View allAll Photos Tagged Humankind
Humankind's first ever view of the Earth from the Moon.
From the crew of Apollo 8, orbiting the Moon
via NASA
24 December 1968.
***************
Live radio broadcast from the spacecraft:
Astronaut William Anders:
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
James Lovell:
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Frank Borman:
"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
***************
▶ Image uploaded by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
— Follow on web: YoursForGoodFermentables.com.
— Follow on Twitter: @Cizauskas.
— Follow on Facebook: YoursForGoodFermentables.
— Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.
▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.
(from: whc.unesco.org/en/list/775)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Natalie Shrik for Drew Altizer Photography)
On a planet which provides such scenes it is quite easy to comprehend why humankind is perpetually happy & lives in a perpetual state of peace within & without. It is obvious that intelligence and free will have served to produce a sort of utopia on the Earth that such must exist throughout the Universe on every single planet hospitable to life.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - Andrew Nice and Lauren Paglini attend CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography)
If the town wasn't awake before, it sure as hell is now. The Thunderhead Asgard hauls immeasurable amounts of ass. Yes, it's impractical. Yes, it's gonna fuck me with the maintenance costs. Yes, I have a more economical bike. But this thing is badass. That's all that matters. I drove around town for a bit pissing off everyone with the loudest exhaust known to humankind before taking a break and parking just outside of Patton Arms.Need to see how Arnie's holding up, if the paranoia's subsided yet or what. The only reason he's not rotting away in Guantanamo right now or something is at the ruins of the Cathedral a piece of the Xenothium was recovered. He took credit for finding it, and his punishment was the government not including Patton Arms into any more projects. He still thinks men in black are gonna come along and cause an "accident" for him. I go into the building, tell the secretary I'm here to see him, and I go up to his office. First thing I notice is some remodelings been done. New desk, file cabinet moved, some weird lamp, and a couch. On that couch was a man reading a book. This guy seemed familiar, then I saw his right arm and noticed he lacked most of it. Then I remember those eyes. Those cold, cold eyes. Arnie was talking to this guy a while ago when that stolen helicopter was still a thing. Arnie gets out of his desk wearing his usual smile and pipes in.
"Ah, what a surprise! Mr. Kamiroff, this is Jerrick Davao, a good friend of mine. Mr Josef Kamiroff"
"Mr. Davao. Mr Patton has told me stories of you."
"Has he..."
"Yes. I can say it's a pleasure to meet you."
His voice matches his eyes. It's really fucked up because it doesn't sound like it would either, but...that doesn't stop a slight chill going down my back. And that shit doesn't happen to me. Ever. He gets up out of the couch, gives this equally cold smile, and extends his left had out to me. It's all he's got anyway. Well, don't wanna be rude, guess I should---
Don't do it.
...great, now he doesn't even have the balls to show himself. Wait, what the hell is that by the couch? Is that his...
"I, uh, fell in the gutter down there and my hands are kinda dirty. Sorry, but---"
"Understandable.I appreciate the consideration. Something I don't see much."
"Is that your sword?"
"Sword?"
"By the couch there?"
"I don't follow you, Mr. Davao. I haven't brought anything with me beyond the cloths on my back."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry. Must've hit the ground harder than I thought..."
Am I sweating?
"So J, what's up? Why you here?"
"Just stopped in to say Hi, wanted to tell you about my new car, and, uh..."
"New car? 'bout time you got rid of that old bike. What'cha get?"
"1970 Thunderhead Asgard. Restomodded. Had to import it from Europe, of all places."
"What makes importing this car from Europe so peculiar, Mr Davao? Might I ask where in Europe?"
"Well, a Thunderhead Asgard is an American Musclecar. Not the most popular kind of car in Europe. Especially in the U.K where I found it."
"Ah, the United Kingdom. Makes sense I suppose. There wouldn't be any American sportscars in Wymarcie."
"Where?"
"Republic of Wymarcie, Mr. Kamiroff's home. Mr Kamiroff is a high ranking member of the Wymarcie military and he's interesting in buying weapons, specifically one of our laser sharpeners."
"What do you need the guns for?"
"The current Cremia crisis is too close to home. I want my men armed in case that scum Putin decides he wants my land, too. I'm especially interested in the laser sharpener. According to Mr Patton, this sharpener can sharpen a blade to the width of a molecule. Is that true, Mr. Davao?"
"Yeah. I own a knife that got sharpened by that thing. Don't let the kids near 'em."
"Funny. My army is no place for children, though. You look like you'd fit perfectly, though, Mr. Davao. You've got the body of a great soldier. Do you have a military past?"
"Nope..."
Christ, why do I feel like I'm gonna shit myself?
"Hm. You'd make a great soldier from the things Mr Patton has told me. You're a career fighter who is currently undefeated? MMA, I believe it's called?"
"Yeah. Not a single loss in years."
"Very impressive. I can see why Mr. Patton would have someone like you test his best weapons."
"Yeah.....uh, you guys gotta excuse me, I'm kinda sick. Woke up feeling terrible and it hasn't gone down since. I'll let you guys keep talking business."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Davao. I wish you the best."
Something is very, very wrong about that guy...
....................................................
Thanks to Billy Riner for Editing work.
A 360° Panorama on a hill in the area of the "Cradle of Humankind" (a World Heritage Site in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa). Xerophyta retinervis, Spotted Aloes (Aloe greatheadii var. davyana) and Sugar Bush Proteas are scattered throughout the grasslands.
"Mrs. Ples" (Australopithecus africanus) was found in this area in 1947, and is currently the oldest human fossil found to date. This gave rise to the idea that Africa is the "Cradle of Humankind";.
In 2008 two fossilised skeletons of a new species of early human "Australopithecus sediba" were discovered.
Winter, June 2007.
Best viewed LARGE.
Martin
-
Administrator of:
All things beautiful in Nature Group
A 360° Panorama just after sunrise (with most of the landscape still in deep sadow) on a hill in the area of the "Cradle of Humankind" (a World Heritage Site in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa). Xerophyta retinervis, Spotted Aloes (Aloe greatheadii var. davyana) and Sugar Bush Proteas are scattered throughout the grasslands.
"Mrs Ples" (Australopithecus africanus) was found in this area in 1947, and is currently the oldest human fossil found to date. This gave rise to the idea that Africa is the "Cradle of Humankind".
In 2008 two fossilised skeletons of a new species of early human "Australopithecus sediba" were discovered.
Winter, June 2007.
Best viewed LARGE.
Martin
-
Administrator of:
All things beautiful in Nature Group
View Large
The concept of Rewilding may be understood as one which undertakes to show what healthy, as opposed to diseased, relationships between all things in Nature, including humankind, would look like. It is something of a rage on many college campuses & among both moderate & radical environmentalists, entails a growing body of theory & literature, & deserves to be taken seriously not just as a notion, but also as a practice - for indeed, it is a concept created to be practiced with all the arts & fervor presently devoted to war & other means of destruction, such as global capitalism.
Before Darwin most westerners believed that humans were a special creation, & thus, though in Nature, not of Nature. Many people still believe this, but only a small percentage of educated people ignore the elegance & satisfactoriness of Evolution, which since the discovery of the double helix has been fully outfitted with the mechanism that makes it indisputably true, DNA. Humanity is in & of Nature. What we did throughout all of our past, & are presently doing & in the future will do, is altogether natural.
Species differ from one another. The species humankind, too, differs from other life forms. Among our differences is an ability to recognize, name & act upon alternatives that we know will shape the future of a substance, a thing, a place, & of our minds. We are beings who generate values. In brief, a value is a preferred end enjoined to one or more preferred means that pursue, enable or secure said end. Values evolve as the circumstances in which they are lived by change. For reasons not pertinent to the immediate discussion, values change more slowly than do circumstances. In many cases, values, such as ones occasioned by & concomitant with religious & economic beliefs, are notably resistant to change. For instance, although grotesque overpopulation is strongly contributing to the ever increasing poverty, misery, explosive social disorder & possible extinction of our kind, Islamic, Christian & Jewish institutions persist in regarding birth control & all abortions as anathema.
The world's scientific community is sufficiently convinced that the present century is an apocalyptic one. Unlike religious fanatics who pathologically wish for death rather than life (we are all in degree increasingly maddened by what our history has begot), the scientists wish for continued life. A few economists also wish for life, along with a few intellectuals, journalists, professors, students & some of the rest of us. Of the world's great politicians, prelates & oligarchs, there are none with us. Whether they consciously know it or not, they are in the oppression business - in the 'law & order' mindset - as they have been since agricultural arts made cities, the management of large groups of persons & the consequent acquisition of unequal wealth possible.
I am all for preserving Civilization, but not in the form in which it came into being 10,000 years ago & has remained in down to this moment. Boom & Bust must finally end in absolute, irresolvable Bust. I do not want that for me, nor for humankind.
In its better envisioning, Rewilding has little or nothing to do with primitivism. True Rewilders have much more important things to do than take to the woods, kill rabbits & light fires by rubbing wood sticks together. There are states of mind, economic theories & practical methodologies to be designed & achieved. Bows, arrows & clubs will not get us there. Nor will mere violence. If there must be violence, it must be informed by our minds, not just our guts & hearts. Revolutions can be intelligent, & a few have been. A small few have even been largely peaceful.
A lot of us are not going to survive what is coming, no matter how we try - the Earth is burning, & so are several billion of us. But it is our nature, is it not, to try? To accept suffering & death as a price of glory? To finally refuse to surrender, to lie down & be trampled upon, spit on, raped & robbed by tyrants?
Dare to denounce What Is & adventure for what could be. Stop treating What Is as though it were an implacable monster before which any of us need kneel. Extinguish rather than toady to what is no good. If what once seemed useful became a boomerang that turned on you - as, for instance, your bank, Obama, senator or congressperson - withdraw all of your money & support, & beg your neighbors to see the wisdom of this. Quit your political party. Examine the several fascinating alternatives to capitalism. Vote only for politicians who acknowledge the existence of & swear loyalty to humane economies, & above all speak well of & extend support only to politicians who take no payola or any services from corporations, oligarchs & lobbyists they say they oppose. Do not attend any church that preaches this is a god's business, not yours. File lawsuits against every corporation that offends you, & do not be ashamed of filing mere nuisance suits. Pay not in coin or respect to the masters of this world what the masters crookedly assert is theirs. Complain loudly, brazenly & incessantly, as a bear screams if its self, mate or cub is insulted. Join public protests, but do not just stand on corners - march to the doorways of newspapers, broadcasters, government offices, corporations, churches & every place that practices deceits to mislead, misinform or maltreat us ... & get in there if possible, & convert rather than just confront thy offenders. Rewild thyself, & thereby save us all.
#Repost @mehdifoundation with @repostapp
Unification and Divine Love: www.theawaitedone.com/articles/2016/04/30/unification-and...
Unity of humankind will occur when all human beings love God. A universal brotherhood can only be established when all hearts have the same direction and love for God.
#LordRaRiaz #GoharShahi #YounusAlGohar #spirituality #spiritualknowledge #Mexico #MexicoCity #MessiahFoundationInternational #religion #interfaith #instagood #God #holy #divinity #divine #interfaithdialogue #JesusChrist #Jesus #spanish #latino #Mexican #Christianity #Unification #brotherhood #humanity #enlightenment #spiritualhealing #goodvibes #religionofGod
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - Peggy Sanborn attends CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography)
Portrait from Eva Schlegel & sculptures from Thomas Stimm
Seen in the exhibition
BETWEEN REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING
Finiteness & Eternity
Admont abbey – Museum of contemporary art
6 September to 4 November 2012
Curator: Michael Braunsteiner
Birth, life and death, remembering, fading and forgetting: the boundaries and the spaces in between. That is the subject of this exhibition. Some areas of the museum display works from the Abbey’s own holdings, drawing on the wealth of objects available. Others reveal the subject naturally inherent in them in the manner of a zoom. Different genres begin to communicate with each other. Past, present and future interweave:
In the furnishings and books of the baroque library and in the museum of natural history, you can find all of the questions of “Remembering and Forgetting” that interest us – and quite probably several answers, too. In the museum of contemporary art, current art on the topic communicates with historical books. In P. Gabriel Strobl’s museum of natural history, stuffed animals, ethanol-preserved specimens, countless plants and insects appear to be alive – and yet they are all long dead.
Only human intervention has saved the specimens from decay and rot. The fight against the ravages of time is also evident in the museum of art history. We try to preserve the finest art works for as long as possible, in most cases for many years and even centuries. But not for ever. Against the backdrop of the philosophy of existentialism, the paintings and prints of Hannes Schwarz (b. 1926) explore the depths of this important topic.
The baroque columned hall presents the multimedia experience of the Dramatic Poem, generally believed to be unperformable, to the music of Robert Schumann’s “Manfred”. The poem is based on a text by Lord Byron, originally conceived as an Anti-Faust. This work, directed and visualised by media artist Johannes Deutsch in 2010, and only performed three times at the Düsseldorfer Tonhalle, is concerned with a man who believes his life to be at an end, begging to be able to forget and finally dying from grief. Original drafts and storyboards give an insight into the creation of this total work of art.
Everything has an expiry date. Without exception. And in the end? What then?! We human beings are all different. Some believe that it’s all over then. Others say they will be reborn into this transient world. Christians believe and hope – believe in God and hope for eternal life after death. And some believe quite different things. Everyone thinks that they know that they are right. What do you think?
Humankind has pondered these questions from the very beginning. They are focal topics above all in religion, philosophy, science and art. Admont Abbey with its richly varied museum and library is the ideal place to explore the most burning, timeless and topical questions of our human existence.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - Bryan Forry and Bobi Forry attend CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography)
Copyright PS
Aegean, Cyclades, Mykonos.
The Aegean forms a branch of the Mediterranean mother sea. It's studded with these islands that bear a rich history of developing civilisation and art celebrating the continuity of humankind. In ancient times their beauty was deified, and many towns and temples were built. People's lives were tied closely to the sea and in economic relationship to the island environment.
Nature was a paramount determinant in daily life and this reflects in the architecture. Sun, wind, and limestone or volcanic ground were key influences. Seasonal wind from the north, the meltemi, blows cold and gusty. In the villages, with their contorting alleys, flat-roof cubic forms, limited window openings, and universal whitewash, we can readily see the adaptation to climate. This explains similarities between such complexes throughout island Greece, whereas exact details are special to each locality.
Aegean architecture is a shared art showing originality and invention. A sensitivity to context and neighbourliness is always there; communities are visually sharply defined and of limited, comprehensible size. Further, we find great integrity, sculptural skill, and humanity. Often a varied unit repetition occurs, without monotony, allowing for growth while closely related to topography. Growth followed time-honoured custom. These settlements remain built expressions of a heritage transmitted from one generation to the next.
In the southern Aegean lie the Cyclades. These islands are so called because they were perceived to encircle Delos, birthplace of mythical Apollo. Kyklos in Greek means circle.
Cycladic architecture took shape with details special to each place but typically as white clustering. All is compact and unified, having consistent scale. It's built up with simple form elements -- the cylinder and cube, barrel and spherical vaulting. These combine in a chunky and flowing continuity, often with enchanting paradoxes. Whitewashed thick masonry cools the interiors in hot weather. The incandescence, the play with sunlight, and the geometry, recharge our sensory responses to the qualities of light. However, the immaculate brilliance of now-popular places is a relatively recent phenomenon -- inhabitants would not have set out to attract pirates in the Middle Ages.
Renowned, commercialised, and not for the tourist season, captivating Mykonos (above) has a richness of spaces and forms. This island was always exposed to the sun, sea, and wind -- primal generators for life and architecture. The intensely visual main town is the archetypal Cycladic image. From sun-drenched granitic landscape the luminescent built concentration converges on the port, an active trading harbour open to that vital ocean. Typically, other island capitals were raised at a defensible distance from the sea and its piracy, yet the water's-edge town of Mykonos shows little fortification.
On the edge of the oldest part of the town lies "Little Venice" (Enetia), so-called because its upper-floor balconies overhang the splashing sea. This visual delight shows in my photo above. The grander examples were captains' houses and have access doors onto the water.
Enlarge
Click the diagonal arrows upper-right; then press F11 Fullscreen.
.
Golden early morning Winter colours in the "Cradle of Humankind" (a World Heritage Site in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa).
"Mrs. Ples" (Australopithecus africanus) was found in this area in 1947, and is currently the oldest human fossil found to date. This gave rise to the idea that Africa is the "Cradle of Humankind".
In 2008 two fossilised skeletons of a new species of early human "Australopithecus sediba" were discovered.
Winter, June 2007.
Best viewed LARGE.
Martin
-
Administrator of:
All things beautiful in Nature Group
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Natalie Shrik for Drew Altizer Photography)
I was asked by UNIQLO to create six designs for their Nippon-Omiyage T-shirt lineup, the first in the series were Tokyo, Ginza and Kobe. All using handmade typography and a connection to the location itself.
ユニクロの「日本のお土産シリーズ」のデザインに参加させて頂きました。全6デザインの内、今回発売されたのは「東京」「銀座」「神戸」の三都市のお土産です。ハンドメイドのタイポグラフィーを使って、それぞれの街のイメージを表現しています。
The traditional heart of Tokyo's upmarket shopping, dining and gallery district has historically been Ginza (since being rebuilt in the 1870’s).
In keeping with the ‘omiyage’ theme of the design and a connection to the shear number of foreign stores in Ginza I wanted to include the traditional western ‘from Ginza with love’ message you often find on gifts from Europe and America. Basing everything around the shape of a heart created with pieces that form the kanji for the place itself.
銀座は1870年代の再建以来、伝統的な高級ショッピング、レストラン、ギャラリー街の中心地となっています。海外ブランドのお店が立ち並ぶ「銀座」と今回のテーマである「おみやげ」を重ね合わせて、欧米の「お土産」のメッセージとしてよく見られる「from GINZA with LOVE」" 銀座より愛を込めて "を入れてみました。ハートの形を形成しているパーツによって、銀座の文字をあしらいました。
Ramadan (Arabic : رمضان Ramaḍān, Arabic pronunciation: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn] ) (also Ramadhan, Ramadaan, Ramazan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar , which lasts 29 to 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting , in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking [1] and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. Muslims fast for the sake of God (Arabic : الله, trans: Allah ) and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar , the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon ; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet , Muhammad .
Contents
[hide ]
· 1 Origins of Ramadan
· 2 The Beginning of Ramadan
· 3 Practices during Ramadan
o 3.1 Fasting
o 3.2 Prayer and reading of the Qur'an
o 3.3 Iftar
o 3.4 Charity
o 3.5 Laylat al-Qadr
· 4 Eid ul-Fitr
· 5 Cultural aspects
o 5.1 Decorations
· 6 Economic aspects
· 7 See also
· 8 References
· 9 External links
[edit ] Origins of Ramadan
The word Ramadan is derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like "ramiḍa" or "ar-ramaḍ" denoting intense heat,[2] scorched ground and shortness of rations. Ramadan, as a name for the month, is of Islamic origin. Prior to Islam and the exclusion of intercalary days from the Islamic calendar, the name of the month was Natiq and the month fell in the warm season.[3] The word was thus chosen as it well represented the original climate of the month and the physiological conditions precipitated from fasting. In the Qur'an, God proclaims that "fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you". According to a hadith , it might refer to the Jewish practice of fasting on Yom Kippur .[4] [5]
[edit ] The Beginning of Ramadan
Hilāl (the crescent ) is typically a day (or more) after the astronomical new moon. Since the new moon indicates the beginning of the new month, Muslims can usually safely estimate the beginning of Ramadan.[6]
There are many disagreements each year however, on when Ramadan starts. This stems from the tradition to sight the moon with the naked eye and as such there are differences for countries on opposite sides of the globe.[7] More recently however, some Muslims are leaning towards using astronomical calculations to avoid this confusion.
For the year of 1432 Hijri , the first day of Ramadan was determined to be August 1, 2011.
[edit ] Practices during Ramadan
[edit ] Fasting
Main article: Sawm
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down - right Guidance to mankind, and clear signs of Guidance and Distinction of truth from falsehood. Those among you who witness it, let him fast therein. Whoever is sick or on a journey, then a number of other days. God desires ease for you, and desires not hardship. Thus may you fulfil the number of days assigned, magnify God for having guided you, and perhaps you will be thankful.
Ayah 185, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara ), translation by Tarif Khalidi see:[2] [8]
Ramadan is a time of reflecting, believing and worshiping God. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. Sexual intercourse among spouse is allowed after one has ended the fast. During fasting intercourse is prohibited as well as eating and drinking, one is also encouraged to resist all temptations while you are fasting. Purity of both thoughts and actions is important. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control,[9] sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity (Zakat ).[10]
Muslims should start observing the fasting ritual upon reaching the age of puberty , so long as they are healthy, sane and have no disabilities or illnesses. The elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed the poor in place of their missed fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women if they believe it would be harmful to them or the unborn baby, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns. A difference of opinion exists among Islamic scholars as to whether this last group must make up the days they miss at a later date, or feed poor people as a recompense for days missed.[11] While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood , many children endeavour to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life. Lastly, those traveling (musaafir) are exempt, but must make up the days they miss.[12] More specifically, Twelver Shī‘ah define those who travel more than 14 mi (23 km) in a day as exempt.[10]
[edit ] Prayer and reading of the Qur'an
In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih , which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (Juz' , which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited. Therefore the entire Qur'an would be completed at the end of the month.
Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment; this is to establish a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others. Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it; this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect involving the preparation of special foods and inviting people for Iftar .
[edit ] Iftar
Main article: Iftar
Iftar in Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Is Istanbul ,Turkey
Muslims all around the world will abstain from food and drink, through fasting, from dawn to sunset. At sunset, the family will gather the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar . The meal starts with the eating of a date — just as Prophet Muhammad used to do. Then it's time for the Maghrib prayer, which is the fourth of the five daily prayers, after which the main meal is served. [13]
Over time, Iftar has grown into banquet festivals. This is a time of fellowship with families, friends and surrounding communities, but may also occupy larger spaces at mosques or banquet halls, where a hundred or more may gather at a time.[14]
Most markets close down during evening prayers and the Iftar meal, but then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours. In many Muslim countries, this can last late into the evening, to early morning. However, if they try to attend to business as usual, it can become a time of personal trials, fasting without coffee or water.
[edit ] Charity
Charity is very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadhan. According to tradition, Ramadhan is a particularly blessed time to give in charity, as the reward is 700 times greater than any other time of the year. For that reason, Muslims will spend more in charity (sadaqa), and many will pay their zakat during Ramadhan, to receive the blessings (reward). In many Muslim countries, it is not uncommon to see people giving food to the poor and the homeless, and to even see large public areas for the poor to come and break their fast. It is said that if a person helps a fasting person to break their fast, then they receive a reward for that fast, without diminishing the reward that the fasting person got for their fast.
[edit ] Laylat al-Qadr
Main article: Laylat al-Qadr
Sometimes referred to as "the night of decree or measures", Laylat al-Qadr is considered the most holy night of the year.[15] Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr is the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Also, it is believed to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last 10 days of Ramadan, either the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th. Shiites also commemorate the attack on Imam `Ali ibn Abi Talib and his subsequent martyrdom every year on the 19th, 21st and 23rd of Ramadan.
[edit ] Eid ul-Fitr
Main article: Eid ul-Fitr
The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic : عيد الفطر) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the back to the fitrah ; usually a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-fitr ); everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes; and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two Raka'ah only, and it is sunnah muakkad [16] as opposed to the compulsory (Fard) five daily prayers. Muslims are expected to do this as an act of worship, and to thank God.
[edit ] Cultural aspects
[edit ] Decorations
Ramadan is met with various decorations throughout the streets. In Egypt , lanterns are known to be a symbol of Ramadan. They are hung across the cities of Egypt, part of an 800 year old tradition, the origin of which is said to lie in the Fatimid era where the Caliph Al-Muizz Lideenillah was greeted by people holding lanterns to celebrate his ruling. From that time lanterns were used to light mosques and houses throughout the city.
In other Muslim countries, lights are strung up in public squares, and across city streets, to add to the festivities of the month. In the West, many Muslim households have taken to decorating the inside of their homes to make Ramadhan a more special time for their children.
[edit ] Economic aspects
In Egypt, national statistics have pointed to substantial increase in consumption of food, electricity, and medications related to digestive disorders during the month of Ramadan as compared with the monthly average in the rest of the year.[17]
Native American Wisdom Quote:
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
Chief Seattle, 1854
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 18 - Sean McDermott and Alona McDermott attend CommonSpirit's Humankindness Gala 2023 on May 18th 2023 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (Photo - Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography)
…after a long walk, with the threat of heavy rain, you get to spend a good hour or two slipping and sliding, crouching and crawling along one of the oldest tunnels dug by humankind. That mud is sticky…very sticky and I’ll defy anyone to go down there and not come out covered!
It’s normal to spend a good couple of hours cleaning your camera equipment once you have been down here!
Went with a good friend Jim who, as a postman, you would have thought a long walk would have been no bother…jeez…the moaning !
All pictures copyright to www.mckenzie.photos
The full history....
The idea of a fixed link across the English Channel was first put forward in the early part of the 19th Century but concerns over national security stalled attempts to progress it.
But an Anglo-French protocol was established in 1876 for a railway tunnel under the Channel. South Eastern Railway Chairman Sir Edward Watkin and French Suez Canal contractor Alexandre Lavalley conducted exploratory works on either side of the water, coming together in 1882 under the umbrella of the Submarine Railway Company.
In 1880, No.1 shaft was sunk and a 7-foot diameter pilot tunnel begun below Abbot's Cliff, between Dover and Folkestone, 10 feet above high water level. The driving force was Captain Thomas English's rotary boring machine - 33 feet in length and powered by compressed air - which was capable of cutting 5/16" for every rotation of its cutting head, at a rate of two revolutions per minute and almost half-a-mile per month. It was though hoped that this performance could be improved over time.
In February 1881, with about 800 feet driven and the machine proven, work was refocused at a site further along the coast, accessed via the 160-foot No.2 shaft at Shakespeare Cliff. Here another pilot tunnel was started under the foreshore, progressing through lower grey chalk towards a meeting with the French pilot tunnel - which was extending from Sangatte - 11 miles out to sea. This phase of the work was expected to be complete by 1886. Machinery was being developed which would then have enlarged the heading to 14 feet in diameter before a 2-foot thick concrete lining was inserted. The approach railways would fall on a gradient of 1:80 before reaching a depth of 150 feet below the sea bed. Operational ventilation would be provided by the compressed-air locomotives used to haul the trains.
But 1882 saw the government call a halt, worried about the military implications of a land-link to Europe. Sir Edward's well-reasoned reassurances fell on deaf ears with 2,040 yards of the Shakespeare Cliff heading driven, another 897 yards at Abbot's Cliff and 1,825 yards on the French side of the Channel. Both shafts were later backfilled.
When the idea of a tunnel was revisited in both 1974 and 1988, various remedial works were carried out on the 1880s workings as a result of the new alignments potentially intersecting with them. This work discovered a number of roof falls and broken timber supports. A concrete bulkhead was installed 890 yards into the No.2 heading, effectively entombing the boring machine.
Access to the original heading has been maintained as it meets one of the drainage adits driven from the base of the cliff under the coastal railway. This joins the 1880 tunnel 70 metres from the surface, after passing beneath Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel where it has been reinforced with concrete arches. Adjacent to the junction is a timber-lined passage leading to the base of the shaft where the boring machine would have been assembled.
Commentary on the Illuminations
How overwhelming must God's power be, if He could bestow such mighty powers on humankind! Psalm 8 extols mankind's privileged position within creation, recognizing that only the supreme might of the Creator could be powerful enough not only to draw the universe from nothingness, but also create humankind, “a little less than divine,...adorned... with glory and majesty.” The psalm is thus traditionally chanted by Jews in the daily Ma'ariv, or evening prayer service. The illuminations express the Psalmist's awe at humanity's remarkable powers—the power to understand the world, the power to appreciate and articulate our own position in Creation—which, however great, are a mere shadow of the all-encompassing supremacy of the Divine, symbolized by the surrounding cosmos.
On the Hebrew illumination, the expanding star pattern is composed of whirling, rotating triangular deltas, the Greek letter used in scientific notation to symbolize change. The delta alludes here to humanity's unique potential to learn about the world, to probe the innermost secrets of life as well as the most expansive views of the universe, to evolve an understanding of the laws and environment within which humankind exists. Each layer of the star celebrates a different aspect of humanity's God-given powers. The uppermost delta presents the text of the psalm, itself. The second level delta presents images of the probing of the DNA molecule, the chemical basis of all life. The angle at upper right presents the double-helix pattern of the DNA molecule itself as well as a depiction of an individual chromosome; the two opposing corners present at left, an electron microscopy image of high density liquid crystalline DNA, and at right, an image of DNA phase transition. The third layer introduces imagery drawn from modern astrophysics. The red-barred grey angle at upper left presents the celebrated image of the cosmological three degree background microwave radiation through which, in 2003, astrophysicists were able to determine the age of the universe. At center right is an image of a star cluster and nebula, at lower left a Hubble Space Telescope image of a star formation area in a gas cloud . The fourth delta includes images of Earth's surface produced by the Earth Observing Satellite (EOS); the three images present, in clockwise fashion from top right, images of the Ganges River Valley, the Himalayas, the Mississippi River Delta. All of these images have been realized through the sciences and engineering that blossomed from Enlightenment rationalism and that grew so rapidly during the twentieth century. But yet, all the splendor of mankind's wondrous achievements and gifts is surrounded by Almighty, invisible, yet perceptible in the very existence of the cosmos.
The English text of the psalm is surrounded by imagery of human creativity evidenced in the arts. The border in celestial blue and gold presents a mosaic, that art-form in which the continuous visual image must be imagined and abstracted in such a way that it can be recognizably re-formed in discrete bits of stone or tile. The mosaic carries two great statements of humanity's amazement at its brilliance. The Greek passage is drawn from Sophocles' Antigone, strophe 1 of the first Chorus: “Many wonders there be, but naught more wondrous than man.” The English passage is Miranda's cry of delight in the fourth act of Shakespeare's Tempest:
“O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is!
O brave new world,
That has such people in't!”
How beauteous indeed, is humanity – but how much mightier is the Almighty who bestows our gifts.
Christian Liturgical Uses
Roman Catholic tradition includes Psalm 8 in mass for the beginning of the New Year, and for the Season after Pentecost. In Anglican tradition, it is used in services celebrating daily work. In addition, overall Protestant tradition reflected in the Revised Common Lectionary includes Psalm 8 in the liturgies for January 1 (Feast of the Circumcision), Trinity Sunday and the Season after Pentecost.
The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to humankind and represent dual expression of good and evil.In some cultures snakes were fertility symbols, for example the Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit) and to renew fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and the lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.."In other cultures snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiars—sometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Crete—and they were worshiped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration.Historically, serpents and snakes represent fertility or a creative life force. As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. The ouroboros is a symbol of eternity and continual renewal of life.In the Abrahamic religions, the serpent represents sexual desire. According to the Rabbinical tradition, in the Garden of Eden, the serpent represents sexual passion. In Hinduism, Kundalini is a coiled serpent, the residual power of pure desire.Serpents are represented as potent guardians of temples and other sacred spaces. This connection may be grounded in the observation that when threatened, some snakes (such as rattlesnakes or cobras) frequently hold and defend their ground, first resorting to threatening display and then fighting, rather than retreat. Thus, they are natural guardians of treasures or sacred sites which cannot easily be moved out of harm's way.At Angkor in Cambodia, numerous stone sculptures present hooded multi-headed nāgas as guardians of temples or other premises. A favorite motif of Angkorean sculptors from approximately the 12th century CE onward was that of the Buddha, sitting in the position of meditation, his weight supported by the coils of a multi-headed naga that also uses its flared hood to shield him from above. This motif recalls the story of the Buddha and the serpent king Mucalinda: as the Buddha sat beneath a tree engrossed in meditation, Mucalinda came up from the roots of the tree to shield the Buddha from a tempest that was just beginning to arise.The Gadsden flag of the American Revolution depicts a rattlesnake coiled up and poised to strike. Below the image of the snake is the legend, "Don't tread on me." The snake symbolized the dangerousness of colonists willing to fight for their rights and homeland. The motif is repeated in the First Navy Jack of the US Navy.Serpents are connected with poison and medicine. The snake's venom is associated with the chemicals of plants and fungi[10][11][12] that have the power to either heal, poison or provide expanded consciousness (and even the elixir of life and immortality) through divine intoxication. Because of its herbal knowledge and entheogenic association the snake was often considered one of the wisest animals, being (close to the) divine. Its divine aspect combined with its habitat in the earth between the roots of plants made it an animal with chthonic properties connected to the afterlife and immortality. Asclepius, the God of medicine and healing, carried a staff with one serpent wrapped around it, which has become the symbol of modern medicine. Moses also had a replica of a serpent on a pole, the Nehushtan, mentioned in Numbers 21:8.Serpents are connected with vengefulness and vindictiveness. This connection depends in part on the experience that venomous snakes often deliver deadly defensive bites without giving prior notice or warning to their unwitting victims. Although a snake is defending itself from the encroachment of its victim into the snake's immediate vicinity, the unannounced and deadly strike may seem unduly vengeful when measured against the unwitting victim's perceived lack of blameworthiness.
Edgar Allan Poe's famous short story "The Cask of Amontillado" invokes the image of the serpent as a symbol for petty vengefulness. The story is told from the point of view of the vindictive Montresor, who hatches a secret plot to murder his rival Fortunato in order to avenge real or imagined insults. Before carrying out his scheme, Montresor reveals his family's coat-of-arms to the intended victim: "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." Fortunato, not suspecting that he has offended Montresor, fails to understand the symbolic import of the coat-of-arms, and blunders onward into Montresor's trap.
In America some of the Native American tribes give reverence to the rattlesnake as grandfather and king of snakes who is able to give fair winds or cause tempest. Among the Hopi of Arizona the serpent figures largely in one of the dances. The rattlesnake was worshiped in the Natchez temple of the sun and the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl was a feathered serpent-god. In many Meso-American cultures, the serpent was regarded as a portal between two worlds. The tribes of Peru are said to have adored great snakes in the pre-Inca days and in Chile the Mapuche made a serpent figure in their deluge beliefs. A Horned Serpent is a popular image in Northern American natives' mythology.In one Native North American story, an evil serpent kills one of the gods' cousins, so the god kills the serpent in revenge, but the dying serpent unleashes a great flood. People first flee to the mountains and then, when the mountains are covered, they float on a raft until the flood subsides. The evil spirits that the serpent god controlled then hide out of fear. The Mound Builders associated great mystical value to the serpent, as the Serpent Mound demonstrates, though we are unable to unravel the particular associations.
24h Radio broadcast performance from CoseCosmiche.
16 - 17 december 2018
-----
Photos by Matteo Castellani
-----
24 hour live radio performance of sound, poetry and radio works inspired by the Universe.
Where: CoseCosmiche, Via Aleardi 11, Milan
Start: 16.00, 16th December 2018 (SUN), km 0
End: 16.15, 17th December 2018 (PLUTO), km 5.906.376.272
Radio webstream (active on 16th December): humankind.voyage:8000/spaceradio
FM: 97.3 (CoseCosmiche area)
BROADCASTING TIMETABLE: humankind.voyage
Broadcast by Alan Alpenfelt
Random Synth sound generator by Luca Xelius Martegani
Shop design: Paolo Di Benedetto
ARTISTS
Tomomi Adachi / Alan Alpenfelt / Giuliana Altamura / Alvax / Ashtoreth & Anja Aerts / Sofía Bertomeu / Vanni Bianconi / Bluenoid / Brandon Boan / Pamela Breda / Dario Buccini / Distant Fires Burning / Canary Burton & Marylou Blakeslee / Joan Cambon / Catenation / Claudio Cavalli / Gustavo Chab / Caro C / CLARA / WORRAN feat. Maud Marique & Rebecca Glover / Athena Corcoran-Tadd / Marc Cosmic / DAGGER MOTH & Marc Ribot / Maroulita De Kol / Cláudio de Pina / Marco Dibeltulu / Hazal Döleneken / Abby Donovan / Ceel Mogami de Haas / Dr Hanzo / Ducks! / Kaj Duncan David & Martin Lau / BA Denigris / Giorgio Dursi / Duty / Exotikdot / Jurgen Fonteijn / Chelidon Frame / Nicola Frattegiani / Zeno Gabaglio / Alessandro Gaffuri & Alice Diacono / Alessandro Gambato / Ghosts of Electricity / Ian Gibbins / Gigsta / Penelope Gkika / Mark Goodwin / Jared Green / Guili Guili Goulag / Stelios Hadjithomas / Ursula Häse / Werner Hasler / Juliana Herrero / Kathryn Hummel / Olga Kokcharova / Antoine Läng / Dominique LeGendre / Nicole L'Huillier & Daniela Catrileo / Lite Orchestra / LucidBLN / Luminance / William Memotone / Stephanie Merchak / Muzikačaka / Alyssa Moxley / Necromishka / Guan Ng Chor / Oikoi / Moggy Ogara / Olga Palomäki / Claudio Parodi / Georgia Pazarloglou / Mario Pegoraro / Pic Nic Radio / Fred Poulet / prOphecy sun / Rodrigo Quintanilha / Andrew Reddy / George Ridgway / Francesca Ruberto / Pekka Sassi / Katharina Schmidt / SciFiSol / Hannah Silva / Anna Stereopoulou / Syrenomelia / Lorenzo Tamai / Tavishi / Temple Music / The little typists / Walt Thisney / Vincent Tholomé / Tribes of Europe / TJ Thompson / Tonylight / Dixie Treichel / VaathV / Massimiliano Viel / Sally Walmsley / Hannah Woźniak / El Wud / Xelius / Angelina Yershova / Billy Yfantis
-----
ENGLISH (Italiano sotto)
The performing arts company V XX ZWEETZ in collaboration with the music label Human Kind Records has invited poets, artists and musicians to send sound works inspired by the Universe. These works will be transmitted via webradio and FM during a 24 hour radio performance from 16 to 17 December 2018 in Milan, at the Athur Cravan Foundation and thanks to the support of Cosmic Things.
During the 24 hours starting from 4pm on Sunday 16 December 2018 (GTM+1), the shop facing via Aleardi 11 in Milan will be transformed into a 'spaceship' in which an astronaut will spend a day immersed in the spatial sound.
The astronaut believes that peaceful places on Earth barely exist anymore and have been exhaustively explored, as have metaphysical ones. So he chooses Outer Space where he can freely listen and perceive himself immersed inside infinity. While drifting, he shares with us the sounds he encounters.
He will travel for 24 hours through the Solar System starting from the Sun and reaching Pluto. On his way, he will meet objects and planets that will activate the sound works collected during the "call". The rest of the journey, when no object or planet is encountered, will be defined by sounds generated randomly by a Synthesizer. The total duration of the trip is 5,906,376,272 km corresponding to 4,101,650 km for each minute of transmission.
The public can access the spacecraft freely at any time to listen to the trip with him. They can feed him, send him letters and postcards, play chess and help him spend the time when he feels alone.
------
Powered in collaboration with Cose Cosmiche & V XX Zweetz
Sustained by ProHelvetia | SRKS/FSRC
------
How the project was born:
It started when a sound poem on Mercury was composed as a commission by Radio Pic Nic (Bruxelles) to create works for the Sviluppo-Parallelo exhibition in 2016 at the Luzern Kunstmuseum, Switzerland.
The innate passion towards the vastness and mystery related to the Universe was so intriguing that it inspired Human Kind Records to invite other artists to contribute to something bigger.
Through the networking art concept “Freundeskreis” (circles of friends), nine artist collectives were chosen to compose for nine planets. They were invited to Milan on the 27th March 2017 for a one day lab and concert at the Galleria Giuseppe Pero. Together with art residency project CoseCosmiche and astrophysicist Luca Valenziano, we shared amongst us our artistic curiosities and responses towards the planets and the Universe.
The artists then selected their planets and returned to their own worlds to create their works.
As we know (or think we know…) Space does not stop expanding. Human Kind Records therefore decided to create a Universe of its own: humankind.voyage .
Regardless of the abuse humankind has inflicted on nature, we know that if we disappeared, everything we did would be reconquered by nature. The exuberant nature in Brazil always makes this very clear and present.
I was asked by UNIQLO to create six designs for their Nippon-Omiyage T-shirt lineup, the first in the series were Tokyo, Ginza and Kobe. All using handmade typography and a connection to the location itself.
ユニクロの「日本のお土産シリーズ」のデザインに参加させて頂きました。全6デザインの内、今回発売されたのは「東京」「銀座」「神戸」の三都市のお土産です。ハンドメイドのタイポグラフィーを使って、それぞれの街のイメージを表現しています。
The design for Tokyo was all created quite freely by hand using brush and ink, but rather than focusing on the city as a whole I wanted to make a point of including all of the districts within the city that have their own identity, each making Tokyo what it is.
「東京」のデザインは手書きのブラシの線やインクで自由に表現しました。その都市全体にフォーカスするよりも、様々な地域から来た、様々なアイデンティティの集合が東京を作っているという点に注目したかったからです。
DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 22JAN16 - (FLTR) Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist, United Kingdom, Eric Anderson, Chairman, Planetary Holdings, USA; Young Global Leader, Jennifer Doudna, Professor of Chemistry and of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA, Nita A. Farahany, Professor, Law and Philosophy, Duke University, USA, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia; Global Agenda Council on Cyber Security, and Andrew Moore, Dean, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, USA are captured during the open forum session 'Life in 2030: Humankind and the Machine' at the Annual Meeting 2016 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2016.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Michele Limina
A female boomslang (Dispholidus typus), in Rhino & Lion Park Nature Reserve in Kromdraai, in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (the male is green).
The boomslang is one of the most venomous snakes in the world, but since it is extremely shy, bites are uncommon. It rarely gets longer than 1.5 meters.
(Boomslange-hunn, in Norwegian)
Check out more photos from Africa here: www.flickr.com/photos/ranveig/sets/72157629475425334/with...