It is a Russian symbol of the New Year – a Snow Girl. According to Russian believes he is Santa’s granddaughter. This doll has very long blond hair, wearing white fur coat with the double lining. Its blue and lace lining symbolizes frost and snow. White fur as a white snow covers the outfit. The button of the coat is shaped as a snowdrop flower – the first flower of spring in Russia. The outfit has many sparkling details symbolizing snow.

The Wild and Scenic Rogue River flows peacefully at the Rainbow Recreation Site, Oct. 24, 2019, by Greg Shine, BLM.

The Rogue River is located in southwestern Oregon and flows 215 miles from Crater Lake to the Pacific Ocean. The 84 mile, Congressionally-designated "National Wild and Scenic" portion of the Rogue begins 7 miles west of Grants Pass and ends 11 miles east of Gold Beach.

The Rogue was one of the original eight rivers included in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The Rogue National Wild and Scenic River is surrounded by forested mountains and rugged boulder and rock-lined banks.

Steelhead and salmon fishing, challenging whitewater, and extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities have made the Rogue a national treasure. Black bear, river otter, black-tail deer, bald eagles, osprey, Chinook salmon, great blue heron, water ouzel, and Canada geese are common wildlife seen along the Rogue River. Popular activities include: whitewater rafting, fishing, jet boat tours, scenic driving, hiking, picnicking, and sunbathing.

The Smullin Visitor Center is located at the Rand National Historic Site, on the river near the town of Galice, approximately 20 miles from I-5 on the Merlin-Galice Road.

Visitor Center Address:

14335 Galice Road

Merlin, Oregon 97532

541-479-3735

BLM_OR_MD_Rogue_River_Mail@blm.gov

This is a book design and execution that I created for Susan Kozel's book Closer published by the MIT press.

It was a class assignment for CO

This is a book design and execution that I created for Susan Kozel's book Closer published by the MIT press.

It was an assignment in a UCLA Design | Media Arts Class. The front portion of the book is comprised of all the text and images, clearly setup into a four row system, which aligns to the four flipbooks at the very back of the book.

This is a book design and execution that I created for Susan Kozel's book Closer published by the MIT press.

It was an assignment in a UCLA Design | Media Arts Class. The front portion of the book is comprised of all the text and images, clearly setup into a four row system, which aligns to the four flipbooks at the very back of the book.

super excited to be featured amongst such talented artists in a lovely 11 page piece in computers arts magazine this month. the article: Illustration - Today and Tomorrow - looks at "how leading artists are climbing to new heights"

this is the front double opening page of story - you can see my piece, "there's no place like home", in the bottom right hand corner.

the text reads as follows:

"jo 'miss led' henly is another illustrator whose work is making people take notice. she's not only dabbling in the uk art scene - she's used it to launch her career. after falling into teaching art, she realised she was inspiring others to do what she was frightened of doing herself. subsequent work invovled online and offline exhibitions closer in concept than illustration work. everything was self-initiated. this gave her the confidence to keep pushing boundaries, thereby increasing the creativity and experimentation in her work. inspired by poster pop, pre-raphaelite portraits, graffiti and art nouveau, her free flowing, almost classic illustration style came about on its own. she is now regularly taking on editioral work as well as further opportunities in the art space.

when secretwars wars took their live drawing competition to the designersblock festival in london last september, henly emerged the winner. she says, "being the only female ever to enter was enough for me, but after three exhausting hours over a 20x8-foot wall space, four rounds and four stories , i was victorious!"

BELUR MATH

Beluṛ Maṭh (Bengali: বেলুড় মঠ) is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta.[2] This temple is the heart of the Ramakrishna Movement. The temple is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions. In 2007 Belurmath railway station was also inaugurated which is dedicated to Belurmath temple

In January 1897, Swami Vivekananda arrived in Colombo with his small group of Western disciples. Two monasteries were founded by him, one at Belur, which became the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission and the other at Mayavati on the Himalayas, in Champawat Dist. Uttrakhand called the Advaita Ashrama.[4][5]These monasteries were meant to receive and train young men who would eventually become sannyasis of the Ramakrishna Mission, and to give them a training for their work. The same year the philanthropic activity was started and relief of the famine was carried out.[5]

Swami Vivekananda's days as a parivrajaka (wandering monk) before his visit to Parliament of Religions, took him through many parts of India and he visited several architectural monuments like the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri palaces, Diwan–I–Khas, palaces of Rajasthan, ancient temples of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other places. During his tour in America and Europe, he came across buildings of architectural importance of Modern, Medieval, Gothic and Renaissance styles. It is reported that Vivekananda incorporated these ideas in the design of the Belur Math temple.[6]

Swami Vijnanananda, a brother-monk of Swami Vivekananda and one of the monastic disciples of Ramakrishna, who was, in his pre-monastic life, a civil engineer, designed the temple according to the ideas of Vivekananda and Swami Shivananda, the then President of Belur Math laid the foundation stone on 16 May 1935. The massive construction was handled by Martin Burn & Co.. The mission proclaims the Belur Math as, "A Symphony in Architecture"

The 40-acre (160,000 m2) campus of the Belur Math on the banks of the Ganges includes temples dedicated to Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, in which their relics are enshrined, and the main monastery of the Ramakrishna Order. The campus also houses a Museum containing articles connected with the history of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Several educational institutions affiliated with the Ramakrishna Mission are situated in the vast campus adjacent to Belur Math.[8] The Belur Math is considered as one of the prime tourist spots near Kolkata[9] and place of pilgrimage by devotees.[10][11] The ex-president APJ Abdul Kalam regarded Belur Math as a "place of heritage and national importance.

The design of the temple was envisioned by Swami Vivekananda and the architect was Swami Vijnanananda, a direct monastic disciple of Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna Temple was consecrated on 14 January, the Makar Sankranti Day in 1938.

The Ramakrishna temple at the Belur Math is designed to "celebrate the diversity of Indian Religions"[2] and resembles a temple, a mosque, a church if seen from different positions.[13][14][15] The architectural style and symbolism from a number of religions have been incorporated into the design of the temple at Belur Math, to convey the "universal faith" in which the movement believes.[16][17] The temple is considered as a prime example of the importance of "material dimension" of religion.[16]

The main entrance of the temple, has a facade influenced by Buddhist styles in the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi & the main entrance of the Ajanta Caves.The structure which rises over the entrance is modelled on the Hindu temples of South India with their lofty towers. The windows and balconies inside the temple draw upon the Rajput(Hindu) and Mughal (Islamic) style of north India. The central dome is derived from European architecture of St. Maria-Del-Florence in Italy built during the Renaissanceperiod. The ground plan is in the shape of Christian cross.[2][16]

The height of the temple is 112.5 feet (34.3 m) and covers a total area of 32,900 sq ft (3,060 m2). The temple mainly is built of chunar stone and some portion in the front is of cement. The high entrance of the temple is like a South Indian Gopuram and the pillars on both sides represent Buddhistic architectural style. The three umbrella-like domes on the top built in Rajput-Moghul styles give an idea of thatched roofs of the village Kamarpukur.

The circular portion of the entrance is an intermingling of Ajanta style with Hindu architecture and within it, placing the emblem of the Order is representation of beauty and solemnity. Just above seen is a replica of a Shiva lingam. The natmandira, the spacious congregational hall attached to the sanctum, resembles a church, especially of St Peter's Church in Rome.The pillars in a line on its both sides are according to Doric or Greek style. The beam above is held by decorative brackets similar to the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai in Tamil Nadu.The elaborate designs on the pillars resemble the Orissa style.

The hanging balconies above the natmandir and the windows show the effect of Moghul architecture used in the Fatehpur Sikri.The broad parikrama path for doing circumambulatory rounds on all sides of the garbhamandira (sanctum sanctorum) are built like Buddhist chaityas and Christian Churches. The lattice work statues of Navagraha figures are etched on semi-circular top of outside the temple. The golden kalasha is placed on the top of the temple and has a full-bloomed lotusbelow. The architecture of the big dome and of the other domes show a shade of Islamic, Rajput, Bengali terracotta and Lingaraj Temple styles. The entrance doors on both east and west of the temple having pillars on both sides are like the elegant gateways of the Manmandir in Gwalior Fort. Ganesha and Hanuman images, representing success and power are carved above them.

By Kailash Mansarovar Foundation Swami Bikash Giri www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft, designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the French Air Force for a fast, modern fighter with a good climbing speed and an armament built around a 20 mm cannon. At the time the most powerful V 12 liquid-cooled engine available in France was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y, which was less powerful, but lighter than contemporary engines such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Daimler-Benz DB 601. Other fighters were designed to meet the specifications but none of them entered service, or entered service in small numbers, too late to play a significant role during the Battle of France.

The small band of Czechoslovak D.520 fought valiantly with the 38th Field Flight for a few weeks, but due to the lack of spare parts and the overwhelming number of German fighters, the small fighter force only lasted for a couple of weeks, and by mid-1939 all machines were destroyed or had become unserviceable.

General characteristics:

Crew: one

Length: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 10.2 m (33 ft 5⅓ in)

Height: 2.57 m (8 ft 5 in)

Wing area: 15.87 m2 (171 ft²)

Empty weight: 2,123 kg (4,680 lb)

Loaded weight: 2,677 kg (5,902 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,785 kg (6,140 lb)

Powerplant:

1× Hispano-Suiza 12Y-45 liquid-cooled V12 engine, rated at 690 kW (930 hp)

Performance:

Maximum speed: 560 km/h (302 kn, 347 mph)

Range: 1,250 km (675 nmi, 777 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 14.3 m/s (2,820 ft/min)

Wing loading: 167 kg/m2 (34.2 lb/ft2)

Power/mass: 257 W/kg (0.156 hp/lb)

Armament:

1× 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon with 60 RPG,

mounted between the engine’s cylinder bank and firing through the propeller hub

4× 7.92 mm (0.312 in) vz. 30 (Česká zbrojovka Strakonice) machine guns

with 250–300 RPG in the outer wings

The kit and its assembly:

A quickie and the reaction to a recently posted profile from fellow modeler Wenzel from the Czech Republic in April 2018 at whatifmodelers.com: a Dewoitine D.520 in Czechoslovak pre-WWII colors and markings. Even though the profile’s indicated time frame would be somewhat fishy, I liked the design of this whif. And the fact that I had a surplus Hobby Boss D.520 kit without a concrete plan (yet) in the stash made me spontaneously tackle this small project.

The kit was built OOB, and it is – like many small Hobby Boss kits – a very simple affair with engraved panel lines and a rather rudimentary cockpit. Another weak point is the canopy. While it is perfectly clear, the shape looks a bit odd to me, as if oversized. The fit is not bad, but unfortunately there are location pins/struts molded into the single piece part, and these remain visible even if you build the model OOB.

The only changes I made are some added cockpit interior details, and I cut the canopy into pieces so that it could later be presented in open position for the beauty pics.

Painting and markings:

I stuck with the inspiring profile, as close as possible. It did not come with detailed information about the potential Czech squadron, but after doing some legwork I found out that the profile’s markings (the “H” code and the blue propeller spinner) belong to the Czechoslovak Air Force’s 38th Letka around 1938.

The profile also came with FS tone suggestions, and I stuck to them as good as possible, too. For the Dark Brown (FS 30108) I used Humbrol 10 mixed with some 160. The Dark Green (FS 34097) is Humbrol 105 (Marine Green) and the Tan tone (FS 30266) is RAL 7028 (German WWII Dunkelgelb, from Modelmaster). The latter was used on purpose in order to have a less reddish sand tone on the aircraft.

I also deviated from the benchmark on the undersides, for which FS 36495 had been suggested. I found the tone to be too light for my taste and replaced it with Light Gull Grey (FS 36440, Humbrol 129). The spinner was painted with a mix of Humbrol 15 and 89, trying to match the national markings as good as possible.

As usual, the kit received a light black ink washing and some post-shading in order to emphasize panels.

The cockpit interior was painted in dark grey, while the landing gear and its wells became bluish-grey (according to French aircraft).

The markings were gathered from the scrap box: the Czech roundels come from a recent KP Yak-23 sheet (printed by Propagteam), the tactical letter code was created with white, modern 24” RAF code letters from Xtradecal. My only personal addition is the manufacture code on the fin in front of the roundel, taken from the OOB sheet.

Finally, some soot stains around the gun ports and the exhausts were added with graphite, some more very light dry-brushing with acrylic pale grey was done, and the D.520 received a coat with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A quick and simple project, but a nice distraction from the recent Cold War builds. I like how well the D.520 blends into its fictional Czech role, due to the same engine that powered several pre-WWII Avia designs. The disruptive scheme suits the aircraft, well, too, and with the Czech roundels the whole thing can even be called colorful!

Tanegashima is located 40km (25miles) south from Kagoshima pref, and 5th largest island among Japanese remote islands. The climate is subtropical and warm all year round. Tanegashima is also famous as the place of the first arrival of guns in Japan.

You can purchase it through here: kakinoki.us/shop/

This is a "Race Bait 308" (Ferrari 308 GTB) Hot Wheels car from the 1979 "Golden Machines" Hot Wheels 6-pack set.

I received the "Golden Machines" set as a young boy, probably when I was 5-years old (1979-80). It came with a Jaguar XJS, a Corvette Stingray, a Hot Bird (1977 Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am), a Z-Whiz (Datsun 240Z/Nissan Fairlady), a Spoiler Sport (a Hot Wheels original design that was a very aerodynamic van with a spoiler), and this Ferrari 308 GTB, called "Race Bait 308" because Hot Wheels liked giving cars cutesy names. The gold chrome-painted cars were among my favourite Hot Wheels. I loved how shiny and reflective the cars were. Mattel doesn't seem to do very many reflective Hot Wheels cars anymore, or at least ones where I can see my own face reflected on the roof (in my case, perhaps for the better).

Inevitably, being a young boy and having Hot Wheels-mangling sets like Criss-Cross Crash, which made the paint on Hot Wheels cars look like it had been through a sandblaster, the paint didn't last, and I lost all six of my Golden Machines cars by the time I moved to Ottawa in 2004.

As an adult collector, the Golden Machines cars are amongst my most coveted, though when complete sets of it go for sale on eBay, they're usually priced in the hundreds of dollars. (I don't have an eBay or a PayPal account, though, so eBay auctions of these cars are moot to me anyway.)

I've bought a few batches of played-with Hot Wheels from sellers on Ottawa Kijiji and Craigslist and, through these purchases, I've re-collected two of the six Golden Machines, a Z-Whiz/Datsun 240Z in "so-so" condition and a Corvette Stingray in barely-any-paint-left whatsoever condition.

On Saturday, the 11th of February, 2012, I stopped by the Value Village thrift store at the corner of Bank Street and Walkely Road in Ottawa South. Value Village is a particularly good location for old Hot Wheels-hunting, mostly sold in $2 or $3 bags. In one of these bags, I was amazed to see this Hot Wheels Golden Machines Race Bait 308/Ferrari 308GTB in near-pristine condition, with the tampo intact and only a couple of minor scuff marks on the paint. It's amazing condition for an over 30-year old car in a Value Village toy car grab bag. Also amazing is that the bag it was in was left on the pegs; I'm not the only collector who gets old Hot Wheels from Value Village and it was one of only about two toy car grab bags left. I guess it's because this Ferrari was in a bag with some off-brand dollar store cars, so it was easy to miss.

I am elated to have this car back in my collection after so long. . It was my single-most coveted Hot Wheels Ferrari and it is now my number one all-time Hot Wheels find from Value Village, surpassing an original 1981 "Old Number 5" firetruck that I had found at the same Value Village store the previous summer.

One day, the rest of the Hot Wheels Golden Machines will be mine, but I feel extraordinarily lucky to have even found just one of them in near mint condition.

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan name; Spanish: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia; "Expiatory Church of the Holy Family"), often simply called the Sagrada Família, is a massive, privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1882 and is not expected to be complete until at least 2026. A portion of the building's interior is scheduled to open for public worship and tours by September 2010.

Considered the master-work of renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), the project's vast scale and idiosyncratic design have made it one of Barcelona's (and Spain's) top tourist attractions for many years.

Construction history

The Sagrada Familia was designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), who worked on the project from 1883 and devoted the last fifteen years of his life entirely to the endeavour. In 1882, prior to Gaudí's involvement, Francesc del Villar was commissioned to design a church on the site. He resigned a year later and Gaudí was appointed the project architect, redesigning the project entirely. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." After Gaudí's death in 1926, work continued under the direction of Domènech Sugranyes until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished barn and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the war by Catalan anarchists. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the lost plans as well as on modern adaptations. Since 1940 the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Lluís Bonet i Gari and Francesc Cardoner have carried on the work. The illumination was designed by Carles Buigas. The current director and son of Lluís Bonet, Jordi Bonet i Armengol, has been introducing computers into the design and construction process since the 1980s. Mark Burry of New Zealand serves as Executive Architect and Researcher. Sculptures by J. Busquets, Etsuro Sotoo and the controversial Josep Subirachs decorate the fantastical façades.

According to the newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya, 2.26 million people visited the partially built church in 2004, making it one of the most popular attractions in Spain. The central nave vaulting was completed in 2000 and the main tasks since then have been the construction of the transept vaults and apse. As of 2006, work concentrates on the crossing and supporting structure for the main tower of Jesus Christ as well as the southern enclosure of the central nave which will become the Glory façade.

Recently, the Ministry of Public Works of Spain (Ministerio de Fomento in Spanish), has projected the construction of a tunnel for the high speed train just under where the principal façade of the temple has to be built. Although the ministry claims that the project poses no risk to the church, the engineers and architects of the temple disagree as there is no guarantee that the tunnel will not affect the stability of the building. A campaign is being waged by the Sagrada Família preservation society (Patronat de la Sagrada Família) and the neighbourhood association AVE pel Litoral.

Towers

Every part of the design of La Sagrada Família is replete with Christian symbolism, as Gaudí intended the church to be the "last great sanctuary of Christendom". Its most striking aspect is its spindle-shaped towers. A total of eighteen tall towers are called for, representing in ascending order of height the Twelve Apostles, the four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and, tallest of all, Jesus Christ. (According to the 2005 "Works Report" of the temple's official website, drawings signed by Gaudí found recently in the Municipal Archives indicate that the tower of the Virgin was in fact intended by Gaudí to be shorter than those of the evangelists, and this is the design — which the Works Report states is more compatible with the existing foundations — that will be followed. The same source explains the symbolism in terms of Christ being known through the Evangelists.) The Evangelists' towers will be surmounted by sculptures of their traditional symbols: a bull (St Luke), a winged man (St Matthew), an eagle (St John), and a lion (St Mark). The central tower of Jesus Christ is to be surmounted by a giant cross; the tower's total height (170 m) will be one metre less than that of Montjuïc (a hill in Barcelona), as Gaudí believed that his work should not surpass that of God. Lower towers are surmounted by communion hosts with sheaves of wheat and chalices with bunches of grapes, representing the Eucharist.

Façades

The Church will have three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Glory façade to the South (yet to be completed) and the Passion façade to the West. The Nativity facade was built before work was interrupted in 1935 and bears the most direct Gaudí influence. The Passion façade is especially striking for its spare, gaunt, tormented characters, including emaciated figures of Christ being flogged and on the crucifix. These controversial designs are the work of Josep Maria Subirachs.

Interior

The church plan is that of a Latin cross with five aisles. The central nave vaults reach forty-five metres while the side nave vaults reach thirty metres. The transept has three aisles. The columns are on a 7.5 metre grid. However, the columns of the apse, resting on del Villar's foundation, do not adhere to the grid, requiring a section of columns of the ambulatory to transition to the grid thus creating a horseshoe pattern to the layout of those columns. The crossing rests on the four central columns of porphyry supporting a great hyperboloid surrounded by two rings of twelve hyperboloids (currently under construction). The central vault reaches sixty metres. The apse will be capped by a hyperboloid vault reaching seventy-five metres. Gaudí intended that a visitor standing at the main entrance be able to see the vaults of the nave, crossing, and apse, thus the graduated increase in vault loftiness.

The columns of the interior are a unique Gaudí design. Besides branching to support their load, their ever-changing surfaces are the result of the intersection of various geometric forms. The simplest example is that of a square base evolving into an octagon as the column rises, then a sixteen-sided form, and eventually to a circle. This effect is the result of a three-dimensional intersection of helicoidal columns (for example a square cross-section column twisting clockwise and a similar one twisting counter-clockwise).

Geometric details

The towers on the Nativity façade are crowned with geometrically shaped tops that are reminiscent of Cubism (they were finished around 1930), and the intricate decoration is contemporary to the style of Art Nouveau, but Gaudí's unique style drew primarily from nature, not other artists or architects, and resists categorization.

Gaudí used hyperboloid structures in later designs of the Sagrada Família (more obviously after 1914), however there are a few places on the nativity façade—a design not equated with Gaudí's ruled-surface design, where the hyperboloid crops up. For example, all around the scene with the pelican there are numerous examples (including the basket held by one of the figures). There is a hyperboloid adding structural stability to the cypress tree (by connecting it to the bridge). And finally, the "bishop's mitre" spires are capped with hyperboloid structures. In his later designs, ruled surfaces are prominent in the nave's vaults and windows and the surfaces of the Passion facade.

Symbolism

Themes throughout the decoration include words from the liturgy. The towers are decorated with words such as "Hosanna", "Excelsis", and "Sanctus"; the great doors of the Passion façade reproduce words from the Bible in various languages including Catalan; and the Glory façade is to be decorated with the words from the Apostles' Creed.

Areas of the sanctuary will be designated to represent various concepts, such as saints, virtues and sins, and secular concepts such as regions, presumably with decoration to match.

@ Denmark pavilion, Expo park, Shanghai

My look today is plage naturiste/let's go surfing (French accent).

Smoke is a OOAK full set Inamorata doll with Chie head sculpt in Ice resin. She is dressed in a original design haute couture gown, mulberry silk wig and tengu geta platform sandals.

Smoke was part of Hitogata Ten art doll exhibition in Tokyo 12th to 18th of October 2022.

The Smoke gown is inspired by the unique style of my current favourite designer Iris Herpen and has translucent printed chiffon arranged to evoke curls of smoke. I bit off way more than I could chew with the gown and completely underestimated the amount of labour. Took me months to hand stitch this OOAK gown.

I'm so mesmerised by the new translucent Ice resin and the way it transforms in light. Being able to play with the different levels of opacity while painting it has a lot of creatioce potential (for Smoke I painted the face and chest more opaque leaving the rest of the body translucent) .

Ice resin will be available in next year's preorder if we can get enough people interested (5/10 now, so need 6 people more). Please email me if you are seriously interested (emiliacuture@gmail.com).

Kalkaji Mandir, कालकाजी मंदिर, दिल्ली , भारत , also known as Kalkaji Temple, is a Hindu mandir or temple, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali. This temple is situated in the southern part of Delhi, India, in Kalkaji, a locality that has derived its name from the temple and is located opposite Nehru Place business centre. The temple is accessible by public transport on Kalkaji Mandir (Delhi Metro) and is near Bus Terminus-Nehru Place and Railway Station-Okhla.[1][2][3] The general belief is that the image of the Goddess Kalka here is a self-manifested one, and that the shrine dates back to Satya Yuga when the Goddess Kalika had incarnated and killed the demon Raktabija along with other giant demons.

General information

Kalka or Kalkaji Mandir is amongst the oldest and the most revered temples of India.[citation needed] The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kalka or Kali, an incarnation of Durga. It is also called 'Jayanti Peetha' or 'Manokamna Siddha Peetha'. 'Manokamna' literally means desire, 'Siddha' means fulfillment, and 'Peetha' means shrine. So, it is believed to be the holy shrine where one gets the blessings of Maa Kalika Devi (Goddess or Mother Kalika) for the fulfillment of one's desires.

The temple complex is situated on Kalkaji Mandir (Delhi Metro) between the Nehru Place bus terminus & business center and Okhla railway station & industrial area, and is right beside the Bahá'í Lotus Temple. Close by to the temple, on a hill in the East of Kailash neighbourhood and near the ISKCON temple, lies an Edict of Ashoka, dating 3rd century BC.

Devotees attend the Kalkaji temple throughout the year, but the culmination point of their prayers and celebration comes during the festival of Navratri twice a year. This is a nine-day Hindu festival, in Spring and Autumn during which a large fair is organized. Devotees gather and sing various hymns and songs praising the Goddess Durga.

History

While the Hindu scriptures have multiple references and legends regarding the birth and acts of the Goddess Kali, the legend which tells about the circumstances attending to the birth of Maa Kalika Devi at the Kalkaji Mandir is as below:

Millions of years ago, the gods who dwelt in the neighbourhood of the present temple were troubled by two giants and were compelled to prefer their complaint to Lord Brahma, 'the god of all'. But Lord Brahma declined to interfere, and referred them to the Goddess Parvati. Out of the mouth of Maa Parvati sprung Kaushki Devi, who attacked the two giants and slaughtered them, but it so happened, that as their blood fell on the dry earth thousands of giants came into life, and the battle was maintained by Kaushki Devi against great odds. Maa Parvati took compassion on her offspring and out of the eyebrows of Kaushki Devi came maa Kali Devi, 'whose lower lip rested on the hills below and the upper lip touched the sky above. She drank the blood of the slaughtered giants as it poured out of their wounds; and the goddess obtained a complete victory over their enemies. Maa Kali Devi then fixed her abode here, and she was worshipped as the chief divinity of the place.

It is believed that the Goddess Kalkaji, pleased with the prayers offered and rituals performed by the Gods on the advice of Lord Brahma, appeared on this mount, known as Surya Koota Parvata, and blessed them. Ever since, the Goddess took this holy place as her abode and has been fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. During the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna and the Pandavas are said to have worshipped this Goddess during the reign of Yudhisthir.

References in History

According to the Government records, the temple of Kalkaji is said to have a very ancient origin, but the oldest portions of the present building is believed to have been constructed not earlier than the 1764 AD by the Maratha rulers.[4] In 1816 A.D. Mirza Raja Kidar Nath, the Peshkar of Akbar II, is said to have made some additions to it. Over the last five to six decades, a considerable number of dharamshalas have been erected in the vicinity by the Hindu bankers and merchants of Delhi place. It is said that Baba Balak Nath of Nath Sampradaya, i.e. the Kanpata Yogis (who have rings pierced in the ears) visited this holy place hundreds of years ago. He is believed to have had the darshan of Goddess Kalika who asked him to stay here and get the temple reconstructed, which by then was completely ruined due to neglect. From that time onwards the yogis of Nath Sampradaya have been serving the Goddess and are enthroned as Mahant. Baba Sandhya Nath, Baba Sahaja Nath, Mahant Prithvi Nath, Mahant Rama Nath are remembered with great respect. They were renowned yogis of their time empowered with special spiritual powers and visions.

Modern Structure

The temple complex, as it stands today, is constructed of brick masonry, finished with plaster (now with marbles) and is surrounded by a pyramidal tower. The Central Chamber which is 12-sided in plan diam. (24' I.M.) with a doorway in each side is paved with marble and is surrounded by a verandah 8'9" wide and containing 36 arched openings (shown as the exterior doorways in the Parikrama). This verandah encloses the Central Chamber from all sides. About the middle of this arcade opposite the eastern doorway there are two red sandstone tigers sitting on a marble pedestal on which the inscription engraved on the marble railings is repeated. The language of the inscriptions is Urdu and the characters on the railings as well as on the pedestals are nastaliq without any pretensions to antiq mvbm,cuity. Between the tigers there is stone image of Kali Devi with her name engraved on it in Hindi, and a trident of stone standing before it.

Rituals

The major ritual consists of offering and bathing the idol (Mata Snanam) with milk followed by an Aarti every morning (6 AM) and evening (7:30 PM). This, in turn, is followed by hymn recitation. Offerings can be purchased just before the entrance of the temple. Visitors should be alert in the area as the place is very crowded and there can be Pickpockets. The Puja archana and other rituals are performed turn by turn (Monthly Basis) by Pujaris consisting of more than 1000 Nai families who are the descendants of 4 main clans (Thule's) of Brahmin pujaris and one clan of Jogis/Mahants.

The atmosphere around the temple is airy and bright with lights which stay during the whole night. Devotees also try to meditate there and a tantric aarti is held in the evening. BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION SWAMI BILASH GIRI www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com

Bangladesh is a new country. It was only in 1971 that we gained independence from Pakistan.

The price we had to pay for our freedom from the oppressive reign of West Pakistan, was 3 million lives in a war that lasted 9 gruesome months.

I was born quite a while after the war. But I have felt the effects of it left on families first hand. My father lost a brother. He was captured from home and he never returned. My uncle, Mohammad Abu Bakar, became a Bir Bikrom for his gallantry. From what I have been told, he was part of the team that attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Dhaka in a key commando mission against the mighty heads of the then Pakistani Army.

I don't usually take or post pictures of flowers. But this one from summer seemed just appropriate for the occasion of Victory Day (December 16).

3 million lives. And then the hundreds of thousands of raped women and girls. Can you imagine the scale of this massacre?

We are a small and struggling country. With our massive populace and limited resources, we need to unite in one spirit to move forward. Yet, it is a sad fact that this spirit of liberation is being tarnished by folk who have forgotten our own history, and some who even went on to distort the truth.

Let us not forget. Joy Bangla.

This is quite an interesting story, so before you decide you want to be a queen here is a note of caution....

Mary Stuart, known to history as Mary, Queen of Scots, was one of the most fascinating and controversial monarchs of 16th century Europe. At one time, she claimed the crowns of four nations - Scotland, France, England and Ireland. Her physical beauty and kind heart were acknowledged even by her enemies, yet she lacked the political skills to rule successfully in Scotland. Her second marriage was unpopular and ended in murder and scandal; her third was even less popular and ended in forced abdication in favor of her infant son. She fled to England in 1568, hoping for the help of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Her presence was dangerous for the English queen, who feared Catholic plotting on Mary's behalf. Mary never met her cousin and remained imprisoned for the next nineteen years. She was executed in 1587, only forty-four years old. By orders of the English government, all of her possessions were burned. In 1603, upon Elizabeth's death, Mary's son became king of England as James I.

There is a bit of mystery about the origin or the statue and naming of this property in Fleet Street London.. Best i can make out is that It appears that the building dates back to 1905. A nearby pub sign says "the building next door, Mary Queen of Scots House was built in 1905. The statue of Mary Stuart a romantic idea of the developer Sir John Tollemache MP, who was a great admirer of Mary Q of S." In addition, the building was designed for a Scottish Insurance Company

COPYRIGHT IS CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION SHARE-ALIKE WHICH MEANS YOU MUST ATTRIBUTE MICHAEL VADON IN AN OBVIOUS MANNER TO REUSE

Governor of Florida Jeb Bush at TurboCam, Barrington, New Hampshire on August 7th by Michael Vadon Part 1 of 4

CONCORD, N.H. —Less than a day after the first debate of the GOP primary, former Florida governor Jeb Bush is back in New Hampshire campaigning.

Less than a day after the first debate of the GOP primary, former Florida governor Jeb Bush is back in New Hampshire campaigning.

At a town hall Friday night in Barrington, Bush spoke about how he won't campaign with anger and instead spoke a lot about policy.

He started his day at Brown's Lobster Pound in Seabrook. After greeting voters -- trying a lobster roll -- Bush told reporters he plans to campaign hard on and off the debate stage between now and the primaries.

"I think I did fine (in the debate). I am who I am," Bush said.

He's declining to criticize his Republican rivals, including Donald Trump, who refused to pledge support to the party's eventual nominee. Instead, Bush says he's focused on sharing his record as governor with voters and letting people get to know who he is.

"So you take advantage of opportunities when you have them, speak from your heart," Bush said. "I don't view this debating as question of winning or losing. It's the cumulative effect of shaping peoples opinion of who you are over the long haul."

Bush said Democrats' attacks against him show he is the candidate they fear most.

"Let me think why they would be. Because maybe it's because they consider me the biggest threat," Bush said.

Jeb Bush – Town Hall Barrington

August 7 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Jeb Bush Town Hall in Barrington

Friday August 7th, 6:00 PM

Turbocam, 863 Franklin Pierce Highway

Barrington, NH

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007.

Bush is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and the younger brother of former President George W. Bush, grandson of the late Prescott Sheldon Bush, American Banker and United States Senator from Connecticut. He grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and attended the University of Texas, where he earned a degree in Latin American affairs. Following his father's successful run for Vice President in 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development. In 1986, Bush was named Florida's Secretary of Commerce, a position he held until his resignation in 1988 to help his father's successful campaign for the Presidency.

In 1994, Bush made his first run for office, narrowly losing the election for governor by less than two percentage points to the incumbent Lawton Chiles. Bush ran again in 1998 and defeated Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay with 55 percent of the vote. He ran for reelection in 2002 and won with 56 percent to become Florida's first two-term Republican governor. During his eight years as governor, Bush was credited with initiating environmental improvements, such as conservation in the Everglades, supporting caps for medical malpractice litigation, moving Medicaid recipients to private systems, and instituting reforms to the state education system, including the issuance of vouchers and promoting school choice.

Bush is a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

Namchi (Nepali : नाम्ची) or Namtse is the capital of the South Sikkim district in the Indian state of Sikkim. The appellation Namchi means Sky (Nam) High (Chi) in Sikkimese.

GEOGRAPHY

Namchi is located at 27.17°N 88.35°E. It has an average elevation of 1,315 metres.

Namchi is situated at an altitude of 1,675 m above sea level. It is situated at a distance of 78 kilometres from the state capital Gangtok and 100 kilometres from the town of Siliguri, the nearest railhead and airport. Namchi lies off the road between Melli and Jorethang. Namchi is well connected to other towns in Sikkim and West Bengal. Jeeps and buses regularly ply between Namchi to Gangtok, Pelling, Jorethang, Kalimpong and Siliguri.

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of 2011 India census, Namchi has a population of 12194. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Namchi has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 73%. In Namchi, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age. Most of the people of Namchi are Hindus and Buddhists. Languages spoken are Nepali, English and Hindi.

EDUCATION

Namchi has more than half a dozen private schools with quality education (Mt. Carmel School, Namchi Public School, Tendong Educational Institute, Victory Educational Institute, New Light Academy etc.) and government Higher Secondary Schools for Boys and Girls and world valid computer institute (MULTIMEDIA COMPUTER INSTITUTE) an authorized study center of Manipal Group. Just few kilometers away from the town is a reputed Government College for Arts and Education. People give a lot of importance and focus on education with a reverence. Namchi Public School run by catholic missionaries is one of the respected educational institute in the State and one of the best in the south district of Sikkim.

TOURISM

Namchi is fast becoming a major tourist spot and pilgrimage centre. The Namchi monastery, Ralong monastery and Tendong Hill are important Buddhist pilgrimage centres. The world's largest statue (36 m) of the Buddhist Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim, is on the Samdruptse hill (The Wish Fulfilling Well) opposite Namchi. It was completed in February 2004. It is also said that the Samdruptse hill is actually a Dormant Volcano. Myths say that the buddhist monks have been going on top of the hill and offering prayers to the volcano to keep it calm. There is also a Rock Garden just few kilometers up from the town on the way to Samdruptse. Sikkim Best Home Stay Dong Busty Home Stay just 8km away from Namchi Bazar. The Rock Garden displays a wide variety of Flora and is a local recreation and picnic spot. It offers a magnificent view of Mt. Kanchendzonga (aka Mt. Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak). Recently inaugurated (November 2011) Siddhesvara Dham is a unique pilgrimage tourism venture of the Sikkim Government developed as “Pilgrim cum Cultural Centre” having a 26,52 m statue of Lord Shiva and replicas of four Dhams of the country at one place at Solophok hilltop in Namchi. The four most revered Dhams of the Hindus Jagannath, Dwarika, Rameshawaram, Badrinath have been replicated in this fantastic complex to benefit the devotees and tourists. The dream project of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling which was conceived by him and started in the year 2005 stands promisingly amidst the breadth taking surrounding of Solophok hill, befitting the mythological setting behind the establishment of the original Dhams. For the consecration of the Dham Shri Jagadguru Sankaryacharya Swami Swarupananda Saraswati in the presence of the Chief Minister Shri Pawan Chamling and his wife Smt Tika Maya Chamling did the “Pran Prastisha” of the Dham. There are replicas of the “Dwadash Jyotirlingas” (the twelve jyothirlinga) of Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleswar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, Viswanath, Triambakeshwar, Vaidyanath, Nageswar, Rameshwar at Rameswaram and Grishneshwar surrounding the statue of Lord Shiva and the Char Dhams. There is a grand statue of Kirateshvar Mahadev and a temple of Shirdi Sai Baba too. One can have a view of the Mt Kanchenjunga, Statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse, Darjeeling and other such locations from here. The Dham has stay facility for the devotees at “Yatri Niwas” which can accommodate more than 90 people at a time. The Dham has won the National Tourism Awards 2010–11 under the category of “Most Innovative/Unique Tourism Project” by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. A helipad is located 5 km away from town at an altitude of around 1524 m. From here one can get the most panoramic view of Mt. Kanchanzonga with the surrounding mountain a part of Darjeeling Kalimgpong and the rolling plains of Bengal. The visitors can savour the view of temi tea garden the one and the only tea estate in the state which produces top quality tea in the international market.

Near the town, Sikkim's sole tea estate — the Temi Tea Garden is situated. The tea carries a premium the world over and costs around Rs. 800/- a kg. The tea is marked by its exotic odour and flavour.

In the month of February, the Namchi garden hosts it annual flower show. The flower show is the largest in Sikkim with flowers in a riot of colours. The prime attraction of this show is the display of exotic and rare orchids.

One of the highlights of the town is the football stadium – the Baichung Stadium built by the Sikkimese government in honour of its most famous citizen, footballer Baichung Bhutia. "The Gold Cup" football tournament is held in Bhaichung Stadium almost every year. Football teams from all over India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan vie for the honour which draws lot of crowds from all over Sikkim. Namchi is also the base of the chief minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling.

Historically, Namchi was the place where Pende Ongmoo, the trecherous princess who poisoned one of the Chogyals of Sikkim, was caught and killed for her deed. Legend says her spirit still haunts the foothills of Ghurpisey.

WIKIPEDIA

This is T2, the Karori Sanctuary Trust's resident male takahe. The resident female has a more interesting name - Puffin. Oh, well, what can you do? Puffin was evidently incubating an egg, so I did not get to see her. Alas, the egg was eventually abandoned as it was likely infertile.

The takahe is an endangered flightless bird. In fact, the North Island Takahe is extinct. T2 is a South Island Takahe. Males grow to be about 6 lbs (2.7kg). The South Island Takahes were thought to be extinct until a group of them were discovered in Fjordland in 1948. There are a number of predator-free islands and zones where they are being cared for.

I encountered T2 at Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Sanctuary Trust. He was busy stripping seeds off the grasses. Zealandia is just outside of Wellington proper - amazing to think a busy city is just a few kilometers away! It's a wonderful place to see a profusion of native New Zealand birds and other critters.

www.visitzealandia.com/

The San Rafael Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah, USA about 30 miles (50 km) west of Green River, Utah. The San Rafael Swell, approximately 75 miles (121 km) by 40 miles (64 km), consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up millions of years ago. Since that time, infrequent but powerful flash floods have eroded the sedimentary rocks into numerous valleys, canyons, gorges, mesas and buttes. The Swell is part of the Colorado Plateau physiographic region.

Interstate 70 divides the Swell into northern and southern sections, and provides the only paved road access to the region. The swell lies entirely within Emery County.

The northern Swell is drained by the San Rafael River, while the southern Swell is drained by a number of small creeks which eventually join the Dirty Devil River in Hanksville, Utah. The Dirty Devil River is a tributary of the Colorado River, while the San Rafael River joins the Green River before it also flows into the Colorado. Muddy Creek cuts into the western edge of the Swell, exits at Muddy Creek Gorge, and then flows into the Fremont River.

The San Rafael Swell was formed when deeply buried Precambrian rocks faulted, or broke, during the Laramide orogeny, about 60 million years ago. These "basement" rocks below the present-day Swell moved upwards relative to the surrounding areas and caused the overlying sedimentary rocks to fold into a dome-like shape called an anticline. The resulting structure is analogous to a series of blankets draped over a box.

Since that time, the relentless force of running water has eroded the geologic layers, resulting in older rocks becoming exposed in the middle of the Swell, and younger rocks exposed around the edges. Many of the most impressive landforms are composed of more resistant rocks, including the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Triassic Wingate Sandstone, and Permian Coconino Sandstone. The folding is much steeper on the eastern edge of the Swell than in the west, and this eastern edge is referred to as the San Rafael Reef.

Evidence of Native American cultures, including the Fremont, Paiute, and Ute, is common throughout the San Rafael Swell in the form of pictograph and petroglyph panels. From about 1776 to the mid-1850s the Old Spanish Trail trade route passed through (or just north of) the Swell. In the past 150 years, areas of the Swell have been used for the grazing of sheep and cattle, as well as for uranium mining. Although surrounded by the communities of Price, Green River, Hanksville, Ferron, Castle Dale, and Huntington, the Swell itself does not support permanent residents.

The area is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, although the Swell as a whole does not currently enjoy special protection, parts of it are protected as wilderness study areas. Cattle grazing is only allowed in parts of The Swell that are not designated as such. The San Rafael Swell is also dotted with squares of land managed by The Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, as is much of the state of Utah.

The San Rafael Swell attracts hikers, backpackers, horseback riders, and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) enthusiasts. Many steep, narrow slot canyons popular with technical canyoneers are found in the San Rafael Reef. The use of ATVs in the Swell is controversial, as environmentalists draw attention to the fact that off-road vehicles damage the fragile desert cryptobiotic soils.

Goblin Valley State Park is on the southeastern edge of the San Rafael Swell.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Rafael_Swell

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...

Is anybody out there?

Hello! Hello!

Broken hearts like promises, I left my last unknowns

Is anybody out there?

Hello! Alone!

Cause the coldest winter's thread

On the right is the barn door style camera drive I sold under the Astrokits name back in the eighties. It tracks the sky to allow time exposures. The larger drive is a high precision quartz crystal stepper motor model that works with lenses up to 300mm for up to 15 minutes, better than some telescopes. The polar alignment scope was purchased from Carton Optical in Japan, the same model used at the time by Astro-Physics.

Students are getting to work on their Human Ecology Class projects. This semester we have a wide variety of projects going on such as film advocacy, star charting, soap making, trailblazing, dive platform construction, up-cycling, and more.

This one cracks me up,my family is such jokers. I can't tell you all the pranks my kids have played on me for years daily. I think it's safe to say it came from my side. My husband's side is very NEnglandy eats bacon with a fork.... LOL

Growing up we had food fights at my family's table it was a LOT of fun. I remember my mom and Dad dueling it with that spray whip cream and my father pushing my brothers shocked faces who were each on one side of him into their pies. We all relish retelling the tales when we're together and my kids do the same thing. Problem is they learn fast and do their own tricks LOL!

new blog

linenphotography.com/

The bear is the guardian of the house

Tutto Ok con il nuovo guardiano della casa !

Sclemo Tn 30.09.2012

Photo Credit: Ann Batdorf, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

In this photo: Batang

For the first time in 25 years, staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are making preparations for the highly anticipated birth of an endangered Bornean orangutan. With a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP), the 19-year-old parents to be, female Batang and male Kyle, bred in January. On Feb. 2, a common human pregnancy test confirmed that Batang had successfully conceived. Earlier today, the Zoo announced Batang’s pregnancy through a broadcast via Facebook Live of her ultrasound; it will continue to provide weekly updates on Batang through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #OrangutanStory.

Zoo veterinarians have conducted bi-weekly ultrasounds since Feb. 2 and are encouraged that the ultrasounds have shown fetal growth and development, heightening hopes that Batang will give birth for the first time. They are cautiously optimistic that she will deliver a healthy baby around mid-September. However, just like any animal pregnancy, there is a possibility that miscarriage, stillbirth or a complication could occur.

“All of our perseverance and planning paid off when we confirmed Batang’s pregnancy,” said Dr. Meredith Bastian, curator of primates and member of the Orangutan SSP Steering Committee. “Watching her fetus develop over the past few months has been incredibly exciting, and we’re making every effort to ensure our efforts come to fruition.”

For the past three years, keepers have been acclimating Batang to the experiences of motherhood and training her to care for an infant. Building upon behaviors Batang has learned through routine training sessions, keepers presented her with a plush, bean-shaped pillow and an orangutan stuffed animal to simulate a baby. Keepers trained her to hold the “fake” baby upright, carry it around the enclosure and return the pillow baby to keepers through a specially designed “baby box” when asked. Should animal care staff need to evaluate a real orangutan baby’s health, this training would help staff retrieve the infant in a way that is safe and not stressful for the animals. Batang has also been trained to use a breast pump for milk collection in the event she is unable to successfully nurse.

“Training increases the likelihood that orangutan mothers will care for their infants,” said Becky Malinsky, assistant curator of primates. “This training is especially important for a first time mother, like Batang. It is our goal for the infant to be raised by her mother, learning how to be an orangutan from Batang and the other orangutans at the zoo.”

In the event that Batang is unable or unwilling to care for her infant, keepers are training females Bonnie and Iris to act as surrogate mothers. They receive similar training to Batang, but with a slight twist: keepers ask them to bring the pillow baby and present it to the keepers for bottle feedings. Batang is also trained to present the infant for bottle feedings if she is unable to nurse. As a last resort, keepers will prepare a nursery in the event it is necessary for them to hand-raise the baby with the goal of returning the infant to its mother or surrogate as soon as possible.

Native to Indonesia, orangutans live in the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. For the past seven decades, humans have cleared land that was originally orangutan territory in order to meet the growing demand for palm oil products, fast-growing pulp wood and food crops leaving orangutans in competition with one another for space, food and mates. Scientists estimate that in the past 75 years, the number of wild orangutans has decreased by 80 percent. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Bornean orangutan as endangered and the Sumatran orangutan as critically endangered.

Visitors can see the Zoo’s six orangutans daily at the Great Ape House and the Think Tank. At the Great Ape House, visitors can meet a great ape keeper to learn about the fascinating world of apes at 11:30 a.m. daily. At Think Tank, staff and interpretive volunteers perform daily demonstrations and lead discussions on research in cognitive science, highlighting current and ongoing Zoo studies at 1:30 p.m. Visitors can also see the orangutans traveling on the O-Line on warm-weather days in the late morning and early afternoon.

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takeshiyamada.weebly.com/

The Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) of Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York – This unique sea-dwelling rabbit, which is actually a close relative of the sea lion, was officially discovered and investigated by Henry Hudson when he first visited this land to colonize the area by order of the Dutch government. It was named New Amsterdam -- today’s New York City. This island was named after he saw the beach covered with strange swimming wild rabbits. The word “Coney Island” means “wild rabbit island” in Dutch (originally Conyne Eylandt, or Konijneneiland in modern Dutch spelling). Sea rabbits were also referred mermaid rabbit, merrabbit, rabbit fish or seal rabbit in the natural history documents in the 17th century. The current conservation status, or risk of extinction, of the sea rabbit is Extinct in the Wild.

This website features two species of sea rabbits, which have been taken care of by Dr. Takeshi Yamada (山田武司) at the Coney Island Sea Rabbit Repopulation Center, which is a part of the Marine biology department of the Coney Island University in Brooklyn, New York. They are – Coney Island Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) called “Seara” and Coney Island Tiger-striped Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus konjinicus) called “Stripes”.

The photographs and videos featured in this website chronicle adventures of the Coney Island sea rabbits and the world as seen by them. This article also documented efforts of Dr. Takeshi Yamada for bringing back the nearly extinct sea rabbits to Coney Island in the City of New York and beyond. Dr. Yamada produced a series of public lectures, workshops, original public live interactive fine art performances and fine art exhibitions about sea rabbits at a variety of occasions and institutions in the City of New York and beyond. Dr. Yamada is an internationally active educator, book author, wildlife conservationist and high profile artist, who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

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Sea Rabbit

Other Common Names: Coney Island Sea Rabbit, Beach Rabbit, Seal Rabbit, mer-rabbit, merrabbit, Atlantic Sea Rabbit.

Latin Name: Monafluffchus americanus

Origin: Atlantic coast of the United States

Description of the specimen: In the early 17th century’s European fur craze drove the fleet of Dutch ships to the eastern costal area of America. Then Holland was the center of the world just like the Italy was in the previous century. New York City was once called New Amsterdam when Dutch merchants landed and established colonies. Among them, Henry Hudson is probably the most recognized individual in the history of New York City today. “This small island is inhabited by two major creatures which we do not have in our homeland. The one creature is a large arthropod made of three body segments: the frontal segment resembles a horseshoe, the middle segment resembles a spiny crab and its tail resembles a sharp sword. Although they gather beaches here in great numbers, they are not edible due to their extremely offensive odor. Another creature which is abundant here, has the head of wild rabbit. This animal of great swimming ability has frontal legs resemble the webbed feet of a duck. The bottom half of the body resembles that of a seal. This docile rabbit of the sea is easy to catch as it does not fear people. The larger male sea rabbits control harems of 20 to 25 females. The meat of the sea rabbit is very tender and tasty.” This is what Hadson wrote in his personal journal in 1609 about the horseshoe crab and the sea rabbit in today’s Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York. Sadly, just like the Dodo bird and the Thylacine, the sea rabbit was driven to extinction by the European settlers’ greed. When Dutch merchants and traders arrived here, sea rabbits were one of the first animals they hunted down to bring their furs to homeland to satisfy the fur craze of the time. To increase the shipment volume of furs of sea rabbit and beavers from New Amsterdam, Dutch merchants also started using wampum (beads made of special clam shells) as the first official currency of this country.

At the North Eastern shores of the United States, two species of sea rabbits were commonly found. They are Coney Island Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) and Coney Island Tiger-striped Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus konjinicus). Sadly, due to their over harvesting in the previous centuries, their conservation status became “Extinct in the Wild” (ET) in the Red List Endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Currently, these sea rabbits are only found at breeding centers at selected zoos and universities such as Coney Island Aquarium and Coney Island University in Brooklyn, New York. The one shown in this photograph was named "Seara" and has been cared by Dr. Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island University.

The sea rabbit is one of the families of the Pinniped order. Pinnipeds (from Latin penna = flat and pes/pedis = foot) are sea-mammals: they are homeothermic (i.e having high and regulated inner temperature), lung-breathing (i.e dependant on atmospheric oxygen) animals having come back to semi aquatic life. As soon as they arrive ashore, females are caught by the nearest adult male. Males can maintain harems of about 20 females on average. Several hours to several days after arriving ashore, pregnant females give birth to eight to ten pups with a dark brown fur. As soon as birth occurs, the mother’s special smell and calls help her pups bond specifically to her. The mother stays ashore with her pup for about one week during which the pup gains weight. During the first week spent with her newborn, the mother becomes receptive. She will be impregnated by the bull, which control the harem. Implantation of the embryo will occur 3 months later, in March-April. During the reproductive period, the best males copulate with several tens females. To do so, males have to stay ashore without feeding in order to keep their territory and their harem. In mid-January, when the last females have been fecundated, males leave at sea to feed. Some of them will come back later in March-April for the moult. The other ones will stay at sea and will come back on Coney Island only in next November. After fecundation, the mother goes at sea for her first meal. At sea, mothers feed on clams, crabs, shrimps, fish (herring, anchovy, Pollock, capelin etc.) and squids. When she is back, the mother recovers her pups at the beach she left them. Suckling occurs after auditive and olfactory recognition had occured. In March-April, the dark brown fur is totally replaced by an adult-like light brownish grey fur during the moult that lasts 1-2 months. This new fur is composed by 2 layers. Externally, the guard fur is composed by flat hairs that recover themselves when wet. By doing so, they make a water-proof barrier for the under fur. The underfur retains air when the seal is dry. Because of isolating properties of the air, the underfur is the insulating system of the fur. In March-April, the fur of adults is partially replaced. First reproduction occurs at 1-yr old in females. Males are physiologically matures at 1 year old but socially matures at +2 years old.

NOTE: The name of Coney Island is commonly thought to be derived from the Dutch Konijn Eylandt or Rabbit Island as apparently the 17th century European settlers noted many rabbits running amuck on the island.

www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/performances.html

www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/sea-rabbit-center.html

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www.flickr.com/photos/yamadabellhouse2014/

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For any questions, please email contact Takeshi Yamada, Art & Rogue Taxidermy, Museum of World Wonders, official website. www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/

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www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com

For any questions, please contact Dr. Takeshi Yamada. His email address is posted in the chapter page (the last page or the first page).

(Updated April 7, 2015)

Porto Sudeste is jointly owned by global terminal operator Impala and Mubabala Development Company who together hold 65 percent. The facility will initially have the capability to handle in excess of 50 million tonnes of iron ore per year, with an expansion capacity up to 100 million tonnes per year. Porto Sudeste is uniquely positioned to support Brazil’s iron-ore mining sector.

Phil is almost there, to the top of the ~5700m Mu La, the pass to Lower Dolpo's Mukutgaon.

z'l Zich-ro-nah li-v'ra-cha Her memory is a blessing.

To this sacred place we come, drawn by the eternal ties that bind our souls to yours. Death has separated us. You are no longer at our side to share the beauty of the passing moment. We cannot look to you to lighten our burdens, to lend us your strength, your counsel, your faith. And yet what you mean to us neither withers nor fades.

For a time we touched hands and hearts; still your voice abides within us, still your tender glance remains a joy to us. For you are part of us for ever; something of you has become a deathless song upon our lips.

And so beyond the ache that tells how much we miss you, a deeper thought compels: we were together. We hold you still in mind, and give thanks for life and love.

The happiness that was, the memories that do not fade, are a gift that cannot be lost. You continue to bless our days and years. We will always give thanks for you.

It''s really tough to have a Yahrzeit יאָרצײַט during Chanukah, but such is life.

Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery is an Orthodox cemetery operated by the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery Association, 3447 North 51st Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI, 53216, (414-871-8760).

Judaica

COPYRIGHT IS CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION SHARE-ALIKE WHICH MEANS YOU MUST ATTRIBUTE MICHAEL VADON IN AN OBVIOUS MANNER TO REUSE

Governor of Florida Jeb Bush at TurboCam, Barrington, New Hampshire on August 7th by Michael Vadon Part 1 of 4

CONCORD, N.H. —Less than a day after the first debate of the GOP primary, former Florida governor Jeb Bush is back in New Hampshire campaigning.

Less than a day after the first debate of the GOP primary, former Florida governor Jeb Bush is back in New Hampshire campaigning.

At a town hall Friday night in Barrington, Bush spoke about how he won't campaign with anger and instead spoke a lot about policy.

He started his day at Brown's Lobster Pound in Seabrook. After greeting voters -- trying a lobster roll -- Bush told reporters he plans to campaign hard on and off the debate stage between now and the primaries.

"I think I did fine (in the debate). I am who I am," Bush said.

He's declining to criticize his Republican rivals, including Donald Trump, who refused to pledge support to the party's eventual nominee. Instead, Bush says he's focused on sharing his record as governor with voters and letting people get to know who he is.

"So you take advantage of opportunities when you have them, speak from your heart," Bush said. "I don't view this debating as question of winning or losing. It's the cumulative effect of shaping peoples opinion of who you are over the long haul."

Bush said Democrats' attacks against him show he is the candidate they fear most.

"Let me think why they would be. Because maybe it's because they consider me the biggest threat," Bush said.

Jeb Bush – Town Hall Barrington

August 7 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Jeb Bush Town Hall in Barrington

Friday August 7th, 6:00 PM

Turbocam, 863 Franklin Pierce Highway

Barrington, NH

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007.

Bush is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and the younger brother of former President George W. Bush, grandson of the late Prescott Sheldon Bush, American Banker and United States Senator from Connecticut. He grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and attended the University of Texas, where he earned a degree in Latin American affairs. Following his father's successful run for Vice President in 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development. In 1986, Bush was named Florida's Secretary of Commerce, a position he held until his resignation in 1988 to help his father's successful campaign for the Presidency.

In 1994, Bush made his first run for office, narrowly losing the election for governor by less than two percentage points to the incumbent Lawton Chiles. Bush ran again in 1998 and defeated Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay with 55 percent of the vote. He ran for reelection in 2002 and won with 56 percent to become Florida's first two-term Republican governor. During his eight years as governor, Bush was credited with initiating environmental improvements, such as conservation in the Everglades, supporting caps for medical malpractice litigation, moving Medicaid recipients to private systems, and instituting reforms to the state education system, including the issuance of vouchers and promoting school choice.

Bush is a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

The translucent red and yellow sculpture is on the"Fourth Plinth". The Fourth Plinth is in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, in central London. Built in 1841, it was originally intended for an equestrian statue but was empty for many years. It is now the location for specially commissioned art works. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the next two commissions to be placed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, to follow Thomas Schütte's 'Model for a Hotel 2007'. The winning artists are:

* Antony Gormley

* Yinka Shonibare MBE

Antony Gormley’s proposal 'One and Other' will be looking for 2,400 members of the public to occupy the Fourth Plinth 24 hours a day at a later date. The registration process will be announced in due course, so you are advised to continue to check this website for further details on how to take part.

Here are some quotes from the current Wikipedia article on Trafalgar Square:

"Trafalgar Square is a square in central London, England. With its position in the heart of London, it is a tourist attraction; its trademark is Nelson's Column which stands in the centre and the four lion statues that guard the column. Statues and sculptures are on display in the square, including a fourth plinth displaying changing pieces of contemporary art, and it is a site of political demonstrations. The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square".

The northern area of the square had been the site of the King's Mews since the time of Edward I, while the southern end was the original Charing Cross, where the Strand from the City met Whitehall, coming north from Westminster. As the midpoint between these twin cities, Charing Cross is to this day considered the heart of London, from which all distances are measured. In the 1820s the Prince Regent engaged the landscape architect John Nash to redevelop the area. Nash cleared the square as part of his Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. The present architecture of the square is due to Sir Charles Barry and was completed in 1845.

The square consists of a large central area surrounded by roadways on three sides, and stairs leading to the National Gallery on the other. The roads which cross the square form part of the A4 road, and prior to 2003, the square was surrounded by a one-way traffic system. Underpasses attached to Charing Cross tube station allow pedestrians to avoid traffic. Recent works have reduced the width of the roads and closed the northern side of the square to traffic. Nelson's Column is in the centre of the square, surrounded by fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1939 (replacing two earlier fountains of Peterhead granite, now at the Wascana Centre and Confederation Park in Canada) and four huge bronze lions sculpted by Sir Edwin Landseer; the metal used is said to have been recycled from the cannon of the French fleet. The column is topped by a statue of Horatio, Viscount Nelson, the admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar.

On the north side of the square is the National Gallery and to its east the St Martin's-in-the-Fields church. The square adjoins The Mall via Admiralty Arch to the southwest. To the south is Whitehall, to the east Strand and South Africa House, to the north Charing Cross Road and on the west side Canada House. At the corners of the square are four plinths; the two northern ones were intended for equestrian statues, and thus are wider than the two southern. Three of them hold statues: George IV (northeast, 1840s), Henry Havelock (southeast, 1861, by William Behnes), and Sir Charles James Napier (southwest, 1855). Mayor of London Ken Livingstone controversially expressed a desire to see the two generals replaced with statues "ordinary Londoners would know".[1]

On the lawn in front of the National Gallery are two statues, James II to the west of the entrance portico and George Washington to the east. The latter statue, a gift from the state of Virginia, stands on soil imported from the United States. This was done in order to honour Washington's declaration he would never again set foot on British soil. In 1888 the statue of General Charles George Gordon was erected. In 1943 the statue was removed and, in 1953, re-sited on the Victoria Embankment. A bust of the Second World War First Sea Lord Admiral Cunningham by Franta Belsky was unveiled in Trafalgar Square on 2 April 1967 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[3]

The Square has become a social and political location for visitors and Londoners alike, developing over its history from "an esplanade peopled with figures of national heroes, into the country’s foremost place politique," as historian Rodney Mace has written. Its symbolic importance was demonstrated in 1940 when the Nazi SS developed secret plans to transfer Nelson's Column to Berlin following an expected German invasion, as related by Norman Longmate in If Britain Had Fallen (1972)."

This is a redesign (kind of) of my college's mascot, Temoc.

Yeah, it's kind of shit. We don't kid ourselves here; it's the best we could do.

Anyways, I used Venom as a base (of sorts) for this. I figured Temoc had some Nightmare Fuel potential.

Just a quick speedpaint; I'm trying to get better at using my tablet.

This is a large kitchen with painted cabinetry along the walls, and a walnut island. The island has decorative turned legs and open bookcases on each end. There will be a second row of doors above the normal doors on the upper cabinets

www.stickscabinets.com

for more info

The Italdesign Giugiaro study of the W12 Coupé, which is systematically oriented towards top performance and high levels of driving dynamics, is the third phase of evolution of two W12 concept cars becomes the fastest cars in the world. The W12 Syncro prototype was first unveiled at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, while the "Roadster", a more advanced version of the W12 Syncro, made its debut at the Volkswagen stand at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show. The final evolution of this sports car project, with its W12 engine inspired by the world of motor sports, was showed at the last Tokyo Motor Show and now is entering the decisive phase of production development. On October 2001 a prototype of Volkswagen's new W12 coupé in the final stages of development set the world speed record for distance covered in 24 hours. The long term development of this project becomes a real partnership between Volkswagen technical and Italdesign Giugiaro staff.The long and flat body of the Coupé, with the restrained styling of the rear spoiler with automatically extends as of 120 km/h, transports the timeless elegance of Volkswagen design into the dynamic sector of the ultimate sports car. Due to the monocoque construction and the location of the longitudinal engine fitted behind the passenger compartment, the front end of the vehicle could be kept extremely flat. With a length of 4.55 metres and at more than 1.92 metres wide, the design study W12 Coupé has a very impressive appearance due to its dimensions alone. This is further underlined by the height of the two-seater vehicle, just 1.1 metres. The design study has been further reflned in comparison to its two predecessors; newly designed headlights and rear lights echo even more strongly the characteristics of the future top class models from Volkswagen. One of the most famous studios in the world is responsible for the design of the vehicle: Italdesign, Giugiaro, Fabrizio Giugiaro, Styling Director,said: " this is one of the most fascinating cars in the world and for sure the fastest and most reliable never built".Smooth leather has been used for the element where the driver has direct access to the function elements - namely the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is not perfectly round, but is rather extremely similar in form and function to the concepts used in Formula One racing. Alongside the use of leather, the aluminium elements in the interior are particularly noticeable as they have a red sheen and thus correspond to the exterior colour. Volkswagen is using a new chemical procedure to achieve the colouring and surface coating of the unpainted alloy. The layout of the instruments is classic.Two round main displays show the most important information such as speed, revs, fuel tank (100 litres) and engine temperature. A colour display in the centre of the dash panel is used to control the functions of the air conditioning, the navigation system, the on-board computer and the car telephone. Furthermore, the amount of space in the W12 Coupé is extremely comfortable. A generous and ergonomically perfect situation has been realised despite the low level of the vehicle typical of a sports car. There is no doubt - this design study is more than a show car. All the details of the W12 Coupé are fully-functional and the concepts are close to production standards.In the future, all Volkswagens in the upper and luxury classes will be equipped with the high-torque W engines. They are characterised by exceptionally low levels of vibration and the best possible acoustic qualities. They are, depending on the model in question, used as standard- in the W12 Coupé for example - or as an option. The Volkswagen brand will launch them as an eight-cylinder, as can already be seen in the Passat W8, and as a twelve-cylinder version with varying levels of output and set-ups. A 16-cylinder version has also been developed on this basis within the Volkswagen Group.The technology of the twelve cylinder engine integrated in the design study W12 Coupé: with a length of 513 millimetres, a height of 715 millimetres and a width of 710 millimetres, the engine is particularly compact. The capacity of the W12, which weighs just 239 kilograms, is 5,998 cm3. The engine, which is located between the passenger compartment and the rear axle, has an extraordinarily torsionally rigid aluminium crankcase with wear-resistant cylinder sleeves.The enormous power of the engine is transferred to the rear axle via a sequential and thus very fast shiRing six-speed gearbox located behind the engine. This is very favourable for a classic sports car layout. The contact to the road is made via specially developed 19" magnesium wheels with 255/35 ZR front tyres and 275/40 ZR rear tyres. The sophisticated front and rear axle with double wishbone, numerous electronics modules, an ideal weight distribution of nearly 50:50 and an extended wheelbase of 2. 63 metres ensure that the W12 Coupé is both fast and safe.The scope of active safety systems includes the electronic stability program ESP and the traction control system TCS. The performance of these systems in the correction of the vehicle response is carried out not only via the brakes system, but also via the central engine management system. At the same time electronic differential locks (EDL) ensure via the brakes that the wheels do not overspin at speeds under 40 km/h. Anybody wanting to drive the W12 Coupé on a racing track can deactivate the electronic running gear systems. The basic concept of the brake system has been perfectly adapted to suit these situations. Ventilated Brembo brakes with a disc diameter of 318 millimetres have been fitted at the front and rear. The handbrake has been designed for comfortable standard production: it is activated electrically by pressing a button.A further indication of the systematic light-weight construction approach can be seen in the valve covers and timing chain covers made of magnesium. The basic layout of the W12 engine is made up of two very thin V6 four-valve modules which are configured at an angle of 72 degrees with a joint crankshaft with seven main bearings to make up a V-V arrangement, i. e. a "W". The cylinder angle is just 15 degrees within the two V6 banks. This makes the construction, which is very compact in comparison to V12 engines, possible.On February 23rd 2002 a prototype of Volkswagen's new W12 Coupé in the final stages of development set the world speed record for distance covered in 24 hours. The 440 kW/600 bhp twelve-cylinder sports car covered 7,740.57600 kilometres (12454.586 miles) at an average speed of 322.891 km/h (200.67 mph). In the Volkswagen W12 Coupé capable of 350 km/h (217 mph), which had not been specially prepared for the long-distance record bid, the team of drivers also set five other world records (over 5,000 kilometres, 5,000 miles, 1,000 miles, 6 hours, 12 hours) and six international vehicle class records.

This is the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, West Midlands.

The museum was established in 1975, and the first buildings moved here in 1976. Since then a 26 acre site has been developed, with the unique conditions of living and working in the Black Country from the mid 19th century to early 20th century.

It is off Tipton Road in Dudley.

This is the Racecourse Colliery at the museum.

The ground beneath the Museum site was once mined for coal, limestone, fireclay, and ironstone. More than 40 old mine shafts are shown on old plans and around one of these shafts, Racecourse Colliery has been built as a typical small Black Country coalpit.

The colliery was so named because the land on which it stands was originally the Dudley Racecourse which was closed when the railway line from Dudley to Wolverhampton was built in 1846.

Racecourse Colliery is shown as it would have been in about 1910 with the Manager's Office in the weighbridge house from Rolfe Street in Smethwick, the typical hovel and blacksmith's shop. It represents a typical Black Country coal, or fire clay mine. The wooden pit frame stands over a shaft 30 metres deep and a cylinder outside drum steam powered winding engine would wind the cage up and down the shaft.

Next to the colliery is Brook Shaft a reconstruction of a small 1930's pit built over an original mine shaft worked before 1842.

This building is the Weighbridge House. It originally stood on Rolfe Street in Smethwick.

Manager's Office cicra 1910.

Another photographer (with tripod) talks to a volunteer in period costume.

Pit-frame in background.

Preview

Buildings with flags, Chiesa di Sant'Agostino [left] and Biblioteca Guarnacci, Archivio storico e Biblioteca Comunale (that is, it's the Guarnacci Library, Archives, and Public Library) [right] on Piazza XX Settembre and Via Don Minzoni, Volterra; taken with a Canon EOS 1v.

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Chiesa di Sant'Agostino

Built in the thirteenth century, a single aisle, according to the type of plants to shed their mendicant orders, on land donated by the town of Volterra, the hermits of St. Augustine of Montecatini Val di Cecina, where he officiated at the chapel of Santa Lucia; was transformed into three naves with time in the first half of the eighteenth century, when it also receives the current façade.

The counter is the tomb of Alexander Del Riccobaldi Light of 1523, among other works, painted on a cross shaped table of the thirteenth century, a fresco of the Madonna and Child by Cenni di Francesco (XIV century) in a Pieta painted pottery attributed to Zechariah Zacchi, St. Thomas and St. Clare of Montefalco Villanuova praying for Baldassare Franceschini (XVII century), a fragment of a fresco with the Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. Romuald attributed to Stephen Anthony Vanni (XV century), here transported after leaving the refrettorio the Abbey of Saints Giusto and Clemente.

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_Sant'Agostino_(Volterra) [machine translation]

.

The Public Library at Volterra opened [presumably 'reopened in its current form'; literally from Italian 'is active from'] March 18, 1985.

Located on Via Don Minzoni No 3, in Palazzo Watchers [Palazzo Vigilanti], it comes from meeting the same building of the famous Library Guarnacci (a historical and antiquarian), annex Municipal Historical Archives and the Public Library (a contemporary character).

Thus becomes possible to see the community together rationally (though in fact geographically separate) the three major institutions of a historical and informative documentary that boasts Volterra.

An original blend, then, and an ideal path to cross the culture of the area ranging from parchment documents of the tenth century to contemporary literature.

Library Guarnacci

La Biblioteca Guarnacci, The Guarnacci Library, is a conservative nature and antiques and is one of the most important historical libraries of the Tuscany.

It was founded in 1786 with a bequest for the citizens of Volterra of 7,000 volumes to the abbot and scholar Bishop of Volterra Mario Guarnacci.

Over time, this library has been constantly increased through purchases, donations and deposits to achieve the remarkable current size of about 50,000 volumes. Among them stand out a huge heritage of 514 manuscripts (including very valuable illuminated manuscripts such as epithalamium GFMarliano composed for the wedding of Bianca Maria Sforza to Giovanni di Mattia Corvino, a famous miniature that reproduces the likeness of the great king of Hungary), 273 incunabula (of particular interest is the only specimen of doctrinal Alexander de Villa Dei, printed in Bologna in 1489 at Bazalerius de Bazaleriis or a wonderful Breviarium Romanum printed on vellum by Jenson at Venice in 1478 and decorated with beautiful illuminations) and over 1,000 sixteenth.

Many are the works of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, mostly theological argument-religious, literary and historical, as well as treatises on botany, medicine, geography and humanities disciplines. Of particular note section of the abundant local, authentic and fundamental historical memory for the city of Volterra and its territory.

Library also belong to the same number of important book collections that keep still intact their original appearance as the Fund Funaioli (about 2,500 volumes, XX-XIX century) and the Fund Pacciani (1450 volumes, XIX century), and large stores such as archival Diplomatic Fund (about 3,000 scrolls aged between 907 and 1756), the Archives Maffei (258 strands, XIV-XIX) Cards Ricciarelli (XVI-XIX), the Archives of the National Guard (1860-1870), the Archives of the Accademia dei Riuniti (XIX century).

At Guarnacciana are finally stored in the archive storage and buried with the Library of the valuable collection Aulus Persius Flaccus and interesting Herbarium Amidei.

Historical Archives

The Municipal Historical Archives, full of 16,200 pieces of strings and files, document the progress of local history since the days of free common Unification of Italy (XII-XIX centuries).

The archive is sorted by the nature of the acts in accordance with the following breakdown:

1) Courts and political and administrative offices;

2) Municipal Finance, Office of abundance and financial magistrates;

3) Customs salt, grain tax, duties;

4) Administration of Customs of the salt;

5) Gabelle;

6) Courts of justice;

7) Monasteries suppressed.

It also keep records and registers (estimi, grinding etc.). Relative to the town of Montecatini Val di Cecina, La Sassa, Gello, oak, fuses, Montecastelli, Pomarance and Mazzolla (XVI-XIX centuries).

Town Library

The Municipal Library is open to all regardless of age, residence, social status. The library in fact aimed at guaranteeing all citizens the widest possible access to information and culture.

While the library Guarnacci and the Municipal Historical Archives are housed respectively in I and the second floor of Palazzo Watchers, in closed to the public, the public library occupies the entire ground floor of the building and is fully accessible.

It is divided into a reading room in a 'Newspaper and a Youth Section.

What makes it more inviting and friendly consultation and visits to the Library is also the fact that the reading material is placed on open shelves to which users can directly access to view, read or to make free books, newspapers and periodicals, the 'search operation of the volumes in the reading room is also made simpler and more rational system of cataloging adopted (Dewey Decimal Classification), which allows anyone to quickly find work or want to know exactly the availability of the library on a given topic.

To finally complete the series of tools needed to navigate between user names, titles and classifications, and, of course, the presence and valuable help of books, there are two computers that allow access to the database of items held at the Library.

Currently it is computerized the entire catalog of contemporary section (about 15,000 records) and the Library Guarnacci (about 12,000 records).

As we said, the public library consists of three distinct sections, each dedicated to satisfy specific information needs, reading, study or leisure and cultural needs of each targeted age group. In particular, three areas can be divided as follows:

The Reading Room is the heart of the Library. Located next to the entrance, has 16 seats. There are computers that allow browsing the catalog computer and paper files by author and subject relating to the Municipal Library and the Library Guarnacci, inventory and all of the Historical City of library materials. The catalog of the Biblioteca Comunale amounted to 12,000 units, is also the general reference room for the whole structure.

[EMEROTECA] Newspaper: make available to the public 6 and 7 daily newspapers magazines each month.

BOYS SECTION: three rooms, is a highly attended where children find reading materials for school projects and entertainment, plus a number of comics, all in spacious and comfortable rooms.

SERVICES OFFERED BY THE LIBRARY

INFORMATION: in the Library you can have news about activities and cultural initiatives promoted by the Library and bibliographic information.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICE users and help in a search of files and catalogs.

Free loan of books for a period of one month, for up to three works or 4 volumes. At the service allowed all citizens regardless of age, residing in the town of Volterra. The loan can be renewed. It is possible to reserve works were on loan requests. Upon return of the item is reserved to the user that it has at its disposal.

PHOTOCOPYING: photocopying service is available at a cost of € 0.10 per A4 and A3 for € 0.20 each.

ALL SERVICES ARE FREE FROM LIBRARY except photocopying.

NETWORK BIBLIOLANDIA

The Library of Volterra BIBLIOLANDIA adheres to the library network, a network of libraries founded in 1999 that now includes 37 libraries, including 21 municipal, 13 private schools and 3, all located between Era, Lower Valdarno Valdicecina.

BIBLIOLANDIA is a large library of over 300,000 volumes. Of these, about 255,000 are currently cataloged in electronic form and can be searched in the catalog only placed on the web at Internet bibliolandia.it where one form allows you to search for "camps" and introduces the user to 'inclusion of indications of author, title words, publisher.

Through interlibrary loan can be delivered at each library, at the request of any user, one or more books in the catalog Bibliolandia Network.

A weekly service allows the circulation of books and documents. Along with the catalog, the weekly delivery of books allows Bibliolandia to function as one big library with access points distributed throughout the territory.

All citizens can go to your reference library and consult the catalog of Bibliolandia search for the desired book.

If the volume is not available locally you can book and get through the weekly delivery service from one of the libraries of the Network.

By consulting the catalog also highlights the specific library or libraries that own the books and someone who has urgent need of a text will eventually appear in person at the library that owns it and get a loan.

BOOKS ON THE WEB

The Library adheres to the service of Volterra 'Books on the Net' implemented by the Region of Tuscany.

Consult the regional MetaOPAC at web.rete.toscana.it/metaopac/index.jsp or asking for help in research at the library, you can see a virtual catalog of 4.2 million titles, found the book interesting You can ask to borrow through the regional service "Books on the Net." A courier will deliver books to the Library applicant at no cost to you.

comune.volterra.pi.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/81 [modified machine translation]

Downsize is nu, in deze tijd van recessie het antwoord voor velen, maar niet voor de muziekliefhebber. Waren de koptelefoons met de komst van de walkman klein en nauwelijks zichtbaar, nu 2012, zijn ze groot en kleurrijk.

Ik ben Gyo, een jongen met een passie voor muziek met een verhaal. Ik gebruik mijn koptelefoon vaak als ik aan het reizen ben: op de fiets, in de trein, maar ook bijvoorbeeld lopend door een vreemde stad. Het luisteren naar muziek geeft mij een goed gevoel.

Italien / Lombardei - Monte Grona

Monte Grona is a mountain of Lombardy, Italy. It has an elevation of 1,736 metres and belongs to the province of Como.

SOIUSA classification

According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:

main part = Western Alps

major sector = North Western Alps

section = Lugano Prealps

subsection = Prealpi Comasche

supergroup = Catena Gino-Camoghè-Fiorina

group = Gruppo del Gino

code = I/B-11.I-A.1

(Wikipedia)

Der Monte Grona ist ein 1736 m s.l.m. hoher Berg in den südlichen Alpen (Tambogruppe bzw. Luganer Voralpen) zwischen dem Luganersee und dem Comer See in der Lombardei in Italien.

Routen zum Gipfel

Talort ist Breglia nördlich von Menaggio. Ein Bergweg beginnt an den Monti di Breglia (996 m). Er führt zunächst zu einer Schutzhütte (Rifugio Menaggio, 1.380 m). Von dort aus führen neben dem Normalanstieg noch zwei weitere Bergwege zum Gipfel: Ein direkter Steilanstieg („Direttissima“) und ein Aussichtsweg („Sentiero Panoramico“). Der vierte Weg auf den Gipfel ist ein Klettersteig („Ferrata del Centenario CAO“).

(Wikipedia)

Der Aufstieg zum Monte Grona gehört zum Pflichtprogramm eines Comer See-Aufenthalts. Auch die Bewohner der Gemeinde Menaggio besteigen zu Saisonbeginn, veranstaltet vom hiesigen Alpenverein, den Gipfel. Auf dem Weg nach oben gehört der Besuch des Rifugio Menaggio dazu.

Der Monte Grona hat eine Bomben-Hütte

Der Hüttenwirt bereitet bis auf einen kurzen Zeitraum von Januar bis Februar das ganze Jahr über einfache lokale Speisen und Getränke zu. Der Monte Grona ist 1 736 m hoch und bietet vom Gipfel einen Rundumblick über die gesamte Region bis zum Luganer See. Der Aufstieg beginnt in Breglia oder dem Parkplatz kurz oberhalb des Ortes, nach 2h ist der Gipfel erreicht.

Das Rifugio Menaggio, bis weit über den Comer See hinaus bekannt, wurde 1952 als Schutzhütte für Bergsteiger geplant und gebaut. 1960 folgte die feierliche Eröffnung und 1970 wurde die Schutzhütte dann zu ihrer heutigen Form erweitert. Die Hütte ist weitgehend autonom, bezieht das Wasser aus einer nahe gelegenen Quelle, Strom liefert die Sonne mit Hilfe einer Photovoltaik-Anlage.

Die Lebensmittelversorgung wird über eine Lastenseilbahn von einem Forstweg (ca. 150 m unterhalb der Hütte) organisiert. Das Rifugio verfügt über zwanzig Schlafmöglichkeiten, eine Küche, zwei Aufenthaltsräume und ein Bad mit Warmwasser.

Tourbeschreibung: Die äußerst attraktive Bergwanderung beginnt man sinnvollerweise oberhalb von Breglia an einem Parkplatz. Die Anfahrt dorthin ist im Gegensatz zu anderen Bergen eher angenehm, mehr als 10 min. sollte sie nicht dauern. Wer viel Power hat, parkt natürlich in Breglia selbst bei der Kirche, ca. 30 m. vom Platz beginnt der Wanderweg. Er führt allerdings anfangs immer wieder ein bisschen an der Straße entlang, sodass viele den oberen Startpunkt wählen. Vom (Berg-)Parkplatz aus geht es dann in ca. 1h durch zunächst niedrigen Wald, später auf offener Strecke zum Rifugio Menaggio auf 1 383 m. Höhe.

Die Strecke ist durchgehend ausgeschildert und eigentlich nicht zu verfehlen. Am Rifugio angekommen, erfrischt man sich mit Wasser aus dem Brunnen oder in der Berghütte. Neben Getränken gibt es auch kleinere einfache Speisen: Polenta mit Fleisch, Käse oder Würstchen und Spaghetti mit verschiedenen Soßen. Viel grüne Fläche in der Sonne und im Schatten lädt zum Verweilen ein, die Sicht ist grandios.

Der weitere Weg auf den Monte Grona führt rechts an der Hütte vorbei. Nach wenigen Schritten geht es ab zum nahe gelegenen Klettersteig (Ferrata), der aber nur für geübte Kletterer empfohlen wird. Folgen Sie lieber der Hauptstrecke, die sich nach einigen Metern erneut teilt: Sie haben nun die Wahl zwischen der sog. ‚Diretissima‘ und dem ‚Via normale‘. Letzterer ist 10 min. länger.

Beide Strecken liegen wunderschön im Gelände, am besten man begeht beide, eine beim Aufstieg, eine beim Abstieg. Der Via normale führt über viele enge und teils extrem ausgewaschene Pfade inmitten faszinierender Natur bis zum Sattel zwischen Monte Grona und Monte Santa Amata, einem kleineren Nachbarberg, in dessen Verlauf der Monte Bregagno schon zu sehen ist. Folgen Sie dem Weg zum Monte Grona links, auf dem Schild werden 30 min. ausgewiesen, und entdecken Sie die schönsten Seiten der Comenser Bergwelten.

Bald erreicht man über schmale teils auch felsige Strecken den Gipfel mit einer Traumaussicht in alle Himmelsrichtungen. Für die letzten zehn Meter ist zur Sicherheit noch ein Seil gespannt, das man aber eigentlich nicht benötigt. Im Westen der Luganer See, dahinter die Bergkette des Monte Rosa, dem höchsten Berg der Schweiz, gegenüber der Monte Legnone, mit 2 609 m., der höchste Berg am Lago di Como.

Im Süden die hohen Vertreter der Grigne-Gruppe von Lecco, unterhalb der Ort Menaggio. Für 2 h Anstrengung erhält man an diesem Berg eine ganze Menge hochalpiner Eindrücke. Zurück am Rifugio genießt man am besten die Abendstimmung bei einer Tasse Cappuccino. Ausklang: In Menaggio gibt es direkt an der Piazza Garibaldi (auch Tourist-Office) eine Gelateria mit gutem Eis und einige Cafés.

Tourvarianten 1. Kurz nach dem oberen Parkplatz führt bei der Abzweigung ein weiterer Weg unterhalb zum Rifugio (ausgeschildert). Der Weg ist zunächst etwas flacher und breiter, verjüngt sich aber später ebenfalls. Man erreicht das Rifugio im Gegensatz zur anderen Strecke von unten. 2. Während des Aufstiegs zum Monte Grona gibt es eine gut beschilderte Abzweigung zum Monte Bregagno, mit 2 143 m. ein stattlicher Berg der Region.

Man steigt zunächst diagonal zum Berg an, überquert dann, schon auf dem Bergkamm laufend, den kleinen Bruder des Bregagno und erreicht nach weiteren 1,5 h auf weichem Wiesenuntergrund den grünen Gipfel. Von hier führt auch ein Abstieg zur Via Monti Lariani (VML), an der Kreuzung liegt die Kirche San Bernardo, die zum Bergdorf Labbio gehört.

Dort befindet sich das Agriturismo Labbio, in dem man übernachten kann (www.agriturismolabbio.it). Allen anderen bleibt nur der beschwerliche Abstieg über unzählige Serpentinen nach Musso oder der Weitermarsch auf dem VML nach Dongo. 3. Auf halber Strecke zum Monte Bregagno liegt das Kirchlein Sant‘Amate, das von vielen als (Zwischen-)Ziel gewählt wird.

(comersee-info.de)

Wildwood Recreation Site is located along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway near the town of Welches, Oregon. Mount Hood, Oregons tallest mountain, beckons travelers through a forested corridor to wade the waters of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. This day-use area is home to a wide range of recreation facilities and the Cascade Streamwatch Trail. Visitors have a chance to explore natural stream and wetland ecosystems along accessible interpretive trails and boardwalks and observe native fish in a unique, underwater fish viewing chamber.

Natural Features:

Nestled in a bend of the spectacular Wild and Scenic Salmon River, Wildwood Recreation Site encompasses 550 acres of beautiful land forested with old-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. Dense vegetation provides nice privacy between sites.

Recreation:

Hiking and wandering the boardwalks at Wildwood is the best way to experience the park. The Cascade Streamwatch Trail is an accessible, 3/4-mile paved loop that features quality educational displays, picturesque views of the Salmon River and a fish viewing window below stream level.The Wetlands Trail is an accessible, 3/4-mile loop trail leading to the challenging Boulder Ridge Trail, which is a 4.7-mile hike up the steep slopes of Huckleberry Mountain into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. Visitors also enjoy swimming and fishing in the cool, clear waters of the Salmon River.

Facilities:

Wildwood is an excellent place for large groups, company picnics or special events. The site offers family picnic units, several group shelters, outdoor picnic kitchens, athletic fields, volleyball and basketball courts and fully accessible trails. Picnic tables, fire rings and grills are available at each site. Flush toilets and drinking water are also provided.

Nearby Attractions:

Mount Hood National Forest offers many recreational activities, including hiking, horseback riding, fishing, camping, backpacking, and skiing, among others.

Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, beckons travelers through a forested corridor to wade the waters of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. Located along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway near the town of Welches, Wildwood Recreation Site is a day use area home to a wide range of recreation facilities and the Cascade Streamwatch Trail. Visitors have a chance to explore natural stream and wetland ecosystems along accessible interpretive trails and boardwalks and observe native fish in a unique underwater fish viewing chamber.

The site offers family picnic units, several group shelters, outdoor picnic kitchens, playing fields, volleyball and basketball courts and fully accessible trails. The site also provides access to the Salmon River and an extensive system of trails in the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness (managed by the Mount Hood National Forest).

Wildwood is excellent for large groups, company picnics or special events. The extensive Cascade Streamwatch and wetland boardwalk complex are also ideal for environmental education and school groups. Contact Wildwood Recreation Site at 503-622-3696 to schedule.

Contact:

1717 Fabry Road, SE

Salem, OR 97306

Phone: 503-375-5642

Fax: 503-375-5622

E-mail: BLM_OR_SA_Mail@blm.gov

(503) 375-5646

www.blm.gov/visit

Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2018

In the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918. Remembrance Sunday is held to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

Remembrance Sunday is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages, attended by civic dignitaries, ex-servicemen and -women, members of local armed forces regular and reserve units, military cadet forces and uniformed youth organisations. Two minutes’ silence is observed at 11 a.m. and wreaths of remembrance poppies are then laid on the memorials.

The United Kingdom national ceremony is held in London at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Wreaths are laid by principal members of the Royal Family, normally including the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex and the Duke of Kent, the Prime Minister, leaders of the other major political parties, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets and the civilian services, and veterans’ groups.

In 2017 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, for the first time, did not lay wreaths themselves but viewed the parade from the Foreign and Commonwealth balcony. In 2018 the Queen again viewed the parade from the balcony whilst Prince Philip did not attend. Other members of the British Royal Family watched from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

11 November 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid a German wreath at the Cenotaph for the first time. Normally wreaths are only laid by British persons and organisations and Commonwealth governments. Wreaths have been laid by leaders of Commonwealth and Allied countries when they attended as guests. In 2003 the Prime Minister of Australia, in 2006 the Prime Minister of New Zealand and in 2015 the King of the Netherlands laid wreaths.

Two minutes' silence is held at 11 a.m., before the laying of the wreaths. This silence is marked by the firing of a field gun on Horse Guards Parade by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, to begin and end the silence, followed by Royal Marines buglers sounding Last Post in Whitehall.

The parade consists mainly of an extensive march past by veterans, with military bands playing music following the list of the Traditional Music of Remembrance.

After the ceremony, a parade of veterans and other related groups, organised by the Royal British Legion, marches past the Cenotaph, each section of which lays a wreath as it passes. Only ticketed participants can take part in the march past. In 2018 this was followed by a "people's procession" of some 10,000 people who streamed past the Cenotaph in honour of the war dead.

From 1919 until the Second World War remembrance observance was always marked on 11 November itself. It was then moved to Remembrance Sunday, but since the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1995, it has become usual to hold ceremonies on both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Each year, the music at the National Ceremony of Remembrance remains the same, following a programme finalised in 1930:

Rule, Britannia! by Thomas Arne

Heart of Oak by William Boyce

The Minstrel Boy by Thomas Moore

Men of Harlech

The Skye Boat Song

Isle of Beauty by Thomas Haynes Bayly

David of the White Rock

Oft in the Stilly Night by John Stevenson

Flowers of the Forest

Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Dido's lament by Henry Purcell

O Valiant Hearts by Charles Harris

Solemn Melody by Walford Davies

Last Post – a bugle call

Beethoven's Funeral March No. 1, by Johann Heinrich Walch

O God, Our Help in Ages Past – words by Isaac Watts, music by William Croft

Reveille – a bugle call

God Save The Queen

Other pieces of music are then played during the march past and wreath laying by veterans, starting with Trumpet Voluntary and followed by It's A Long Way To Tipperary, the marching song of the Connaught Rangers, a famous British Army Irish Regiment of long ago.

The following is complied from press reports on 11 November 2018:

“The Prince of Wales has led the nation in remembering those who gave their lives in the First World War as he laid the wreath at the Cenotaph.

For the first time ever he was joined the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, marking a historic act of reconciliation between the two nations.

The Queen watched from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office along with the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall.

Remembrance services have been taking place all over Britain and Europe, which is an hour ahead, to mark the Armistice that ended the hostilities 100 years ago.

It is estimated that nine million military personnel were killed between 28 July 1914 and 11 November 1918.

The armistice, which was signed by German and Allied generals at 5am GMT, came into effect six hours later at 11am. Every year since then the country has paused at 11am for two minutes to remember the men and women who lost their lives in the conflict.

The Palace announced this morning that the Duke of Edinburgh could not attend the service and a wreath was laid on his behalf by an equerry.

Later this evening, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend a special service at Westminster Abbey, alongside Mr Steinmeier.

As part of event, two B-type buses which served as military vehicles between 1914 and 1918 - and are the last surviving models from the period - will be on The Mall. This will mark the contribution of bus drivers during the First World War and will be the first time they have appeared in an Armistice Day parade since the 1960s.

As well as the parade, civilians across the country will ring church bells in unison across the country on Sunday; it is expected that 1,700 people will take part in the event. Church bells across the UK remained restricted throughout the course of the war and only rang freely once Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918.

At that moment, bells erupted spontaneously across the country, as an outpouring of relief that four years of war had come to an end.

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, led the ceremony in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

Around 70 world leaders were in attendance, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jean-Claude Juncker, for a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.

President Trump and his wife Melania arrived in the French capital yesterday, and were greeted at the Elysee Palace in Paris by the French President and his wife Brigitte.

The President of Germany made history today appearing at the Cenotaph.

Following the Prince of Wales who laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen, Frank Walter-Steinmeier laid a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph and stood with his head bowed.

He is the first German dignitary invited to the Cenotaph and was watched by his wife Elke Budenbender who accompanied the Duchess of Sussex on the Foreign Office balcony.

The Queen was accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge although the Duke of Edinburgh was absent having retired from official duties last year.

Commemorations had begun before dawn, as beach drawings and bag pipers added to the beautiful ways the centenary has been marked around the country.

In Paris, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and the USA joined together for a special international service.”

This is the chapel of the separatist prison in Lincoln castle. The idea was that prisoner would effectively be in solitary confinement to reflect on their crimes. The boxes mean prisoners cannot see each other, only the preacher played by Dr Ian Whitbread, who I've skillfully chopped off at the top. This picture has 1st year students in it.

Alternative title: The good doctor reveals Leicester's new "late essay" penalty.

Tai Pei Yuan Temple 大悲院

Tai Pei Yuen Temple’s vision is “May loving kindness and compassion pervades the world, alleviating fear and giving solace to all beings.”

Such are the praises of the aspirations and practices of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They aspire to free beings from suffering and allow them to be liberated. Tai Pei Yuen Temple worships Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and they believe is "listening to the Dharma, contemplating and practicing the Dharma" in order to gain enlightenment.

The Bodhisattva is believed to aspire to help free all sentient beings, even at the expense of her own happiness. Her altruism encompasses the Buddha worlds in the ten directions, thus benefiting countless sentient beings.

One would try to help others from their difficulties because of their compassion and great loving kindness. Ways of spreading kindness include consoling, encouraging and advising others with wisdom and eloquence.

The devotees of Tai Pei Yuen temple believe in learning form the loving kindness of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and make compassion their habit. They aspire to help as many sentient beings as possible with their compassion.

In addition, Tai Pei Yuen Temple has monthly blessing sessions as well as blessing sessions on Sunday.

History

The temple is founded by Venerable See Fatt Kuan.

Venerable See Fatt Kuan was born in 1927 in the Chinese village of Pang Yu in Kwangtung. When she was born, she was given the name Poon Sin Kiew. When she was only a mere nine years of age, she fled to Singapore with her mother, Madam Chow Siew Keng as there was political unrest in Kwangtung Province.

When the mother and daughter just arrived in Singapore, Madam Chow provided free Chinese medical care in Kreta Ayear District. Two years after Madam Chow arrived in Singapore, Madam Chow purchased a land, which measured 24000 square feet, at Jalan Kemaman and founded Kuan Yin Lodge, which was to become Tai Pei Yuen Temple. It was founded with the hope to spread the Buddhist Dharma in Singapore.

After World War II ended in 1945, the 18-year-old Venerable Fatt Kuan was put in charge of operating a shop providing supplies to post war renowned eateries near High Street. After 12 years of hardship, she has established a viable business. However, her mother’s health was getting from bad to worse, and Venerable Fatt Kuan stopped operating her business in 1957 in order to take care of her mother and the fruits of her labour, Kuan Yin Lodge.

During the time she took time off to care for her mother, Venerable Fatt Kuan felt her calling to devote her life to Buddhism and spreading it. After the demise of her mother, Venerable Fatt Kuan devoted herself to Kuan Yin Lodge. In 1965, there was an increasing number of Buddhist devotees, and Kuan Yin Lodge was too dilapidated and old to support so many people. Therefore, Venerable Fatt Kuan saw a need in rebuilding it and thus, worked very hard to raise funds. The rebuilt temple was renamed Tai Pei Yuen Temple, or Great Philanthropist Temple, honouring Bodhisattva, the quintessential philanthropist. Venerable Fatt Kuan was inspired into becoming a Buddhist nun under the guidance and encouragement of Venerable Yan Pei and Venerable Xu Ming.

Venerable Fatt Kuan had the aspiration to propagate Buddha’s teachings. Moreover, the temple had the objectives of providing shelter and nursing care to female aged destitute regardless of race and religion, and to provide welfare programmes for the benefit of the elderly in Singapore, in their own words.

Venerable Fatt Kuan had the aspiration to receive ordination under Venerable Chang Xi. In 1966, Venerable Fatt Kuan received precepts from Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery.

After the temple rebuilding was completed in 1967, Tai Pei Yuen Temple conducted 3 days of intense prayer sessions. These prayer sessions attracted participation from many Buddhists.

From 1957, Venerable Fatt Kuan raised funds in order to build the first Buddhist Women Nursing Home, the Tai Pei Old People’s Home in 1980. It catered to the needy in Singapore. When it was first established, it had 3 recreational rooms, 2 physiotherapy rooms, an obversation room, a clinic, prayer rooms, a hall, a courtyard, 56 dormitories and more than 200 beds.

Later in 1985, Tai Pei Foundation was established. It is a charitable organization set up to spread Buddhism. Kwang Fu was bought over by the Foundation and it was renamed Tai Pei Buddhist Centre. The place housed a child-care centre, conducting Dharma classes for the community in order to interest the young with Buddha’s teachings.

After some time, the building became old, and thus needed rebuilding. There were various fund raising events, like charity fairs, auctioning of donated calligraphies, art pieces and antique furniture and a Thousand People Charity Dinner event. This raised enough funds for the rebuilding of Tai Pei Buddhist Centre in 1998.

In 2002, the new building was completed. Tai Pei Buddhist Centre provided Chinese and English Dharma classes, has Internet access for devotees to have access to rich Buddhist Literature and invites international and local venerables to conduct Dharma Talks. Such acts are aimed to provide the public with channels to learn more about Buddha’s teachings. These are especially targeted at the young ones as their modernised place of learning provides a perfect ambience for them to learn more about Buddhism.

Source: projectbalestier.weebly.com/tai-pei-yuen-temple.html

Durga Puja, also referred to as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Vijayadashami. The dates of Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu calendar and the fortnight corresponding to the festival is called Devi Paksha, (‘Fortnight of the Goddess’). Devi Paksha is preceded by Mahalaya, the last day of the previous fortnight Pitri Paksha, (‘Fortnight of the Forefathers’), and is ended on Kojagori Lokkhi Puja (‘Worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kojagori Full Moon Night’).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Puja

Taken by Soma Adhicary.

.... Uxbridge, is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada with a population of 11,500, it is named after Uxbridge, England. The first settlers in the area were Quakers who started arriving in 1806 from the Catawissa area of Pennsylvania. Uxbridge was incorporated into a village in 1872 and a town in 1885. Uxbridge is twinned with Catawissa, Pennsylvania in the United States, from which many of its settlers originated.

JANET MARINELLI is a respected author, journalist, and a pioneer in the field of ecological landscaping. As Director of Publishing at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and editor of BBG's internally renowned series of gardening handbooks, she is a leading advocate of plant conservation. Her previous books include 'Stalking the Wild Amaranth'."

Roger Swain, science editor of Horticulture Magazine said, "not since Voltaire has anyone so eloquently proclaimed the wisdom and the necessity of CULTIVATING OUR OWN GARDENS.

From the Book P L A N T

Janet Marinelli

The Ultimate Visual Reference To Plants And Flowers Of The World

Mindanao Tourist Destinations Local/Travel Website and Angelique Ross Kaamiño/TravelEscapade TRAVEL Leisure Cebu/CdO/Butuan

FEATURED LINK-

Calo Horse-Farm and Ecological Landscaping/Seed Bank, propagation, conservation and protection of Nature Garden on the vanishing Flora and Fauna/South East Asian Tour of the Balanghai boat Photos.

PHOTO INFO-STORY: -wilfredosrb/butuan city

Mindanao Tourist Destinations created an event.

June 28, 2012 ·

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"trouble with dreams is they don't come true

and if they do they will catch up with you"

And that's all that matters!

And I thought I had guy troubles before.

10:31

"Seb?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so nice to me? Are you dillusional? Are you ON something?"

"I'm on earth."

Boy 1 is out of the picture.

Boy 2 and I are friends. And nothing more. Which I am very happy with.

and Boy 3 remains a bit of an enigma to me. But never mind. You can't have it all.

But now I seem to have Seb.

Who is an impossibly awesome guy who just happens to live 400 miles across the sea from me.

Who I was on the phone to from 10:00 until 1:00 am last night.

And the only reason the conversation ended was because his home phone battery ran out.

He is the one who pretty much fixed all my guy problems for me.

And he thinks I like someone else

And I don't.

And

I

am

so

C

O

N

F

U

S

E

D