View allAll Photos Tagged Describe
up in the forest above Caux, a place out of time.
Here is a link to FXcuisine's account of a fondue evening at Liboson (in winter, with plenty of snow); he takes brilliant photos and provides a lot of information, I couldn't do better - and having experienced the fondue evening myself, I can vouch that it is exactly as he describes.
This is a potted plant that my wife brought home for decoration, and which I've used as a subject for lighting and photography.
Lighting: Lit with one Yongnuo manual flash in an 8.6 inch Lastolite soft box hand held at camera right and pointed at the left side of the flower. The flash and my tripod mounted camera were triggered with a Yongnuo RF-603N.
Other plants, flowers, fruit or thingys that I've photographed using strobes can be seen in my Strobe Lit Plant set. For each image in the set, and there are over 1700 of them, I describe how I set up the lighting for that particular shot. www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157628079460544/
San Miniato al Monte is a basilica in Florence, central Italy, standing atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most scenic churches in Italy. There is an adjoining Olivetan monastery, seen to the right of the basilica when ascending the stairs.
St. Miniato or Minas was an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army under Emperor Decius. He was denounced as a Christian after becoming a hermit and was brought before the Emperor who was camped outside the gates of Florence. The Emperor ordered him to be thrown to beasts in the Amphitheatre where a panther was called upon him but refused to devour him. Beheaded in the presence of the Emperor, he is alleged to have picked up his head, crossed the Arno and walked up the hill of Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage. A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it. The monks make famous liqueurs, honey and herbal teas, which they sell from a shop next to the church.
The interior exhibits the early feature of a choir raised on a platform above the large crypt. It has changed little since it was first built. The patterned pavement dates from 1207. The centre of the nave is dominated by the beautiful freestanding Cappella del Crocefisso (Chapel of the Crucifix), designed by Michelozzo in 1448. It originally housed the miraculous crucifix now in Santa Trìnita and is decorated with panels long thought to be painted by Agnolo Gaddi. The terracotta decoration of the vault is by Luca della Robbia.
The crypt is the oldest part of the church and the high altar supposedly contains the bones of St Minias himself (although there is evidence that these were removed to Metz before the church was even built). In the vaults are frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi.
The raised choir and presbytery contain a magnificent Romanesque pulpit and screen made in 1207. The apse is dominated by a great mosaic of Christ between the Virgin and St Minias on its vaulted ceiling dating from 1297; the same subject is depicted on the façade of the church and is probably by the same unknown artist. The crucifix above the high altar is attributed to Luca della Robbia. The sacristy is decorated with a great fresco cycle on the Life of St Benedict by Spinello Aretino (1387).
Describes how I feel about my photography today... :(
Talking photos with a friend and they pointed out that all of my photos are very similar... :-/
Explored on flickr on the afternoon of 23rd February 2017. Thanks for the views, faves and kind comments. :)
Hagia Sophia is a mosque and former church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire, it was completed in 537 CE. The site was a Greek Orthodox church from 360 CE to 1453, except for a brief time as a Latin Catholic church between the Fourth Crusade and 1261. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it served as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. In 2020, the site once again became a mosque.
The current structure was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire between 532 and 537, and was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. It was formally called the Church of God's Holy Wisdom and upon completion became the world's largest interior space and among the first to employ a fully pendentive dome. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture[8] and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". The present Justinianic building was the third church of the same name to occupy the site, as the prior one had been destroyed in the Nika riots. As the episcopal see of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, it remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. Beginning with subsequent Byzantine architecture, Hagia Sophia became the paradigmatic Orthodox church form, and its architectural style was emulated by Ottoman mosques a thousand years later. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as an architectural and cultural icon of Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox civilization.
The religious and spiritual centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the church was dedicated to the Holy Wisdom. It was where the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius was officially delivered by Humbert of Silva Candida, the envoy of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act considered the start of the East–West Schism. In 1204, it was converted during the Fourth Crusade into a Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire, before being returned to the Eastern Orthodox Church upon the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261. Enrico Dandolo, the doge of Venice who led the Fourth Crusade and the 1204 Sack of Constantinople, was buried in the church.
After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmed the Conqueror and became the principal mosque of Istanbul until the 1616 construction of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Upon its conversion, the bells, altar, iconostasis, ambo, and baptistery were removed, while iconography, such as the mosaic depictions of Jesus, Mary, Christian saints and angels were removed or plastered over. Islamic architectural additions included four minarets, a minbar and a mihrab. The Byzantine architecture of the Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other religious buildings including the Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki, Panagia Ekatontapiliani, the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex. The patriarchate moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles, which became the city's cathedral.
The complex remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum under the secular Republic of Turkey, and the building was Turkey's most visited tourist attraction as of 2019.
In July 2020, the Council of State annulled the 1934 decision to establish the museum, and the Hagia Sophia was reclassified as a mosque. The 1934 decree was ruled to be unlawful under both Ottoman and Turkish law as Hagia Sophia's waqf, endowed by Sultan Mehmed, had designated the site a mosque; proponents of the decision argued the Hagia Sophia was the personal property of the sultan. The decision to designate Hagia Sophia as a mosque was highly controversial. It resulted in divided opinions and drew condemnation from the Turkish opposition, UNESCO, the World Council of Churches and the International Association of Byzantine Studies, as well as numerous international leaders, while several Muslim leaders in Turkey and other countries welcomed its conversion into a mosque.
Sphere Within Sphere describes a series of spherical bronze sculptures by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. In 1966, Pomodoro was commissioned to create a 3.5-meter sphere for Expo 67 in Montreal. The success of this sculpture propelled Pomodoro's works into the mainstream, allowing for commissions that would land his sculptures at the Headquarters of the United Nations and the Vatican Museums.
Over his career, Pomodoro has created 45 of these popular sculptures— aptly named Rotante, Sphera, or Sphera con sphera. The spheres range in size from as small as half a meter up to 4 meters in diameter. They are meant to represent the 'ideal city,' with contrasting imagery of organic and human shapes combined with technological and gear-like components. The spheres can be seen as a promising rebirth of a less troubled and destructive world. Pomodoro describes his desire for building these sculptures, stating, "breaking these perfect, magic forms in order to reveal their internal ferment, mysterious and alive, monstrous and yet pure; I [want to] create a discordant tension, a conflict, with the polished shine: a unity composed of incompleteness."
Versions of the sculpture can be found around the world, below is a comprehensive list (** indicates true Sphera con sphera sculptures. Unmarked locations allude to Sphera or Rotante).
The sun is finally shining again
{+5 in comments}
I went home today to spend Thanksgiving break with my family, and I realized just how much I've missed them over this past semester. They really are the most amazing people in the world and it's going to be so nice to just relax with them over this weekend.
I went on a photoshoot with my younger brother today and along with these, we took a few pictures of he and I that I will post probably tomorrow. He and I have so much fun together, and he's such a good kid. I've missed him a lot. :) Hmm...today was a good day.
P.S. Oh, and thank you all for your kind comments on the last picture I posted. Your words really mean so much to me, you have no idea. Thank you so much
How would you describe these two faces?
The image was taken from my hotel across the river from the Tower Life Building in San Antonio, Texas. The faces are but a sampling of the structure which was originally called The Medical Arts Bldg. built in 1926, to be used as a hospital and Dr.'s offices and is now on the National Register Of Historic Places. It features many Gothic and Art Deco elements such as Gargoyles and other stone work faces and winged creatures that can be seen on closer observation. The building is a short distance away from The Alamo. I was able to get this photo straight on from my room.
The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 as Sterna fuscata, bearing this name for many years until the genus Sterna was split up. It is now known as Onychoprion fuscatus.[2] The genus name is from ancient Greek onux, "claw" or "nail", and prion, "saw". The specific fuscatus is Latin for "dark".[3]
Colloquially, it is known as the wideawake tern or just wideawake. This refers to the incessant calls produced by a colony of these birds, as does the Hawaiian name ʻewa ʻewa which roughly means "cacophony".[4] In most of Polynesia its name is manutara or similar – literally "tern-bird",[5] though it might be better rendered in English as "the tern" or "common tern". This refers to the fact that wherever Polynesian seafarers went on their long voyages, they usually would find these birds in astounding numbers. It is also known as kaveka in the Marquesas Islands, where dishes using its eggs are a delicacy.[6]
The sooty tern has little interspecific variation, but it can be divided into at least two allopatric subspecies. Some recent authors further subdivide the Indopacific population into up to eight subspecies altogether, but much of the variation is really clinal. The affinities of eastern Pacific birds (including the famous manutara of Easter Island) are most strongly contested.
Onychoprion fuscatus fuscatus (Linnaeus, 1766) – Atlantic sooty tern
Underparts white. Breeds Atlantic and Caribbean.
Onychoprion fuscatus nubilosus (Sparrman, 1788) – Indopacific sooty tern[7]
Underparts light grey in fresh plumage, dull white in worn plumage. Breeds from Red Sea across Indian Ocean to at least central Pacific. Some authors restrict this taxon to the Indian Ocean population and use the following subspecies for the birds from Indonesia to the Americas:
Onychoprion fuscatus infuscatus – Sunda sooty tern (Lichtenstein, 1823) – Sunda Islands and vicinity
Onychoprion fuscatus oahuensis – Central Pacific sooty tern (Bloxam, 1826) – Bonin Islands through Micronesia to southern Polynesia
Onychoprion fuscatus serrata – Melanesian sooty tern (Wagler, 1830) – Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia
Onychoprion fuscatus luctuosa – Juan Fernández sooty tern (Philippi & Landbeck, 1866) – Juan Fernández Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus crissalis – East Pacific sooty tern Lawrence, 1872. [8] – Eastern Pacific from Guadalupe Island to Galápagos Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus kermadeci – Kermadec sooty tern Mathews, 1916. [9] – Kermadec Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus somaliensis – Somali sooty tern – Maydh Island (Gulf of Aden)
Included in Simon Jenkins' Thousand Best Churches:
"Besford is described in the guide as the only timber-framed church left in England. A number of others survive, including in neighbouring Shropshire and Cheshire, but Besford is a fine example of the style, its interior concealed within a Victorian casing. The timber frame is 14th century, indicated by the ogival arch to the north doorway and the rare Decorated tracery made of wood that can be found in the west window. So accustomed are we to stone tracery that to see it in any other material comes as a shock."
Alec Clifton Taylor in English Parish Churches as Works of Art also notes the unique qualities of the church:
"Only a handful of [timber-framed churches] remain: Mattingley in Hampshire, Besford in Worcestershie, Melverley in Shropshire, Marton and Lower Peover in Cheshire are some of the best known. All were doted on by the Victorian ecclesiologists, but the truth is that every one of them has been so drastically restored as to offer today only very limited pleasure."
Described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, Bibury is a conservation area in the Cotswolds, and this garden is at the bottom of the famous Arlington Row. This is owned and managed by the National Trust, which rents out its ancient cottages. These are built of local stone with steeply pitched Cotswold stone roofs. With the exception of the cottages at either end, the row began as a monastic sheep house or wool store, dating from around 1380. In the seventeenth century, the dwellings were converted into cottages for weavers, who supplied the cloth for fulling (degreasing) at Arlington Mill. The row is Grade I-listed.
The Lonely Mountain
Many of the tecniques used for edit this picture are described in my processing video "Introduction to creative Workflow" that you can purchase here: www.enricofossati.it/Instruction
Don't foget to check my workshops page here: www.enricofossati.it/Workshops
Spots are available in the Febbruary Workshop in Lofoten with Javier de la Torre.
"Far over the Misty Mountains rise
Leave us standing upon the height
What was before we see once more
Is our kingdom a distant light
Fiery mountain beneath the moon
The words unspoken, we'll be there soon
For home a song that echoes on
And all who find us will know the tune
Some folk we never forget
Some kind we never forgive
Haven't seen the back of us yet
We'll fight as long as we live
All eyes on the hidden door
To the Lonely Mountain borne
We'll ride in the gathering storm
Until we get our long forgotten gold
We lay under the Misty Mountains cold
In slumbers deep, and dreams of gold
We must awake, our lives to make
And in the darkness a torch we hold
From long ago when lanterns burned
Until this day our hearts have yearned
Her fate unknown, the Arkenstone
What was stolen must be returned
We must awake and make the day
To find a song for heart and soul
Some folk we never forget
Some kind we never forgive
Haven't seen the end of it yet
We'll fight as long as we live
All eyes on the hidden door
To the Lonely Mountain born
We'll ride in the gathering storm
Till we get our long forgotten gold
Far away the Misty Mountain's cold."
Deep in the Swamps of Northern Kalifornia.
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
CLICK ON THE LETTER "L" TO ENLARGE.
My THANK'S to all Flickr friends who fave and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate it! ❤️
© All Rights reserved no publication or copying without permission from the author.
Often described as Donkeys in Pyjamas these donkeys on the Ile de Ré wore coloured leggings to protect them from the flies and mosquitoes when they were working in the salt pans. Now they wear them for the benefit of tourists.
Der "Garden of Vulcan" ist ein vom britischen Landschaftsarchitekten Tom Stuart-Smith geschaffenes Gartenkabinett, in dem sich die Vegetation nach dem Ausbringen von Sämereien selbst organisieren sollte. Im Lauf der Jahre wurde der Pflanzenteppich immer üppiger. "Zuerst wachsen Pflanzen, die flexibel und anpassungsfähig sind. Später kommen die Bäume, in deren Schatten sich Tiere ansiedeln können. Die Tiere erschaffen ein Netz aus Schneisen in die neue, üppige Vegetation. Erst dann entstehen die Hütten.
So beschreibt der englische Landschaftsarchitekt Tom Stuart-Smith den Vegetations- und Besiedelungsprozess der Erde. Doch natürlich konnte der Mensch sich der Landschaft nicht ohne fremde Hilfe bemächtigen: Ihm half der römische Gott Vulcanus, dessen Geschichte der Gestaltung des Gartens zugrunde liegt." Diese, von mir allerdings stark gekürzte, Beschreibung findet sich auf der Homepage der Gärten der Welt.
www.gaertenderwelt.de/gaerten-architektur/internationale-...
"The Garden of Vulcan" is a garden cabinet created by the British landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, in which the vegetation was supposed to organise itself after sowing seeds. Over the years, the plant carpet became increasingly lush. "First, plants grow that are flexible and adaptable. Later, trees grow and animals can live in their shade. The animals create a network of trails in the new, lush vegetation. Only then do huts appear.
English landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith describes the vegetation and colonisation process of the earth. Of course, man could not take over the landscape without outside help: He was helped by the Roman god Vulcan, whose history provides the design concept of the garden. Immerse yourself in the world of mythical fire and experience an extraordinary abundance of flowers of all colours." This description, though greatly abridged by me, comes from the homepage of the Gardens of the World.
www.gaertenderwelt.de/en/gardens-architecture/internation...
Ranunculus abortivus - Littleleaf buttercup
Ranunculus aconitifolius - Aconite-leaf buttercup
Ranunculus acraeus - a newly described species from Otago, New Zealand
Ranunculus acris - Meadow buttercup
Ranunculus alismifolius - Plantainleaf buttercup
Ranunculus andersonii - Anderson's buttercup
Ranunculus aquatilis - Common water crowfoot
Ranunculus arvensis - Corn buttercup
Ranunculus asiaticus - Persian buttercup
Ranunculus auricomus - Goldilocks buttercup (type species)
Ranunculus biternatus - Antarctic buttercup
Ranunculus bonariensis - Carter's buttercup
Ranunculus bulbosus - Bulbous buttercup
Ranunculus californicus - California buttercup
Ranunculus canus - Sacramento Valley buttercup
Ranunculus cassubicus - Kashubian buttercup
Ranunculus crassipes - Subantarctic buttercup
Ranunculus cymbalaria - Marsh buttercup
Ranunculus eschscholtzii - Alpine buttercup
Ranunculus ficaria - Lesser celandine
Ranunculus flabellaris - Yellow water buttercup
Ranunculus flammula - Lesser spearwort
Ranunculus fluitans - River water crowfoot
Ranunculus glaberrimus - Sagebrush buttercup
Ranunculus glacialis - Glacier buttercup
Ranunculus gormanii - Gorman's buttercup
Ranunculus hebecarpus - Delicate buttercup
Ranunculus hispidus - Bristly buttercup
Ranunculus hydrocharoides - Frogbit buttercup
Ranunculus jovis - Utah buttercup
Ranunculus kadzusensis Makino - Maehwamarum (see Ganghwa Maehwamarum Habitat)
Ranunculus lapponicus - Lapland buttercup
Ranunculus lingua - Greater spearwort
Ranunculus lobbii - Lobb's buttercup
Ranunculus longirostris - Water buttercup
Ranunculus lyallii - Mount Cook Lily - reputedly the largest buttercup
Ranunculus macounii - Macoun's buttercup
Ranunculus micranthus - Small-flowered crowfoot
Ranunculus moseleyi - Moseley's buttercup
Ranunculus muricatus - Spinyfruit buttercup
Ranunculus occidentalis - Western buttercup
Ranunculus orthorhynchus - Straightbeak buttercup
Ranunculus papulentus - Large River buttercup
Ranunculus parviflorus - Smallflower buttercup
Ranunculus pedatifidus - birdfoot buttercup
Ranunculus peltatus - Pond water crowfoot
Ranunculus pensylvanicus - Pennsylvania buttercup
Ranunculus platanifolius - Large white buttercup
Ranunculus populago - Popular buttercup
Ranunculus pusillus - Low spearwort
Ranunculus pygmaeus - Pygmy buttercup
Ranunculus recurvatus - Hooked Crowfoot
Ranunculus repens - Creeping buttercup
Ranunculus sardous - Hairy buttercup, Sardinian buttercup
Ranunculus sceleratus - Celery-leaved buttercup
Ranunculus septentrionalis - Swamp buttercup
Ranunculus sieboldii[4]
Ranunculus testiculatus - Bur buttercup
Ranunculus thora - Thora buttercup
Ranunculus uncinatus - Woodland buttercup
Described as "pugnacious" and "boisterous". I find them a challenge to photograph as they disappear and reappear in the marsh reeds. Photographed on the Western Slope, Colorado.
I Corinthians 13
Valentine's Day is a day of love,
For showing that we care,
And if we read the Bible,
God describes love there:
If we speak like celestial angels
From heaven up above,
All our words mean nothing
If we don’t have Christian love.
Love is patient, love is kind;
It doesn’t brag or boast;
Love conquers pride and envy;
It is never self-engrossed.
Love is not rude or angry;
Forgiveness counters wrong;
Love stays away from evil;
It sings a truthful song.
Love is full of trust and hope;
It always perseveres;
Love never fails; It’s faithful;
To the Bible it adheres.
And if you give this kind of love
To your special Valentine,
You’ll be loving right in harmony
With God’s own sweet design.
By Joanna Fuchs
Content: The message describes a military unit's Sunday routine, where soldiers would march to church in full dress uniform, an important military ritual that was often a source of discontent among the troops. The writer mentions that the two lieutenants and trumpeter leading the parade are both under 20 years old.
Message Transcription - "This is a picture of us coming from Church Parade You can just see part of my face over that fellows hat. The second one in the front row and I could just see over his hat. This is the way we go every Sunday. The two lieutenants and trumpeter ahead and we follow, they are pretty particular about Church parade and every body has to be on it. Neither one of these officers are 20 yet but both are nice fellows."
(20 June 1916) - We reached Petawawa at 7 o'clock on the morning of June 2, and found the weather cool and conditions contrary to our expectations. The land is undulating and there are numerous trees. Of course one would not call them trees in British Columbia, but they afford considerable shade and that will mean a lot when we get the real warm days. There is no disputing the fact that there is sand here, but plenty of grass grows on it and we are not troubled to any extent by it. The camp is bounded on three sides by the Petawawa and Ottawa rivers. There is some fine scenery on both waterways and we are allowed to swim in the Ottawa, which privilege is extensively utilized. The Petawawa flows too swiftly and is considered too dangerous for swimming. On our north across the Ottawa is a low range of hills which remind us of the Sooke hills. The camp is too large for anyone to view it from any especial vantage point. From our little knoll we can see the lines of our own brigade and those of another two brigades on the west. At present there are several thousand artillerymen here. There is an artillery range some distance from our lines. The different units are out firing every day. A visit to this famous range is a privilege in store for us and the boys are anxiously looking forward to it. We, no doubt, will get plenty of firing before we get out of Petawawa.
"We had good weather until Thursday last, when we were visited by a genuine Ontario rain. It rained off and on in torrents and drizzles until yesterday and even spoiled a church parade on Sunday. We were all praying for a look at the sun in order to get our clothes dried, and this morning we were delighted to see the bright beams coming through the tent flaps. By noon, however, some of the boys were wishing it would rain again. It does not matter much what the weather or other conditions may be; it is a soldier's privilege to kick and complain, and he certainly takes advantage of it. The most of the boys are having their hair cut in the 'close crop' style, which no doubt will give an impetus to the growth of moustaches, an impetus which is sadly needed by some of us. The order for moustaches came out two days ago and the boys are assiduously coaxing the straggling and struggling fluff. As a result of the heat, we heard to-day that we were to have straw hats to protect our fair countenances. I guess they will be the same kind of hats that the Western Scots had.
"The battery and column are now getting down to their real work in earnest. 'Reveille' sounds at 5 a.m. daily, and on Sunday at 6.30 a.m. The boys work until 5 p.m., and have a wholesale amount of dismounted and gun drills, lectures on shells and ammunition, fitting of harness, knots and splices and a sprinkling of fatigues. Our horses arrived on Saturday after a thirteen-day trip from Victoria. Some of them were rather shaky when they got here and are now recuperating. In a few days they will be ready for work and we expect to start battery manoeuvres in the near future.
"The 62nd Battery has a fine situation and is far enough away from the rivers to escape the largest swarms of 'skitoes.' We have two rows of tents, with seven and eight men in a tent. Between the tents are the horse lines, the horses being held by head ropes and hobbles. There are fine horses in some of the other lines, but when our horses are in shape I think we will be able to line up with any of them.
Best described as extremely windy at this point and wet. I decided to get lower to the rocks and hide away from the high winds. Thankfully I felt safe lower down from the cliff edge. This is a cracking place and one I will return at another time when the weather isn't so tough for photography. The grey day really brought out the beautiful blue aqua colours in the sea.
Powis Castle (Welsh: Castell Powys) is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales. The seat of the Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the former having been described as "the most important", and the latter "the most magnificent", in the country. The castle and gardens are under the care of the National Trust. Powis Castle is a Grade I listed building, while its gardens have their own Grade I listing on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
The present castle was built in the 13th century. Unusually for a castle on the Marches, it was constructed by a Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, rather than by a Norman baron. Gruffydd was prince of the ancient Kingdom of Powys and maintained an alliance with the English king Edward I during the struggles of the later 13th century. He was able to secure the position of his son, Owain, although the kingdom itself was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury in 1283. After his father's death, Owain was raised to the peerage as Owen de la Pole, 1st Lord of Powis. Following his own death c. 1293, and the death of his only son, he was succeeded by his daughter, Hawys Gadarn, "the Lady of Powis". Hawys married Sir John Charlton in 1309.
In the late 16th century the castle was purchased by Sir Edward Herbert, a younger son of William Herbert, 1st earl of Pembroke, beginning a connection between the family and the castle that continues today. The Herberts remained Roman Catholic until the 18th century and, although rising in the peerage to earls, marquesses and Jacobite dukes of Powis, suffered periods of imprisonment and exile. Despite these setbacks, they were able in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to transform Powis from a border fortress into an aristocratic country house, and surround it with one of the very few extant examples of a British Baroque garden.
In 1784 Henrietta Herbert married Edward Clive, eldest son of Clive of India, a match which replenished the much-depleted Herbert family fortune. In the early 20th century, George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis, redeveloped the castle with the assistance of the architect George Frederick Bodley. Herbert’s wife, Violet, undertook work of equal importance in the garden, seeking to turn it into "one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, in England and Wales". On the 4th Earl's death in 1952, his wife and his sons having predeceased him, the castle passed into the care of the National Trust.
History
First castles at Welshpool: 1111–1286
Unlike the castles at Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and nearby Montgomery, which were built by the English to subdue the Welsh, the castles at Welshpool were built by the Welsh princes of Powys Wenwynwyn as their dynastic seat.[1] In addition to the current site, two motte-and-bailey castles and a set of earthworks are located nearby.[2] The names Trallwg/Tallwm and Pola are used interchangeably in early primary sources, and it is unclear which of these sites is being referred to.[3]
The earliest reference dates from 1111, when Cadwgan ap Bleddyn is mentioned as having planned to construct a castle at Trallwng Llywelyn,[3] the oldest record of a native Welsh castle.[4] Domen Castell, a motte-and-bailey near the modern railway station, is considered the most likely site of Cadwgan's castle, although it is uncertain whether it was completed as he was assassinated the same year.[5] The first documentary account of an extant castle at Welshpool is a description of the successful 1196 siege by an English army, although the castle was retaken by the Welsh within the year.[5][6]
The earliest castle at the current site may have been a timber building constructed by Owain Cyfeiliog or his son, Gwenwynwyn (r. 1197–1216).[7] The present masonry structure contains 13th-century fabric,[8] most likely the work of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (r. 1241–1287) – although historians are uncertain when this took place.[a][10] In 1274, Gruffydd's "first castle" at Welshpool was destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as punishment for his involvement in a scheme to assassinate Llywelyn.[b] The castle was documented again in 1286, when it was listed amongst Gruffydd's possessions as "la Pole Castr".[12] A detailed examination of Powis Castle's extant masonry carried out between 1987 and 1989 revealed early stonework incorporated into the later structure, putatively the remains of an early stone shell keep.[13] At the end of Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1282–83, the king permitted Gruffydd to rebuild his castle at Welshpool as a reward for his loyalty.[14]
Early history: 1286–1644
Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury[c]
In 1286, four years after the conquest of Wales, Gruffydd's son, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn became the last hereditary prince of Powys when he renounced his royal title, and was granted the barony of de la Pole, (i.e. "of the Pool", a reference to Welshpool, formerly called just "Pool").[d][16][17] The ancient Kingdom of Powys had once included the counties of Montgomeryshire, much of Denbighshire, parts of Radnorshire and large areas of Shropshire, but by the 13th century had been reduced to two independent principalities – Powys Wenwynwyn and Powys Fadog – roughly equivalent to Montgomeryshire and South Denbighshire (plus Maelor Saesneg), respectively; Welshpool had become the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn, of which Owain had been heir. On the death of Owain, the castle passed to his daughter Hawys, who married Sir John Charlton.[17] The Charltons continued to live at Powis until the fifteenth century when two daughters, Joyce Tiptoft and Joan Grey inherited the castle and estates. Both were equally divided, each daughter and her husband living in a portion of the castle.[18]
In 1578 an illegitimate son of the last Baron Grey of Powis, began leasing the lordship and castle to a distant relative – Sir Edward Herbert (d. 1595), second son of Sir William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Edward eventually bought the castle outright in 1587, beginning the connection between the Herberts and Powis Castle which continues today.[19] Sir Edward's wife was a Roman Catholic and the family's allegiance to Rome and to the Stuart kings was to shape its destiny for over a century.[16] Sir Edward began the transformation of Powis from a border fortress into an Elizabethan country house. The major remaining element of his work is the Long Gallery.[19]
Herbert's descendent William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (c. 1573–1655), was a supporter of Charles I, and was granted the barony of Powis in 1629.[19] His loyalty during the English Civil War cost him his castle and his estates.[20] On 22 October 1644 Powis Castle was captured by Parliamentary troops and was not returned to the family until the restoration of Charles II in 1660.[21]
The Herberts: 1660–1800
The Hercules statue which stood originally in the Water Garden
On the restoration, the Herberts returned to Powis, and in 1674 William Herbert (c. 1626–1696) was created Earl of Powis (of the first creation). The state bedroom was installed in about 1665 and further improvements, including the construction of the Great Staircase followed in the 1670s. These developments were most probably carried out under the direction of William Winde, who may also have designed the terraced gardens. His employer, although restored to his estates, and raised in the peerage, was barred by his Catholic faith from high office under Charles II. On the accession of the King's brother, James in 1685, Herbert became one of the new king's chief ministers, and was again advanced in the peerage becoming Marquess of Powis in 1687, but fell at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and followed James into exile in France.[e] William III granted the castle to his nephew, William Nassau de Zuylestein, 1st Earl of Rochford. Herbert died, still in exile, in 1696.[24]
Despite their 30-year exile, the Herberts were able to continue with developments at the castle and even to live there on an irregular basis, the Baroque water garden below the castle being completed at this time.[25] Their fortunes were also materially improved by the discovery of a lucrative lead mine on their Welsh estates.[24] The second Marquess, also William, was reinstated in 1722. On the death of his son, the third Marquess in 1748, the marquessate became extinct, while the castle and estates passed to a relative, Henry Herbert (c. 1703–1772), of Oakly Park in Shropshire, who was made 1st Earl of Powis (of the second creation) by George II.[26] Herbert married Barbara, the fifteen-year-old granddaughter of the 2nd Marquess, in 1751. Their eldest son, George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (1755–1801), died unmarried and the earldom of the second creation became extinct.[f][27] Powis was much neglected during his tenure. John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington, a diarist and traveller who chronicled his journeys into Wales in the 1780s and 1790s, described the castle in 1784, "In the gardens not even the fruit is attended to; the balustrades and terraces are falling down, and the horses graze on the parterres!!!"[28] The castle itself was in no better condition, a visitor in 1774 describing it as "in Neglect and Ruin".[27] Nonetheless, the potential of the site was recognised. George Lyttelton, the politician, poet and essayist, recorded his impressions in 1756, "About £3,000 laid out upon Powis Castle would make it the most august place in the Kingdom."[29]
The Clives and Herberts: 1801–1952
The Outer Courtyard with the Fame statue in the foreground
In 1784, Henry Herbert's daughter, Henrietta, married Edward Clive (1754–1839), the eldest son of Clive of India.[30] Clive had followed his father to India, and served as Governor of Madras. Henrietta's brother died in 1801, whereupon the title lapsed; in 1804, her husband was created first Earl of Powis (of the third creation). The Clive fortune paid for long overdue repairs to the castle, which were carried out by Sir Robert Smirke.[31][32] Their son, Edward (1785–1848), inherited his late uncle's Powis estates on his 21st birthday, taking the surname Herbert in compliance with his uncle's will.[30] Edward Herbert served in a range of administrations as an Anti-Catholic Tory, his speeches in the House of Commons being "cautious and pertinent, although marred by dull delivery". He died in 1848, following a shooting accident at Powis in which he was fatally injured by his second son.[33] No further major changes were made to the Powis estate during his time, or in the long tenure of his eldest son Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (1818–1891), although the castle was well maintained. In honour of his great-grandfather, the earl was offered the viceroyalty of India by Benjamin Disraeli but declined, writing "Not worth considering. Powis" on the envelope containing the invitation.[34]
The final alterations to Powis Castle were undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century by George Frederick Bodley for George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis (1862–1952). The rooms designed by Bodley remain his only extant decorative scheme; the longevity of the 4th Earl, the deaths of his heirs, and his bequest of the castle to the National Trust saw the early 20th-century remodelling remain largely unaltered.[g][36] The 4th earl's wife, Violet (nee Lane-Fox), undertook the final transformation of the gardens of Powis Castle, which she felt had the potential to be "the most beautiful in England and Wales".[37] The Countess died following a car accident in 1929, and Lord Powis outlived both his sons, who died on active service, Percy from wounds received at the Battle of the Somme in 1916,[38] and Mervyn in a plane crash in 1943.[39] On his own death in 1952, he bequeathed the castle and gardens to the National Trust.[h][42]
The National Trust: 1952–present
The 4th earl was succeeded by his cousin, Edward Herbert, 5th Earl of Powis (1889–1974). Edward's heir was Christian Herbert, 6th Earl of Powis (1904–1988). He was succeeded by his cousin, George Herbert, 7th Earl of Powis (1925–1993),[42] who was in turn succeeded by his son, John, the 8th and current Earl.[43] The Herbert family continue to live in part of the castle, under an arrangement with the National Trust.[44] The Trust has undertaken a number of major works of restoration during its ownership, including the Marquess Gate,[45] the Grand Staircase,[46] and the sculpture of Fame in the Outer Courtyard.[i][47] The castle and its gardens receive around 200,000 visitors annually. Wikipedia
The Bayon (Prasat Bayon) is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. The current main conservatory body, the Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (the JSA) has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style of Angkor Wat.
“NGC 2264 describes several objects in the constellation Monoceros lying about 2,700 light-years from Earth. One is the Christmas Tree star cluster, here lying on its side with the blazing bright star S Monocerotis marking its trunk at Lower left. There is a diffuse red nebula caused by H-alpha emissions from hydrogen gas stimulated by ultraviolet radiation emitted by S Monocertis and the cluster's other white-blue stars. There are two special star forming regions in the red nebula. At centre right, off the tip of the Christmas Tree, is the Cone Nebula, named for its apparent shape sculpted by fierce stellar winds emitted from the stars. It is a dark molecular cloud within which other new stars are forming. Numerous other sculpted swirls of nebulosity are nearby. At centre left is the Fox Fur Nebula, Sharpless 273, named for the rich textured appearance sculpted by stellar winds in that region. In contrast, the blue nebula is a reflection nebula caused by scattered blue light reflecting off residual dust in a region where stars have already formed” [adapted text, credit SkyandTelescope].
The image is made up of a Luminance - Hydrogen Alpha blend for the resolution, and then a low resolution, small set of Red, Green, and Blue forming the colour channel. You can see I push the data a little too hard to reveal the detail, so maybe one day in the future I can collect more luminance and Ha to perhaps achieve a smoother result. But for the time being, I’m quite happy with the result from new Pixinsight procedures learnt.
Thanks for having a look.
Hi Res version:
c2.staticflickr.com/2/1849/30241366108_6a24dd52b9_o.jpg
Information about the image:
Instrument: Planewave CDK 12.5 | Focal Ratio: F8
Camera: STXL-11002 + AOX | Mount: AP900GTO
Camera Sensitivity: Lum+Ha: Bin 1x1, Red, Green, Blue: Bin 2x2
Exposure Details: Lum: 32 x 900sec [8hrs], Ha: 31 x 1200 [8hrs] RGB: 450sec x 6 each [2.25hrs]
Viewing Location: Central Victoria, Australia.
Observatory: ScopeDome 3m
Date: January-February 2018
Software Enhancements: CCDStack2, CCDBand-Aid, PS, Pixinsight
Author: Steven Mohr
Walking along during the night,
no birds, no sounds, no one in sight.
But yet a feeling deep down inside,
so intense, it's hard to describe.
Look left and right and even below,
only one thing in mind and that is GO!
Where to? Who knows! Just run away!
Someone is there! Keep at bay!
But wait! Don't go! Be stronger than that!
Don't be scared, it could be a cat?
Footsteps running; a frightening sound.
Be strong and brave! Turn around!
BANG! A shot... just flew by!
Fall to the ground, looking at the sky.
Nor strong, nor brave, what went wrong?
Laying there, every minute so long...
Breathe after breathe, which is the last?
That whole ordeal happened so fast.
It's cold and dark. No one can hear.
Whispering "Help, help", the end is near.
Eyes open; it's not as it seems.
Shedding a tear, as it was a dream.
Remember to always trust your gut feeling! Bravery can always be mixed up with stupidity.
This comes from personal experience.....
This time last year, I was sitting on my porch at 1am-ish. Something told me to go inside. As I got up BANG BANG BANG (9 shots). As I was up it made it easier to dodge any incoming bullets.
Was the only witness and only one to call police.
www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/50725-...
Be safe.. Happy Weekend!
Sheffield Park House is a Grade I listed building described in the listing:
The house contains a few rooms with early C18 panelling. But the main portion dates from about 1779 and was built by the first Lord Sheffield. Architect James Wyatt. The house was Wyatt's earliest Gothic house but the entrance front is a symmetrical classical conception. Two storeys. Seven windows. Ashlar. Cornice and battlemented parapet. The outer window bays are flanked by pilasters, between which the cornice is carried up to form a pointed arch with a stepped gable above containing an attic window and surmounted by 3 pinnacled finials. Sash windows with dripstones over and glazing bars intact. Central porch added in 1912. Service wing added to the west in 1912. The east front has a large pointed Gothic window, of which part only could originally be seen internally. Of the interior, the hall and staircase are Gothic, the remainder classical. The Prince's room upstairs is decorated with paintings of animals by Charles Cotton the elder, RA.
The house is not open to the public.
Tectonic Asphalt Theory describes the small-scale movements of a road surface which causes it to drift apart over time.
So… that makes me wonder… if we wait long enough… will Smith street morph into West street… and will Adderly street one day lead us directly to Greenmarket Square!? Heh heh… I suspect NOT! :)
I still don’t have anything new to post… so I’m still scratching around in my archives… here’s hoping for a cloudy blue sky later this afternoon!!
Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 18mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/60th second exposure.
Click here to view this one large.
Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.
My latest microadventure lead me to Val Gardena in south tyrol.
I need to say it to the beginning it wasn´t easy, it was cold, and the climb was tougher than I excpeted. Maybe because of the 27kg backpack including my tent, sleeping bag,
camping stove, etc. but words cannot describe how worth all the struggle was.
It was a breathtaking experience to stay overnight under the cloudless nightsky full of stars and to see my old friend the milkyway or as the funny south tyroler policeman said "strada del la latte" ;-)
Personally, I think this kind of trips are the best way to escape the monotony of everyday life, taking a deep breath, enjoying the silence and forget everything else that’s all I need for.
This pano is made of 9 single shots
and I´m hoping it gives you the same feeling as I had when I stood there
and admire the beautiful landscape. This time my friend Fabio Hain Naturfotografie did a great job modeling for me. Thank you a lot, your presence gives the pano just
the look that I wanted. The light on the horizon is the beginning astronomic twilight, so it was my last chance to take the shot before
the sky is too bright. Normally I avoid to have this twilight on my pictures but in this case I have to say I really like it, I think it looks special `cause for this shot it has
the perfect position directly under the milkyway bow. At the end, before some critical voices say it has to be fake and manipulated. I have to disappoint you, this picture reflects just the reality.
Mother earth is just that beautiful, she don´t needs any corrections.
hope you like it, thanks for watching.
feel free to share, comment or like :)
FOLLOW --->
Facebook: Christian Schipflinger - photography
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/chris_schipflinger_photo/
www.christian.schipflinger.com
500px.com/christian_schipflinger_photo
______________________________
+++ MIKROABENTEUER Van Gardena +++
Mein letztes kleines Abenteuer führte mich nach Val Gardena in Südtirol.
Ich muss gleich am Anfang sagen, dass es nicht leicht war, es war kalt und der Aufstieg war härter als erwartet. Vielleicht lag dies auch an meinem 27kg schweren Rucksack der mein Zelt, Schlafsack,
Gaskocher und vieles weitere enthielt. Doch Worte können nicht beschreiben wie sehr all die Anstrengungen es Wert waren. Es war ein atemberaubendes Erlebnis die Nacht unter dem wolkenlosen
Sternenhimmel zu verbringen und meine alte Freundin die Milchstraße, oder wie der lustige südtiroler Polizist sagte "Strada del la latte" wiederzusehen. ;-)
Ich persönlich finde, dass solche Trips die beste Art sind dem grauen Alltag zu entkommen, tief einatmen die Stille genießen und alles andere vergessen. Dieses Pano ist aus neun Einzelaufnahmen entstanden
und ich hoffe es vermittelt euch das Gefühl, dass ich hatte als ich dort oben stand und die Landschaft bewunderte. Dieses Mal, hat mein Freund Fabio Hain Naturfotografie für mich gemodelt, seine Gegenwart gibt dem Bild genau den Look den ich wollte. Bei dem Licht das am Horizont zu sehen ist, handelt es sich um die astronomische Dämmerung, also war es die letzte Chance für mich dieses Pano so zu fotografieren
bevor der Himmel erleuchtet wurde. Normalerweise vermeide ich es bei Nachtaufnahmen die beginnende Dämmerung zu fotografieren, aber in diesem Fall finde ich es einfach passend.
Ich finde das Licht macht das Pano besonders vielleicht
auch deswegen weil es die perfekte Position direkt unter dem Bogen der Milchstraße hat.
Zu guter Letzt, bevor die ersten Kritiker schreien, muss ich noch einmal darauf hinweisen, dass nicht hinzugefügt oder auf eine andere Weise geschummelt wurde. Dieses Bild spiegelt die Realität wieder.
Mutter Erde ist wirklich so wunderschön, sie braucht keine Schönheitskorrekturen.
Hoffe es gefällt euch, danke fürs anschauen.
Teilen, kommentieren und liken natürlich erlaubt. klauen nicht :-P
FOLLOW --->
Facebook: Christian Schipflinger - photography
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/chris_schipflinger_photo/
Too awesome to describe.
To give a sense of scale, we were in a 20-person raft floating around this 'Horseshoe Bend' of the Colorado river earlier in the day. The river is about 200 ft wide in this shot, and the center rock is about 700 ft tall.
2-frame vertically-shot panorama, Taken from a cliff about 1000 ft up from the river, belly-laying on the rock ledge, hanging the camera over to take this. Yes, it was scary!
To see the view on the river at water level, go here:
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
Around 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleocene Epoch, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred.
Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillarlike structures, which are also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases the horizontal fracture has resulted in a bottom face that is convex while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. The size of the columns is primarily determined by the speed at which lava from a volcanic eruption cools.
The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau which formed during the Paleocene.
According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), from the Fenian Cycle of Gaelic mythology, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. In another, Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he is. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn would be unable to chase him down.
Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.
In overall Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill is not a giant but a hero with supernatural abilities, contrary to what this particular legend may suggest. In Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (1888) it is noted that, over time, "the pagan gods of Ireland [...] grew smaller and smaller in the popular imagination, until they turned into the fairies; the pagan heroes grew bigger and bigger, until they turned into the giants". There are no surviving pre-Christian stories about the Giant's Causeway, but it may have originally been associated with the Fomorians (Fomhóraigh); the Irish name Clochán na bhFomhóraigh or Clochán na bhFomhórach means "stepping stones of the Fomhóraigh". The Fomhóraigh are a race of supernatural beings in Irish mythology who were sometimes described as giants and who may have originally been part of a pre-Christian pantheon
I haven't uploaded in awhile. wow. Alright , well......I'm back from the NY/Canada trip. I had the most amazing time of my life. It was truely , truely incredible.Words cannot describe.
Yes , I found Mia. Some of you probably saw the photo i posted saying she was missing, and i wanted to make sure i made known that she's home and perfectly safe now. Pictures of her will be taking over my photostream again very soon , don't worry. :]
"Discover The Complete And Up-To-Date Encyclopedia That Shows How To Use The Healing Power Of Plants With Scientific, Accurate And Reliable Accuracy"
Introducing:
The Encyclopedia Of Medicinal Plants With a List of Medicinal Plants That Heal
Over 470 plants botanically described and classified by diseases.
From: James Luke
Tuesday, 11:24 a.m.
Dear Friend,
Inside of this encyclopedia is a large number of natural treatments described in a simple, clear language, correctly illustrated, placing the healing virtues of medicinal plants and their practical application methods within the reach of everyone. Experienced advice for the therapeutic preparation of fomentations, infusions, ointments, baths... Many charts describing the most frequent disorders and the plants endowed with the active agents that can heal them.
In each chapter the most important plants for the treatment of the diseases of a certain organ or system appear. When a single plant has several applications, as often happens, it is included in the chapter corresponding to its main application.
"Look at what people are saying about these Encyclopedia's"
I wanted to personally thank you for sharing those incredible encyclopedia books "THE FOODS WITH THEIR HEALING POWER and MEDICINAL PLANTS". They are an awesome source of reference especially when I talk about lifestyle change and health to my listeners. Praise 97.5FM is the #3 rated station in Atlanta so image how many thousands of listeners are blessed by the information they get from these books.
They and you are truly a God sent.
-Mellissa, Atlanta
...There is detailed information on the use and preparation for each plant.
In this encyclopedia you will find...
Plants for the eyes
The ___, raw or in juices is very good for the sight and for the skin in infusions and poultices.
Plants for the nervous system
___: The flowers and the leaves of this plant taken in infusions help to control and heal stress, insomnia, depressions, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
___: This plant also calms the nerves, beautifies the skin and protects the heart, using its flowers in infusions, or adding an infusion of it to bath water is very effective for insomnia or nervousness. Steam baths of its flowers also soften and beautify the skin.
Plants for the throat
___: Its flowers and its leaves in infusions, mouth rinse, mouth gargles and compresses are medicine for tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis.
___: Anti-inflammatory and astringent, the decoction of ___ or crushed ___, may be applied in any of the following ways:
Mouth rinses and gargles for ailments of the mouth and the throat.
Eye washes or blocked up noses
Vaginal irrigations
Sitz baths, for ailments of the anus or rectum
Arm baths, for chilblains
Plants for the heart
___: In infusions and under medical supervision, all the parts of this plant have properties to strengthen the heart, increase the strength of the cardiac contractions and to fight angina pectoris.
___: The infusion of its flowers and also its fruit are very effective for the treatment of palpitations, hypertension and other nervous cardio circulatory ailments.
Plants for the arteries
____: The decoction of the leaves of this plant is a powerful vasodilator of the arteries to the brain, to fight senile ailments, ageing and memory loss. ____ that is extracted from this prodigious plant is one of the most frequently used drugs today in the treatment of failure of the blood supply to the brain, migraines, hemorrhages, etc.
____: In mexico, and many other parts of the world, infusions of ____ and their young stems are used for bronchial colds and respiratory ailments. The oil from its seeds is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as well as in vitamin E, A, and B. Therefore, it is particularly indicated for reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as for diabetes, kidneys and skin diseases.
Plants for the veins
___: A decoction of ____ nuts or wood is indicated to fight varicose veins, hemorrhoids and the disorders of menopause, using it in decoctions. In sitz baths it also alleviates urination disorders, pertaining to the prostate syndrome, cystitis or urinary incontinence. Likewise, it can be highly advisable for cases of hemorrhoids.
____: The oil of this plant is recommended for oily skin and for cases of acne. A decoction of the bark of the young branches and the leaves is used as a medicine in the case of heavy legs, varicose veins, phlebitis, in tisanes, compresses, hip baths and friction massages.
Plants for the respiratory system
____: The decoction of the leaves and the flowers has extraordinary properties, using it in infusions or essences to calm coughs, respiratory and digestive ailments. In baths, rinses, gargles, compresses and friction massages, it heals mouth and anal ailments, rheumatism and headaches, depression, asthenia and exhaustion.
____: Infusions of the dried leaves and flowers, used in tisanes give results in the cases of voice loss, acute bronchitis, bronco-pneumonia, asthma, and emphysema. ____ is also very helpful when stopping smoking, since it cleans the bronchial tubes of secretions, encouraging their elimination.
Plants for the digestive system
____: The infusions and essences of this plant are very appropriate for digestive ailments, colic's, flatulence, etc. Compresses, washes and friction massages are highly indicated for rheumatism, healing of wounds and eye washes.
____: Infusions of its leaves and flowered tops have properties to calm pain, they are invigorating and aphrodisiacs. It is recommended in cases of dyspepsia, intestinal wind, digestive spasms and colic, gastric atonia, hepatitis and physical exhaustion.
Plants for the stomach
____: The juice from this plants leaves heals peptic ulcers. Poultices of the leaves heal skin ulcers. It also improves acne.
____: The whole plant in infusions, mouth rinses and cleansing's help digestion increasing the gastric juices, it fights bad breath, it expulses intestinal parasites and calms menstrual pains.
Plants for the intestine
____: The leaves and seeds are a laxative par excellence, efficient and safe, it stimulates the motility of the large intestine and decreases the permeability of the intestine mucus.
____: The leaves and fruit, in infusions, irrigations, gargles, sitz baths and compresses reduce inflammation of the skin and the mucus. It heals digestive disorders, diarrhea, colitis and other ailments of the female genital system.
Plants for the anus and the rectum
____: All the parts of this vine hold healing properties: The leaves in infusions are medicine for vein circulatory ailments, hemorrhoids, chilblains, varicose veins, and diarrhea. The sap of the vine shoots heals skin irritations and irritated eyes. The ____ cure is very suitable for cleaning the blood. The oil from ____ seeds is highly applicable for excess of cholesterol.
____: It improves hemorrhoids taking a sitz bath with the decoction of the leaves and young buds, which also decreases the desire to smoke when chewed slowly. Also in poultices it is very useful to heal wounds, ulcers and boils.
Plants for the male sexual organ
____: The seeds reduce inflammation of the bladder and the prostate and expel intestinal parasites. The pulp of baked or boiled ____ is ideal for those suffering from digestive problems and kidney ailments.
____: This plant is normally presented in pharmaceutical preparations, it invigorates without exciting and without creating dependence increasing the energy production in the cells, therefore it increases sexual capacity and spermatozoid production, invigorating the organism in general.
Plants for the metabolism
____: infusions of the leaves are very useful in slimming diets due to its diuretic, depurative and anti cholesterol action.
____: It fights obesity and cellulite. Its algae have the property of removing the appetite and it is a gentle laxative.
Plants for the locomotive system
____: Poultices of fresh leaves alleviate rheumatic pain and inflammatory of the joints.
____: In infusions, essences, baths, frictions massages, fomentations and compresses it has invigorating properties for exhaustion, kidney colic, and rheumatism.
Plants for the skin
____: From the pulp of its leaves, the gel or juice is obtained which, when applied locally, in compresses, lotions, creams or pharmaceutical preparations, exercises beneficial effects on: wounds, burns, eczema, psoriasis, acne, fungi and herpes. It beautifies the skin and improves the appearance of scars.
____: The leaves and flowers in infusions or oil are an excellent remedy for burns, it moderates the inflammatory reaction, it has a local anesthetic effect, digestive, balancer of the nervous system and antidepressant.
Plants for infectious diseases
____: All the parts of this plant are natural antibiotics against respiratory and urinary infections. It encourages the functions of the skin. It acts against baldness.
____: It is a plant that has multiple anti-infectious properties with healing powers for the nervous system, digestive, respiratory and genital-urinary systems.
More Testimonials
Thank you for the encyclopedia books "The Foods With Their Healing Power and Medicinal Plants". I am Learning lots of information from them. This will be of great benefit to me when referring to the healing powers of foods. I will use this information in my chiropractic office when teaching about healthy eating to my patients. It is good to know that there are books that can provide this type of vital information to those who are willing to benefit from the information. Again thanks for these incredible books.
-Dr. Malcolm Hill
The Encyclopedia "Foods And Their Healing Power," Whose author is Dr. Jorge Pamplona Roger is a complete work, well structured, didactic and easy to understand for any kind of reader and of great value both for professionals and students in this field.
-Maria D Lopez-Martinez
It is my pleasure to recommend a set of books that I used and believe to be quite informational: Foods And Their Healing Power and Medicinal Plants. As a Fellow, in the Medical Fellowship Program at Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital, I have found these books to be quite helpful. They provide accurate nutritional information for a wide array of foods found throughout the world and they include a list of medicinal plants with their properties and mechanisms of action. In addition, they are written without the usual heavy jargon, which makes them appealing to healthcare professionals, non-health care persons and children. The quality is superb and the material is presented in a colorful way. I have recommended them, on numerous occasions, to guests and patients at the Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. This set of books will complement the home and any other learning enviroments.
-Dr. Ervin Davis
I am writing this letter to offer my gratitude regarding the Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. In your description of the books you explained how beautiful they were and their content. All that I can say is that your words were not enough! The books have already proven to be an incredible asset to my own education and the promotion of God's health message to others.
The color and clarity of photographs is nothing less than phenomenal and the information given on each of the foods and medicinal plants far surpasses anything that I have been able to find thus far in book form or on the Internet. Not only will this prove very valuable in a health ministry but also in my profession as a medical doctor in education of my patients.
Please feel free to use me as a reference if anyone medical or non-medical needs further insight on these very valuable tools. Thanks again and God bless you!
-Bobby E. Scales, MD
hear hear for yourself the valuable information inside of this encyclopedia
htp://www.heisawesome.org
The value of this encyclopedia lies in its rational and truly practical focus point for healing and preventing the diseases of your family, without the disadvantages that most medicines have.
The pharmaceutical laboratories are aiming their research efforts towards the vegetable world, in such a way that more and more often you can find medicines prepared using medicinal plants by the chemists.
The creator has given foods a healing and preventative power, particularly when we use a balanced diet in combination with other natural elements, such as the sun, water, clean air, medicinal plants and a good mental disposition.
Take action now.
Please visit www.heisawesome.org
Tel. 786-307-4077
The Baroque observatory is considered the structural symbol of the monastery of Kremsmünster, and at the time of its construction was known as the "mathematical tower". In art history it is described not only as one of the historical beginnings of modern highrise building architecture but also as the first preserved independent museum edifice. At first the monastery authorities had contemplated erecting the observatory above the bridge gate. Fr. Anselm Desing had already completed plans and a wooden model, which has been preserved. This project was abandoned and in 1748 the decision was made to erect a fully free-standing building in the garden. Once again, the designs were drawn up by Desing, and construction was completed within ten years. This nine-storey structure was meant to house a universal museum in which the visitor would be led from inanimate nature (minerals and fossils on the second floor) over to lower living nature (plants and animals), on to the human sciences and arts (art chamber and picture gallery on the third and fourth floors), then on to the cosmos (the observatory on the sixth floor) and finally to the reflection of God (the chapel on the seventh floor).
Kremsmünster . Upper Austria . Austria . Europe
Petra (Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ; Ancient Greek: Πέτρα), originally known as Raqmu (Nabataean Arabic: الرقيم), is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Petra lies on the slope of Jabal Al-Madbah in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah valley that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Established possibly as early as the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra's proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub.
The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue, and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The earliest recorded historical reference to the city was when an envious Greek dynasty attempted to ransack the city in 312 BC. The Nabataeans were, unlike their enemies, accustomed to living in the barren deserts, and were able to repel attacks by utilizing the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. The Kingdom's capital continued to flourish until the 1st century AD when its famous Al-Khazneh facade was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants.
Encroaching troops of the Roman Empire in 106 AD forced the Nabataeans to surrender. The Romans annexed and renamed the Kingdom to Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after a 363 earthquake destroyed many structures. The Byzantine Era witnessed the construction of several Christian churches. By 700, the city became an abandoned place where only a handful of nomads grazed goats. It remained an unknown place until it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, sparking renewed interest in the city.
The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. It is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".
Saint Laurence’s Church was established as a place of worship when the Normans founded Ludlow in the late 11th century. It is situated in the centre of Ludlow on the hill around which the medieval town developed. It is one of the most impressive parish churches that I have been privileged to visit.
The church is the largest parish church in Shropshire. It was described as the "cathedral of the Marches" and is rated by Simon Jenkins as being one of the finest hundred churches in England. The tower is 135 feet high and commands excellent views of the town and surrounding countryside.
During the late Middle Ages Ludlow became a wealthy wool town, to befit this growing prosperity St Laurence's underwent several further additions. The major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 with a virtual re-building of the nave, tower and chancel elements. The tower took on a Perpendicular style which was fashionable in England in the 15th century. It can therefore fairly be described as a "wool church".
As described in the other picture, I was late to the scheduled alumni event due to the progressing sunset over Mannheim. a flock of birds arrived (one can still be seen on this picture), I switched lenses multiple time (to get back to the Summilux 50 again), and finally the sky turned red and orange. It became a very dramatic sunset, and I had a lot of fun documenting the progressing color shift from yellow-green to orange-red.
I assume that global warming is changing sunsets in Germany, as the air is more humid and sunset colors get more similar to tropical areas.
20191011-M10_9392-1-JPG
Most pilots would describe flying a C0034-S2 as similar to making a Rutenbahn Sandwhich with only your toes, while blindfolded and listening to Askreeen War Songs at 100 decibels. Were you to ask any of those pilots if they could name one still flying they would laugh in your face and tell you to joke around with some other sorry sod.
The C0034 was designed as a lightweight cargo jet with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The model was used for several years but never gained much appreciation as it was outclassed in nearly every regard by the more advanced C0102. During the years of the Raf Colony\'s expansion, the need for a small inter-planetary cargo shuttle inspired a few brilliant engineers (though early test pilots had other adjectives to describe them) ventured to retrofit the C0034 with two linear aerospike engines and maneuvering thrusters. The result was nothing less than abominabol and the engineers were promptly sacked.
The C0034-S was deemed unflightworthy and the project was sidelined for another decade until a new set of brilliant engineers decided to go out for drinks after work, got absolutley hammered and figured, why not just remove half of the internal structure and see what happens? The result, the C0034-S2, was light enough to fly but could only carry enough fuel for a few AU of travel, shelving it squarely in the disdainful categorey of \'rockhopper\'. Even worse, the ship was once-again outclassed (who are we kidding, it has never been anything else) as the VTOL system used air-breathing jet engines. Without an oxygenated atmosphere, hard landings were the only option.
Of course, an ultra-cheep rockhopper is the perfect workhorse of a Hibernia prospector! The Isadora has been around for decades and her crew insitsts she isn\'t going anywhere (although some joke that that’s because she can’t fly).
-----------
Wowowow this build drained me. It took effort spread over all 30 days of my given month. She\'s nearly 8000 pieces with most of those going to the internal structure. I did not post any WIP pics over the month as I honestly never thought I would finish. I may post my sketches now.
The full model is available here. I don\'t have time to make more renders so feel free to explore the boat yourself! (Also, unlike my usual, only the VISIBLE parts are color-checked against Bricklink. Timing was tight.)
Finally, a huge thank you to -majortom- for test-building the working landing gear for this beast and giving me the confidence to move forward with the project!
Described on the web site as "our ‘northern lights’ over the Canal Pond". The Emperor fountain has been made into a fan of water, rather than a tall fountain. Lit up at dusk with coloured spotlights it gives an interesting effect, especially with the reflections of the illuminated trees.
A couple more shots in the comment below.
Wikipedia described this as, “a group of relocated Anasazi ruined cliff dwellings and a museum located just west of Colorado Springs”.
The word "Epic" is one that is often overused to describe a scene or occurrence that really was out of this world. On this day I would stick by my guns and say the weather really was EPIC. Maybe the word ‘maelstrom’ would have been a good description.
This is a colour photo as can just be told from the vague colours of the moss on the nearby rocks. The location is nearing the summit of Froswick on the Kentmere Horseshoe. I was out for the day with a Flickr pal John and apart from two hikers who ventured as afar as this summit we saw no one all day. One of those two hikers is seen here battling against the swirling snow and ice that was being whipped up by the vicious winds. This photo hasn't been uploaded before but was taken at a similar time to others that I posted back in 2015.
Why upload a hiking photo like this today, well despite the lack lot recent mountain photos on my Flickr stream I would say that my biggest hobby over the last thirty years has been hill walking. Couple that fact with the fact that I have been unable to hike since February on account of a nasty dose of Plantar Fasciitis. Things seemed to have improved a little and I can't hold myself back any longer so early next week I head for a hike in the Lake District. We might even hike the Kentmere Horseshoe where this photo was taken.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the cross. I think it carries more weight as a symbol than any other. It signifies sacrifice, the door, the path to God....truth, love, peace, eternal life. More than at any other time in 2000 years, it is rebuked and rebuffed. Yet all around us we see events described in sacred books and by esteemed prophets. Now is the time to return to the cross and seek the Creator. " For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
© All Rights Reserved.
I can’t adequately describe the thrill of seeing not one, but two, koalas just near home this week. It doesn’t get much better than that 😍 And it was just delightful to see so many people stopping their cars to look, show their kids and take photos. (The koalas were safely inside the fence line of our golf course which has unfortunately been sold, but close enough to to the road to be easily seen).
It’s a desperately sad fact that koalas in Queensland, where I live, are now listed as an endangered species. Their numbers continue to decline as a result of habitat loss due to land clearing for development and farming, climate events like bushfires and drought, and disease.
Spring is mating season for koalas and I was lucky to spot two of them in the same tree in our local area where it’s estimated there are around 40 living in a conservation zone. But even this area is now under threat of housing redevelopment which would mean the further destruction of precious habitat for the koalas, kangaroos and other wildlife. The developers and local authorities will have a fight on their hands. I am getting ready for battle.
30. Far apart
122 in 2022
Most pilots would describe flying a C0034-S2 as similar to making a Rutenbahn Sandwhich with only your toes, while blindfolded and listening to Askreeen War Songs at 100 decibels. Were you to ask any of those pilots if they could name one still flying they would laugh in your face and tell you to joke around with some other sorry sod.
The C0034 was designed as a lightweight cargo jet with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The model was used for several years but never gained much appreciation as it was outclassed in nearly every regard by the more advanced C0102. During the years of the Raf Colony\'s expansion, the need for a small inter-planetary cargo shuttle inspired a few brilliant engineers (though early test pilots had other adjectives to describe them) ventured to retrofit the C0034 with two linear aerospike engines and maneuvering thrusters. The result was nothing less than abominabol and the engineers were promptly sacked.
The C0034-S was deemed unflightworthy and the project was sidelined for another decade until a new set of brilliant engineers decided to go out for drinks after work, got absolutley hammered and figured, why not just remove half of the internal structure and see what happens? The result, the C0034-S2, was light enough to fly but could only carry enough fuel for a few AU of travel, shelving it squarely in the disdainful categorey of \'rockhopper\'. Even worse, the ship was once-again outclassed (who are we kidding, it has never been anything else) as the VTOL system used air-breathing jet engines. Without an oxygenated atmosphere, hard landings were the only option.
Of course, an ultra-cheep rockhopper is the perfect workhorse of a Hibernia prospector! The Isadora has been around for decades and her crew insitsts she isn\'t going anywhere (although some will joke that that’s because she can’t fly).
-----------
Wowowow this build drained me. It took effort spread over all 30 days of my given month. She\'s nearly 8000 pieces with most of those going to the internal structure. I did not post any WIP pics over the month as I honestly never thought I would finish. I may post my sketches now.
The full model is available here. I don\'t have time to make more renders so feel free to explore the boat yourself! (Also, unlike my usual, only the VISIBLE parts are color-checked against Bricklink. Timing was tight.)
Finally, a huge thank you to -majortom- for test-building the working landing gear for this beast and giving me the confidence to move forward with the project!
read each of the statements and select the one which discribes how you feel / discribe
psychosocial therapies are part of the standard management of schizophrenic illnesses, but have not been subjected to systematic evaluation and are therefore not included in this guideline. This does not imply that they are not essential components of good practice.
The remainder of this section describes the evidence for the effectiveness of Education Programmes, Family Interventions, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in the management of schizophrenia. Section 3 provides recommendations for the application of these interventions in clinical practice, according to the phase of the illness.
Education programmes
Education Programmes are directed at either patients or carers/family members and have several aims. Improvement in knowledge of schizophrenia and its course and in compliance with treatment has been shown. There is also evidence of greater satisfaction with services provided. Some programmes go beyond the provision of information and take an educational approach to skills training or problem solving.
Education Programmes for patients may be undertaken in individual or in group settings. Simple information-giving is less effective than interactive sessions. The focus includes giving information about the course and management of the illness, including the importance of compliance with medication and the management of stress.
Providing carers and family members with information on the likely course of the illness, the treatments available, the importance of compliance and the services available is an essential element of good practice It may be undertaken as part of a Family Intervention programme
Specific techniques, e.g. use of homework or video, have not been shown to improve the assimilation of information, but a group setting has advantages
Family interventions
The aims of 'Family Intervention' include reduction of frequency of relapse into illness and reduction of hospital admissions, reduction in the burden of care on families and carers, and improvement in compliance with medication.
Some Family Intervention Programmes have targeted families where there are high levels of criticism, hostility and over-involvement. 'High expressed emotion' is a measure of these features and programmes which reduce this or reduce the amount of 'face to face' contact between the patient and family members have been shown to reduce the frequency of relapse. However, the measurement of expressed emotion is a research technique which is not practical for everyday use. Family Intervention Programmes which are not derived from this theoretical background have been shown to be effective.
Most intervention strategies contain more than one technique. Separating and defining the effects of the components of an intervention strategy is not possible at present as few studies examine the effect of a single technique and only a general description of interventions used in research studies is usually given. However, a number of practice guides have been published which give detailed descriptions of the techniques employed in some studies. Family Intervention has been shown to be effective with some variation in the components of the programme, but family sessions to address the problems identified in the analysis may not be effective if the patient is not included. Social skills training and vocational rehabilitation were included in some studies. These are not covered as separate interventions in the guideline.
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for psychosis is a modification of standard cognitive behavioural therapy. The aim is to modify symptoms (e.g. delusions, hallucinations) or the consequences of the symptoms which may be cognitive, emotional, physiological or behavioural. The treatment programme is intensive (involving about 20 hours of individual treatment) and based on an individually tailored formulation which provides an explanation of the development, maintenance and exacerbation of symptoms and of pre-morbid mood, interpersonal and behavioural difficulties.
There is now good evidence that treatment resistant symptoms (delusions, hallucinations) can be substantially reduced in a significant proportion of those who complete therapy. It is not yet clear who is most likely to benefit from treatment and many patients may be unwilling to participate. The treatment is well tolerated. However, reduction of symptoms has not been shown to lead to significant social or lifestyle improvements.
A combination of the following techniques has been shown to be most effective in lessening symptoms of psychosis resistant to other forms of treatment:
◦enhancement of cognitive behavioural coping strategies5
◦developing a rationale to explain symptoms28◦realistic goal setting
◦modification of delusional beliefs29◦modification of dysfunctional assumptions.
A number of these techniques are a refinement of normal good practice using a systematic approach.
'Early Intervention Studies' have aimed to identify prodromal symptoms or the 'signature' preceding relapse. The approach is not a form of cognitive therapy, but early intervention with medication or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy may be facilitated
by Albert Bierstadt
Bierstadt's beautifully crafted paintings played to a market eager, in the 1860s for spectacular views of the nation's frontiers. Bierstadt was an immigrant and a hardworking entrepreneur who had grown rich pairing his artistic skill with a talent for self-promotion. The unveiling of one of his canvases was a theatrical event. He sold tickets and planted news stories, strategies that one critic described as the "vast machinery of advertisement and puffery." A "great picture" was elaborately framed and installed in a room with carefully controlled lighting. At the appointed time, the work was revealed to thunderous applause.
Bierstadt painted "Among the Sierra Nevada, California" in his Rome studio, then showed the canvas in Berlin and London before shipping it to the United States. Works such as this fueled the image of America as a promised land just when Europeans were immigrating to this country in great numbers. When the painting was shown in Boston, one critic recognized that the landscape was a fiction invented from Bierstadt's sketches of the West. Nevertheless the writer felt that it represented "what our scenery ought to be, if it is not so in reality."