View allAll Photos Tagged Destructive
A week after the devastating storm damage of 21 May. 2022 wrecked these beautiful trees in the woods on Duffins trail with a view past the trees over Duffins creek marsh in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , May 28. 2022
American Larch trees with beautiful small cones
Tamarack trees with beautiful small cones
Cones
Blooming Dogwood
flowering white dead nettles
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees with blossoms
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Duffins trail
blue sky
Maple tree
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
In this image: An artist’s depiction of the destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere of ESA’s fifth and final Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV-5, after it completes its mission to the International Space Station.
Excerpt from the article: The fifth and final mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), scheduled for launch on July 29, will deliver new research investigations to the International Space Station. The ATV-5 spacecraft bears the name of Belgian physicist Georges Lemaître, who is considered to be the father of the big-bang theory. This final flight of the ATV program will deliver joysticks for robotic video games, new clothing, a new laser imaging system for spacecraft rendezvous and aquarium fish.
Read full article:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/atv_5/
Image credit: ESA
More about space station research:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html
Flickr Album: Space Station Research Affects Lives:
www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/sets/72157634178107799/
________________________________
These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights please visit: www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelin...
#ThrowbackThursday. This little schmuck and his destructive buddies drove me nuts a few years ago. I had spent a ton of money on landscaping and new turf and they all thought it was a buffet. They also thought I'd appreciate their acidic urine and marbeled feces all over the yard so they generously used it as their latrine. The neighborhood hawks and coyotes were no help. as they seemed to give them a free pass. Thankfully, they've sort of given up and gone somewhere else the past several years but I'd better not count my blessings too soon because they could be back overnight.
Weeks after the devastating storm that wrecked this beautiful old tree In the woods on Duffins trail in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , June 11. 2022
Closeup photograph of this wrecked old tree I found laying across Duffins trail
June 2022
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Hours after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
vista with colourful trees ,
bulrushes
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
May 2022
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Orange yellow Tamarack tree
Duffins trail
blue sky
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Black eye Susan’s
Colourful bird houses
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Garter snake
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
cropped photograph
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
Explore Jan 8, 2011 #322
I walked up close to see if any insects were mating on the browned Mahoe pods... since everything else around seemed to be covered with eggs or caterpillars.
Didn't expect to see these elegant beauties all decked out in black long-tailed coats and striking red and white undergarments.
Check out the red and then black forelegs and the segmented black antennae. And yes, their backing up to each other is... mating.
Four species of "cotton stainers," also known as "red bugs," are known from Florida. However, the most important of these is the cotton stainer, Dysdercus suturellus. Morrill (1910) stated the cotton stainer was the most destructive cotton pest in Florida. Currently, the cotton stainer is a minor pest of cotton, and only in the southern part of the state.
This species lost its importance on cotton during the mid-20th century, primarily because of the elimination of cotton waste that provided breeding and overwintering sites, but also due to effective chemical controls. However, during that period cotton also lost its former eminence as a crop in Florida. Maximum acreage of cotton in Florida occurred in 191 1at 319,000 acres. By 1920, it was down to 100,000 acres and remained at that level until 1937. For the past 5 or so years acreage has been in the 90,000 to 110,000 acre range.
Cotton stainers are currently noteworthy because of their presence on and occasional damage to fruits and ornamentals, particularly malvaceous plants such as Hibiscus spp. The cotton stainer is most common in southern Florida and in Cuba.
Nymphs: There are 5 nymphal stages or instars. The 1st usually is spent underground. The duration of each of the first 4 stages typically averages 4 to 5 days during midsummer, but the 5th stage commonly takes about twice as long. All 5 stages require from 21 to 35 days to complete. The nymphs are generally red. The 4th and 5th instars have dark wing pads, and the dividing lines between abdominal segments become very distinct as maturity is approached.
Cotton Stainer, red bug, Dysdercus suturellus
Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, North Miami, FL
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022 that destroyed life and did damage to buildings and nature it wrecked this beautiful old willow tree on Duffins creek with a blue sky in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , May 24. 2022
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
vista with colourful trees ,
bulrushes
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
May 2022
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Orange yellow Tamarack tree
Duffins trail
blue sky
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Black eye Susan’s
Colourful bird houses
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Garter snake
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
cropped photograph
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
A destructive polymorphic virus damages a firewall so it can access financial data in an online bank account.
More techno-abstract.
Alternate title:
All uR M0n1E$ r b3L0nG 2 u5!!!1!!!
Enjoy! :)
The Paprihaven Mall is always a spot for great conversations, and the highly polished floor of the arcade hosts the reflection of an intense discussion of the edge quality of various blades.
Mitsurugi Meiya: My blade is one of the three Sacred Treasures of Japan, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the sword of the Imperial regalia.
In addition to an edge that can slice through hardened steel like water, it is embued with the mystical energy of all the valor of Japan's greatest swordsmen.
I not only wield Kusanagi no Tsurugi, this fabled sword wields me.
Saber: Just as Mitsurugi uses her country's finest blade, I wield the majestic Excalibur itself. The sword of the great King Arthur. It has all the power one would expect from such a singular artifact, and more.
The blade embodies the wielder's spirit, imbuing each attack with a sense of heroism. The sword itself is a Noble Phantasm with remarkable capability, and is considered the greatest of all magical swords in speed and attack power.
As a product of the inner sea, the sword is most powerful against those who wish to harm the planet. Sacred to the earth, Excalibur is exalted as a “crystal trained by the heart alone.” and feeds it's power from the glory and dreams of all humanity.
Excalibur's power can be a directed energy weapon because it channels a magic supply into a beam of light from the sword's point. Driven with such valiance, I've managed to take down some intensely formidable forces.
For example, there was the Gigantic Horror, an evil demon with instant regeneration! This made most attacks futile but, using Excalibur, I was able to incinerate the being, destroying every atom of its flesh. There was nothing left to regenerate!
I also finished off Caster himself with the sword. In fact, Excalibur has the ability to obliterate entire legions of monsters in a fatal blow.
Wonder Woman: Japan and Britain are both honorable but I take you to Greece and, specifically, Mount Olympus. My sword was forged by Hephaestus. Need I say more?
Saber: Yes, because I don't know who that is!
Wonder Woman: Psh! Hephaestus is the Greek god of blacksmiths and metalworking. There is no weapon he cannot forge and no goals his weapons cannot achieve.
This particular blade is the Imítheos Dolofónos. It is designed to kill the most powerful of creatures, even Zeus himself. As with both of your weapons, my sword is semi-sentient, able to assist me in guiding attacks. If needed, of course.
Imítheos Dolofónos is seething with eldritch energy which enables it to repair itself. How can you dull an edge that is always self-repairing? And, finally, it can reflect the energy of attacks. If we cross swords, mine will not only bounce the energy of your attack back into your weapon, but it will do so with two-fold destructive force.
A lot of very powerful weapons are said to be indestructible. But when faced with another weapon that is just as powerful or even more powerful, one often shatters. This is where my sword beyond most if not all other weapons.
Even if my sword may be shattered or destroyed, it can always reform itself. This means that the can never really be truly destroyed.
If I drop or throw the Imítheos Dolofónos in combat, I can recall it and it will return to me. Even if separated, Imítheos Dolofónos will always find its way back to me.
Rin Tohsaka: Well I use the Azoth Sword! My shortsword, or long dagger if you prefer, is a mystic code in and of itself. The Azoth Sword amplifies my magecraft, assisting with my spellcasting and intensifying them. So, unlike all of you, I don't typically go around poking people with my sword.
Rather, this fine blade can form magic circles, it can cause helpful or catastrophic effects in the physical and ethereal realms.
If I wanted to stoop to such a mundane use, I could certainly puncture someone with it and kill them but, honestly, wouldn't that be a tragic underuse of the Azeroth Sword?
While your weapons are unique because of their intrinsic values, my Azeroth Sword is unique because of me. It is my abilities in magic that elevate the blade.
My Azeroth Sword has a capacity of ten jewels, each of with I can fill with different magic powers and energies. It increases my power, range, and abilities 100 fold.
So, I can use it to destroy any enemy or cure any illness. Unlike your blades, mine is not only for destruction, but healing.
...
...
Saber: Casca?
Casca: Oh, mine is just a sword. Finely crafted to be sure, but nothing beyond that. You see, I am the sword. I am the sword of Guts as he blazes his path to his dream. Just as a sword in his hand, where he wields me, I will go, fearlessly, selflessly, to use all my skill to advance his cause.
...
...
Saber: So it's just a sword??
Casca: *sigh*
__________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Armadillo. My backyard. Today. He's photogenic, oh, yes. But a holy terror to the yard. The claw that digs and the snout that sucks up those grubs. Not sure what the tail does, but it's a doozy.
too much accomplishes little
1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.
2. www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
3. www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
link to original: flickr.com/photos/31747118@N08/3287611673/in/set-72157613...
Uncle Danny Destructive DJing at KYMATIK
Visit this location at KYMATIK Open Stage for Experimental Electronic Music. in Second Life
Tracks of the ISS and Progress MS-14
I observed the ISS and Progress MS-14 (5 hours before planned destructive reentry) on April 28, 2021, from 19:18 to 19:20 UT in the dawn sky, from Yuzhno-Morskoy (near Nakhodka), Russia. The spacecraft looked like a +2m star and was visible at a distance of several degrees from the ISS. My time-lapse taken with camera Canon EOS 60D (5 sec. exposure time for each photo): www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRvlby5acDE
With best regards, Filipp.
It's Seven Days of Thanksgiving again at Paprihaven! All glory, praise, and gratitude to God for His many blessings! This year, we walk through Psalm 19.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
It was a great time skateboarding. Some of her best friends from the community were there, and Tracy finally aced that transition she'd been trying for ages. She didn't get it right again after that, but now that she has one success under her belt, she knows there will be more.
As Tracy walks the familiar route home she always notes with sadness the many avenues to ruin available on this street. And the people ever present to follow those terrible paths. Tracy knows she would be doing the same things if not for God opening her heart to His truth, and His law, so she gives thanks to God. Behavior that is destructive to oneself and others has repurcussions in this life, but those are nothing compared to the judgments of God on the lost in eternity.
The fear of the Lord is clean, cleansing, and establishes a soul for eternity. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.* To live against Him would be foolish to the extreme. 'How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit!' ** God's judgments are true and righteous, and all sin must be paid for. What a blessing that the Lord, Christ Jesus, would pay for those sins in our place!
•───────────︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵────────────•
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
~ Psalm 19
* Proverbs 9:10
* Psalm 32:2
Previous Days of Thanksgiving on Paprihaven:
2015:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/23317265455/
2016:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/31221411415/
2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/38546781536/
2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/44152794180/
2019:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49128237531/
2020:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50641046658/
2021:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51701007283/
2022:
This is in the outskirts of Safford, Arizona, a small town between the Graham and the White mountains. This land will soon be developed by Phelps-Dodge, one of the leading copper producers in the world.
My family is a mining family. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my dad and his brother were all copper miners. Not to mention countless other family members. But copper mining is incredibly destructive to environments -- huge stepped pits are carved out of the earth, creating upside down ziggurats... pre-monuments to the minerals we seem to need.
Here is a photo of the Morenci mine; one of the largest copper mines in the world, only an hour away from this spot.
The Kea is a large species of parrot (family Strigopidae) found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. Measuring around 48 cm (19 in) in length, it is mostly olive-green and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. The feathers on the underside of the wings are iridescent blue and bright orange. The Kea is one of the few alpine parrots in the world. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Now uncommon, the Kea was once killed for bounty as it preyed on livestock, especially sheep. It only received full protection in 1986.
During our visit to Paisley, Ontario, I did my usual wander around town to see if I could find any colourful subject matter. This is the front of the Quatre Directions restaurant on Queen Street North. The restaurant specializes in traditional Metis foods but, alas, I had no opportunity to sample the menu. Another time, perhaps. The late afternoon deep shadow helped to accentuate the blue paint scheme. Over the face are a number of feathers, fish and butterflies, rendered in a style reminding me a bit of a Dr Suess book illustrations. - JW
Date Taken: 2022-06-14
(c) Copyright 2022 JW Vraets
Tech Details:
Taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D800 fitted with an AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm VR 1:4.0 lense set to 120mm, ISO100, Daylight WB, Matrix metering, Aperture Priority Mode, f/8.0, 1/20 sec. PP in free Open Source RAWTherapee from Nikon RAW/NEF source file: set final image size to be 9000px wide, level image, enable Tone Mapping at default levels, increase Contrast and Chromaticity in L-A-B mode, use Tone Curve 2 in parametric mode to brighten the Lights, adjust White balance by shifting the Temperature to slightly more yellow to somewhat counteract the deep shadow blue cast, slightly increase Vibrance, sharpen (edges only), save. PP in free Open Source GIMP: use the Curves tool to slightly brighten the image overall, use the Hue-Saturation-Brightness tool to increase the Cyan channel saturation and also darken it a bit, use a non-destructive dodge/burn layer to brighten the green planter as well as the text in the window signage as well as the feathers, create new working layer from visible result, duplicate the layer and boost its contrast and saturation overall, add a black/transparent layer mask to that layer and then use a soft brush with white ‘paint’ to paint the feathers, fish and butterflies to show them against the bottom layer, create new working layer from visible result, fine tune Contrast a little, sharpen slightly, save, scale image to 6000 px wide, save, add fine black-and-white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale image to 3000 px wide for posting online.
Beautiful blooming Dogwood on Duffins trail in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , May 28. 2022
Canada Anemone
Tamarack trees
Blooming Dogwood
flowering white dead nettles
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
vista with colourful trees ,
bulrushes
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
May 2022
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees with blossoms
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Orange yellow Tamarack tree
Duffins trail
blue sky
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Black eye Susan’s
Colourful bird houses
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Garter snake
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
cropped photograph
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
Stoicism (Greek Στοά) was a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics considered destructive emotions to be the result of errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions. Stoics were concerned with the active relationship between cosmic determinism and human freedom, and the belief that it is virtuous to maintain a will (called prohairesis) that is in accord with nature. Because of this, the Stoics presented their philosophy as a way of life, and they thought that the best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how he behaved. Later Stoics, such as Seneca and Epictetus, emphasized that because "virtue is sufficient for happiness," a sage was immune to misfortune. This belief is similar to the meaning of the phrase 'stoic calm', though the phrase does not include the "radical ethical" Stoic views that only a sage can be considered truly free, and that all moral corruptions are equally vicious.
Stoic doctrine was a popular and durable philosophy, with a following throughout Greece and the Roman Empire, from its founding until the closing of all philosophy schools in 529 AD by order of the Emperor Justinian I, who perceived their pagan character to be at odds with the Christian faith.
The Stoics provided a unified account of the world, consisting of formal logic, non-dualistic physics and naturalistic ethics. Of these, they emphasized ethics as the main focus of human knowledge, though their logical theories were to be of more interest for many later philosophers.
Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the universal reason (logos). A primary aspect of Stoicism involves improving the individual’s ethical and moral well-being: "Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature."[This principle also applies to the realm of interpersonal relationships; "to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy," and to accept even slaves as "equals of other men, because all alike are sons of God."
The Stoic ethic espouses a deterministic perspective; in regards to those who lack Stoic virtue, Cleanthes once opined that the wicked man is "like a dog tied to a cart, and compelled to go wherever it goes." A Stoic of virtue, by contrast, would amend his will to suit the world and remain, in the words of Epictetus, "sick and yet happy, in peril and yet happy, dying and yet happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace and happy," thus positing a "completely autonomous" individual will, and at the same time a universe that is "a rigidly deterministic single whole."
Stoicism became the foremost popular philosophy among the educated elite in the Hellenistic world and the Roman Empire, to the point where, in the words of Gilbert Murray "nearly all the successors of Alexander [...] professed themselves Stoics."
May 4, 2016
This pretty, but destructive fungus just manifested itself on a cedar tree near our house. This is the fungus that causes "Cedar-Apple Rust" on apple and similar ornamental fruit trees. Its spores are launched from the orange "horns" and off they go looking for an apple tree to infest. Apparently they can travel and do damage up to a mile away... probably further.
The latin name for this thing is Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae (But I would call it the "Side-Show Bob Fungus.")
Brewster, Massachusetts
Cape Cod - USA
Photo by brucetopher
© Bruce Christopher 2016
All Rights Reserved
No use without permission.
Please email for usage info.
sometimes destructive, but at least she's feeling all right and getting back to her normal funny self after the surgery yesterday; I love my funny destructive little monster!
Beautiful shadows on the ground , tree roots and Trilliums in the woods at Duffins trail in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , May 11. 2022
Hog weed
Weeds
Purple wildflowers
Coltsfoot wildflowers
Comfrey herb
Mushrooms on a tree
Closeup photograph of this wrecked old tree I found laying across Duffins trail
June 2022
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Hours after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
bulrushes
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
May 2022
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Duffins trail
blue sky
cloud cover
Tamarack tree
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Black eye Susan’s
Colourful bird houses
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Large mushroom
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
iPhone 6s
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Dead Nettles
Trilliums
Dogwood
Shadows
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
Dandelions
The first 911 call for the Black Forest fire came on June 11, 2013. Nine days later, firefighters had fully contained the blaze, but not before it had devastated a wooded suburb of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The fire charred more than 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares), destroying 509 homes and killing two people. The Black Forest fire was the most destructive in the state’s history, eclipsing the Waldo Canyon fire that struck another part of the Colorado Springs area in 2012.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on the Terra satellite acquired this view of the burn scar on June 21, 2013. Vegetation-covered land is red in the false-color image, which includes both visible and infrared light. Patches of unburned forest are bright red. Unburned grasslands are pink. The darkest gray and black areas are the most severely burned. Buildings, roads, and other developed areas appear light gray and white. The lower image, a photograph taken on June 20, shows a charred section of Black Forest.
The most severe damage occurred north of Shoup Road, but the severity varied widely by neighborhood. Cathedral Pines, for instance, escaped largely unscathed. Many residents of that neighborhood put rocks around their homes, removed vegetation and dead trees from their yards, avoided using mulch, and followed other fire prevention strategies that helped keep flames back long enough for fighters to save homes, the Denver Post reported.
One key building that escaped the flames was Edith Wolford elementary school. Though it was in the middle of an area that was severely burned, the school survived intact partly because of the large, treeless parking lot surrounding it.
Instrument:
Terra - ASTER
Read more: 1.usa.gov/14cUhIV
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Often portrayed as destructive monsters that hold light captive, black holes take on a less villainous role in the latest research from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. A black hole at the heart of the dwarf galaxy Henize 2-10 is creating stars rather than gobbling them up. The black hole is apparently contributing to the firestorm of new star formation taking place in the galaxy. The dwarf galaxy lies 30 million light-years away, in the southern constellation Pyxis.
A decade ago this small galaxy set off debate among astronomers as to whether dwarf galaxies were home to black holes proportional to the supermassive behemoths found in the hearts of larger galaxies. This new discovery has little Henize 2-10, containing only one-tenth the number of stars found in our Milky Way, poised to play a big part in solving the mystery of where supermassive black holes came from in the first place.
"Ten years ago, as a graduate student thinking I would spend my career on star formation, I looked at the data from Henize 2-10 and everything changed," said Amy Reines, who published the first evidence for a black hole in the galaxy in 2011 and is the principal investigator on the new Hubble observations, published in the January 19 issue of Nature.
"From the beginning I knew something unusual and special was happening in Henize 2-10, and now Hubble has provided a very clear picture of the connection between the black hole and a neighboring star forming region located 230 light-years from the black hole," Reines said.
That connection is an outflow of gas stretching across space like an umbilical cord to a bright stellar nursery. The region was already home to a dense cocoon of gas when the low-velocity outflow arrived. Hubble spectroscopy shows the outflow was moving about 1 million miles per hour, slamming into the dense gas like a garden hose hitting a pile of dirt and spreading out. Newborn star clusters dot the path of the outflow's spread, their ages also calculated by Hubble.
This is the opposite effect of what's seen in larger galaxies, where material falling toward the black hole is whisked away by surrounding magnetic fields, forming blazing jets of plasma moving at close to the speed of light. Gas clouds caught in the jets' path would be heated far beyond their ability to cool back down and form stars. But with the less-massive black hole in Henize 2-10, and its gentler outflow, gas was compressed just enough to precipitate new star formation.
"At only 30 million light-years away, Henize 2-10 is close enough that Hubble was able to capture both images and spectroscopic evidence of a black hole outflow very clearly. The additional surprise was that, rather than suppressing star formation, the outflow was triggering the birth of new stars," said Zachary Schutte, Reines' graduate student and lead author of the new study.
Ever since her first discovery of distinctive radio and X-ray emissions in Henize 2-10, Reines has thought they likely came from a massive black hole, but not as supermassive as those seen in larger galaxies. Other astronomers, however, thought that the radiation was more likely being emitted by a supernova remnant, which would be a familiar occurrence in a galaxy that is rapidly pumping out massive stars that quickly explode.
"Hubble's amazing resolution clearly shows a corkscrew-like pattern in the velocities of the gas, which we can fit to the model of a precessing, or wobbling, outflow from a black hole. A supernova remnant would not have that pattern, and so it is effectively our smoking-gun proof that this is a black hole," Reines said.
Reines expects that even more research will be directed at dwarf galaxy black holes in the future, with the aim of using them as clues to the mystery of how supermassive black holes came to be in the early universe. It's a persistent puzzle for astronomers. The relationship between the mass of the galaxy and its black hole can provide clues. The black hole in Henize 2-10 is around 1 million solar masses. In larger galaxies, black holes can be more than 1 billion times our Sun's mass. The more massive the host galaxy, the more massive the central black hole.
Current theories on the origin of supermassive black holes break down into three categories: 1) they formed just like smaller stellar-mass black holes, from the implosion of stars, and somehow gathered enough material to grow supermassive, 2) special conditions in the early universe allowed for the formation of supermassive stars, which collapsed to form massive black hole "seeds" right off the bat, or 3) the seeds of future supermassive black holes were born in dense star clusters, where the cluster's overall mass would have been enough to somehow create them from gravitational collapse.
So far, none of these black hole seeding theories has taken the lead. Dwarf galaxies like Henize 2-10 offer promising potential clues, because they have remained small over cosmic time, rather than undergoing the growth and mergers of large galaxies like the Milky Way. Astronomers think that dwarf galaxy black holes could serve as an analog for black holes in the early universe, when they were just beginning to form and grow.
"The era of the first black holes is not something that we have been able to see, so it really has become the big question: where did they come from? Dwarf galaxies may retain some memory of the black hole seeding scenario that has otherwise been lost to time and space," Reines said.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Zachary Schutte (XGI), Amy Reines (XGI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
For more information: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/hubble-finds-a-black-ho...
More then a week after the devastating storm damage of 21 May. 2022 the cut up remains of this old tree on Duffins trail with a cloudy blue sky in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , June 1. 2022
Cut up tree
More then a week after the devastating storm damage of 21 May. 2022
the cut up remains of this old tree on Duffins trail
June 2022
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
vista with colourful trees ,
bulrushes
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
May 2022
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Orange yellow Tamarack tree
Duffins trail
blue sky
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Shadows
Reflections
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
cropped photograph
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
Weeds
February 8, 2016 - Risso Dolphins Slaughter – at Taiji, Japan
Another destructive and devastating day in Taiji for innocent Dolphins migrating past the coast. Killers show again their greed and bloodlust as they find and drive a pod of Risso to the infamous Cove.
At sunrise all 12 killing vessels left Taiji harbor to hunt for Dolphins. Just after 7am, Japan local time, Cove Guardians spotted 2 hunting vessels circling 3-4 miles outside the coast. Minutes later, more killing vessels joined in and formed a drive. At 7:30am, 8 of the banger boats started to drive a pod of Risso Dolphins towards the Cove. Killers fiercly drove the pod to the Cove and quickly netted the pod. The killers wasted no time and drove a majority of the pod under the tarps on the killing beach for slaughter. 12 members of the pod were slaughtered and their bodies taken to the butcher house. The remaining 4-6 family members were driven back out to sea. The drive out to sea for the 4-6 Risso was just as brutal as the drive in. These remaining pod members are now traumatized, weak, and searching for the rest of their family.
This was the 24th Risso family slaughtered in the Cove this season. The greed and bloodlust in Taiji is endless. The Captivity trade fuels this slaughter. If you support Captive Dolphin entertainment shows and swim with Dolphin programs, you support the slaughter in Taiji.
SAY NO TO CAPTIVITY !!!
Sites for more information :
Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official)
www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage
Cove Guardians
www.seashepherd.org/cove-guardians
Photo: Sea Shepherd
USA, Nevada, Nye County. A brilliantly colored epic lightning storm rages in the sky above Shoshone Mountain in the Toquima Range.
California Sea Lions in their younger years, become a little destructive around the reef of Los Islotes, La Paz, Mexico. In one of the dark archways of the island, the Sea Lions will rip up starfish, coral, nudibranch or whatever they can get their teeth onto. Swimming back to the surface they will then drop it and let it fall back down, quickly swimming down to catch it before it lands
Thanks for the visit, comments and likes :) I hope you enjoy my images as much as I enjoy creating them. All images are subject to copyright, If you would like to use any of my images please get in contact with me on my website below
JOIN ME ➡️➡️ @prophotobaja running Specialised Photography Excursions and Underwater Photography Workshops Click www.prophotobaja.com 🔝
➡️Underwater I shoot with a Canon 5diii inside an @aquaticadigital housing and @seaandseaimaging YSD1 Strobes for lighting, For wide angle I use @sigmaphoto 15mm f2.8 Fish Eye Lens behind an 8” Dome Port
Thank you and happy diving
Nick Polanszky
The Airport Fire is an active wildfire that started on September 9, 2024 near Trabuco Canyon and exploded to over 22,000 acres within two days. The fire forced thousands to evacuate and threatened critical infrastructure in Santiago Peak. The fire spread over the canyon towards Ortega Highway and destroyed homes near Lake Elsinore. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency due to three major wildfires in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside County. It is currently at 23,412 acres and 5% containment at the time of writing.
The destructive results of a powerful supernova explosion reveal themselves in a delicate tapestry of X-ray light, as seen in this image from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton.
The image shows the remains of a supernova that would have been witnessed on Earth about 3,700 years ago. The remnant is called Puppis A, and is around 7,000 light years away and about 10 light years across. This image provides the most complete and detailed X-ray view of Puppis A ever obtained, made by combining a mosaic of different Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. Low-energy X-rays are shown in red, medium-energy X-rays are in green and high energy X-rays are colored blue.
These observations act as a probe of the gas surrounding Puppis A, known as the interstellar medium. The complex appearance of the remnant shows that Puppis A is expanding into an interstellar medium that probably has a knotty structure.
Supernova explosions forge the heavy elements that can provide the raw material from which future generations of stars and planets will form. Studying how supernova remnants expand into the galaxy and interact with other material provides critical clues into our own origins.
A paper describing these results was published in the July 2013 issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is available online. The first author is Gloria Dubner from the Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio in Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Read more:
www.nasa.gov/chandra/multimedia/puppisA-2014.html
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Read more about Chandra:
Chandra album on Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/sets/72157606205297786/
_____________________________________________
These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights please visit: www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelin...
A Tribute and Prayer
Protection from Terrorism
Father, I pray You prevent the destructive forces of terrorism directed against our nation. Provide protection from evil attacks and stop the aggressors that attempt to bring destruction to our nation and its people. May Your Hand of protection keep us safe.
I stand against the spirit of fear that accompanies the cowardice acts of terrorism. Allow our fear to turn to trust in You. May knowledge of terrorist planned attacks be revealed to those who provide our national and international security. Help those in power to act swiftly to avert all danger, protecting American lives and property.
Lord, provide strength, courage, and wisdom to our protectors. Give wisdom and insight to our government and everyone involved in the elimination of terrorism. Provide instruction in the development of effective and efficient anti-terrorist strategies that will give us an advantage against our aggressors, allowing this country to remain safe and secure.
I also pray that You enter the hearts of the instigators of terrorism, so they recognize the evil of their ways, and repent and denounce their cowardice acts of destruction against humanity. Without repentance, may they reap the consequences of their actions through Your Divine Justice. May the fear of our retaliation be greater than their hatred of democracy. Guide us in efforts to seek out and erradicate these merchants of death. Reveal to us the names of those responsible and in allegiance with terrorist organizations. Enable our military to become swift, powerful, and accurate in any action of retaliation. Help them keep the innocent safe as they stop these evil people.
Lord, help us to understand lifestyle changes that might be necessary to ensure our protection. Grant patience and tolerance to us in adapting to the safety precautions and measure that we might experience. Enable us to realize that the cost of inconvenience is a small price to pay for the safety of our families. Amen.
I am going to talk about a topic most would consider to be very sensitive and that is pornography. So if you don’t feel comfortable reading about it please stop whenever you like to. Of course I will talk about it from my personal experience. I will try not to focus on porn or talk about it in details, as my goal is not to assist others to indulge in sin but to glorify God for the freedom He has given me. I will start by talking about the photo first.
First of all I want to say that talking about being addicted to porn is not easy. I had considered talking about for some time but didn’t really want to do so. So I decided, like I do often, is to lie down and talk to God and think about why I didn’t want to write about it. The reason was simple: I didn’t want people to have a bad idea about me. The final point was: I wanted to keep my image “clean” like so many of us Christians like to do. However, after some thought I came to this conclusion:
1) I was born a sinner and I am as sinful in my nature as anybody else ever lived on earth, so there is no point in acting like I am better than anybody else.
2) I am who I am because of who I am in Christ, and that’s because of His perfect and finished work on the Cross: His death for my sins. Not because of anything good in me or about me.
3) When I accepted Jesus I basically gave Him ownership over me. In other words, there is no more “my reputation”, “my name”, “my this” and “my that”. Everything belongs to Him now. Of course I thought that I could simply avoid talking about this topic and “act” as if there is something special about me. But the truth is that He is special and I am special only because the Holy Spirit, who is special, lives in me.
4) For Christ to be lifted through me I must be lowered. For Him to be glorified I must tell the world about who I was before Christ.
5) I didn’t want to be a hypocrite! Of course, as we all know, being a hypocrite is much easier than a lot of things in life. (And believe me it is much easier to be a hypocrite than to live the Christian life, but only through living the Christian life we can find true fulfillment in Jesus.) But if I claim that I belong to Christ and that my identity is wrapped up in who I am in Him, a prince and a child of the living and holy One, then I have to act upon this claim. Otherwise I am simply being a hypocrite. I cannot say that my value and worth are in Him, when I value myself in how others see me.
So I will start my story now…
When I was in my teens back home, and I would be taking the bus in the evening sometimes I would look at my hand and be completely amazed by the orange sun light reflecting off of it, especially the amount of details God has put in the skin! And because I like to draw, shadows have always amazed me. Until now I try to emphasize shadows and contrast in my photos. So a couple of days ago I was studying when it was sunset and I looked at my hand and again I loved the amount of details in the skin. So I took few photos and after some editing, I realized this photo can be very fitting to talk about Jesus Christ’s favour in setting us free from sin. So here is my final product. I hope you like it. (Special thanks to Gimp!)
I didn’t soak the hand with orange colour and dark shadows because I want to talk about a light that’s brighter than the sun’s: the light of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That’s why I kept the light white.
I was not familiar with pornography until I came to Canada, and especially after I bought my first computer. Like so many others I started watching porn because of curiosity. I accepted Jesus in my life before I came to Canada though. Being still an immature Christian, spiritually like a few days old infant, I was an easy prey to Satan’s lies.
Then porn turned to more than just curiosity—it became a habit. Then from a habit it became an addiction. It pretty much consumed hours of my daily life, and all my energy. It cost me a lot in school as my marks dropped dramatically. My relationship with God was reduced to “hi” and “bye”!
I tried to quit many times but I couldn’t. I knew it was wrong but by then it was too strong of an addiction to break free from. I hated it and loved it at the same time. I hated it because it ruined every aspect of my life. I loved it because I was emotionally dependent on it: it was my idol. (For more on Idols you might be interested in reading: www.flickr.com/photos/001fj/2334638980/
Pornography was a very strange affair. I mean, when I went out I tried not to lust after women but when I came home I entertained the worst thoughts for hours! One of the worst things about porn is that it gets worse overtime. You never start at a low level and stay there; you stoop to lower levels because after a while those materials are not satisfying anymore. Can you imagine the helplessness people who are addicted to porn feel? Can you imagine the feeling of entrapment? Can you imagine not only seeing yourself in a very bad situation but also seeing yourself heading toward a worse situation and you are going by your own will simply because you couldn’t resist doing the thing that is hurting you and eventually will destroy you!
It is like standing in a hole and digging it to make it deeper and deeper and deeper.
One summer break I spent it pretty much editing photos using Photoshop and listening to Dr. Charles Stanley. In one sermon he was talking about how God sets us free and the bottom line was that we have to:
1) Realize and admit our situation and helplessness
2) Trust that God can free us
3) Surrender ourselves, lives and hearts to Him
So I tried it. I went to pray and told God all those three points and I meant them—I truly believed and knew that I couldn’t free myself from this sin, and I knew that God was a good God who loved me and cared about me….but, I didn’t know how to surrender! I mean if I was in a war then I could take a piece of white cloth and put it on a stick, raise it up and walk toward the enemy. They would see the white piece of cloth and would know that I am surrendering, but how do you do that spiritually? I mean, it is more than words just as in the scenario of the battlefield above: I have to raise (action word) the stick, and walk (another action word) toward the enemy. But how do you surrender spiritually?
Needless to say after that prayer I went back to pornography as if I had not even prayed it! I knew Dr. Stanley is a godly man so I knew he wouldn’t teach something false, but I simply didn’t know how to apply it. So I kept trying to break free from pornography using all methods I knew from self-control (emphasis on the word “self”; I am not talking about the self-control we have by focusing on Christ and putting Him first in our lives), to using filters to always keeping the windows and door open, etc…nothing worked.
God wasn’t completely silent in those couple of years when I was addicted to porn. I can recall some other time when God completely cut all communication with me until I obeyed Him in a certain matter (thank God He did that!), but that was not the case in those two years. I think God knew that I was helpless against breaking free from porn. He knew I was too young spiritually to abandon me completely to my weakness and leave me completely at Satan’s mercy (as if he has any!)
A particular scary moment was when one night after indulging in sin for hours I stood and planned to go carry out a sinful act. After a couple steps it was as if God slapped me so hard that He woke me up from a nightmare; the only thing is that I was not dreaming--it was real life! I had so foolishly bought Satan’s lies to the degree that I was going to carry them out! I froze and couldn’t move for few seconds because it was as if God had blocked my way. Then I realized that I was basically a slave of Satan if I kept believing what he told me. I was like a zombie having all sense sucked out of me and so dead in my sins.
Nothing can explain God's intervention in that moment better than this song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_SjhKJgqGg
I also realized that I was not so different from Ted Bundy or any other serial killer and rapist. I was a step away from going that road if it wasn’t for God mercy, grace, love and compassion. I can never be thankful enough for Him for intervening in that moment. We were all born sinners, and according to God holiness that demands divine justice we all deserve the death penalty. That’s why our Lord had to die for our sins to be forgiven. So please, next time you hear about a criminal so “evil” ask yourself those two questions: 1) Can Jesus’ blood forgive all his sin? Yes, or no? 2) Can God change him? Yes, or no? The answer is yes to both questions. (Check this man’s testimony if you like to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIfQ-aBham4
One time I managed to stay away from pornography for 18 days! I was so happy but when I fell to sin again I was more miserable than ever before! I knew that I couldn’t do better than that. That was about half a year after listening to Dr. Stanley’s message.
So sometime in March of 2003 I went to pray at night. And I basically told God that I had enough and that I wasn’t going to pray anymore. I was ending my relationship with Him! I didn’t know better at the time that He paid a high price to adopt me into His family and He wasn’t just going to let me go! I was so tired of pretending that my religion works when it didn’t! I became a Christian not looking for a religion, but because the God of the Bible was so real I wanted to know Him…I wanted to experience what He did and said He would do. But it was not working! It was also so repulsive to me to come pray to God when I had so disgustingly disobeyed Him! It was like lusting after women all day long then going home and kissing my wife and pretending that everything is “fine”, (by the way, it is NOT “fine” with God and His opinion is the only opinion that matters if not now then later!). I simply couldn’t carry a relationship with a Holy God when I was so steeped into sin. I was crying when I told Him “good-by” because I had really wanted Christianity to work since it was the only faith that held its own claims and its God was so real that it would require more faith for me not to believe in Him than to believe in Him! (How much faith does it take to believe in gravity? None, because we know it exists! That’s the same case with our God.) So I told Him that I don’t care anymore. I give up. I can’t break free from pornography’s hold on me, and He isn’t helping me. So I give up and won’t try to resist porn anymore. I was too tired to try to please a God who wasn’t willing to help me with my burdens.
I don’t remember exactly what day it was that I prayed that prayer but I know it was in the last 10 days of March, 2003. So I stood up and thought that was the end…that all those prayers I had prayed and He answered, the peace He has given me, the joy, and the awesome awareness of His presence I had experienced before…were all things I had imagined.
Next day I didn’t watch porn, and I thought because I was busy with school work. The day after I didn’t watch porn either and I thought because the whole week was a busy week with school work! After a week I realized that I didn’t watch porn for the last week nor did I think about it or desired to watch it! That’s when it hit me: I was free! Hallelujah, Jesus set me free! Christianity works! My wonderful God is real! Everything He did before was real! So I went to pray again, and asked Him what I should do now! He put on my heart to go to www.settingcaptivesfree.com/home/our_courses.php and register! So I did, and went through the online program for 2 months. And I have been free from pornography since that March night until today. I had a friend in high school was struggling with pornography too. He was from Pakistan and when I told him that I was free he didn’t understand how. I couldn’t explain it more to my friend than the blind man, whom our Lord Jesus healed, answered in John 9:25:
He replied, "…One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
It took me a while to realize that the Biblical principle in Dr. Stanley’s sermon works! What I did in that prayer is simply I gave up: surrendered. I stopped trying to do it in my own strength. I stopped trying to fight God’s war for Him. I stopped trying to earn His favour. I stopped trying to win my way according to my timing. I ceased striving.
If you read Gideon’s story, the story Dr. Stanley based his sermon outlines on, you will realize God did the same thing with Gideon and His army. I truly encourage you to read it. You can find it in the book of Judges.
Why did God free me this way? Well there are many reasons, here are some:
1) He wants to bring Himself the glory. If we do it on our own and succeed what does that tell the world about Him? Nothing. Then I could’ve written this whole story without a mention of Him. But the fact is I couldn’t break free from pornography on my own in a million years. It was all His work.
2) He desires to grow our faith. My faith wouldn’t have grown in a God that stands idle while I did everything myself. But now I know He is more than able to do everything He said will do.
3) God wants us to trust Him and know that He can handle His own affairs and wars. It is good to defend God and fight for Him, but we must let Him fight His own battles so the world to know that He is a mighty and powerful God, and that He is real.
Let me ask you some questions: if you are always fighting for your god, protecting it, speaking on its behave, defending it, what makes you think it is a real god? If your god can’t speak, what makes you so convinced it could create your mouth? If your god can’t fight its own battles against evil, what makes you think it can give you victory? If your god can’t defend itself, what makes you think it can protect you?
4) For others to see, hear, believe and come to know Him. If I was able to free myself from porn by myself, how would that draw people to Him?
You can say whatever you want about God. You can say that you don’t like Him. That you don’t believe in Him. You can say that you would rather live your life without Him, and spend eternity in Hell than in Heaven with Him. But you can’t tell me that I was not addicted beyond human hope to pornography and He freed me from it. You can’t tell me that my God isn’t real or that He is dead. You can’t tell me that my God is not powerful, or that He doesn’t love me and cares about me.
I remember a couple of years ago I was waiting for the bus (isn’t it strange how I realize a lot of things while waiting for the bus!), and thought to myself, “What is so horrible about pornography anyway?” (That was a couple of years after God freed me from it!) Then suddenly I had this very empty feeling in my chest when I remembered how spiritually thirsty I was when I was addicted to porn. I remember how horrible it felt to chase after something that does not satisfy and that it leads to more chasing…but it still does not satisfy! Ever since then until now, I would like to think that I have a healthy fear of pornography, and sin in general. (Remember, God created fear to protect us, just like pain. But how we view fear and respond to is what makes the difference between a protective fear and an enslaving fear.) Of course, porn’s destruction is much more than the chasing after something that does not satisfy. But I won’t go into how much it has actually ruined countless lives, because many websites and statistics are available for those who are truly seeking to know the truth about porn’s destructive power.
1 John 4:4 says:
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
It is sad how many Christians have opinions about sin that are not based on God Word. I read things such as, “It is my motives that count…so even though I do this and that, I do them without lusting…” Really? Where does the Bible teaches that? When our Lord talked about motives he was talking about fasting, praying, and giving to the poor not about sin! You can’t sin with pure motives! It doesn’t make sense! You can fool me, and you can fool your church congregation! But how can you live with yourself knowing that you are lying to yourself! And how are you going to fool God? Rather, how are you going to face Him?
And some Christians even say “it is natural to do so and so”. Yes, you are correct, but since when does the Bible talk about our nature as if it is holy! Our nature is corrupt and sinful, so why do we say “natural” as if it is a good thing! It is natural to get angry and want to get revenge; it is natural to lie when accused of something; it is natural to cheat when we want to get our way…but what does the Bible teach about all those examples of “natural behaviour”? They are all sin and do not fit us as sons and daughters of the living God!
No, I am not talking about people who are addicted to drugs, porn, alcohol, and so on. I am not even talking to the unbelieving world here. I am talking to us, Christians. I truly believe that there is a huge difference between someone who is sinning—because he or she are addicted to a certain sin, regardless of how they got themselves into this mess—but they absolutely hate that sin and want to be free from it, and between someone who knows he is sinning but has no problem with it--welcomes sin in his life.
I am going to say something here that I think will make a lot of people dislike me, but I am going to say it anyway and hope that you take it with an attitude knowing that I am not judging anybody here:
If you are a woman who has Christ in her life, please re-consider the way you dress. Not according to my standards, or the church you attend. Certainly not according to the standards of the latest fashion or to “that is the only thing available in stores nowadays”. Don’t go to someone else asking their opinion or read an article about it. Go directly to God’s Word and ask God directly, and if you are honestly seeking to follow Him He will show you His way. But I must warn you: once He makes His will clear you won’t have peace until you obey Him.
You might be wondering why I am talking about women’s dressing in a topic about porn! Well, men are very visual so they sin by lusting (even women do that, but I am not sure they do so as much as men do) and so porn is a naturally attractive sin to them. Women desire to feel beautiful, desired, wanted and so she tries to meet those need by dressing in a way that attracts men’s attention. And that’s how she gets her momentarily (short-lived: like all the promises Satan makes in regard to sin) emotional high by noticing a man looking at her. But what I want to ask you is this: if you go home and you are all by yourself and have nothing to do, how do you feel: empty, far from your heavenly Father; or peaceful and your heart is flowing with love and adoration for Him?
Causing to Sin, Mark 9:42-50:
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
" 'their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire.
"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
If you are a man who has Christ in his life, please take some time, be quiet with God, and think about where you were yesterday spiritually, where you are today, and where you are heading tomorrow! Evaluate your life. Evaluate your ways. Seek to know God better. Make decisions, daily decisions, to live for Him. Live a pure life starting with your heart and mind. Think about your future wife (or present wife), think about your kids. You are going to be the leader of the house who represents Christ to the whole household! Will they see Him through you? Or will your daughters grow up thinking that they have to look beautiful, sexy, and act in certain ways to get a man’s attention and love? Think about God’s awesome and wonderful purpose that He desires to accomplish through you. Think about God’s reputation among the people who know you. Please don’t settle for less. We are not going to be given another chance after this life!
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)
If you realize you are sinning against God while you are on your way home then repent right away and seek to follow Him! It is never too late to make a decision to live for Him, even if you just realized that at the end of the day. Daily surrender yourself to Him if that’s what it takes for you to live a pure and blameless life.
I will stop here. All I ask is that if you claim to believe something about God put it into practice. Whether in regard to your identity in Him, your personal agendas vs. His plans and purposes, or if you claim to believe that Christ died for someone else’s sin then why not forgive them? Remember, John 13:17:
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
What things? The things that are written in God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
And don't ever lose focus of this fact: all things are done through His goodness, grace and mercy—it, life here on earth and eternal life, is all about Him. However, for Him: it is all about you. It is the "Lord's favour" and not our own works whether in being saved or the power to live for Him: it is all about His grace.
Nothing But the Blood
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wej1jHtiH-M
(Toronot, ON; winter 2008.)
The agave snout-nosed weevil is a half-inch-long black beetle with a downward-curving proboscis that enables it to pierce an agave’s core, where it lays its eggs. Grubs hatch, consume the agave’s heart, then burrow into the soil to pupate. The weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus)---once prevalent only in desert regions and Mexico---is spreading rapidly throughout the US and abroad, earning it the dubious distinction of being one of the "Top 100 Worst Global Invasive Species."
Dedicated macro lens. My side yard. No crop.
A week after the devastating storm damage of 21 May. 2022 wrecked this beautiful Maple tree in the woods on Duffins trail with a view past the trees over Duffins creek marsh in Discovery bay , Martin’s photographs , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , May 28. 2022
American Larch trees with beautiful small cones
Tamarack trees with beautiful small cones
Cones
Blooming Dogwood
flowering white dead nettles
Looking down at the front end of my bicycle
Bicycle
Four days after the destructive storm of 21 May 2022
old apple trees with beautiful blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
blue sky in Squires beach
May 2022
Blossoms
Flowering trees
apple trees with blossoms
old orchard on the waterfront trail
Old orchard
Trees with blossoms
tall grasses
the large stone block walls
system to keep the Carp from entering Duffins marsh and creek system
viewed from the bridge across the marsh in Squires beach
Having a nice walk with granny in the woods
Family
Sunset
Shrubs
Oak tree
Trees with blossoms
Trees
Stones
Reflections
Reflection
Dogwood
Duffins trail
blue sky
Maple tree
cloud cover
yellow Tamarack tree
Tamarack tree
Tamarac
American Larch tree
Beautiful Nettles and it’s flowers
Nettles
Waterfront trail on Lake Ontario
Waterfront trail of Lake Ontario
Autumn
Shadows
Reflections
Large mushroom
Bird houses
Autumn
Duffins creek
Discovery bay
closeup photograph
Martin’s photographs
Ajax
Ontario
Canada
Duffins creek
Favourites
IPhone XR
Mushroom
Large Mushroom
wildflowers
Trout lilies
Lake Ontario
Mouth of Duffins creek marsh
white Deadnetles
River
Dogwood
Woods
Granny
Favourites
White Trilliums
Duffins marsh
Duffins trail
Ferns
Trilliums
Large tree
The XM27 Infantry Destructive Device (also known as the Atlas IDD) is a multiple weapon system based on the older OICW project. The biggest difference is that the launcher and rifle are actually two separate weapons systems, with the launcher attached to the top rail of the rifle. This allows for greater flexibility than the OICW project, which had both weapons integrated into a single frame.
The XM27 is made up of the Gladiator SHBR, a .338 battle rifle, and the Switchblade VML, a MetalStorm-based rail-mounted launcher. All 3 weapons are currently undergoing trials with the US military.