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I did not enter this room under my own power.
I pull myself together, quite literally, off of the cold, sterile floor. The environment is sans sound, not even white noise. My surroundings, as revealed by scant luminescence in the ceiling, consist of four walls, three padded, one a window into a darkened room beyond. A closer look reveals various erect objects therein, looming so indistinctly in the shadows, one cannot discern if they are machinery, mannequins, or otherwise.
I no longer have the need to fall into deep slumber. SOMEthing has willed me into a dormant state and delivered me to this unfamiliar setting.
Two strangers, a burlesque rabbit and a clown with a surly complexion, seem to be joining me in this most precipitate relocation. Both are asleep as I was moments ago. The pervasive aura of nonsensicality about me, in the disjointed things and circumstances that are my company, exert what I must describe as the notion that I have been thrown into an abominable…
Wonderland.
If this IS indeed his production, Tetch is playing for a most unamused audience. I disperse my form up into the walls and corners, probing for the most minute crevice in which to escape through, to no avail. I return my attention to my fellow inmates. Strangely, the woman, March Harriet, was in league with Tetch when last I looked. The explanation as to why she was now a prisoner alluded me. And this thuggish clown is of no concern at all. I suppose there is no reasonable cause for killing them just yet. Dammit all.
Two more half-hearted inspections of my cell later, they have begun to stir. I know not if they are aware of their captor, as I am. As such, appearing before them as the Mad Hatter would be a gamble. Furthermore, as Clayface, they may be intimidated beyond giving me any clues to our situation. It would be wise to meet them on common grounds, as hired muscle myself. A Penguin goon will suffice.
The clown groggily rolls onto his back, grunts in realization, and leaps up to face me. Harriet remains seated on the floor, rubbing her eyes and already looking suspiciously bored… impassive?.. with the circumstances. As though she had foreseen all this. I shall question her first.
Clown: I’ll bust yer lip if you steps nears me, yah hear?
“Penguin Goon” (nasally): Relax guys, we’re in the same boat here. I already checked our escape routes, and it don’t look too peachy. Either of you kno-
Harriet (fuming): Hatter. For all his intellect, he’d agree to rob a street musician if the invitation was written in rhyme. WHY did I stick around with that WORM?
“Penguin Goon”: … Your BOSS caged us up? You’re saying he was roped into doing’ this by another crime boss?
Right then, a voice as appealing as an un-oiled door hinge crackles over the intercom.
Crane: A humble doctor is all I profess to be. Contradictorily to others in my field, however, FEARLESS in the realm of discovery.
One of the shapes opposite our side of the glass shifts, now evidently the Scarecrow: Hands clasped at his back, and beady eyes flitting between our trio, as he closes some distance between us with painfully deliberate strides.
Clown (backpedaling from his aggression): Hey, uh, Mr. Crow, I don’t think you really wanna have me in this box here. Y’see, my boss already has it out for you, an’ me? Well, I don’t like to brag, but I’m somethin’ of his right-hand man! “Chortle”, they call me. He won’t like this too good; not one bit.
I keep my composure with great effort. Knowing full-well of Chortle’s employer, and my hand in creating him, I cannot help but ponder if Crane has placed this cruel reminder of my handiwork here intentionally. He had indeed been there the night I awakened the Joker. As if on cue…
Crane (fixating solely on me now, his rasp sounding like wet grime trickling out of a rain gutter): For shame, Karlo, fooling the lower class criminals like this. Didn’t you KNOW your captors would spoil your fun soon enough?
Myself (whipping into the bloated and towering identity I assume when feeling uninspired): It would seem I’ve been made.
Chortle trips backward, his blue hair standing even more so on end. Harriet runs up to the glass and begins pounding at it.
Harriet: I know you’re out there, Hatter! You hear me? Let me out this instant! Do you know what this freak can DO to me?!
Chortle: To US???
Another shadow moves. Tetch whimsically glides into view, that half-sadistic, half-feather-brained look plastered on his freckled face. He makes a sweeping bow to our cell and readjusts his headwear.
Tetch (speaking through his teeth, in a singsongy manner): No sense in fretting, my dear. Dr. Crane has assured me this final procedure will perFECT our master plan once and for alllll!
Harriet: You’ll never find hired help again after this! I’m the best gun that your pathetic gang ever had!
Tetch (still waltzing about): Ah, but there will be no need for super-villainy in Gotham in a few short hours, no no… This is to be The Batman’s last hurrah!
Myself: Surely you cannot keep us in suspense, Crane. You do so enjoy… you must pardon my verbiage… to CROW.
He shuffles over to a control panel.
Crane: Do you want to hear a flaw of yours, Karlo? You see only cinematic solutions to problems. You deceive and thwart and trick, but you always so desperately need the scene to be genuine. You couldn’t accomplish anything if you didn’t receive raw emotion back for your efforts. Perhaps you’ve given up on killing The Batman for that very reason. The stone-cold vigilante that never appreciated your commitment.
As Crane and Tetch continue to adjust knobs and dials on their equipment, Chortle and Harriet fruitlessly search our limited space for a means of departure.
Chortle (to her): You’ve worked with the guy! You’re telling me you don’t know how to get people in and out of this box??
Harriet: I just deliver the goods! You think I’m into this psycho-crap? I’m just paying grocery bills here!
Crane (ignoring the babble): It was this study of your character, Karlo, that sparked my latest master plan. My GREATEST plan. You see, though I have developed variations to my toxins over the years, they’ve always brought about the fears festering deep inside my victims. They were REAL fears, Karlo, just like those you instill.
He approaches the glass barrier once again.
Crane (a brusqueness in his croak): Here’s whats going to happen. You three will be subjected to my most potent gas, as Hatter takes control of your minds. As a general rule of trial and error, the physiologies of a man, woman, and metahuman will do nicely to provide us with any inconsistencies in results. With luck, you will all be the final casualties of our tests to end The Dark Knight’s reign, as we engineer NEW fears for you to experience. WithOUT luck… well, you will all be much too dead to disapprove.
Chortle: An’ here I was thinking MY boss wasn’t funny!
Crane was not his usual self. Normally, he may have carried a creeping smile upon his stitches as he outlined his schemes, yet something was amiss on this occasion. His voice lacked smugness; his confidence seemed to have evolved beyond simple gloating. Now, a sense of unchecked purpose and drive was woven into his words. He believes unequivocally this to be his very last plot.
Myself: And IF you successfully implant phony terror within us, what then, Crane? We both know The Batman WILL have a way to evade the same fate.
Tetch: We will not beeeee targeting the big bad Bat this go-around, no siree! I’ve been busy as a beaver creating a new line of teeny-tiny mind control devices, that blend beautifully with Dr. Crane’s concoctions. Like pollen drifting from lovely flowers, they will float into every nostril and ear canal in Gotham…
Crane: And then we allow this cesspool of a city to experience the one fear it’s sorely needed; the fear of Batman himself. We will drag his symbol, his legacy, into the muck, and he will live to see thousands die, screaming in horror at the image he’s fought so hard to keep pure.
He throws a final lever, and the whirring and buzzing of electronics behind the walls commences.
Crane: This is a noble cause. You understand, of course.
Chortle: Okay, okay, look, I’m not really one of the Joker’s finest! My name’s Nate, Nathan Cachin! I just signed up a month ago, an’ I got a gal back in Blüdhaven! Listen, I know some corrupt cops in GCPD that’d let you take some death row inmates off their hands for your science project here. Great stuff here, by the way, I rea-
A haze begins to occupy the room. I realize now that the out layer of the walls themselves are Tetch’s microscopic devices, each housing a portion of Crane’s gas. They anticipated I could have escaped via ventilation, they had pumped it in from elsewhere.
Chortle (perspiring profusely): Um… UH… Deep breaths, guys!
Harriet (drawing an obscured knife from her outfit, striving to puncture the glass with it): You idiot, it *stab* gets into your system just *stab* by skin contact! He gave us a damn *stab* POWERPOINT!
It is time I resort to less than flashy means of elusion. I dehydrate the clay in my fists, and subsequently begin to pound the window along with Harriet.
Tetch (linking his modified hat to the instruments that are invading our bodies): Such unruly children! You’ll go to bed as instructed!
Harriet suddenly sinks to her knees, then flat on her stomach. Rapid glances over her shoulders up at the ceiling result in her howling into the floor, her face turning red as saliva flows freely from her mouth.
Harriet: DON’T LET ME FALL! OH GOD, THERE’S NOTHING BETWEEN ME AND IT! NOTHING BETWEEN..
Crane: Oh dear. It appears you’ve willed incurable casadastraphobia into your old colleague, Tetch. Given the severity of this dosage, she is convinced she will plunge into the sky at any moment. Momentarily, she will try with all her might to burrow into the ground. What do you think the cause of death will be? Heart failure? Concussion?
Harriet’s knuckles snap and an even brighter hue of crimson engulfs her forehead as she slams her limbs and body into the tile.
Harriet: GET ME AWAY FRO-
A snap like celery rings out, and her thrashing halts.
Crane (terse): And the next, Tetch?
Tetch: I’m getting another signal. The clown drank up his toxins like warm milk; Time for dreamland!
Chortle: This is not cool! I want to see your degrees, both of yous!
Chortle seizes up. His gaze slowly tilts down himself, his eyes bulging as it reaches his legs. Ungodly shrieking ensues. He topples into the wall, seemingly fumbling for an item in his coat pockets and kicking his legs out as though he had stepped in an anthill.
Crane: Stop PLAYING, Tetch.
Tetch: But the INfinite possibilities! … Very well. One order of “Batmanophobia”, coming up!
Chortle grasps his kneecaps, fingertips digging deep into his skin through his trousers. Amidst the blood-curdling hollering, two wet pops, and he at once sinks back, prominent vacancies where the joints had been.
Crane: Genuphobia. Almost laughable.
I am next. Little more progress than a hairline rift has come from Harriet’s and my aggression. I feel a tingle as Tetch starts to invade my mind. Before he can establish contact, I strangle the consciousness that is about to be overtaken. It bursts like a cyst, gone in the blink of an eye. The agony is incomparable to any other I have felt.
Tetch (stamping his foot): No fair! He went down the rabbit hole!
Crane: … Oh. Now that IS very interesting. You severed the persona that Hatter took hold of. But you’re still here with us, aren’t you? We can keep at this until we finally get the REAL you in there. With so many characters embedded in you, you won’t run dry any time soon. You’re a renewable resource, Karlo. Fancy that.
I resume feebly pummeling the glass, as Tetch reels in more of my personalities. One after the other, before he can inject them with Crane’s desired phobia, I extinguish them, losing myself in excruciating fragments. I won’t outlast this. They will breach my defenses in no time whatsoever.
As all life seems to dim about me, I hear a muffled shattering. My glazed eyes observe a pair of lime green and orange boots crack Tetch right in the cheek, leading him to somersault over the control console and land on his face. His assailant… Walker. Humming his own rendition of the Superman cartoon’s theme.
Walker: Daaah dadadadaaah, bum bum bummm. Daaah dadadadaaah… KILL-er Mottthhh!
Crane: YOU.
He leaps at Killer Moth with hypodermic needles clutched in his glove. Walker retaliates by drawing his cocoon gun. One shot sticks Crane’s hand to his machinery, another grazing his temple and twisting his mask sideways. Crane roars as his free hand also clings to the substance when he goes to remove the disguise.
Walker: Heads up Bas!
He chucks a detonator at my prison. I am too weak to avoid the blast, as it demolishes the glass and splatters most of myself all about. Walker leaps in, and begins shoveling my matter back into a cohesive pile with his helmet.
Walker: Don’t sweat it pal, Killer Moth has never let down loyal customers. Your Moth Signal will function for 5 years without fail, or your money back!
Myself (woozy and fighting to expel Tetch’s remaining gadgets from my essence): I am indebted to your punctual rescue, however, I… purchased no alert beacon from you.
Walker (face drooping): You didn’t? I got a signal from…
I clamber over to Chortle, and extract a small implement from his pocket, sopping with blood.
Myself (tossing it to its manufacturer): Your devotee, it would seem.
Walker: Well, that’s… not going on my brochure. It’s already hard enough to market protection to all these hoodlums. My prices are equitable! You would THINK it’d be a piece of cake, selling extra help to such a cowardly and superstitious lot…
Myself: Is that a paraphrase?
Walker: Might’ve been Robert Louis Stevenson.
He calls over his shoulder to Crane.
Walker (chipper): Nothing personal, Scarecrow, but you can’t go around kidnapping my investors.
Slightly more corporeal, I limp towards Crane, who is still furiously pulling at the adhesive. I lean down to his level. The speech pattern I am able to manage is a hoarse gurgle.
Myself: The Batman’s wings will be clipped one day, Crane… But not by means of this fraudulent ploy. Gotham’s children should suffer only their sincerest fears…
I hold a clawed hand close to Crane’s face.
Myself: You concur, of course.
He nods, a mixture of loathing and trepidation swirling in his eyes.
Walker: You were going to off Batman without ME? Never mind, Crane, DO take this personally.
One more shot from Walker’s launcher conks Crane’s head back into the desk, putting him out like the light. With that, I start off for the exit. I can sense the gaping cavity where so many voices within me once resided. Hardly any of them linger.
Walker (catching up behind me): Hey, Bas! Take this, on the house. It’s still active.
I accept the blemished Moth Signal.
Myself (in a voice I do not recognize): … Couldn’t hurt.
***
} I am delighted to announce that this Killer Moth dialogue has been approved by the man himself. {
Piero's war
You sleep buried in a wheat field
it's not the rose, it's not the tulip
watching on you from the shadow of ditches
but it's a thousand red poppies (...)
Faber
La guerra di Piero - Fabrizio De André
La guerra di Piero
Dormi sepolto in un campo di grano
Non è la rosa, non è il tulipano
Che ti fan veglia dall'ombra dei fossi
Ma sono mille papaveri rossi (...)
Faber
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“A story exists only if someone tells it.”
TITIAN TERZANI
... this aphorism to introduce this photographic story, which begins in Germany close to the Second World War, to end tragically in Sicily: the main protagonist of this "photographic" story is of German origin, his name is Carl Ludwig Hermann Long (known as Luz Long), but this story could not exist without another great protagonist, American, his name is Jesse Owens. Let's start in order, Luz Long is a brilliant law student at the University of Leipzig, he represents the incarnation of the Aryan man, he is tall, blond, has an athletic physique, his great passion is the long jump, he is a natural talent, this allows him to enter in a short time among the best long jumpers of the time (so much so that he won third place at the 1934 European Championships); Long will be one of the favorites in the long jump at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, whose historical context is that of Nazi Germany which would soon unleash the Second World War, including the racial hatred that resulted in the extermination camps with the Holocaust. Luz Long is remembered both for his great sportsmanship gesture towards his direct American opponent Jesse Owens, who, thanks to Long's unexpected help, will win the long jump competition, thus winning the gold medal (one of the four gold medals he won), while Long finished second by winning the silver medal, but Long is also remembered for his sincere friendship with Jesse, free from hatred and racial prejudice. The Berlin Olympics represent an extraordinary propaganda to the ideals of the Third Reich, it is a very important historical moment to show the superiority of the Aryan race to the whole world; the sports facilities were built with the utmost care by the architect of the Nazi regime Albert Speer (with architectural references from Ancient Greece), the sporting event was about to turn into an ideological tool of the regime, the documentary film " Olympia" of 1938 was also shot for this purpose directed by Leni Riefenstahl (author of films and documentaries that exalted the Nazi regime), where many innovative cinematographic techniques were used for the time, with unusual and original shots, such as shots from below, extreme close-ups, to the platforms in the Olympic stadium to photograph the crowd. Hitler wanted to demonstrate the supremacy of the Aryan race with the Olympics, the Aryan athlete had to correspond to a statuesque stereotyped figure, tall, blond, athletic, fair complexion, blue eyes, Luz Long was the ideal incarnation of him. Forty-nine countries participated in the Olympics, a number never reached before; German-Jewish athletes were expelled from all sports; even African Americans were discriminated against in their country, but they were allowed to compete, even if in smaller numbers, one of them was called James Cleveland Owens, but everyone knew him as Jesse (due to an error of interpretation by the his professor); it was his athletic abilities that allowed him to achieve several records, an important moment was the meeting with Larry Snyder, a good coach, and so thanks to his victories he had the opportunity to compete in the Berlin Olympics: he will be the protagonist of the Olympic Games, a 23-year-old boy originally from Alabama, who in a few days will win 4 gold medals, the 100m race, the 200m race, the 4x100m relay race and the long jump race in which there will be the story that will be worth all the gold medals in the world with Luz Long). Let's get to the point, on the morning of August 4, 1936 Luz qualifies for the long jump final, for Owens the qualification takes place in conjunction with the races of 200 mt. plans, Ownes is engaged in both races, the simultaneity of the two events, and a different regulation between the European and the US one entails him two null jumps, the first jump he thought was a test to test the terrain (as per the US regulation) , instead it was a valid jump for the competition, the second jump sees him very demoralized and makes the worst jump of his life. the elimination is now one step away, but Long interprets with great depth of mind the psychic state of prostration of his direct opponent, he sees him transformed into a face, dejected, Luz approaches him in a friendly way and suggests him to disconnect 20-30 cm before the serve line (and shows him the exact point by placing a handkerchief right next to the platform, at the height of the ideal take-off point, even if not all those who report the event in their chronicles remember the detail of the handkerchief), but also exhorts him by telling him that a champion like him shouldn't be afraid to take off first for the jump: for Owens the third jump if it had been void would have meant his elimination from the competition (and the certain victory of Luz), but, thanks to the suggestion of a technical nature (and perhaps the laying of the handkerchief...), but also affective-psychological ( !) by Luz, Owens following the advice of his direct rival, makes a formidable jump, which allows him to qualify. Long is the first to congratulate Jesse, both on the occasion of qualifying and after him with his final victory, which will result in his fourth gold medal. A deep, true friendship is born between Long and Jesse, in the videos available of the time it is really exciting to witness their handshakes and their embraces in those first moments, under the stern gaze of the Führer, a friendship that will consolidate in the following days, making a habit of dating in the olympic village. After the 1936 Olympics, in 1939 he became a lawyer, in 1941 he married, shortly after his son Kai was born, in 1942 he was called up as an officer of the Luftwaffe and sent to the front line, in April 1943 he was assigned to the Herman armored division Göring and the following month he was sent to Sicily immediately after the Allied landing on the island (Operation Husky): Long dies at the age of thirty, he is in Niscemi with the armored division, and is thus involved in the fighting for the defense of the Biscari-Santo Pietro airport; the causes of death are not certain, the most plausible is that of an aggravation due to wounds sustained in combat against the Anglo-Americans, he was found by a fellow soldier on the side of a road, from here he was transported to the nearby field hospital, where he died on July 14, 1943. He was first buried in a temporary cemetery, then his body was exhumed and then transferred in 1961 to the German military cemetery of Motta Sant'Anastasia while it was still under construction, now it is there that Luz Long rests: crypt 2 “Caltanissetta”, plate E, his name engraved on the slate slab preceded by the rank “Obergefreiter-dR" (Appointed of the Reserve), followed by the dates of birth 27 IV 13 and of death 14 VII 43; it is what remains of Luz Long, one of the 4,561 German soldiers who died in Sicily during the Second World War and are buried here. In his last letter to his friend Owens, Luz magining its end near, he asks him to go to her son and tell him who had been his father; his friend Jesse did as requested and even went to his son's wedding. And Owens….? … Jesse returned to his homeland did not have the respect he deserved after winning 4 gold medals (!), Those were the times when black people were considered "second class" (!); indeed, although with a nod the fuhrer saluted him (as Owens himself declared), the behavior of the American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt was unspeakable, he did not even deign to welcome the Olympic winner to the White House as tradition required (! ). Back in the United States, Jesse had to adapt to doing the most varied jobs, including being a boy at a gas station. To make a living he raced against horses, dogs and motorcycles, as a freak show; many years would pass before his value was recognized; he said «all the medals I have won could be melted down, but the 24-carat friendship that was born on the platform in Berlin could never be reproduced».
Postscript:
Long did not share the Nazi objectives and ideology, he was in complete antithesis with them, endowed with great sensitivity and profound nobility of mind, he was very far from the fanatical and cruel creed of Hitler's Germany, as demonstrated by the words he wrote in 1932 in a letter sent to his grandmother: “all the nations of the world have their heroes, the Semites as well as the Aryans. Each of them should abandon the arrogance of feeling like a superior race."
On his tombstone (as well as on others), under which his remains rest closed in a box, next to his name, today there are some small stones, they are small symbols, which recall the Jewish custom of leaving, instead of flowers, a pebble on the graves of the deceased, to demonstrate that his story has not been forgotten, it is a message of peace and brotherhood of which Luz was a promoter in life, his thoughts also reach us through his burial place, because, as stated on the plaque placed at the entrance to the German military cemetery of Motta Sant'Anastasia "the graves of the fallen are the great preachers of peace" (Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize).
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“La storia esiste solo se qualcuno la racconta.”
TIZIANO TERZANI
… questo aforisma per introdurre questo racconto fotografico, che inizia in Germania a ridosso della seconda guerra mondiale, per terminare in maniera tragica in Sicilia: il protagonista principale di questa storia “fotografica” è di origine tedesche,si chiama Carl Ludwig Hermann Long, detto Luz (conosciuto come Luz Long), ma questa storia non potrebbe esistere senza un l’altro grande protagonista, statunitense, si chiama Jesse Owens. Iniziamo con ordine, Luz Long è un brillante studente di legge all'Università di Lipsia, rappresenta l’incarnazione dell’uomo ariano, è alto, biondo, ha un fisico atletico, la sua grande passione, è il salto in lungo, è un talento naturale, ciò gli permettendogli di entrare in breve tempo tra i migliori saltatori in lungo dell’epoca (tanto da conquistare il terzo posto agli Europei del 1934); Long sarà uno dei favoriti nel salto in lungo alle Olimpiadi di Berlino nel 1936, il cui contesto storico è quello della Germania nazista che da lì a poco avrebbe scatenato la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, incluso l’odio raziale sfociato nei campi di sterminio con l’Olocausto. Luz Long viene ricordato per il suo grande gesto di sportività verso il suo diretto avversario statunitense Jesse Owens, che, grazie all’inaspettato aiuto di Long, vincerà la gara del salto in lungo, così conquistando la medaglia d'oro (uno dei quattro ori da lui vinti), mentre Long arriverà secondo vincendo la medaglia d'argento, ma Long viene anche ricordato per la sua sincera amicizia verso Jesse, scevra da odi e pregiudizi raziali. Le Olimpiadi di Berlino rappresentano una straordinaria propaganda agli ideali del Terzo Reich, è un momento storico importantissimo per mostrare al mondo intero la superiorità della razza ariana; le strutture sportive vengono realizzate con la massima cura dall’architetto del regime nazista Albert Speer (con riferimenti architettonici dell’Antica Grecia), la manifestazione sportiva diviene uno strumento ideologico del regime, a tale scopo viene girato il film-documentario “Olympia” del 1938, diretto da Leni Riefenstahl (che oltre ad essere attrice, regista, fotografa, diventa autrice di film e documentari che esaltano il regime nazista), nel docu-film delle olimpiadi vengono impiegate molte tecniche cinematografiche innovative per l'epoca, con inquadrature insolite ed originali, come le riprese dal basso, con primi piani estremi, l'utilizzo di binari nello stadio olimpico per riprendere la folla. Hitler vuole quindi dimostrare con le Olimpiadi la supremazia della razza ariana, l’atleta ariano deve corrispondere ad una figura stereotipata statuaria, alto, biondo, atletico, carnagione chiara, occhi azzurri, Luz Long è la sua incarnazione ideale. Alle Olimpiadi partecipano quarantanove Paesi, un numero mai raggiunto prima; gli atleti ebreo-tedeschi vengono espulsi da tutte le discipline sportive; anche gli afroamericani, sono discriminati nel loro paese, però ad essi viene concesso di gareggiare, anche se in numero minore, uno di loro si chiama James Cleveland Owens, ma tutti lo conoscono come Jesse (per un’errore d’interpretazione da parte del suo professore); sono le sue capacità atletiche a consentirgli di realizzare diversi record, un momento importante è l’incontro con Larry Snyder, un bravo allenatore, e così grazie alle sue vittorie gli si presena l’opportunità di gareggiare alle Olimpiadi di Berlino: sarà lui il protagonista dei giochi olimpici, un ragazzo di 23 anni originario dell’Alabama, che in pochi giorni si aggiudicherà ben 4 medaglie d’oro, la corsa dei 100, dei 200, la corsa a staffetta dei 4x100 e quella del salto in lungo nella quale ci sarà la vicenda con Luz Long che varrà tutte le medaglie d’oro del mondo). Veniamo al dunque, la mattina del 4 agosto 1936 Luz si qualifica per la finale del salto in lungo, per Owens la qualificazione si svolge in concomitanza con la gare dei 200 mt. piani, Ownes è impegnato in entrambe le gare, la contemporaneità dei due eventi, ed un diverso regolamento sportivo tra quello Europeo e quello Statunitense gli comportano due salti nulli, il primo salto egli pensa fosse di prova per saggiare il terreno (come da regolamento Statunitense), invece è un salto valido per la gara, il secondo salto lo vede molto demoralizzato e compie il peggiore salto della sua vita, l’eliminazione è oramai ad un passo, ma Long interpreta con grande profondità d’animo lo stato psichico di prostrazione del suo diretto avversario, lo vede trasformato in volto, abbattuto, Luz gli si avvicina con fare amichevole e gli suggerisce di staccare 20-30 cm prima della linea di battuta, gli mostra il punto esatto dove staccare poggiando un fazzoletto proprio di fianco alla pedana, all’altezza dell’ideale punto di stacco (anche se non tutti coloro che riportano nelle loro cronache l’evento, ricordano il particolare del fazzoletto), ma anche lo esorta dicendogli che un campione come lui non deve temere di staccare prima per il salto, qualche centimetro in meno per lui non sono certo un problema!: per Owens se il terzo salto diviene nullo comporterebbe la sua eliminazione dalla gara (e la sicura vittoria di Luz!), ma, grazie al suggerimento di carattere tecnico (e forse della posa del fazzoletto…), ma anche affettivo-psicologico (!) di Luz, Owens seguendo il consiglio del suo diretto rivale, compie un formidabile salto, il che gli consente di qualificarsi. Long è il primo a congratularsi con Jesse, sia in occasione della sua qualificazione, sia dopo, con la sua vittoria finale, che gli comporterò la conquista della quarta medaglia d’oro. Tra Long e Jesse nasce una profonda, vera amicizia, nei video disponibili dell’epoca è davvero emozionante assistere alle loro strette di mano ed ai loro abbracci di quei primi istanti, sotto lo sguardo severo del Führer, amicizia che si consoliderà nei giorni successivi, prendendo l’abitudine di frequentarsi nel villaggio olimpico. Dopo le Olimpiadi del 1936, nel 1939 Luz diventa avvocato, nel 1941 si sposa, poco dopo nasce suo figlio Kai, nel 1942 è richiamato alle armi come ufficiale della Luftwaffe e spedito in prima linea, nell’aprile del 1943 viene assegnato alla divisione corazzata Herman Göring ed il mese successivo è inviato in Sicilia subito dopo lo sbarco degli Alleati sull’isola (chiamata Operazione Husky): Long muore così a trent'anni, si trova a Niscemi con la divisione corazzata, viene coinvolto nei combattimenti per la difesa dell'aeroporto di Biscari-Santo Pietro; le cause della morte non sono certe, la più plausibile è quella di un suo aggravamento dovuto alle ferite riportate in combattimento contro gli Anglo-Americani, viene trovato ferito da un suo commilitone sul ciglio di una strada, da qui viene trasportato nel vicino ospedale da campo, dove morirà il 14 luglio 1943. Dapprima viene sepolto in un cimitero provvisorio, poi la sua salma viene riesumata e quindi trasferita nel 1961 nel cimitero militare germanico di Motta Sant'Anastasia mentre è ancora in costruzione, adesso è li che Luz Long riposa: cripta 2 “Caltanissetta”, piastra E, il suo nome inciso sulla lastra di ardesia preceduto dal grado “Obergefreiter-dR" (Appuntato della Riserva), seguito dalle date di nascita 27 IV 13 e di morte 14 VII 43; è quanto resta di Luz Long, uno dei 4.561 soldati tedeschi morti in Sicilia durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale e qui sepolti. Nell'ultima lettera all'amico Owens, Luz immaginando che il suo destino a presto si sarebbe compiuto, gli chiede di andare da suo figlio e dirgli chi è stato suo padre; l'amico Jesse fa quanto richiesto, va persino alle nozze del figlio.
Ed Owens….? … Jesse rientrato in patria non riceve dal suo Paese il rispetto che merita dopo aver vinto ben 4 medaglie d'oro (!), sono i tempi in cui le persone di colore vengono considerate di “serie B” (!); addirittura, sebbene con un solo cenno, dal Führer viene salutato (così dichiara lo stesso Owens), invece il comportamento del presidente americano Franklin Delano Roosvelt, è inqualificabile, non si degna di accogliere il vincitore olimpico alla Casa Bianca come prevede la tradizione (!). Tornato negli Stati Uniti Jesse deve adattarsi a fare i lavori più disparati, fra i quali anche il garzone in una pompa di benzina. Per guadagnarsi da vivere gareggia contro cavalli, cani e motociclette, come fenomeno da baraccone; passeranno molti anni prima che gli venga riconosciuto il suo reale valore; egli ebbe a dire «si potrebbero fondere tutte le medaglie che ho vinto, ma non si potrebbe mai riprodurre l’ amicizia a 24 carati che nacque sulla pedana di Berlino».
Post Scriptum:
Long non condivideva gli obiettivi e l'ideologia nazisti, lui era in completa antitesi con esse, dotato di grande sensibilità e profonda nobiltà d’animo, lui era lontanissimo dal credo fanatico e crudele della Germania di Hitler, lo dimostrano le parole che egli scrisse nel 1932 in una lettera inviata a sua nonna: “tutte le nazioni del mondo hanno i propri eroi, i semiti così come gli ariani. Ognuna di loro dovrebbe abbandonare l’arroganza di sentirsi una razza superiore".
Sulla sua lapide (così come su altre), sotto la quale riposano i suoi resti chiusi dentro una cassetta, accanto al suo nome, è posta oggi qualche piccola pietra, sono piccoli simboli, che ricordano l’usanza ebraica di lasciare, al posto dei fiori, un ciottolo sulle tombe dei defunti, per dimostrare che la sua storia non è stata dimenticata, è un messaggio di pace e di fratellanza del quale Luz è stato promotore in vita, il suo pensiero ci giunge anche attraverso il suo luogo di sepoltura, perché, come riporta la targa posta all’entrata del cimitero militare germanico di Motta Sant’Anastasia “i sepolcri dei caduti sono i grandi predicatori della pace” (Albert Schweitzer, premio Nobel per la pace).
…………………………………
........................................................................
A young boy with the most fascinating eyelashes I think I've ever seen. Taken at a daycare centre I was invited into in Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
Hermine ~ outfit of the day
- ttya jumper
- canon belle sweater
- rement purse
- somedoll scarf
- leather slouchy boots
- socks
Mika Lagdameo - She has beautiful eyes and lovely complexion.
Shot with a Canon 50D, 70-200 F/4 and a single silver reflector on her left side.
beautiful Cora,premier shooting avec Coraline,ex danseuse classique et débordant d’énergie. le courant est vite passé entre nous et j'ai essayé de la mettre rapidement à l'aise.ce jour là la lumière était parfaite vu son teint et la blondeur de ses cheveux.cette image et de loin ma préférée,prise sur le vif,le petit vent juste comme il fallait.son regard et son expression sont justes sublimes.j'ai longtemps hésité entre mon sigma 17/70 et mon 50mm mais c'est ce dernier qui s'est logiquement imposé pour le plaisir des yeux...
beautiful Cora, first shooting with Coraline, ex classical dancer and overflowing with energy. the current is quickly passed between us and I try to put it quickly at ease. that day there the light was perfect given his complexion and the blondness of his hair. This picture and by far my favorite, taken on the spot , the small wind just as it should.the look and expression are just sublime.i have long hesitated between my sigma 17/70 and my 50mm but it is the latter who has logically imposed for the pleasure of the eyes. ..
Close up of her ballerina pandas and gorgeous lace, this dress suits her complexion and style so well.
SCOUT: "Oh look Paddy! Camellias just like we have at home in the garden."
PADDY: "You are quite right Scout! Aren't they beautiful!"
SCOUT: "Yes, indeed Paddy, especially when compared to my grey plush complexion and my mink fur collar."
PADDY: "What do you mean Scout?"
SCOUT: "Well. I think I would look particularly fetching with a pretty pink camellia bloom behind my ear. Don't you think so Paddy?"
PADDY: "Well... I... err..."
SCOUT: "For an imaginative bear, sometimes you lack vision Paddy."
Paddy, Scout and I spent a delightful Saturday with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group in Mount Macedon, where I have never been before. Now I have, I would very much like to go back to such a picturesque place again.
The Forest Glade Gardens are well established European inspired landscaped gardens of six hectares that are to be found on the Mount Macedon Road in the hill station town of Mount Macedon.
The Forest Glade Gardens are just shy of one hundred years old. The gardens were originally two adjoining properties that comprised orchards and lush grazing paddocks. In 1941 local family the Newtons purchased and extended the property and set about creating one of Mount Macedon's most stunning gardens.
In 1971 the Forest Glade Gardens were acquired by Melbourne property developer Mr. Cyril Stokes who together with his partner Trevor Neil Bell, developed the gardens even further. Cyril was a great collector of European antiques, and his love of European antiquity is reflected in the gardens, particularly in the many classical marble and bronze statues dotted about the grounds.
Unfortunately the Forest Glade Gardens were partly destroyed by the tragic Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. However, after many years of hard labour put in by Cyril and Trevor, The Forest Glade Gardens were reborn from the ashes. The gardens are built on a sloping block and consist of a range of terraces all of which offer wonderful vistas. A garden designed to give pleasure all year round, the Forest Glad Gardens contain several heritage listed trees and are made up of smaller themed gardens including; the Italian Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Daffodil Meadow, the Peony Walk, Hydrangea Hill, the Topiary Gardens, the Bluebell Meadow, the Fern Gully and the Laburnum Arch.
In 2011 the property was gifted to a registered charity - The Stokes Collection Limited - with the intention of keeping the Forest Glade Gardens maintained and open to the public.
The Mount Macedon township is located east of the Mount Macedon summit, which is approximately 60 km north-west of Melbourne.
The name of Mount Macedon is apparently derived from Philip II, who ruled Macedon between 359 and 336BC. The mountain was named by Thomas Mitchell, the New South Wales Surveyor General.
Settled in the 1850s by gold miners and timber cutters, the railway arrived at the Mount Macedon township in 1861, providing a vital connection to Melbourne, and sealing the town's future as a 'hill station' resort for wealthy Melburnians escaping the summer heat in the 1870s. With the land deforested, large blocks were sold and beautiful and extensive gardens were planted around the newly built homes. The rich soil and good rainfall also made the area suitable for large orchards and plant nurseries who could send fruit and flowers back to Melbourne. Newspaper owner, David Syme, built a house, "Rosenheim" in 1869. It was acquired in 1886 for Victorian Governors to use as a country retreat, making Mount Macedon an attractive destination for the well heeled of Melbourne society. A primary school was built in Mount Macedon in 1874, and as the decades progressed, hotels, guest houses, shops, a Presbyterian Church and Church of England were built. In 1983, Mount Macedon was devastated by the Ash Wednesday Bush Fires. A large portion of the town was raised, and a number of lives were lost. However, like a phoenix from the ashes, Mount Macedon has risen and rebuilt. Today it is still a popular holiday destination, particularly during spring time when the well established gardens flourish with flowers and in autumn when the exotic trees explode in a riot of reds and yellows.
I absolutely love dressing Jade for fall. Her warm complexion pulls it off so well. Fired up the sewing machine and cranked out this cute little cozy flannel shirt for her, getting in the mood for the season.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Bagh
Muslim Bagh is a town of Qilla Saifullah District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. According to Census of 1998, the population of Muslim Bagh is 70,361 (Male 37,303 and Female 33,058) and 10,188 household. Muslim Bagh (formerly called Hindu Bagh) is believed to be named after a garden planted by a Hindu saint and Later it was named as "Muslim Bagh" by former minister of that time "MOLVI SALEH MUHAMMAD MARDANZAI".
In some winters, Kan Mehtarzai and Muslim Bagh experience several feet of snow, though normal temperature is about 19-50 °F.
Various tribes of Kakar Pashtoon inhabit the Valley, in kakar tribes the most famous tribes Mardanzai,Sargarhai, Samkhail, sultan zai, Baigzai. Medium statured and well built these handsome people are mostly wheat complexioned but some of them are really fair and have blue eyes. Though in touch with the outside world for a long time they have retained their age-old traditions and are proud of them. Their hospitality is well known and the coming of a guest is always considered a blessing. There are seven Union council of Muslim Bagh.
Railways
This section of railways, when laid during the British Raj, was called the Zhob Valley Railway (ZVR). It has been out of service since 1986 but these days all the left over track is being uprooted and sold as scrap. This was once longest Narrow-Gauge Railways of the subcontinent. During First World War, a Railway line was laid from a place called Khanai (30 km north of Quetta) to a place called Hindubagh (renamed as Muslimbagh in 1960s). Hindubagh had Chrome mines, which was used in munitions of First World War. The railway line at that time was a private siding for the Balochistan Chrome Ore Company. The work started on Khanai-Hindubagh line in 1916 and was opened for rail traffic in 1921. In 1927, the Hindubagh to Qila Saifullah section was opened and finally the section up to Zhob was opened in 1929. The total length of this railway from Bostan to Zhob was 294 km, which made it the longest narrow gauge railway of the subcontinent in 1920s. It had 11 stations in between including the famous Kan Mehtarzai station which was the highest station in Pakistan at an altitude of 2224 metres (7295 feet).
For a long part of its journey, the railway followed the Zhob River and thus it was called the Zhob Valley Railway (ZVR).
Chromite
Chromite is the source of chromium used commercially and as an alloying element plays an important role in metallurgy. Balochistan is endowed with huge reserves of chromite. The first discovery was made at Muslim Bagh and Khanozai in district Kila Saifullah in 1901. Muslim Bagh deposits were first discovered by Vredenburg during the same period in the course of regional reconnaissance mapping of the province. Chromite mining has not been systematic but random and totally disorganised. It is mined by both open pit and underground methods. In Muslimbagh, Ras Koh Range and Wad areas, chromite is mostly mined by open pit method. However, due to podiform nature of the chromite, underground mining is also done. Use of donkeys for hauling the ore from underground is still in practice. The haulage machinery is also used. Presently, 300 to 500 tons of chromite are being produced at Muslim Bagh and Khanozai daily. It is taken in trucks to Karachi where it is crushed and packed in bags for export to foreign countries. The mineral is being sold between Rs30,000 to Rs45,000 in the local market. Price depends on chrome content. China is a big market for the Balochistan chromite. Production activity in the sector directly depends upon the export market. The Provincial Inspectorate of Mines is responsible for regulating the mining operations. Presently, a few local companies are engaged at Muslim Bagh. The sources added that during 1970s, Pakistan Chrom Mines (PCM) project was launched in Muslim Bagh area which was closed in 1989 due to financial constraints and lack of locally available technical staff. The land for mining is allotted under the Mines Act 1923 by the Directorate of Minerals, Balochistan. The provincial government levies 10 per cent sales tax. The export earnings from chromite during the period 1997-98 to 2001-02 have varied between Rs167 million to Rs404 million.
Archeology
The district has some archaeological sites mainly attributed to the Mughals. The ruins of an old fort called Mughalo Killa or "the fort of the Mughals" were found to the west of the Karezgai village, about 3¼ kilometres from Muslim Bagh, below which there is a spring of water which was reopened about 125 years ago. Fragments of ancient pottery were found in these ruins and it is said that old silver and copper coins were also found. The ruins of a fort called Khanki lie near Shina Khura about 25 kilometres east of Muslim Bagh. Local tradition asserts that the fort was held by Miro, a Mughal governor, who was miraculously overthrown by Sanzar Nika, the progenitor of the Sanzarkhel Kakars. There are also ruins of an old fort called the Mughalo Brunj in Murgha Faqirzai. Similar ruins occur near Toiwar, Sharan, Ismailzai and on the Zhar hill near Akhtarzai. There also exist ancient karezes, said to have been made in Mughal times, which may be considered as relics of archaeological interest. These include Karez Akhtarzai, Karez Soghai and Mustafa Karez in Killa Saifullah sub-division and 2 karezes in Sra Khulla, about 6½ kilometres from Muslim Bagh.
It is located at 30°49'31N 67°44'25E with an altitude of 1787 metres.
Orden:Passeriformes
Familia:Vireonidae
GĂ©nero:Vireo
Nombre comĂşn: Vireo de ojo blanco.
Nombre cientĂfico:Vireo griseus
Nombre Ingles: White-eyed Vireo
Status Rep. Dominicana: Vagante
Lugar de captura: Eco Pond, Flamingo, Everglades National Park, Florida
Por: Cimarron mayor Panta.
LO QUE DEBE SABER TODO FOTOGRAFO CONSERVACIONISTA SOBRE LOS VIREOS:
Los vireos son una pequeña familia que se restringe exclusivamente al Nuevo Mundo. Son las aves más Ăntimamente relacionadas con los corvidos( cuervos) y su familia se puede dividir en tres grupos.
a) Los vireos verdaderos( género vireos)
b) Los VĂreillos ( gĂ©nero Hylophilus)
c)Los alegrines y follajeros ( género Cyclarhis y Vireolanius)
Los vĂreos residen sobre todo en las partes septentrionales de Sudamerica, America centra o Mexico. Doce de las 13 especies que se reproducen en estados Unidos emigran hacia el sur durante el otoño. Unicamente los vireos verdaderos están representados en Norteamerica, al tiempo que los otros tres grupos tienen representacion en Latinoamerica.
DISTANCIA DE VIAJE: Esta puede variar desde 160 km hasta más de 4,800 km en los vireos de ojos rojos.
LIFER: Este fue mi primer encuentro con la especie y lo reconocà de inmediato. Para saber que estamos frente a un Vireo solo hay que mirarle los ojos y no niego que me recordé inmediatamente de nuestro vireo endémico, la Ciguita Juliana-Vireo nanus.
Todos los miembros de esta familia son portadores de colores apagados,complexion robusta y picos duros.Sus picos en la mayorĂa se caracteriza por un gancho cortante en la mandibula superior. Este gancho está ausente en los "VireĂllos".
Los vireos verdaderos se caracterizan por tener listas en las alas y anillos oculares blancuzcos o amarillentos.
La dieta de los vĂreos se compone fundamentalmente de insectos y artrĂłpodos que persiguen continuamente en las capas del follaje y entre las hojas de los matorrales. La verdad que despues de miles de fotos entre las hojas, este vireo decidiĂł percharse de forma aislada y se lo agradezco infinitamente. Todos los vireos consumen frutos en diferentes grados.
Su biologĂa de reproduccion se conoce a partir de las especies que crĂan en Estados Unidos y Canada. Esta especie que estoy mostrando es capaz de cantar durante todo el año.
Una caracterĂstica de los vireos es que los machos suelen cantar estando dentro del nido, como una forma de recordar a la hembra que venga a sustituĂrlo para el poder alimentarse.
Los que hemos visto los nidos construĂdos por el Vireo altiloquus o JULIAN CHIVI en nuestro paĂs sabemos que son unos reales artistas y grandes arquitectos. Un nido colgante escogiendo a tres ramas, finamente decorado con tiras de cortezas de arboles,musgos la cual adhesionan utilizando telas ds arañas y lo decoran con cascaras de huevos de arañas y una capa interior de tallas finos de hierbas. Generalmente el detalle del forro interior de los nidos es responsabilidad de la hembra y de la parte exterior se ocupa el macho.
SU PRINCIPAL AMENAZA! EL DEMONIO NEGRO DEL PAJARO VAQUERO-MOLOTHRUS BONARIENSIS.
Los vireos son enormemente susceptibles al parasitismo del pajaro vaquero, el mafioso que no hace nido,si no que roba nidos ajenos, le rompe los huevos al dueño y le pone los suyos para que le incuben y le alimenten a los hijos.
Esto reduce notablemente las posibilidades de que las crĂas salgan adelante.
El VIREO DE BELL, Ha sido tan acosado por el pajaro vaquero que ha aprendido a enterrar los huevos del vaquero puestos en su nido agregando mas material con el fin de taparlos y no incubar huevos ajenos.
STATUS MUNDIAL DE SU SITUACION:
DE LAS 32 especies de vireos, cinco están globalmente amenazadas de extinción. Tres especies de Vireos están en riesgo por la perdida de su hábitat. Dos especies mas de vireos endemicos como el de la montañas azules y el de Noronhna endemicos de Islas, estan amenazados.
Bueno, dejo la pista caliente con lo externado inicialmente.
Este fin de semana NO VOY a contar carros en la avenida, asà que estaré vigilante de quien viole el código cimarrónico.
Gran fin de semana amigos.
Cimarron mayor Panta.
There were a number of pipe bands in the Castlebar St. Patrick's Day parade. I love taking pictures of pipers as they generally have interesting faces - certainly as far as I am concerned this man has a wonderful and typically Irish face!
Laura and Loki
this weeks theme at Feathery Friday is a photo that means something to you-I have several of Laura and Loki lovin-this is one of my faves-it was taken just after the this one another one of my faves.
I tried to fix Laura's very red complexion here but you know I'm terrible at that stuff plus I only have Picnik to edit with atm-maybe she had a sunburn? LOL
A shot of me playing the Geisha look.
I feel that the red spots before the eyebrow line should've been more blatant.
and the lighting is a blown out on the right.
Some perfecionists may also feel that the skin colour of the chest could've been paler.
But then the face wouldn't contrast with the neck skin?
I still like this image alot :)
Jerrycharlotte
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Beautiful six line Kenner
Tees water reroot in white with pink, teal and yellow throughout.
I believe she is in fantastic condition for her age
No cracks or bites or missing pieces
Lovely Kenner click
Very gorgeous complexion
Most chips are perfect
One pink chip has blown (see pics) and has some yellow
Tees water reroot is very think but gappy on top with no parting.
Scalp is not sure toy attached as I removed it for pictures but there will be scalp gap, I will get it as small as possible at the front but there will be gaps.
The prongs on her original hard cap have been removed (I don't remember if I did that or not!?)
Loads of pictures.
Any questions please ask
My natural complexion is not too far off from that of Mr. Stay Puft, who reminds you to wear sunscreen in this PSA photographed in Ocean City, Maryland.
My #Disdain
Poor people are just so bad for my skin complexion. Sorry NOT sorry.
Xđź’‹
Kaya
© Enhanced Decadence by Kaya Sai. All rights reserved worldwide
wearandcheer.com/the-top-10-redheads-in-hollywood/
Red color is very sexy and hot and red hair color looks very pretty and beautiful if you have very fair complexion ,it just make your personality very mode and up to date .Our Holly wood celebrities have made a lot of red color hair styles which appears very beautiful and gorgeous.Here are the ...
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The butter market - and mountains of yak butter for sale. When rancid, it’s lovely in Tibetan tea, or can be used for lamp oil, or smeared on your face to combat the biting winter winds, thereby maintaining a fresh complexion . . . extremely useful for everyday life in Lhasa.
Kodachrome scan. Nikon F
Lhasa, Tibet. October 1986. © David Hill
This studio portrait captures a young woman with a fair complexion and long blonde hair styled in soft, gentle waves. She is posed looking back over her bare left shoulder toward the camera with a subtle, serene expression. Her blue eyes are accentuated with light makeup, including dark mascara and defined brows, while her cheeks feature a soft, warm blush. She wears a deep rose or berry-toned lipstick that complements her overall makeup look.
A classic blue denim jacket is draped low and loosely off her shoulders, exposing her upper back and shoulders while adding a casual, textured element to the shot. The background is a solid, clean, light gray or off-white studio backdrop, keeping the focus entirely on the subject. The lighting is soft and even, highlighting the contour of her shoulder and face while minimizing harsh shadows.
It's nice when the tunnel colour matches your ruddy complexion. Hello. I'm Alan from Glasgow. I've completed 365's five times including the last two years and hope to continue this year. I'm retired, love photography, post-crossing, playing board games online and writing stories (when I'm not too lazy). Don't know who the other guy in this picture is, just some random - it's not the other Alan who I've been living with for 40 odd (very odd) years.
Click of a kid with Holi Colours on his Father lap at Nandgaon Village.
Holi, the Festival of Colours has been celebrated in India since thousands of years and is now also celebrated by various communities of South Asia including non-Hindu communities.
While Holi is celebrated in almost every part of India, Holi in Braj is especially famous. Braj is a historical region which covers the area of Mathura, Vrindavan,Barsana,Nandgaon and some nearby areas. Holi here attacts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world because of it’s special customs and traditions. Mathura is the birth-place of Lord Krishna and Vrindavan is the place where he grew up in his childhood.
When Krishna was young, he cribbed to his mother about Radha (his friend) being fair while Krishna himself was dark complexioned. His mother (Yashoda) suggested him to colour Radha with colors in a playful manner. Over the years, Krishna from his village Nandgaon used to go to Barsana (Radha’s village) to color Radha and other Gopis. They also used to playfully beat him with sticks. And hence the tradition evolved.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Bagh
Muslim Bagh is a town of Qilla Saifullah District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. According to Census of 1998, the population of Muslim Bagh is 70,361 (Male 37,303 and Female 33,058) and 10,188 household. Muslim Bagh (formerly called Hindu Bagh) is believed to be named after a garden planted by a Hindu saint and Later it was named as "Muslim Bagh" by former minister of that time "MOLVI SALEH MUHAMMAD MARDANZAI".
In some winters, Kan Mehtarzai and Muslim Bagh experience several feet of snow, though normal temperature is about 19-50 °F.
Various tribes of Kakar Pashtoon inhabit the Valley, in kakar tribes the most famous tribes Mardanzai,Sargarhai, Samkhail, sultan zai, Baigzai. Medium statured and well built these handsome people are mostly wheat complexioned but some of them are really fair and have blue eyes. Though in touch with the outside world for a long time they have retained their age-old traditions and are proud of them. Their hospitality is well known and the coming of a guest is always considered a blessing. There are seven Union council of Muslim Bagh.
Railways
This section of railways, when laid during the British Raj, was called the Zhob Valley Railway (ZVR). It has been out of service since 1986 but these days all the left over track is being uprooted and sold as scrap. This was once longest Narrow-Gauge Railways of the subcontinent. During First World War, a Railway line was laid from a place called Khanai (30 km north of Quetta) to a place called Hindubagh (renamed as Muslimbagh in 1960s). Hindubagh had Chrome mines, which was used in munitions of First World War. The railway line at that time was a private siding for the Balochistan Chrome Ore Company. The work started on Khanai-Hindubagh line in 1916 and was opened for rail traffic in 1921. In 1927, the Hindubagh to Qila Saifullah section was opened and finally the section up to Zhob was opened in 1929. The total length of this railway from Bostan to Zhob was 294 km, which made it the longest narrow gauge railway of the subcontinent in 1920s. It had 11 stations in between including the famous Kan Mehtarzai station which was the highest station in Pakistan at an altitude of 2224 metres (7295 feet).
For a long part of its journey, the railway followed the Zhob River and thus it was called the Zhob Valley Railway (ZVR).
Chromite
Chromite is the source of chromium used commercially and as an alloying element plays an important role in metallurgy. Balochistan is endowed with huge reserves of chromite. The first discovery was made at Muslim Bagh and Khanozai in district Kila Saifullah in 1901. Muslim Bagh deposits were first discovered by Vredenburg during the same period in the course of regional reconnaissance mapping of the province. Chromite mining has not been systematic but random and totally disorganised. It is mined by both open pit and underground methods. In Muslimbagh, Ras Koh Range and Wad areas, chromite is mostly mined by open pit method. However, due to podiform nature of the chromite, underground mining is also done. Use of donkeys for hauling the ore from underground is still in practice. The haulage machinery is also used. Presently, 300 to 500 tons of chromite are being produced at Muslim Bagh and Khanozai daily. It is taken in trucks to Karachi where it is crushed and packed in bags for export to foreign countries. The mineral is being sold between Rs30,000 to Rs45,000 in the local market. Price depends on chrome content. China is a big market for the Balochistan chromite. Production activity in the sector directly depends upon the export market. The Provincial Inspectorate of Mines is responsible for regulating the mining operations. Presently, a few local companies are engaged at Muslim Bagh. The sources added that during 1970s, Pakistan Chrom Mines (PCM) project was launched in Muslim Bagh area which was closed in 1989 due to financial constraints and lack of locally available technical staff. The land for mining is allotted under the Mines Act 1923 by the Directorate of Minerals, Balochistan. The provincial government levies 10 per cent sales tax. The export earnings from chromite during the period 1997-98 to 2001-02 have varied between Rs167 million to Rs404 million.
Archeology
The district has some archaeological sites mainly attributed to the Mughals. The ruins of an old fort called Mughalo Killa or "the fort of the Mughals" were found to the west of the Karezgai village, about 3¼ kilometres from Muslim Bagh, below which there is a spring of water which was reopened about 125 years ago. Fragments of ancient pottery were found in these ruins and it is said that old silver and copper coins were also found. The ruins of a fort called Khanki lie near Shina Khura about 25 kilometres east of Muslim Bagh. Local tradition asserts that the fort was held by Miro, a Mughal governor, who was miraculously overthrown by Sanzar Nika, the progenitor of the Sanzarkhel Kakars. There are also ruins of an old fort called the Mughalo Brunj in Murgha Faqirzai. Similar ruins occur near Toiwar, Sharan, Ismailzai and on the Zhar hill near Akhtarzai. There also exist ancient karezes, said to have been made in Mughal times, which may be considered as relics of archaeological interest. These include Karez Akhtarzai, Karez Soghai and Mustafa Karez in Killa Saifullah sub-division and 2 karezes in Sra Khulla, about 6½ kilometres from Muslim Bagh.
It is located at 30°49'31N 67°44'25E with an altitude of 1787 metres.
Pink rose pendant, pink floral dress, pink floral socks, pink flowers on heels. Everything is pink on her and it was her pinkish complexion that caught my attention. I contemplated for a moment and did not give it a miss. I got a little nervous when she spoke to me in japanese (i didn't expect that), waving her hand to and fro and I would've assumed that she did not want her picture to be taken. I refuse to give up and showed some portraits from my cam. Seeing how amazed she was, I said "you, kawai desu!"
See her On Black
See my 365 Street Portraits Gallery 2010
This picture is #32 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100strangers.com/
Did some minor mesh adjustments to the face as well as some new hair with diff eye colors/textures. Thanks to EK suggesting to use Fair Skin Complexion's wet specular for the face. Mixed it with the goosebump specular as well as added special normalmaps for my breton. Pretty happy with the new look. :)
Her light complexion and beautiful blonde hair match well with the shiny satin fabric and bright pink colour of her dress. What a ravishing blonde she is!
This Masai girl was very striking in blue, and very shy. I thought the reddish colour of the hut was very striking against her complexion and the blue of her clothing.
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
This picture is #13 in Round Two of my 100 Strangers / Human Family project.
About a month ago, I went out shooting with Pete, Neil and Sylvia in one of our favorite hunting grounds--Newtown. Everyone else had a fruitful day and Neil even captured Stranger #300! Yet somehow, I managed to come away empty handed.
Photography has been on a back-burner for a while and was only mildly holding my interest, but recently I've been keen to get back into it. So when last weekend gave me an opportunity to shoot with Neil in Melbourne, I had to jump in with both feet (even waking up at 5:30am to catch a flight down).
Neil and I were walking through Centre Pl when I spotted Lindsey. Everyone else seemed to be in a rush to avoid the cold, engrossed in their smart phone or caught up in the hustle and bustle of their morning that her calm demeanor really stood out. And the contrast between her dark clothing/hair and light complexion intrigued me enough to make the approach.
I was initially concerned about the lighting in the dark alleyway, but with a reflector in-hand I settled on a background. After firing off a test shot of Neil against my target background a couple promptly sat right in front of it. Fortunately, Neil suggested framing the shot against the stairway to Lustre Bar which was just beside their table. I really liked how the lights on the stairs would result in faint horizontal lines running through the background and was already envisioning the end product. As you can see, I didn’t exactly reproduce what I had initially imagined.
This is the first time in ages that I really struggled with exposure. The laneway was fairly dim, Lindsey was wearing dark clothes and I shot her against a very dark background, but her face was well lit with the reflector. The first couple frames were rubbish. Being quite out of practice, playing with manual exposure landed me at a much higher ISO than I would have liked (understatement), but I was conscious of maintaining my connection with Lindsey. In the end, I am surprised that the image still came out half-way decent at ISO 4000 (yes, that is three zeros…).
Before I interrupted her, Lindsey was grabbing a bite to eat on her way to work in Bourke St Mall. She immediately agreed to a portrait when I raised the question without even batting an eye which completely threw me off. Having an interest in food, she gave some restaurant recommendations for while I was in town.
In the end, I'm quite pleased with the final shot. It is a very different style for me, but that's part of why I am drawn to it. The best part is that I finally ended my stranger drought!
I hope you like how the image turned out, Lindsey! I'd be more than happy to shoot you a copy if you're keen. Thank you so much for participating in my project and re-igniting my interest in photography again.
Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!
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To find out more about 100 Strangers, visit the 100 Strangers Flickr Group
To find out more about Human Family, visit the Human Family Flickr Group
You can see my original 100 Strangers here and round two in this set.
January faceups. This is my beautiful new boy, but no names yet. His complexion is taken after my own face.
Made in a workshop a couple of years ago at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The instructors were two specialists from Dallas, I think, but I can't remember their names or even find them on line. Sorry.