in fine editions yourself, under your father’s wonderful tutelage.”
“Well, I’d hardly classify myself as a collector, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice scoffs. “At least not like my father is, but then I live in a neat modern flat in Mayfair which does not afford me the space of a library like my father has.”
“More’s the pity, Miss Chetwynd.” Mr. Mayhew opines. “I feel every home should have a library.”
“You’d be far wealthier if they did, Mr. Mayhew.”
“That may be true, Miss Chetwynd,” Mr. Mayhew agrees. “But you misjudge my motivations.” he chides Lettice mildly. “I didn’t establish my little bookshop simply to make money. What a ludicrous idea that any shopkeeper would set up his establishment simply to make money, when he can take equal measure of profit and pleasure from his endeavours. I have a great love of books, Miss Chetwynd, both the written word and the engraving,” He waves his hands expansively at the floor to ceiling bookshelves around him, filled with hundreds of volumes on all manner of subjects. “As well you know. And I feel that a house is not a home without at least a small library of books.”
“Then I suppose my flat may be classified as a home in your eyes, Mr. Mayhew, since I do have a number of beautiful volumes from you in my own bookshelves.”
“Of course you do, my dear Miss Chetwynd.” the old man purrs pleasurably. “You are a discerning woman of good taste.”
“And deep pockets, just like my father.” Lettice laughs good-heartedly.
“Now, what is it that I can entice you to add to your bookshelves today, Miss Chetwynd?” He steps out from behind his cluttered desk and speaks as he moves. “Now let me see. I did recently get a splendid edition of some Georgian interior designs that might appeal to you. Did you find that Regency cabinet maker’s book I found for you, useful, Miss Chetwynd?”
“Oh I did Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice replies, acknowledging one of a number of fine and rare books the old bookseller has found Lettice since her move to London and the establishment of her interior design business.
“Splendid! Splendid!” Mr. Mayhew clucks, clapping his hands in delight.
“However, it isn’t me that I’ve come looking for a book for.” Lettice quickly adds before Mr. Mayhew begins the task of locating the book of Georgian interiors unnecessarily.
“Oh,” the bookseller replies a little downheartedly. “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have any new antiquarian versions of Gothe that I think His Lordship would like.” He scratches his balding head. “Although I do have quite a fine newly published edition of Padraic Colum’s**** ‘The Golden Fleece and the Heroes who Lived Before Achilles’***** illustrated by Willy Pognay, which luckily for you, Miss Chetwynd,” He wags a chubby finger at Lettice. “I forgot to mention to your father when he ordered his last shipment of books.”
“Oh I’m not looking for a book for my father either, Mr. Mayhew, at least not today.”
“Oh?” the older gentleman turns back to Lettice. “Your friend Mr. Bruton perhaps?”
“No, not him either, Mr. Mayhew.”
“Then who are you looking for a volume for, Miss Chetwynd? You know I have no head for guessing games, and I have no doubt that a lady as sociable as you would be well connected to many a distinguished person who would enjoy a volume from my humble little establishment.”
“You are a flatterer, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice laughs, blushing at the bookseller’s remark. She pauses for a moment before continuing. “I am actually looking for a book on architecture today. A very close friend of mine, who just happens to be a budding architect, is celebrating their birthday soon.”
“Ahh,” Mr. Mayhew replies. “And would this budding young architect happen to have recently had success with a commission for a house in Hampstead, Miss Chetwynd?” he asks discreetly.
“You are well informed in here, aren’t you, Mr. Mayhew?” Lettice gasps in surprise.
Mr. Mayhew smiles enigmatically and taps his nose knowingly. “Well, contrary to popular belief, I do occasionally have my eye drawn to the social pages of the London newspapers by Mrs. Mayhew, especially when she recognises the name of the daughter of one of my most regular and loyal customers.”
“Well, suppose you and your social informant were correct,“ Lettice begins discreetly.
“Yes, Miss Chetwynd?” Mr. Mayhew coaxes with a wry smile.
“And assume that the aforementioned up-and-coming architect expressly stated the fact that he was particularly enamoured in older English architecture for his own amusement.”
“Yes, Miss Chetwynd?”
“If you wanted to show your sincerity and your interest in the architect’s personal amusement, what would you recommend, Mr. Mayhew?”
“Well, Miss Chetwynd. I’d certainly want to give him something very special indeed.”
“Yes, I thought you might say that, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice smiles.
“Then I have not disappointed you, my dear Miss Chetwynd.” Mr. Mayhew returns her smile.
“You never disappoint me, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice counters. “But you never cease to surprise me.” she adds with the heavy implication that she hopes he can find for her the perfect birthday present for Selwyn.
“Then let Mayhew’s not let you down on that count either, Miss Chetwynd.”
“You never do, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice replies with a sigh of comfort, releasing a pent-up breath she didn’t realise she had been holding.
Mr. Mayhew picks up his spectacles and puts them on the bridge of his nose again before looking around him, squinting as he considers what volumes lie on the shelves in the darkened, cosy interior of his bookshop. As a proprietor who knows his stock well – almost like one would know a family – he says, “I think I might have just the thing. Please, take a seat, Miss Chetwynd.” He indicates to the chair on the opposite side of the desk to his own. “If I may beg your indulgence, I won’t be too long.”
“You may, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice replies.
The bookseller makes a small bow before he bustles off, disappearing amidst the bookshelves.
Lettice perches herself on the edge of the rather hard Arts and Crafts wooden seat and peruses Mr. Mayhew’s cluttered desk which is piled with old leather volumes, some of which speak of times long ago with their worn covers and aged pages. On the corner of the desk, precariously balanced and in danger of falling off if the proprietor were to push the books further across his desk, sits a photograph of Mrs. Mayhew in a dainty gilt frame. Next to it sits a desk calendar, set to the wrong date. Lettice listens and hears Mr. Mayhew muttering quietly behind a bookshelf nearby as he searches for what he hopes to find. Discreetly she changes the date on the calendar to the correct date for the old bookseller, smiling as she does so. In front of the photo and calendar sits a small brass pot of ink in which stands a quill feather pen, the fibres of which are yellow with age and dust. She toys with it in an amused fashion.
“Here we are, Miss Chetwynd!” Mr. Mayhew replies triumphantly as he returns holding two thick volumes in his arms. He pauses as he catches Lettice stroking the quill on his desk. “What’s your penmanship like, Miss Chetwynd?”
Lettice turns around and smiles up at the old, balding bookseller. “Nowhere near as good as yours, I’ll wager, Mr. Mayhew.” she laughs. “Especially with this old implement. I prefer a fountain pen. I think you must be the only man left in London who uses a quill pen.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’m not the only man in London who still uses one,” he replies as he squeezes around the corner of his desk and returns to his side of it, dropping the volumes with a soft thud atop several other closed books. “After all, I’m sure the King has to use a quill to sign the edicts and official documents that he has to witness.”
“I’m sure even His Majesty uses a fountain pen now, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice assures him. “I know Queen Mary does.”
“Ahh, where is your sense of romance for the art of writing, Miss Chetwynd? You must admit that if Miss Austen penned beautiful pieces of literature like ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with a quill pen, that there is still a good reason to use one.”
“I don’t think Miss Austen had the luxury of the fountain pen being invented when she was alive, Mr. Mayhew,” Lettice laughs. “Or I am sure she would have used one as an alternative to a quill.”
“Perhaps, Miss Chetwynd,” Mr. Mayhew says with a cheeky smile. “But I’ll have you know that the fountain pen was actually invented before Miss Austen’s death in the early 1800s.”
“Is that so, Mr. Mayhew?”
“Indeed it is, Miss Chetwynd. It was invented in England by a man named Frederick Fölsch in 1809.”
“My goodness, Mr, Mayhew! Once again, I am amazed by your knowledge of such things.”
The bookseller basks in Lettice’s praise for a few moments before adding somewhat self-deprecatingly, “It does help that I work in a bookshop, surrounded by such knowledge, Miss Chetwynd.” He coughs and clears his throat. “Now, thinking of books, here are two volumes I think your young architect friend might like.”
He presents Lettice with a thick grey bound volume with black lettering embossed boldly upon its front.
“The Mansions of England in the Olden Times******,” Lettice reads aloud. “Pictured by Joseph Nash.”
“I’m afraid it is only volume two of a four volume set from 1840, Miss Chetwynd, but it is still very beautiful. ‘The Mansions of England in the Olden Times’ is considered to be Joseph Nash’s master work. He was a wonderful watercolourist, as you will see.” He indicates with open hands for Lettice to open the volume. “I think your friend might appreciate the watercolours therein.”
With the reverence her father taught her to have for books, particularly old and rare ones, Lettice gingerly opens the volume. Her hand gently caresses the beautifully marbled end papers before she starts turning the old pages catching the slight waft of the mixture of dust and woodsmoke of an old library, as she turns the pages.
“This book smells faintly like my father’s library, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice remarks.
“Well, I did acquire this from the family of the late Earl of Ellenborough*******, as the library stamp inside indicates. Sadly there are many estates that are now having to part with their treasures, since they can no longer afford to keep them.”
“Yes,” Lettice muses sadly. “I’m only grateful that Pater is not in that position, and he can keep his beautiful library at Glynes.”
“As am I, Miss Chetwynd.” acknowledges the bookseller.
Lettice pauses at a plate featuring the withdrawing room of Bramall Hall in Cheshire. The painting of the grand room with its ornate Elizabethan ceiling, oak panelled walls and stained glass is populated with matching Elizabethan characters: a couple by the fire, a woman in a bay window and a small child in the foreground on the edge of a rather large carpet. Her nose screws up slightly in distaste.
“Not to your liking, Miss Chetwynd?” Mr. Mayhew asks, picking up on her slight change in expression.
“Possibly not to the liking of the intended recipient, Mr. Mayhew. However renown a watercolourist Joseph Nash was, I don’t think my friend would like the rooms populated with imagined characters of the era. It seems a little fey.” She closes the book carefully and gently moves it aside.
“Then perhaps this will be more to your friend’s tastes.”
The old bookseller hands over a buff coloured volume of ‘The Royal Palaces, Historic Castles and Stately Homes of Great Britain’********.
Lettice accepts it and flips through the pages, and quickly discovers Clendon, the family seat of the Duke and Duchess of Walmsford, and Selwyn’s ancestral family home in Buckinghamshire, amongst the plates.
“I think my friend is intimately familiar with many of these houses and castles, Mr. Mayhew, so I fear it may not hold the appeal to him as it might for another reader.” She closes the volume.
“Does your friend have a particular era of architecture that he likes, Miss Chetwynd?” the bookseller asks solicitously, anxious to gain a good sale from Lettice if at all possible.
“Well, he does like John Nash’s********* work,” Lettice replies. “Especially the work he did around Regent’s Park.”
Mr. Mayhew thinks for a moment before replying. “Then I may be able to render assistance, Miss Chetwynd, although I will warn you, it may be a costly gift.”
“I don’t mind, Mr. Mayhew.” Lettice says steadfastly. “Selw… err, my friend’s happiness has no price.”
“Very well, Miss Chetwynd. Please wait here a moment.”
Mr. Mayhew slips away through the narrow aisles lined with full bookshelves again, this time disappearing through a door at the far end of the shop which is obviously a storeroom where the bookseller keeps things that are yet to be put on display, or items that may only be shown to certain customers. He returns a few minutes later with a smart half Morocco binding with gilt lettering which he places before her.
“This is a volume of John Nash’s architectural drawings including his designs for the Royal Pavilion built for the Prince Regent in Brighton, Marble Arch, Buckingham Palace, his collaboration with James Burton on Regent Street and his best-known collaborations with Decimus Burton of Regent's Park and its terraces and Carlton House Terrace.”
Lettice gasps as she carefully looks through the large book at the wonderful neoclassical and picturesque style architectural drawings in the book. Page after page of exquisitely rendered images show with clarity every detail of some of John Nash’s most famous buildings. When Lettice turns to a page showing the details of Buckingham Palace she sighs and says, “Mr. Mayhew, yet again you never cease to amaze me with what you have within your shop. I think you have just found me, the perfect birthday gift.”
*A. H. Mayhew was once one of many bookshops located in London’s Charring Cross Road, an area still famous today for its bookshops, perhaps most famously written about by American authoress Helene Hanff who wrote ’84, Charing Cross Road’, which later became a play and then a 1987 film starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. Number 56. Charing Cross Road was the home of Mayhew’s second-hand and rare bookshop. Closed after the war, their premises is now the home of Any Amount of Books bookshop.
**The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by Carte's family for over a century. The Savoy was the first hotel in Britain to introduce electric lights throughout the building, electric lifts, bathrooms in most of the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water and many other innovations. Carte hired César Ritz as manager and Auguste Escoffier as chef de cuisine; they established an unprecedented standard of quality in hotel service, entertainment and elegant dining, attracting royalty and other rich and powerful guests and diners. The hotel became Carte's most successful venture. Its bands, Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band, became famous. Winston Churchill often took his cabinet to lunch at the hotel. The hotel is now managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It has been called "London's most famous hotel". It has two hundred and sixty seven guest rooms and panoramic views of the River Thames across Savoy Place and the Thames Embankment. The hotel is a Grade II listed building.
***Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature and aesthetic criticism, and treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour. He is considered to be the greatest German literary figure of the modern era.
****Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival.
*****”The Golden Fleece and the Heroes who Lived Before Achilles” was a novel written by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Hungarian artist Willy Pognay, published by the Macmillan Company in 1921.
******”The mansions of England in the Olden Times” was a four volume set published between 1839 and 1849 by English watercolourist and lithographer, Joseph Nash (1809 – 1878) who specialised in historical buildings. The four volume set is considered to be his major life’s work.
*******Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough, born in 1790, was a British Tory politician. He was four times President of the Board of Control and also served as Governor-General of India between 1842 and 1844. He died in 1844.
********”The Royal Palaces, Historic Castles and Stately Homes of Great Britain” is an interesting work on the Royal palaces, historic castles and stately homes of Great Britain. With an informative introduction by John Geddie, followed by the plates. Published in 1913 by Otto Schulze and Company, it features ninety-six full-page monochrome photograph plates including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle, Kensington Palace and Edinburgh Castle.
*********John Nash (18 January 1752 – 13 May 1835) was one of the foremost British architects of the Georgian and Regency eras, during which he was responsible for the design, in the neoclassical and picturesque styles, of many important areas of London. His designs were financed by the Prince Regent and by the era's most successful property developer, James Burton. Nash also collaborated extensively with Burton's son, Decimus Burton.
This dark, cosy and slightly cluttered bookshop may appear real to you, but it is in fact made up of pieces from my 1:12 miniatures collection.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
All the books that you see lining the shelves of Mr. Mayhew’s bookshop are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. So too are all the books you see both open and closed on Mr. Mayhew’s desk. Most of the books I own that he has made may be opened to reveal authentic printed interiors. In some cases, you can even read the words, depending upon the size of the print! I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection, but so little of his real artistry is seen because the books that he specialised in making are usually closed, sitting on shelves or closed on desks and table surfaces. Therefore, it is a pleasure to give you a glimpse inside one of the books he has made. To give you an idea of the work that has gone into this volume and the others, the books contain dozens of double sided pages of images and writing. What might amaze you even more is that all Ken Blythe’s opening books are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. “The mansions of England in the Olden Times” was a four volume set published between 1839 and 1849 by English watercolourist and lithographer, Joseph Nash (1809 – 1878) who specialised in historical buildings. The four volume set is considered to be his major life’s work. “The Royal Palaces, Historic Castles and Stately Homes of Great Britain” is an interesting work on the Royal palaces, historic castles and stately homes of Great Britain. With an informative introduction by John Geddie, followed by the plates. Published in 1913 by Otto Schulze and Company, it features ninety-six full-page monochrome photograph plates including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle, Kensington Palace and Edinburgh Castle. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make this a miniature artisan piece. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter. I hope that you enjoy this peek at just two of hundreds of his books that I own, and that it makes you smile with its sheer whimsy!
Also on the desk are some old leatherbound volumes, and to the left stands a calendar with its back facing the camera, Mr. Mayhew’s pot of ink and quill pen, a cashbox tin with a historical building image on its top and a pair of Mr. Mayhew’s spectacles. All these I acquired from Kathleen Knight’s Dollhouse Shop in the United Kingdom.
The Chippendale desk itself is made by Bespaq, and it has a mahogany stain and the design is taken from a real Chippendale desk. Its surface is covered in red dioxide red dioxide leather with a gilt trim. Bespaq is a high-end miniature furniture maker with high attention to detail and quality.
The photos you can see in the background, all of which are all real photos, are produced to high standards in 1:12 size on photographic paper by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. The frames are from various suppliers, but all are metal.
The aspidistra in the blue jardiniere in the background, the pipe and pipestand, and the map also came from Kathleen Knight’s Dollhouse Shop in the United Kingdom.
The gold flocked Edwardian wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.
I was really excited when I saw the short review of this in the camera. The continuous af was being a little skeptical so I decided to try to get the shot with manual focus. I'm not sure if I'd call it luck or skill. Maybe a little bit of both, because man was he flying! Either way I was ecstatic to see the focus was where I wanted it. My hat also goes off to Dane for clearing that monster of a gap. Obviously you can't see the gap because it was behind where I was standing but trust me when I say it was big.
I hope and wish to all the women their legitimate aspirations of equal opportunity, dignity and respect see soon a goal. In the world the feminine condition is still a lot (too much!) far from a joint relationship with we males. Courage! Intelligence and force of heart do not lack you... everywhere you operate you give a great demonstration.
In Flickr the feminine contribution of commitment, quality and artistic talents is remarkable not only in quantity but above all in quality.
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Spero ed auguro a tutte le donne che le loro legittime aspirazioni di pari opportunità, dignità e rispetto vedano presto un traguardo. Nel mondo la condizione femminile è ancora molto (troppo!) lontana da un rapporto paritetico con noi maschi. Coraggio! Intelligenza e forza d'animo non vi mancano... ovunque vi si lasci operare ne date ampiamente dimostrazione.
In Flickr l'apporto femminile di impegno, qualità e talenti artistici è notevole non solo in quantità ma soprattutto in qualità.
My annual weekend trip to London, which gives me Saturday afternoon, evening and Sunday morning out and about wandering where ever I want to go. My daughters (and a coach load of ladies) are on the trip so I do have some other commitments on Saturday evening. Travelling at the beginning of November we were earlier than previous years so, although the decorations were in place, London wasn't as colourful as previous visits. I had decided to walk across to Little Venice as it isn't far from our hotel at Marble Arch and I hadn't been before. Having walked along the canal at home all summer chasing wildlife I wasn't impressed by a canal in London, it was windy so no reflections in the water and I left fairly soon. I'd seen Paddington Rail Station on the map not far away so I headed there. I got my camera out for the first time, it was fairly quiet and there weren't any restrictions on cameras (as far as I could see) I made eye contact with quite a few of the staff and smiled and nodded, as I would back home, and got quite a pleasant reception, no worries about me and my backpack and camera. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the station was. I did a nine mile circle taking in Hyde Park , Piccadilly, Regent Street and Oxford Street. The London to Brighton run was on the following day so Regent Street was shut with many of the cars and loads of other transport related stuff on display. It was busy and the light was going so I didn't bother taking many photos. The cars were leaving Hyde Park just down the road from our hotel at dawn on Sunday but I couldn't muster enough enthusiasm to walk down even though I was up early. I grabbed some window and people shots on Oxford Street. Some of the Christmas displays were already in place, most notably Selfridge's, some of the displays were behind temporary work barriers as a new pavement was being laid and I couldn't get to the window, I decided to go back on Sunday morning and climb over them-which I did, Oxford street was very quiet just after 8.00 am and I got my shots.
On Sunday I walked a ten mile circle out to the Thames South Bank, on to the Shard and Tower Bridge. I went across in to The City and wound my way back to Hyde Park. We had really good journeys both ways and the coach driver did the journey home without a break, he was able to get back to the depot and park up inside his 4 1/2 hours driving time which I think is a first in 16 years. I walked home from Slaithwaite and rounded my weekend mileage to twenty miles, this is the furthest I've walked since I had reconstructive surgery on my right foot at the end of February. I wasn't particularly fired up for the trip after one of the most difficult years I can remember-and that's saying something-so I struggled to find something to get enthused about which is probably why I didn't take any photos at Little Venice and very few at Regents Street.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria, addresses the jobs and economic development pledging session at the Supporting Syria conference.
The conference has raised $11 billion in aid for the humanitarian crisis, as well as commitments to support 1.7 million children in education and deliver 1.1 million jobs across the region.
BACKGROUND
The Supporting Syria and the Region conference is taking place in London, today on 4 February 2016.
It brings together world leaders in a bid to raise the money needed to help the millions of people whose lives have been torn apart by the devastating civil war in Syria.
Syria is the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. Billions of dollars in international aid are needed to support people caught up in the conflict.
The UK, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, and the United Nations are co-hosting the conference to raise significant new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those affected.
The conference is also setting ambitious goals on education and economic opportunities to transform the lives of refugees caught up in the Syrian crisis - and to support the countries hosting them.
This event alone cannot solve all these problems. Ultimately a political solution is necessary to bring the Syrian conflict to an end.
Find out more: www.supportingsyria2016.com
FREE-TO-USE PHOTO
This image is in the public domain and free-to-use, as long as you credit the source as: Adam Brown/Crown Copyright
GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Lincoln Memorial Lower Steps in Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
I don't know what these things are, but they curl up when they wither and all I could think of was "Emotional Nature"
This is Vegas, and we’re obviously about that EDM life. But instead of tattooing it on our tightly sculpted derrières, we’re commemorating our undying commitment with a 40-foot tribute to the way it makes us feel. Ladies and gentlemen, meet 7,500 pounds of stainless steel, swaying to the beat, Bliss Dance.
Created by artist Marco Cochrane over the course of a year and a half (we can’t even commit to going to the gym for that long), she represented the feminine energy he experienced at the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert. A little place we like to call “the middle of effing nowhere.”
Cochrane’s team of rock star welders worked with hand-cut steel rod before 3,000 LED lights – you read that correctly – 3,000 LED lights were installed to illuminate the statue from the inside. Hopefully, the symbolization of a woman glowing from within didn’t just go over your head.
In a collaborative approach to creativity, Cochrane allowed his female model to choose the pose she liked best and created the mold from it. The result is a statue frozen in an ultra transcendent pose, clearly experiencing that moment when the beat drops and takes you out of your body, making it impossible to think. So you just feel.
The artist, and women’s advocate, wanted to celebrate the appreciation and respect he has for females sans sexual objectification. In a town where scantily clad ladies are plastered on the sides of taxi cabs and party buses, this is saying something. Cochrane created Bliss Dance to be a symbol of women who are completely free from harm, a moment in time when their energy, happiness and power are elevated beyond the physical. Yeah, that’s deep.
Bliss Dance is the centerpiece of The Park between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo. This six-acre outdoor promenade features the T-Mobile Arena, several dining and bar options, outdoor seating and architectural features like water walls and shade structures that were made in the Netherlands.
I've decided to finally commit to something. Hopefully this one won't be that bad. Something about this makes me feel good, like I'm doing something with my life. I cannot wait until the year 2017. I want to be a photographer and a artist. I am
GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool North Pathway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
[F094005] Once I had the essential first steps of my little emergency-maintenance project for a wiki that I author on, I could see that there were other elements and I could rearrange the items a little for a more-sensible progression.
I find that I do that as part of ordinary review and progression of items on the kanban board. I can tell I will want a greater variety of colored markers, too.
Items still tend to depend on items to their right, and there may also be a priority separation.
Part of the Northern Shoveler courtship. The female was surrounded and followed by six drakes. This head bobbing by both the male and female displayed the excitement and acceptance of this male by the female. When a male is not accepted, the female will lower her beak and point it towards the unwanted male with a slightly aggressive look. Great Salt Lake, Utah
BNSF 4805 leads CP 372 east as it rolls by Miller park i was standing in ankle deep snow for 20 min for this shot
Due to other commitments, I won't be doing my daily post for a couple of days. Normal daily service will be resumed on Monday!
In the meantime, with the end of the RHTT season, I am undertaking an RHTT 'dump' - that is my remaining RHTT shots for 2024 that didn't make the quality cut (not that my bar is that high!) but, nevertheless, need to be included in this year's RHTT album. If there was a way to just pop them in the album without subjecting you to them I would do that but, as far as I know, there isn't. So, with apologies, here we go!
"Being committed to some goal in your life — a sense of mission, a purpose, even a calling — is a very motivating, very comforting thing. Some people's mission steps up to greet them, others have to hunt theirs down."
Source unknown.
This little bumblebee had died at work on this goldenrod. It was still in pretty good shape when I discovered it, Farm Lake, near Plevna, Ontario, Canada. Sony nex5r and Micro Nikkor 55/3.5.
The Class of 2023 affirmed their commitment to service on August 15, 2021, and took the Oath of Affirmation, binding them to complete their next two years of study and a minimum of five years of active-duty military service thereafter. Astronaut William S. McArthur Jr. ‘73 was the guest speaker for the evening.
Members of the Class of 1973, the 50-year affiliates of the Class of 2023, presented the cadets with commemorative coins to mark the occasion of their affirmed commitment.
"Regardless of your academic focus, you will graduate having majored in leadership. The good news is that you will leave this hallowed institution well-prepared to meet the challenges your careers will place before you. When you graduate, look at your diploma. Understand what it represents. It doesn’t mean that you are ready to conquer the world any more than one from an Ivy League school, an MIT or Ga Tech, a Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, or Stanford. It means you are ready to learn your profession through hands-on experience. It means you are ready to make your own luck.
- Astronaut William S. McArthur Jr. ‘73