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I wish this was a little clearer but my friend didn't want to stay still for me. By far I think this is the most beautiful creature on earth.
Taken at the Nashville Zoo, TN.
Normally i just pop onto the coast path a short distance from my house to photograph the sunset....today however i hiked 3.5 miles further along the coast to capture it.....my navigational skills are up to scratch as i got the location spot on....:-)
Shot at a small town cultural event, Skördefesten (harvest fair), in Falköping. Don't know this artists name though.
three gull shots from this morning ,got the lens back yesterday from sigma .looks like they have fixed the problems I was having with it very well . can't moan at these
Mist. Dictionary definition: "Something you'd see a lot more of if you didn't have the capacity to sleep through a modestly sized apocalyptic event as if nothing were happening. Try getting out of bed early one morning and you might see what you're missing."
Ok, that's not quite what the dictionary says - not the one on my bookshelf anyway. But it would help if I wasn't so lamentably bad in the mornings. If uninterrupted sleep is available then I tend to remain oblivious to the world until getting out of bed is compulsory. On every working day of my life, breakfast is always taken at my desk as I stare sullenly at my emails and pray nobody asks me any difficult questions until at least 10:30. There are studies that suggest I'm not lazy - it's just that my body cycle is out of kilter with the conventions of the world around me. Really I'm just lazy. I know it, even if the clever bods who work on these studies look to excuse my morose glare at anyone who tries to enter my office before I've brewed my first coffee.
So because of this inability to fit in with the rest of society, I don't get to see mist very often, because it generally appears in the morning. I might see it when I'm making the 4 mile journey to work, but by then the opportunity to stand and stare at the silhouettes of distant trees in the gloom has passed. But over the last couple of evenings the air has been still and the mist has returned at the close of the day, and yesterday I resolved to seize the opportunity.
I almost missed my chance though. As I arrived home the mist appeared to be clearing, and I found myself gazing out into the garden feeling undecided, reaching for the remote and "Richard Osman's House of Games" on BBC2. Those of you who aren't in Britain or the Irish Republic, or those of you with interesting lives who do inhabit these countries will have little idea what I'm talking about here. Suffice to say it's a gentle tea time quiz show presented by a genial and gentle humoured giant of a host with no great riches at stake. Within minutes I was fast asleep. Half and hour later consciousness returned along with the gathering mist, and so out I went for an entire half mile in the car - well daylight time was running out you see, and we've already established that I'm lazy.
And this is how I found myself at Unity Woods, a handful of acres of scrub oak with twisting trunks and a maze of secret paths. To add to the sense of eeriness the place is riddled with old mineshafts, a legacy of the tin mining history which once made the area I live in the richest on earth. Ironic that now it's one of the poorest regions in Europe. A number of mineshafts are capped, but there are warnings at each entry to the woods to stay on the paths, lest the unwary visitor inadvertently stumble into another one and disappear 400ft into the bowels of the earth.
What's delightful about this place is the absolute silence you can find. Only the odd mountain biker, dog walker or horse rider passes through this way, or me and my friends when it's my turn to host the Sunday morning pre-breakfast trail run. Last night I saw only 3 people - all of them mountain bikers, although the third one managed to pass by when after not seeing a single soul for more than 45 minutes I decided that the call of nature wasn't going to wait until I went home. Why does that always seem to happen?
Eventually I found myself at the clearing above the local cycle trail, looking down on the lone tree that I always notice when I'm below it on my own mountain bike. The stillness was absolute. A murder of unseen crows broke the silence in the mist somewhere overhead as they made for their nests in the approaching darkness. It was about as perfect as these moments can be. The sort of evening you know you're going to remember the sensation of being there for a long time, made the more delightful by it being right on your home turf. Just wonderful.
And then I realised I needed to get back to the car, through the mysterious twisted wood in the darkness. On my own. Carrying a bag full of expensive camera gear. Accompanied by unexplained and invisible rustling in the undergrowth around me. Probably squirrels or a badger, or maybe even a deer. The fact that I look like the missing Mitchell brother didn't completely dispel the sense of unease either and I was relieved to emerge from the canopy without a band of brigands at my heels. Of course the small car park had two vehicles in addition to my own - one empty and the other occupied by a furtive looking couple, but then again those of you who read my comet tales in July will testify that I'm getting used to this sort of thing. Nobody can see you blushing in the darkness in any case.
(As seen across the valley from my living room... After we had rain, they had snow in the alpine...)
The definition of ecotourism is responsible travelling on the part of travellers who travel to places that conserve our environment...http://www.thegreenlivingexpert.com/definition-of-ecotourism.html
#nature #travel #ecoturismo #tourism #adventure #hiking #naturaleza #trekking #turismo #outdoor #chacurru #paraguay #southamerica #natural #pedrojuancaballero #beach #insta_paraguay #livefolk #lake #nehalinvarsagez #bukla #lifeofadventure #instabukla #amambay #canopytour #wanderlust #buklagram #wildlife #happy #buklatur
Drop n., as in "A large drop of patience required" !!!
Canon EOS 30D, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
More of these pictorial definitons in my Dictionary Definition Macros Set
Definition One:
The property of reflecting light or radiation, especially reflectance as measured independently of the thickness of a material.
Definition Two:
The quality of being reflective.
Location: The Pond, Tierpark Lange Erlen, Basel City BS Switzerland.
(This is more of a park than a zoo, with a focus on very large enclosures for a limited number of animals. Entrance is free to the public.)
In my album: Dan's Reflections.
Definition
In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen. In the United Kingdom, the word is still often used in this sense, but it later underwent pejoration. In current usage, it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. The word gang often carries a negative connotation; however, within a gang which defines itself in opposition to mainstream norms, members may adopt the phrase as a statement of identity or defiance.
The word "gang" derives from the past participle of Old English gan, meaning "to go". It is cognate with Old Norse gangster,[3] meaning "journey."[4]
History
Apache gangsters fight police. Paris, 1904
In discussing banditry in Chinese history, Barrington Moore, Jr. suggests that gangsterism as a "form of self-help which victimizes others" may appear in societies which lack strong "forces of law and order"; he characterizes European feudalism as "mainly gangsterism that had become society itself and acquired respectability".[5]
A wide variety of gangs, such as the Order of Assassins, the Damned Crew, Adam the Leper's gang, Penny Mobs, Indian Thugs, Chinese Triads, Snakehead, Japanese Yakuza, Irish mob, Pancho Villa's Villistas, Dead Rabbits, American Old West outlaw gangs, Bowery Boys, Chasers, the Italian mafia, Jewish mafia, and Russian Mafia crime families have existed for centuries. According to some estimates the Thuggee gangs in India murdered 1 million people between 1740 and 1840.[6]
The 17th century saw London "terrorized by a series of organized gangs",[7] some of them known as the Mims, Hectors, Bugles, and Dead Boys. These gangs often came into conflict with each other. The members dressed "with colored ribbons to distinguish the different factions."[8]
Chicago had over 1,000 gangs in the 1920s.[9] These early gangs had reputations for many criminal activities, but in most countries could not profit from drug trafficking prior to drugs being made illegal by laws such as the 1912 International Opium Convention and the 1919 Volstead Act.[citation needed] Gang involvement in drug trafficking increased during the 1970s and 1980s, but some gangs continue to have minimal involvement in the trade.[10]
In the United States, the history of gangs began on the East Coast in 1783 following the American Revolution.[11] The emergence of the gangs was largely attributed to the vast rural population immigration to the urban areas. The first street-gang in the United States, the 40 Thieves, began around the late 1820s in New York City. The gangs in Washington D.C. had control of what is now Federal Triangle, in a region then known as Murder Bay.[12]
Current numbers
Further information: Gang population
In 2007, there were approximately 785,000 active street gang members in the United States, according to the National Youth Gang Center.[13] In 2011, the National Gang Intelligence Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation asserted that "There are approximately 1.4 million active street, prison, and outlaw gang members comprising more than 33,500 gangs in the United States."[1] Approximately 230,000 gang members were in U.S. prisons or jails in 2011.[1]
According to the Chicago Crime Commission publication, "The Gang Book 2012", Chicago has more gang members than any other city in the United States: 150,000 members.[14] Traditionally Los Angeles County has been considered the Gang Capital of America, with an estimated 120,000 (41,000 in the City) gang members.[15]
Chicago has a higher rate of gang membership per capita than Los Angeles.[16] The state of Illinois has a higher rate of gang membership (8-11 gang members per 1,000 population) than California (5-7 gang members per 1,000 population).[16]
There were at least 30,000 gangs and 800,000 gang members active across the USA in 2007.[17][18] About 900,000 gang members lived "within local communities across the country," and about 147,000 were in U.S. prisons or jails in 2009.[19] By 1999, Hispanics accounted for 47% of all gang members, Blacks 31%, Whites 13%, and Asians 6%.[20]
Freshly tattooed teardrops signify his stints in prison for a young member of the 18th Street gang in Los Angeles.
A December 13, 2009 The New York Times article about growing gang violence on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation estimated that there were 39 gangs with 5,000 members on that reservation alone.[21]
There are between 25,000 and 50,000 gang members in Central America's El Salvador.[22]
More than 1,800 gangs were known to be operating in the UK in 2011.[23]
The FBI estimates that the four Italian organized crime groups active in the United States have 25,000 members in total.[24]
The Russian, Chechen, Azerbaijani, Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, and other former Soviet organized crime groups or "Bratvas" have many members and associates affiliated with their various sorts of organized crime, but no statistics are available.
The Yakuza are among one of the largest crime organizations in the world. As of 2005, there are some 102,400 known members in Japan.[25]
Hong Kong's Triads include up to 160,000 members in the 21st century.[26] It was estimated that in the 1950s, there were 300,000 Triad members in Hong Kong.[27]
Notable examples
A Mara Salvatrucha gang member with a tattoo showing his gang membership.
Perhaps the best known criminal gangs are the Italian Cosa Nostra, commonly known as the Mafia.[28] The Napolitan Camorra, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta and the Apulian Sacra Corona Unita are similar Italian organized gangs.
Other criminal gangs include the Russian Mafia, Mexican[29] and Colombian Drug Cartels, the Aryan Brotherhood, the Mexican Mafia, the Texas Syndicate, the Black Guerrilla Family, the Nuestra Familia, the Mara Salvatrucha, the Primeiro Comando da Capital, the Irish Mob, the Puerto Rican mafia Nuestra familia de MartÃnez sangre,the Chinese Triads, the Japanese Yakuza, the Jamaican-British Yardies, the Haitian gang Zoe Pound, and other crime syndicates.[30]
On a lower level in the criminal gang hierarchy are street gangs in the United States, such as the Bloods, Crips,Asian Boyz, or Latin Kings.Biker gangs (such as the Hells Angels and the Mongols Motorcycle Club) and white power skinhead gangs are also notable.
Types and structure
Latin King gang member showing his gang tattoo, a lion with a crown, and signifying the 5 point star with his hands
Many types of gangs make up the general structure of an organized group.[31]
There are street gangs, which are people with similar backgrounds and motivations.[32] The term "street gang" is commonly used interchangeably with "youth gang", referring to neighborhood or street-based youth groups that meet "gang" criteria. Miller (1992) defines a street gang as "a self-formed association of peers, united by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership and internal organization, who act collectively or as individuals to achieve specific purposes, including the conduct of illegal activity and control of a particular territory, facility, or enterprise."[33]
Understanding the structure of gangs is a critical skill to defining the types of strategies that are most effective with dealing with them, from the at-risk youth to the gang leaders.[34] Not all individuals who display the outward signs of gang membership are actually involved in criminal activities. An individual's age, physical structure, ability to fight, willingness to use violence, and arrest record are often principal factors in determining where an individual stands in the gang hierarchy; now money derived from criminal activity and ability to provide for the gang also impacts the individual's status within the gang. The structure of gangs varies depending primarily on size which can range in size from five or ten to several thousand. Many of the larger gangs break up into smaller groups, cliques or sub-sets. The cliques typically bring more territory to a gang as they expand and recruit new members. Most gangs operate informally with leadership falling to whoever takes control; others have distinct leadership and are highly structured, much like a business or corporation.
Matthew O'Deane, Ph.D.,[34] has identified five primary steps of gang involvement applicable to the majority of gangs in the world; at risk, associates, members, hardcore members and leaders.
"At risk" or "peripheral"
This group of kids is not considered gang members by law enforcement, but they know gang members and may associate with them on a casual or limited basis, mostly watching and imitating the older gang members. They are getting close to an age where they might decide to join the gang. They may like and admire the gang members in the neighborhood and the gang lifestyle, but do not participate in the gang's criminal activity. This group is generally between 7 and 9 years old.
"Associates" or "affiliates"
These kids associate with gang members on a regular basis and tend to consider gang life normal and acceptable. They find certain things in common with gang members and are seriously thinking about joining the gang. Some associates consider themselves members, even if they have not yet been formally initiated. This person is commonly called a "Wanna Be", "Pee Wee", or "Baby Gangster"; many may claim to back up the gang if confronted by law enforcement. They may act, walk, talk, and dress like gang members and will tend to socialize with them. These associates are sometimes used by older gang members to do specific tasks, such as serving as lookouts, runners, or for writing graffiti. This group typically lacks direction and may drift in and out of the gang depending on the current activities of the gang. This person is generally between the ages of 9 and 13, but can range from 7 to 18 years old in some cases. It is often difficult to distinguish an associate from a member by looking at them. The difference is in their commitment to the gang.
Young gang recruits
"Gang member"
This person associates almost exclusively with other gang members, to the exclusion of family and former friends. They have shifted their loyalty from their family to their gang. This person participates in gang crimes and most of the gang's activities. They make up the bulk of a gang's membership and are held responsible for protection of the gang's turf and fellow gang members. This person is generally between the ages of 14 and 20 years old, but, in some extreme cases, can range from 11 to 40 years old. The gang member has a much more significant attachment to the gang mentality, or code, when compared to an associate.
"Hard core gang member"
This gang member has become totally committed to the gang and gang lifestyle, commonly referred to as an "OG" or Original Gangster or "Veterano". This usage has changed from its original meaning, which indicated a founding member of a gang or one who was active in the 1960s or 1970s.
They usually reject any value system other than that of his/her gang and their life revolves around the gang. This member typically has been arrested and been through the justice system. This person will commit any crime or act of violence to further the goals and objectives of the gang.
"Gang leader"
Black Mafia Family leaders in 2004
These members are the upper echelons of the gang's command. This gang member is probably the oldest in the posse and likely has the smallest criminal record and they often have the power to direct the gang's activity, whether they are involved or not. In many jurisdictions, this person is likely a prison gang member calling the shots from within the prison system or is on parole. Often, they distance themselves from the street gang activities and make attempts to appear legitimate, possibly operating a business that they run as fronts for the gang's drug dealing or other illegal operations.[35]
Prison gangs are groups in a prison or correctional institution[36] for mutual protection and advancement. Prison gangs often have several "affiliates" or "chapters" in different state prison systems that branch out due to the movement or transfer of their members. The 2005 study neither War nor Peace: International Comparisons of Children and Youth in Organized Armed Violence studied ten cities worldwide and found that in eight of them, "street gangs had strong links to prison gangs".[37] According to criminal justice professor John Hagedorn, many of the biggest gangs from Chicago originated from prisons. From the St. Charles Illinois Youth Center originated the Conservative Vice Lords and Blackstone Rangers. Although the majority of gang leaders from Chicago are now incarcerated, most of those leaders continue to manage their gangs from within prison.[37]
Criminal gangs may function both inside and outside of prison, such as the Nuestra Familia, Mexican Mafia, Folk Nation, and the Brazilian[29] PCC. During the 1970s, prison gangs in Cape Town, South Africa began recruiting street gang members from outside and helped increase associations between prison and street gangs.[38] In the USA, prison gang Aryan Brotherhood is in organized crime outside prison.
Bijan's yellow Veyron on Rodeo Drive. Never gets old. I love how there's no cars. Tell me what you think of this shot!
If there is a heaven there, I would like to have one with green hills and a beach attached to it.
-- Zill Niazi The only living philosopher of the 20th century.
The definition of Sicilian Blood Orange (IGP) is used to identify some varieties of oranges Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) grown in the municipalities of Lentini, Francofonte and Carlentini as well other towns in the provinces of Siracusa and Catania.
This particular variety of orange in Italian is called Sanguinello, these oranges are presented with orange peel on, with varying shades of red depending on the variety and time of harvest and sweet flavor.
The Production Regulations of the Protected Geographical Indication "Red Orange of Sicily" is governed by the Circular of the Ministry of Agriculture - Gazette No. 240 of 14 October 1997 which led to the Entry in the "Register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications" within the meaning of Reg. 1107/96.
"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself."
— Robert Frost
HDR Trees Series #2
* Pentax K20D + Samsung 50-200mm Lens - 3 Shot HDR
I like large parties, they're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy.
Set: Intimate Parties