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Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
Tung Lin Kok Yuen is situated at No. 15, Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, being a Buddhist monastery founded in 1935 by Lady Clara Ho Tung and her husband Sir Robert Ho Tung. The name of the monastery was derived from the couple’s name Sir Robert Ho Tung and Lady Clara (Dharma name Lin Kok).
Lady Clara was a Buddhist and lay patron who had a passionate desire to spread the wisdom and practice of Buddhism as well as to promote the education of women. She founded the Po Kok Free School and the Po Kok Buddhist Institute in Hong Kong in the early 1930s to provide education for women and training for nuns. After Tung Lin Kok Yuen was first built, it housed both the School and the Buddhist Institute. As it is located in the residential area of Happy Valley, Tung Lin Kok Yuen marked the emergence of an urban monastery model in Hong Kong, as contrasted to the traditional monastery setting in the mountains.
With its arrowhead-shaped building plan, Tung Lin Kok Yuen’s appearance resembles a “giant ship” symbolising one of Mahayana Buddhism’s concepts of ferrying all beings to the “other shore”, or in other words enlightenment itself. The architect responsible for the building design was Fung Tsun, and Venerable Shi Ai Ting provided extensive advice for details which embody the Buddhist doctrine. While Tung Lin Kok Yuen adopted Western structural forms, it retained traditional Chinese designs in both its interior and exterior decorations such as flying eaves, brackets and glazed tile roofs. Following the traditional Chinese layout for a Buddhist monastery, it had a Skanda Hall, the Grand Buddha Hall and a Tripitaka Library in designated sequence. On each side of the Grand Buddha Hall were the Dharma Bell and the Dharma Drum. Behind the Grand Buddha Hall there was a courtyard which was redeveloped in 1954 into a three-storied Lin Kok Memorial Building. This was also designed by Fung Tsun to be integrated with the original building in the same style of architecture. The first floor of the Lin Kok Memorial Building now houses the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha Hall.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen was declared a monument in 2017.
Excerpt from the plaque:
Flower Board Crafting Technique
During traditional festivals or celebrations, our attention is often drawn to the large and colourful flower boards which bring a festive ambience to the events. At the same time the flower boards represent the respect of the sender for the recipient, as a reflection of etiquette and social relations.
A flower board is composed of supporting frames made of bamboo strips and iron wire. For flower boards used for greetings, the main function of the characters on the flower boards is to send such congratulatory messages. Masters usually prepare a draft design of the flower board for confirmation of the customer’s requirements. The characters on the flower board are painted on cardboard paper. Achieving a match between the colour of the characters and that of the background is of utmost importance in flower board crafting. For example, characters in an orange or red colour are matched against a green background and bordered with a black or white outline. Gold paper is sometimes placed between the characters to make them stand out even more.
Masters draw patterns of dragons and phoenixes on the components of the flower boards. Although flower boards are usually used for one-off events, some components are reusable after repair, given that there is a centern standardisation in terms of the sizes of the flower boards.
This reservoir is declared a "Special Protection Zone for Birds" (SPA).
Up to 24 different types of migratory birds have been cataloged that stop temporarily there, as a resting point and also to nest.
The native vegetation is of the halophilic type (capable of growing under high concentrations of salt), since these lands were part of a sea in the Jurassic period.
The Monteagudo reservoir is one of the oldest reservoirs in Spain and is located in the basin of the Regajo stream, which comes from the port of Alentisque.
The first dam, installed in the bed of the Regajo stream, dates back to 1863, being one of the first modern hydraulic works carried out in Spain for irrigation exploitation.
Subsequently, in 1982, the dam of the reservoir basin was increased and a new feeder channel was built in order to provide the reservoir with greater capacity (9.6 hm3).
The current feeder canal is fed by the waters of the Nágima River, these being practically the only contribution that the reservoir receives since the flow of the Regajo is very low.
(Information collected from the website: guiadesoria.es/naturaleza/parajes-naturales/975-monteagud...)
EMBALSE DE MONTEAGUDO DE LAS VICARÍAS, 2024
Este embalse está declarado "Zona Especial de Protección para las Aves" (ZEPA).
Se han catalogado hasta 24 tipos de aves migratorias diferentes que se detienen temporalmente allí, como punto de descanso y también para anidar.
La vegetación autóctona es de tipo halófilo (capaz de crecer bajo altas concentraciones de sal), ya que estas tierras formaban parte de un mar en el periodo Jurásico.
El embalse de Monteagudo es uno de los embalses más antiguos de España y está situado en la cuenca del arroyo del Regajo, que viene del puerto de Alentisque.
La primera presa, instalada en el cauce del arroyo Regajo, data de 1863, siendo una de las primeras obras hidráulicas modernas realizadas en España para explotación de regadío.
Posteriormente, en 1982, se efectúo el recrecimiento de la presa del vaso del embalse y se construyo un nuevo canal alimentador con el fin de dotar al embalse de una mayor capacidad (9,6 hm3).
El canal alimentador actual se nutre de las aguas del río Nágima, siendo éstas, prácticamente, el único aporte que recibe el embalse pues el caudal del Regajo es muy escaso.
(Información recogida de la web: guiadesoria.es/naturaleza/parajes-naturales/975-monteagud...)
Declared a national park in 1954, the Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide includes an enormous volcanic crater 30 miles (48 km) in circumference, out of which rises Mount Teide at a staggering 12,200 feet (3,718 metres), making it the highest peak in the whole of Spain.
The man approaching me stopped to have a chat. There were no fish in his bucket, he declared there would be frozen pizza at his place for dinner (again).
Spring 2025 has now been declared the driest on record in the UK since 1893. At that time, the Settle & Carlisle Railway was barely 18 years old, and A4 Pacifics could scarcely have been conceived of! While the weather has been welcome for many, it has not been very favourable for steam enthusiasts, with multiple steam bans on the mainline due to line side fire risks.
While we got to have steam action today, it was clear the crew were not taking chances this evening, as No. 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' passed Angerholme (Mallerstang), being almost entirely pushed up towards Ais Gill summit by class 47 No. D1924 on the rear. The train was the returning 'Settle & Carlisle Fellsman', working as 1Z08 Carlisle - Chester. Nevertheless, the express passenger blue locomotive looks well with a full set of crimson and cream Mk1's.
11 June 2025
More photos at: cogloadjunctionphotography.weebly.com/
Ciudad Encantada, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
La Ciudad Encantada es un paraje natural español de formaciones rocosas calcáreas o calizas formadas a lo largo de miles de años. Se localiza cerca de Valdecabras, en el término municipal de Cuenca (España), en una amplia zona de pinares de la parte meridional de la serranía conquense y a una altitud de 1500 metros.
Fue declarada Sitio Natural de Interés Nacional el 11 de junio de 1929. La acción del agua, el viento y el hielo ha hecho posible este fenómeno kárstico. La heterogeneidad de las rocas en cuanto a su morfología, composición química y grado de dureza es lo que ha permitido el desgaste desigual de las mismas por los elementos atmosféricos, dando como resultado una muestra sorprendente de arte pintoresco proveniente de la misma naturaleza. A las caprichosas y espectaculares formaciones existentes hay que sumar lapiaces, torcas y sumideros.
Comparte estas características especialmente con "Los Callejones", paraje ubicado en el término municipal de Las Majadas. Ambos lugares forman parte del parque natural Serranía de Cuenca, creado mediante la Ley de la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha 5/2007.
The Enchanted City is a Spanish natural area of calcareous or limestone rock formations formed over thousands of years. It is located near Valdecabras, in the municipality of Cuenca (Spain), in a wide area of pine forests in the southern part of the Cuenca mountains and at an altitude of 1,500 meters.
It was declared a Natural Site of National Interest on June 11, 1929. The action of water, wind and ice has made this karstic phenomenon possible. The heterogeneity of the rocks in terms of their morphology, chemical composition and degree of hardness is what has allowed their uneven wear by atmospheric elements, resulting in a surprising sample of picturesque art from nature itself. To the whimsical and spectacular existing formations we must add lapiaces, torques and sinkholes.
It shares these characteristics especially with "Los Callejones", a place located in the municipality of Las Majadas. Both places are part of the Serranía de Cuenca Natural Park, created by the Law of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha 5/2007.
The travel site Orbitz has declared San Francisco the sexiest city in the country. They picked six cities they declared sexy and then asked clients to vote.
San Francisco - 18 percent of the vote
Miami – 16 percent of the vote
Las Vegas – 15 percent
New York – 13 percent
Los Angeles - 2 percent
Chicago - 2 percent
The reason why Orbitz placed San Francisco on top of their six list? San Francisco is a host of Michelin-starred restaurants which is a short drive to the world class wine country and a thriving nightlife make the city a sexy spot for everyone including celebrity millionaires looking to escape Los Angeles ( the likes of Paris HiltonParis Hilton and Leonardo di Caprio). The City by the Bay is also the backdrop for one of the year’s hottest movies, The Social Network and home to A-listers like Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood, Sharon Stone, and the guys from Green Day.
A view of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco from the Headlands.
Ulldecona Castle is a fortified complex in Ulldecona (Montsià) declared a cultural asset of national interest. It rises above the Puig del Castell, a small elevation that is part of the Serra Grossa. This complex is on the left bank of the river Sénia, the current political-administrative boundary between Catalonia and the Valencian Country. The wide visibility and the great fertility and richness of the land have meant that this place has over time been a strategic area for the control of the territory from the Iberian era to the Middle Ages.
The fortress is mostly the work of the order of Saint John of Jerusalem. It was the seat of the main command of the hospitallers of the lands of the Ebro when Amposta ceased to be so after the exchange made by the castellan of Amposta, Ramon de Ribelles, with King Peter the Great, in 1280, of the lordship of Amposta for possessions of Aragon.
With the conquest of the lands south of the Ebro by the Christians in 1148, the castle passed to the Montcada family, from Tortosa. In 1173 the castle and the grounds were given to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. In 1178 Alfonso I gave it back to the Hospitallers.
España - Murcia - Real Casino - Salón de Baile
***
ENGLISH:
The Royal Casino of Murcia is one of the most emblematic buildings of the city of the same name, capital of the Region of Murcia (Spain). It is located in the center of it, on Calle Trapería, not far from the cathedral. The building, whose construction began in 1853, is a mixture of different artistic currents that coexisted in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in Spain and was declared a national historical-artistic monument in 1983, which is why it is currently considered an Asset of Cultural Interest, with the category of "monument".
The building is the headquarters of the institution of the same name, which functions as a private club. It is open to tourist visits and other events, it is the most visited civil building in the Region of Murcia and, counting only organized groups, an average of 150,000 people visit it annually, of which 25,000 are foreigners.
The building has been extensively restored between 2006 and 2009. On the occasion of the completion of the restoration works, King Juan Carlos I of Spain granted the Casino de Murcia the title of "Royal".
***
ESPAÑOL:
El Real Casino de Murcia es uno de los edificios más emblemáticos de la ciudad del mismo nombre, capital de la Región de Murcia (España). Se encuentra en el centro de la misma, en la calle Trapería, no lejos de la catedral. El edificio, cuya construcción comenzó en 1853, es una mezcla de distintas corrientes artísticas que coexistieron en la segunda mitad del siglo xix y principios del siglo xx en España y fue declarado monumento histórico-artístico nacional en 1983, por lo que en la actualidad está considerado Bien de Interés Cultural, con la categoría de «monumento».
El edificio es la sede de la institución del mismo nombre, que funciona como un club privado. Abierto a visitas turísticas y otros eventos, es el edificio civil más visitado de la Región de Murcia y, contando solamente los grupos organizados, lo visitan anualmente un promedio de 150 000 personas, de las que 25 000 son extranjeras.
El edificio ha sido profundamente restaurado entre los años 2006 y 2009. Con motivo de la finalización de las obras de restauración, el rey Juan Carlos I de España concedió al Casino de Murcia el título de Real.
As the most prominent industrial monument in the Netherlands, the former Van Nelle Factory was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2014. Designed by Brinkman & Van der Vlugt, the factory is a classic example of the Nieuwe Bouwen school of Dutch modernist architecture, built between 1927 and 1930. The ingenious building was designed to provide all the facilities for the employees close at hand, keeping the building fully above-ground to create air, light and space.
Meetings, conferences and events in The Van Nelle
Until well into the 1990s, the Van Nelle Factory still produced tobacco. The complex was renovated and redesigned in 2000. Since then, it has housed a wide range of media and design firms and offers 12 rooms that can be booked for meetings, conferences and events for up to 5,000 people. Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
The School House of St. Stephen’s College is not only the oldest surviving school building still providing boarding facilities in Hong Kong, but also one of the very few remaining structures used as part of the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945).
Established by the Reverend Bishop Banister of the Anglican Church and a number of prominent Chinese, including Sir Ho Kai and Dr Tso Seen-wan, who wished to save China through education, St. Stephen’s College first opened on Western Street in 1903. Construction of the present campus in Stanley started in 1928. Opened on 25 March 1930, the School House was the first building completed in the project.
Japan attacked Hong Kong in December 1941 and captured St. Stephen’s College on Christmas Day that year, when they broke into the School House and committed the St. Stephen’s College Massacre. Together with the nearby Stanley Prison Warders’ Quarters, the college was then used as the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945). The school reopened in 1947.
Designed in the late transitional Arts and Crafts style marked by a Modernist influence, the School House is an H-shaped building consisting of an east wing and a west wing connected by a central block. Rough-cast rendering, wide overhanging eaves, arched windows and doorways and arcaded verandahs are typical features of the Arts and Crafts style that can all be seen in the School House.
School House of St. Stephen's College was declared a monument in 2011.
After I declared that I was going to photography frozen food this week, I was fed an article about foods you didn't know you could freeze. Hmm, seems like that isn't a coincidence, I'm not really a fan of the virtual spying.
Late last year, after Big Lots declared bankruptcy and began liquidating all of its stores, news broke that the company had entered a deal with Variety Wholesalers, owners of Roses and other chains, to acquire the Big Lots intellectual property as well as hundreds of store leases, with plans to reopen them under the same name. Fast-forward to April 10, 2025, and the first batch of “Big Lots 2.0” stores held their soft openings, with Mississippi lucky enough to act as home to two of those initial stores, Tupelo and Pearl. With the latter being my local store, naturally, I decided to check out what the reopened Pearl Big Lots is all about. If you’re interested in seeing it too, then please head over to my recent blog post here: midsouthretail.blogspot.com/2025/04/big-lots-variety-whol...
(c) 2025 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
The UNESCO declared the medina of Sousse a World Heritage Site in 1988, citing among other things its preservation from modern development.
Sousse's old city has apects that
made it ideal as a film location. Most famous is Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), where Sousse represents Cairo. It is noteworthy that the styles of Sousse, white-washed houses with blue details, bear no resemblance to the actual architecture of Cairo.
love declared, padlock on a safety fence in Munmorah State Conservation Area, NSW, Australia
Olympus E-M5 II / Olympus 75-300mm f4.8 - 6.7 II
Sincere thanks for your views, faves and comments.
Death Valley National Park is an American national park that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eureka Valley and most of Saline Valley.
The park occupies an interface zone between the arid Great Basin and Mojave deserts, protecting the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and its diverse environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons and mountains.
Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States, as well as the hottest, driest and lowest of all the national parks in the United States. It contains Badwater Basin, the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and lowest in North America at 282 feet below sea level. More than 93% of the park is a designated wilderness area.
The park is home to many species of plants and animals which have adapted to the harsh desert environment including creosote bush, Joshua tree, bighorn sheep, coyote, and the endangered Death Valley pupfish, a survivor from much wetter times. UNESCO included Death Valley as the principal feature of its Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve in 1984.
A series of Native American groups inhabited the area from as early as 7000 BC, most recently the Timbisha around 1000 AD who migrated between winter camps in the valleys and summer grounds in the mountains. A group of European-Americans, lost in the valley in 1849 while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields of California, gave this valley its grim name, even though only one of their group died there.
Several short-lived boom towns sprang up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to mine gold and silver. The only long-term profitable ore to be mined was borax, which was transported out of the valley with twenty-mule teams. The valley later became the subject of books, radio programs, television series, and movies. Tourism expanded in the 1920s when resorts were built around Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek. Death Valley National Monument was declared in 1933 and the park was substantially expanded and became a national park in 1994.
The natural environment of the area has been shaped largely by its geology. The valley is actually a graben with the oldest rocks being extensively metamorphosed and at least 1.7 billion years old. Ancient, warm, shallow seas deposited marine sediments until rifting opened the Pacific Ocean. Additional sedimentation occurred until a subduction zone formed off the coast. The subduction uplifted the region out of the sea and created a line of volcanoes. Later the crust started to pull apart, creating the current Basin and Range landform. Valleys filled with sediment and, during the wet times of glacial periods, with lakes, such as Lake Manly.
Death Valley is the fifth-largest American national park and the largest in the contiguous United States. It is also larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, and nearly as large as Puerto Rico. In 2013, Death Valley National Park was designated as a dark sky park by the International Dark-Sky Association.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Tung_Uk_Museum:
The Sam Tung Uk Museum is a museum restored from Sam Tung Uk (三棟屋; 'three-beam-dwelling', which describes the original floorplan), a Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.
It was built by a Chan (陳) clan under the leadership of the clan patriarch, Chan Yam-shing, in 1786 during the Qing dynasty. The Chan clan was originally from Fujian; they had moved to Guangdong, and then to Hong Kong to engage in farming. The site has been carefully restored and opened to the public as a museum.
Sam Tung Uk was vacated in April 1980 and declared a historic monument in March 1981. The Hong Kong government funded its restoration and converted it into a museum between 1986 and 1987. The restoration work won the Pacific Heritage Award of the Pacific Asia Tourist Association in 1990.
The entrance, assembly and ancestral halls, and twelve of the original houses are preserved. Other rooms have been modified to accommodate a reception area, an orientation room, an exhibition hall, a museum office, and a lecture theatre. The agricultural implements and everyday objects of Hakka village life are on permanent display. The main exhibition hall at the far end of the building complex changes its displays approximately every six months. Documentation of the restoration process is on display in Orientation Room.
Now war is declared, and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
~~~~~
really loving the clash lately <3
oh yeah, picture is unedited :P
Declared by UNESCO in 1999, March 21 is World Poetry Day. And April is National Poetry Month in the US. If you can't get out and about in real nature, try reading some poems about the outdoors. Both can lift your spirits. Big thanks to my dad for passing on his love of poetry to me and many in our family.
Budapest all illuminated one glorious December night!
Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the Diet resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. The building was planned to face the river. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl emerged as the victor; the plans of two other competitors were later also realized in the form of the Ethnographic Museum and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, both facing the Parliament Building. Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896. It was completed in 1904. (The architect of the building went blind before its completion.)
About 100 000 people were involved in construction, during which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40 kilograms (88 lb) of gold were used. Since World War II the legislature became unicameral and today the government uses only a small portion of the building. During the People's Republic of Hungary a red star perched on the top of the dome, but it was removed in 1990. Mátyás Szűrös declared the Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Kossuth Lajos Square on 23 October 1989. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Parliament_Building
tribute to ernest hemingway
something weird happened yesterday, after i had declared that i was not gonna complete my 365 project: suddenly i felt relieved and relaxed, and wishful to take photos.
i think that what really bothered me was the sensation that my passion was about to turn into a duty, which is something i absolutely don't want.
so, here's what we're gonna do: i'll keep on trying to take a photo everyday, and to mantain a good quality... but if i can't, i won't give a damn. :)
this picture, which is part of my dinner, was inspired by the very good job of my contact javier (jimmy297.)
183/365
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-i...:
Yeung Hau Temple is one of the oldest temples in Tai O. The temple was probably built in 1699 or earlier with reference to the oldest relic at the temple, an iron bell cast in the 38th year of Kangxi reign (1699) of the Qing dynasty dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong.
Yeung Hau Temple has long been patronised not only by fishing folks and fisheries merchants in Tai O, but also by merchants from the neighbouring places and the Qing soldiers along the coast. The temple is also popular for its strong association with the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade which is a traditional festive event with a history of over one hundred years and was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011.
The temple compound consists of the main temple building and side halls constructed of grey brick, granite and timber. The main temple building is a Qing vernacular two-hall-three-bay building, with a courtyard covered with a pavilion in-between the two halls. The recessed façade is supported by granite columns. Exquisite historic Shiwan ceramic figurines portraying Chinese folk stories can also be found on the roof ridge of the entrance hall and the two parapet walls of the covered courtyard.
Yeung Hau Temple was declared a monument in 2017.
The national park Talampaya is a nature reserve and one of the seven "Patrimony of Humanity" declared by Unesco in Argentina. It is located in the center-west of the province of La Rioja. It was created in 1975 as a provincial park with the objective of protecting important archaeological and paleontological sites of the area, and in 1997 became dependent on the National Park Administration. The administrative headquarters (office of tourism) of the National Park of Talampaya, is in its new building; The attention to the public is in Dávila Avenue between San Martin and Calle Ing. Lorenz, in the town of Villa Union.
The park occupies 215 000 ha. Its landscape, flora and fauna are characteristic of the mountain biome. It is the result of tectonic movements, which for thousands of years have been added erosion of water and wind in a desert climate, with great ranges of temperatures, intense daytime heat and low temperatures at night, with torrential rains in summer and winds Strong in spring. The average height of the terrain is around 1300 masl, and the climate is continental.
The walls and canyon of the Talampaya River were eroded by wind and water, giving them curious shapes. To the incredible of the landscape are added collective mortars, remains of indigenous dwellings and petroglíficos of great antiquity. This archaeological - paleontological reserve is to the southeast of the province of La Rioja in the departments of Coronel Felipe Varela and Independencia. The formations, with their sandstones and multicolored clays, which acquired capricious shapes due to wind erosion, are extremely attractive. Due to its resemblance to reality, its shapes and colors, many forms already have names such as: the Friar, the Magician King, the Cathedrals, the Needles, the Crib, the Castle and many more.
The park is an important paleontological site, it is a site of great importance for its abundant wealth in fossils. Among the fossils discovered is the Lagosuchus talampayensis, one of the first dinosaurs that inhabited Earth, 250 million years ago, in the early Triassic. Also found were turtle fossils with an antiquity of 210 million years, such as the Palaeocheris talampayens. Thanks to a long series of fossil animals unknown to paleontology, one of the most interesting studies of paleontological science is being completed: how and when the first dinosaurs first appeared, as well as increasing knowledge about the mammalian reptiles whose basic trunk later emerged the mammals.
In explore on 05/12/2017!! Happy about that!!
Puddy has declared my bed "home" since she moved in with us last month. I love her big round eyes, here. She is vigilant but also very curious and interested in this strange new world. She had never seen another cat before moving into our house.
Prince Albert National Park in central Saskatchewan, Canada and is located 200 kilometres north of Saskatoon. Though declared a national park March 24, 1927, it had its official opening ceremonies on August 10, 1928 performed by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. The park is open all year but the most visited period is from May to September.
In Canada, this weekend is a long weekend. According to the federal government, May 24 was first declared a holiday by the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845 to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. However, in 1952, Parliament declared that Victoria Day would be celebrated on the Monday before May 24 every year. As a result of this convention, the long weekend sometimes falls well before May 24. This year, for example, May 24 falls on a Sunday, but due to the parliamentary decree, the long weekend will run from May 16 to May 18. The May 24 weekend is thought to be the unofficial start to summer. Many people go away for the long weekend, so the roads will be really packed. After two days of dreary, overcast skies and some rain, and rain forecast for today, it’s too bad the long weekend wasn’t last weekend. Drive carefully if you will be out on the roads!
I had planned to go on a half-day birding trip this morning. Woke up at 5:00 am (after an hour and a half's sleep), hoping that maybe the forecast had changed. Instead, it's raining and looks most unpleasant out there. I really don't feel like walking in this, and not be able to take any photos, so decided I would post my "daily three" to Flickr and then go back to bed. Hope I don't miss any really special sightings : (
It's back to the tiny Northern Pygmy-owl today. I had this 'telemacro' photo already edited, so only needed to edit the other two photos late last night. It was taken on 20 February 2015, roughly a week before I saw it (and its mate) for the last time. People who have been seeing it in the months since then must be keeping very quiet about it. No reports, no photos posted anywhere. Gotta love the 48x zoom on my point-and-shoot : ) Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.
In the afternoon of 20 February 2015, there were just a couple of friends down in the park and, happy to say, they had already found this tiny, popcan-sized owl. This was its perch during the time I was there, giving some nice out in the open views, but all very similar. It's such a beautiful owl. This is the female, all puffed up to keep warm on a cold winter's day - the male is smaller, has a more rusty colour especially around the neck, and he has a thicker, white eyebrow line.
"Northern Pygmy Owls are 'sit and wait' predators, that hunt mainly by vision, diving down onto prey on the ground and driving the talons into the prey's throat. They will also attack birds in shrubs, crashing into the hapless victims. Most prey is carried off in the feet to feeding sites. Birds are usually plucked before being consumed. They often eat only the brains of birds and the soft abdomen of insects. One of these little owls can carry prey weighing up to 3 times its own weight.
The Northern Pygmy Owl feeds on a wide range of small prey including small mammals, birds, and reptiles and amphibians. Voles make up the bulk of their diet, with birds comprising most of the rest (mainly songbirds, but as large as a California Quail). Other small mammals include shrews, mice, chipmunks, bats, moles, young rabbits, and weasels. Insects may be very important when they are most abundant. Other prey taken are toads, frogs and small lizards and snakes.
During winter, surplus prey is cached in a cavity, often in large quantities. Summer caches are usually much smaller.
Pellets are very small, averaging about 3cm long. They are formed only occasionally as these owls don't consume large amounts of fur, feathers, or bone. The pellets tend to fall apart shortly after ejection." From OwlPages.
www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Glaucidium&species=ca...
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
The School House of St. Stephen’s College is not only the oldest surviving school building still providing boarding facilities in Hong Kong, but also one of the very few remaining structures used as part of the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945).
Established by the Reverend Bishop Banister of the Anglican Church and a number of prominent Chinese, including Sir Ho Kai and Dr Tso Seen-wan, who wished to save China through education, St. Stephen’s College first opened on Western Street in 1903. Construction of the present campus in Stanley started in 1928. Opened on 25 March 1930, the School House was the first building completed in the project.
Japan attacked Hong Kong in December 1941 and captured St. Stephen’s College on Christmas Day that year, when they broke into the School House and committed the St. Stephen’s College Massacre. Together with the nearby Stanley Prison Warders’ Quarters, the college was then used as the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945). The school reopened in 1947.
Designed in the late transitional Arts and Crafts style marked by a Modernist influence, the School House is an H-shaped building consisting of an east wing and a west wing connected by a central block. Rough-cast rendering, wide overhanging eaves, arched windows and doorways and arcaded verandahs are typical features of the Arts and Crafts style that can all be seen in the School House.
School House of St. Stephen's College was declared a monument in 2011.
Grimeton, Sweden.
The Grimeton VLF transmitter is a VLF transmission facility near Grimeton close to Varberg in Sweden. It was built in 1923 and has the only workable machine transmitter in the world. For its radiating element it uses a wire aerial hung on six 127-metre high freestanding steel towers looking like gigantic pylons. On July 2, 2004 the Grimeton VLF transmitter was declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.
Quote by Pierre Trudeau.
(View on black recommended)
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Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-i...:
Yeung Hau Temple is one of the oldest temples in Tai O. The temple was probably built in 1699 or earlier with reference to the oldest relic at the temple, an iron bell cast in the 38th year of Kangxi reign (1699) of the Qing dynasty dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong.
Yeung Hau Temple has long been patronised not only by fishing folks and fisheries merchants in Tai O, but also by merchants from the neighbouring places and the Qing soldiers along the coast. The temple is also popular for its strong association with the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade which is a traditional festive event with a history of over one hundred years and was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011.
The temple compound consists of the main temple building and side halls constructed of grey brick, granite and timber. The main temple building is a Qing vernacular two-hall-three-bay building, with a courtyard covered with a pavilion in-between the two halls. The recessed façade is supported by granite columns. Exquisite historic Shiwan ceramic figurines portraying Chinese folk stories can also be found on the roof ridge of the entrance hall and the two parapet walls of the covered courtyard.
Yeung Hau Temple was declared a monument in 2017.
When Gods House
Becomes an Abode of Terror
Than God has to delete the file
Rectify the error
radicalism
dessiminating hatredness
anti Islam
children who come to study
men women
toting guns
Islamic Truth Brotherhood
standard bearer
destroying
Allah s name
in a Reign of Terror
photo courtesy Nd Tv..
Islamabad, July 3 (Xinhua) The chief cleric of the controversial Lal Masjid here Tuesday declared jihad after an exchange of fire between students and Pakistani security forces, Dawn News channel reported.
He also ordered Lal Masjid militants to launch attacks on forces.
Witnesses verified that Lal Masjid militants destroyed some posts set up by government security forces. Some government buildings were also under attack from the religious students.
At least three policemen were reported injured after Lal Masjid students exchanged fire with security forces.
Hundreds of students took to the street in protest, chanting pro-jihadi slogans. Security forces opened fire that triggered retaliations from the students.
Pakistan had Monday deployed more forces near the mosque to tighten security around it, Dawn newspaper reported Tuesday.
The move has brought the total number of Rangers deployed around the mosque to 1,500, with 500 police commandos in support.
The newspaper, quoting informed sources, said the authorities of the mosque have also reinforced security of its brigade, which is equipped with advanced weapons and wireless systems, and threatened to raid more massage centres in the city.
–Xinhua
ISLAMABAD: Parents and close relatives of the students of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia on Wednesday criticised Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz and his deputy Abdur Rashid Ghazi for endangering the lives of their children in the name of jihad.
Talking to Daily Times, the concerned parents said they would never allow their children to return to the madrassas run by Lal Masjid and opposed the two clerics’ declaration of jihad.
A large number of parents and relatives were seen waiting at Aabpara bus station on Wednesday to take their children back to their hometowns. They were asked to contact Aabpara police station to facilitate contact with their children.
Students started coming out of the madrassa by midday and they numbered over 800 by evening. The government facilitated their meeting with the parents and arranged buses and coaches to safely transport them to their respective homes.
Thirty-five buses had sent over 290 males and 82 female students home by evening. Officials said each student had been paid Rs 5,000, as announced by President Musharraf, adding that any students who had surrendered to the security forces were not arrested.
The students who surrendered were unsure of the exact number of students still in the mosque. One female student said the mosque administration was imparting training for jihad to the remaining students. However, she added that female students were not forced to participate in the training.
“We would never let anyone use our children for vested interests,” said a parent, adding that he would never allow his daughter to return to Jamia Hafsa. Another parent said the declaration of jihad by the mosque administration made no sense, while a female student’s brother said if anyone wanted to participate in jihad, they should join the people fighting in Kashmir.
Agencies add: A female student told Geo News that 6,500 to 7,000 female students were still in the madrassa.
Several parents termed the government action just and one Qari Liaquat Ali said the government should be praised for exercising restraint. He said the madrassa administration had not allowed him to retrieve his daughter before the operation.
A 17-year-old student, Raheela, said many female students were being forced to remain on premises and were being used as shields. “I came here for religious education but the brand of Islam propagated by the administration was horrendous,” she added.
Several students said they would never return to the madrassa, even if conditions return to normal. “Though jihad is good, we are not here to fight,” said Zabia, a young student from Jamia Hafsa.
A top-level government official, on condition of anonymity, told APP that male students were being detained for questioning before they were allowed to depart while female students were being released into their parents’ custody promptly.
www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=200775\story_5-7-2007_pg7_14
Lal Masjid cleric in Pak military net
4 Jul 2007, 2310 hrs IST,PTI
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military personnel surrounding the Lal Masjid here arrested Maulana Abdul Aziz, one of the two radical clerics of the mosque, when he tried to escape wearing a burqa on Wednesday, Dawnnews TV said.
Aziz, along with his younger brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi, was leading the militant students of the madrasas run by the Lal Masjid in their standoff with the government.
Chief Police Commissioner of Islamabad, Tariq Pervez, confirmed Aziz's arrest, saying that he was captured when he came out along with several burqa-clad women.
His identity was established during the screening, he told reporters here.
Aziz tried to sneak out in burqa when the troops guarding the area permitted 50 odd parents of students holed up in the mosque to go in to persuade their wards to surrender.
His arrest could perhaps help the government to end the stand-off as he could be effectively used to negotiate the surrender of the rest of the several hundred heavily armed militants headed by his brother Ghazi and holed up in the mosque.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Lal_Masjid_cle...
Mosque leader foresees end of siege
Kansas City.com
Posted on Thu, Jul. 05, 2007print email Digg it del.icio.us AIM
Mosque leader foresees end of siege
By MUNIR AHMAD
Associated Press Writer
PTV
An image taken from the Pakistan Television shows on Thursday, July 5, 2007, the chief cleric of radical Lal mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz, who was arrested by police, Wednesday in Islamabad, Pakistan, removing his veil. The chief cleric of a radical mosque was arrested and more than 1,000 of his followers surrendered Wednesday as troops backed by armored vehicles and helicopters tightened their siege of the complex, officials said. Female police officers searching women fleeing the mosque's seminary discovered Maulana Abdul Aziz under a black head-to-toe veil, said Khalid Pervez, the city's top administrator.
A radical cleric arrested while fleeing his government-besieged mosque in a woman's burqa and high heels said Thursday that the nearly 1,000 followers still inside should flee or surrender.
The comments by Maulana Abdul Aziz raised hopes that the standoff could end without further bloodshed, but his brother remained inside the mosque with followers and said there was no reason to surrender.
Gunfire erupted repeatedly around the Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid Aziz, but no large-scale fighting was reported. Four helicopters hovered over the area, from which journalists were barred.
At least 16 people, including eight militants, have been killed and scores injured in the standoff between Pakistan's U.S.-backed government and Aziz, who has challenged President Gen. Pervez Musharraf with a drive to impose Taliban-style Islamic law in the city.
The bloodshed in the heart of the capital has added to a sense of crisis in Pakistan, where Musharraf faces emboldened militants near the Afghan border and a pro-democracy movement triggered by his botched attempt to fire the country's chief justice.
Aziz's brother, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, remains inside the mosque and an Interior Ministry official estimated that the cleric had about 30 diehard supporters with him. Intelligence officials said there could be as many as 100.
The official, Javed Iqbal Cheema, said Ghazi was using women and children as "human shields," something which Ghazi denied in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
"Why should we surrender? We are not criminals. How can we force those out who don't want to leave?" Ghazi, the mosque's deputy leader, said by telephone.
Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim said some of the more than 1,100 supporters who had fled the mosque and an adjoining girls' madrassa told them that Ghazi had retreated to a cellar along with 20 female "hostages" and that the holdouts had "large quantities of automatic weapons."
Azim said there would be no more negotiations with Ghazi.
"Enough time has already been wasted. It has to be total, unconditional surrender," he said.
Still, he said security forces were holding back from storming the complex to avoid civilian casualties.
"As long as there are women and children inside, I don't think that we will go in," he said.
Aziz was nabbed Wednesday evening after a female police officer checking women fleeing the mosque tried to search his body, which was concealed by a full-length black burqa. Azim, the deputy information minister, said the cleric had also been wearing high-heeled shoes.
In an interview with state-run Pakistan Television after his arrest, the gray-bearded Aziz, still dressed in a burqa, appeared calm as he said his mosque has "a relationship of love and affection with all jihadist organizations" but no actual links with them.
"We have no militants, we only had students. If somebody came from outside, I have no information on that," said Aziz, despite past vows to launch suicide attacks if authorities attack the mosque.
Security forces were sent to the mosque after the kidnapping of six Chinese women alleged to be prostitutes, a brief abduction that drew a protest from Beijing and proved to be the last straw in a string of provocations by the mosque stretching back six months.
Militant students streamed out of the mosque to confront the government forces, leading to a daylong battle on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani army surrounded the mosque, determined to end the actions by the clerics and students.
Aziz said that as many as 700 women and about 250 men remained inside the mosque compound and an adjacent women's seminary, some armed with more than a dozen AK-47 assault rifles provided by "friends."
Associated Press reporters Sadaqat Jan, Zarar Khan and Stephen Graham in Islamabad contributed to this report.
www.kansascity.com/449/story/177892.html
update
july 10 2007
Pakistani forces storm besieged Red Mosque
Pakistani forces have stormed Islamabad's Red Mosque after talks to end a week-long stand-off with radical militants holed up inside broke down. The assault took place in the early hours of the morning. Dozens of militants and several soldiers have reportedly been killed, but it is reported some 20 children were rescued. Sporadic fire rang out over the capital and thick smoke was seen rising from the compound which also houses a religious school and a library.
An unknown number of women and children were believed to be held inside, to be used as human shields. The Red Mosque has been a centre for militancy for years and in recent months was used as a stronghold by radical students who wanted to install Sharia law in the city.
On Monday, at the behest of President Pervez Musharraf, a delegation of Muslim scholars had gathered outside the mosque and attempted to discuss with the militants by loudspeaker, but to no avail. "We have done everything which was possible on the end of the government," said Pakistani Information minister Mohammed Ali Durrani. "And we are really disappointed by the behaviour on the other end."
The radical cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi who is leading the opposition movement said no one was being held against their will. He and his fighters were ordered to surrender or die.
euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=431987&l...
Up to 50 dead as Pakistanis storm mosque
Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:10AM BST
Kamran Haider
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani forces stormed a mosque compound in the capital on Tuesday, killing up to 50 militants as they fought their way through an Islamic school where women and children were feared to be hiding.
While militants mounted a last stand in the basements of the madrasa, commandos had yet to encounter any women and children, with more than two-thirds of the complex cleared.
However, military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad said rebel cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi was barricaded in a basement, using women and children as human shields.
Three soldiers were killed and many more people wounded, while 50 militants were arrested, Arshad said.
But he said these were initial casualty reports and the assault to end a week-long standoff at Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, was still in progress eight hours after it began.
Women and children were feared to be in areas of the compound security forces had still to clear.
"They have yet to be encountered." Arshad said.
Nearly 30 loud blasts rocked the heart of Islamabad for an hour beginning at around 9.30 a.m. (0430 GMT). There was no sound of gunfire
uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKISL25141320070710?src=...
40 militants killed in Lal Masjid attack
10 Jul 2007, 0950 hrs IST,PTI
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani troops stormed the Lal Masjid complex in the capital early Tuesday morning after talks with radicals to end the week-long standoff broke down, triggering a heavy gunbattle, which left 40 militants and three security personnel dead.
Heavy gunfire erupted and loud blasts were heard as Operation Silence was launched at 4 am with commandos surrounding the mosque, where militants are believed to be holding 150 hostages, from three sides.
Twenty children escaped as the operation started and were taken in the care of security forces. Fierce fighting raged at the religious school and library in the compound where hundreds of women and children were believed to be present.
Deputy Administrator of the Masjid Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his supporters are believed to have taken shelter in the bunkers built in the basement of the mosque are putting up a stiff resistance, Defence Ministry Spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad told reporters.
"The militants are using small arms and grenades. They are in the basement," he said adding "we are facing resistance from the basement. Such an operation could take three or four hours".
"According to my information part of the mosque has been cleared but heavy fighting was on in madrassa," he said.
The militants are believed to be armed with machine guns, rocket launchers, hand grenades and petrol bombs.
Arshad said three security force personnel and 40 militants have so far been killed in the operation.
As the explosion began rocking the besieged mosque complex, Ghazi spoke briefly to TV channels and blamed the government for the failure.
Ghazi said he was ready to leave as suggested by the government but at the same time insisted that clerics and media should visit the mosque complex to prove his claim that no foreign militants or heavy weapons were there.
"It is the final push to clear the mosque of armed militants," Arshad said.
He said he has no information about the claim of Ghazi that his mother has been killed.
Asking the residents of the capital not to come out or go onto their terraces, he said they could be hit by shrapnel and stray bullets.
He said estimates are that about 200 to 300 militants were holed up in the complex and the troops hope to finish it as early as possible.
Emergency has been declared in all the hospitals in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi and doctors and other medical staff were kept on stand by before the operation began.
The operation was launched as soon as ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) President Shujaat Hussain in a brief nationally televised press conference said talks to find out a peaceful solution to the stand-off had failed.
Hussain said he was never disappointed so much in life as an agreement could not be reached even after the government showed maximum flexibility.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/40_militants_killed_in_Lal_Ma...
Inside view of the cathedral. Bogotá, 2600 meters above sea level.
The Metropolitan and Primate Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter of Bogotá or better known as the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogotá and Primate of Colombia, officially Sacred Holy Temple Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica and Primate of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Saint Peter, is a cathedral church of Catholic worship consecrated to the Immaculate Conception and under the patronage of Saint Peter; it is a Neoclassical style building located in the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, the country's capital.
The cathedral was designed by Domingo de Petrés and was built between 1807 and 1823. Due to its historical significance, architectural and cultural value, it was declared a Monumento Nacional by decree 1,584 of August 11, 1975.
The Castllo de San Marcos was once known as Fort Marion, and was declared a historical monument in 1924, centuries after it was built to defend the City of St. Augustine in 1695. There were wooden forts in various areas, and another, smaller fort down river that was the first bastion of defense if ships attempted to head north up the Matanzas River into the city.
This is one of the oldest structures in the United States, since we are still a young country by comparison to the ones who sent explorers out to discover this new land. The war and tear on the building is visible. Made of coquina blocks, a stone that is mostly made up of tiny shells, it was stronger than you might think, as well as being very attractive and textural. Here is a link that tells a little about this interesting material: www.nps.gov/foma/learn/historyculture/upload/Coquina.pdf
What you are looking at here is one of the gun turrets where the soldiers would shoot from. The walls have areas where canons would be rolled up and fired from, like the area on the mid, right side of the photo. There were wide walkways all along the perimeter of the top of the fort, and stairs leading down to a courtyard area, and rooms which housed the soldiers, or had ammunition supplies, etc. It is definitely worth a trip to visit if you are in the area!
The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.
The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time in a union with Sweden and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway were reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a few years during the 1820s, King Karl Johan actually banned it, believing that celebrations like this were in fact a kind of protest and disregard — even revolt — against the The king's attitude changed after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day. It was, however, not until 1833 that public addresses were held, and official celebration was initiated near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg, who had spent much of his political life curbing the personal power of the monarch. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland, thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by an informant dispatched by the king himself.
After 1864 the day became more established when the first children's parade was launched in Christiania, at first consisting only of boys. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's parade at Eidsvoll around 1820. It was only in 1899 that girls were allowed to join in the parade for the first time. In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII. Obviously, this ended any Swedish concern for the activities of the National Day.
By historical coincidence, the Second World War ended in Norway nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. Even if The Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and is not widely celebrated. Instead, a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17.
A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its very non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. The longest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the main festivities. This is broadcast on TV every year, with comments on costumes, banners, etc., together with local reports from celebrations around the country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, marching bands, and passes the royal palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony.
(Wikipedia)
We love our flag and everyone who has a flag will use it today, either in their hand, in the garden or on the house.
And we are all crying Hurray and singing our nationalsong "Ja vi elsker dette landet" ("Yes we love this country"
✨🎉✨
Lol, we are indeed fond of our country and its flag 💖
Hand over another Ice Cream, thank you!
😁😂
The Meziad Cave, declared a natural monument and a speleological reservation, is located in The Western Carpathian (Apuseni) Mountains, more specifically in Padurea Craiului Mountains.
The Meziad Cave is one of the longest caves in Romania, with a length of nearly five kilometres, features an enormous opening, and it is split into three levels.
10th July 2016 - Jet Provost T.3 XN637 was built by Hunting-Percival at Luton, and after flight tests was declared ready for collection on 31st August 1961. It was ferried from Luton to RAF Shawbury a week later (7th September) where it went to 27MU, for final preparations for RAF service began.
On 5th October 1961, XN637 was issued to No 3 Flying Training School (3FTS), based at RAF Leeming in Yorkshire. This Unit had reformed the previous month as a Jet Provost squadron. XN637 remained in service, latterly as aircraft number ’13’, until January 1963 when it returned to RAF Shawbury for storage. It stayed mothballed with 27MU for nearly ten years until November 11th 1972, when it was moved to RAF Kemble for further storage, this time with 5MU.
On 14th February 1973 XN637 was officially declared a NEA – Non Effective Airframe, and within a month it had been struck off charge.
Originally destined for fire fighting practice, the jet moved instead to Winterbourne Gunner where it became part of the Nuclear Bacteriological and Chemical Defence Centre fleet of instructional airframes.
During 1978 aircraft collector Sandy Topen acquired XN637, in a swap deal involving a DH Vampire. The aircraft was subsequently moved by road to Duxford, and a restoration was begun by the Vintage Aircraft Team to put the jet back in the air. The project continued slowly at Duxford, and the aircraft was placed on the civilian register as G-BKOU in February 1983.
The Vintage Aircraft Team moved its aircraft out of Duxford to Bushey in Hertfordshire in December 1983, but within 18 months the organisation had re-located to Cranfield in Bedfordshire. Restoration work was re-started and progress was steady throughout the mid-1980s.
During the summer of 1988, XN637 made her first post restoration flight, with Dizzy Addicott at the controls. It was painted in a camouflaged scheme and made its UK display debut on September 4th 1989 at the Biggin Hill Air Fair, displayed by Bob Thompson. The aircraft became a regular feature on the UK airshow circuit. During 1993 the aircraft was re-painted into a new colour scheme, representing Jet Provost number ‘3’ of the Tactical Weapons Unit based at Brawdy.
In July 1995 XN637 moved to North Weald and into new ownership, with the Seagull formation group, and it became a regular sight in the Essex skies. Six years later the aircraft moved to Cranfield where it was maintained on Seagull’s behalf, by the resident Kennet Aviation. In the winter of 2002 Kennet Aviation and XN637 relocated to North Weald, joining numerous other examples of warbirds and classic jets based on the airfield. During March and April 2004 XN637 was re-sprayed by Area 51 into a new red/blue/white colour scheme, with her CAA registration applied.
During 2008, XN637’s ownership syndicate, Where Eagles Share, was dissolved and the aeroplane was then acquired by a new group of owners. Titled “The Classic Jet Preservation Group”, the team has replaced the G-BKOU with its military serial XN637 and fly the aeroplane regularly.
It remains the last genuine Jet Provost T.3 flying anywhere, and the lowest houred with only 1600 hours and 9 F.I. (Information taken from the JP Display Team website - jpdisplay.co.uk/the-jet-provost/)
LONDON — The army renewed clashes with insurgents early Monday after thousands of antigovernment protesters defied a state of emergency, massing in the streets, firing on armored military vehicles and attacking government offices.
Soldiers charged protesters and fired automatic weapons into the crowds to clear a major road leading out of the centre as England began another round of military operations aimed at quelling unrest. Hospitals said at least 60 people were wounded.
High Chancellor Adam Sutler declared the state of emergency last Sunday after violence broke out following attempts by residents of the nearly formed Swine flu quarantine zones to get medical treatment .
On Sunday, armed protesters attacked Norsfire officials in Liverpool as they was leaving the Interior Ministry North building, injuring several people in the process. The building was set on fire and attempts by fire fighter to deal with the blaze thwarted by demonstrators throwing rocks and bottles.
The emergency decree bans gatherings of more than five people had been issued, but bands of protesters roamed the city, defying deployments of soldiers and armored vehicles. The largest crowd gathered outside Norsefire offices, where demonstrations have continued for days, calling for the dissolution of the government.
Protesters erected barricades, including parked vehicles, in case the military moved against them, and some were seen filling bottles with gas as makeshift bombs.
The most militant demonstrators, known as “PROS,” have yet to issue demands or a political agenda other than call for the fall of the present Norsefire regime.
“Now that they have tanks on the streets, it is time for the people to come out in revolution,” said a protest organiser known only as V in the telephone interview with the IHT on Sunday evening. “And when it is necessary, we will take back our country.”
Speaking to an audience of party officials at Downing Street, the High chancellors office, leader, Adam Sutler, said a state of emergency was “the only way to save this nations fro the forces of anarchy and chaos.”
He added: “They will crush these cowards and we will remain here. We will start a war against all those who would destroy everything we have worked so hard to create.”
In a televised speech to the nation, Mr. Andrews, deputy head of the Office of Political Orthodoxy said execution orders were being prepared for leaders of the demonstrations.
“In the current situation, what we have to do is bring order to the country, bring back stability and have a firm hand on the wheel of government,” Mr. Andrews said. “The chancellor will ensure in every way that these terrorist cause no further damage to our proud nation.”
Mr. Andrews’s emergency decree reversed a police only approach critics said had contributed to the escalation of hostilities over the previous week in cities across England. At the meeting, in the beach resort of Blackpool, hundreds of protesters broke through a thin line of security officers to enter the hotel complex where the local Norsefire leaders were gathered. Several leaders were evacuated by helicopter.
The meeting was to have included the heads of the 10 members of the Norsefire regional command, top Territorial Militia commanders and representatives of local councils in the area. The officials had planned to discuss the handing of the Swine flu crisis.
Units of the 2nd Wessex brigade in conjunction with elements of the army air corp managed to restore order in matter of hours according to official reports. Unofficial reports speaks of a dozen dead and possibly hundreds of injured following the bombing of an old people’s home which the army spokesmen said was being used as an insurgent’s weapon depot.
“Yesterday we saw the true face of terrorism. There can be no doubt that those who seek to challenge the government are little more than thugs and criminals,” The Daily Mail said in a front-page editorial on Sunday. “We need to show those who would destroy our way of life that their vile efforts will not bear fruit.”
As a results of the troubles traffic in parts of London is virtually non - existent, with daily business curtailed or at a standstill. Many of England’s regional airports, which were shut by huge protests on Thursday, remain closed with only London Heathrow and Gatwick functioning normally. Hotels were open, and but foreigners said they did feel threatened.
“We are very worried about the situation,” said Thibault Quetel, 20, from France, who is studying economics at Cambridge university. “This is a problem between English. There hasn’t been any animosity toward foreigners.”
Insurgents and protesters, who mostly come from ethnic minorities and the urban working class, represent one side of a deep social and political divide that pits them against the supporters of Norsefire,” who demonstrated last Wednesday in support of government measures to stop the spread of Swine flu.
Norsefire supporters generally represent the country’s established power centers, including the royalists, the elite and middle class, and the military, who feel threatened by attempts to change the country’s balance of power.
As demonstrations by the Norsefire’s foes continued, court rulings cleared the way for the setting up of internment camps on the Isle of White and the forced deportation of protesters with roots outside the UK.
“We need to show insurgents that the government is capable of fending off any challenge to its authority,” said Tom Thorson, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Oxford University. “The use of the army to put down these acts of subversion is just the beginning.”
The deployment of army units to impose quarantine zones and deal with armed uprisings has resulted in an international outcry of the Norsefire government. The United Nations security council, which England quit two years ago issued an official condemnation of the use of air strikes and heavy artillery in urban areas.
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/health/02flu.html?scp=1&sq... flu london&st=cse
In Marbury v. Madison, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1803 declared it had the power to nullify legislative laws and executive branch actions as unconstitutional. Although that was not a power given the Judicial Branch in the U.S. Constitution, the Judicial Branch ruling that gave its courts such federal power stuck.
The worry was that by giving this federal branch final power to overrule the other branches it would set up the judicial branch as the most powerful branch in the federal government. In essence, the cosmos would revolve around the Supreme Court. In the Federalist Papers (1787-1788) number 78, Alexander Hamilton's answer in anticipation of this problem was, no way. He explained that the judicial branch was the weakest of the three federal branches. "The judiciary, on the contrary, has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever," wrote Hamilton. The House could reduce the funding of the courts. Besides nominating candidates that he likes, the President could stop nominating judges altogether. Or, the Senate could stop its consent of those nominated. The executive branch could also refuse to enforce a federal court's judgment altogether. "It may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments."
Alexander Hamilton also wrote in the same essay of the strength of including the judicial branch in watching the Constitutionality of legislation. "It is not otherwise to be supposed, that the Constitution could intend to enable the representatives of the people to substitute their WILL to that of their constituents. It is far more rational to suppose, that the courts were designed to be an intermediate body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep the latter within the limits assigned to their authority."
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:
Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.
The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.
The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.
In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.
The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.
A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.
Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.
As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.
In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.
In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded "Award of Excellence" from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Some of us had gotten together this past Saturday and we were rather peeved by the remark by Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi asserting that because some women dress immodestly, men are tempted, and there is a consequential rise in earthquakes. (Plate tectonics? Who cares? It's cleavage that causes this.) So, April 26 is Boobquake 2010. Let's test out whether women displaying some cleavage cause the earth to quake. Hugs to my friends Paula and Becca!
From an article:
It promises to be a "scientific experiment" like none you've ever seen.
The 16-year-old called his teacher a lewd name on the social networking site.To test an Iranian cleric's claim that immodestly dressed women are responsible for earthquakes, tens of thousands of women around the country plan to show off an extra bit of skin today.
It all started a week ago, when Purdue University senior Jennifer McCreight, 22, wrote a blog post about some "supernatural thinking" put forward by Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, an Iranian prayer leader.
"Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which [consequently] increases earthquakes," he was quoted as saying during Friday prayers in Tehran.
Put off by the cleric's comment, the genetics major turned to her blog and declared that it was "Time for a Boobquake."
The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest. Attempts to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful.
It was declared a National Historic monument.
It was a property of Juan Narbona who exploited it like limekiln.
In the year 1738 there was constructed an oratory and a chapel that were the only ones between Montevideo and Villa Soriano
The Estancia de Narbona, (Narbona’s Farm), built by Don Juan de Narbona in 1732, is an archeological relic. Its Chapel and Oratory were the only ones that existed at those times between Montevideo and Villa Soriano. They were related to the Camacho family, and they are near the Camacho Bridge, surrounded by a beautiful park.
www.elobservador.com.uy/una-guardiana-que-dice-ser-la-ult...
farsouthtravels.blogspot.com/2009/05/estancia-narbona-mon...
www.focoblanco.com.uy/2011/03/maria-julia-en-capilla-narb...
blogs.montevideo.com.uy/blognoticia_1216_1.html
lomioesamateur.wordpress.com/mas-ficciones/estancia-y-cap...
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/new-territ...:
The Residence of Ip Ting-sz, built around 1908, is modelled on Dr Sun Yat-sen’s residence in Cuiheng Village 翠亨村, Zhongshan 中山. Ip Ting-sz (1879-1943), alias Tin-fat 天發, also known by his literary name, Kwong-san 廣新, was the 8th generation ancestor of the Ip clan in Lin Ma Hang, Sha Tau Kok. He went to Thailand at an early age to work as an apprentice tailor and later set up a garment factory there to manufacture military uniforms.
According to information from the Chinese Association in Thailand, Dr Sun Yat-sen founded the Chinese Club in Thailand 泰國中華會所 (later the Chinese Association in Thailand 泰國中華會館) in 1907 to rally support among overseas Chinese for his revolutionary activities. Ip Ting-sz was one of the originators and co-founders of the Chinese Association. He was later appointed president of the Tong Meng Hui 同盟會 (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) Siam Branch and a revolutionary newspaper. Ip was active in promoting the development of the Tong Meng Hui in the territory and contributed funds for the revolutionary campaign. In 1936, Ip Ting-sz and his family returned to Lin Ma Hang, where he passed away in 1943.
The Residence of Ip Ting-sz is a three-bay, two-storey building fronted by a covered porchway, with columns supporting the balcony. The building is constructed principally of grey bricks and timber, with a traditional pitched roof. Murals of auspicious Chinese motifs are found over the front doors, while the balcony is decorated with ceramic vase-shaped balusters, demonstrating a blend of Chinese and Western architectural features.
The Residence of Ip Ting-sz was declared a monument in 2009.
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/kowloon/mo...:
Kowloon Union Church, one of the earliest inter-denominational churches in Hong Kong, was built by the London Missionary Society with financial support from Sir Paul Chater. The foundation stone was laid on 27 May 1930 by the then Colonial Secretary, W.T. Southorn, and the church was officially opened on 10 April 1931 by the then Governor Sir William Peel. During the Japanese Occupation, the church ceased to function and the building was converted into a horse stable by the Japanese army and suffered severe looting and damage. The church was opened again for public worship with a rededication service held on 19 October 1947 and continues to serve the community until now.
The church possesses “Perpendicular Gothic” architectural features, with pitched Chinese-tiled roof, red load-bearing brick walls and contrasting grey granite steps and window surrounds. A semi-circular apse and an attached three-storey battlemented tower are built at the two ends of the church respectively.
The square battlemented tower with pointed arch doorway surround and foundation stone at the base is designed to serve as the main entrance to the church. It is of fair-face red brickwork with carved granite ornaments and trimmings. There is also a concrete flat roof topped with a crenelated low parapet wall.
The windows of the church are set in decorative granite framing in the form of trefoil-headed tracery. The window frames are of wrought-iron and there are angular carved hoods above the windows. The windows of top floor of the battlemented tower are with stone louvers. The elegant double hammer-beam timber roof trusses with carved granite corbel supports are a rare and dominant feature of the spacious interior of the main hall of the church.
Kowloon Union Church was declared a monument in 2017.
I will have to start rationing flickr uploads as Brisbane has just been declared a National Level Hotspot with a three day emergency lockdown starting tonight. Of course, there has been immediate panic buying and toilet paper has no doubt run out already, even though shopping is permitted. Apparently the lines at supermarkets are way long - will people not listen and learn? In fact, as I write this my wife has shown me an online news story of supermarkets in Brisbane stripped bare.
A Quarantine Hotel worker tested positive to the new, more transmittable UK mutant of the virus and before symptoms, caught trains, went shopping etc. etc. So we are now suddenly the centre point of Australian COVID focus with borders locked all over the country to Queenslanders and who would blame them? One just has to look at the Melbourne lesson and what is happening with utter chaos and high death rates in the UK right now. Do the right thing, protect yourself. This thing does not take prisoners, especially among the vulnerable.
National Cabinet has decided that return overseas travel numbers are to be reduced with some 46000 Australians still waiting to come home, many from the UK and pre-flight testing and quarantine protocols to be enhanced. We have suddenly many people in isolation with the UK variant from returned travellers.
We should have expected it, this is a smart and deadly disease and just a molecular amount will start a forest fire.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, a photo jaunt for tomorrow with friends has been cancelled. Mind you, it's raining, windy, inclement at the moment but we will never knock rain.
These ducks make their home at College's Crossing on the Brisbane River near Ipswich, no doubt all rather oblivious to the world at war around them.
It hasn't yet been declared a mast year here in Massachusetts by botanists, but we definitely have a bumper crop of acorns. They fall with a clatter on the deck every few minutes, and if one lands on the car roof, it sounds more like a cocnut has hit than a humble acorn.
Full disclosure: my neighbor picked up all the acorns that had fallen in his yard (complaining with a wink that they fell from MY trees!) and dumped them at the edge of the woods across the street. I am pretty sure these are the ones he dumped, as they are more densely packed than anywhere else in the neighborhood. But they do make the point.