View allAll Photos Tagged Confronting
Un confronto tra due ''Miti'' delle FS: Vediamo la E444.103 partire con il suo IC 606 per Bologna e la E652.035, ferma al binario 1 per precedenza a vari convogli, con un MRS Fossacesia T\S - Verona.
... confronted with so much dignity, power and beauty ... could you ...?
The Triumphal Quadriga or Horses of Saint Mark is a set of Roman or Greek bronze statues of four horses, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga (a four-horse carriage used for chariot racing).
The sculptures date from late classical antiquity and have been attributed to the
4th century BC Greek sculptor Lysippos,
although this has not been widely accepted. Although called bronze, analysis suggests that as they are at least 96.67% copper, they should be seen as an impure copper rather than bronze. The high copper content increased the casting temperature to 12-1300oC. The high purity copper was chosen to give a more satisfactory mercury gilding. Given current knowledge of ancient technology, this method of manufacture suggests a Roman rather than a Hellenistic origin.
Although their exact origin remains unknown, it is certain that the horses, along with the quadriga they were depicted with were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople. They were still there in 1204, when they were looted by Venetian forces as part of the sack of the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the Fourth Crusade.
What happened the quadriga after the Fourth Crusade is unknown.
Doge Enrico Dandolo sent the horses to Venice, where they were installed on the terrace of the façade of St Mark's Basilica in 1254.
In 1797, Napoleon had the horses forcibly removed from the basilica and carried off to Paris, where they were used in the design of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel together with a quadriga, although in 1815 the horses were returned. They remained in place over the basilica until the early 1980s, when the ongoing damage from growing air pollution forced their replacement with an exact replica.
Since then, the original quadriga has been on display just inside the basilica.
I'm taking a photo a day to help the American Cancer Society fight for a world without cancer. Please consider making a donation because every little bit helps. Thank you for your support! To view my fundraiser.
St Helier's Church, known as the Town Church, is one of the 12 parish churches of Jersey.
Helier was a Belgian saint who lived as a hermit on an islet in St Aubin's Bay, about three quarters of a mile off the south coast of Jersey. In AD555 he was killed by pirates, beheaded by their leader who feared his men would be converted by Helier's preaching. In consequence Helier soon came to be venerated by the Islanders, and eventually was adopted as the Patron Saint of both Jersey and its capitat.
Land reclamation means that the church, which was once on the shoreline, is now some way inland. There are iron rings in the boundary wall, which some historians suggest were used to moor boats, but the tide would only have reached here on the highest of spring tides and it is much more likely that the rings were used to tie cattle brought to market in town. The original marketplace was about 60 metres away next to a large rock which was surrounded by the sea at high spring tides.
It is believed that a chapel was erected on the site of the present building very shortly after Helier's death, but the present church was begun in the 11th century. The earliest record is in a document regarding the payment of tithes signed by William the Conqueror, which is assumed to pre-date the Norman Conquest of 1066. All that is visible of the 11th century structure are the remains of window arches on either side of the choir. The building was reconsecrated in 1341 for unknown reasons.
The church building was extended to roughly its present size by the end of the 12th century, but most of that building is also lost. The sections of wall flanking the east window, part of a pier on the north east side of the crossing, the west face of the north door and the adjoining section to the west, and a small section of wall opposite are all that remain of the building period of roughly 1175 to 1200. The porch attached to the north door and the greater part of the nave and crossing were built in the second quarter of the 15th century.
The date of the chancel is impossible to determine, since the original walls have been obliterated by the north chapel on the one side and the south chapel on the other. Most of the north transept dates to the second quarter of the 13th century. The present south transept, vestry, and the westwards extension to the nave are largely Victorian. A major renovation and re-ordering of the church began in 2007, and will take several years.
A chapel, La Chapelle de la Madeleine, existed in the north west corner of the churchyard until the Reformation. Formerly the Rectory and church offices were on the north side of the churchyard. These were replaced in 1969 by a new Church House building, a large concrete edifice incorporating offices, a church hall, kitchens and a choir vestry, together with a flat. The Rectory was moved to a large, purpose built Georgian house in the early 19th century.
This is the Historic Environment Record for the church:
The church is of fundamental importance to the heritage of Jersey being among the oldest and most significant historic buildings in the Island. One of the 12 medieval parish churches in Jersey.
11-12th century in origin with later alterations, enlargements and restorations from the 13-21st century. The dedication may date from the 6th century when St Helier established his hermitage and was likely given land opposite to found a church. The earliest known recorded reference to St Helier's Church is in 1090. The church has been central to the life of the St Helier parish community for hundreds of years and provides important insights into medieval and later society such as religious activity, artistic endeavour, technical achievement, the health of the local economy and the well-being of the population.
The church is in the vanguard of the Island's greatest architectural achievements. It has a long and complex structural history with visible fabric of several different dates, reflecting the periods of rebuild and modification, its development intertwined with the ecclesiastical, political and social advancements and upheavals through the centuries. Current knowledge identifies the oldest part of the standing structure as the 12th century nave and chancel. It is believed that the north transept dates to the 13th century, as does the north chapel.
Considerable additions were made in the 15th century, almost doubling the church in size, with the crossing and tower rebuilt circa 1440, the nave and south aisle, and the south chapel added in the late 15th century.
The building underwent substantial restoration in the 1860s and 2000s. The church has a range of interesting memorials, fixtures and fittings and is a major feature in the townscape. Its immediate setting includes a churchyard enclosed by walls and gates, erected in 1845 to designs by Jean Le Capelain, containing a rich variety of tombstones and monuments - many of historic or artistic interest. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
Rectors
13th Century
Nicolas Du Pont 1294
Robert de Carteret 1295
14th Century
Johan Le Sauvage 1309
Pierre d’Artis 1392
Roger Walden 1371-1385 (Later Archbishop of Canterbury)
15th Century
Rogier Herbert 1432
Johan Bunouet 1482-1502
16th Century
Andre de la Hougue 1502-1536
Jean Nicolle 1538-1540
Charles Mabson 1541-1553 (First Protestant Rector)
Louis Gibaut 1553-1559
Guillaume Morice 1562
Thomas Johanne 1567
Jean de Monanges 1570-1577
Guillaume Bonhomme 1577-1583
Pierre Henry dit Dancy 1583-1586
Mathieu de la Faye 1591
Jean de Bihan 1593
Claude Parent 1595
Thomas Oliver 1596-1638
17th Century
Pierre d’Assigny 1638-1643
Pierre Faultrat 1646-1651
Josué Bonhomme 1654-1657
Francois Le Couteur 1657-1660
Jean Dumaresq 1660-1686
Joseph Pythios 1687-1696
Jean Dumaresq 1696-1705
18th Century
Francois Le Couteur 1706-1716
Francois Le Couteur 1717-1734
Pierre Daniel Tapin 1735-1761
Jean Dupré 1761-1784
Edouarde Dupré 1784-1823
19th Century
Corbet Hue 1823-1837
Francis Jeune 1838-1844
James Hemery 1844-1849
Philip Filleul 1850-1875
William Corbet Le Breton 1875-1888
George Orange Balleine 1888-1906
20th Century
Samuel Falle 1906-1937
Mathew Le Marinel 1938-1959
Alan Stanley Giles 1959-1971
Thomas Ashworth Goss 1971-1984
Basil Arthur O’Ferrall 1985-1993
John Nicholas Seaford 1993-2005
21stCentury
Robert Key 2005 -
Long years ago, over a thousand years, the coastline of St Helier did not follow its exact contour of today. That portion of the town south of the cemetery wall, bordering Bond Street, was then submerged at high tide, forming the head of a little creek, with outlet somewhere about the meeting of Pier Road with Mulcaster Street. It then followed, approximately, the line of Bond Street, formerly known as "La rue de la Madelaine". From there, a sandy waste stretched far away westward to Mont Cochon.
The creek can be traced in a 1700 model of St Helier in the museum of La Société Jersiaise. Rings in the wall of the churchyard were found, where boats in old times had been fastened.
Near this creek, to the north-west of the present parish church, a chantry chapel stood, known as the "Chapelle de la Madelaine ", built of sea pebbles. Its precise position was a little to the westward of the new choir vestry. In the deed passed before the Royal Court on January 10, 1695, whereby Charles Dumaresq and James Corbet ceded in perpetuity the chapel to the parish authorities of St Helier, to be used as a poorhouse, it is described as bordering the cemetery on the south and the rectory on the east. It is evident from this document that the chapel had passed into private hands, probably sold at the Reformation by the Royal Commissioners. The chapel still existed late in the 18th century, but was allowed to fall into ruin.
It is probable that the chapel, one of many scattered through the island, was contemporary with the Fisherman's Chapel of St Brelade's Bay. St Helier, at the time we are referring to, was merely a collection of a few houses or huts, in fact a small fishing village; yet, the position acquired importance from its proximity to the scene of the labours and martyrdom of its patron saint, and later by the foundation of an important monastic establishment within the precincts of Elizabeth Castle itself.
It is possible, and even probable, that the present church originated from a second chantry chapel, dating back to about the 11th century, though there is no positive evidence of this. If so, in the ordinary course of evolution, this chapel became the chancel of the church. From extant records it would appear that during the Roman Catholic epoch, the Abbot of St Sauveur-le-Vicomte was recognised as patron, and nominated to the cure. It is, however, to be noted that, on several occasions, allusion is made to the King having presented, in time of war, candidates of his own choice to the living.
This period, (the 12th century) would be synchronous with the first of several crude changes which the church has undergone. Once more we cannot help expressing regret that during the many restorations our Jersey parish churches have "suffered", the canons of good taste and architectural design seem so frequently to have been ignored; the more unpardonable since in every case these buildings were planned in accordance with convention, thus offering free scope for better treatment.
The period we have now arrived at (12th century) was that of the first enlargement. It may be reasonably assumed that the primitive development (from the simple chantry) consisted in the prolongation of the chapel westward, the whole being then divided into a sanctuary, sIightly raised, for the priesthood, and a nave, or body, used by the congregation.
In the centre of this village arose a church, partly built of pebbles. Houses clustered around, in contrast to the somewhat isolated position held by most of the sister churches.
St Helier thus assimilated to the continental type, where churches are usually found near, and often in actual contact with the dwellings of the civil community. In England, on the other hand, our great cathedrals, almost invariably, stand in an open space, the “Close", round which the clergy live. Hence the deduction, (a wrong one nowadays at least) that English clergy form a class apart, and are less intimately associated with those to whom they minister, than is the case abroad.
Hard beaten earth as usual made a flooring. On this, the occasion of the first enlargement, a mortuary chapel was thrown out northward of the chancel; also a transept, and, as if to remind those who should follow later, not to forget the form of the "Latin Cross" when making further change, a corresponding addition to the south, "La Chapelle de la Vierge" was at the same time added.
The date of the mortuary chapel would appear to be about 1160. The exterior is conspicuous, owing to the roof being constructed with a different pitch from that of the main structure; also by the light, thin buttresses of Norman type. Inside, the broken remains of two Norman and two transition (Romanesque) arches, are still preserved; also two niches for the reception of ancient tombs.
Jersey churches are nothing if not unconventional, and as the sequel shows, St Helier was not to prove an exception.
During the early half of the 15th century, further and most important alterations were undertaken. These probably gave rise to the "Dedicace" date of consecration, 1341.
The chancel walls were raised. The increased elevation can even now be traced in the chancel gable, through contrast in the work of the two periods. A south chancel aisle was added. A handsome crenellated tower, with cross vaulting beneath, standing on massive piers, was erected, and lastly, heavy barrel roofs replaced those previously existing, of wood or thatch.
Stronger support became essential for such ponderous additions. This was supplied by means of buttresses within, and heavy circular pillars on octangular pediments carrying transition arches to form an arcading, and take the inward thrust; the outer buttresses being at the same time strengthened. Caen stone and Chausey granite now superseded pebbles, brought from the sea.
Towards the end of the same century, (the 15th) further important changes were again made. Of these, the chief consisted in the addition of a southern nave aisle, involving more cumbrous arcading, and tending to render the interior somewhat dark and gloomy. Flamboyant tracery appeared in the upper portions of the eastern windows.
Thus, a nave consisting of five bays was completed, and the church rested from structural change for many years.
Things pursued their normal course, until two centuries later, arose a storm of radical and revolutionary attack, a storm that, pro tem destroyed the monarchy of England, only to collapse itself under the burden of its own iniquity. It culminated in an era of bigotry and desecration. The experience of her sister churches, was that of St Helier, intensified perhaps, owing to her metropolitan status.
During the following century, an historic event took place, under the very shadow of St Helier's Church. In 1781, the French, led by the so-called Baron de Rullecourt, attempted by a "coup de main" the capture of the Island. They failed, defeated by the gallant Peirson who, in the hour of victory, lost his life. Many prisoners were taken, who were interned, for safety, in the parish church, a handy place pending incarceration.
Reinforcements from the west arrived after the fight was over. True to their instincts the St Ouennais desired no half measures. "Let us bum them church and all", they said, and this they would undoubtedly have done, unless tradition errs, had not a force of regulars prevented them.
The next and last structural enlargement, or rather "restoration of St Helier's Church, took place in 1864. During the preceding revolutionary innings its leaders had busied themselves with the interior, purging it of aught that savoured of the Romish religion. A craze for galleries obsessed them. No fewer than seven, for the general public, and several belonging to private families, were placed in different parts.
One of the first named, known as the Common Gallery, at the west end, served as the roof of a town arsenal, for the parish guns. Another was devoted to the use of "fumeurs". The lofty Three Decker pulpit, of course, appeared, pride of the Puritan. It held a position confronted by a special pew for the Lieut-Governor. The travelling communion table also was there, used as occasion arose for parish elections, or even public auctions. Such were the marks of the roundhead regime.
Under the name of church reform, aught else went by the board. Stoups and piscinas, fonts and ornaments of every kind, were swept away. Governor Paulett, by virtue of a Royal Commission, seized the church plate and sold it; also the bells, and sold them. Such also was the situation during a certain period, happily short.
Intemperance of every kind must find a nemesis. Reaction was not long delayed, Early in the 18th century an organ ("box of whistles") appeared, tucked away in one of the many galleries. Then, huge chandeliers, in brass, lighted by many candles, whilst tracery again adorned the window, so that, once more, St Helier's came to assume its pristine garb.
In 1864 the work of restoration was taken seriously in hand. Some interesting reproductions, illustrating the church during this transition period, and presenting views from the northwest and southwest speak for themselves. Some of the neighbouring buildings can still be recognised.
A committee was entrusted with the task of securing stained glass windows. How well they did their work is recorded below, including names of many noted Jerseymen as donors.
The cost of restoration amounted to some £4,000, The nave was lengthened, a south transept added, A vestry and porch was opened on the north side, where the two Norman and transition arches, belonging to the mortuary chapel previously mentioned, were discovered, and removed to another position.
For these was substituted yet further heavy arcading, to match that in the remainder of the church, although it would seem rather late for trying to introduce uniformity within a building whose principal feature, one might almost say charm, lay in the opposite direction.
As to the interior, all the old galleries were taken out, whilst a new one was placed at the west end of the nave, and a second in the south transept, Stalls in thc chancel were appropriated to the choir, near the organ, on the north.
Church furniture of modem type was introduced, and many gifts from various well-wishers helped to renovate and beautify the church, A handsome lectern in brass was the contribution of Francis Bertram.
Members of the congregation presented a painting representing The Last Supper, to form a reredos, and specially as a tribute to the Rev P A Le Feuvre, Vice-Dean of Jersey, who died whilst in the act of ministering at the altar, on Easter Day 1889. A brass plate, in the chancel, further commemorates this tragic event.
Under one date or another may be seen recorded on these ancient walls nearly every Jersey name of note, the earliest, that of Maximilian Norreys, marked by a plain grey slab, with armorial bearings, and going back to 1591; one of the latest is that of Lieut-Colonel P Le Gallais, killed in the Boer War of 1901-2.
There, too, are other names familiar to Jerseymen as household word. Bandinel, La Cloche, d'Auvergne, de Carteret, Anquetil, Durell, a list too numerous for mention here. Tablets to several Lieut-Governors augment this roll, amongst them one to Major-General Archibald Campbell, who died during his term of office and found a last resting place within the church.
But, in this Roll of Honour none holds a more distinguished place than that of Francis Peirson. He lies beneath the tower. A simple monument (some think too simple), placed in he chancel by the States of Jersey, is thus inscribed:
"To the memory of Major Francis Peirson, who, when this Island was invaded by the French, fell bravely fighting at the head of British and Island troops. He died in the flower of youth and in the moment of victory the 6th day of January 1781, aged 24. The States of the Island in grateful testimony of their deliverance, caused this monument to be erected at the public expense".
His story needs no recital, nor his brave memory any costly monument. The French Commander, Rullecourt, was buried in the churchyard near the north transept door.
And still we might go on, but those who would recall to mind the Island's history by names of men who made it, cannot do better than spend a quiet hour within those sacred walls that speak.
St Helier's church plate is not remarkable, all being post-Reformation. Amongst its donors appear the names of Jean and Abraham Herault; a chalice, presented by the former, taking the pride of place for antiquity (1639). Philip Le Geyt, Francis Le Couteur, Mauger, Ste Croix, and Lempriere are other names associated with the collection.
But, doubtless the greatest general interest will centre round the pieces forming a service sent for the use of Charles, then Prince of Wales, later King Charles II, for use during his brief stay at Elizabeth Castle.
For a long time this service lay unheeded, certainly uncared for, somewhere within the castle walls. Its whereabouts, in some way, came to light, and then the British Government authorities took steps to have it properly looked after. Since the withdrawal of soldiers from the castle, it has been placed under the special guardianship of the Dean of Jersey, for use of the garrison at certain services, held in the parish church, once more created Garrison Church of Jersey.
The service consists of three pieces, flagon, chalice, and paten. All bear the London hallmark. The front of the flagon bears a coat of arms supposed to be those of Lord Capel. The chalice bears the arm, and the paten (1621-22) the crest of Sir Thomas Jermyn, Governor of Jersey from 1631 to 1644.
Two memorable occasions may be mentioned when this plate must have been used, each associated with the Royal refugee. On 26 April 1646, Charles, then Prince of Wales, attended the parish church in state, supported by the loyalists of Jersey. Later, in 1649, after his father's execution, the Prince, now King, was again present at a requiem service.
The scene is quaintly described as follows:
"On this occasion the young Prince, only 16 years of age, occupied a chair fronting the pulpit; a table was placed conveniently, so that his highness might rest his elbows on it".
The Duke of York, his brother, accompanied him; the Jersey Militia guarded his route from castle to church, and many devoted adherents followed in his train. He wore the Order of the Garter, and was loyally hailed as King, Jersey the first to acclaim him.
A Roll of over 50 Rectors attests the antiquity of the Christian faith, as held by the National Church in Jersey. From 1294, up to the present time, no break occurs. The earliest on record is Nicolas Dupont, 1294.
No fewer than seven Deans have served as Rectors of St Helier, the last but not least distinguished being the Very Reverend Samuel Faile.
We now conclude this brief memorial of St Helier's Parish Church; at times seat of the Deans, scene of many stirring episodes, pro-cathedral, and in some sense a local Valhalla. It cannot be denied, that, taken as a whole, the building with its lofty crenelated tower, is dignified, though unsymmetrical. A critic of the interior might perchance exclaim in Goethe's dying words, "Encore de la lumiere".
In fact, there seems to have been a clerestory at one time. Perhaps, in the not far distant future, the powers that be may yet again draw light from heaven.
History will testify to the present era as one of religious and social activity, of "rapprochement" among the Island churches, of material improvement as regards the fabric and its surroundings and, let us hope, of further generous gifts to adorn the interior, and perfect the services. It will be from no lack of interest or energy on the part of the present holder of the benefice should such not prove to be the case.
The following is the list of windows in the church, together with their subjects, and names of the donors:
Chancel, east window, the gift of the Hemery family. The upper portion represents "The Lord enthroned", while the lower portions represent "The angel announcing the resurrection", and "The risen Lord appearing to Mary Magdalene”. This window is the work of one of the most eminent artists of the period, and was exhibited at the great exhibition of 1862, as an example of British Ecclesiastical art.
Chancel aisle, east window, given by the restoration committee. Four lights, representing "The Adoration of the Magi", "Christ in the Temple", "The Marriage Feast in Cana", and "Christ bearing His Cross".
Chancel aisle (first window), the gift of Jurat E C Malet de Carteret, the subject being "Christ healing the sick".
Chancel aisle (second window), given by the Le Breton family; the subjecL of the three panels being “Christ appearing to St Thomas", "St Paul preaching at Athens", and "The woman of Samaria".
South aisle (first window) presented by the late Jurat J G Falle, the subjects represented being "The healing of the woman", " Christ, the Consoler", and " St Peter walking on the sea".
South aisle (second window), given by the late Mr N Le Quesne, "Christ blessing the children ".
South aisle (third window) presented by the son of the late Mr Abraham de Gruchy, "The baptism of our Lord".
South aisle (west window), presented by he Westaway family, "The Ascension".
Nave (west window), presented by the late MR George Bertram, "The Crucifixion".
Nave (north window), the gift of tbe late Mr Jean de Gruchy, " The raising of Lazarus ".
North transept, given by the late Mr Philip Le Rossignol, "Christ walking on the Sea".
South transept, given by the Parish of St Helier, "The sacrifice of Isaac", "The framing of the law", and "The brazen serpent".
Mortuary Chapel, raised by subscription among tbe widows of tho congregation, " Christ, the Good Shepherd".
Vestry, presented by he late Mrs John Le Masurier, "The Annunciation".
Minneapolis Police confront a woman while they clear out protesters and their barricades from Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue. Protesters have been gathered since the June 3rd and June 13th killings of Winston Smith and Deona Marie.
Winston Smith was killed after Hennepin and Ramsey County officers fired their weapons while part of a Federal Task Force serving a warrant.
Deona Marie was killed when Nicholas Kraus drove his vehicle into those protesting the killing of Smith.
--
This image is part of a continuing series following the unrest and events in Minneapolis following the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Cistophorus (25mm, 12.01 g, 12h). Ephesus mint. Struck circa 25 BC. IMP. CAE SAR, bare head right / AVGVSTVS, garlanded altar sculpted with two confronting hinds. RIC I 479; Sutherland Group VI, 190 (O19/R– [unlisted rev. die]); RSC 33; RPC I 2215; BMCRE 694; BN 922–6. cngcoins.com
Birds of Eden, Free Flight Bird Sanctuary, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.
The Sanctuary covers 2.1761 hectares (6.7 acres) and the enclosure reaches a height of 50 meters (165 feet) allowing free flight for the birds over a wide area.
The original fairy tale was about the youngest sister going into a room in the castle and finding all the bodies of the wives that came before her - she is confronted with truth, thinking about how often we think we know people and we really don't.
Alice Hoffman
tones: Bärbel's PS/PSE actions
texture: flypaper
seen at Moyland Castle
25-02-2008, José-Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spanish prime minister):
"The deceleration in which the Spanish economy is immersed will not be deep or prolonged."
"We have the lowest rate of unemployment of the democracy."
"Our country is best prepared that nobody to confront the deceleration, for the strength of our financial sector and of the public accounts."
"We have loaded the batteries of the economy."
04-12-2008: +3.000.000 unemployed (rising), Spain new record
04-02-2009: +3.400.000 unemployed (rising), Spain new record
04-03-2009: +3.600.000 unemployed (rising), Spain new record
24-04-2009: +4.000.000 unemployed (rising), Spain new record
01-02-2011: +4.700.000 unemployed (rising), Spain new record
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25-02-2008, José-Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (presidente del Gobierno español):
"La desaceleración en la que está inmersa la economía española no será ni profunda ni prolongada."
"Tenemos la tasa de paro más baja de la democracia."
"El país está mejor preparado que nadie para afrontar la desaceleración, por la fortaleza de nuestro sector financiero y de las cuentas públicas."
"Nosotros hemos cargado las pilas de la economía."
04-12-2008: +3.000.000 parados (y subiendo), nuevo récord en la Historia de España
04-02-2009: +3.400.000 parados (y subiendo), nueva plusmarca española
04-03-2009: +3.600.000 parados ( y subiendo), nueva plusmarca española
24-04-2009: +4.000.000 parados (y subiendo), nueva plusmarca española
01-02-2011: +4.700.000 parados (y subiendo), nueva plusmcarca española
Exactly the words for me right now.
I am learning that sometimes you have to push things, and sometimes things might even have to get worse before they can get better. Scary but true.
Sliders Sunday info: I started with an ACR preset and tweaked to my liking and brought it into photoshop, where I added contrast to the quote. I loved the high-key look, but it added a lot of noise to the photo so I added a few textures (textures are great for disguising noise). Finished with a little dodging and burning. HSS!
Vieille femme assise devant un étalage de riz mis à sécher dans l'île de Majoli, état d'Assam, Inde
La vallée du Brahmapoutre en Assam est une plaine fertile où dominent deux activités agricoles :le thé et le riz. L'agriculture est le secteur essentiel de l'économie de l'état d'Assam mais l'absence de modernisation réelle a pour conséquence des rendements très faibles par rapport aux principaux pays producteurs mondiaux de riz et même en baisse ces dernières années. Les inondations causées par le Brahmapoutre et les autres rivières constituent en outre un des graves problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les agriculteurs.
L'île de Majoli, aux confins de plusieurs cours d'eau dont le fleuve Brahmapoutre, en Assam (Inde) est réputée comme une des plus grandes îles fluviales du monde. Mais, soumise à une érosion intense, sa surface se réduit rapidement; l'île a ainsi perdu un tiers de sa superficie au XXème siècle.et pourrait disparaître dans quelques décennies malgré les importants travaux de protection mis en oeuvre par les habitants.
Question: For fellow travelers, far and near, are you like a WATER WELL of faith, hope and charity on each's mutually separate Journey of Life on long path, lite or unlighted?
______________________________
John 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture by Msgr. Paul Whitmore
| email: pwhitmore29@)yahoo.com :
Have you ever noticed how many people around you are carrying a bottle of water?
We cannot go for more than a couple of hours without satisfying our thirst. In fact, we would die in a matter of days if we couldn't quench that need. In the first reading today, the Jewish people were desperate for water. Then God gave them water from the rock.
Like the woman at the well in today's Gospel, we try every kind of water under the sun to satisfy our thirst. Later in life, we recognize that it's far more than physical thirst—it's thirst for happiness, satisfaction, peace of mind. Sometimes we "get it right," but often we look for the wrong kind of water, and we look for it in the wrong places. We often spend all kinds of money and waste a lot of time, looking for something to quench our thirsts.
Jesus offers us the spiritual water that really satisfies. He is offering us what He offered the Samaritan woman—water far superior to anything she had ever tasted or ever dreamed of. Certainly her five husbands (plus her newest lover) hadn't brought her what she was really looking for. We know that she had tried cheap love, and we presume she was no stranger to intoxication, power, and money! This isn't a gentle lady who comes to draw water from the well, but a toughened cynic. No wonder she is rude to this travel-dusty Jew, whom she is sure will avoid her with downcast eyes. Jews despised Samaritans who worshipped in the wrong church. But Jesus doesn't follow the accepted prejudice!
What a surprise, when Jesus, tired, hungry and thirsty, asks her for a drink of water. He breaks all the rules in speaking to her. Now, He keeps on talking, ignoring her hostility, aware that, in this unexpected encounter, the Father has provided Him with an opportunity for piercing the heart of this sinful woman with His love. Jesus forgets His own needs, and offers this woman living water, spiritual grace. Incredible! Even when He confronts her with her sins, she shows humility. When Jesus reveals to her that He is the Messiah, she drops her bucket and runs back to spread the good news. "I've found the Messiah!" And she had!
Lent is a time for us to let Jesus satisfy our thirst. Like the Samaritan woman, we find real joy and satisfaction in letting the Lord fill us with the grace of the season. Like her, we find that our joy is greatest when we share that gift with others—joining in a study or prayer-group, in visiting a nursing home, in being patient with our family members, and really listening to them, in praying from the heart in a quiet place, in reflecting on the Word privately or at daily Mass, and letting the Eucharist change us into the Body of Christ.
The Samaritan woman never did give Jesus a drink of water as He had requested. Do we stop to realize that Jesus' thirst for our love is even greater than our thirst for His love? I guess only saints understand that. It's what gives them the energy to pour themselves out in ministry up to their last breath.
Next Sunday, Lent will be half over. A question: "Are you satisfied with what you have done so far to let Jesus into your life?" Check out your prayer, your penance, your almsgiving. What are you planning for the remainder of Lent? It's all about quenching your thirst for life—to shun the type of thirst-quencher that doesn't really satisfy, and to earnestly beg Jesus to give you His living water.
EXPLORE # 216 on Monday, February 25, 2008
Taken in 2010.
Inside the window, a guy looks up at Eartha, the world's largest rotating globe, and watches the South Pacific Ocean move by. (Hawaii is in the second pane from the right on the top, and Australia is in the first pane from the left on the bottom.)
Eartha was built by and for the Delorme company, a Yarmouth, Maine mapping firm, in 1998. In 2016 Delorme was bought by Garmin, the Swiss mapping company, which kept the globe operating and in Yarmouth.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, vice president of engineering and research at Lockheed's Skunk Works, visited USAF air bases across South Korea in November 1951 to speak with fighter pilots about what they wanted and needed in a fighter aircraft. At the time, the American pilots were confronting the MiG-15 with North American F-86 Sabres, and many felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance, especially high speed and altitude capabilities. Armed with this information, Johnson immediately started the design of such an aircraft on his return to the United States.
Work started in March 1952. In order to achieve the desired performance, Lockheed chose a small and simple aircraft, weighing in at 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) with a single powerful engine. The engine chosen was the new General Electric J79 turbojet, an engine of dramatically improved performance in comparison with contemporary designs. The small L-246 design remained essentially identical to the Model 083 Starfighter as eventually delivered.
Johnson presented the design to the Air Force on 5 November 1952, and work progressed quickly, with a mock-up ready for inspection at the end of April, and work starting on two prototypes that summer. The first prototype was completed by early 1954 and first flew on 4 March at Edwards AFB. The total time from contract to first flight was less than one year.
The first YF-104A flew on 17 February 1956 and, with the other 16 trial aircraft, were soon carrying out equipment evaluation and flight tests. Lockheed made several improvements to the aircraft throughout the testing period, including strengthening the airframe, adding a ventral fin to improve directional stability at supersonic speed, and installing a boundary layer control system (BLCS) to reduce landing speed. Problems were encountered with the J79 afterburner; further delays were caused by the need to add AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. On 28 January 1958, the first production F-104A to enter service was delivered.
Even though the F-104 saw only limited use by the USAF, later versions, tailored to a fighter bomber role and intended for overseas sales, were more prolific. This was in particular the F-104G, which became the Starfighter's main version, a total of 1,127 F-104Gs were produced under license by Canadair and a consortium of European companies that included Messerschmitt/MBB, Fiat, Fokker, and SABCA.
The F-104G differed considerably from earlier versions. It featured strengthened fuselage, wing, and empennage structures; a larger vertical fin with fully powered rudder as used on the earlier two-seat versions; fully powered brakes, new anti-skid system, and larger tires; revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering; a larger braking chute. Upgraded avionics included an Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B multi-mode radar with air-to-air, ground-mapping, contour-mapping, and terrain-avoidance modes, as well as the Litton LN-3 Inertial Navigation System, the first on a production fighter.
Germany was among the first foreign operators of the F-104G variant. As a side note, a widespread misconception was and still is that the "G" explicitly stood for "Germany". But that was not the case and pure incidence, it was just the next free letter, even though Germany had a major influence on the aircraft's concept and equipment. The German Air Force and Navy used a large number of F-104G aircraft for interception, reconnaissance and fighter bomber roles. In total, Germany operated 916 Starfighters, becoming the type's biggest operator in the world. Beyond the single seat fighter bombers, Germany also bought and initially 30 F-104F two-seat aircraft and then 137 TF-104G trainers. Most went to the Luftwaffe and a total of 151 Starfighters was allocated to the Marineflieger units.
The introduction of this highly technical aircraft type to a newly reformed German air force was fraught with problems. Many were of technical nature, but there were other sources of problems, too. For instance, after WWII, many pilots and ground crews had settled into civilian jobs and had not kept pace with military and technological developments. Newly recruited/re-activated pilots were just being sent on short "refresher" courses in slow and benign-handling first-generation jet aircraft or trained on piston-driven types. Ground crews were similarly employed with minimal training and experience, which was one consequence of a conscripted military with high turnover of service personnel. Operating in poor northwest European weather conditions (vastly unlike the fair-weather training conditions at Luke AFB in Arizona) and flying low at high speed over hilly terrain, a great many Starfighter accidents were attributed to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). German Air Force and Navy losses with the type totaled 110 pilots, around half of them naval officers.
One general contributing factor to the high attrition rate was the operational assignment of the F-104 in German service: it was mainly used as a (nuclear strike) fighter-bomber, flying at low altitude underneath enemy radar and using landscape clutter as passive radar defense, as opposed to the original design of a high-speed, high-altitude fighter/interceptor. In addition to the different and demanding mission profiles, the installation of additional avionic equipment in the F-104G version, such as the inertial navigation system, added distraction to the pilot and additional weight that further hampered the flying abilities of the plane. In contemporary German magazine articles highlighting the Starfighter safety problems, the aircraft was portrayed as "overburdened" with technology, which was considered a latent overstrain on the aircrews. Furthermore, many losses in naval service were attributed to the Starfighter’s lack of safety margin through a twin-engine design like the contemporary Blackburn Buccaneer, which had been the German navy air arm’s favored type. But due to political reasons (primarily the outlook to produce the Starfighter in Southern Germany in license), the Marine had to accept and make do with the Starfighter, even if it was totally unsuited for the air arm's mission profile.
Erich Hartmann, the world's top-scoring fighter ace from WWII, commanded one of Germany's first (post-war) jet fighter-equipped squadrons and deemed the F-104 to be an unsafe aircraft with poor handling characteristics for aerial combat. To the dismay of his superiors, Hartmann judged the fighter unfit for Luftwaffe use even before its introduction.
In 1966 Johannes Steinhoff took over command of the Luftwaffe and grounded the entire Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine F-104 fleet until he was satisfied that the persistent problems had been resolved or at least reduced to an acceptable level. One measure to improve the situation was that some Starfighters were modified to carry a flight data recorder or "black box" which could give an indication of the probable cause of an accident. In later years, the German Starfighters’ safety record improved, although a new problem of structural failure of the wings emerged: original fatigue calculations had not taken into account the high number of g-force loading cycles that the German F-104 fleet was experiencing through their mission profiles, and many airframes were returned to the depot for wing replacement or outright retirement.
The German F-104Gs served primarily in the strike role as part of the Western nuclear deterrent strategy, some of these dedicated nuclear strike Starfighters even had their M61 gun replaced by an additional fuel tank for deeper penetration missions. However, some units close to the German borders, e.g. Jagdgeschwader (JG) 71 in Wittmundhafen (East Frisia) as well as JG 74 in Neuburg (Bavaria), operated the Starfighter as a true interceptor on QRA duty. From 1980 onwards, these dedicated F-104Gs received a new air superiority camouflage, consisting of three shades of grey in an integral wraparound scheme, together with smaller, subdued national markings. This livery was officially called “Norm 82” and unofficially “Alberich”, after the secretive guardian of the Nibelung's treasure. A similar wraparound paint scheme, tailored to low-level operations and consisting of two greens and black (called Norm 83), was soon applied to the fighter bombers and the RF-104 fleet, too, as well as to the Luftwaffe’s young Tornado IDS fleet.
However, the Luftwaffe’s F-104Gs were at that time already about to be gradually replaced, esp. in the interceptor role, by the more capable and reliable F-4F Phantom II, a process that lasted well into the mid-Eighties due to a lagging modernization program for the Phantoms. The Luftwaffe’s fighter bombers and recce Starfighters were replaced by the MRCA Tornado and RF-4E Phantoms. In naval service the Starfighters soldiered on for a little longer until they were also replaced by the MRCA Tornado – eventually, the Marineflieger units received a two engine aircraft type that was suitable for their kind of missions.
In the course of the ongoing withdrawal, a lot of German aircraft with sufficiently enough flying hours left were transferred to other NATO partners like Norway, Greece, Turkey and Italy, and two were sold to the NASA. One specific Starfighter was furthermore modified into a CCV (Control-Configured Vehicle) experimental aircraft under control of the German Industry, paving the way to aerodynamically unstable aircraft like the Eurofighter/Typhoon. The last operational German F-104 made its farewell flight on 22. Mai 1991, and the type’s final flight worldwide was in Italy in October 2004.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)
Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.63 m)
Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Wing area: 196.1 ft² (18.22 m²)
Airfoil: Biconvex 3.36 % root and tip
Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,166 kg)
Powerplant:
1× General Electric J79 afterburning turbojet,
10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust dry, 15,600 lbf (69 kN) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,528 mph (2,459 km/h, 1,328 kn)
Maximum speed: Mach 2
Combat range: 420 mi (680 km, 360 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,630 mi (2,620 km, 1,420 nmi)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (240 m/s) initially
Lift-to-drag: 9.2
Wing loading: 105 lb/ft² (510 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.54 with max. takeoff weight (0.76 loaded)
Armament:
1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan six-barreled Gatling cannon, 725 rounds
7× hardpoints with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,800 kg), including up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder, (nuclear)
bombs, guided and unguided missiles, or other stores like drop tanks or recce pods
The kit and its assembly:
A relatively simple what-if project – based on the question how a German F-104 interceptor might have looked like, had it been operated for a longer time to see the Luftwaffe’s low-viz era from 1981 onwards. In service, the Luftwaffe F-104Gs started in NMF and then carried the Norm 64 scheme, the well-known splinter scheme in grey and olive drab. Towards the end of their career the fighter bombers and recce planes received the Norm 83 wraparound scheme in green and black, but by that time no dedicated interceptors were operational anymore, so I stretched the background story a little.
The model is the very nice Italeri F-104G/S model, which is based on the ESCI molds from the Eighties, but it comes with recessed engravings and an extra sprue that contains additional drop tanks and an Orpheus camera pod. The kit also includes a pair of Sidewinders with launch rails for the wing tips as well as the ventral “catamaran” twin rail, which was frequently used by German Starfighters because the wing tips were almost constantly occupied with tanks.
Fit and detail is good – the kit is IMHO very good value for the money. There are just some light sinkholes on the fuselage behind the locator pins, the fit of the separate tail section is mediocre and calls for PSR, and the thin and very clear canopy is just a single piece – for open display, you have to cut it by yourself.
Since the model would become a standard Luftwaffe F-104G, just with a fictional livery, the kit was built OOB. The only change I made are drooped flaps, and the air brakes were mounted in open position.
The ordnance (wing tip tanks plus the ventral missiles) was taken from the kit, reflecting the typical German interceptor configuration: the wing tips were frequently occupied with tanks, sometimes even together with another pair of drop tanks under the wings, so that any missile had to go under the fuselage. The instructions for the ventral catamaran launch rails are BTW wrong – they tell the builder to mount the launch rails onto the twin carrier upside down! Correctly, the carrier’s curvature should lie flush on the fuselage, with no distance at all. When mounted as proposed, the Sidewinders come very close to the ground and the whole installation looks pretty goofy! I slightly modified the catamaran launch rail with some thin styrene profile strips as spacers, and the missiles themselves, AIM-9Bs, were replaced with more modern and delicate AIM-9Js from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. Around the hull, some small blade antennae, a dorsal rotating warning light and an angle-of-attack sensor were added.
Painting and markings:
The exotic livery is what defined this what-if build, and the paint scheme was actually inspired by a real world benchmark: some Dornier Do-28D Skyservants of the German Marineflieger received, late in their career, a wraparound scheme in three shades of grey, namely RAL 7030 (Steingrau), 7000 (Fehgrau) and 7012 (Basaltgrau). I thought that this would work pretty well for an F-104G interceptor that operates at medium to high altitudes, certainly better than the relatively dark Norm 64 splinter scheme or the Norm 83 low-altitude pattern.
The camouflage pattern was simply adopted from the Starfighter’s Norm 83 scheme, just the colors were exchanged. The kit was painted with acrylic paints from Revell, since the authentic tones were readily available, namely 75, 57 and 77. As a disrupting detail I gave the wing tip tanks the old Norm 64 colors: uniform Gelboliv from above (RAL 6014, Revell 42), Silbergrau underneath (RAL 7001, Humbrol’s 127 comes pretty close), and bright RAL 2005 dayglo orange markings, the latter created with TL Modellbau decal sheet material for clean edges and an even finish.
The cockpit interior was painted in standard medium grey (Humbrol 140, Dark Gull Grey), the landing gear including the wells became aluminum (Humbrol 56), the interior of the air intakes was painted with bright matt aluminum metallizer (Humbrol 27001) with black anti-icing devices in the edges and the shock cones. The radome was painted with very light grey (Humbrol 196, RAL 7035), the dark green anti-glare panel is a decal from the OOB sheet.
The model received a standard black ink washing and some panel post-shading (with Testors 2133 Russian Fulcrum Grey, Humbrol 128 FS 36320 and Humbrol 156 FS 36173) in an attempt to even out the very different shades of grey. The result does not look bad, pretty worn and weathered (like many German Starfighters), even though the paint scheme reminds a lot of the Hellenic "Ghost" scheme from the late F-4Es and the current F-16s?
The decals for the subdued Luftwaffe markings were puzzled together from various sources. The stencils were mostly taken from the kit’s exhaustive and sharply printed sheet. Tactical codes (“26+40” is in the real Starfighter range, but this specific code was AFAIK never allocated), iron crosses and the small JG 71 emblems come from TL Modellbau aftermarket sheets. Finally, after some light soot stains around the gun port, the afterburner and some air outlets along the fuselage with graphite, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A simple affair, since the (nice) kit was built OOB and the only really fictional aspect of this model is its livery. But the resulting aircraft looks good, the all-grey wraparound scheme suits the slender F-104 well and makes an interceptor role quite believable. Would probably also look good on a German Eurofighter? Certainly more interesting than the real world all-blue-grey scheme.
In the beauty pics the scheme also appears to be quite effective over open water, too, so that the application to the Marineflieger Do-28Ds made sense. However, for the real-world Starfighter, this idea came a couple of years too late.
Scenes 14 to 17 from the Genesis-Cycle
God confronts Adam & Eve
Expulsion from Eden
Adam & Eve toiling
Sacrifice of Cain & Abel
Monreale cathedral, north wall mosaics
Source: web gallery of Art (wga)
Being confronted by Security Guards is always a funny thing. I thought I might run into some in Pershing Square remembering the time I got stopped by one three years ago trying to take a picture. The security guard was super nice about it informing me that it wasn't the picture taking that was bothering him but it was my tripod I couldn't use. I asked him "why no tripods?" but he didn't really seem to know.
Monday I was walking by Pershing Square and decided to give it another shot. Maybe the policy had changed who knows? So I went in but turned my ISO up a bit higher so my brackets would be faster. That way I could at least finish my shots before being asked to leave again.
I was in there for about ten minutes taking shots and there were people walking around doing maintenance but so far no security. I kept looking around just in case but so far so good. Unfortunately for me, my luck didn't last long. Down at the end of the park I saw a security guard. He started walking my way but didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. It took him about 10 minutes to walk the 100 feet to get to me. It took him so long I was convinced he didn't care about me and I had taken several rounds of brackets already and was getting ready to walk to another spot. But just as I got up, we had the dreaded talk.
Again he was super nice about it, told me about the no tripod rule but didn't really know why. Something about tripods being professional equipment or something. I decided not to argue and left. At least I got a few shots in this time :)
How this shot was made:
Canon 5d mkII, Canon 16-35mm lens at 16mm
5 Bracketed exposures on location
Combined all 5 exposures using the Merge to 32-bit HDR plug-in. Did adjustments in Lightroom trying to get it as close to final as possible. Image taken into photoshop CS6 for more adjustments. Used Nik Software, Viveza 2 to add "structure" for some micro contrast and Dfine 2 for noise reduction and cleanup. Small tweaks to exposure and contrast to finish.
Want to learn more about how I process images? Check out my tutorial - www.joshuaguntherphotography.com/merge-to-32-bit-hdr-tuto...
Credit: Paul Morse / Clinton Global Initiative
Plenary Session: Confronting Climate Change is Good Economics
REMARKS:
Parker Liautaud, Expedition Leader, Willis Resilience Expedition
MODERATOR:
Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation
PARTICIPANTS:
Peter Agnefjäll, President and CEO, IKEA Group
Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Henry M. Paulson Jr., Chairman, The Paulson Institute
Agnes Kalibata, Interim President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark
Untitled 2005 is a gift of the Estate of Stephen Birch to the MCA museum. Stephen Birch (1961-2007) was a Melbourne born artist whose sculpture and installation drew on aspects of contemporary life, including popular culture, the mass media, art and literature......[MCA literature]
This worm-like bearded figure whose head sits on an arm-like neck is only half of the sculpture. The other half is what this figure was confronting, a life-sized model of the superhero Spiderman.
This sculpture is used in MCA's advertisement of the opening of their $53 million new wing on 28 March.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia (Thursday 29 Mar 2012 @ 1:08pm).
... confronting
Eye to Eye
A confrontation between photographer and model
Working on project Portraiture with class Photographic Design at Fotovakschool, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Model: Evelien
Il cugino maggiore, ovvero il "Minuetto" Torinese di GTT (Gruppo Torinese Trasporti) in servizio sulla SFM 1 Chieri - Rivarolo Canavese e la sua nuova cuginetta neo acquisto di Trenitalia, l'ETR 425.021, in servizio sempre in unaldelle linee SFM, (Servizio Ferroviario Metropolitano), di Torino.
When confronted with the vision of a beautiful flower ~
We see something beautiful about ourselves ~♥~
Wishing you all a beautiful day ~ night ~
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Hugs & Kisses ~♥~
Update For Ruth ~
www.flickr.com/photos/49262166@N03/8270626039/
I talked to Ruth tonight and she sounded so much better, although she was feeling quite sick all day. Her husband told me she was much more alert and walked around, didn't sleep as much, all good things.
They went into her thru her side, so they cut a rib. She said it was very hard to move around so she is not up to doing her flickr yet. She feels blessed to have all of you pray for her and show her so much kindness and love. I am grateful as well.
Sorry I wasn't able to post earlier, it was hard to find a time when she wasn't busy with other things, nurses, Dr.'s, walking, eating, visitors, etc. I'm falling asleep at the keyboard, it's 2 am, but I am having family over tomorrow so I don't know when I'll post again.
Hugs to you all, Joanne
Copyright 2012 - 2013 © Sharon May
All my images are protected under
international authors copyright laws
and may not be downloaded, reproduced,
copied, transmitted or manipulated without
my written explicit permission.
All rights reserved - Copyright 2012 - 2013 © Sharon May
When i'm confronting myself, I see that my images lean more and more towards a dark theme. I think it may represents what I am going through right now. I’m also not feeling that comfortable in my skin lately.
I fear myself, of being restrained from being able to express myself in a certain way.
The noose symbolizes that I may not even recognize this danger that lurks around, until it is already facing or confronting me. The knot in the noose represents a problem that I can’t entangle. I am psychological and emotional trapped in an inevitable situation. Choked.