Negative Scanned - Rescan Epson V700

Hasselblad 500 C/M

Carl Zeiss Planar C T* 80mm f2.8

Fujicolor NPS 160 Expired 2005

Enjoying myself with ♫♫♫ Radiohead - Sulk ♫♫♫

Teluk Gadung Terengganu.

The tattoo declares “Before you judge me, make sure you’re perfect”

I confess to only being able to read what it says some time after the photograph was taken. And it has raised all sorts of questions in my head. Such as: Why did I take this shot? : What is my reaction to the tattoo? : Should I be publishing this photograph in a public setting?

It would be interesting to hear your views . . . . though I doubt much will be forthcoming. I have a particular fondness for the expression ‘What you see depends on where you stand’ (which clearly has more than one meaning)

.. taken @ the Durham Miners Gala.

BREECHLOADIN' RIFLES Hawkeye declares stunned!

Colonel Frasier had just handed Hawkeye the notes from Louis De Grasse's court-martial.

Chingachgook is shocked!

"We hear talk of that … (rifles) shoot more fast!"

The Colonel sums up the gravity of the situation of the lost guns with, "The greatest military development since the discovery of gunpowder!"

This whole TV story is likely based on the "Ferguson Rifle", a breech-loading flintlock firearm created in 1772. The Scotsman, Patrick Ferguson, was a British Army officer who invented this vastly superior rifle … just four years before the American Revolutionary War.

Two hundred of these vastly superior rifles were used, by the British, against the new Americans (Patriots), in the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.

It was interesting for me, to come across this episode, "The Soldier" S1E21, of "Hawkeye and the Last of The Mohicans".

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a French-Canadian, John (Jean) Garand, who actually did change the course of World War II, or in "Hawkeye language", produce "the greatest military development since the discovery of gunpowder," by creating a BETTER BREECHLOADER, for the U.S. Army, an EIGHT SHOOTER vs. the single-shot rifles all other armies of WW II were using at the time.

The Japanese troops were unsympathetically "mowed down" by Americans and their Garand Mk. 1s. The Japanese assumed the Americans were outfitted with rifles, like the Canadian and British Commonwealth troops, they had fought in earlier battles.

They weren't.

For MY OTHER POST, and the rest of the Garand story, SEE : www.flickr.com/photos/78215847@N00/27049106786/in/datepos…

The 1957 TV show "HAWKEYE and The LAST of the MOHICANS"

OUTDOOR SCENES were filmed at DECKERS HILL in PICKERING.

INDOOR SCENES (like this one) were filmed in Toronto.

So this trip back in time was helped along because of the great research efforts of others, and the 'Hawkeye' fanship of others.

I learned that "Hawkeye", one of my fav TV shows, was actually filmed in CANADA through one of the links below.

So I had to check things out, MYSELF because of that.

So, do check out these "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" links below!

Clayton Self: johnhart.tripod.com/pickeringhawkeye.html

Steve Jensen: www.members.tripod.com/~JohnHart/hawkloca.html

Ian and Kyle Macpherson: www.members.tripod.com/~JohnHart/starhawk.htm

… also check out Clayton Self's additional investigative work, his The Forest Rangers TV Show Fan Site. Hey, remember that show?!: forestrangers.bravehost.com

AND ONE MORE from Clayton Self — Canadian Cult Classic Films of the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's (Facebook group) Clayton and members often post links to full CCCF movies. Not sure what to watch Saturday night? Well, have look. And its a part of our Canadian heritage. See: www.facebook.com/groups/502202866547794/

FINALLY, there were indeed, Hawkeye and Chingachgook TOYS, toys, books, and a comic book!

SEE SOME, here: collectablefigures.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/hawkeye-and-t...

Early travelers crossing the desert to Syria got their first view of Damascus from the top of Jebel Qassioun, a gently sloped mountain northwest of town. It was not a sight they soon forgot.

The prophet Muhammad refused to descend into the city, declaring that one could enter paradise only once and he would save himself for the one above. A thousand or so years later, Mark Twain loved the view but found the city, on closer inspection, "crooked and cramped and dirty." Muhammad, he decided, "was wise without knowing it."

Though my arrival in Syria was by Airbus rather than by desert caravan, I knew my first stop had to be Qassioun mountain. I dropped my bags at the hotel, quickly arranged for a car and, by the time dusk began to gather, was sitting at an outdoor cafe perched high above Damascus.

My driver, a 25-year-old named Mohammed Madal, grew wistful. "Every time we return to our country," he said, "we have to come to Qassioun to feel like a Syrian again."

A warm, dry breeze brushed our faces and the lights of Damascus winked to life, the glowing emerald rings of its minarets coming into view. In the distance were the oval-shaped ramparts of Old Damascus, the Old City, where I would spend the next day trying to discover who was right, the prophet or the wit.

ANCIENT ALLURE

For longer than I can remember, I had wanted to visit Damascus. As a young boy, I was enchanted by the biblical stories of Paul's road-to-Damascus conversion. Later, as a correspondent in Africa, I was captivated by friends' tales of a Middle East city that brimmed with history and yet, owing to its political isolation, was rarely visited by Western tourists.

My opportunity came on a stopover I engineered on the way home from a business trip to South Asia. My schedule permitted just one full day of exploration, so I had to make the most of it.

Early the next morning, on a sunny fall day last year, I set out on foot from my hotel for the Souk al-Hamadiye, the largest and best known of the Old City souks, or Arab markets, and the main pedestrian entrance.

As I turned into the souk, I was immediately struck by its size. The wide cobblestone street, which dated from Roman times, was lined with the narrow facades of two-story shops. An arched dome of corrugated iron rose high above the avenue, and pinpoints of sunlight beamed through bullet holes dating to the 1920s, when French warplanes put down an uprising of Arab nationalists.

The crowds were thinned by the Ramadan holiday, the annual month of sunup-to-sundown fasting for Muslims, but shops were open. It was clear that this was a working street in a working city, a place where Syrians shopped for clothing, rugs and furniture.

I strolled through the Hamadiye souk for nearly half a mile and emerged into a sunny courtyard dominated by the 30-foot-tall remnant of a Roman archway. Men lined up at an outdoor scale to weigh themselves, and shops sold worry beads and Bedouin jewelry.

Rising from the far end of the courtyard was the western wall of the great Umayyad Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam. I walked around to the tourist office, paid 50 Syrian pounds (about $1) to a man behind a metal desk and was issued a ticket for the day.

The site of the mosque has been a place of worship since the 9th century BC, when the Aramaeans built a temple to their god. It was later a temple to the Roman god Jupiter and, when Emperor Constantine became a Christian, it was replaced by a basilica dedicated to John the Baptist.

The Christians were nudged out in the 8th century, when Damascus became the capital of the early Islamic world, and the current structure was built. The mosque complex, including a courtyard and prayer hall, is vast -- 200 yards long by 100 yards wide -- and enclosed by enormous walls that still hold some of the Roman temple's original stonework. The three corner minarets and the Dome of the Eagle, which stands on four pillars inside the south wall, are visible for miles.

I lined up with the faithful, doffed my shoes and entered the red-carpeted hall, which echoed with the muezzin's call to prayer. Velvet ropes divided the cavernous hall lengthwise into three distinct sections. Along the south wall, facing Mecca, hundreds of men prayed. On the north side, robed women chatted and tended to children.

In the broad middle, visitors took photographs, strollers gazed at mosaics on the walls, men read the Koran and people napped on the carpet. The smell of socks was, at times, strong.

Near the center of the hall was a prominent, if incongruous, reminder of the pre-Islamic history of this house of worship -- an ornately decorated green-glass monument, about the size of a large car, said to be the tomb of John the Baptist.

CITY OF EMPIRES

From the mosque, I set off to explore the crooked, narrow streets.

The Old City is an antique gemstone surrounded by a traffic-clogged metropolis of 4 million. Modern-day Damascus spreads across a valley of drab apartment buildings sprouting satellite dishes like mushrooms. But the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an oasis of layered history that exudes a charming timelessness.

I wandered through a warren of alleyways scented with cumin, apple-flavored tobacco and, occasionally, rotting garbage. Kiosks were selling spices and nuts from overflowing wood bins, rope rings of yellow figs and perfumes from rows of plastic bottles.

In one narrow alley, I passed a horse-drawn carriage painted bright blue with a long diesel-fuel container in the back. As the horse clip-clopped along, the operator cupped his hand to his mouth, calling out his arrival, offering to fill residents' cooking-fuel tanks.

The Old City claims to have been continuously inhabited for nearly 5,000 years, and it resembles a Hollywood back lot, with sets from the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman empires standing side by side and, sometimes, on top of one another. As Twain put it in "The Innocents Abroad," "Damascus . . . has looked upon the dry bones of a thousand empires and will see the tombs of a thousand more before she dies."

The U.S. State Department officially discourages travel to Syria, owing to its support for Hezbollah guerrillas and its close ties with Iran. Partly for that reason, it is not overrun by tourists. Yet the Syrians I met were friendly and welcoming, and the aggressive touts and hawkers, ubiquitous elsewhere in the Middle East, were absent. Strangers on the street paid me little attention, and I was carried along by the music of Arabic conversations and the sensation of being anonymous.

Many of the cafes in the Muslim quarter of the Old City were closed for lunch during Ramadan. So I wandered over to the smaller Christian quarter, which was bustling with activity, and came upon an open, unmarked window at which two women stood in a queue. Inside, three men were sweeping puffy brown pita bread off a small conveyor belt into plastic bags. Waiting my turn, I followed the women's lead and put up one finger. One of the workers handed over a bag with six pieces of delicious bread, still warm, for the equivalent of 20 cents.

I had heard from friends that Damascus was a good place to shop for exquisite, inexpensive Persian and Afghan rugs. For centuries, Muslims from all over the Middle East and Asia brought rugs with them on their pilgrimages to Damascus, trading them for food and lodging or leaving them behind as gifts.

There were dozens of rug merchants, but a friend had recommended one named Issam Lahham. I found the gray-haired proprietor standing outside his shop, off the Hamadiye souk. We spent two leisurely hours in his downstairs showroom as he laid out carpet after handmade carpet, patiently giving me a lesson in the history of each.

The rug business in Damascus, Lahham told me, was not good. "We have very few buyers. Very few," he said.

Look no further than the night sky to see the glory of God.

"The heavens declare the glory of God." Psalm 19:1

Finished Work

Goal: I had been trying to create a night sky design for some time. I wanted to include God's glory and to reference this Psalm. I finally saw a tutorial that sparked a way to get the effects that I was looking for. I was also inspired to use the cut-out thought bubble by some images on Pinterest.

Audience: Anyone

Project: Seeing Scripture Design

What feedback do you have?

I'm Social

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And gave him a proclamation from the city and state declaring today "his day".

This award was given in honor of his service to the country and to the city.

To say my dad has dedicated his life to serving others is a gross understatement.

He has done more to help the lives of people (mostly children) than anyone I know or have heard of in my life.

He was a teacher for 36 years. Heck, he was even my teacher twice while growing up.

He has single-handedly raised millions over the years to aid in the betterment of children through scholarships and developed countless programs to promote education and leadership for kids.

A short list of his resume:

Community Involvement (most of which he is still actively a part of)

4th Degree Knights of Columbus :

Faithful Captain

Faithful Navigator

Faithful Admiral

Trustee

3rd Degree Knights of Columbus :

Deputy Grand Knight

Treasurer

Outside Guard

3rd and 4th Degree Knights of Columbus:

Chairman Communion Breakfast

Chairman Flag Day Program

Worked on Tootsie Roll Drive to benefit Aid to Intellectually Challenge Children

Co- Chairman for The Dinner for The Parish Priests

Chairman Raffle Committee

Volunteer for the Soup Kitchen

Chairman of the Foul Shooting Contest

Goodwill Ambassador and Observer to India for their

Country’s National Special Olympics

Co- Chairman of the Host Town Program for the International

Special Olympics

American Legion –

Junior Vice Commander

Senior Vice Commander

Commander

Chaplain

Chairman of Pearl Harbor Day

Chairman of District #3 Meetings

Chairman of Children’s Christmas Party

Chairman of Oratorical Contest

Chairman of Boys and Girls State Program

Committeeman of American Legion Baseball

Volunteer for Toys For Tots

Volunteer for the Food Bank

Veterans of Foreign War

Member

Youth Officer

Community Information Officer

Chairman of The Voice of Democracy Contest

Educator for 36 years:

Chairman of the Teachers Softball League

Chairman of the Teachers Golf Tournament

Representative of the Turn of River School for the

U.S. Savings Bonds & United Way

Member of the High Class of ’49 Reunion Committee

Patriotic and Special Events Commission:

Chairman and Member of the Commission

Chairman and M.C. for the Veterans Day &

Memorial Day Parades and Dinner Dance

Grand Marshal of the “Block Party” Parade

Member of the Bicentennial of the Purple Heart Week End

(Chairman of Parade and other activities)

Member of the 350th Birthday of the State of Connecticut Task Force

Chairman of The City's State Champions Awards Dinner

Member of the Gazebo Committee

Member of the Statue of Liberty Committee

Organized the “Line of Honor” for the Olympic Torch

as it passed through the state.

Member and Panelist for the Urban League

President of the Police Community Relations Council

(Includes Open House at the Police Station &

Awareness Weekend at the Town Center)

Vice President of the Police Anchor Club #25

Member of the Retired Police Outing Committee

YMCA Building Drive Captain

Worked for the Sacred Heart Church Building Fund

Organized 4th of July Activities (Fireworks, Concerts, Ballgames)

Grand Marshal of The City's Memorial Day Parade in 1984

M.C. Re-dedication of Saint John’s Monument

Steering Committee for the Commission for Aging “Walk-A-Thon”

Secretary of the Human Rights Commission

Vice Chairman of the Human Rights Commission

Chairman of the Human Rights Commission

Member of the Mayor’s Multicultural Council Instructor with the Red Cross

Member of the Advisory Board of Aid to the Intellectually Challenged

and Golf Tournament Committee

Volunteer for the Food Bank and their Tag Sale

Member of the The City's Senior Citizens Health Fair Volunteers

The City's Old Timers:

Board Member

Secretary ofThe City's Old Timers

Past President of both Organizations

M.C. of Promotional Dinner

Chairman of Dinner for The City

Chairman of Speakers, Guests, Members, etc…

Chairman of the Annual Show for Rocky Hill Home and Hospital

Holy Spirit Church involvement:

Eucharistic Minister

Eucharistic Minister for the Smith House Elderly care fascilty

Lector

Usher

Cantor

Member of Church Choir

Volunteer for the Communion Breakfast

Vice President Parish Lay Advisory Board

District Captain for Diocesan Census for the church

Volunteer for the building of the new church

Catholic Family Services:

Member

Chairman of “Pasta Night”

Vice President of the Golf Tournament Committee

The City's Basketball for Youth:

Advisory Board Member

Commissioner Up-Start Division for The City's Youth Basketball

and Vice President

Before the month of July is over, let's fit in at least one patriotic photo!

Inside the replica of Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm, you can watch this show depicting the founding fathers discussing the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Well, not watch so much as listen -- you mostly just hear their voices while you sit and look at the flickering of electric candles, and a couple bolts of lightning outside.

Fanatic Photography | Facebook | Tumblr | Twitter | 500px | Instagram | Disneyland Ultimate Guide | Buy Prints

Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine talks to a reporter from MTV before headlining the music portion of the Declare Yourself event.

"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful".

– from 'Ineffabilis Deus', the Apostolic Constitution issued by Pope Pius IX on 8th December 1854.

This 17th-century ivory sculpture was carved in the Philippines, and it was shown in the 'Christianity in Asia' exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore in the summer of 2016.

Gottfried Kjeldsen, Lord of the Kjelddal

Biden: Declare a Climate Emergency - Joye Braun Day of Action Bay Area. 1.Declare a Climate Emergency

2.Stop All Fossil Fuel Projects

3.Honor Indigenous & Human Rights.

In honor of the birthday of the late, extraordinary activist Joye Braun, as well as the halfway point of Biden's current administration, we will be shining a spotlight on our local frontline climate and justice issues and showing why we need immediate executive action to protect our communities. Joye was a a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Nation, a dedicated water protector and pipeline activist, and an inspiration to everyone who met her. With this action, we are joining hundreds of other people across the country to continue her legacy and fight for Climate Justice. It cannot wait any longer- the Climate Crisis is here. We need action now!

Now is a pivotal moment to push the President to take bold climate action and stop the sacrifice of our frontline, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities to the greed of Big Oil & Gas.

As we begin the new year with Republicans holding the House, the only path forward for climate action is through executive action. Thus far, President Biden’s only executive orders on climate have focused on ramping up renewable energy. This will only make a difference for our climate if the President also begins to ramp down fossil fuels – starting by immediately rejecting any new fossil fuel projects. It is our job to hold him accountable on both fronts - especially now, as communities – predominantly Black, Brown, and Indigenous – are threatened with new approvals for ever-more devastating fossil fuel projects.

Catherina Behan at the Vintage Ball in The Royal Marine Hotel, April 18th.

Hasselblad 500c/m, 80mm, Fuji Velvia 100 (RVP)

scanned from positive with Epson v750

(catching up, photo for july 9th)

All is not as it seems. The sign on the gate declares "BULLS IN FIELD". Instead I'm greeted by this delightful young heifer. The only bull in this frame is the sign.

When you take a look at the tourism promotions for the little island of Herm you get the impression that it's well catered to feed the visitor and scattered with lots of interesting things to do. I'm sure that's what our not so erudite tour organiser did. They promised an outside evening dining experience beneath a twinkling canopy of stars and a ferry passage back to Guernsey afterwards. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? Recall the key word on that sign.

Travellers design in capability and flexibility. Tourists not so much and tour operators promise, shrug and look for someone else to blame. Arriving on Herm at the low tide access Rosaire Steps the ferryman announced that he would return later this afternoon, not here, but on a higher tide at Herm Harbour, to the north. Not everyone listens.

There will be no dining experience this evening. Even if the tavern was open — it wasn't — the ferry pick-up this afternoon is the last for the day. It's not just that the tavern is closed, so are the restaurants. There's a kind of snack bar and the tour organiser has read in those glossy promos that there are beach cafés. Of course they are on the other side of the island and as I was about to learn, this group does not walk. They are tourists.

It is just as well they didn't bother walking. The nearest beach café was closed and besides, access required walking — uphill! The furthest beach café was so much further and the higgledy-piggledy late arrival on this charming little island so, well, late that getting there before 4 pm wasn't an option. By then the operators, bored by the utter absence of swarming tourists were packing up to go home. Those tourists weren't swarming because they were utterly sedentary and could be found slumped, rusted onto seating not at all far from where they landed!

Remember, as you read those brochures that all is not as it seems. This is not to detract from Herm for the intrepid, the interested, the traveller. It is not to the taste of others — especially those wanting lunch or expecting to while away the afternoon in a bar.

There is bull. It just isn't in that field and all is not as it seems.

When the time came for the ferry departure all too many of the introspective and ignorant insisted they needed to retrace their meagre strides to the Rosaire Steps rather than the pier at Herm Harbour. Left to its devices I wonder whether evolution might, given time and a lack of interference, sift out the very worst of tourists?

A build I did for a story written by my bro, Isaiah D. The story is below (it's pretty funny).

It all began with the rascally Horse Guards. Yes, I do declare, though I be one of them, the Intergalactic Horse Guards are always getting in the way of those trying to make an honest living. Well, as I said, it all started off when the Horse Guards came marching into town, spacesuits a-glittering, freeze rays and helmets shining in the morning light. I might as well say at once that I am, or was, at any rate, the master and owner of a decent size pawn shop – which some have most basely insinuated to consist entirely of stolen goods – in the recesses of the dark and narrow streets of Yavario. As a matter of course, it was not long until the newcomers, having finished their illustrious parade, began to look around for souvenirs and the like, and my entrepreneurial enterprise was not behind in serving its customers. After I had outrageously ripped off two or three Horse Guards, in marched their captain, demanding what sort of things were to be found there.

“I’ll say, sir,” I replied with a superb semblance of profound respect, “there isn’t much you can’t find in this my shop. Do these rock-shower shielding umbrellas interest you? Or maybe these gold detecting leather boots which-”

“Playing dumb, master thief?” he asked, leaping onto the table and grabbing my collar, “you know I want that steering wheel you stole off my spaceship last week while I was parked on the third moon of Satudzu...”

“The moon of Sa-what-su?” I queried. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I don’t have it but I could get it for... seven hundred?”

“Very funny. I'll tell you what. Get me that steering wheel before tomorrow or else,” and he uttered a shrill whistle which instantly brought in two or three Horse Guards.

“Come on,” I replied, “there’s got to be some sort of deal we can work out here.”

Before I could finish my proposal, a loud and shrill half meow half Indian war-hoop rang out. The faces of the Horse Guards and their captain blanched and they began to fumble with their weapons.

“El Gatto!” the captain whispered in a terror stricken undertone. “I only hope he hasn’t come for that steering wheel.”

I leaped up and clicked the button on the wall which opened a hidden safe, from which I pulled out the steering wheel. “Well,” I declared, “two thousand now or forever hold your vehicle steering wheel-less.”

“Wait a second,” replied the astonished captain, “didn’t you say seven hundred a minute ago?”

El Gatto strode into the shop. His eyes scanned the Horse Guards and their captain, and then rested on the steering wheel in my hands.

“Neat looking steerin' whel,” he yowled, “I could one o' those about now.” He winked at the captain, and began to walk towards me, while the Horse Guards could do nothing but gaze on in horror. I, however, was too fast for him. Pressing a button in the side of the wall, my five wheeled double motorcycle flew out and I leapt onto it with the steering wheel in my hand, while I crashed through the door of my shop. But this time, El Gatto was quicker than I, and he snatched it out of my hand and tore off in the other direction.

I turned back to the confounded Horse Guards. "Hey," their captain called to me, "I say, if you would agree to return me my steering wheel, I'll give you in the mean time the full power of a Horse Guard."

"A Horse Guard colonel?" I inquired.

"I was thinking more like a private," he replied, ''but I could change that to a lieutenant."

"A Colonel." I responded.

"Captain?"

"Colonel."

"Senior captain?"

"Senior Marshall."

"Deal. Oh, wait a second, did you just say Marshall?"

"A deal's a deal. And, I better be going." And with a wink I drove off after the thieving Gatto.

I sped along the direction he had gone, thinking about that steering wheel. To tell the truth, I had no idea that it was at all important when I had borrowed it, but had had some sort off feeling in my gut telling me it would be a good idea. And now, voila! I had suddenly become a Horse Guard senior Marshall, and was chasing the notorious Gatto for a steering wheel which in all probability contained some secret of tremendous import.

However, all too soon I came to the great divide - the place the road split in two, where, I knew, it would not come back together until I had rounded the entire planet. Had he gone left, or right - that was the question. So much depended on my taking the correct turn - the sweat began to pour down my face, and I slowly skidded to a halt at the juncture. The sign pointed to the left, but, for that matter, it always did. That pointed to the fact that El Gatto had gone to the right, for he would naturally suppose I would go the other way. However, being the notorious villain he is, he would clearly know that I knew his game and would go to the right, and would therefore take the left himself. But I had noted as he escaped that he was driving a Honda - a Japanese car. He would therefore have obviously taken the right, as the Japanese cars disdain following signs.

The fact is, I was so entirely mixed up in my thoughts and impressed with the gravity of the situation, that I failed to notice the loud honking behind me, and the voice of El Gatto as he yowled out, "I don't have all day, ya know! Go one way or to'der already!"

The ultimate decision was before me, but I had made my choice, and was sure it was a wise one. I sped off to the right... and El Gatto, behind me, went to the left. Nevertheless, before he had gone far I saw his car across the divide and discovered, to my horror, that I had taken the wrong path.

There was now no help for it - so I hit the gas and punched the transform button, changing my motorcycle into- a submarine?! I hit it again. It was now a boat.

"Come on, come on!" There, I flew over the divide, barely missing being dashed to pieces against the wall on the opposite side. El Gatto was in my sights. I hit the missile launcher - and blew his car to smithereens. Unfortunately, however, just before it departed to kingdoms come, El Gatto flipped on the autopilot, and dashed out with the steering wheel. I turned on the disguise mode and changed the plane into a tractor.

"Need a lift, sir?" I inquired.

He looked at me suspiciously, and muttered under his breath, "everyone here looks so similar, it is impossible to find out who is who." Then, in a louder tone, "Alrighty bumpkin.''

At this I was highly offended, but wisely concealed it for the time. ''Where are we headed?" the Gatto demanded. I hit the autopilot, turned on the taser beams across the doors, and replied calmly, ''to the Horse Guard barracks, of course. That is, you are going there, I shall borrow this steering wheel from you and say goodbye." And with a wink I jumped out the back door with a parachute on, forgetting in the excitement that I was in a tractor with taser beams crossing the doors.

Well, it didn’t feel very good. But I had the steering wheel. At that second the Intergalactic Horse Guard captain's spaceship - he had been trying to catch up all this time - zipped over me, and I grasped the exhaust pipe as it passed and flipped myself up into the passenger's seat. I noticed just then that we were in the same ship I had taken the steering wheel from in the first place, and that we were about to crash into the tractor. I slammed the wheel into place and swerved just in time to miss it - and instead smashed the ship to pieces on a tree next to the road.

"Thanks!" declared the captain, "that was close."

I'm afraid all that was left of the wreck was the steering wheel. "So," I queried, full of expectancy, "the deal is still on. Three thousand for it?"

The captain looked pensive. "Sounds like a good deal, but all my money was in the ship you just smashed. I've got a great deal for you though - you may keep it yourself."

Epilogue:

So, instead of the three thousand I was hoping for, I ended up instead with a worthless steering wheel - you will remember that the ship it once drove was destroyed by the tree - and a senior Marshall's position in the Intergalactic Horse Guards. To this day, however, they have done nothing worthy of notice.

The build:

I had a good deal of fun with this one, really enjoyed building all the little gimmicks and the floor and walls were pretty fun too. Unfortunately it was rather delicate and very un-presentable from the outside, but on the other hand the motorcycle is quite sturdy. I'll be uploading shots of that in a few days, Lord willing!

If you read the story, on behalf of my brother, thanks!

Overview.

Caid: *sniffs* “Why, I do declare. I’m being maligned most intolerably by a flaxen-haired midget.”

Candy: *ignores Caid* “If you met Dillon on your tour through Europe, he’ll be able to tell me all about what y’all got up to…because he’s not in your band…and, thus, not protected by the band’s code of silence.”

Danny & Caid: *in unison* “What happens on tour, stays on tour.”

Candy (smugly): “Until now.”

Danny: *swears*

Candy: *meanders off towards the kitchen* “Didn’t think this one through, did ya, Q-tip?”

Danny: *yells* “I have amnesty! We weren’t even dating yet!”

Caid: “Dillon’s in town? Dublin Devil Dillon? Dirty Dawg Dillon?”

Danny: *rubs his head* “The one ‘n’ only…I invited him over tonight to hang.”

Caid: “Cool. Want to explain that thing with Can and your phone?”

Danny: *head falls back, as he slumps down on the sofa* “Nope.”

Caid (good-naturedly): “Whatever, man. Hey, I got this weird thing on my ass. I think it’s a hickey, but I can’t tell for sure. Mind taking a look? In case I’m wrong and it’s sumthin’ bad…like butt cancer.”

Danny: *groans* “Make Grey do it.”

Caid: “Can’t. He’s been busy.”

Danny: “Doing what?”

Caid: “Chuck.”

Danny: *eyebrows shoot up* “That a fact.”

Caid: “Yep…plus he’s dealing with some other stuff, too.”

Danny: “What kind of stuff?”

Caid (cagily): “Ask him when he gets here. Not my place to say.”

Danny: *huffs* “Fine…drop your drawers. Let’s get this over with before Can comes back.”

Caid: *stands up, unbuckles his belt, and begins dropping trou*

Charley: *walks in, followed closely by Diego and Molly* “Uh, guys…your door was ajar. I know you live in a classy building, but you probably shouldn’t leave it open like…*spies Caid, pants around his ankles OH, GEEZ!” *claps her hands over her eyes, face flushing scarlet*

Danny: *collapses into laughter, barely able to hold himself upright*

Molly: *gleefully ogles Caid, signs* “Yep! You were right Charles. This one’s definitely got a penis!”

Diego (coolly): “So, these are your friends? Somehow I think your reticence about sex may have swung too far in the opposite direction, Bug, if you’re hangin’ out with guys who get off on waving it ‘round at parties.”

Caid: *pulls up his pants, unflustered, smiles winningly* “Hey…um, sorry about that startling, yet inspiring, view. And this is exactly what it looks like…” *begins buckling his belt*

Fashion Credits

***Any doll enhancements (i.e. freckles, piercings, eye color changes, haircuts) were done by me unless otherwise stated.***

Charley

Jeans: Mattel – Barbie Collectibles – Best Models: South Beach (I removed the front pockets.)

Top: Jakks Pacific – Hannah Montana

Sweater: IT – FR2 – Only Natural Fashion (I added the buttons and removed the pockets.)

Belt: Volks – Who’s That Girl? – Selfish

Sneakers: Sekiguchi Momoko – After School Dash!

Necklace & Bracelets: Me

Doll is a Morning Dew Giselle transplanted to a Poppy body, re-rooted by the savvy-n-saucy valmaxi(!!!)

Molly

Dress: razldazl71 (Flickr.com)

Sweater: Michelle Tucker

Belt: Me

Platforms: Mattel – Barbie Collectibles – Peace & Love 70s Barbie

Ring: IT – Fashion Royalty

Necklaces & Earrings: Me

Doll is a She’s Not There Poppy Parker, eyes have been repainted by me, all other enhancements by me.

Danny

Pants: IT – 2013 Color Infusion Style Lab – Edge of Night: Urban Descent

Shirt: Clear lan

Belt: Volks – Who’s That Girl? – Selfish

Shoes: Mattel – Playline Ken

Necklaces: Me

Doll is a Style Strategy Lukas.

Caid

Jeans: IT – Dynamite Boys – Radiant Child Remi

Grey Shirt: 2013 Color Infusion Style Lab – Edge of Night: Red-Blooded Male

Plaid Shirt: Miema (etsy.com) – I cut off the sleeves and collar.

Belt: Miema (etsy.com)

Boots: Volks – Who’s That Girl? – Selfish

Bracelets: Me

Doll is a Dark Hunter Acheron

Diego

Pants: Mattel – BFMC – Fashion Insider Ken

Shirt: IT – Dynamite Boys - Remi

Vest: IT – Homme – High and Mighty Darius

Shoes: IT – Poppy Parker – Baby, It’s You Chip

Belt: Hazel Street Dezigns

Hat: Mattel – Barbie Collector – Frank Sinatra: The Recording Years

Declaring it's impartiality wearing neutral green, the USA Tank steams past a soccer match on a Saturday afternoon in Kakanj, Bosnia. April 2010. © Photo: David Hill.

Dome of the Rock in all it's glory; not a painting or a picture or a sculpture or a plastic model but the actual Dome of the Rock in it's octagonal perfection. Surreal peace at Temple of the Mount in an otherwise extremely tense and intimidating place. AlHamdAllah, I have dreamed of this moment for too long. #PalestineChronicles

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something_to_declare: #jerusalem #palestine #templemount #masjidalaqsa #domeoftherock #mosque #arab #middleeast #travelpost #travelgram #igtravel #instatravel

Day Three ... after lunch we went to the nearby Minneriya National Park.

From Wikipedia -

Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park in 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.

The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts.

The park's fauna includes 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies.

The park is an important habitat for the two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka: purple-faced langur and toque macaque. Large herbivorous mammals such as Sri Lankan sambar deer and Sri Lankan axis deer frequent the park. Rare and endangered species such as Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear inhabit in Minneriya. Minneriya is one of the areas where the gray slender loris is reportedly found in Sri Lanka.

The Minneriya reservoir is an important habitat for large water birds such as lesser adjutant, painted stork, and spot-billed pelican. Minneriya is a dormitory for many resident as well as migrant bird species. Flocks of 2000 little cormorants have been reported. Great white pelican, ruddy turnstone, and grey heron are the other water birds here. Among the endemic birds are Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka hanging parrot, brown-capped babbler, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, black-crested bulbul and crimson-fronted barbet. The number of threatened birds recorded from this national park is 11.

Amphibians of Fejervarya pulla and Polypedates cruciger have been recorded from the area. There are eight species of endemic reptiles, and all of them are considered threatened. Painted-lip lizard and Lankascincus fallax are among them. Saltwater crocodile, Indian python, Asian water monitor, and Bengal monitor are among the other reptiles. Four of the fresh water fishes recorded from Minneriya are endemic to Sri Lanka.

On February 12, 2016, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring the Mojave Trails National Monument east of Los Angeles in Southern California.

Mojave Trails National Monument: Spanning 1.6 million acres, more than 350,000 acres of previously congressionally-designated Wilderness, the Mojave Trails National Monument is comprised of a stunning mosaic of rugged mountain ranges, ancient lava flows, and spectacular sand dunes. The monument will protect irreplaceable historic resources including ancient Native American trading routes, World War II-era training camps, and the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of Route 66. Additionally, the area has been a focus of study and research for decades, including geological research and ecological studies on the effects of climate change and land management practices on ecological communities and wildlife.

Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.

For those unacquainted with the geography of Denmark, it is a very small country. In fact, were we to declare war upon New York in numbers of citizens alone, we would be outnumbered 3 to 1 (Making Wyoming a more obvious target for invasion). Anyways.. Close to the centre of Copenhagen is where you find all the sex clubs.. and of cause all the prostitutes. So in order to visit a sexclub, you walk the same streets the prostitutes do.

Walking to the club, 2 cars tried (in vain) to get my attention, honking their horn and pulling up to the side. I just smile and walk on, the smile is genuine, as I take it as an IMMENSE compliment, that the mere vision of me out the window of a passing car, obviously is found to be so attractive, people (Ok men) would pay money to exploit it further.

Leaving the club the same thing happened, 2 cars tried to pick my up before I even got to the central station. Here I paused and thought. Hey.. here is light enough for a picture ;o) Here it is :o)

If I had thought the experiences walking home had ended, I was to find them just starting.

3 minutes after this picture was taking, as I was crossing a small road, a car with 4 young tough guys, drove their car directly across the street in front of me, blocking my way across the road. I motioned with a offering gesture that the road was theirs ahead, but instead of driving on, they backed up smiling at me? I thought, am I now going to be run down, but I have good reflexes so I just passed in front. The car was following me a bit down the road and one of the guys asked out the back window, ”Hey.. can I ask you something?”. ”Sure!” I answered. ”What is your name?” he said smiling. I approached the car as the car stopped. I raised my glowed hand showing to fingers and said. ”I have 2 names. To day my name is Lisa, but usually and most, I am a guy and then my name is Anders.” I was prepared for ANYTHING but what happened. Only goes to show I might be wrong, perhaps there is hope.. somehow.

”You are beautifull” he said in a calm voice and then there where some other comments inside the car I could not hear, but they where not sounding as if mocking either him or me, but I didn´t really hear what they said.”Thanks..!” I said, or rather muttered, with such surprise it MUST have shown. The car drove on and I thought, that had to be the peak of the evenings social exitement, but I was wrong again.

The very center of Copenhagen is called ”Rådhuspladsen”. That in all simplicity means ”square of the council house.” I shall not elaborate the history of this square, who's every little brick is foundation in the heart of every living dane, as the very manifestation of ”the center of Denmark" beside the most public of places. - This square is from where most of the night busses depart, and after freezing my legs of in hold ups, I finally reach the square. Even from afar I could see a fairly large group of young ethnic rascals, standing and behaving very intimidating on the people waiting for the bus.

I would advice against ordinary tranny´s (unless very confident in them self, one way or the other) to not approach such rascals, especially not the way I step right in between them. I had to in order to check the bus schedule and (as is said in the fairytales) "strike to flies with one blow", physically displaying who in fact should be intimidated by who. - The youngest of the rascals stared at me in chock and said, ”WHAT... are you a guy?”. To which I answered, in a tone so certain and robbed even shade of doubtability, ”That, you can bet your life upon I am.” I said, facing him fully, eyeing him with a slight smile adorning my lips.

I shall try to make it short as possible, as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. All this time I was talking to all of these guys. There where 3 groups of them (you could say) as their age span obviously was very different. The ”youngsters” who acted most wild (and asked the most ridiculous questions, which I answered though as I would have a child. Mind you I NEVER even for a SECOND speak to children as other than my equal, that is why children love me. But questions like - ”Hey tell us, have you been fucked in the ass.. come on..tell us?” - I answer. ”Yes, THAT I have and I LOVED it. But the details of it I choose to spare your youthful mind, as I am convinced you would not only find them repulsive, but they might even give you nightmares or even worse unwanted thoughts.” With a sincere heart warm smile of cause.) The older ones kept them ”under control” as they where pretty wild an intimidating other people standing around, but the oldest ”groups” of the 3 I mentioned, rebuked them if they got close to provocative towards me? This group was obviously the ”alfa” group, and again I was shaken in my foundation, finding my self asked questions like. ”But.. do you consider yourself most male or female?” and ”But.. you say you are into men as a ”girl” and into women as a ”man”. But if you choose to have a steady relationship, who and what would you choose?” to which I answer truthfully ”I cannot imagine myself having a ”boyfriend”, as I am mostly male and as such are not even attracted to men. How would that work in the ”daily life”, the morning after and so fort. No that wouldn´t work, but a male LOVER, now there is a different view. But WOMEN (I sighed) now THERE is a creature so divine, as to wake up and look upon every sunday morning for the rest of your life. No, as to real relationships I can only imagine a woman, but then again, what woman would want a part time tranny as her ”man”. It is VERY complicated I am afraid.” to which he answered in the sweetest and most compassionate way. ”.. I imagine it must be, I think I understand.”. The youngsters filmed me on their I-phone laughing, saying ”Are you a girl?” - I Laughed heartly (as I have a spontaneous habit of doing) saying ”LOL, you KNOW I am not a girl, that is why you are filming me :o) I am a TRANNY!! What else did you imagine?” and smiled for the camera ;o)

The group split up, leaving the bus at different stops. The 2 (alfa guys) who had asked me the most questions got of at the same stop as I. They where very polite and even galant, asking me if I would allow for them to walk along with me part way, which I of cause allowed :o) They kept asking intelligent questions and as they turned a corner, they wished me a good night and safe journey home.

The world is a wondrous place, sometimes what seems to be a walk in the park, really is going through hell on earth. At other times, what seem to be walking straight into a battlezone, turns out to be, like a stroll through the garden of eden.

Transvestit København Danmark

Valentine's Day just passed... A Trooper decided to declare his loyalty love to Lord Vader.

Thanks but no thanks, Vader thinks that's too gay.

"...................................

Herewith I shout from the rooftops,

Declare it--I love the rich.

For their root that is rotten, decrepit,

From the cradle growing its wound,

Their hands moving in unconcious habit

From their pockets, and to them returned.

For the softest requests that their mouths make,

Each obeyed like an ordering cry,

And because they won't get into heaven,

And won't look you straight in the eye.

For their secrets--by special delivery,

Their passions--by courier post,

For their nights, which are foisted upon them,

(Even kissing and drinking are forced!)

And because in their cotton-wool yawning,

Their gilding, their counting itch

They can't buy me, impudent upstart,

I affirm that I love the rich..........................."

-Marina Tsvetaeva,1922

( Translated by David McDuff)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

[Romans 10:9-13 NLT]

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

1. Like it or not, we are ALL sinners: As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

2. The punishment for sin is death: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)

3. Jesus is our only hope: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)

4. SALVATION is by GRACE through FAITH in JESUS: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

5. Accept Jesus and receive eternal life: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12 NLT) And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NLT)

Read the Bible for yourself. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his Word. YOUR ETERNITY IS AT STAKE!

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (Ps 19:1)

via Instagram ift.tt/1Vf5buu Then a #rainbow punched it's way through the #clouds. I'm declaring it a good sign, because everyone needs more of those. #rainyday #atx #austin

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

[Isaiah 55:8-13 NIV]

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

1. Like it or not, we are ALL sinners: As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

2. The punishment for sin is death: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)

3. Jesus is our only hope: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)

4. SALVATION is by GRACE through FAITH in JESUS: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

5. Accept Jesus and receive eternal life: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12 NLT) And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NLT)

Read the Bible for yourself. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his Word. YOUR ETERNITY IS AT STAKE!

by bookclubcollective ift.tt/1UoevsU

I declare I don't care no more

I'm burning up and out and growing bored

In my smoked out boring room

My hair is shagging in my eyes

and it's all I've got to say now.

Today was wonderful. Sixty degrees, bright sunshine, cloudless sky, light breeze. HAD to grab the camera and head out.

Several observations about the day...but first, the photo. This fellow had obviously just completed a weights workout. He then stepped out for a walk to cool down. Pretty impressive.

Other thoughts: First and very important to me...the entire trail around the lake is open. Apparently the virus stopped the work that had closed the trail...and the decision was made to open it up. GOOD!

And it was full of people...biking, jogging, walking sightseeing. Social distancing? Yes and no. Me, I work alone, and I don't touch anything.

There was plenty to photograph at the lake, and then I went on into the woods, where there were additional subjects for my camera. The next several days will show some of those photos.

But two important observations. First, we will end up with the most physically fit dog population ever. EVERYONE was walking one or more dogs. I went for a bit of a drive, and every block had one or more people exercising their dogs.

And the second profound observation: From what I saw today, seeing the bikers, the young lady joggers, etc., we likely will be seeing a SPANDEX shortage. Oh my.

On February 12, 2016, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring the Sand to Snow National Monument east of Los Angeles in Southern California.

Sand to Snow National Monument: Encompassing 154,000 acres, including just over 100,000 acres of already congressionally-designated Wilderness, Sand to Snow National Monument is an ecological and cultural treasure and one of the most biodiverse areas in southern California, supporting more than 240 species of birds and twelve threatened and endangered wildlife species. Home to the region’s tallest alpine mountain that rises from the floor of the Sonoran desert, the monument also will protect sacred, archaeological and cultural sites, including an estimated 1,700 Native American petroglyphs. Featuring thirty miles of the world famous Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, the area is a favorite for camping, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, photography, wildlife viewing, and even skiing.

Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.

Durga, meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible", is the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon. Durga is the original manifested form of Mother Parvati or Adi-Parashakti. Durga is Adi-Parashakti herself. The Devi Gita, declares her to be the greatest Goddess. Thus, she is considered the supreme goddess and primary deity in Shaktism, occupying a place similar to Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism. According to Skanda Purana, the goddess Parvati accounted the name "Durga" after she killed the demon Durgamaasura. Goddess Parvati is considered to be the complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti or Goddess Durga, with all other goddesses being her incarnations or manifestations. Adi Parashakti or Mahadevi, the supreme power, is called Durga Shakti as per Devi-Mahatmya. Adi Parashakti or Devi Durga is a Hindu concept of the Ultimate Shakti or Mahashakti, the ultimate power inherent in all Creation. This is especially prevalent in the Shakta denomination within Hinduism, which worships the Goddess Devi in all her manifestations. She is Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati in her mild form; Goddess Kali and Goddess Chandi in her wrathful form. Durga is also called Padmanabha-Sahodari and Narayani, the sister of Lord Vishnu. According to Shaivism and Shaktism She is supreme, but to bring back lord Shiva in Sansar, she was reborn in human form (Sati and Parvati) to marry Shiva. Durga gave birth to his first child Kartikeya.

ORIGINS & DEVELOPMENT

Ramprasad Chanda writes the following about the development of Durga from primitive goddess to her current form:

"...it is possible to distinguish two different strata – one primitive and the other advanced. The primitive form of Durga is the result of syncretism of a mountain-goddess worshiped by the dwellers of the Himalaya and the Vindhyas, a goddess worshiped by the nomadic Abhira shepherd, the vegetation spirit conceived as a female, and a war-goddess. As her votaries advanced in civilization the primitive war-goddess was transformed into the personification of the all-destroying time (Kali), the vegetation spirit into the primordial energy (Adya Sakti) and the saviouress from “samsara” (cycle of rebirths) , and gradually brought into line with the Brahmanic mythology and philosophy."

It is not possible to date her The delusion of the supreme soul is otherwise called Shakti (power). From this power, generates all forms of knowledge of the world and it is accepted as vital cause of creation, existence and destruction. According to 'Shree Durga Shaptshati- Rahasyam', the original power is Mahalaxmi that created three pairs of Supreme Powers. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as male and Saraswati, Laxmi and Parvati as female, and they married respectively. Maha Saraswati is well known as Brahmani, Mahalaxmi as Vaishnavi and Mahakali as Maheswari. Durga Shakti is the original cause of all the present or past worldly occurrences. Durga Shakti is called as Adhyashakti, Paramatma Shakti or Ati Prakrutika Shakti. She is creating and controlling other two powers: Natural and General. Natural Power is called as Atma Shakti, Prakrutika Shakti, Pancha Mahabhuta Shakti etc. This Shakti creates and controls the General Energy. General Energies are called Jada Shakti or Tamashakti. By the blessings of Durga Shakti, the mother of the Universe, man is able to get his emancipation or salvation and indulge in enjoyments in performance of his daily activities. So Vyasadev, the eminent poet of "Devi Bhagwat", has aptly described "Rudrahinam Vishnuhinam na vadanti janastatha Shaktihinam Yathasarbe probodhanti Naradhamam". The powerless persons are despised as mean persons. So, by being devoted to the Supreme, we should be strong and powerful by her grace.

STORIES

Shiva Purana gives an account of the origin of Durga. At the beginning of time, Lord Shiva invoked Durga, the primordial energy from his left half to create. Together they created their eternal abode, Shivaloka, also known as Kashi. Thereafter, they created Vishnu and Brahma.

As per Shiva Purana and Devi Mahatmyah, Mahishasura, the son of demon Rambha, unleashed reign of terror on earth. When gods intervened, Mahishasura defeated gods and banished them from heaven. Vanquished gods went to Trideva- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. As they narrated their woeful tale, immense mass of light manifested from Lord Vishnu's mouth, which was joined by similar rays that emerged from the enraged faces of gods. This mass of light transformed into a woman. Then all the Gods gave their devine weapon to that supreme power. Adishakti re-manifested as Durga to slay Mahishasura. Armed with celestial weapons of all deities and decked with divine ornaments, Durga rode into the battle field and challenged demons for battle. Mahishasura's entire army, led by demons like Chikshur, Chamar, Asiloma, Vidalaksha, Durdhara, Durmukha, Mahahanu and many more attacked Durga at once. But Durga slew all of them with unparalleled cruelty. An enraged Mahishasura attacked Durga in guise of a buffalo. But Durga bound it with ropes. The buffalo morphed into a lion and lept on Durga, but she beheaded it with her sword. At this, Mahishasura began to fight in form of a swordsman. Durga pinned him down with a torrent of arrows. Mahishasura now assumed form of a giant elephant and tugged at Durga's lion. Durga lopped off its trunk with her sword and freed her lion. The elephent turned into a buffalo and charged at Durga. Sipping from her wine cup, Durga flung her trident and beheaded Mahishasura, finally killing him.

WORSHIP

The four-day-long (Saptami to Dashami) Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal, where it is known as Dashain. It is celebrated likewise with much fervour in various parts of India, especially the Himalayan region, but is celebrated in various forms throughout the Hindu universe.

The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijayadashami (Bihar, Bengali), Dashain (Nepali) or Dussehra (Hindi) – these words literally mean "the Victory on the Tenth (day)".

In Andhra Pradesh she is also worshipped as Kanaka Durgammathalli,where there is also famous temple for Goddess Kanaka Durga in Indrakeeladri,Vijayawada.She is also known by the name of Bhavani.

In Kashmir she is worshipped as shaarika (the main temple is in Hari Parbat in Srinagar).

The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days (Navaratri) followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal (from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight). Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout Shakti worshippers. Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati), in addition to Lakshmi, Saraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's children. Worship of mother nature is done, through nine types of plant (called "Kala Bou"), including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga. In South India especially, Andhra Pradesh Dussera Navaratri is also celebrated and the goddess is dressed each day as a different devi – Saraswati, Parvati, Lakshmi etc. – for the nine days.

In North India, the tenth day, is celebrated as Dussehra, the day Rama emerged victorious in his battle against the demon, Ravana – gigantic straw effigies of Ravana are burnt in designated open spaces (e.g. Delhi's Ram Lila grounds), watched by thousands of families and little children.

In Mysore (which originated from Mahishasooru) in Karnataka, she is worshipped as Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of the city during Dussehra (Dasara).

In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri, during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the victory of Mahishasura-mardini, Durga.

The Goddess Durga is worshipped in her peaceful form as Maha Gauri, The Fair Lady, Shree Shantadurga also known as Santeri, is the patron Goddess of Goa. She is worshipped by all Goan Hindus.

In Maharashtra, Tulja Bhavani,Hedavde Mahalaxmi and Ambabai are worshipped as Mahishasur Mardini, who is the patron goddess of the land. Bhavani is known as Tulaja, Amba, Renuka, Yamai Saptshrungi and Jogai in different places of Maharashtra. She is the inspirational goddess of Raja Shivaji. As per legends, Bhavani appeared after Shivaji prayed to her and blessed him to be able to make Hindustan or the then India (ruled by the Mughals) independent – the kingdom he established eventually became the Hindu Pad Padshahi (sometimes also called the Maratha Empire), which comprised all the land ruled by the Mughals and brought India back under Hindu sovereignty.

In Bangladesh also, the four-day long Sharadiya Durga Puja (Bengali: শারদীয়া দুর্গা পুজো, ‘autumnal Durga worship’) is the biggest religious festivals for the Hindus and celebrated across the country with Vijayadashami being a national holiday.

The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal.[8] After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian independence movement.

WESTERN REFERENCES

Some early Western accounts refer to a deity known as Deumus, Demus or Deumo. Western (Portuguese) sailors first came face to face with the murti of Deumus at Calicut on the Malabar Coast and they concluded it to be the deity of Calicut. Deumus is sometimes interpreted as an aspect of Durga in Hindu mythology and sometimes as deva.

It is described that the ruler of Calicut (Zamorin) had a murti of Deumus in his temple inside his royal palace. The temple was two paces wide in each of the four sides and three paces high, with a wooden door covered with gods carved in relief. At the centre of the temple, there was a metal idol of Deumus placed in a seat, which was also made of metal.

Western accounts also describe the ruler of Calicut worshiping an ultimate god called Tamerani ("Tamburan"). The accounts also describes a misunderstood form of the "hook-swinging" ritual once commonly performed as part of some popular Hindu religious festivals.

NOTABLE TEMPLES OF DURGA

IN INDIA

Assam

Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam

Deopani Temple, in Golaghat district, Assam

Andhra Pradesh

Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada

Bihar

Shitla Mata temple at Patna Bihar

Delhi

Kalka Mandir, near Nehru Place, New Delhi.

Goa

Shanta Durga temple in Goa

Gujarat

Arasuri Ambaji Temple in Gujarat

Haryana

Shitla Mata temple at Gurgaon Haryana

Himachal Pradesh

Bala Sundari Temple Trilokpur in District Sirmaur Himachal Pradesh

Shoolini devi temple at Solan Himachal Pradesh

Jammu

Bahu Fort Temple in Jammu

Bala Sundri Temple in Billawar Jammu

ChiChi Mata Temple in Jammu

Kol Kandoli Temple in Jammu

Mahamaya Temple in Jammu

Sukrala Mata Temple in Jammu

Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra Jammu

Karnataka

Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore Karnataka

Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple, near Mangalore, Karnataka

Kollur Sri mookambika Temple, near Udupi, Karnataka

Kerala

Adichikkavu Sree Durga Devi Kshetram, Pandanad, Kerala

Ammathiruvadi Temple, Thrissur, Kerala, India

Vengoor Sree Durga Devi Temple, near Perumbavoor- Kerala

Kumaranalloor Devi Temple, Kottayam, Kerala

Bhagavathinada Sree Durga Temple, Venganoor, Trivandrum, Kerala

Sankhumugham Durga Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala

Aruvikkara Durga Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala

Kalarivathikkal Devi Temple, Kannur, Kerala

Maharashtra

Tulja Bhavani Temple, in Tuljapur, Maharashtra

Odisha

Biraja Temple, Jajpur, Odisha

Durga Temple, Baideshwar, Odisha

Katak Chandi Temple, Cuttack, Odisha

Kichakeshwari Temple, Odisha

Manikeshwari Temple, Bhawanipatna, Odisha.

Rajasthan

Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan

Shila Devi temple at Amber, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Tamil Nadu

Sri Kaliamman Temple, Matrimandir, Auroville, Tamil Nadu

Tripura

Udaipur, Tripura

Uttar Pradesh

Vindhyachal temple at Mirzapur

West Bengal

Kanak Durga Temple, Chikligarh, Medinipur, West Bengal

Nava Durga Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal

23 Palli Durga Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal

Kalighat Temple, kolkata, West Bengal

Tarakeswar, Hooghly District, West Bengal

Tarapith, Birbhum, West Bengal

Sarbamongala Mandir, Burdwan, West Bengal

OUTSIDE INDIA

BANGLADESH

Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka,

INDONESIA

Prambanan Temple,

MALAYSIA

Sri Santha Durga Devi Army Camp in Sungai Petani,

Sri Thurgha Parameswary Amman Alayam,

Kampung Tumbuk Pantai, Tanjong Sepat, in Selangor

WIKIPEDIA

Newport Rhode Island. RI was one of the original 13 colonies to declare independence. It is the smallest US state. Roger Williams established the colony of Providence and Anne Hutchinson and others established a small settlement at Newport on Aquidneck Island. Williams and Hutchinson were Puritans expelled for Massachusetts for their religious ideas. In 1644 the 2 settlements united to become the colony of Rhode Island (after the isle of Rhodes in Greece.) RI was the first colony to renounce allegiance to the British King but the last to ratify the US Constitution - it waited until May 1890 for assurances that a Bill of Rights would be added.

The Robber Barons and Newport. During the Industrial Revolution in America after the Civil War a small group of men and families came to dominate US business. They were the leaders, the first to develop and use new technology and materials, just like Bill Gates in this modern era. They built the railroads, were the first to use the new Bessemer steel making process, they developed the telegraph, the telephone, and they discovered oil and extracted kerosene to replace whale oil as the main burning fuel. Later, men like Henry Ford developed the motor car at an affordable price for middle class Americans, and he also introduced assembly line production system. They were the first to take control of these new industries and establish either regional or national monopolies by buying out all competitors. There were no US laws to restrict cartels and monopolies at that time. They got control of the natural resources- the oil wells, the means of transport- the railroads and oil pipelines, and they manufactured - especially steel. They also owned the coal mines. So they owned everything from the natural resources to the produced item and they controlled the marketing, the prices and the sales. They were known as the ‘Robber Barons’ and their influence on American is still great today despite decades of anti-trust (monopoly) legislation. Fortunately for the US they started the tradition of massive donations as their personal and company tax rates were so low. Their family names are especially linked to Bar Harbor, Newport and New York City. They were an exclusive group. To ‘make it’ in NY you had to be part of the 400, the 400 people Mrs. Astor could fit into her ballroom.

The Astors: of German descent and they made money from the fur and opium trade and were known as the landlords of NY. They lived where the Empire State is now built. They owned huge areas of NY and had their summer house at Newport. They donated the NY Public Library to the city.

The Vanderbilts: were original Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam. They owned much of Fifth Avenue where they lived near the Astors. They built a railroad and shipping empire to make them even today one of the wealthiest families. They owned and built Grand Central Terminal in NY, the largest train station in the world with 75 platforms.

The Carnegies: Andrew went into steel making and created the US Steel Company. He then invested in oil wells, railroads, and coal mining and became the second wealthiest man after John Rockefeller. He endowed Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh - his steel making city. He endowed Carnegie Music Hall in NY. He was a financial backer of Booker T. Washington the great black leader of the 1890s who founded Tuskegee University for Black Americans. You might see Carnegie Hall in NY.

The Morgans: John Pierpont became the banker to the Robber Barons. He then developed General Electrics but he was the banker to all the main railroads, steel works, telegraph companies and he was the investor behind the White Star Line of Titanic fame. On your free day in NY you could visit his home and the Morgan collection of books etc.

The Rockefellers: John was the man who established the Standard Oil Company but he owned the oilfields, the pipelines, and the refineries. He had 100,000 employees and lived near the Vanderbilts. His philanthropic interests included health, hospitals, sewerage and education. The Rockefeller Centre in NY is still owned by the family.

The Fricks: Henry Clay Frick was a steel magnate with works in Pittsburgh and New York. His art collection, the Frick Collection of old European masters is housed in his Fifth Avenue home which was designed to make Andrew Carnegie’s home look like a shack. You can visit this collection on the free day in NY if you want.

The Breakers - one of the Ten Mansions open in Newport. Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grandson had this mansion built in 1893. It is a 70 roomed Italian Renaissance style palace built as a summer house only. The house has been publically owned since 1973. It cost more than $12 million to build. Its furnishing and the building materials are lavish. The gardens are superb and sweep down to the cliff top edges, hence the house name, the Breakers.

The Marble House. This house was built for William Vanderbilt as a summer cottage between 1888-92.It was inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Mrs Vanderbilt saw it as her ‘temple to the arts.’ It cost $11 million to erect with $7million going on marble. William gave it to his wife as a 39th birthday present! To ‘relive’ the Newport experience read the novels of Edith Wharton, herself a NY aristocrat who had a summer residence at Newport. She was a great friend of the Vanderbilts. She is the American Jane Austen. Read The Age of Innocence 1921; or The House of Mirth 1905. Both novels have been made into films the Innocence in 1993 and the Mirth in 2000.

color with words | one

-

Hello everyone I am beginning a new project in a new medium, I have always been fascinated with, design.

This piece really stuck with me because I do not always do what it states, but want to. Actions are stronger than thoughts.

website | facebook | instagram | twitter

Declaring my love for pasta pots? yep, its def time for me to go to sleep..... in fact its way overdue hahaha

Sep 20 2021

I Declare Every Day Is Halloween

For WH: I Declare

On February 12, 2016, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring the Sand to Snow National Monument east of Los Angeles in Southern California.

Sand to Snow National Monument: Encompassing 154,000 acres, including just over 100,000 acres of already congressionally-designated Wilderness, Sand to Snow National Monument is an ecological and cultural treasure and one of the most biodiverse areas in southern California, supporting more than 240 species of birds and twelve threatened and endangered wildlife species. Home to the region’s tallest alpine mountain that rises from the floor of the Sonoran desert, the monument also will protect sacred, archaeological and cultural sites, including an estimated 1,700 Native American petroglyphs. Featuring thirty miles of the world famous Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, the area is a favorite for camping, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, photography, wildlife viewing, and even skiing.

Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.

Bridges, Not Walls: Bridgeport City Council Declares Bridgeport a “Welcoming City”: Bridgeport City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Monday, May 15, 2017.

MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON: 36-16 Public Safety and Transportation Committee Report re: Resolution requesting that the City of Bridgeport be declared a “WELCOMING CITY”.

www.bridgeportct.gov/filestorage/87203/97366/331349/33135...

Newport Rhode Island. RI was one of the original 13 colonies to declare independence. It is the smallest US state. Roger Williams established the colony of Providence and Anne Hutchinson and others established a small settlement at Newport on Aquidneck Island. Williams and Hutchinson were Puritans expelled for Massachusetts for their religious ideas. In 1644 the 2 settlements united to become the colony of Rhode Island (after the isle of Rhodes in Greece.) RI was the first colony to renounce allegiance to the British King but the last to ratify the US Constitution - it waited until May 1890 for assurances that a Bill of Rights would be added.

The Robber Barons and Newport. During the Industrial Revolution in America after the Civil War a small group of men and families came to dominate US business. They were the leaders, the first to develop and use new technology and materials, just like Bill Gates in this modern era. They built the railroads, were the first to use the new Bessemer steel making process, they developed the telegraph, the telephone, and they discovered oil and extracted kerosene to replace whale oil as the main burning fuel. Later, men like Henry Ford developed the motor car at an affordable price for middle class Americans, and he also introduced assembly line production system. They were the first to take control of these new industries and establish either regional or national monopolies by buying out all competitors. There were no US laws to restrict cartels and monopolies at that time. They got control of the natural resources- the oil wells, the means of transport- the railroads and oil pipelines, and they manufactured - especially steel. They also owned the coal mines. So they owned everything from the natural resources to the produced item and they controlled the marketing, the prices and the sales. They were known as the ‘Robber Barons’ and their influence on American is still great today despite decades of anti-trust (monopoly) legislation. Fortunately for the US they started the tradition of massive donations as their personal and company tax rates were so low. Their family names are especially linked to Bar Harbor, Newport and New York City. They were an exclusive group. To ‘make it’ in NY you had to be part of the 400, the 400 people Mrs. Astor could fit into her ballroom.

The Astors: of German descent and they made money from the fur and opium trade and were known as the landlords of NY. They lived where the Empire State is now built. They owned huge areas of NY and had their summer house at Newport. They donated the NY Public Library to the city.

The Vanderbilts: were original Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam. They owned much of Fifth Avenue where they lived near the Astors. They built a railroad and shipping empire to make them even today one of the wealthiest families. They owned and built Grand Central Terminal in NY, the largest train station in the world with 75 platforms.

The Carnegies: Andrew went into steel making and created the US Steel Company. He then invested in oil wells, railroads, and coal mining and became the second wealthiest man after John Rockefeller. He endowed Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh - his steel making city. He endowed Carnegie Music Hall in NY. He was a financial backer of Booker T. Washington the great black leader of the 1890s who founded Tuskegee University for Black Americans. You might see Carnegie Hall in NY.

The Morgans: John Pierpont became the banker to the Robber Barons. He then developed General Electrics but he was the banker to all the main railroads, steel works, telegraph companies and he was the investor behind the White Star Line of Titanic fame. On your free day in NY you could visit his home and the Morgan collection of books etc.

The Rockefellers: John was the man who established the Standard Oil Company but he owned the oilfields, the pipelines, and the refineries. He had 100,000 employees and lived near the Vanderbilts. His philanthropic interests included health, hospitals, sewerage and education. The Rockefeller Centre in NY is still owned by the family.

The Fricks: Henry Clay Frick was a steel magnate with works in Pittsburgh and New York. His art collection, the Frick Collection of old European masters is housed in his Fifth Avenue home which was designed to make Andrew Carnegie’s home look like a shack. You can visit this collection on the free day in NY if you want.

The Breakers - one of the Ten Mansions open in Newport. Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grandson had this mansion built in 1893. It is a 70 roomed Italian Renaissance style palace built as a summer house only. The house has been publically owned since 1973. It cost more than $12 million to build. Its furnishing and the building materials are lavish. The gardens are superb and sweep down to the cliff top edges, hence the house name, the Breakers.

The Marble House. This house was built for William Vanderbilt as a summer cottage between 1888-92.It was inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Mrs Vanderbilt saw it as her ‘temple to the arts.’ It cost $11 million to erect with $7million going on marble. William gave it to his wife as a 39th birthday present! To ‘relive’ the Newport experience read the novels of Edith Wharton, herself a NY aristocrat who had a summer residence at Newport. She was a great friend of the Vanderbilts. She is the American Jane Austen. Read The Age of Innocence 1921; or The House of Mirth 1905. Both novels have been made into films the Innocence in 1993 and the Mirth in 2000.

Mike Peters Declaration Tour 2014 O2 Academy Islington

Lars Hübner, Photo Book, Taiwan - 2014,

order a copy via www.larshuebner.com

Argent declares she will not do the dishes. She was adamant about that...

USA Declares Trade War on Canada: Day III - 16 images - Canon EOS 40D with Canon EF 28-135mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS USM (EOS mount) & Polarizer - Photographer Russell McNeil PhD (Physics) lives on Vancouver Island, where he works as a writer.

Some Background:

Fang of the Sun Dougram (太陽の牙ダグラム Taiyō no Kiba Daguramu) is a 75-episode anime television series, created by Ryosuke Takahashi and Sunrise, and aired in Japan from October 23, 1981 to March 25, 1983 on TV Tokyo.

The series begins in a desert on the colony planet Deloyer, where the remains of a destroyed robot are resting as a red-haired woman is standing in front of it. The woman hallucinates what appears to be a group of armed soldiers alongside the robot in a non-destroyed state. A man named Rocky appears, leading to the woman running into his embrace where she cries tears of joy. After this, the series flashes back to an earlier time, in order to explain the circumstances leading up to the first episode.

Malcontents on the Deloyer colony agitate for the independence of their world from the Earth Federation. In an unexpected coup, the elected Governor declares martial law and sets himself up as absolute dictator. With the approval of the Federation, he rules the planet with an iron fist. In reaction, a ragtag group (including the governor's estranged son) rises in open rebellion, using a powerful prototype Combat Armor: the Dougram. Their goal is the end of the dictatorship and total independence from the Federation's influence.

The story follows the actions of the guerilla freedom fighters known as "The Deloyer 7." The war is fought across the planet Deloyer as the Federation vigorously pursues the rebels. The series is noted for its realistic use of not just the combat armors and support vehicles, but also military tactics. The series also followed a wide range of characters and political intrigue, with many shady characters switching sides throughout the series.

Crinn Cashim is the show's main character. Son of Governor Donan Cashim, he becomes trained in piloting the Soltic H8 “Roundfacer” standard army robot by Jacky Zaltsev, a Federation Ace, because of his father's political connections. When his father appears to be overthrown by a coup led by Colonel Von Stein, he pilots a Roundfacer while Federation forces battle Garcia's forces. He is stunned to learn that his father has actually sided with Von Stein in a secret plan, and eventually becomes angry at his father's forces in how they deal with the rebellion following the coup. Following a meeting with Dr. David Samalin, who introduces him to a combat armor he has designed, the Dougram, Cashim and his friends form The Fang of the Sun and join the rebellion against the Federation.

general characteristics

Unit type: CB (combat) armor

Manufacturer: Soltic Company

Crew: 1 pilot

Overall height: 10.02 meters

Base weight: 30.5 metric tons

Generator type: Rolls-Royce N8E x 1

Generator output: 54 points per second

Maximum running speed: 45 km/h

Continuous operational time: 324 minutes

Armament:

1x hand gun (various types, incl. a grenade launcher or a linear gun)

4x 25mm chain guns in the lower arms

1x shoulder-mounted 9-tube missile pod

Optional equipment: hang glider, camouflage suit, shield

Mechanical designer: Kunio Okawara

The kit (and its revival):

This is another model of an 1:72 Soltic H8 "Roundfacer" (there’s already one in my mecha collection), but it's not an original Takara kit, but rather comes from the Revell re-boxing in the mid Eighties among their Robotech line. It was there part of a kit set, called "Armored Combat Team", and came together with a wheeled vehicle set.

However, this model was originally not built and painted by me. It's rather a generous donation from a good friend who made an attempt into mecha when these kits were distributed. It was built roundabout 30 years(!!!) ago and, AFAIK, never 100% finished; for instance, the hoses around the neck were never mounted, and the handgun had never been never painted.

As the only one of its kind it never found a true place in my friend’s model kit collection, and after some years of disregard it even got damaged: the delicate hip joint got broken, the Roundfacer lost one of its legs. In this sorry status the model rested in a dark corner, collected dust...

...until it was given to me many years ago, unfortunately after I had already gone through my hot mecha phase in the Nineties, in which I resurrected many of my own builds for a second life. So the Roundfacer lay (again) around in my spare parts deposit for some more years, until I finally decided to tackle and revamp it in early 2018. Inspiration strikes in unexpected occasions.

At first I thought that I could just repair the leg and add some parts in order to finish the model, but this plan was soon foiled. However, the biggest issue remained the broken attachment point for the left leg - and it turned out to be more severe than first expected. Initially I tried to mend the problem with a metal pin reinforcement, so that the original pintle could be re-attached again. But then the right leg came off, too, and the whole joint turned out to have become so brittle (it literally fell apart) that it had to be replaced completely!

So I scratched a completely new hip joint and a sturdy attachment construction from styrene profiles and plastic-coated steel wire, which would allow a similar range of movement as the original construction, even though not as flexible - but the Roundfacer would be displayed anyway.

The rest of the kit was otherwise in good shape, and the joints free from paint for high movability. I made some changes and improvements, though. This included the cleaning of the seams on both legs (PSR) and the addition of some surface details with IP profile material. This meant that the original paintwork would have at least party to be renewed, but fortunalety I knew the paints and respective tones my friend had used when he had built the kit.

Another challenge were the characteristic hoses that lay around the Roundfacer's neck like a scarf. I was lucky to find leftover parts from a vintage 1:144 Gundam Zaku in my stash, the fit almost perfectly. Otherwise, they had had to be scratched.

The original missile launcher was re-fitted, even though it had to be fixed since the original attachment construction had also fallen victim to the styrene's brittleness over the ages. The handgun - while complete and available - was replaced by the weapon from a H-102 Bushman, which looks a bit more beefy, like a grenade launcher instead of the OOB assult rifle.

Painting and markings:

I was not certain whether I would re-paint the Roundfacer, which would have meant stripping it off of of its original enamels - but I eventually rejected this for two reasons: First of all I thought and still think that the brittle material of the finished kit made any surgery or chemical intervention hazardous. Esp. the joints were delicate, the loss of the hip joint was already trouble enough. And then I liked the fictional scheme the Roundfacer had been given, a kind of winter camouflage in black and light grey, separated by thin white lines. I simply wanted to keep the original concept, since it looks pretty unusual - and also in order to honor my friend's original approach.

So, instead of a new or additional layer of paint I limited my work to the areas with PSR and added details, and the original (and highly translucent!) decals had to go, too.

The original colors are Humbrol 64 (Light Sea Grey), 33 (Flatblack) and 34 (Flat White). For the repairs the same tones were used, just the pure black (which had suffered in the meantime) was replaced by Revell 6 (Tar Black). The result is pretty good, you hardly recognize the touch-ups.

In order to take the model a step further I also did some thorough weathering, at first with a dark grey acrylic wash, which was also texturized with vertical brush streaks along the flanks, and some later dry-brushing on the edges, emphasizing the robot's shape and details.

The new markings were puzzled together from various sheets, including some Dougram models.

For an even more unique look, and in order to hide some flaws, I decided to add a thin coat of snow – also in line with the small base I created for display (an somewhat in order to justify/explain the paint scheme).

The display base:

This is certainly not a diorama, but I wanted a small, scenic setting that would show surroundings in order to justify the Roundfacer’s strange black/grey scheme.

The foundation is a small MDF wood board, 8” x 6” in size, leftover from a street base gone bad many moons ago. On top of the wooden base, the landscape was sculpted with Styrofoam, using the Roundfacer as benchmark for the overall layout. The idea was to show an unpaved path or street, flanked by rock formations. Due to the base’s small size the rocks had to be limited in size. Since the robot would dominate the scene, anyway, I placed it further in the background.

In the foreground, some space was saved for a small vehicle, which would add some variety and create some kind of scene. Since I did not want to invest too much effort into building or even converting or scratching a scout car or something similar.

After some search I settled upon a modern Bundeswehr “Dingo” from Panzerstahl, a completed plastic model. I found it to be a very good match for the base and the Roundfacer – and for the scene I took it OOB and just re-painted it in black with light grey mottles and dusted it with snow (see below), too.

With the positions of the vehicles determined it was time to add details to the landscape. Most inspiration came from Antarctica and Iceland – you have volcanic rock formations, namely black basalt, with hexagonal structures, and ice and snow on top. Anything that the Roundfacer’s livery reflects.

The hexagonal rocks would be the most prominent structure on the base, and these were created with bits from …pencils. They were tailored to size with the help of a paper cutting machine, then glued into bundles and finally stuck into the Styrofoam ground and arranged into bigger structures.

Once dry the rest of the surface was covered and sculpted with plaster. A coat of thinned plaster was also spread over the pencils, blurring their shapes. On the street, track marks were created with a truck model kit wheel and the Roundfacer.

Once the plaster had dried, the diorama received a coat of thinned white glue, mixed with black paint, into which different grains of sand were strewn. Around the rock formations, broken shell gravel (from a home decoration shop) was used to mimic bigger chunks of rock. Again, things had to dry thoroughly.

Next came an overall basic coat of black – applied with a rattle can, so that the paint would evenly reach all recesses. After more drying time the landscape received washes with dark grey and dull olive green. Into the wet paint some grass fiber and wood pieces were glued, in areas behind the rock formations which would offer some protection against the weather.

Another drying period followed, for the second-to-last treatment: a thin coat of snow (which was also added to the Roundfacer and the car). I prefer white tile grout for this task, because it is easy to handle, sticks well to wet surfaces and remains white and stable in the course of time. For application, I put some of the dry material in a glass and cover it with a nylon stocking, and shake it over the wetted (water with drop of detergent) surface. This makeshift device is easy to handle and has the charm that you can gradually adjust the grit and amount of tile grout that rains down.

The street area received some additional treatment with thinned black and grey paint, simulating a mix of snow and dirt.

In a final step, the base and the vehicles received a coat of acrylic matt varnish from the rattle can for protection and snow fixation.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalm 19:1