This Hubble image features a massive cluster of brightly glowing galaxies, first identified as Abell 3192. Like all galaxy clusters, this one is suffused with hot gas that emits powerful X-rays, and it is enveloped in a halo of invisible dark matter. All this unseen material – not to mention the many galaxies visible in this image – comprises such a huge amount of mass that the galaxy cluster noticeably curves spacetime around it, making it into a gravitational lens. Smaller galaxies behind the cluster appear distorted into long, warped arcs around the cluster’s edges.

The galaxy cluster is in the constellation Eridanus, but the question of its distance from Earth is a more complicated one. Abell 3192 was originally documented in the 1989 update of the Abell catalog of galaxy clusters that was first published in 1958. At that time, Abell 3192 was thought to comprise a single cluster of galaxies, concentrated at a single distance. However, further research revealed something surprising: the cluster’s mass seemed to be densest at two distinct points rather than one.

It was subsequently shown that the original Abell cluster is actually comprised of two independent galaxy clusters – a foreground group around 2.3 billion light-years from Earth, and another group at the greater distance of about 5.4 billion light-years from our planet. The more distant galaxy cluster, included in the Massive Cluster Survey as MCS J0358.8-2955, is central in this image. The two galaxy groups are thought to have masses equivalent to around 30 trillion and 120 trillion times the mass of the Sun, respectively. Both of the two largest galaxies at the center of this image are part of MCS J0358.8-2955; the smaller galaxies you see here, however, are a mixture of the two groups within Abell 3192.

Text credit: European Space Agency

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, G. Smith, H. Ebeling, D. Coe

For more information: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-views-a-double-cl...

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To view more of my images, taken Chartwell, please click "here" !

Chartwell was the principal adult home of Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill and his wife Clementine bought the property, located two miles south of Westerham, Kent, England, in 1922. Extensive renovations simplifying and modernising the home were undertaken directly, completely transforming it when complete. When it became clear to the Churchills in 1946 that they could not afford to run the property, a consortium of wealthy businessmen organised by Lord Camrose purchased the estate. The arrangement was that for payment of nominal rent both Sir Winston and Lady Churchill would have the right to live there until they both died, at which point the property would be presented to the National Trust. When Sir Winston died in 1965, Clementine decided to present Chartwell to the National Trust immediately. The site had been built upon at least as early as the 16th century, when the estate had been called 'Well Street'. Henry VIII is reputed to have stayed in the house during his courtship of Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle. The original farmhouse was significantly enlarged and modified during the 19th century. It became, according to the National Trust, an example of 'Victorian architecture at its least attractive, a ponderous red-brick country mansion of tile-hung gables and poky oriel windows'. The estate derives its name from the well to the north of the house called 'Chart Well'. 'Chart' is an Old English word for rough ground. The highest point of the estate is approximately 650 feet above sea level, and the house commands a spectacular view across the Weald of Kent. This view 'possessed Churchill' and was certainly an important factor in persuading him to buy a house of 'no great architectural merit'. Churchill employed architect Philip Tilden to modernise and extend the house. Tilden worked between 1922 and 1924, simplifying and modernising, as well as allowing more light into the house through large casement windows. He worked in the gently vernacular architecture tradition that is familiar in the early houses of Edwin Lutyens, a style stripped of literal Tudor Revival historicising details but retaining multiple gables with stepped gable ends, and windows in strips set in expanses of warm pink brick hung with climbers. Tilden's work completely transformed the house. Similarly to many early 20th century refurbishments of old estates, the immediate grounds, which fall away behind the house, were shaped into overlapping rectilinear terraces and garden plats, in lawn and mixed herbaceous gardens in the Lutyens-Jekyll manner, linked by steps descending to lakes that Churchill created by a series of small dams, the water garden where he fed his fish, Lady Churchill's Rose garden and the Golden Rose Walk, a Golden Wedding anniversary gift from their children. The garden areas provided inspiration for Churchill's paintings, many of which are on display in the house's garden studio.

In 1938, Churchill was pressed to offer Chartwell for sale for financial reasons, at which time the house was advertised as containing 5 reception rooms, 19 bed and dressing rooms, 8 bathrooms, set in 80 acres with three cottages on the estate and a heated and floodlit swimming pool. He withdrew after industrialist Sir Henry Strakosch agreed to take over his share portfolio (which had suffered heavily from losses on Wall Street) for three years and pay off heavy debts. During the Second World War, the house was mostly unused. Its relatively exposed position, in a county so near across the English Channel to German occupied France, meant it was potentially vulnerable to a German airstrike or commando raid. The Churchills instead spent their weekends at Ditchley, Oxfordshire until security improvements were completed at the prime minister's official country residence, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire. The house has been preserved as it would have looked when Churchill owned it. Rooms are carefully decorated with memorabilia and gifts, the original furniture and books, as well as honours and medals that Churchill received. The house is Grade I listed for historical reasons. The gardens are listed Grade II.

The property is currently under the administration of the National Trust. Chartwell was bought by a group of Churchill's friends in 1946, with the Churchills paying a nominal rent, but was not open to the public until it was presented to the nation in 1966, one year after Churchill's death.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II in Valletta Malta Europe 1992. His Excelency President Emeritus of Malta Vincent Tabone behind. Looks very pleased.

Biography of Vincent Tabone born 30 March 1913 in Victoria, Gozo is a Maltese political figure. During World War II Tabone served as a Regimental Medical Officer and general duty officer with the Royal Malta Artillery, and later as trainee ophthalmic specialist stationed at the Military Hospital, Mtarfa. In the early days of the War, he narrowly escaped with his life when a bomb fell in St.Elmo fort and demolished a substantial part of the army barracks in which he was posted. In 1946, he obtained a diploma in Ophthalmology from the University of Oxford, followed by a diploma in Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was a clinical assistant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

In 1948, Tabone was entrusted with the supervision of a campaign to treat trachoma using sulfonamide tablets and drops. Through his efforts, the disease was virtually eliminated from the Island of Gozo. He helped launch similar campaigns in Taiwan, Indonesia and Iraq under the auspices of the World Health Organization, and subsequently served as a member and consultant of the WHO's International Panel of Trachoma Experts.

He served on the Council of the University of Malta, and between 1957 and 1960 he was a faculty member of the Board of Medicine, and a lecturer in Clinical Ophthalmology in the Department of Surgery. He helped found the Medical Association of Malta in 1954 and is at present its Honorary President. Dr. Tabone was nominated to the Nationalist Party Executive Committee in 1961, served as the party's Secretary General from 1962 to 1972, and as Deputy Leader from 24 June 1972 to 9 January 1977. He was first elected to Parliament in 1966, and subsequently served as a Member of Parliament for the Sliema, St. Julian's, Msida, and Gzira areas for 23 years. During his long political career, he also served as the Minister of Labour, Employment and Welfare between 1966 and 1971, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1987 and 1989. As Minister of Labour, Employment and Welfare, Tabone was responsible for the emigration portfolio, at a time when emigration from Malta to the Dominions of the British Empire and to the United States was at an all time high.

In 1968, Tabone brought a motion before the United Nations calling for an action plan in regard to the World's ageing population. In 1988, he brought a further motion before the U.N., calling for the World's climate to be declared the common heritage of mankind. He was the fourth President of Malta.

The face of Metro-North's first numbered West-of-Hudson locomotive is lit up nicely by some nice storm light minutes after a passing thunderstorm ripped through.

MNCW GP40FH-2 4900

isle of mull, scotland

This is our cycling trip performed on the 9th of January 2013 where we cycled from Grand Baie, located in the north of Mauritius to the eastern village Trou d'Eau Douce. On our way to Trou d'Eau Douce we cycled more through inland villages such as Sottise, Forbach, Cottage, L'esperance Trebuchet, Riviere du Rempart, Centre de Flacq, Schoenfeld, Quatre Cocos, Palmar and Trou d'Eau Douce. On our way back we cycled along the coast going through villages such as Belle Mare, Bradeau, Roches Noires and then back inland using the Goodlands bypass road to get back to Grand Baie. I was amazed to see the inland beauty of many villages. One of my favorites is Palmar reminding me of Rodrigues island setting and also that stretch of road through Constance La Gaiete which then ends in Trou d'Eau Douce. When I saw those places i was saying to myself, living in such places of such beauty is one of many reasons why many actually never leave their villages to go and stay elsewhere! Also I wish to express that I found it the best way to see various places on a bicycle instead than in using a car - if you want to take your time, stop anywhere, take a shot, thats way more practical. No need to look for a parking! We had a great time exploring these places, we were for 12 hours on the road and did 87 Kilometres. The Mine Frire lunch and sea view at Trou d'Eau Douce at Chez Tino restaurant was awesome and gave us the energy required to cycle back home. Houses at Trou d'Eau Douce have such a magnificent view over the lagoon looking on Ile aux Cerfs! A stop at Belle Mare was relaxing. Enjoy our photo story where we take you through our journey of discovering the paradise tropical island Mauritius! -on a side note you'll also see that right in the beginning of our trip one of our friends had a flat tire which we got fixed in the cottage suburb - helpful people everywhere to give you indications. If you want to do such a cycling trip i recommend that you bring along suncream, lots of water! You will also find lots of La Boutique (small shops) where you can buy drinks. An Energade as spare power drink can do some good.

Opening of the Glasgow School of Art Reid building 2014

Gyrfalcon ~ Casper ~ from the Arctic region

23rd Annual Florida Renaissance Festival

Winter 2015 ~ Deerfield Beach, Florida U.S.A.

note: focus off-a-touch (moving very fast) ... still like it.

note: transmitter attached to leg (to help find) in case

Casper decides to take a little 25 mile excursion into

the Florida Everglades... Ray lost two birds last year...

(five more photos of this beautiful falcon in the comments)

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The gyrfalcon is the largest of the falcon species. It breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly a resident there also, but some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter. Individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. The gyrfalcon is dispersed throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, with populations in Northern America, Greenland, and Northern Europe. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being colored from all-white to dark brown. For centuries, gyrfalcon has been a precious hunting bird, highly valued among the Vikings. It is the national symbol of Iceland.

The first part of its name comes from Old High German for "vulture", referring to its size compared to other falcons; or from the Latin meaning for "circle" or "curved path" from the species' circling as it searches for prey, distinct from the hunting of other falcons in its range. It is an extremely fast flying raptor in excess of 130 mph.

FYI: It is today the official bird of Canada's Northwest Territories. The white falcon in the crest of the Icelandic Republic's coat of arms is a variety of Gyrfalcon. The white phase gyrfalcon is the official mascot of the United States Air Force Academy

Check out my 2015 Renaissance Festival album if you have time:

www.flickr.com/photos/pelicanpetesphotos/sets/72157651123...

flightoftheraptor.com/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrfalcon

www.ren-fest.com/deerfield-home.asp

Photograph taken at an altitude of Eighty six metres, at 10:39am on Thursday April 20th 2017, off Via Del Governatorato beneath the dome of St Peter's Basilica, (basilica papale di san pietro in vaticano), Rome, Italy.

Architects Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Moderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini are credited as the chief designers over a period of history from 1506 to 1626. This view was taken on the highest point that you are allowed to scale, following a seven euro fee and a choice of either 564 steps within the dome, or an escalator and 321 steps to reach this point.

The dome of St. Peter's rises to a total height of 136.57 metres (448.1 ft) from the floor, and is the tallest dome in the world. With an internal diameter of 41.47 metres (136.1 ft), it is regarded as the greatest dome of Christendom. The Dome was redesigned several times, perhaps most famously by Michelangelo in 1547, and upon his death in 1564 by his assistant Jacopo Barozzi Da Vignola.

Giacomo Della Porta and Domenico Fontana brought the dome to completion in 1590 during the last year of reign of Sixtus V.

Around the inside of the dome in letters two meters tall is written:

TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM. TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM

(... you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. ... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven .... Vulgate, Matthew 16:18-19).

Beneath the lantern is the inscription:

S. PETRI GLORIAE SIXTVS PP. V. A. M. D. XC. PONTIF. V.

(To the glory of St Peter; Sixtus V, pope, in the year 1590, the fifth of his pontificate.)

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Nikon D7200 19mm 1/100s f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14Bit)Size L (6000 x 4000), Hand held with Nikkor VR Vibration Reduction enabled. Auto focus AF-C with 3D-tracking enabled. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance.Auto Active D-lighting.

Nikkor AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. Phot-R 77mm UV filter.Nikon MB-D15 Battery grip pack. Nikon EN-EL battery (2). Hoodman H-EYEN22S soft rubber eyecup. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 32GB Class 10 SDHC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.

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LATITUDE: N 41d 54m 6.95s

LONGITUDE: E 12d 27m 14.54s

ALTITUDE: 86.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 69.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 22.49MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D7200 Firmware versions A 1.10 C 1.02 (9/3/17) L 2.015 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.4 24/11/2016). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

A welcoming arrival to the beautiful island of Capri, just off the coast of Italy.

A visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Near Llanarthne in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Paxton's Tower / Nelson's Tower seen from Paxton's Viewpoint. Owned by the National Trust.

Grade II* listed.

The Nelson Monument (also known as Paxton's Tower)., Llanarthney

Location

On the summit of a high hill 1km SE of Llanarthney village, making an impressive and conspicuous land-mark for miles around.

History

The tower was built shortly after 1805 for the owner of Middleton Hall, Sir William Paxton. The architect was S P Cockerell, who had completed the Hall about ten years before. The tower commemorates Nelson's victories, notably Trafalgar, and provides the vantage point for an almost unsurpassed view of the Towy valley. An early description (Lewis) refers to a sumptuous banqueting room, but hospitality may have been impractical as there does not appear to have been any kitchen.

There were inscriptions on the three external faces in Lord Nelson's honour in English, Latin and Welsh respectively, and the window facing Carmarthen is said to have been painted with a portait of the Admiral. Paxton was a friend of Nelson and had benefitted from the latter's decision to rebuild the British fleet at Milford Haven. The inscription (which no longer survives) read: "To the invincible Commander, Viscount Nelson, in commemoration of the deeds before the walls of Copenhagen, and on the shores of Spain; of the empire every where maintained by him over the Seas; and of the death which in the fulness of his own glory, though ultimately for his own country and for Europe, conquering, he died; this tower was erected by William Paxton."

It is also said that Sir William, displeased at having lost the County election of 1802 after an expenditure of some 15,000, built the tower with money he had offered his electors during the campaign for a free bridge over the Towy. It was therefore conspicuously sited as a reminder to the electorate of their folly, and not only for the sake of the view.

The tower is now in the care of the National Trust, who have restored the roof and the floor of the main room and have installed a steel staircase.

Interior

The transition from triangular to hexagonal plan within the main upper room is achieved by giant arches across two of the points, and a wall across the third; the latter incorporates a small fireplace. The main room and the closets off it formed in the turrets retain considerable traces of plaster, now much eroded down to the render coat. The plaster in the main room is heavily scored with vertical lines suggesting the original dcor included wall frescoes in Perpendicular style. Restored floor. Rebates in the rear of the south-west window mullions suggest internal shutters or glazing. Access is by steps from ground level rising towards the south-west turret, where a pointed-arch opening leads to the stairs. Restored with steel anticlockwise spiral stairs within the turret. Marks on the wall show the original stairs spiralled clockwise, and continued up to the lookout stage (now inaccessible).

Exterior

A folly or monument in military Gothick style consisting of a triangular tower crowned by a smaller hexagonal lookout. At the corners of the triangular tower are tall round turrets. Local rubble masonry, irregularly coursed in the main faces of the triangular tower, but random rubble in the corner turrets and in the upper hexagonal stage. The latter has corbelled crenellated parapets above a string course, and six round-headed windows, now walled up, with simplified Tudor label moulds. The triangular part beneath has deeply corbelled machicolations. Stone inscription panels, now blank. Three-light windows with round-headed lights and simplified Tudor label mouldings; the hooks remain for external shutters. Open two-centred entrance arches on all three sides with chamfers and label moulds. The corner turrets have pseudo-machicolations, slit windows, and the lowest stage of each is hexagonal.

Reason for Listing

Listed at II* as one of the most grandly ambitious 'follies' in Wales; a robustly detailed example of military Gothick by S P Cockerell, a major architect of the early C19.

References

S. Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833);

W Spurrell, Carmarthen and its Neighbourhood (2nd ed. 1879), pp. 95-96;

'Paxton's Folly' in Y Drych (Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 1984), pp. 1-2;

Dyfed Archaeological Trust S&M PRN No. 9943.

This text is a legacy record and has not been updated since the building was originally listed. Details of the building may have changed in the intervening time. You should not rely on this listing as an accurate description of the building.

Notes:

On the summit of a high hill 1km SE of Llanarthney village, making an impressive and conspicuous land-mark for miles around.

Source: Cadw

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.

A 1940s panorama view of soldiers and the American ship USS General W. P. Richardson (AP-118) being loaded at Port Autonome du Havre at the end of World War II - Port of Le Havre, Grand Port Maritime du Havre in the Normandy city of Le Havre, France ca: 1945

"The USS General W. P. Richardson sailed to Le Havre, France in April with 2,500 men and carried over 1,000 liberated American prisoners of war from France, and 2,900 troops and casualties from Southampton, home to New York on 28 April 1945.

Through the summer and fall of 1945 the transport made four round-trip voyages from Boston to France, two to Le Havre and two to Marseilles to help ensure an even flow of men and supplies."

This is a communist era monument in the town of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, called the Memorial to the Defenders of Stara Zagora. It commemorates one of the major battles of the 1877-1878 Russian-Turkic War that was fought in Stara Zagora in 1877.

The monument was opened in 1977 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the battle. It was designed by the architect Kamen Goranov and the sculptors Alyosha Kafedzhiyski and Evgeni Baramov. The monument depicts a Russian general and six Bulgarian volunteers who represent the 6 units that fought in the battle. Accompanying the solders is an enormous abstract tower that symbolises the waving of a banner. The area around the monument has been paved with marble and iron tiles. The iron tiles have turned to the colour of rust and the effect is really very beautiful.

After the fall of communism in Bulgaria this monument fell into a state of considerable neglect, but in more recent years a considerable some of money has been spent on restoration. This is perhaps because this is another of those monument that celebrates the heroic exploits of Bulgarians rather than specifically communism, but one can only hope that this change of heart is indicative of a possible change in attitude to communist era monuments in Bulgaria in general.

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi.

Most people go to Roswell to check out the UFO Museum (we did too) but on the way we stopped at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art - wow! This museum is fantastic. There are no world famous works here, but a bunch of great art created by local artists or participants in the Artist in Residence Program. The museum is free, the staff was great, and we had it to ourselves on a Sunday afternoon. This is definitely a must see if you are anywhere near Roswell.

We visited the Anderson in March 2014. My only regret is not photographing the titles and artists so if you know any of them, please let me know.

Top of The Pops 2015. Russia. [final cut]

Лучшие альбомы 2015. Россия.

01. Pinkshinyultrablast – Everything Else Matters [shoegaze, dream pop]

02. Your Friends Polymers – Chudesa EP [dream pop, shoegaze]

03. Daughters Hand – Кольцо Чистоты [garage, noise pop]

04. Kedr Livanskiy – Sgoraet EP [lo–fi]

05. Homeboy In Luv –まだ大好き [lo–fi, indie]

06. Supervitesse – Cheer EP [lo-fi, psychedelic]

07. Theodor Bastard – Vetvi [world, ethnic]

08. Noir For Rachel – Went Missing [shoegaze, drone]

09. Sonic Death – Vecherinka Dlja Lohov EP [post-punk]

10. Bright Falls – Self-Titled EP [psychedelic, rock]

11. Mercurium – Demo [darkwave]

12. Letoymiraet – Cherry Bubblegum EP [indie pop]

13. Gnoomes – Ngan! EP [psychedelic, rock]

14. Honeyfrequency – Culture And Recreation [darkwave, coldwave, lo-fi]

15. Sivyj Yar – Burial Shrouds [post-metal]

16. Bong Rips – Высшая школа кожаных курток [garage]

17. Звёзды – S/T [synth, post-punk]

18. ИЛ – Тени древних культов [doom, sludge]

19. Howye – No Suffocating EP [lo–fi, indie]

20. Below the Sun – Envoy [heavy psych, funeral doom]

21. Moa Pillar – Humanity [electronic]

22. Antethic – New Terrain EP [drone, post-rock]

23. Talking Bush – Ordinary Unusual EP [morrissey]

24. Mindquake – Origin EP [lo-fi, synth]

25. Л.Фёдоров, В.Мартынов, В.Волков, Т.Гринденко, Opus Posth – Элегия [avantgarde]

26. Kirov – Waves and Vibrations [progressive]

27. Кобыла И Трупоглазые Жабы Искали Цезию, Нашли Поздно Утром Свистящего Хна – Великое князьство Литовское, Руское, Жомойтское [avantgarde, synth]

28. Kittypants – Монашка Riot EP [riot grrrl]

29. Gena – Slow Day [doom, sludge]

30. Tikhie Kamni – Zemli [ambient, field]

31. Вхоре – Сжечь EP [post-punk, lo-fi]

32. Angelic Milk – IDK How EP [lo-fi]

33. Verona Boys – Magic Mod [indie pop]

34. Paper Wounds – Paper Wounds EP [shoegaze]

35. Панк Фракция Красных Бригад – Ракеты Красных Землянок [post-punk]

36. Смола – Бизнес по-петербургски [heavy psych]

37. FPRF – 87p chill [electronic]

38. Ruidos – Demo [reverb]

39. Grave Disgrace – The Mystery of the Dead Revive [stoner, doom]

40. Женя Куковеров – Тунеядец [lo-fi, garage]

41. Калинов Мост – Циклон [rock]

42. Wind Along The Coast – Inside Your Mind EP [indie rock]

43. Messer Chups – The Incredible Crocotiger [surf]

44. Motorama – Poverty [post-punk]

45. Kira Lao – Вода EP [indie rock]

46. The Freaks – How to Keep Nothing [indie rock]

47. Jiva – Euphoria EP [heavy psych]

48. Verticals – Grace Of Existence [post-rock]

49. Trna – Pattern of Infinity [atmospheric, black]

50. Буерак – Корни EP [punk]

+

Materic – Меж Каменных Плит (2014) [noise, alternative] - вышел в декабре прошлого года и выпал из топов.

+

Polska Radio One – Early Broadcasts [heavy psych, space] - компиляция ранних записей.

+

Telephone Is Dead – David Dreams [noise, reverd] - сайд-проект Noir For Rachel.

Стили указаны условно, места субъективны, некоторые замечательные артисты неизбежно потерялись /amen.

flickr | tumblr

#totp #totp2015 #bestof2015 #bestofrussia #лучшиеальбомы #bestofyear #russia #россия

The final resting place of Ernst Dettloff (Ersatz-Reservist), Heinrich Exter (Musketier) and Franz Borchers (Grenadier) who fell while serving in the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 208. Their original graves can be seen in comment. It is not suprising to see them between so many men of the Kaiserliche Marine, as their original resting places were also among sailors.

As part of the 44. Reserve Division, they took part in the Race to the Sea and engaged in fighting on the Yser in October–November 1914 and storming Dixmude in mid-November. It remained in positional warfare along the Yser until June 1915, and fought around Ypres in April–May. It was during these last fights between 06.-09. April 1915 and 13.-16. April 1915 that they fell.

Shot of the opening of my current Solo Expo in Amsterdam. Taken with a Sony HX200V.

Saturday my Solo Expo started at the cafe 'Van de Buurt' in the west of Amsterdam and it was a great night with lovely people and good music, here is the photo album of the evening. If you missed it, you can still see my pictures at the cafe for the next 3 months, more info on the event page :)

Amsterdam photos

Wicked reflections

www.amstersam.com

'Like' me on Facebook :)

Caledonian MacBrayne MV Isle of Lewis in dry dock in Aberdeen Harbour

Happy Fourth of July, Everyone! I saved this image taken on a photo stroll in June, for the moment I got it I thought right away that this would be a photo as American as can be. Passing the young couple, I stopped to ask if they'd mind a photo because the light was so right and they said yes. Then as I got my camera up to focus, they suddenly kissed. Woohoo!

The bridge over Tempe Town Lake is featured in many previous photos of my stream, and the young man's belt buckle too, ha ha! Couldn't believe that just at that moment the flag furled out so classic, so this was a photo moment meant to be. A set for the images is in "Tempe Time".

"Pimp my kit", sort of. With this kit, I wanted to take the tiny ARII 1:100 Valkyrie kit to its limit, staying close to the anime original and adding anything I could find in reference literature. The kit was built around 1995, in the wake of the Macross PLUS OVA and with the respective (great) source book "This is animation Special - Macross PLUS" at hand.

While the color scheme is 100% original, many details were added: antennae, a complete scratch-built cockpit with a new seat (even with seat belts and emergency ejection handles), the typical HUD and rear view mirrors.

Air brakes and flaps (wings and back) were opened, rudders moved into a non-straight position for a more lively look. A retractable cockpit ladder (from an 1:72 A-10 kit, if I remember correctly) was also added, and some other small details.

Lots of work, but the result is gorgeous, and the prototype for many improved ARII kits that followed!

Highlight Magazine l Tumblr l Twitter l 500px l instagram: @derrickaphoto

September 23rd, 2012

Marquee Theater - Tempe, AZ

And continuing on with the Viennese theme here are some with my old faithful tea-pot...!

solingen, germany

part of flora.

Title: Compliments of the 'Fischer Piano'

Creator: Unknown

Date: ca. 1870s-1910s

Part Of: George W. Cook Dallas-Texas Image Collection

Place: Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Physical Description: 1 photomechanical print: color; 12 x 16 cm

File: a2014_0020_4_13_a_0044_c_willawatkin.jpg

Rights: Please cite DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University when using this file. A high-resolution version of this file may be obtained for a fee. For details see the sites.smu.edu/cul/degolyer/research/permissions/ web page. For other information, contact degolyer@smu.edu.

For more information and to view the image in high resolution, see: digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/gcd/id/1626

View the George W. Cook Dallas-Texas Image Collection

This is a lovely stroll along this cliff-top path that stretches between Sandown and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Due to coastal erosion this stretch of path will be gone within the next few years.. As you can see it's right on the edge now.

Ron.

Another photo from the previous Taste of Mexico event, this time along the back wall where I've taken numerous photos in the past. Looks like the red grand reopening balloons had finally come down (in the back of the store at least) by the June 21, 2014 visit. But the grand reopening signage was still outside for one more weekend.

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Kroger, 2004-built, Goodman Rd. at Getwell Rd., Southaven MS

Artist's Painting of a Hippopotamus

Dimensions: h. 10.8 cm (4 1/4 in); w. 12 cm (4 3/4 in); th. 1.7 cm (11/16 in)

The hippopotamus on this ostracon was painted with the sure hand of a skilled artist who had no need of a grid.

Other ostraca in the collection were clearly made as templates to be used when transferring an image to the wall of a tomb or a temple, or as practice pieces. The purpose for this sketch and others is less clear.

Broadly speaking, the Egyptians viewed the world in terms of the opposing forces of order and chaos, and they recognized these forces in the creatures around them.

In its benign aspect, the hippopotamus, standing upright, was used to represent the goddess Taweret (26.7.1193), the protector of children and pregnant women.

But the hippo could also be a dangerous, destructive beast, and the Egyptians had great respect for its power. In its destructive aspect, the hippo was a stand-in for Seth, the god of chaos, and scenes of the king, or the god Horus, or even a deceased tomb owner harpooning a hippopotamus can be read as depictions of the triumph of order over chaos.

In this small painting, however, the animal is not shown in an agressive pose. In this case the image may simply be what meets the eye: a representation of a hippopotamus.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's earliest roots date back to 1866 in Paris, France, when a group of Americans agreed to create a "national institution and gallery of art" to bring art and art education to the American people.

On March 30, 1880, after a brief move to the Douglas Mansion at 128 West 14th Street, the Museum opened to the public at its current site on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street. The architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould designed the initial Ruskinian Gothic structure, the west facade of which is still visible in the Robert Lehman Wing. The building has since expanded greatly, and the various additions—built as early as 1888, now completely surround the original structure.

The Museum's Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall, designed by the architect and founding Museum Trustee Richard Morris Hunt, opened to the public in December 1902. The Evening Post reported that at last New York had a neoclassical palace of art, "one of the finest in the world, and the only public building in recent years which approaches in dignity and grandeur the museums of the old world."

By the twentieth century, the Museum had become one of the world's great art centers.

Today, the Museum's two-million-square-foot building houses over two million objects, tens of thousands of which are on view at any given time.

The Museum's collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately twenty-six thousand objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from the Paleolithic to the Roman period (ca. 300,000 B.C.–A.D. 4th century). More than half of the collection is derived from the Museum's thirty-five years of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing Western interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

www.metmuseum.org/en/about-the-museum/history-of-the-muse...

This small Book of Hours is especially interesting for its profusion of humorous drolleries. Humans, animals, and hybrids are featured in the margins of each page of the book. The artists rendered in small scenes a variety of actions, like cooking, playing game, climbing, fishing, making music or moving the bodies in a dance. These drolleries amuse the faithful during his prayers, while showing scenes that work as metaphors of the soul fighting the vices. The original female owner seems to have been established in the diocese of Cambrai, judging from the use of the Office of the Dead. Several provenance episodes are evidenced by the book in the signatures on the leaves at the beginning and end of the manuscript. A priest in the sixteenth century wrote a message in code on fol. 1v asking to return to him the book if lost. Members of the ducal house of Savoy owned this book of prayer in the seventeenth century, as evidenced by the gilt armorial shield of Charles Emmanuel II (1634-75), duke of Savoy, stamped on the covers.

To explore fully digitized manuscripts with a virtual page-turning application, please visit Walters Ex Libris.

Justin , Scott Brison and Geoff Regan rencontrent les membres de "SOS famille" à Halifax. 25 août 2014.

Super sharp Nikon D4 photos of a surf goddess! At ISO 200, the shutter speeds were bteween 1/2000 s and 1/5000 s! Thanks to the super-fast Nikon D4 full-frame!

Rising pro woman's surf star Lakey Peterson won the Nike US Open in Huntington Beach!

She had a couple perfect 10's and a near perfect heat! Lakey's 19.76 was the highest heat score at the 2012 US Open in Huntington Beach, for both men's and woman's!

Nikon D4 Shots of Beautiful Pro Women's Surfers with 600mm Nikkor Prime!

In Huntington Beach at the Huntington Pier! The US Nike Hurley Open!

First time out with the Nikon D4 & the AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR with Nikon’s VR image stabilization and Nano Crystal Coat! & a video camera! Here're some pictures of my rig: www.flickr.com/photos/herosjourneymythology45surf/7688611...

The video camera I had mounted on the rig is the amazing image-stabilized Panasonic X900MK 3MOS 3D Full HD SD Camcorder. Here's some of the slow-mo video shot at the same time as the stills:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3P74hSJu90

Rock on Surf City USA!

The Nikon D4 is amazing! It never misses a shot! And the 600mm nikkor prime was amazingly fast! I shot at ISO 200 fully open at F4 and many of these photos were shot at 1/4000 s or 1/5000 s! Amazingly sharp & detailed!

She was wearing a white Nike Wetsuit & a red and/or blue singlet!

She was poetry in motion!

May the goddesses inspire you along a hero's journey of your own making! :)

Preview - "Queen of Roses"

© Floriane Caux

Model: Fanny Quest

A regarder sur un air de... www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCm7K9j6O00&feature=related

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Floriane-Caux-Photographies/618673...

Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury (27 July 1527 – 13 February 1608), known as Bess of Hardwick, was the third surviving daughter of John Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. She was married four times, firstly to Robert Barlow, who died in his teens; secondly to the courtier Sir William Cavendish; thirdly to Sir William St Loe; and lastly to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime keeper to the captive Mary, Queen of Scots. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess hosted Mary at Chatsworth House for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings. In 1601, Bess ordered an inventory of the household furnishings including textiles at her three properties at Chatsworth and Hardwick, which survives, and in her will she bequeathed these items to her heirs to be preserved in perpetuity. The 400-year-old collection, now known as the Hardwick Hall textiles, is the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork, and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family.

Grave of Harry “Pete” Pierpont

Holy Cross Cemetery

435 West Troy Avenue

Indianapolis, IN

Born in Muncie in 1902, Harry Pierpont was Dillinger’s right hand man for the final year of his life. In December 1933, the FBI released a “Most Wanted” list. Dillinger was #1, Pierpont was #2. After the arrest in Tucson, he and Charles Makley were transferred to Columbus, OH for the death of Sheriff Jess Sarber, and were both sentenced to death. They tried to escape on September 22nd, 1934, but the police interfered by shooting them. Makley was killed on the spot, but Pierpont survived. The electric chair finished the job on October 17th, 1934. His body was transferred back to Indianapolis, and he was buried here at Holy Cross Cemetery.

The Sixty-Third Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of WIPO Member States took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 14-22, 2022.

Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Emmanuel Berrod. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Energizer Holdings is an American manufacturer of batteries and personal care products, headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri. Its most well known brands are Energizer and Eveready batteries, Schick, Wilkinson Sword and Edge shaving products, Playtex feminine hygiene and baby products, and Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen products. The company sells in over 165 countries.

The company has its foundation in the Eveready Battery Company, which in 1980 renamed its Eveready Alkaline Power Cell to Energizer. In 1986, Eveready Battery Company was sold to animal and human food manufacturer Ralston Purina. In 2000, Ralston spun off Eveready, and it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as Energizer Holdings, Inc..

In 2003 under the leadership of then Chief Executive Officer J. Patrick Mulcahy, Energizer Holdings started expanding into the personal care product sector by buying razor brands Schick and Wilkinson Sword from Pfizer.

In October 2007, the company acquired Playtex Products, Inc. for $1.9 billion. The purchase included sunscreen brand Hawaiian Tropic, which Playtex had bought a few months earlier, and Sun Pharmaceuticals Corp., which manufactures the Banana Boat sunscreen products.

In 2009, Energizer acquired Edge and Skintimate shaving gels from S.C. Johnson & Son.

In October 2010, Energizer announced it was the winning bidder for privately held American Safety Razor in a bankruptcy court auction.

The maker of Banana Boat sunscreen recalled some half-million bottles of spray-on lotion after reports that a handful of people have caught on fire after applying the product and coming in contact with an open flame.

On October 19, 2012 Energizer Holdings said it is pulling 23 varieties of its Banana Boat brand of UltraMist sunscreen from stores due to the risk of the lotion igniting when exposed to fire.

Wikipedia Quote

.... Cathedral of St Catharine of Alexandria's pipe organ was built by Orgues Létourneau Ltée of Quebec and installed in 1990. There are 2,723 pipes comprising 54 ranks and 38 stops, three manuals and pedal with mechanical key action and electric stop action. Though constructed along the lines of the celebrated French classical instruments, the organ is well-suited to play literature from all periods ....

Apollodorus of Damascus(?), Column of Trajan (relief narrative wraps upward 23 times, and would be roughly 200 m long if unwound), 106-113 C.E., marble, 38.4m high, Forum of Trajan, Rome

Learn More on Smarthistory

Taormina is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina and Catania. Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. It has popular beaches (accessible via an aerial tramway) on the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and has a high salt content. Taormina can be reached via highways from Messina from the north and Catania .Just south of Taormina is the Isola Bella, a nature reserve. Tours of the Capo Sant' Andrea grottos are also available. Taormina is built on an extremely hilly coast, and is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.A stay at Taormina is not just a seaside vacation. This area, rich in charm and history, must be experienced in a spirit that is outside the ordinary, and for one simple reason: here, everything is extraordinary. Every stone is a thousand-year-old piece of history, the glorious sea reflects Taormina's beauty, as it shapes and marks the passage of time, and the places that enchanted the Greeks create to this day a vibrant and exciting ambiance. But trying to describe in words what makes Taormina unique is truly difficult.

Taormina ist eine Stadt mit 11.076 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2010) an der Ostküste Siziliens. Die Gründung der Stadt geht auf die Sikuler zurück, die schon vor der griechischen Kolonisation auf den Terrassen des Monte Tauro siedelten. Im 4. Jahrhundert vor Christus wurde die Stadt griechisch. Die heutige Stadt ist eine Neugründung aus dem Mittelalter, nachdem die Araber die antike Stadt zerstört hatten.Auf Grund der malerischen Landschaft, des milden Klimas und zahlreicher historischer Sehenswürdigkeiten entwickelte sich die Stadt im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert zu einem der wichtigsten Touristenzentren Siziliens. Besonders bekannt und sehenswert sind das antike Theater mit Blick auf den Ätna und den Golf von Giardini-Naxos und die kleine Insel Isola Bella vor der Küste Taorminas.

Taormina è un comune di 10.991 abitanti della provincia di Messina. E' uno dei centri balneari di maggiore rilievo di tutta la regione. Il suo aspetto, il suo paesaggio, i suoi luoghi, le sue bellezze riescono ad attirare turisti provenienti da tutto il mondo.Situata su una collina a 206 m di altezza sul livello del mare , sospesa tra rocce e mare su un terrazzo del monte Tauro, in uno scenario di bellezze naturali unico per varietà e contrasti di motivi , splendore di colori e lussureggiante vegetazione.Il clima è dolcemente mite.Molto belle le mezze stagioni , Primavera e Autunno infatti vantano un clima idealmente mite.La storia di Taormina è sicuramente costellata da molteplici dominazioni, e questo è possibile vederlo passeggiando per le strade del centro storico che mostrano i segni lasciati dai vari popoli passati per Taomina. Essendo situata al centro del mediterraneo la Sicilia fu sempre una preda ambita per la sua posizione strategica di passaggio,situata sulla parte est e in posizione fortificata su una collina permetteva già da allora di controllare buona parte della costa ionica e ha sempre rappresentato un ottimo punto di fortificazione e controllo nelle stradegie di guerra. Dopo aver attestato l'esistenza di una sede di siculi ( antichi abitanti dell'isola, detti anche sicani) presso Taormina, per certo vi passarono e vi lasciarono le loro tracce I Greci, i Romani, i Saraceni, dunque gli Arabi, i Bizantini ,I Normanni , Gli Aragonesi , e per ultimi i Borboni.Un soggiorno a Taormina non è semplicemente una vacanza al mare. Questi luoghi, pregni di storia e di fascino, chiedono infatti di essere vissuti con uno spirito diverso da quello comune e la ragione è semplice: qui tutto è fuori dall'ordinario.Ogni pietra reca in sé una storia millenaria, il mare meraviglioso su cui Taormina riflette tutta la sua bellezza, condiziona e scandisce lo scorrere del tempo ed i luoghi che furono l'incanto dei greci trasmettono tutt'oggi un'atmosfera vibrante di emozioni. Ma tentare di descrivere con le parole ciò che rende unica Taormina è davvero difficile.

Font : Wikipedia

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1o9IsdvZII

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBd353B3XbI&feature=related

Ursuline Academy of Dallas graduation was held on Sunday, May 27, 2018.

of my porcelain power pieces.

This poster is one of a group we acquired in 2009, and all were printed by the Drogheda Independent. It reveals an active educational programme for young farmers in the Kildare area (and their unfortunate dates, presumably). There is still a thriving Balyna/Carbury Macra na Feirme group going to this day.

If you were still awake after 6 films (carefully noted as "Talkies") about mastitis, wheat and bees, then your reward was a Laurel and Hardy comedy...

Size: 50.5 x 38 cm

Date: Monday, 16 February 1942

Printed by: Drogheda Independent

NLI Ref.: EPH Acc. 873

Reproduction rights owned by the National Library of Ireland

The Shrine of Solmoe

Birthplace of Saint Andrea Kim Dae-gun

May 13, 2014

Songsan-ri, Wookang-myeon, Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Korean Culture and Information Service

Korea.net (www.korea.net)

Official Photographer: Jeon Han

This official Republic of Korea photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way. Also, it may not be used in any type of commercial, advertisement, product or promotion that in any way suggests approval or endorsement from the government of the Republic of Korea. If you require a photograph without a watermark, please contact us via Flickr e-mail.

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솔뫼성지

김대건신부생가지

2014-05-13

충청남도 당진시 우강면 송산리

문화체육관광부

해외문화홍보원

코리아넷

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