Expressions’
View allAll Photos Tagged PRAGMATIC
Mount Vernon, Washington is at the heart of Skagit Valley, famous for its tulip fields. Old image, but it must have looked the same this year, too :-)
Flickr's outage this week makes me very upset. Even now, they did not fully recover. The site is slow, a lot of things fail sporadically, and e-mail notifications are mostly not coming. [Update two days later: things are mostly back to normal. I'm trying to convince myself that the level of disruption was acceptable. Ideally (speaking as a software professional) no, pragmatically - yes. Amen.]
A toss between the pragmatic and the symbolic functions in architecture....
Explore #332, February 2
These benches are found at strategic locations where there are nice views and have been paid for by families seeking to commemorate loved ones who have passed on. So much more meaningful and pragmatic than a granite tombstone.
_DSF2896-RAF
Unfortunately, such a stupid construction fence prevents you from doing this. What a pity! So there is only the possibility of taking a photo - or climbing over a fence. Curiosity? Fear? Thinking pragmatically: You just go around the demarcated building to the other side.
Photographed in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan leopard is without doubt a star attraction for wildlife enthusiasts, both local and international. Panthera Pardus Kotiya is a subspecies of leopard that is native to Sri Lanka and is unfortunately classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The reasons for the decline in numbers include hunting for trade, fragmentation and of course habitat loss.
The Sri Lankan leopard hunts by silently stalking its prey, until it is within striking distance, when it unleashes a burst of speed to quickly pursue and pounce on its victim. The prey is usually dispatched with a single bite to the throat. Like most cats, it is pragmatic in its choice of diet, which can include small mammals, birds, and reptiles, as well as larger animals. Sri Lankan axis deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone.. The animal also preys on sambar, barking deer, wild boar, and monkeys.
No birth season or peak is apparent, with births occur across the year. Its lifespan ranges from 12 to 15 years in the wild, and up to 22 years in captivity.[Wikipedia]
Many thanks to all those who view, comment and or fave my photos....It is greatly appreciated ......Chandana ❤️
I have taken many photos on the Lakeshore in 2021. Sometime it is good to let them lie for a while and look at them with fresh eyes. This photo got little bit colour overhaul, but otherwise it is unaltered. Call me Mr. Pragmatic, but I like the idea of a maze, so even when the weather is cold, the splash pad is still being used.
Created by Himy Syed who specialize in labyrinths.
923. Toronto. 2021- Mar 03; P1450010; Upload 2022-Jan 20. Lmx -ZS100
If your world is cycling out of control - take time to connect with mother earth.
Deep slow pragmatic breaths through the nose, slowly exhaling through the mouth.
Take the oxygen in deeper and deeper, with each breath imagining new regenerative life force energy into the deepest cells of your body.
On release imagine all the stress being released from every muscle in your body.
From the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
Releasing all the negative tension from your body.
Sit in nature, feel the wind and the sun trickling all over your body as if mother nature is giving you a gentle subtle massage.
Waterfalls, the oceans, forests are full of negative irons - counteracting the over supply of positive irons we are subjected to in air conditioning, inside buildings, traffic and pollution.
Salt lamps are a great source close to your bed at night or next to your computer. Alternatively, invest in an ionizer.
Drink fresh clean filtered water, pick fruits and plants fresh from a farm or your own vegie patch. Choose wholesome foods from mother nature. Avoid all sugar.
Invest in traditional therapies - seek them out - they have been around long before we existed. God given plants and herbal extracts for healing and repairing.
Nurture yourself - mother nature is surrounding you with her healing energy.
Now more than ever as the storm is upon humanity - we are being asked to dig deep, to find our courage.
Find the joy in the simple things of life.
More time with loved ones, walks along the beach or into the forest.
Dance, sing, laugh as much as you can.
Now more than ever before humanity will be challenged in ways that we have never experienced in our lifetime.
Find your tribe - we are being connected - humanity is shifting into unity.
Remember LOVE is the most powerful of all emotion.
LOVE will prevail and collectively we will create a new and wonderful world.
Trust in the process.
Know there is plenty of help - pray, eat and sleep.
Lelystad
Netherlands
Agora Theater
UNStudio Architects
The Agora Theatre is an extremely colourful, determinedly upbeat place. The building is part of the masterplan for Lelystad by Adriaan Geuze, which aims to revitalize the pragmatic, sober town centre. The theatre responds to the ongoing mission of reviving and recovering the post-war Dutch new towns by focusing on the archetypal function of a theatre: that of creating a world of artifice and enchantment. Both inside and outside walls are faceted to reconstruct the kaleidoscopic experience of the world of the stage, where you can never be sure of what is real and what is not.
The building is designed by UNStudio Architects.
This is a story of a pragmatic multi-tasker and a bad parent; who, instead of asking his daughter to place her croissant and hot chocolate elsewhere [on a plate and on a table somewhere]: he proceeds to take a photo of it, so as to infer that the whole setup is okay!
All because the lighting was good...
Hahaha!
...around Putin's war against Ukraine is, in my view,
more of a divisive, dirty (betrayal) and complicated - but also a Europe-strengthening - story.
From a pragmatic point of view, however, the beginning of a peace process is better than none at all.
made with stabe diffusion,topaz and photoshop.
Lelystad
Netherlands
Agora Theater
UNStudio Architects
The Agora Theatre is an extremely colourful, determinedly upbeat place. The building is part of the masterplan for Lelystad by Adriaan Geuze, which aims to revitalize the pragmatic, sober town centre. The theatre responds to the ongoing mission of reviving and recovering the post-war Dutch new towns by focusing on the archetypal function of a theatre: that of creating a world of artifice and enchantment. Both inside and outside walls are faceted to reconstruct the kaleidoscopic experience of the world of the stage, where you can never be sure of what is real and what is not.
The building is designed by UNStudio Architects.
Lelystad
Netherlands
Agora Theater
UNStudio Architects
The Agora Theatre is an extremely colourful, determinedly upbeat place. The building is part of the masterplan for Lelystad by Adriaan Geuze, which aims to revitalize the pragmatic, sober town centre. The theatre responds to the ongoing mission of reviving and recovering the post-war Dutch new towns by focusing on the archetypal function of a theatre: that of creating a world of artifice and enchantment. Both inside and outside walls are faceted to reconstruct the kaleidoscopic experience of the world of the stage, where you can never be sure of what is real and what is not.
The building is designed by UNStudio Architects.
If there is one trait that is in agreement throughout the world about the Dutch people besides their liberal leaning spirt is that if there was a way to make money or better yet save it a Dutchman has already done it or holds the patent on it, from my understanding the Dutch are pretty proud of frugality and its appearance.
Sometimes though frugality is coupled with common sense in a rare combination such as people buying just enough of a decent bike to be under the theft radar and if it looks to good riders will sometimes paint it terribly to make it look unattractive to the incessant bike thievery that happens in Holland.
Pictured here is another fine frugality example, the patio barge reclaiming living space from the water yet again showing what is possible in an ecological pragmatic manner, the dining barge line canals throughout the Netherlands and have become defacto canal patio space for bars and restaurants usually located across the street and fully property taxed of course.
Oh how I wish I was waiting for a table right now.
I took this on Sept 17th, 2017 with my D750 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens at 42mm 1/20s, f/16 ISO 100 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz , Luminar and DXO
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress
Sony A7 Mk III, Sony Zeiss T FE 1,8/55 ZA, Affinity Photo
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The seasons of the year is something that gave me some trouble when I was in Japan. In the west, Spring starts on March 20, on the day of the equinox that bears its name. This clear definition is quite characteristic of the pragmatic and somehow simplistic western thought. Spring starts on March 20, be it in a Mediterranean or in a Scandinavian country. Does this make much sense?
In Japan the divisions are much more fluid, and in accordance with what we feel in the air. Spring starts when tree blossoms start blooming. So, Spring starts somewhere around early February with the Japanese Plum tree blossoms (Prunus mume, see link to wikipedia). It is still cold, but the dead of Winter is past tense.
And I remembered this when I saw these trees so fully alive saying to me in great excitement: "Spring is coming, spring is coming".
Let us give a warm welcome to the coming Spring :-) In northern countries people might have to wait a little longer. But that's it: Spring doesn't start on March 20. That's too simple, or shall I say too simplistic?
Perhaps the most Epicurean of all of the 'warm water forms' I have witnessed. A space viable for a number of prosaic functions, but apt for washing, health and beauty - perhaps the perfect theatre and complement for people who have exchanged valuable gods for the much sought-after amber of later prehistory, with amber rich sites around Urizaharra and Yurdinas kilometres away into a higher rugged plateau. Keeping traders and visitors in general away from amber quarries and mines, a pragmatic and logical cultural decision. Skeletons with fatal arrow wounds found near to the site may illustrate the different rules for the upland and lowland terranes, with the river Ebro 'highway' probably an open land of protocols, rules and assurances just kilometres from this potential site of pleasure, contact, exchange and goodwill.
AJM 13.01.21
I stood on the edge of the desert, enticed by what appears to be a road where none should exist, thinking of adventure and rattle snakes, prong horned sheep and coyotes. I took a few steps toward the mountains before a jumble of pragmatic thought took over: little water, no GPS tracker, no one knowing where I was or where I was going. What am I, nuts?!
Next time, though...
Fischerspooner - Togetherness feat. Caroline Polachek
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7gXrKccc8g
I know, I know
I know, I know
I know, I know
The back of your hand (back of your hand)
My bottom lip (bottom lip)
Down my throat (dig in)
This is it (take hold)
Grab a hold (never let go)
When you need me most (get what I want)
The deeper you go
The dark, the dark, the darker it gets
Togetherness
Togetherness
Ta-tattered and frayed,
knotted and twisted Pressing and looking for a way
That's the rub, denim on denim
This is no pragmatic love
The back of your hand (back of your hand)
My bottom lip (bottom lip)
Down my throat (dig in)
This is it (take hold)
Grab a hold
When you need me most
The deeper you go
The dark, the dark, the darker it gets
Togetherness
Take hold, never let go
I get what I want, I get, I get what I want
Take hold, never let go
I get what I want, I get, I get what I want
An open mouth, wet teeth that rub and bite
Always razor sharp
Engineered for cruelty and charm
Engineered for cruelty and charm Togetherness
Take hold, never let go
I get what I want (the deeper you go)
I get, I get what I want (the darker it gets, deep)
Take hold, never let go
I get what I want (the deeper you go)
I get, I get what I want (the darker it gets)
IMG_2531r1 Bourges is a city in central France known for its half-timbered houses. The grand, Gothic-style Bourges Cathedral features 13th-century stained-glass windows. Close by, the ornate Jacques Coeur Palace was the home of a 15th-century nobleman.
During the Middle Ages Bourges served as the capital of the Viscounty of Bourges until 1101. In the fourteenth century it became the capital of the Duchy of Berry (established in 1360). The future king of France, Charles VII (r. 1422–1461), sought refuge there in the 1420s during the Hundred Years' War. His son, Louis XI, was born there in 1423. In 1438, Charles VII decreed the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. During this period, Bourges was a major centre of alchemy.
The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Etienne, begun at the end of the twelfth century, ranks as a World Heritage Site. It is considered one of the earliest examples of the High Gothic style of the thirteenth century.
The city has a long tradition of art and history. Apart from the cathedral, other sites of importance include the 15th-century Palace of Jacques Cœur and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and fine town-houses.
In a building of 18th century in 13 Annas street, where the Town Hall was placed in 1850 and many years it was home of Ventspils excursion office in August 2006 there was opened the International Writers’ and Translators’ House, where Latvian and foreign writers and translators are on visit regularly.
From
www.redzet.eu/en/travel/architecture/historic-buildings/i...
The International Writers and Translators' House is a non-profit organizations aimed at creation of an international multi-functional centre for writers and translators in Latvia to further the development of literature, encourage intercultural dialogue, promote local literary processes on the international level, as well as to facilitate decentralization of literature development process in Latvia, thus creating a favourable cultural environment in the regions.
The House offers writers and translators:
a creative work space in Ventspils, one of the most beautiful Latvian cities on the Baltic Sea;
an opportunity to live and work in the House for 4 weeks;
an opportunity to discover Ventspils, a city where history meets tomorrow, and the coast of the Baltic Sea, one of the most attractive and inspiring coastlines in Europe;
an opportunity to meet other writers and translators from Latvia, the Baltic states, Europe and other places all over the world;
an opportunity to take part in creative cooperation projects, e.g. festivals, seminars, etc.
The House is also open for seminars, conferences, experience exchange workshops and other creative events.
Writers and translators often maintain that their real home is language. In whatever tongue they speak or create, wherever they live or travel, ultimately their only real home is language-both a rational and an irrational miracle, which helps them recreate reality: to give voice to, and to tell of, their own experience and that of the world through poetry, prose, drama and translation.
The English author Virginia Woolf proposed that writers need few worldly goods in order to create-just money and a room of their own. This need is more keenly felt in today’s society, where a writer, like everyone else, is caught up in the nervous flow of daily life. It is, therefore, no wonder that creative centres for writers and translators have become so highly valued and well-loved, particularly in Europe. For a short while, you are away from your usual existence, from the everyday and life’s responsibilities, and can allow yourself the pleasure of being a full-time writer. You recreate reality and are together with colleagues: brothers and sisters in language. You feel calm in the knowledge that in this rational and pragmatic world there are many others who, like you, devote themselves to the difficult, beautiful and exclusive task that is working with language.
The Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators in Visby, Gotland, Ledig House in America, Casa Pantrovà in Switzerland, the Writers’ and Translators’ House in Käsmu, Estonia, and many, many others are now joined by Ventspils Writers’ and Translators’ House in Latvia.
The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka that was first described in 1956.
This animal is known colloquially as Kotiya in Tamil areas.
The Sri Lanka leopard is one of the ten known subspecies of leopard. Its coat is tawny or rusty yellow, stamped with dark spots and rosettes. Its known as probably the largest of all subspecies of leopards. Female weight: 29 kg; males averaged 56 kg.
The body length of adult females is on average 1 meter and the tail approximately 77 cm. In adult males, the body length is 1.27 m on average and the tail length is 86 cm.
Like most cats, the Sri Lanka leopard is pragmatic in its choice of diet which can include small mammals, birds, reptiles as well as larger animals. The leopard hunts like other leopards, silently stalking its prey until it is within striking distance where it unleashes a burst of speed to quickly pursue and pounce on its victim. The prey is usually dispatched with a single bite to the throat.
De Sri Lankaanse panter (Panthera pardus kotiya) is een ondersoort van de luipaard die voorkomt in Sri Lanka. Deze luipaard staat in Tamil-gebieden in de volksmond bekend als Kotiya.
Deze panters leven in verschillende biotopen. Zo zijn ze te vinden in groenblijvende droge bossen, dicht begroeide jungles en hooggelegen bossen. De Sri Lankaanse panter is één van de tien ondersoorten van de panter.
De vacht heeft een roestgele kleur met grote zwarte stippen over het lichaam. Op de buik zitten echter geen stippen.
Een vrouwtje weegt gemiddeld 29 kg en een mannetje 56 kg.
De lichaamslengte van volwassen vrouwtjes is gemiddeld 1 meter en de staart ongeveer 77 cm. Bij volwassen mannen is de lichaamslengte gemiddeld 1,27 m en de staartlengte is 86 cm.
De Sri Lankaanse panter jaagt vooral op inheemse hertensoorten zoals de muntjak en het axishert. Ook jaagt hij op wilde zwijnen en apen. Soms valt hij ook gedomesticeerde koeien aan.
In het wild leven volgens de meest recente telling uit 2014 nog slechts 700 à 950 dieren. In Europese dierentuinen in fokprogramma's ongeveer 60, hiervan zijn circa 30 in Burgers Zoo in Arnhem geboren. Burgers Zoo speelt hier dus een vooraanstaande rol. De foto is daar ook gemaakt.
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All rights reserved. Copyright © Martien Uiterweerd. All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission.
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This image captures the striking beauty of an aged wooden door in Palermo, steeped in history and character. The door's weathered surface bears the marks of time, with peeling paint, cracks, and patina that hint at decades, if not centuries, of use. Intricately carved details at the top of the frame suggest a touch of Baroque influence, characteristic of Palermo's rich architectural heritage. A faint emblem or crest is still visible above the doorway, though it has faded with time, likely representing the historical or familial significance of the building.
To the left of the door, mismatched wooden planks reinforce the structure, a testament to a pragmatic yet artistic approach to preservation. The lock and metal handle are robust and functional, contrasting with the delicate craftsmanship of the frame. These elements tell a story of a building that has served both practical and aesthetic purposes. A splash of orange on the left adds a contemporary touch, possibly from a modern repair or addition.
Surrounding the door, the textured stone and marble facade hint at a building of importance, blending materials and styles that reflect the eclectic influences in Palermo's architecture. The sunlight illuminates the scene, accentuating the textures and tones, from the warm wooden hues to the cool marble details. This doorway is not just an entrance but a gateway into the layered history of Palermo, inviting the viewer to imagine the stories it could tell.
RX_03121_20240515_Palermo
juvenile
As you have noticed, these waxwing photos have been taken with high ISO values. Light is scarce in Finnish November. If I had been a perfectionist instead of a pragmatic I wouldn't have any pictures of waxwings to load here.
(Great Sand Dunes NP, Colorado)
Sunlight wedges the fabric of the storm system, stalled this morning below the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo. It lights an incongruous desert that nestles comfortably, cupped against a bend in the wall of summits. All that sand, waiting to be scattered, trapped by the range until eternity wears it down. Yesterday we watched as clouds let loose gray/black curtains of water randomly over the vast prairie of the San Luis Valley, sometimes on the dunes, and sometimes on us. I can see part of that cloud mass to the north, obliterating the mountains; the rest is above my head, the source of the shadow I walk through. I have come here enough times here that it has become a pilgrimage for me, although most of my images are from ridges and mounds. I am surrounded by foot steps. The sand holds the divots of shoes in almost every conceivable square foot it seems. Farther out, they deface the windward and leeward slopes. Even the dune field itself rises in steps, sand ramps to navigate like giant switchbacks. Behind me, my own tracks dog me. Physically and figuratively, I have a long and twisted journey to this series of exposures. Wild places exist in degrees of remoteness, and I long for the days when they were more pristine, less trampled. Ever pragmatic, I subtract myself from culpability in that. The wind starts up in earnest, blowing sand off the crests, raging against human progress. For a moment I linger here in the shadows, grateful I will soon be in the light.
Columns evoking trees and branches, Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona exhilirates with the stunning tonality of its illumination. I took this photo on March 10, 2017: 135 years after construction began, 2.25 years before a building permit was issued, and 9.25 years before completion is expected (the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death). Multiple generations and pragmatic modifications were anticipated by Gaudi, who wrote, "I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated."
2017-03-10 Barcelona GGP20675 Gaudi La Sagrada Familia elevate & illuminate
Glorious day out there but I am at home in the library manning the phones ready for this weekends house viewings in Suffolk. We have arranged eight viewings mostly around Beccles but as far south as Bildeston and as north as Bungay and Hoxne. A few properties have really wet our whistles and we thought, wrongly, that there would be very few to look at. So many in fact that we go back on Thursday and Friday next week to look along the coast and Bury St Edmunds and surrounds
So far my favourite, I would miss all the other properties and put an offer immediately on this one but Melanie is a little more pragmatic! The Tudor House Bildeston, fallen in love this one!
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I've photographed this super-sized '5' at the Make Architects Broadgate building before so I was surprised to see recently that they've installed a screen within the number. I imagine this will look quite good at dusk as it casts coloured light on its surroundings.
Click here to see more of my shots of London Architecture : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157635041185106
For anyone that has any shots of this building or any others by MAKE Architects it would be great if you could join the group I started for their work and add your shots : www.flickr.com/groups/1439695@N24/
From MAKE Architects website : "Our world-class headquarters for financial services firm UBS have raised the bar for office and workplace design. We worked with developer British Land to design a functional, pragmatic space that allows UBS to consolidate its London workforce for the first time. The result – a 13-storey ‘groundscraper’ – is visually innovative and represents a powerful vote of confidence in the City. Furthermore, it’s become a catalyst for regeneration in the Broadgate area.
We based our bold design on the form of a perfectly machined metal object – a symbol of the building’s internal function. The main facade is primarily constructed from stainless steel, which unifies the surface, establishes a strong presence, and reflects its bespoke nature and single occupier. This sense of robustness is rigorously carried through to the detailing, materiality and finishes, reflecting an architectural language of quality and precision. Inside, an ultra-rational arrangement of the structure and cores provides four large trading floors that can accommodate up to 3,000 desks, plus seven levels of offices."
© D.Godliman
Think "Holland" and you've probably already conjured the iconic images of tulips and windmills. More precisely, the very specific windmills you're envisioning right now are that of Kinderdijk.
Though it may sound odd for how technical and pragmatic the region proved to be, the name Kinderdijk translates in Dutch to mean "children's dike." According to local legend, after a particularly terrible flood in the 15th century, a lone basket was left floating in an inundated canal. Upon closer inspection, a cat was found bounding from one side of the basket to the other in an effort to keep it balanced, for inside rested an orphaned baby. The cat had kept the babe afloat, safe and sound during its journey… Thus giving the world the folktale "The Cat and the Cradle" in addition to the village of Kinderdijk its name.
Back in the modern day, visitors will find 19 historically authentic windmills scattered across Kinderdijk's canal-riddled landscape. With their sails raised to the skies (coming to rest in formations that communicate across the bogs in a language of semafors), one could be forgiven for believing these are creatures beholden to the air. What history reveals, in fact, is that the Netherlands' famous windmills are well-disguised creatures of the sea, without which the nation's famously innovative water management system would not have been possible.
Sometime in the 13th century, Zuid-Holland's peat rivers ceased to drain as they had been, creating a pattern of flooding that devastated the beautiful landscape at Alblasserwaard, which already existed below sea level. Berms were built to prevent flooding, but pumping stations needed to be constructed to continue water flow from low to high areas; hence, the 19th windmills still seen today.
Nowhere else in the world offers a complete portrait of early water management like that of Kinderdijk, which accounts for UNESCO's inclusion of the site among its World Heritage as of 1997 for its "unique character." Thanks to its truly groundbreaking unification of sea and sky, plus the added bonus of a world-renowned folktale, a visit to Kinderdijk is the sort of treasure that offers something for dreamers and pragmatists alike. www.atlasobscura.com/places/windmills-of-kinderdijk
Even if you didn't pick up on the symbolic imagery in the new Star Wars movie, your brain noticed it.
As Finn walks across the sterile desert landscape of Jakku, he strips away his armor one piece at a time, revealing his true good natured inner self. He is finalizing his decision to abandon his former affiliation with villainy.
And on a pragmatic level, that desert was hot. Wearing Stormtrooper armor must have been uncomfortable.
If you're interested, I posted a photo of how I took this shot here.
The columns of Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona are designed to evoke trees and branches. An edifice for the ages, this Roman Catholic basilica was started in 1882. Completion is now expected by June 10, 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. With many delays, including the Spanish Civil War, its building permit was not obtained until two and one quarter years after I took this picture. Multiple generations and pragmatic modifications were anticipated by Gaudi, who wrote, "I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated."
2017-03-10 Barcelona GGP20673 Gaudi La Sagrada Familia vault
Westminster Cathedral is relatively ‘modern’ in historical terms. Building only began in 1895 and the Cathedral was completed just eight years later in 1903 but its unique architecture reflects the influences of ancient Christian churches and its construction marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Church in England and Wales.
On his appointment to Westminster, Cardinal Vaughan promised that a Cathedral would be built within ten years, but he was pragmatic. The diocese urgently needed a Cathedral – a statement of religious authority and the seat of the Archbishop’s ‘Cathedra’ – but it did not have unlimited funds. The new cathedral for Westminster would ultimately reflect many of the grand buildings of the industrial age; the mills and factories in brick which dominated the working landscape of Victorian Britain. Brick was significantly cheaper than stone, and readily available as a building material.
Vaughan had three key requirements for his new church: first, a broad uninterrupted nave with the high altar as the focus; second, a building whose structure could be completed first (the decoration could come later) and third, sensitive to the politics of the age, a desire not to compete with the Gothic grandeur of Westminster Abbey, a near neighbour. The Cardinal wanted a new vision for the new diocese, not a poor replica of the past.
Cardinal Vaughan was familiar with the grand basilicas of Rome and he was convinced that an early Christian style church ‘of the Italian type’ was suitable for Westminster. In the late 19th century, Catholicism in England was enjoying a resurgence, boosted by an immigrant Irish population fleeing from famine and poverty, and the churches attracted large congregations. Vaughan rejected a narrow Gothic-style design in favour of a large interior space that referenced the ancient history of the Church.
(From the cathedral's own website)
100x: The 2024 Edition
27/100 London landmarks by night
Excerpt from brainproject.ca:
Marvelous Marble Mind by Chelsea Mizzi
Chelsea believes preventative maintenance is the best medicine, noting that stimulating the brain throughout life is a great way to combat dementia. Her piece represents both the beauty and pragmatics of keeping all ones “marbles.” Her sculpture also incorporates wood to honor both her grandfathers, who have been affected by this disease.
4th March 2025; Someone in the West turned off the light!
Well the next step has been taken in the "battle for Ukraine"
“President Trump is hanging Ukrainians out to dry and giving Russia the green light to keep marching west," says one Ukrainian advocacy group.
Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy both want peace. One wants it quickly and the other with military assurances.
These contrasting definitions are a sticking point of significant proportions.
The White House told the BBC's US partner, CBS, that Trump "has been clear" that he is "focused on peace", adding "we need our partners to be committed to that goal as well".
"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the White House added.
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A Policy of appeasement
Britain's policy in the 1930s was to allow Hitler to expand German territory.
This policy was popular and seemed pragmatic at the time.
And we all know where that ended up.
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Lets hope cooler heads prevail in 2025
60096 is on hire from GB Railfreight to DC Rail Freight and presents a relatively unusual sight on the stretch of line between Golborne Juction and Winwick Junction. Running a few minutes early and just avoiding a rogue cloud, the newly christened "Skiddaw" passes Red Bank with 6D85 1752 Ravenhead Sidings to Chaddesden Yard.
*Another location lost to the dreaded pallisade fencing - meanwhile most European countries take a more pragmatic approach and their populations are more aware of the dangers of straying to where they shouldn't be unlike the mollycoddled residents of GB. That said, the new fencing provides a decent resting point for a set of stepladders so it's not all negative!
Built in a mix between New Pragmatism and Art Deco, Villa Jongerius (1938) is a very striking building, designed by business man Jan Jongerius himself.
He started in a grocery business that turned into a transport firm, and became a Ford car and truck dealer from there.
Now, it has been restored and serves as a conference center.
Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lots of info in Dutch:
9/11 -We will never forget all sacrifices of first responders, families and loved ones of those who perished at the hands of savages and still bear the deeply rooted emotional & physical scars.
And as CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie praised the Taliban for being "helpful, useful, businesslike and pragmatic" during the evacuation where 13 US military personnel died & hundreds were critically wounded on August 26th; let us remember it was Taliban who sheltered al Qaedas Osama bin Laden & his henchmen after the attack of 9/11 of course, till they slithered over to Pakistan to hide.
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Where were you...
Lyrics by Alan Jackson
"Where were you when the world stopped turnin' that September day? Were you in the yard with your wife and children Or workin' on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky? Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor Or did you just sit down and cry?
Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below? Did you burst out with pride for the red, white, and blue And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer and look at yourself and what really matters?
I'm just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I'm not sure I can tell you the diff'rence in Iraq and Iran. But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young,
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turnin' that September day? Teachin' a class full of innocent children
Or drivin' down some cold interstate? Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor? In a crowded room did you feel alone? Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep? Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages and speak to some stranger on the street? Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow, g o out and buy you a gun? Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin' And turn on I Love Lucy reruns?
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Stand in line to give your own blood? Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family & Thank God you had somebody to love"
A bécsi Maria-Teresien-Platz közepén a negyven évig uralkodó császárnő monumentális szoborművét helyezték el, K. Kundmann és K. Zumbusch alkotását.
Az 1887-ben alkotott szobor húsz méter magas, ülve ábrázolja Mária-Teréziát, jogarát és a Pragmatica Sanctio okiratát tartva kezében. A szobornak 24 mellékalakja van, az uralkodónő kedvelt osztrák és magyar hívei, tábornokok, főminiszterek, történetírók, kedvelt orvosa, zeneművészek, hercegek és grófok, a magyarok közül Nádasdy s Hadik generális, Pray György történetíró, Grassalkovich Antal. A szobor a birodalom akkori hatalmát jelképezi.
Au Moyen Âge, il suffisait de se promener dans les rues de Trèves pour découvrir le bon vieux temps. En effet, les gens de cette époque traitaient leur héritage historique de manière très pragmatique : les bâtiments qui ne pouvaient plus être utilisés devaient servir de carrières pour de nouvelles constructions. Et c'est ainsi que nombre des tours résidentielles en forme de forteresse qui ont vu le jour dans le centre-ville aux XIe et XIIe siècles ont souvent été construites avec des antiques matériaux de pierre romains que l'on trouvait encore partout. Seules quelques-unes de ces tours ont survécu jusqu'à aujourd'hui, - la tour des Francs du XIVe siècle, dont l'un de ses habitants se nommait Franco von Senheim, est l'une d'entre elles et aussi la mieux conservée. Dans ses murs aussi, des pierres antiques ont survécu aux âges.
La façade sans ornement et la couronne murale crénelée indiquent déjà que les constructeurs de la tour ont mis en priorité le facteur de sécurité. En fait, alors que la muraille d’enceinte antique de la ville avait été en grande partie détruite, la construction du mur d’enceinte médiéval n'était pas encore terminée. Une raison suffisante, donc, pour prouver leurs propres capacités défensives avec de petites fenêtres et des murs défiants. De plus, la porte d'entrée se trouvait au premier étage du côté est et ne pouvait être atteinte que par un escalier en bois rabattable. En cas d'attaque, les invités non invités se tenaient donc devant un mur solide et ne pouvaient pas entrer. Une porte au rez-de-chaussée n'a été ajoutée qu'au XIXe siècle.
In the Middle Ages, it was enough to walk through the streets of Trier to discover the good old days. Indeed, people of that time treated their historical heritage in a very pragmatic way: buildings that could no longer be used had to be used as quarries for new constructions. And so it is that many of the fortress-like residential towers that sprung up in the city center in the 11th and 12th centuries were often built with ancient Roman stone materials that were still found everywhere. Only a few of these towers have survived to this day - the 14th century Frankish Tower, one of whose inhabitants was named Franco von Senheim, is one of them and also the best preserved. In its walls too, ancient stones have survived the ages.
The unadorned facade and crenellated wall crown already indicate that the builders of the tower prioritized the safety factor. In fact, while the ancient city wall had been largely destroyed, the construction of the medieval city wall was not yet complete. Reason enough, then, to prove their own defensive abilities with small windows and defiant walls. Also, the front door was on the first floor on the east side and could only be reached by a folding wooden staircase. In the event of an attack, uninvited guests therefore stood in front of a solid wall and could not enter. A door on the ground floor was not added until the 19th century.
I had just returned from a photographically fruitless walk around a local reservoir when I saw this Sparrowhawk swoop into my garden and grab a male House Sparrow. The sparrow is still alive at this point which makes for a dramatic, but macabre image. I took this through the double glazed windows, but it is virtually straight off the camera. There is a wonderful story about the Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), who became Prime Minister after his military career, and who was visiting Crystal Palace, which was nearly completed for the Great Exhibition of 1851. He was with Queen Victoria, who was concerned about Sparrows nesting in the roof of the great building. She asked Wellington his advice on how to get rid of the Sparrows. His answer was decisive and succinct; "Sparrow-hawks Ma'am".
The scientific name of Sparrowhawk is Accipiter nisus and is quite an interesting mix of the pragmatic and the poetic. Accipiter means grasper (although the original meaning of the verb accipitere meant to grasp mentally rather than physically. So understand rather than seize.). Nisus was a Greek King who was turned into a hawk after his city was betrayed by his own daughter. His daughter Scylla was turned into a lark, condemned forever to fly in fear from her own father. The English name Sparrowhawk goes back through Middle English (Sperhauk) even to Old English (Spearhafoc), pre 1066.
Incidentally this is a first year male just starting to moult into adult plumage. You can see a pale blue feather in the middle of his back. He would have hatched as a chick last summer but in a year he certainly seemed to have mastered his necessary hunting skills.
In the summertime, I do take to posting more photos of my garden. This is to both inspire me and redirect me. It serves as a reminder of how things were and what blooms when and where. It's often more mundane for the artsy photographer, and serves my more pragmatic side. So be it.
Here is a new echinacea for the backyard garden. Welcome!
July 4, 2022.
IMG_0642 sq