Roof repairs.

Wednesday 17th June. There was widespread expectation First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would announce a move to phase two of lockdown on Thursday 18th June and give indicative dates for further easing of lockdown.

In phase two the virus is controlled but remains; R is consistently below 1 and WHO conditions are met. Physical distancing would still be required.

Phase two includes: People meeting in larger groups; workers being allowed to return to construction sites; opening playgrounds; small shops selling non-essential goods reopening (but not shopping malls); outdoor beer gardens but not indoor areas of pubs.

"Ms Sturgeon has previously stressed that not all of the changes will happen overnight, and it might not be until "the coming weeks" that some are in place."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53083995

This image was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic and phase one of moving out of lockdown in Scotland.

www.gov.scot/news/route-map-for-moving-out-of-lockdown/

S e X y G i r l ..... like me

FEELING SEXY

Are you feeling sexual? Do you bound out of bed in the morning with energy and excitement for the day ahead? Is bound by the bed in the morning with energy and enthusiasm to this day forward? Does your body tingle with energy and your head buzz with anticipation? Is pricks Energy Authority with your head and Buzz with the expectation? Do you feel alive, really alive? Do you feel alive, really alive? Come on, you say, we can't possibly get up every day feeling that good. Come on, say, and we can not get every day that good feeling. Yes, I agree, everyone has natural cycles of feeling high and low. Yes, I agree, everyone has the natural cycles of feeling high and low. Feeling that good all the time would actually be really annoying, not only to ourselves but those around us. The feeling good all the time are actually really annoying, not only for ourselves but those around us. But you can tap into a natural source of energy and create a higher state of being into your everyday life. But you can take advantage of the natural source of energy and the establishment of the Supreme State, and being into your everyday life. Health is a relative term. Health is an advantage. For some it is not being ill. Some of it is not satisfactory. For others healthy is being in peak form especially for athletes. Health of others and being in peak form, especially for athletes. Most people exist in a state of sub health and don't even realise it. There are most people in the state of health and Sub not even aware. Their energy levels are low most of the time so this feels normal to them. Their energy levels low most of the time so this feels natural to them. Colds are a common occurrence and the joy of being able 'to sleep in' is their sluggish body slowing them down. The common cold is the joy of being able to 'sleep in' body is slow to slow them. Apart from the obvious unhealthy habits that slow us down, our libido also has an important part to play. Apart from the unhealthy habits is clear that the decline is slow for us, and we sexual instinct also play an important role. Sexual health is a major part of our overall health. Sexual health is a key part of our policy and public health. Our sexual energy and how we use that sexual energy affects us daily. We have a sexual energy and how to use sexual energy that affect us every day. The sexiness of our mind and how we feel about ourselves affects us. The sexual temptation from our minds and we see how it affects us from ourselves. How comfortable we feel in our own skin. How we feel comfortable in our skin. This all comes from within us and can not depend on another person affirming us. All of this comes from within and we can not depend on another person, Emphasizing us. Feeling sexy is not about asking your husband if your but looks good in this dress. Sexual feeling is not the question, but if your husband were beautiful in this dress. Feeling sexy comes from an energy inside. Sense of sexual energy comes from within. An inner source of satisfaction, a knowing that you are sexy because you feel sexy. Goff source of satisfaction, knowing that you feel you are sexually exciting. So where does this feeling sexy come from? Even where this feeling comes from sexual?

We all have sexual energy, we call it sex drive. We must all sexual energy, and call it sex drive. It is our natural hormones prompting us and reminding us that there is a natural act for us to do that is not only useful in recreating more life but also creating more life in ourselves. We have to pay the natural hormones and reminded us that there is a natural law for us to do that is to not only useful in creating more life, but also create more life in ourselves. From an early age we learn to repress and control this energy or drive. Since early age, we learn to repress energy and control this or drive. Talking about sex openly is not acceptable, and labelled unacceptable. Talk about sex publicly is unacceptable, and marking unacceptable. How do we know our sex life is healthy when we don't talk about it to find out, (except in the boys locker room with much bragging and joking.) And we know how to enjoy a healthy sex life when we do not talk about to find out (Except in the Treasury Conference boys much pride and Joking.)

In this age of increasing spiritual awareness, we are becoming more in touch with ourselves, spiritually and sexually. In this era of increasing spiritual awareness, and we are in touch with ourselves, spiritually and sexually. Anyone who states they are not very spiritual is just disconnected or unaware. Any person from the States it is not very spiritual knowledge or is simply disconnected. They have become distracted by the 'distractions of the modern world and disconnected with their true selves. It has become the disposal of 'dispersion of the contemporary world, disconnected with the real life. No one feels comfortable with their sexuality. No one feels comfortable with their sexuality. This is a side effect of the many thousands of years of social repression. This is one of the side effects of many thousands of years of social oppression. Many cultures almost outlaw it. Prohibiting many cultures ago. When you feel fantastic about yourself physically and mentally, you automatically feel fantastic sexually and this needs to be expressed. When you feel wonderful about yourself physically and mentally, I am automatically through sexual contact, fantastic, and this needs to be expressed. It is a part of your spirituality. It is a part of your spirituality. Sex is a connection to your spirituality. Sex is a spiritual relationship to your account. How fearful it is then that the church has labelled it as evil, as something that disconnects you from spirituality, but it is quite the opposite. How fearful are eight church might be described as a necessary evil, and that what separates you from spirituality, but quite the contrary.

Spiritual stimulation is everywhere. Spiritual revitalization everywhere. Spiritualism has become commercialised. Spirituality has become commercialised. The world is now offering us many ways to help us on our spiritual path. World now gives us many ways to help us and we are spiritual path. Unlike religion, there is no right or wrong way. Unlike religion, and there is no right or wrong. Whatever speaks to us, and works for us is right for us, and perhaps this too is constantly changing. Whatever was talking to us, and works for us is right for us, and perhaps this was also in flux. So what does sex have to do with spirituality you ask. What sex-related spirituality you wonder. If we listen to our church leaders, sex is only for those who are committed to each other through marriage, and if you are truly spiritual, then you wouldn't need it at all. If we listen to the leaders of the church, and sex is only for those committed to each other through marriage, and if you are truly spiritual, then you will not need it at all. This may be the truth for some, but it is their truth and no one else's. This might be the truth for some, but it is the truth no one else. It doesn't have to be yours unless you want it to be. It does not necessarily have to be you only if you want to be. We create our own truth. We establishment of a truth commission of our own. You can follow the truth of the yogis who find enlightenment through meditation. You can follow the truth of yogis to find enlightenment through meditation. But what is meditation? But what is meditation? Stilling the mind to open your subconscious to tap into the pool of consciousness. Soothing brains to open the Subconscious to benefit from a combination of awareness. You don't have to sit cross legged for hours to achieve this. Do not have a cross-legged sitting for long hours to achieve this. Meditation is different for everyone. Meditation is different for everyone. For some it may be finding a mosquito ridden creek in the middle of the mangroves and fishing for hours on end in solitude. For some it might be mosquitoes, which suffers from finding Creek in central mangroves and fishing for hours on end in isolation. For some it may be painting, or push bike riding. For some it may be painting, or the payment of riding a motorcycle. What ever stills the "drunken monkeys" in your head and takes you to a higher plane of being. What are snapshots than ever "in a state of intoxication and monkeys" in your mind and take you to a higher level of existence. Life itself is a meditation, not removing yourself form it. Life itself is the reflection, however, a form of removing yourself. Sex is a meditation. Sex is meditation. Making love is a meditation. Making love is meditation. It can be just a physical act of self pleasure and indulgence or it can take you to a higher state of being and bring healing and creative energy into physical form. This could be just the physical act of self-determination of pleasure and indulgence, or it could take you to the top of the state and are healing and creative energy in the form of material. Sex is sacred. Sex is sacred. Not only in the way the church teaches us but at a truly deeper level, beyond just honouring our partner and creating life. Not only in the way the church teaches us really, but at a deeper level, beyond simply honoring our partner, and the creation of life.

Sex is universal - everyone can participate even without a partner. Global sex - and everyone can participate even without a partner. What is not universal is belief systems and what is' right and wrong 'surrounding sexual conduct. What is non-existent in the belief systems and what is right and wrong 'surrounding sexual behaviour. "Your body is your greatest source of pleasure." I find sex the greatest way to physical pleasure. "Your body is the largest source of pleasure." I do not see sex as a means of greater physical pleasure. Some find exercise and pushing themselves to the limit, some find eating and drinking the greatest source of their physical pleasure. To find some exercise and to pay themselves to the limit, find some eating and drinking the largest source of physical pleasure. For me and many others, sex can be the most amount of fun you can have with your body. For me and many others, sex can be more fun than the amount You can have with your body. Here is where we get confused though. Here, although we get confused. We are taught that it is OK to see a display of violence and anger on our Televisions, but not OK to see a display of love and affection and physical expression of sex. We knew it OK to see introduced to the violence and anger and we are televisions, but not OK to see the presentation of love and affection and physical expression of gender. People being influenced by other perceptions of the right and wrong of this world, find other ways to find pleasure in their bodies. Other people affected by perceptions of right and wrong in this world, and find other ways to find comfort in their bodies. We turn to food, wine, sport, and deny ourselves the pure pleasure of sex. Turning to food, wine, sports, and deprive ourselves of pure sexual pleasure. We are taught that sex is for only people in love. We are aware that sex is only for people in love. Sex is pure fun and joy… is that so wrong? Sex pure fun and joy ... that this is wrong? For sure it can be misused in many ways, but so can everything. To make sure they can be misused in many ways, but so can everything. What a delicious way to recreate life. What a delicious way to restore life. It isn't compulsory to be with someone you love to have sex. It is not mandatory to be with someone you love sex. Sex is an expression of self love. Sex is an expression of self, love. Sex is an expression of the joy of life. Sex is an expression of joy of life. Life is for living and experiencing. Life to live and suffer. If you want to experience just sex without love…. This is not possible because simply being involved in the act of sex is an expression of self love. If you want to experience sex without love ... This is just not possible because the mere participation in an act of sex is an expression of self, love. Life is for experiencing and finding out what gives you joy. To witness life and what gives you joy. "You don't need to have a reason for anything, just be-cause. "I do not need to be a reason for anything, only to be - this issue. Just be the cause of your experience." (Neale Donald Walsh - Conversations with God) simply be the cause of your experience.

for Roland Neuwirth @ Parsonage Stammersdorf, Vienna AT

“Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” ―Charlotte Brontë, Villette

This tree adapted like the way most people did. In time, most of us grow into the expectations of those around us. Expectation of others is like a force of nature, it's nearly inescapable.

There had been an expectation that Bribie residents would not have to pay the toll, and eventually they did get a small concession. Books of tickets for multiple crossings could be purchased at a small discount and there was an exemption for Ambulance, Fire Brigade, Royal mail and Government vehicles.

14,000 cars crossed the bridge in the first week it was open, paying 7000 pounds to the two toll collectors, who were each on an annual salary of 5000 pounds. Many of the new visitors were very disappointed with inadequate parking facilities and amenities on the island, and may never have returned.

In the first two years of the new bridge over 300,000 cars crossed over, but population growth was much lower than anticipated reaching just 2000 by 1975 when the toll was lifted.

Description source:

Bribie Island History

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:

Digital Image ID 16959

Cleopatra’s needle,

London

patinated and gilded bronze

44″ h., 1879

joseph whitley

With the British Royal Navy’s victory over the French, in the 1798 Battle of the Nile, Egypt regained a measure of autonomy (and France’s aspirations to control of the Mediterranean and England’s colony, India, were dealt a blow).

The great victory raised the expectation of a great gift. (The commander of the British fleet, Lord Nelson, was famously dis-satisfied with his honors and more tangible rewards.) In 1819, Egypt presented Britain with the 69-foot tall, red Aswan granite obelisk, originally erected by Thutmose III at Heliopolis, in about 1450 BC. In 12 BC, Roman emperor Augustus ordered the obelisk (and its twin, which eventually found its way to New York’s Central Park) moved down the Nile to Alexandria.

It was only in 1877, nearly 60 years after the gift had been given, that England came to retrieve the 224 ton token. A harrowing sea journey ensured, lives were lost, the obelisk thought sunk to the bottom; but on September 12, 1878, Thutmose’s obelisk (unconnected, incidentally, in any way, with Cleopatra) was pivoted into place along London’s Thames Embankment.

Months earlier, a new, Egyptian Revival Style, bronze base had been fashioned to receive the great monument. This pedestal contains two 15” diameter earthenware cylinders in which are sealed two 12” diameter, earthenware jars – time capsules containing period mementos –

Standard foot and point, presented by the Standard Department of the Board of Trade; bronze model of the obelisk, ½ in. scale to the foot, cast and presented by Mr. Joseph Whitley, of Leeds; copies of Engineering printed on vellum, with plans of the various arrangements and details employing in erecting and transporting the obelisk, together with its complete history, presented by the proprietors of the publication; jars of Doulton ware, presented by Doulton & Co.; a piece of the obelisk stone; complete set of British coinage, including an Empress of India rupee; parchment copy of Dr. Birch’s translation of the obelisk hieroglyphics; standard gauge to 1000th part of an inch as sample of accurate workmanship; portrait of the Queen; Bibles in various languages, presented by the British and Foreign Bible Society; Bradshaw’s Railway Guide; Mappin’s shilling razor; case of cigars; pipes; box of hair pins and sundry articles of female adornment; Alexandra feeding-bottle and children’s toys, presented by a lady; a Tangye’s hydraulic jack as used in raising the obelisk; wire ropes and specimens of submarine cables; copies of the daily and illustrated papers; photographs of a dozen pretty Englishwomen, painted by Captain Henry Carter; a 2 foot rule; a London Directory, Whitaker’s Almanac.

United Methodist Church Free Magazine (1878)

This list’s second item – the model cast by Whitley – was one, it appears, of at least 16 cast by the Leeds based founder. According to Engineering (1879), “an exquisitely made model in bronze of the obelisk, encased for protective purposes in lead. This model is hollow, the opening in the bottom being closed with a screwed plug. In the model are placed drawings of the hieroglyphics and their translation, on vellum;…”

Other of these models were presented to various Societys, often by Whitley himself, including the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society in 1881, and Philosophical Society of Glasgow in 1884. The offered model was formerly in the collection of the National Arts Club in New York.

While all of these models are essentially identical, there are subtle variations. The bases of some models are unengraved, others are quite elaborate. Ours sports the monument’s name and scale, front and center in a fancy Gothic typeface, as well as less conspicuously recording its maker and date (1879). Inside the base, cast rather than engraved, is, again, the maker’s name, and “Leeds 1881”. What accounts for the differing dates inside and out? Perhaps the highly-publicized project to retrieve the Needle transpired more quickly than Whitley, at first, imagined.

That list of the inventory of the time capsules also mentions a “portrait of the Queen”. Unmentioned is the source of this portrait – Louis Aime Augustus Le Prince (1841 – vanished 1890). Whitley’s brother-in-law and, say many, the inventor of motion pictures. Intriguingly, Le Prince, a part owner of the Whitley firm after 1868, may have had some involvement in the production of the obelisk.

Additionally, we’ve located another model, less finished than the other – perhaps a part of the mold patterns – with which is a book – On the Antique Painting in Encaustic of Cleopatra – discovered in 1818 ‘A Forgotten Picture’ (1885) – inscribed to Le Prince by John Sartain (1808-1897) on September 20th, 1886. Sartain, a pioneer with mezzotint printing in the United States, would have met Le Prince during his visit there beginning in 1881. He returned to Leeds in 1887, shot the world’s first motion picture in 1888, in Whitley’s garden; then, famously, disappeared. On September 16, 1890, Le Prince boarded the Dijon-Paris train. The train arrived without him.

此為作品「紋：期待 Expectation」 之形像照。

Image of "紋：期待 Expectation."

模特兒：游一娟

攝影師：楊尊喆

彩妝師：洪明秀

整體造型：楊懿紋

Model: You,Yi-Juan

Photographer: Yang,Zun-Zhe

Visagiste: Hung, Ming-Xiu

Shape designer: Yang ,Yi-wen

View on black (Press L)

An expectationally fine example of embossed 10d brown [SG57] cancelled with the barred Hull numeral 383.

The total number of sheets [of 24] issued to the public was 116,915 [2,805,960 stamps].

The first registration sheet is dated 23rd May 1848 and the earliest known usage is 23rd Nov 1848.

It was cloudy all day and I had no expectation of painting after work. When I left the sky had cleared and there was a little bit of light left. I saw this view but then told myself there wasn’t enough time and it would be good to go home. I got in the car and went about a hundred feet down the street, all the while fighting the urge to go back. Finally good sense and desire won out and I went back. There was just enough time to do this quick 3x5 sketch. I’m very happy I took advantage of the opportunity.

A return.

This wall painting was last engaged with in 2015. Since that time the local council has contributed to the composition via layers of their own exterior acrylic paint. Their decisions have been informed by the 2015 work as well as the desire to omit the names of general members of the public who have contributed by adding their names with various colours of aerosol paint. With one action following the other, the layers continue to build, like the clouds moving across the sky. The particular details that comprise the current work are parts, rendered in an aesthetic attempt to acknowledge the sites surroundings.

Image: The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Silver Stars parachute display team put on an excellent display for the crowds at the Imjin Prom.

More than a thousand people enjoyed the first Imjin Proms on Saturday.

The concert and outdoor festival event raised money for three military service charity associations with entertainment ranging from a musically choreographed Spitfire display to children's activities.

"The weather's held off and it's been a fantastic evening, with a fantastic range of music, with parachutists, and airplanes, and it's all just been going very well from my point of view," said Simon Footer, the main event coordinator from the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Imjin Barracks, a Royal Air Force base that served for decades, has been home since 2010 to the event's other main host, NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

Lt.Gen. Tim Evans, ARRC commander, welcomed the crowd with gratitude, wishing everyone a splendid evening, and thanking Aramark and other sponsors. The general envisioned the event more than a year ago to be a way for Imjin and other nearby military communities to share a memorable evening with Gloucestershire.

Sharing the experience of the Spitfire display brought many emotions to the diverse crowd. Presenter Peter Dickson said he was moved by the arial display, as that plane holds a special place in British hearts, answering a call in the 1940's with young pilots when "our backs were really against the wall, it delivered the effect we needed." Remembering them and the sacrifice of so many is important and one theme for the evening, he continued. The whole night has "surpassed expectation."

"I've painted many of them as a kid, but that's the first time I've ever seen one," said presenter Lewis Macleod, in a sincere moment backstage when he wasn't keeping the crowd laughing with his voice impressions between acts. "It was really beautiful."

The plane flew to classical music played by The Band of the Royal Air Force College, who also lit up the evening with a finale and fireworks around 10 pm. Other music included a pop-music cover set by the Adjutant Generals Corps' Band who got people up and dancing from their picnic blankets and chairs. The crowd also witnessed the precision of The Royal Marines Band and 19th Regimental Royal Artillery Pipes and Drums.

Children representing their school's talent, the Innsworth Military Wives Choir, and many others performed during the evening to the local crowd. The event succeeded in opening the gates of Imjin to the community and there is a hope to see more of these kinds of events in future.

Grumman P-50K Spitfire

a/c 47, 1st Expeditionary Squadron, 2nd Latin American Fighter Group, Venezuelan Air Force

Taegu, UN-occupied southern Korea, 27 February 1946

Personal mount of Captain Josef Martínez

Disbanded at San Angelo, Italy, in November 1944, the Venezuelan Air Force’s 1st Expeditionary Squadron was re-established at Majors Army Airfield, Texas, USA, on 26 March 1945. Having previously flown the Canadian-built Federal Aircraft A-36B version of the Mustang, there was a high expectation among the Venezuelan personnel that they would be issued new Mustangs. Arriving on busses, they saw Venezuelan-marked Spitfires across the airfield. Muttering followed and there was the hope expressed that these were just for training. Maybe, someone suggested, like their colleagues from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, they would soon be issued with P-47D Thunderbolts? Surely, they wouldn’t be flying Spitfires over Japan?

With time, they would learn how to fight with the Grumman P-50K Spitfire over Japan.

In April, the Venezuelan 1st Expeditionary Squadron would be joined by two other units. The men of the Columbian 101st Fighter Squadron arrived on the 9th and those of the Ecuadorean 21st Squadron on the 15th. Together, they would form the 2nd Latin American Fighter Group (2LAFG). After training at Major, the personnel of the 2LAFG were deployed to Clark Field, Philippines, where they picked up new P-50Ks and flew local combat missions during October. Here, they painted their Spitfires with high-visibility yellow, blue and red trims, to symbolise the colours shared by their national flags; only the red had to be minimised and the red centre of the Venezuelan national markings was replaced with white.

Built by Kaiser, the P-50K was the US equivalent to the UK-built Spitfire XVI. The type featured a bubble canopy, was powered by the V-1650-9 Packard Merlin, and were armed with either four 20mm Hispano cannon or two Hispano and two .50 cal Brownings (depending on the production block). With the RAF choosing to skip the P-50K for the Packard V-2240 Griffin powered P-50L (Spritire 35) and P-50N (Spitfire 36), the US Government offloaded the mass-produced P-50Ks onto other export customers.

Slower than the P-47D or P-51D, and shorter ranged too, the P-50K was passé by the time 2LAFG was formed. Realising that they were likely to be relegated to less glamorous ground attack duties, the 2LAFG focused on honing their air-to-surface combat skills. However, early training demonstrated that the P-50K was less accurate as a bombing platform than the A-36B the Venezuelans had previously flown. Fortunately, the type could be armed with six 5 inch HVAR, which in combat became the staple offensive loadout. To overcome the type’s range deficiency (compared to the P-47 and P-51), reusable 65 gal aluminium and single-use 90 gal plastic impregnated press paper drop tanks were carried on most combat sorties. Operating from Taegu on the Korean Peninsula, the external fuel tanks gave the P-50K sufficient combat radius with six HVARs to attack targets on Kyushu, Shikoku and most of Honshu. Critically, they could mount Watermelon cab-rank CAS missions in support of Operation Downfall, the Allied invasion of Honshu. Another loadout used was two 65 gal fuel tanks, six HVARs and a 65 gal napalm tank on the centreline. The 2LAFG left bombing with actual bombs to 1LAFG.

2LAFG joined 1LAFG at Taegu in November 1945 and participated in a range of operations. Code named mission types included Watermelons (providing cab-rank CAS), Strawberries (seek and destroy armed recce against targets of opportunity), Pumpkins (pre-planned strikes against fixed targets) and Shallots (as Pumpkins, but specifically against targets associated with ramp-launched, pulse-jet powered Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Model 43B Otsu). No 2LAFG pilots were credited with the destruction of Japanese aircraft in aerial combat until the invasion of Honshu. Tasked with Watermelons in support of Downfall’s Wakasa Bay landings, they inevitably encountered the kamikaze onslaught and shot down seven Japanese planes, including four Ki-115, two Ki-100 To-Gō and a Ki-61-II. By VJ Day, their air kill tally stood at just 11. Two of these kills were credited to Captain Josef Martínez: a Ki-115 on 1 March and another the next day.

The Spitfires flown at Major were of the P-50K-1-KA variety. At Clark, they were issued aircraft from the P-50-2-KA and P--50-3-KA blocks. The -1s and -2s were armed with a pair of 20mm Hispano cannon and two .50 cal Browning machine guns, while the -3s differed only from the -2s in having four cannon at the expense of the machine guns. However, as all P-50Ks were built with the “American Universal” wing, the Brownings could be replaced in service by a second pair of cannon. This appears to be the case with this aircraft, which is notable for having field produced aerodynamic sleeves for the inner pair of cannon (there having been a temporary shortage of genuine cannon sleeve parts when it was converted to an all cannon armament). Later photographs of this plane in Operation Downfall invasion stripes show standard, factory-supplied sleeves on all four cannon. Many of 2LAFG’s P-50-2-KA Spitfires had their machines guns replaced by cannons during December 1945 and January 1946.

During these winter months of reduced operations, all of the Group’s Spitfires also had their undercarriage modified to reduce tyre wear. In November, Taegu’s second runway was completed with a concrete surface, with the original runway being rebuilt in concrete during December and January. Using undercarriage and tyres designed for grass and dirt runways, the concrete runways produced excessive tyre wear on the Spitfires. The solution was to change the angle of the tyres relative to the undercarriage legs, which in turn required additional space in the wings when the undercarriage was retracted. To make room, a portion of the upper wing was cut open and faired over with a factory-supplied blister.

Captain Josef Martínez had flown 17 combat missions in the 1st Expeditionary Squadron’s A-36B Mustangs in Italy before rejoining the unit as it reformed on the P-50K. His P-50-1-KA Spitfire, a/c 47, is depicted here as photographed (with 30 mission markings) before his 31st Spitfire combat mission at Taegu on 27 February 1946. By VJ Day, 6 May 1946, he had flown 97 missions, 64 in a/c 47 (withdrawn after another Spitfire crashed into it whilst taxiing) and another 33 in a/c 87.

World would be better if we knew how to share

Wall memorial with winged cherub & coat of arms - "Here sleeps Abraham Clark, esquire, in expectation of a glorious resurrection in omni vita modestus ac fobrius, justitiae et aequitatis cultor eximius, summa in amicos fide, veraque in Deum. Egenorum fautor ac patrenus, orpanorum pater,

liberalitatem exercere maluit quam ostentare aliis, munificentiae testes praetor Deum aegre admisit. Satis ei magnum ad virtutem invitamentum recte factorum conscientia. Died December 4 AD 1683 aged 61 "

(Abraham was lord of the manor and abbey of Flaxley;

He was the son of Abraham & Joanna Clarke 1664 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/0o6250

Dying without surviving issue, his heir was his cousin William Boevey 1692 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/2p5xE6 who after a short life of "excesses, both in debauch and ill-humour," left the estates to his long suffering wife Catherina Riches www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/83x7Ed who never remarried and after a long philanthropic life died in 1726

The estate was sold by William Kingston in 1648 to merchants William and James Boeve (later Boevey), members of London's Dutch community. In 1654 James conveyed his interest to William, his half brother, and the latter assigned a moiety of the estate to his half sister Joanna +++ , widow of Abraham Clarke. Joanna, who bought the other moiety after William's death in 1661, died in 1664 leaving Flaxley to her son Abraham Clarke (d. 1683) and he left the estate to his cousin William, son of James Boevey. William Boevey died in 1692 and under his will the estate passed in turn to his wife Catharine Riches 1727 === www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/mWP8c6 and a kinsman Thomas Crawley who assumed the name Crawley-Boevey. Thomas died in 1741 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/v44poL and his son and heir Thomas Crawley-Boevey enlarged the estate in the 1760s by purchasing land in Westbury-on-Severn adjoining the main part of Flaxley. Thomas (d. 1769) was succeeded by his son Thomas Crawley-Boevey, heir in 1789 to a baronetcy, and from Sir Thomas (d. 1818) the estate descended with the baronetcy from father to son, through Thomas (d. 1847), Martin (d. 1862), Thomas (d. 1912), and Francis (d. 1928), to Lancelot. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/33EYte who sold the family home Flaxley Abbey in 1960 )) - Church of St Mary the Virgin Flaxley Gloucestershire

Apps: Super Impose, AbstractMe, Photo Copier, PhotoWizard, Tiffen PhotoFX

Upmarket burger joint selling take-away food.

Wednesday 17th June. There was widespread expectation First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would announce a move to phase two of lockdown on Thursday 18th June and give indicative dates for further easing of lockdown.

In phase two the virus is controlled but remains; R is consistently below 1 and WHO conditions are met. Physical distancing would still be required.

Phase two includes: People meeting in larger groups; workers being allowed to return to construction sites; opening playgrounds; small shops selling non-essential goods reopening (but not shopping malls); outdoor beer gardens but not indoor areas of pubs.

"Ms Sturgeon has previously stressed that not all of the changes will happen overnight, and it might not be until "the coming weeks" that some are in place."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53083995

This image was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic and phase one of moving out of lockdown in Scotland.

www.gov.scot/news/route-map-for-moving-out-of-lockdown/

Great tit waiting for the goodies.

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1 Comments on Instagram:

missnaseem: really love this post

I arrived home to find a large box on my porch. This photo shows the complete contents. At least it was easy to carry inside.

“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

~ Eden Phillpotts

'expectations' On Black

My expectation to see the illuminated Mesa arch was very high. It was one of the landscapes I always wanted to capture. Despite my high hopes, the weather unfortunately didn't turn to my side. Also when I've arrived at the arch, there were so many photographers already standing by. I've arrived at 6:30 and I thought that was early enough.

Right before the sunrise, the rain started to fall. You can see the train falling in the background approaching towards the arch.

Even with this weather condition the landscape in Canyonlands National Park was amazing. The ragged lines and the dark bottom of the canyon below the arch looked like the hell.

View On Black

This panorama picture comprises of 10 pictures.

Commemoration of Liberation of Sillans- la-Cascade (Var France) by the allied troops WW2

People and vehicles by Association Memories 44

they say with age comes wisdom. it may be that i am growing old in this world and have used up more than my share of allotted words and eager audiences, but even though the stream of thought flows on, most of its segments fall into the bottomless abyss of oblivion. of some, no memory survives the instant of their passage. of others, it is confined to a few moments, hours or days. others, again, leave vestiges which are indestructible, and by means of which they may be recalled as long as life endures.

[title by william shakespeare]

First flying on August 22, 1931, the Gee Bee Z quickly proved to be tricky to fly, but fulfilled every expectation with regards to its speed. Flown by pilot Lowell Bayles, the Gee Bee Z established a world speed record for landplanes of 267.342 miles per hour (430.245 km/h) at the National Air Races during the Shell Speed Dash qualifying on September 1, then went on to win the Goodyear Trophy race, run over a course of 50 miles (80 km), the next day at an average speed of 205 miles per hour (330 km/h). On the 5th, the aircraft's engineer, Bob Hall, flew the Gee Bee Z to victory in the General Tire and Rubber Trophy race, then won again the next day in a free-for-all event.

In the Thompson Trophy Race on September 7, Bayles was triumphant, winning with an average speed of 236.24 miles per hour (380.19 km/h), winning over competitors including Jimmy Doolittle, James Wedell, Ben Howard, Dale Jackson, Bill Ong, Ira Eaker, and Hall, who finished fourth in a Gee Bee Model Y.

Following the Thompson Trophy race, the Gee Bee Z was re-engined with a larger, 750-horsepower (560 kW) Wasp Senior radial, in preparation for an attempt at establishing another world speed record at Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan. Unofficially clocked at 314 miles per hour (505 km/h) in early trials, the record attempt on December 5, 1931, would end in tragedy, the aircraft suffering a wing failure and rolling into the ground, killing Bayles.

Analysis of the crash, based on motion picture film of the event examined frame-by-frame, showed that the aircraft's fuel cap had come loose and crashed through the Gee Bee Z's windscreen. It struck the pilot and incapacitated him, causing a sudden upset in pitch that led to the structural failure of the wing.] In addition, tests of a reproduction aircraft have shown that the Gee Bee Z was susceptible to aerodynamic flutter at high speed.

Eye.

A door.

Suspense.

That's the way I see it.

Nothing more.

Thursday started at oh dark thirty. Today I was going early with Dad to observe how he started everyday.

To get the behemoth that is a steam engine to pull a train takes hours of preparation. Most critically, there needs to be a big fire in the firebox, this has to heat a lot of water to make steam and you need a good head of steam to move. This takes time.

Despite the boiler still being at 70psi from the day before's action, when we arrived at 7am the first thing to do was to light the fire - 200psi was a long way off. The first job is to dump all the ash from the previous day's fire and then set a new fire. Intriguingly there are many methods used, but we had a layer of coal, a layer of paraffin soaked rags and a layer of wood. Light it and wait. Then more coal. A lot more coal.

With any mechanical device there is a huge amount of routine, ongoing maintenance that needs doing, engines have more than most. There are a huge number of things that need checking, clearing, oiling, tightening, loosening and all manor of little jobs that clearly elucidate why these amazing machines needed a full time crew of three.

Then of course there is a lot of cleaning to do. Coal, steam and the odd bit of oil plus smoke, smuts, ash and just using the thing generates the most amazing amount of grime. Of course, the engine is lavished with brass, steel and the most amazing paintwork. It needs a lot of cleaning. And clean it they do.

I stayed well out of the way. And took pictures, over 500 during the course of the day. After all the preparation, I also was extremely fortunate to be able to run up and down the entire length of the line on the footplate. The main shot is from a point during that run. SOOC. There was just something I loved about it, despite the dodgy colours, focus and ISO 1600. Captured the nostalgic feel for me. It's Ian Wright, the driver of the train. He's Dad's very good friend. Tells horrifically cheesy, corny, non-PC and some downright pathetic jokes. You'll also notice he's in his 'dress' overalls rather than the mucky ones he uses to prep.

Here's some of the better ones from early on - all clickable, if you'd like to look larger. Part 2 will have more from later in the day.

Expectation ...

HISTORY OF OUR METROPOLIA OF AQUILEIA

February 19, 2016

Our Metropolis of Aquiliea was born from the Greek Church as a movement in favor of the purity of Tradition in the 1920s, when Greek orthodoxy was in crisis due to the introduction of modernisms into ecclesial life, above all when, in 1923, Patriarch Meletios introduced the civil calendar, called Gregorian, in the Greek Church, without consulting the clergy and the people. One million faithful, most of the clergy and many monasteries joined this resistance movement against all forms of modernism.

We propose below the chronological sequence of the most significant events in our history.

1935 Three bishops of the official Greek Church join the movement, the Metropolitans Germanos of Dimetrias, Crisostomo of Zakintos and Crisostomos of Florina (later elected primate of the nascent Church).

1937. The Church suffers the first schism, by Metropolitan Matthew. For twenty years the Church was persecuted by the Greek authorities, at the instigation of the State Church.

1955 . Primate Crisostomos of Florina dies, leaving a strong Church - even if tested - with about 800,000 /1,000,000 faithful and hundreds of priests. The absence of an episcopate pushes the representatives of the clergy to turn to other Orthodox Churches to ask for the necessary consecration of bishops, indispensable for the life and future of the Church.

1960. The Russian Orthodox Archbishop of Chicago, Vladyka Serafim Ivanov, together with the Romanian Archbishop Teofil Ionescu, then belonging to the Russian Synod in exile – ROCOR , now recognized as a canon, consecrate the archimandrite bishop, in accordance with the 1st Apostolic Canon Greek Akakios on December 19, the feast of St. Nicholas.

1961. Archbishop Leonti Filipovitch of Chile, of the Russian Church in Exile (ROCOR), who had been archimandrite of the famous Ukrainian Pochaev monastery, consecrated bishop of Zitomir in 1941 in the patriarchal Church, consecrates, together with Bishop Akakios, several Greek bishops , including Metropolitan Avxentios, who in 1963 became the third primate of the Greek Church of the Old Calendar. He will die in 1994. Both bishops, Archbishop Leontij Filipovitch and Primate His Beatitude Avxentios, become figures of historical significance for the Greek Church. The Russian Church in Exile, through the episcopal consecrations of its bishops, becomes a second mother for the Paleo-Himerological Church. Without it, the Greek Church would have had no future…

1969. The Russian Church in Exile completes its mission concerning the rebirth of the Greek Church by establishing Eucharistic communion between the Russian Church in Exile and the Old Calendarist Greek Church – the traditional Greek Church. The Russian Church then recognizes expressis verbis the sacraments of its sister Greek Church, also (an aspect to underline) the consecrations of its bishops made in 1960 and 1962. The Metropolia of Milan is in possession of this document, authenticated by the secretary of the Russian Synod, Archbishop Ilarion, now primate of the Russian Church abroad and in communion with Moscow.

It is emphasized that the Greek government recognizes the sacraments of the traditional Greek Church: its sacraments of baptism and marriage are in fact officially registered by the Greek state.

1978. On May 19, His Beatitude Avxentios I, primate of the traditional Greek Church, consecrates in the name of the Holy Synod, together with his metropolitans Gerondius of Piraeus, Callistos of Corinth and Anthony of Attica, the first Western bishop, Vladyka Gabriel, bishop of Portugal and Spain which, later, will be the first primate of the Metropolia of Portugal, Spain and Western Europe. 1978 is therefore the year of the foundation of the Western Metropolis.

1984. It is an equally important year for the Greek Church: on March 17, His Beatitude Avxentios, on behalf of the Holy Synod, together with the Metropolitans Gabriel of Portugal, Maximus of Kefalonia, Gerasimos of Boitias and Kallinico consecrates Archimandrite Tiago bishop of Coimbra in Portugal.

The Holy Synod of Athens of the traditionalist Greek Church charges the bishops in Portugal, Gabriel of Lisbon and Tiago of Coimbra, to consecrate Archimandrite Evloghios bishop of Milan (9 September) and Gregory bishop of Turin (22 September).

On September 27, the historical date of our Metropolis, His Beatitude Avxentios I, in the name of the Holy Synod, confers on the new Metropolis the Tomos of Autonomy, giving it complete autonomy and the right to have its own Synod. His Beatitude Gabriel I becomes the first primate of the Orthodox Metropolitan Church in the West.

Even if later schisms arise in the traditional Greek Church, no negative element in history can touch the seriousness and authenticity of the mother Church in its direct lineage of the three Greek primates Chrysostomos, Akakios and Avxentios. Our Metropolis is proud to descend from the Greek Church which constitutes the historical trunk, from which, unfortunately, other jurisdictions have subsequently separated.

1989. Primate Gabriel, together with his two Portuguese bishops, Tiago of Coimbra and Theodore of Evora, take leave of our Holy Synod and are incardinated in the autocephalous Polish Church. The Polish Church, in a letter to Archbishop Evloghios of Milan, insists on the fact that no form of "reordering" ("bez ponownych swiecen biskupich") has been practiced.

Metropolitan Gabriel of Portugal Metropolitan Vasily of Warsaw (Poland) Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church (Canonical Church) Metropolitan Vasily of Poland of the Polish Autocephalous Church and Metropolitan Evloghios Letter from Metropolitan Gabriel to HE Bishop Virgile demonstrating Apostolic Succession Letter from

the Polish Church attesting the Apostolic Succession of our Metropolia Letter from Metropolitan Gabriel sent to Metropolitan Evloghios

Also in 1989 Archbishop Evloghios of Milan receives an official acknowledgment of full communion with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America led by Metropolia Mstyslav I. (Today Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate)

1990 VACANT SEE

1990 On September 27, the Holy Synod, now without the brothers of Portugal, meets in the Monastery of San Michele in the South of France (Flayosc). Their Em. Gregory of Turin, Vigile of Paris, Evloghios of Milan and the bishop-elect Lazar (Puhalo) of Vancouver (Canada), consecrated the day after (September 28) today retired Archbishop in the Orthodox Church of America, were present. . Archbishop Evloghios of Milan is elected second Primate of the Metropolis, under whose leadership the Metropolis of Aquileia is elected.

In 1992 the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, uniting with a part of the Ukrainian Church of Kiev, led by Metropolitan Philaret, assumed the name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate.

In 1993, Patriarch Mstyslav I of Kiev (Consecrated Bishop by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) died. In October, during the All-Ukrainian Council, Patriarch Volodymir (Romanyuk) is elected. He is a character endowed with strong charisma, a confessor of the faith, a patriot of his land who, out of fidelity to his religious and political beliefs, spent twenty long years in concentration camps in Siberia.

In 1994 Patriarch Volodymir I recognized the Holy Synod of the Metropolis of Milan and Aquileia as a Church in communion but in Autonomy also giving it a TOMOS OF AUTONOMY. The Patriarch recognized the importance and the need for an Autonomous reality in the West to be able to create a real Orthodox presence. This unlike the deafness shown over the years by the other Patriarchates too frightened by the Latin Church.

The Holy Synod of Milan has one Synod:

His Beatitude Evloghios of Milan

His Honorific Metropolitan Eminence Avondios of Brescia, Vicar General

His Eminence Archbishop Victrice (retired)

A deanery in Great Britain , parishes in Spain , Italy and Germany and a vicariate in Eastern Europe .

Milan is a city in Northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has 3.22 million residents The urban area of Milan is the fourth largest in the EU with 5.27 million inhabitants. According to national sources, the population within the wider Milan metropolitan area (also known as Greater Milan), is estimated between 4.9 million and 7.4 million making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and one of the largest in the EU. Milan is the economic capital of Italy and is a global financial centre. Milan is, together with London, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris, one of the six European economic capitals.

Milan is a leading alpha global city, with strengths in the fields of art, chemicals, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media (communication), services, research and tourism. Its business district hosts Italy's stock exchange (Italian: Borsa Italiana), and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms of GDP, Milan is the wealthiest city in Italy, has the third-largest economy among EU cities after Paris and Madrid, and is the wealthiest among EU non-capital cities. Milan is viewed along with Turin as the southernmost part of the Blue Banana urban development corridor (also known as the "European Megalopolis"), and one of the Four Motors for Europe. Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world. Milan is a major cultural centre, with museums and art galleries that include some of the most important collections in the world, such as major works by Leonardo da Vinci. It also hosts numerous educational institutions, academies and universities, with 11% of the national total of enrolled students.

Founded around 590 BC under the name Medhelanon by a Celtic tribe belonging to the Insubres group and belonging to the Golasecca culture, it was conquered by the ancient Romans in 222 BC, who latinized the name of the city into Mediolanum. The city's role as a major political centre dates back to the late antiquity, when it served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. From the 12th century until the 16th century, Milan was one of the largest European cities and a major trade and commercial centre; consequently, it became the capital of the Duchy of Milan, one of the greatest political, artistic and fashion forces in the Renaissance. Having become one of the main centres of the Italian Enlightenment during the early modern period, the city subsequently became the industrial and financial capital of modern Italy. Capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, after the Restoration it was among the most active centres of the Risorgimento, until its entry into the unified Kingdom of Italy.

Milan has been recognized as one of the world's four fashion capitals. Many of the most famous luxury fashion brands in the world have their headquarters in the city, including: Armani, Prada, Versace, Moschino, Valentino and Zegna. It also hosts several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair, which are among the world's biggest in terms of revenue, visitors and growth. The city is served by many luxury hotels and is the fifth-most starred in the world by Michelin Guide. It hosted the Universal Exposition in 1906 and 2015. In the field of sports, Milan is home to two of Europe's most successful football teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and one of Europe's main basketball teams, Olimpia Milano. Milan will host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games for the first time in 2026, together with Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Milan, Italy is an ancient city in northern Italy first settled under the name Medhelanon in about 590 BC by a Celtic tribe belonging to the Insubres group and belonging to the Golasecca culture.[1][2] The settlement was conquered by the Romans in 222 BC and renamed it Mediolanum. Diocletian divided the Roman Empire, choosing the eastern half for himself, making Milan the seat of the western half of the empire, from which Maximian ruled, in the late 3rd and early 4th century AD. In 313 AD Emperors Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, which officially ended the persecution of Christians. In 774 AD, Milan surrendered to Charlemagne and the Franks.

During the Middle Ages, the city's history was the story of the struggle between two political factions: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Finally the Visconti family took power (signoria) in Milan. In 1395 Emperor Wenceslas made Milan a duchy, thus raising the dignity of the city's citizens. In the mid-15th century the Ambrosian Republic was established, taking its name from St. Ambrose, a beloved patron saint of the city. The two rival factions worked together to create the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. However, the republic fell apart in 1450 when Milan was conquered by Francesco Sforza of the House of Sforza, which ushered Milan into becoming one of the leading cities of the Italian Renaissance.

From the late 15th century until the mid 16th century, Milan was involved in The Italian Wars, a series of conflicts, along with most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, the Republic of Venice and later most of Western Europe. In 1629 The Great Plague of Milan killed about 60,000 people out of a total population of about 130,000, by 1631 when the plague subsided. This event is considered one of the last great outbreaks of what was a pandemic that ravaged Europe for several centuries, beginning with the Black Death. In 1713-1714 treaties gave sovereignty to Austria over most of Spain's Italian possessions, including Lombardy and its capital, Milan. Napoleon invaded Italy in 1796, and later declared Milan the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. After Napoleon's occupation ended the Congress of Vienna returned Lombardy and Milan to Austrian control in 1815. This is the period when Milan became a center for lyric opera.

The Milanese staged a rebellion against Austrian rule on March 18, 1848. The Kingdom of Sardinia joined the rebels, and a vote was held in Lombardy which voted to unify with Sardinia. The Austrians defeated the Sardinians on 24 July and reasserted their domination over Milan and northern Italy. Just a few years later another insurgency by Italian nationalists succeeded in ousting the Austrians with the help of Sardinia and France in 1859. Following the Battle of Solferino Milan and the rest of Lombardy joined the Kingdom of Sardinia, which soon achieved control of most of Italy. In 1861 the re-unified city-states and kingdoms became the Kingdom of Italy once again.

With the unification of the country, Milan became the dominant commercial center of northern Italy. In 1919 Benito Mussolini rallied the Blackshirts for the first time in Milan, and later they began their March on Rome from Milan. During World War II Milan was extensively damaged by Allied bombings. Upon the surrender of Italy in 1943 German forces occupied northern Italy until the end of the war in 1945. Members of the Italian resistance in Milan took control of the city and executed Mussolini, his mistress, and other leaders of his Fascist government by hanging in Piazzale Loreto, Milan.

Since the end of World War II, Italy experienced an economic boom. From 1951 until 1967 the population of Milan grew from 1.3 million to 1.7 million. The city was reconstructed, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the city suffered from a huge wave of street violence, labor strikes and political terrorism during so called Years of Lead. During the 1980s, Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The rise of financial services and the service economy during the late 20th century further strengthened Milan’s position as the Italian economic capital. The city’s renewal in the 21st century was marked, among others, by hosting of the World Expo 2015 or big redevelopment projects such as Puorta Nuova or CityLife.

Antiquity

Around 590 BC, a Celtic tribe belonging to the Insubres group and belonging to the Golasecca culture settled the city under the name Medhelanon. According to Titus Livy's comments, the city was founded around 600 B.C. by Belloveso, chief of the Insubres. Legend has it that Belloveso found a mythological animal known as the scrofa semilanuta (in Italian: "half-woollen boar") which became the ancient emblem of the city of Milan (from semi-lanuta or medio-lanum). Several ancient sources (including Sidonius Apollinaris, Datius, and, more recently, Andrea Alciato) have argued that the scrofa semilanuta is connected to the etymology of the ancient name of Milan, "Mediolanum", and this is still occasionally mentioned in modern sources, although this interpretation has long been dismissed by scholars. Nonetheless, wool production became a key industry in this area, as recorded during the early Middle Ages (see below).

Milan was conquered by the Romans in 222 B.C. due to its strategic position on the northern borders of the Empire and was renamed Mediolanum. When Diocletian decided to divide the Empire in half choosing the Eastern half for himself, Milan became the residence of Maximian, ruler of the Western Roman Empire. The construction of the second city walls, roughly four and a half kilometers long and unfurling at today's Foro Bonaparte, date back to his reign. After the abdication of Maximian (in 305 A.D.) on the same day on which Diocletian also abdicated, there were a series of wars of succession, during which there was a succession of three emperors in just a few short years: first Severus, who prepared the expedition against Maxentius, then Maxentius himself in a war against Constantine, and finally Constantine himself, victor of the war against Maxentius. In 313 A.D. the Emperors Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan (Edict of Constantine), ending the persecutions against Christians.

The beginning of the 5th century was the start of a tortuous period of barbarian invasions for Milan. After the city was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, the imperial residence was moved to Ravenna. An age of decadence began which worsened when Attila, King of the Huns, sacked and devastated the city in 452 A.D.

Middle Ages

In 539, the Ostrogoths conquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War against Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In the summer of 569, a Germanic tribe, the Lombards (from which the name of the Italian region Lombardy derives), conquered Milan, overpowering the small Byzantine army left for its defense. Some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule, but the city was eclipsed by the nearby Lombard capital of Pavia during the next two centuries.

Milan surrendered to Charlemagne and the Franks in 774. The aristocracy and majority of the clergy had taken refuge in Genoa. In 774, when Charlemagne took the title of "King of the Lombards", he established his imperial capital of Aachen in what is today Germany. Before then the Germanic kingdoms had frequently conquered each other, but none had adopted the title of King of another people. The Iron Crown of Lombardy (i.e. referring to Charlemagne's kingdom and not to the Italian region), which was worn by Charlemagne, dates from this period. Milan's domination under the Franks led by Charlemagne did nothing to improve the city's fortune, and the city's impoverishment increased and Milan became a county seat.

The 11th century saw a reaction against the control of the Holy Roman Emperors. The city-state was born, an expression of the new political power of the city and its will to fight against feudal overlords. Milan was no exception. It did not take long, however, for the city states to begin fighting each other to try to limit neighbouring powers. The Milanese destroyed Lodi and continuously warred with Pavia, Cremona and Como, who in turn asked Frederick I Barbarossa for help. In a sally, they captured Empress Beatrice and forced her to ride a donkey backwards out through the city. These acts brought the destruction of much of Milan in 1162. A fire destroyed the storehouses containing the entire food supply: and within just a few days Milan was forced to surrender.

A period of peace followed and Milan prospered as a centre of trade due to its position. As a result of the independence that the Lombard cities gained in the Peace of Constance in 1183, Milan returned to the commune form of local government first established in the 11th century. In 1208 Rambertino Buvalelli served a term as podestà of the city, in 1242 Luca Grimaldi, and in 1282 Luchetto Gattilusio. The position was a dangerous one: in 1252 Milanese heretics assassinated the Church's Inquisitor, later known as Saint Peter Martyr, at a ford in the nearby contado; the killers bribed their way to freedom, and in the ensuing riot the podestà was almost lynched. In 1256 the archbishop and leading nobles were expelled from the city. In 1259 Martino della Torre was elected Capitano del Popolo by members of the guilds; he took the city by force, expelled his enemies, and ruled by dictatorial powers, paving streets, digging canals, and taxing the countryside. He also brought the Milanese treasury to collapse; the use of often reckless mercenary units further angered the population, granting an increasing support for the della Torre's traditional enemies, the Visconti. The most important industries in this period were armaments and wool production, a whole catalogue of activities and trades is given in Bonvesin della Riva's "de Magnalibus Urbis Mediolani".

On 22 July 1262, Ottone Visconti was made archbishop of Milan by Pope Urban IV, against the candidacy of Raimondo della Torre, Bishop of Como. The latter started to publicise allegations that the Visconti had ties to the heretic Cathars and charged them with high treason: the Visconti, who accused the della Torre of the same crimes, were then banned from Milan and their properties confiscated. The ensuing civil war caused more damage to Milan's population and economy, lasting for more than a decade. Ottone Visconti unsuccessfully led a group of exiles against the city in 1263, but after years of escalating violence on all sides, in the Battle of Desio (1277) he won the city for his family. The Visconti succeeded in ousting the della Torre permanently, and proceeded to rule Milan and its possessions until the 15th century.

Much of the prior history of Milan was the tale of the struggle between two political factions: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Most of the time the Guelphs were successful in the city of Milan. Eventually, however, the Visconti family were able to seize power (signoria) in Milan, based on their "Ghibelline" friendship with the Holy Roman Emperors. In 1395, one of these emperors, Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (1378–1400), raised Milan to the dignity of a duchy. Also in 1395, Gian Galeazzo Visconti became Duke of Milan. The Ghibelline Visconti family was to retain power in Milan for a century and a half from the early 14th century until the middle of the 15th century.

In 1447 Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, died without a male heir; following the end of the Visconti line, the Ambrosian Republic was enacted. The Ambrosian Republic took its name from St. Ambrose, popular patron saint of the city of Milan. Both the Guelph and the Ghibelline factions worked together to bring about the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. Nonetheless, the Republic collapsed when, in 1450, Milan was conquered by Francesco Sforza, of the House of Sforza, who made Milan one of the leading cities of the Italian Renaissance.

Early modern

The Italian Wars were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, and later most of the major states of Western Europe. Milan's last independent ruler, Lodovico Sforza, called French king Charles VIII into Italy in the expectation that France might be an ally in inter-Italian wars. The future King of France, Louis of Orléans, took part in the expedition and realised Italy was virtually defenceless. This prompted him to return a few years later in 1500, and claim the Duchy of Milan for himself, his grandmother having been a member of the ruling Visconti family. At that time, Milan was also defended by Swiss mercenaries. After the victory of Louis's successor Francis I over the Swiss at the Battle of Marignan, the duchy was promised to the French king. When the Habsburg Emperor Charles V defeated Francis I at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, northern Italy, including Milan, returned to Francesco II Sforza, passing to Habsburg Spain ten years later on his death and the extinction of the Sforza line.

In 1556, Charles V abdicated in favour of his son Philip II and his brother Ferdinand I. Charles's Italian possessions, including Milan, passed to Philip II and remained with the Spanish line of Habsburgs, while Ferdinand's Austrian line of Habsburgs ruled the Holy Roman Empire.

Great Plague of Milan

The Great Plague of Milan in 1629–31 killed an estimated 60,000 people out of a population of 130,000. This episode is considered one of the last outbreaks of the centuries-long pandemic of plague that began with the Black Death.

War of the Spanish Succession

In 1700 the Spanish line of Habsburgs was extinguished with the death of Charles II. After his death, the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1701 with the occupation of all Spanish possessions by French troops backing the claim of the French Philippe of Anjou to the Spanish throne. In 1706, the French were defeated at the Battle of Turin and were forced to yield northern Italy to the Austrian Habsburgs. In 1713–1714 the Treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt formally confirmed Austrian sovereignty over most of Spain's Italian possessions including Lombardy and its capital, Milan.

Napoleon invaded Italy in 1796, and Milan was declared the capital of the Cisalpine Republic. Later, he declared Milan the capital of the Kingdom of Italy and was crowned in the Duomo. Once Napoleon's occupation ended, the Congress of Vienna returned Lombardy, and Milan, along with Veneto, to Austrian control in 1814. During this period, Milan became a centre of lyric opera. Here in the 1770s Mozart had premiered three operas at the Teatro Regio Ducale. Later La Scala became the reference theatre in the world, with its premières of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi. Verdi himself is interred in the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti, his present to Milan. In the 19th century, other important theatres were La Cannobiana and the Teatro Carcano.

Wars of the 19th century

On 18 March 1848, the Milanese rebelled against Austrian rule, during the so-called "Five Days" (Italian: Le Cinque Giornate), and Field Marshal Radetzky was forced to withdraw from the city temporarily. The Kingdom of Sardinia stepped in to help the insurgents; a plebiscite held in Lombardy decided in favour of unification with Sardinia. However, after defeating the Sardinian forces at Custoza on 24 July, Radetzky was able to reassert Austrian control over Milan and northern Italy. A few years on, however, Italian nationalists again called for the removal of Austria and Italian unification, with riots consuming the city in 1853. In 1859 Sardinia and France formed an alliance and defeated Austria at the Battle of Solferino. Following this battle, Milan and the rest of Lombardy were incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia, which soon gained control of most of Italy and in 1861 was rechristened as the Kingdom of Italy.

Early industrialization

The political unification of Italy cemented Milan's commercial dominance over northern Italy. It also led to a flurry of railway construction that had started under Austrian patronage (Venice–Milan; Milan–Monza) that made Milan the rail hub of northern Italy. Thereafter with the opening of the Gotthard (1881) and Simplon (1906) railway tunnels, Milan became the major South European rail focus for business and passenger movements e.g. the Simplon Orient Express. Rapid industrialization and market expansion put Milan at the centre of Italy's leading industrial region, including extensive stone quarries that have led to much of the air pollution we see today in the region. In the 1890s, Milan was shaken by the Bava-Beccaris massacre, a riot related to a high inflation rate. Meanwhile, as Milanese banks dominated Italy's financial sphere, the city became the country's leading financial centre.

Late modern and contemporary

In 1919, Benito Mussolini's Blackshirts rallied for the first time in Piazza San Sepolcro and later began their March on Rome in Milan. During the Second World War Milan suffered extensive damage from Allied bombings.[18] When Italy surrendered in 1943, German forces occupied most of Northern Italy until 1945. As a result, resistance groups formed. As the war came to an end, the American 1st Armored Division advanced on Milan – but before they arrived, the resistance seized control of the city and executed Mussolini along with several members of his government. On 29 April 1945, the corpses of Mussolini, his mistress Clara Petacci and other Fascist leaders were hanged in Piazzale Loreto.

During the post-war economic boom, a large wave of internal migration (especially from rural areas of Southern Italy), moved to Milan. The population grew from 1.3 million in 1951 to 1.7 million in 1967. During this period, Milan was largely reconstructed, with the building of several innovative and modernist skyscrapers, such as the Torre Velasca and the Pirelli Tower. The economic prosperity was however overshadowed in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the so-called Years of Lead, when Milan witnessed an unprecedented wave of street violence, labour strikes and political terrorism. The apex of this period of turmoil occurred on 12 December 1969, when a bomb exploded at the National Agrarian Bank in Piazza Fontana, killing seventeen people and injuring eighty-eight.

In the 1980s, with the international success of Milanese houses (like Armani, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana), Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The city saw also a marked rise in international tourism, notably from America and Japan, while the stock exchange increased its market capitalisation more than five-fold. This period led the mass media to nickname the metropolis "Milano da bere", literally "Milan to drink". However, in the 1990s, Milan was badly affected by Tangentopoli, a political scandal in which many politicians and businessmen were tried for corruption. The city was also affected by a severe financial crisis and a steady decline in textiles, automobile, and steel production.

In the early 21st century, Milan underwent a series of sweeping redevelopments. Its exhibition centre moved to a much larger site in Rho. New business districts such as Porta Nuova and CityLife were constructed. With the decline in manufacturing, the city has sought to develop on its other sources of revenue, including publishing, finance, banking, fashion design, information technology, logistics, transport, and tourism. In addition, the city's decades-long population decline seems to have come to an end in recent years, with signs of recovery as it grew by seven percent since the last census.

Hope and expectation.

NZXT JARIES EXPECTATION VS REALITY PART 1

Grumman P-50K Spitfire

a/c 47, 1st Expeditionary Squadron, 2nd Latin American Fighter Group, Venezuelan Air Force

Taegu, UN-occupied southern Korea, 27 February 1946

Personal mount of Captain Josef Martínez

Disbanded at San Angelo, Italy, in November 1944, the Venezuelan Air Force’s 1st Expeditionary Squadron was re-established at Majors Army Airfield, Texas, USA, on 26 March 1945. Having previously flown the Canadian-built Federal Aircraft A-36B version of the Mustang, there was a high expectation among the Venezuelan personnel that they would be issued new Mustangs. Arriving on busses, they saw Venezuelan-marked Spitfires across the airfield. Muttering followed and there was the hope expressed that these were just for training. Maybe, someone suggested, like their colleagues from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, they would soon be issued with P-47D Thunderbolts? Surely, they wouldn’t be flying Spitfires over Japan?

With time, they would learn how to fight with the Grumman P-50K Spitfire over Japan.

In April, the Venezuelan 1st Expeditionary Squadron would be joined by two other units. The men of the Columbian 101st Fighter Squadron arrived on the 9th and those of the Ecuadorean 21st Squadron on the 15th. Together, they would form the 2nd Latin American Fighter Group (2LAFG). After training at Major, the personnel of the 2LAFG were deployed to Clark Field, Philippines, where they picked up new P-50Ks and flew local combat missions during October. Here, they painted their Spitfires with high-visibility yellow, blue and red trims, to symbolise the colours shared by their national flags; only the red had to be minimised and the red centre of the Venezuelan national markings was replaced with white.

Built by Kaiser, the P-50K was the US equivalent to the UK-built Spitfire XVI. The type featured a bubble canopy, was powered by the V-1650-9 Packard Merlin, and were armed with either four 20mm Hispano cannon or two Hispano and two .50 cal Brownings (depending on the production block). With the RAF choosing to skip the P-50K for the Packard V-2240 Griffin powered P-50L (Spritire 35) and P-50N (Spitfire 36), the US Government offloaded the mass-produced P-50Ks onto other export customers.

Slower than the P-47D or P-51D, and shorter ranged too, the P-50K was passé by the time 2LAFG was formed. Realising that they were likely to be relegated to less glamorous ground attack duties, the 2LAFG focused on honing their air-to-surface combat skills. However, early training demonstrated that the P-50K was less accurate as a bombing platform than the A-36B the Venezuelans had previously flown. Fortunately, the type could be armed with six 5 inch HVAR, which in combat became the staple offensive loadout. To overcome the type’s range deficiency (compared to the P-47 and P-51), reusable 65 gal aluminium and single-use 90 gal plastic impregnated press paper drop tanks were carried on most combat sorties. Operating from Taegu on the Korean Peninsula, the external fuel tanks gave the P-50K sufficient combat radius with six HVARs to attack targets on Kyushu, Shikoku and most of Honshu. Critically, they could mount Watermelon cab-rank CAS missions in support of Operation Downfall, the Allied invasion of Honshu. Another loadout used was two 65 gal fuel tanks, six HVARs and a 65 gal napalm tank on the centreline. The 2LAFG left bombing with actual bombs to 1LAFG.

2LAFG joined 1LAFG at Taegu in November 1945 and participated in a range of operations. Code named mission types included Watermelons (providing cab-rank CAS), Strawberries (seek and destroy armed recce against targets of opportunity), Pumpkins (pre-planned strikes against fixed targets) and Shallots (as Pumpkins, but specifically against targets associated with ramp-launched, pulse-jet powered Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Model 43B Otsu). No 2LAFG pilots were credited with the destruction of Japanese aircraft in aerial combat until the invasion of Honshu. Tasked with Watermelons in support of Downfall’s Wakasa Bay landings, they inevitably encountered the kamikaze onslaught and shot down seven Japanese planes, including four Ki-115, two Ki-100 To-Gō and a Ki-61-II. By VJ Day, their air kill tally stood at just 11. Two of these kills were credited to Captain Josef Martínez: a Ki-115 on 1 March and another the next day.

The Spitfires flown at Major were of the P-50K-1-KA variety. At Clark, they were issued aircraft from the P-50-2-KA and P--50-3-KA blocks. The -1s and -2s were armed with a pair of 20mm Hispano cannon and two .50 cal Browning machine guns, while the -3s differed only from the -2s in having four cannon at the expense of the machine guns. However, as all P-50Ks were built with the “American Universal” wing, the Brownings could be replaced in service by a second pair of cannon. This appears to be the case with this aircraft, which is notable for having field produced aerodynamic sleeves for the inner pair of cannon (there having been a temporary shortage of genuine cannon sleeve parts when it was converted to an all cannon armament). Later photographs of this plane in Operation Downfall invasion stripes show standard, factory-supplied sleeves on all four cannon. Many of 2LAFG’s P-50-2-KA Spitfires had their machines guns replaced by cannons during December 1945 and January 1946.

During these winter months of reduced operations, all of the Group’s Spitfires also had their undercarriage modified to reduce tyre wear. In November, Taegu’s second runway was completed with a concrete surface, with the original runway being rebuilt in concrete during December and January. Using undercarriage and tyres designed for grass and dirt runways, the concrete runways produced excessive tyre wear on the Spitfires. The solution was to change the angle of the tyres relative to the undercarriage legs, which in turn required additional space in the wings when the undercarriage was retracted. To make room, a portion of the upper wing was cut open and faired over with a factory-supplied blister.

Captain Josef Martínez had flown 17 combat missions in the 1st Expeditionary Squadron’s A-36B Mustangs in Italy before rejoining the unit as it reformed on the P-50K. His P-50-1-KA Spitfire, a/c 47, is depicted here as photographed (with 30 mission markings) before his 31st Spitfire combat mission at Taegu on 27 February 1946. By VJ Day, 6 May 1946, he had flown 97 missions, 64 in a/c 47 (withdrawn after another Spitfire crashed into it whilst taxiing) and another 33 in a/c 87.

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MELIA CABO REAL, LOS CABOS, MEXICO - M EXPERIENCE, JUNIOR & MASTER SUITE PROMOTION 2011!

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Click here for picture.

Amenities Include:

- Cable TV

- Mini bar

- Digital safe deposit box

- Telephone (with outside line)

- Coffeemaker

- Alarm clock

- Iron with ironing board

- Individually controlled A/C

- Hair dryer in the bathroom

- Deluxe bath amenities

- Daily maid service

- Two 32" LCD TVs

- 24/7 vacation assistance service

- Daily stocked mini-bar

- Bathrobes & slippers

- International direct dial telephone

- Connecting rooms

- Free Wi-Fi available in rooms

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Splendid lights at the Cabopino Beach, in Málaga.

The watter was quite cold but it was worthy.

Natural Light with reflectors.

Models: Eva and Alex

Giant Asian Mantids (Hierodula sp., Mantidae)

Fear - in the eyes of the male mantis in the background

Expectation - expressed in the face of the large female in the foreground, of a successful union and/or an easy meal.

Pu'er, Yunnan, China

see comments for additional image......

First flying on August 22, 1931, the Gee Bee Z quickly proved to be tricky to fly, but fulfilled every expectation with regards to its speed. Flown by pilot Lowell Bayles, the Gee Bee Z established a world speed record for landplanes of 267.342 miles per hour (430.245 km/h) at the National Air Races during the Shell Speed Dash qualifying on September 1, then went on to win the Goodyear Trophy race, run over a course of 50 miles (80 km), the next day at an average speed of 205 miles per hour (330 km/h). On the 5th, the aircraft's engineer, Bob Hall, flew the Gee Bee Z to victory in the General Tire and Rubber Trophy race, then won again the next day in a free-for-all event.

In the Thompson Trophy Race on September 7, Bayles was triumphant, winning with an average speed of 236.24 miles per hour (380.19 km/h), winning over competitors including Jimmy Doolittle, James Wedell, Ben Howard, Dale Jackson, Bill Ong, Ira Eaker, and Hall, who finished fourth in a Gee Bee Model Y.

Following the Thompson Trophy race, the Gee Bee Z was re-engined with a larger, 750-horsepower (560 kW) Wasp Senior radial, in preparation for an attempt at establishing another world speed record at Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan. Unofficially clocked at 314 miles per hour (505 km/h) in early trials, the record attempt on December 5, 1931, would end in tragedy, the aircraft suffering a wing failure and rolling into the ground, killing Bayles.

Analysis of the crash, based on motion picture film of the event examined frame-by-frame, showed that the aircraft's fuel cap had come loose and crashed through the Gee Bee Z's windscreen. It struck the pilot and incapacitated him, causing a sudden upset in pitch that led to the structural failure of the wing.] In addition, tests of a reproduction aircraft have shown that the Gee Bee Z was susceptible to aerodynamic flutter at high speed.