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History of Kraków
First indications of the existence of Krakow approximately stem from the 7th century. In the next following centuries the tribe of Vistulans (Wislanie) populated Krakow, after they centuries ago in the as "Lesser Poland" or Malopolska known region had settled down. From the year 965 stems the first document from Krakow, as Abraham ben Jacob of Cordova, a Jewish merchant, in his book referred to the trading center of Krakow.
In 1000, the Diocese of Krakow was founded and in 1038 declared capital of the Piast dynasty. The Wawel castle and several churches were built in the 11th century and thus the town rapidly grew. 1241 the Mongols invaded the city and burned down Krakow without exception. 1138 Krakow became the seat of the senior prince. 1257 Kraków was awarded its town charter and a city map was drawn up, which remained until today. This one included the arrangement of the checkerboard street configuration with a centrally located market. On the market following the seat of the city government was built. From the historical trading functions until today only the Cloth Halls remained. But on the market not only trade agreements were closed but also courtly and urban festivities celebrated. Furthermore, the urban center served for executions. The defensive walls were built, which surrounded the city and linked it to the Wawel. In the south of Wawel Castle in 1335 the city of Kazimierz was created. By Royal command it was surrounded by defense walls and the churches of St. Catherine, of Corpus Christi and the "Na Skalce" were built. End of the 15th century, Jews settled the later Cracow district. 1364 the Cracow Academy of King Kazimierz Wielki was founded, the famous Polish Jagellonen-University.
With the last king of Jagellonian dynasty, Krakow flourished. The Wawel castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style, the well known Zygmunt chapel was built and the Cloth Halls as well as the patrician houses have been restored. During the reign of King Sigismund III. Vasa the baroque style received introduction in Krakow. The Baroque University Church of St. Anne and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul were built in this period. In 1607 Warsaw was declared headquarters of the King, but Krakow retained its title of the Royal capital. Furthermore, it remained the place of coronations and funerals. Middle of the 17th century, the city was devastated by the Swedes, what at the beginning of the 18th century was produced again.
After the first partition of Poland, Krakow became a frontier town. Austria declared the settlement Podgorze separated city. After the second division in 1794, began the Polish national uprising. After its decline and the third partition of Poland the town fell to the Austrians, which on Wawel Hill caused numerous devastations and adapted buildings to the wishes and needs of the Army. 1809 Cracow was affiliated to the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. After the defeat of Napoleon, Krakow in the Vienna Convention of 1815 was declared Free City of Kraków. Then the remains of folk hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko and of Prince Jozef Poniatowski were brought back to the city. 1820-1823 on the rise of St. Bronislava a hill in honor of the leader of the popular uprising was built. Instead of the city walls, which were largely destroyed, they laid out supporting beams. 1846 Krakow lost its independence and the Austrians erected again on the Wawel barracks and they surrounded the Wawel with fortification complexes. However, Austria but has proved less tyrannical and so the city enjoyed a certain degree of growing cultural and political freedom. 1918 Krakow became the independence back.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, in Krakow lived about 260,000 inhabitants, of which 65,000 belonged to the Jewish religion. During the war, also Krakow became witness of German war crimes. The for the greater part Jewish district of Kazimierz was eradicated. The Jews from now on lived in ghettos where they either were deported from there to Auschwitz or immediately shot. In spite of the plundering of the Nazis, Krakow became no scene for military combat operations and thus the only large Polish town escaping this fate. Therefore, its old architecture still almost completely is intact.
After the surrender of Germany and the Polish liberation, hastened the Communist government to inspire the traditional life and the city with a large steel plant in Nowa Huta. But the intensive rebuilding of the economy and industry rather promoted an ecological disaster. Buildings that had survived the war undamaged were now devoured and destroyed by acid rain and toxic gases. Carbon dioxide emissions grew so powerful that this has remained a serious and grave problem of the city. After the fall of the Communists and the fall of the Iron Curtain Krakow has benefited greatly from tourism and has adapted itself to a large extent to the Western culture.
One of the most vital and richly textured art forms threatened with extinction centers around the practice of avant-garde filmmaking, particularly in 16mm format. These filmmakers treat the celluloid film emulsion as a living organism: it is an organic substance, a shimmering silver onto which they directly imprint the delicacy of their emotions. They work in relative isolation, creating their films with the hand of an artist, rather than as products for consumption by a mass audience. The style of their films most frequently challenges the conventions of linear narrative. These filmmakers recognize not only the ephemeral nature of the celluloid film stock, but also the perilous state of human existence in the modern world. They begin with their direct experiences of everyday reality and often move toward a process of abstraction in their films. They filter found objects from the world around them, and through a wide array of filmmaking techniques, including use of outdated film stock, over- and underexposure, scratching directly on the film emulsion, re-photography, and optical printing – articulate distinct, individually defined processes of creation. They evoke spiritual visions of the world in which their own livelihood is inextricably linked to the vibrancy of the film emulsion – both literally and figuratively – as a matter of life and death.
Program Runtime 73 minutes.
DECASIA by Bill Morrison
USA, 2002, 13 minutes (excerpt), digital projection
In Bill Morrison’s found footage opus, Decasia, decomposition reaches into the farthest corners of the natural and manmade world, penetrating continents, military and religious powers, the entire animal kingdom, architectural constructions as well as the celluloid film stock itself onto which all these delicate images are imprinted.
SANCTUS by Barbara Hammer
USA, 1990, 18 minutes, 16mm
In Sanctus, Barbara Hammer addresses in compelling fashion the co-fragility of both human existence and the film emulsion, the artist’s raw material onto which she creates images. The filmmaker transforms historic scientific x-ray films into a lyrical journey, reworking this found footage material into a celebration of the body as temple.
HER FRAGRANT EMULSION by Lewis Klahr
USA, 1987, 11 minutes, 16mm
In Her Fragrant Emulsion, images of 1960’s B-movie actress Mimsy Farmer float on the surface of the film emulsion, evoking erotic meditations on loves gained and lost. “The images I use are outmoded, and there’s a way that they’re dead. By working with them I’m kind of re-animating them, so I don’t really think of myself as an animator, as much as a re-animator that’s bringing these things back into some kind of life.” – Lewis Klahr
HALL OF MIRRORS by Warren Sonbert
USA, 1966, 8 minutes, 16mm
Throughout Hall of Mirrors Sonbert underscores the materiality of film and the self-referential aspect of the filmmaking enterprise. Sonbert incorporates black and white outtakes from a Hollywood movie with new scenes that he photographs in color; the filmmaker works the exposed leader of the film rolls in the fabric of his movie, and captures his own reflected image while shooting one of his protagonists (Warhol superstar Gerard Malanga) in artist Lucas Samaras’ Mirrored Room. Hall of Mirrors begins and ends with the protagonists’ movements enmeshed within multiple reflecting mirrors. The film’s imagery, combined with the rock and roll soundtrack, underscores the sense of visual entrapment of the characters in their respective environments, in a manner that conveys both youthful longing and human vulnerability.
WARREN by Jeff Scher
USA, 1995, 3 minutes, 16mm
Jeff Scher turns the table on his former teacher and mentor, Warren Sonbert (at a time when Sonbert was secretly afflicted with AIDS), creating an intimate dialogue between friends and colleagues, as well as a tense battle of directorial wills.
WHIPLASH by Warren Sonbert (restoration editor: Jeff Scher)
1995/7, 20 minutes, 16mm
Whiplash is a compelling, multilayered portrayal of filmmaker Warren Sonbert’s struggle to maintain equilibrium in his physical self, his perceptual reality, and the world of friends and family around him, as his own mortality pressed upon his psyche. In it, Sonbert articulated the ideas and values by which he intended to be remembered. Most important among these is the theme of love between couples.
Prints courtesy of The Film-Makers’ Cooperative, Barbara Hammer, and Gartenberg Media Enterprises.
Main image from Decasia by Bill Morrison
Jon Gartenberg is an archivist, distributor, and programmer. He began his career on the curatorial staff of The Museum of Modern Art, followed by jobs in the business sector both at Broadway Video and Golden Books. In 1998, he established Gartenberg Media Enterprises (www.gartenbergmedia.com), a company that is dedicated on the excavation, repurposing, and distribution of library assets in film, television, photographic, and print media.
In terms of experimental cinema, Gartenberg acquired avant-garde movies for the permanent collection of MOMA’s Film Department and restored the films of Andy Warhol. He also initiated a film preservation project with the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, which culminated in the conservation of films by artists Warren Sonbert, David Wojnarowicz, Curt McDowell, and Jack Waters.
Currently, his company distributes avant-garde films on DVD and licenses them as well for documentary film productions. GME also advises and supports cutting edge filmmakers on the economics of experimental film production, distribution and exhibition. Gartenberg has programmed experimental films for the Tribeca Film Festival since 2003.
One of the most vital and richly textured art forms threatened with extinction centers around the practice of avant-garde filmmaking, particularly in 16mm format. These filmmakers treat the celluloid film emulsion as a living organism: it is an organic substance, a shimmering silver onto which they directly imprint the delicacy of their emotions. They work in relative isolation, creating their films with the hand of an artist, rather than as products for consumption by a mass audience. The style of their films most frequently challenges the conventions of linear narrative. These filmmakers recognize not only the ephemeral nature of the celluloid film stock, but also the perilous state of human existence in the modern world. They begin with their direct experiences of everyday reality and often move toward a process of abstraction in their films. They filter found objects from the world around them, and through a wide array of filmmaking techniques, including use of outdated film stock, over- and underexposure, scratching directly on the film emulsion, re-photography, and optical printing – articulate distinct, individually defined processes of creation. They evoke spiritual visions of the world in which their own livelihood is inextricably linked to the vibrancy of the film emulsion – both literally and figuratively – as a matter of life and death.
Program Runtime 73 minutes.
DECASIA by Bill Morrison
USA, 2002, 13 minutes (excerpt), digital projection
In Bill Morrison’s found footage opus, Decasia, decomposition reaches into the farthest corners of the natural and manmade world, penetrating continents, military and religious powers, the entire animal kingdom, architectural constructions as well as the celluloid film stock itself onto which all these delicate images are imprinted.
SANCTUS by Barbara Hammer
USA, 1990, 18 minutes, 16mm
In Sanctus, Barbara Hammer addresses in compelling fashion the co-fragility of both human existence and the film emulsion, the artist’s raw material onto which she creates images. The filmmaker transforms historic scientific x-ray films into a lyrical journey, reworking this found footage material into a celebration of the body as temple.
HER FRAGRANT EMULSION by Lewis Klahr
USA, 1987, 11 minutes, 16mm
In Her Fragrant Emulsion, images of 1960’s B-movie actress Mimsy Farmer float on the surface of the film emulsion, evoking erotic meditations on loves gained and lost. “The images I use are outmoded, and there’s a way that they’re dead. By working with them I’m kind of re-animating them, so I don’t really think of myself as an animator, as much as a re-animator that’s bringing these things back into some kind of life.” – Lewis Klahr
HALL OF MIRRORS by Warren Sonbert
USA, 1966, 8 minutes, 16mm
Throughout Hall of Mirrors Sonbert underscores the materiality of film and the self-referential aspect of the filmmaking enterprise. Sonbert incorporates black and white outtakes from a Hollywood movie with new scenes that he photographs in color; the filmmaker works the exposed leader of the film rolls in the fabric of his movie, and captures his own reflected image while shooting one of his protagonists (Warhol superstar Gerard Malanga) in artist Lucas Samaras’ Mirrored Room. Hall of Mirrors begins and ends with the protagonists’ movements enmeshed within multiple reflecting mirrors. The film’s imagery, combined with the rock and roll soundtrack, underscores the sense of visual entrapment of the characters in their respective environments, in a manner that conveys both youthful longing and human vulnerability.
WARREN by Jeff Scher
USA, 1995, 3 minutes, 16mm
Jeff Scher turns the table on his former teacher and mentor, Warren Sonbert (at a time when Sonbert was secretly afflicted with AIDS), creating an intimate dialogue between friends and colleagues, as well as a tense battle of directorial wills.
WHIPLASH by Warren Sonbert (restoration editor: Jeff Scher)
1995/7, 20 minutes, 16mm
Whiplash is a compelling, multilayered portrayal of filmmaker Warren Sonbert’s struggle to maintain equilibrium in his physical self, his perceptual reality, and the world of friends and family around him, as his own mortality pressed upon his psyche. In it, Sonbert articulated the ideas and values by which he intended to be remembered. Most important among these is the theme of love between couples.
Prints courtesy of The Film-Makers’ Cooperative, Barbara Hammer, and Gartenberg Media Enterprises.
Main image from Decasia by Bill Morrison
Jon Gartenberg is an archivist, distributor, and programmer. He began his career on the curatorial staff of The Museum of Modern Art, followed by jobs in the business sector both at Broadway Video and Golden Books. In 1998, he established Gartenberg Media Enterprises (www.gartenbergmedia.com), a company that is dedicated on the excavation, repurposing, and distribution of library assets in film, television, photographic, and print media.
In terms of experimental cinema, Gartenberg acquired avant-garde movies for the permanent collection of MOMA’s Film Department and restored the films of Andy Warhol. He also initiated a film preservation project with the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, which culminated in the conservation of films by artists Warren Sonbert, David Wojnarowicz, Curt McDowell, and Jack Waters.
Currently, his company distributes avant-garde films on DVD and licenses them as well for documentary film productions. GME also advises and supports cutting edge filmmakers on the economics of experimental film production, distribution and exhibition. Gartenberg has programmed experimental films for the Tribeca Film Festival since 2003.
Postumus Ӕ Double Sestertius. Lugdunum, AD 261. IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate,draped and cuirassed bust right / LAETITIA AVG, galley right with four rowers. RIC 143; Bastien 87. 15.92g, 32mm, 6h.
Virtually Mint State – apart from a light patina, this remarkable specimen is otherwise exactly as it was when it left the die.
One of the very finest known sestertii of Postumus in existence.
Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 22 March 2014, lot 1223.
Postumus appears to have been an imperial legate of Lower Germany when he defeated a Juthungian army which was returning from Italy, laden with goods and captives (even though they had been turned back by Gallienus at Mediolanum). Postumus had already distributed the captured wealth to the legions he commanded when he received the command of Gallienus’ son and Caesar, Saloninus, to hand over the recovered spoils. Renouncing Gallienus and Saloninus, the troops hailed Postumus as emperor, and proceeded to attack Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium and kill Saloninus. Postumus immediately secured the loyalty of Gaul, Upper and Lower Germania, and Raetia. The following year Britannia, Gallia Narbonensis and Hispania followed suit.
Though Postumus relied on the army which kept him in power for a decade, the safety of the provinces was not solely an army matter, for the coasts required protection also, and so it is reasonable that his navy deserved mention on the coinage. The issues which couple the reverse legends FELICITAS and LAETITIA with scenes of a galley probably show that the emperor by no means neglected his navy, and perhaps that it achieved success.
The type of galley depicted on the reverse of the present coin could be a navis lusoria, which was a small military vessel of the late Roman Empire that served as a troop transport. It was smaller and narrower than similar earlier vessels, and ideally suited to the rivers close to the Limes Germanicus; the presence of this type of vessel in the Classis Germanica is shown through the discovery of the Mainz Roman ships in 1981-2, thus proving that they operated on the Rhine and Danube.
ROMA13, 894
A glimpse of the fabulous Kackar Mountain region of Northeast Turkey...
Photographed during a steep pass from one valley system to the other one, Çeymakçur valley...
Encountered a microclimate harboring a tremendous variety of Kackars flora...
A Türker Şengül Artwork (c)2005
Bury St Edmunds Cathedral for most of its existence was simply the parish church of St James until the foundation of the new diocese of St Edmundsbury in 1914 when it was raised to cathedral status, one of the many new dioceses formed in the early 20th century that elevated existing parish churches to diocesan rank rather than purpose building a new cathedral. Many of these 'parish church cathedrals' sit slightly awkwardly with their new status, lacking in the scale and grandeur that befits such a title, but of all of them Bury St Edmunds has been adapted to its new role the most successfully, with in my opinion the most beautiful results.
The medieval church consisted of the present nave, built in 1503-51 under master mason John Wastell, with an earlier chancel that was entirely rebuilt in 1711 and again in 1870. Originally it would have seemed a fairly minor building at the entrance to the monastic precinct, overshadowed by the enormous abbey church that once stood immediately behind it. The absence of this magnificent church since the Dissolution and the scant remains of this vast edifice always sully my visits here with a sense of grievous loss, had history been kinder it would have served as the cathedral here instead and likely be celebrated as one of the grandest in the country.
The church never had a tower of its own since the adjacent Norman tower of the Abbey gateway served the role of a detached campanile perfectly. It is an impressive piece of Romanesque architecture and one of the best preserved 12th century towers in the country.
Upon being raised to cathedral status in 1914 the building underwent no immediate structural changes but plans were made to consider how best to transform a fairly ordinary church into a worthy cathedral. This task was appointed to architect Stephen Dykes Bower and work began in 1959 to extend the building dramatically. Between 1963-1970 the entire Victorian chancel was demolished and replaced with a much grander vision of a lofty new choir and shallow transepts, remarkably all executed in traditional Gothic style in order to harmonize with the medieval nave. It is incredible to think that this was done in the 1960s, a period in which church and cathedral buildings were otherwise constructed in the most self consciously modern forms ever seen, with delicate neo-medieval masonry in place of brick and concrete.
The new crossing of transepts and choir however remained crowned by the stump of a tower for the remainder of the century as funds were not available to finish Dykes Bower's complete vision of a lantern tower over the crossing: this was only realised at the beginning of the 21st century, aided by a legacy left in the architect's will and some subtle design changes under his successor as architect Hugh Matthews. The transformation from church to cathedral was finally completed in 2005 with most satisfactory results. A stunning fan-vault was installed within the new tower in 2010, an exquisite finishing touch.
Whilst it isn't a large building by cathedral standards its newer parts do much to give it the shape and dignity of one. This is especially apparent within, where the cruciform eastern limb draws the eye. The interior is enlivened by much colour, with the ceilings of Dykes Bower's choir and transepts adorned with rich displays of stencilling, whilst the nave ceiling (a Victorian replacement for the medieval one) was redecorated in similarly lively colours in the 1980s which helps to unify the old and new parts of the church.
Few fittings or features remain from the medieval period, most of the furnishings being Victorian or more recent, but one window in the south aisle retains a rich display of early 16th century stained glass, very much Renaissance in style. The remaining glass is nearly all Victorian, some of the windows in the new choir having been transferred from the previous chancel.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral is not filled with the monuments and fittings that make other great churches so rewarding to linger in but it is a real architectural delight and cannot fail to uplift the spirit.
The sagebrush ecosystem is home to unique plant and wildlife species, and is very important to the overall ecological health of eastern Oregon. Many birds and mammals depend on sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States for survival. In the last century, drastic changes caused by livestock grazing, conversion of lands to agriculture, the introduction of exotic plant species, and fire have resulted in alteration and fragmentation of sagebrush vegetative communities throughout the Intermountain West. The loss of sagebrush ecosystems are negatively affecting many of the more than 350 species of plants and animals that depend on sagebrush ecosystems for all or part of their existence including Greater Sage-Grouse as well as Pygmy Rabbit, Mule Deer, and Golden Eagles. Other examples of sagebrush dependent species include sage sparrow, ferruginous hawks, Brewer's sparrow, sage thrasher, sagebrush vole, and many botanical species.
Over the last several years, in response to requests from state and local governments to facilitate ways to conserve Greater Sage-Grouse and protect its habitat, BLM scientists and managers met with state wildlife management officials. The BLM strategy emphasizes a cooperative approach and provides a framework to advance efforts to implement timely conservation measures for sage-grouse and its habitat.
Additional information about this effort is online at:
"She softened gradually, melting in the light of the sun, all the while thinking, O, this is what it's like to be a planet & suddenly it was over & the universe expanded by one." quote by storypeople
2019-01-29: H.E. Mr. Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, Kingdom of Morocco addressing the audience during the conference of CIF's 10 year of existence in Ouarzazate, Morocco.
For twenty-five years London has been subject to a beautiful onslaught of criminal activity, reprehensible to some, embraced by others, colourful, witty and provocative. Street art, phenomenon of the 1990s, developed from graffiti art, a phenomenon of 1980s, is a regular occurrence on London's streets; in some areas it is ubiquitous. Its existence in London owes much to the city's cultural ties with New York, London's wealth and status and to the talent and determination of Bristol based artist Banksy, who introduced street art to London.
In London there are hives, around which street artists buzz, fanatics hunt and serendipitous locals and tourists register pieces on their mobile phones. These hives are to be found in Camden, East London and Leake Street in Waterloo. The Camden part of Regent's Canal, in 2009, hosted London's first and only street art battle between street-artist par excellence Banksy and an old time graffiti artist Robbo. In Shoreditch, East London, gallery owners, design studios and businesses, inspired by early works of Banksy, commission art on the outside of their buildings. This commissioned work is accompanied by an ever changing pastiche of gratuitous work, which has turned Shoreditch and East London into the spiritual home of street art. Leake Street, a disused railway tunnel just behind Waterloo Train Station became a hive for street artists and graffiti artists after Banksy organised a street art festival there in Spring 2008, which led to the tunnel being designated a legal space for street art and graffiti.
The Chinese say life is both yin and yang and the same can be said for the energies and motivations driving street art. Yin is an explosion of energy, an attempt to mean something to someone, a fire fuelled by a need for recognition and acceptance. Yang is a deep breath out, a chance to reflect, an opportunity to disconnect and feel one's real emotions; to disengage from the zeitgeist. For some, street art is all about the yang about free expression, emotion, creativity and the altruism of the street artist. It is part of an idealistic utopian philosophy that art should be for the people, free and accessible. However, in reality, most artists are guided by yin, fuelled by a desire to make it as an artist, to get a name, to get ahead.
All street artists experience the tension between yin and yang, it causes many to entertain delusions about the greater good of what they are doing, to hide their problematic egoistic tendencies and criminal activity. The fact is, the street artist is a psychopathic charmer, trying to seduce you with the beauty, audacity and complexity of his gift, hoping you forget he has, unilaterally, decided that his need for his art on your wall, is greater than your right to enjoy your wall, as it is, without interference. And London's heart is fluttering. The media celebrate street art, local authorities protect street art works from vandalism; the firm Pearl and Coutts, when it found out that Westminster Council wanted to remove a Banksy exhibit from one of its walls, went to the length of taking Westminster Council to court, to try, unsuccessfully, to have the image protected. In 2008, London art auctioneer Bonhams held London's first auction of street art, ; Village Undeground held an "urban art sale" and a piece by Banksy attracted a bid of £208,100. The elevated status of the street artist prompts invitations for shows from owners hoping to cash in on the cache. Like this the street artist is laundered.
The rise of the internet, which has coincided with the rise of street art, has created a virtual street art world. In the real world of street art those who happen to see the art, and enjoy it, encounter it as a moment of serendipity. Bloggers and web site owners rip the art from their geographical location and juxtapose the images next to each other. Here, viewers of street art get a concentrated experience, delivered to them through the click of a mouse, rather than the motion of their legs. Street art in the real world is transient, in the virtual world, digitally preserved, it lasts forever. The magic that might have been shared by a few, who had the luck to walk down a street at a particular point in time, can now be shared by millions in the virtual world. What we are left to ponder is whether street artists are creating street art, with a view to how this will be seen in the virtual world first, with considerations for people who and experience it in the street, coming second?
The Chain Gang came into existence in 1920 when it's leader / founder Gold Tooth (the man on the far right of this picture) began a sweets bootlegging business with some associates of his old deceased boss, Dollar Bill. He expanded into racketeering, bank robbing and dirtier crimes soon thereafter. By 1926, he was the top candy bootlegger in Lego City, and boss of a major crime organization running various operations in several different areas - Legoville, Fabuland, and Metru Nui to name just a few. In fact, Turaga Dume, leader of Metru Nui was on his payroll, as was about a quarter of the LEGO City police force in 1927.
In 1928 / 29 he tried to muscle in on Heartlake City's government and was, for once, rebuffed by local officials. He made it his goal to destroy the officials who spurned him by attempting to run for Mayor, but this was stopped by a successful campaign by a re-elected Mayor Stephanie. In late 1929, Gold Tooth and his gang made another mistake by making a derogatory public comment about Mayor Fleck of LEGO City who was not on his payroll. In an unusual moment of bravery, and inspired by Mayor Stephanie of Heartlake's bravery, he contacted her and Mayor Lionel Lion of Fabuland about an alliance against the criminals of their respective cities. This so called Tri-State Alliance proved to be a thorn in Gold Tooth's side for the next ten years - especially after the Sweets Amendment was repealed in 1933, cutting off a huge chunk of his income, as bootlegging illegal candy was no longer worth it.
The LEGO City police force was gone through with a fine comb and all the officers on the take fired by 1932. Fabuland also had a successful series of Catnip sting operations in 1934 that captured top operatives of the Chain Gang red handed. By 1938, Gold Tooth was hanging onto control of his gang by a thread - a civil war with a faction who wanted to pull up stakes and go to Metru Nui (the only municipal ally left) was costing him dearly. Thus, in March 1939 Gold Tooth was heading to a meeting with the rival faction leaders on a truce at a location near Legoville when he was surrounded and apprehended by members of the Duplo police force, who had been tipped off by a traitorous member of his entourage about Gold Tooth's route to the meeting.
On trial in Heartlake, he was defiant and admitted nothing - up until Turaga Dume took the stand as a witness for the prosecution. Dume had only been pretending to help the Chain Gang, all the while keeping diligent records of every crime and operative in his city, and quite a few in other cities too. Finally defeated, Goldtooth was sent away for 50 years - a life sentence for him considering his age. He died in prison in July 1957 of old age.
Today, the Chain Gang is no more.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra (also called HueyCobra) owes its existence to the Vietnam War. While the proof of the air cavalry concept was being proven every day, the US Army was also losing huge amounts of helicopters to ground fire. Equipping the troop-carrying “slicks” with door guns helped, and arming the UH-1 Iroquois/Huey with weapons was another interim solution. Clearly, however, the solution lay with a dedicated attack helicopter that could defend the troop carriers.
Bell, the manufacturer of the UH-1, had been also experimenting with a concept of a heavily armed, turreted, and thin fuselaged helicopter. The US Army awarded a proof-of-concept contract to Bell, which replied in a heavily modified Model 47 called the Sioux Scout. It failed to win any orders, but Bell kept at it. This resulted in the Model 209, based on components of the UH-1 and the original conceptual design. With the Vietnam War intensifying, the Army issued a requirement for an interim solution, which the Model 209—built and tested in only eight months—won easily. The Army ordered 110 AH-1Gs in April 1966 and the type was in action in Vietnam a year later.
With the success of the AH-1 in Vietnam, the USMC requested a version as well, but with twin engines (for more safety over water) and bigger armament. This resulted in the AH-1J: besides twin engines, it also carried a 20mm gatling cannon in the turret. Though the AH-1J only saw brief action in the Vietnam War before American involvement ended, the Marines loved it. AH-1Js were also supplied to Iran before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and these were used against Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War. Marine AH-1s, alongside upgraded Army AH-1S Cobras, have seen action in every American conflict since Vietnam, with considerable success. Though the US Army withdrew their Cobras by 1995 in favor of the AH-64 Apache, the Marines continually upgraded their Cobras, culminating in the current AH-1Z Viper, which is practically a new helicopter. While not as potent as the Apache or the Mi-24 Hind, the Cobra represents the first and classic attack helicopter.
Built as Bureau Number 157771, this AH-1J joined the Marines in 1971 and was assigned to HMA-269 ("Gunrunners") at MCAS New River, North Carolina. It would remain with the squadron until 1978, when it was transferred to the West Coast; 157771 would serve with several squadrons at MCAS Pendleton and Kaneohe Bay until 1980, when it was retired. Struck off charge in 1982, it was donated to the Prairie Aviation Museum at Bloomington, Illinois sometime in the late 1980s.
The colors are a bit off on 157771 as she's displayed today--the USMC's tactical camouflage as shown in the 1980s used a much darker gray--but temporary arctic colors were carried on Marine helicopters on occasion, so this may be what the museum was going for. It's in excellent condition. When I saw 157771 in June 2019, it was during the PAM's "Open Cockpit Day," so the cockpits were open on their collection.
Sarnath is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks, left him and went to Isipatana.
Isipatana is the name used in the Pali Canon, and means the place where holy men (Pali: isi, Sanskrit: rishi) landed.
After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to join and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbisāra heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. It was given on the full-moon day of Asalha Puja. Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season at Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his friends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants.
Several other incidents connected with the Buddha, besides the preaching of the first sermon, are mentioned as having taken place in Isipatana. Here it was that one day at dawn Yasa came to the Buddha and became an Arahant. It was at Isipatana, too, that the rule was passed prohibiting the use of sandals made of talipot leaves. On another occasion when the Buddha was staying at Isipatana, having gone there from Rājagaha, he instituted rules forbidding the use of certain kinds of flesh, including human flesh. Twice, while the Buddha was at Isipatana, Māra visited him but had to go away discomfited.
A stone pillar marks the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. Nearby was another stupa on the site where the Pañcavaggiyas spent their time in meditation before the Buddha's arrival, and another where five hundred Pacceka Buddhas entered Nibbāna. Close to it was another building where the future Buddha Metteyya received assurance of his becoming a Buddha.
Buddhism flourished in Sarnath in part because of kings and wealthy merchants based in Varanasi. By the third century Sarnath had become an important center for the arts, which reached its zenith during the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries CE). In the 7th century by the time Xuan Zang visited from China, he found 30 monasteries and 3000 monks living at Sarnath.
Sarnath became a major centre of the Sammatiya school of Buddhism, one of the early Buddhist schools. However, the presence of images of Heruka and Tara indicate that Vajrayana Buddhism was (at a later time) also practiced here. Also images of Brahminist gods as Shiva and Brahma were found at the site, and there is still a Jain temple (at Chandrapuri) located very close to the Dhamekh Stupa.
At the end of the 12th century Sarnath was sacked by Turkish Muslims, and the site was subsequently plundered for building materials.
Sarnath has been developed as a place of pilgrimage, both for Buddhists from India and abroad. A number of countries in which Buddhism is a major (or the dominant) religion, among them Thailand, Japan, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, have established temples and monasteries in Sarnath in the style that is typical for the respective country. Thus, pilgrims and visitors have the opportunity to experience an overview of Buddhist architecture from various cultures.
WIKIPEDIA
History of Kraków
First indications of the existence of Krakow approximately stem from the 7th century. In the next following centuries the tribe of Vistulans (Wislanie) populated Krakow, after they centuries ago in the as "Lesser Poland" or Malopolska known region had settled down. From the year 965 stems the first document from Krakow, as Abraham ben Jacob of Cordova, a Jewish merchant, in his book referred to the trading center of Krakow.
In 1000, the Diocese of Krakow was founded and in 1038 declared capital of the Piast dynasty. The Wawel castle and several churches were built in the 11th century and thus the town rapidly grew. 1241 the Mongols invaded the city and burned down Krakow without exception. 1138 Krakow became the seat of the senior prince. 1257 Kraków was awarded its town charter and a city map was drawn up, which remained until today. This one included the arrangement of the checkerboard street configuration with a centrally located market. On the market following the seat of the city government was built. From the historical trading functions until today only the Cloth Halls remained. But on the market not only trade agreements were closed but also courtly and urban festivities celebrated. Furthermore, the urban center served for executions. The defensive walls were built, which surrounded the city and linked it to the Wawel. In the south of Wawel Castle in 1335 the city of Kazimierz was created. By Royal command it was surrounded by defense walls and the churches of St. Catherine, of Corpus Christi and the "Na Skalce" were built. End of the 15th century, Jews settled the later Cracow district. 1364 the Cracow Academy of King Kazimierz Wielki was founded, the famous Polish Jagellonen-University.
With the last king of Jagellonian dynasty, Krakow flourished. The Wawel castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style, the well known Zygmunt chapel was built and the Cloth Halls as well as the patrician houses have been restored. During the reign of King Sigismund III. Vasa the baroque style received introduction in Krakow. The Baroque University Church of St. Anne and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul were built in this period. In 1607 Warsaw was declared headquarters of the King, but Krakow retained its title of the Royal capital. Furthermore, it remained the place of coronations and funerals. Middle of the 17th century, the city was devastated by the Swedes, what at the beginning of the 18th century was produced again.
After the first partition of Poland, Krakow became a frontier town. Austria declared the settlement Podgorze separated city. After the second division in 1794, began the Polish national uprising. After its decline and the third partition of Poland the town fell to the Austrians, which on Wawel Hill caused numerous devastations and adapted buildings to the wishes and needs of the Army. 1809 Cracow was affiliated to the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. After the defeat of Napoleon, Krakow in the Vienna Convention of 1815 was declared Free City of Kraków. Then the remains of folk hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko and of Prince Jozef Poniatowski were brought back to the city. 1820-1823 on the rise of St. Bronislava a hill in honor of the leader of the popular uprising was built. Instead of the city walls, which were largely destroyed, they laid out supporting beams. 1846 Krakow lost its independence and the Austrians erected again on the Wawel barracks and they surrounded the Wawel with fortification complexes. However, Austria but has proved less tyrannical and so the city enjoyed a certain degree of growing cultural and political freedom. 1918 Krakow became the independence back.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, in Krakow lived about 260,000 inhabitants, of which 65,000 belonged to the Jewish religion. During the war, also Krakow became witness of German war crimes. The for the greater part Jewish district of Kazimierz was eradicated. The Jews from now on lived in ghettos where they either were deported from there to Auschwitz or immediately shot. In spite of the plundering of the Nazis, Krakow became no scene for military combat operations and thus the only large Polish town escaping this fate. Therefore, its old architecture still almost completely is intact.
After the surrender of Germany and the Polish liberation, hastened the Communist government to inspire the traditional life and the city with a large steel plant in Nowa Huta. But the intensive rebuilding of the economy and industry rather promoted an ecological disaster. Buildings that had survived the war undamaged were now devoured and destroyed by acid rain and toxic gases. Carbon dioxide emissions grew so powerful that this has remained a serious and grave problem of the city. After the fall of the Communists and the fall of the Iron Curtain Krakow has benefited greatly from tourism and has adapted itself to a large extent to the Western culture.
Today's court was fascinating (I was there on a fictitious charge). Court consisted almost entirely of disabled individuals, minorities and seniors. Apparently they're the easiest to catch and the police/sheriff's officers don't have to run/drive too far to snag one. It is indeed sad that municipalities prey on these individuals in order to justify their own existence. It was interesting to watch the two individuals in the forefront (my guess is they are husband and wife) as they were touchy-feely and there was definitely a courtroom courship in play - they were all over each other. She kept primping her hair while he was rubbing her forearm & playing footsies. it was a hoot as neither realized we all realized what a farce this courtroom was. They appeared to be attorneys. They did not appear to notice that many individuals in the courtroom were filming/photographing them.
The flourescent lighting in this courtroom gave me a massive headache (metal in my brain, remember?).
As if existence pressed a note into your fingers, which you unfold and find blank, and now must answer.
- Mandelstam
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I have with me | all that I do not know | I have lost none of it
- W. S. Merwin
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Now it is time to say what you have to say.
- Billy Collins
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If you're trying to find out what's coming next, turn off everything you own that has an OFF switch and listen.
-Patchett
During a circumnavigation of a mesa next to Negro Bill Canyon I encountered this sandstone boulder. Upon seeing the aura antennae atop the rock, I realized that it was a psychic transmitter. Feeling a bit tired from my wanderings among the bedrock, bushes, and blaring Sun, I paused to take advantage of this wondrous facility.
Desiring to give my motivation a boost, I proceeded to make body contact with the rock. By maintaining the pictured posture for 7.1 hours without moving, I reached a Higher Plane of Existence. The result is that I began to understand why the ingredients of shampoo have such weird names. Infused with this new awareness, my spirit was uplifted and I continued my exploration with renewed enthusiasm.
Joe Tripod, who helped me make this picture, isn't psychic but he meditates in stillness to hold my camera.
Geotagging is approximate, as psychic transmitters play havoc with Internet mapping routines and GPS devices.
From above and across the canyon, one has a different view of this boulder.
Bonaparte Crossing the Alps (also called Napoleon Crossing the Alps, despite the existence of another painting with that name) is an 1848–1850 oil-on-canvas portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, by French artist Hippolyte Delaroche. The painting depicts Bonaparte leading his army through the Alps on a mule, a journey Napoleon and his army of soldiers made in the spring of 1800, in an attempt to surprise the Austrian army in Italy. The two main versions of this painting that exist are in the Louvre in Paris and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. Queen Victoria also obtained a reduced version of it.
The work was inspired by Jacques-Louis David's series of five Napoleon Crossing the Alps paintings (1801–1805). David's works also show Napoleon's journey through the Great St. Bernard Pass, but there are significant stylistic differences between the two conceptions. Delaroche's Napoleon is cold and downcast, whereas David's wears a pristine uniform, and is idealized as a hero. Delaroche was commissioned to paint a realistic portrait; the style of which was emerging at the time.
While the painting largely represented—and was one of the pioneers of—an emerging style, the work was criticised by several authorities on the subject. The reasons for this varied from Delaroche's depiction of the scene to a general disapproval of Delaroche himself. Many of those who were in the latter state of mind felt that Delaroche was trying to match the genius of Napoleon in some way, and had failed miserably in doing so.
Early history
The site of Carisbrooke Castle may have been occupied in pre-Roman times. The existence of a ruined wall suggests that there was a building there in late Roman times. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions that Wihtgar, nephew of king Cynric, died in AD 544, and was buried there. The Jutes may have taken over the fort by the late 7th century. An Anglo-Saxon stronghold occupied the site during the 8th century. Around 1000, a wall was built around the hill as a defence against Viking raids.
Later history
From 1100 The castle remained in the possession of Richard de Redvers' family, and over the next two hundred years his descendants improved the castle with stone walls, towers and a keep. This was until 1293, when Countess Isabella de Fortibus, the last Redvers resident sold it to Edward I, after which the government was entrusted to wardens as representatives of the crown.
In the reign of Richard II it was unsuccessfully attacked by the French (1377) The castle was reputably saved by local hero Peter de Heyno who shot the French commander. Anthony de Wydville, Lord Scales, later Earl Rivers, obtained a grant of the castle and rights of Lordship in 1467. He was responsible for the addition of the Woodville Gate, now known as the Entrance Gate.
The keep was added to the castle in the reign of Henry I, and in the reign of Elizabeth I; when the Spanish Armada was expected, it was surrounded by an elaborate pentagonal fortification by Sir George Carey.
Charles I was imprisoned here for fourteen months before his execution in 1649. Afterwards his two youngest children were confined in the castle, and the Princess Elizabeth died there. Most recently it was the home of The Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria, as Governor of the Isle of Wight, 1896-1944. It is now under control of English Heritage.
Carisbrooke was the strongest castle on the Island; though it is visible from some distance, it does not dominate the countryside like many other castles.
There are traces of a Roman fort underneath the later buildings. Seventy-one steps lead up to the keep; the reward is a fine view. In the centre of the castle enclosure are the domestic buildings; these are mostly of the 13th century, with upper parts of the 16th century. Some are in ruins, but the main rooms were used as the official residence of the Governor of the Isle of Wight until the 1940s, and they remain in good repair.
The Great Hall, Great Chamber and several smaller rooms are open to the public, and an upper room houses the Isle of Wight Museum. Most rooms are partly furnished, but on the whole it is the fireplaces and other features of the rooms themselves which generate the most interest.
One of the main subjects of the museum is King Charles I. He tried to escape from the castle in 1648, but was unable to get through the bars of his window.
The name of the castle is echoed in a very different structure on the other side of the world. A visit to the castle by James Macandrew, one of the founders of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, led to him naming his estate "Carisbrook". The name of the estate was later used for Dunedin's main sporting venue.
The Main Gate
The gateway tower was erected by Lord Scales who was lord of the castle at the time in 1464.
The Chapel
The chapel is located next to the main gate. In 1904 the chapel of St Nicholas in the castle was reopened and re-consecrated, having been rebuilt as a national memorial of Charles I. Within the walls is a well 200 feet deep and another in the centre of the keep is reputed to have been still deeper.
The Well-House
Near the domestic buildings is the well-house with its working donkey wheel. As it is still operated by donkeys, the wheel is a great attraction and creates long queues. The well is also famous as the hiding place of the Mohune diamond, in the 1898 adventure novel Moonfleet, by J. Meade Falkner. Wyndham Lewis, who lived on the Isle of Wight as a child, cites the donkey wheel at Carisbrooke as an image for the way machines impose a way of life on human beings ('Inferior Religions', published 1917).
The Constable's Chamber
The Constable's Chamber is a large room located in the castle's medieval section. It was the bedroom of Charles I when he was imprisoned in the castle, and Princess Beatrice used it as a dining room. It is now home to Charles I bed as well as Princess Beatrice's large collection of stag and antelope heads. This room was used as the castle's education centre up until recently.
The Earthworks
Surrounding the whole castle are large earthworks, designed by the Italian Federigo Gianibelli, and begun in the year before the Spanish Armada. They were finished in the 1590s. The outer gate has the date 1598 and the arms of Queen Elizabeth I.
Wikipedia
As the Government prepared for what appeared to be inevitable conflict and that such conflict would almost certainly involve the use of bombing from the air, each Fire Authority was required to form an Auxiliary Fire Service, under the direction of the local Chief Fire Officer, but whose role was solely to prepare for the eventuality of war and for dealing with fires that would follow an air raid. To overcome some of the earlier problems the fire service was again re-organised into the National Fire Service (NFS) bringing together the 16,000-plus fire brigades within the country. This force came into existence on the 18th August 1941 and all brigade and AFS personnel were transferred into it. The service was responsible, through regions, to the Home Office directly which meant that the chain of command was much simpler and the standardisation of training and equipment could be more efficient.
This building, an Auxiliary Fire Service garage, consists of a corrugated asbestos roof of the "Handcraft" type mounted on dwarf walls of brickwork construction with a large entrance in a brickwork end wall. The original entrance door has been replaced.
Photographed May 2013.
Check out my Flickr photo collection of Yeovil, Somerset
Wonder is what sets us apart from other life forms. No other species wonders about the meaning of existence or the complexity of the universe or themselves.
~ Herbert W. Boyer
Strandfontein Sewage Works
Although the uninitiated will often turn up their noses at the idea of voluntarily visiting a sewage farm, such places are often exceptionally rich in birdlife. This is especially true of the extensive Strandfontein sewage works, arguably the best waterbird locality close to Cape Town, whose existence is under threat from a new motorway. The abundant and diverse birdlife makes it an ideal destination for the beginner and serious twitcher alike, and it is possible to see more than 80 species on a summer morning. A major advantage is the opportunity to bird from the comfort and security of your car, which can be used as a moving hide. The vast network of reed-fringed pans which radiate out from the sewage plant buildings is connected by good gravel roads, but beware of occasionally treacherous sandy patches, especially along the southern coastal road.
To enter the Strandfontein sewage works from the Cape Town side, take the M5 free-way southwards from Cape Town and turn left into Ottery Road at the Ottery turn-off; continue for 4.5 km until the junction with Strandfontein Road (M17); turn right here, and continue (southwards) along Strandfontein Road for 4 km; turn right again at the ‘Zeekoeivlei’ sign (1 on site map, opposite) within a stand of gum trees just after a petrol station and opposite Fifteenth Avenue. To enter the works from the False Bay side, turn north onto Strandfontein Road from Baden Powell Drive, 6.8 km east of the Muizenberg traffic circle, and you’ll reach the Zeekoeivlei turn-off after 4.1 km.
Baden Powell Drive (R310) follows the False Bay coast westwards to Muizenberg and Simon’s Town, and eastwards to the N2 highway near Somerset West. Strandfontein can thus conveniently be visited after Sir Lowry’s Pass (p.60).
The poorly marked entrance to the works is adjacent to a derelict building at the south end of Zeekoeivlei (2), where African Fish Eagles are often seen roosting in the trees to the west. Bird numbers and water levels at Strandfontein vary widely depending on the year and season, and the route suggested below is intended as a general guide to the most productive areas.
Continue along the tar road towards the plant buildings, and check the deep pans on both sides of the road (3 and 4) for Black-necked Grebe, Maccoa Duck, Southern Pochard, and Cape Teal. Here too you will see the first of various other waterfowl species that are common throughout the sewage works, such as Cape Shoveller, Yellow-billed Duck and Red-billed Teal, while Purple Gallinule stalk along the reed-lined edges. Levaillant’s Cisticola is very common in long grass fringing the pans, and agitated birds draw attention to themselves with their characteristically frenetic calls. White-throated and European Swallows (summer) and Brown-throated Martin dart low overhead.
Where the road meets the sewage plant itself, continue to the left of the buildings, and scan pan 5 for a good variety of waterfowl. The adjacent small, muddy pan at 6 often host somewhat scarcer species such as Southern Pochard and Wood Sandpiper. The road between the two pans is regularly used in summer as a roost by large numbers of White-winged Terns, which can be seen flying over pans throughout the area.
At this point, retrace your route and continue to the pan at 7. This pan, and the small, reed-enclosed pond at its northern end, are usually also productive. At the ‘hub’ of the wheel of large pans, turn left. Pan 8, on your right, invariably holds good numbers of birds, notably Black-necked Grebe, White Pelican, Greater Flamingo and Maccoa Duck.
The western and northern corners of pan 9 are always worth investigating. The former often has an exposed beach frequented by waders (including Avocet); the latter is good for scarcer ducks such as Cape Teal and South African Shelduck, and occasionally Hottentot Teal. Continue around the northern apex of pan 9 and head south past pan 0. The reeds in this vicinity are particularly good for African Sedge Warbler, Cape Reed Warbler and, in summer, African Marsh Warbler. Very much more evident in the alien thicket are Cape Francolin and Cape Bulbul. Pan 0 itself usually offers great birding, providing a good selection of waterfowl and wading birds in its northern reaches.
Options are now limited by sandy roads, so we suggest that you retrace your route and turn left along the southern border of pan 9. This is an especially good area for African Marsh Harrier, which is virtually guaranteed to be seen flying low over the alien thicket and adjacent reedbeds. Head south again, and cast a glance over pan A for African Black Oystercatcher. Turn right where the road meets the coastal dunes, where Swift and Sandwich Terns and Little Stint (summer) often roost. Spare a moment to look up from your telescope and enjoy the splendid view over False Bay and its embracing mountains!
Good numbers of waterbirds can reliably be found on pan B. Cape and White-breasted Cormorants, White Pelicans and miscellaneous waterfowl roost on the large, sandy island and on the pan edge (C on map), while rafts of assorted ducks bob on the usually choppy water. A pair of South African Shelduck often frequents this pan, as do flocks of Greater Flamingo.
Having absorbed all pan B has to offer, continue past a series of relatively unexceptional pans before re-entering the central wheel at E. The small pan at D is often productive, as is E. Before leaving, you might find it worthwhile to check pan F for Great Crested Grebe.
My stars are blurred, pool of dreams fogged...twisted and twirled...
a toss, a silent toss..
and the ripples rise..
don't you see, time has been wasted on dreams broken by a pebble..a single pebble.
you've revealed your game without even knowing it.