View allAll Photos Tagged Problematic

The owner of this wash ironically wants to replace his problematic Trio with a SoftGloss XS "2.5" that was saved from demolition. It was on Car Wash Consignment for over a year, I have pictures of it on here. It was at a shell and has red foambrite.

Location anyone? DMS349 went to FY after overhaul having had a problematic spell at BK. There is no date on this photo but 'T' registrations commenced in August 1978 and DMS349 didn't move to FY until July 1979, so that's no help! A move to ED/TC took place in November 1980. I'm guessing summer 1979 as it looks quite shiny.

 

No photographer credit on photo (no 80286), but same style writing on the reverse as the other DMS349 photo I have posted alongside.

A Flamingo in one of the salty pools of Isabella

 

Flamingo

The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large species of flamingo closely related to the Greater Flamingo and Chilean Flamingo. It has also been known as the Caribbean Flamingo, but the species' presence in the Galápagos makes that name problematic. The American Flamingo breeds in the Galápagos Islands, coastal Colombia and Venezuela and nearby islands, the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, and in the northern Caribbean in the Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most sightings in southern Florida are usually considered to be escapees, although at least one bird banded as a chick in the Yucatán Peninsula has been sighted in Everglades National Park, and others may be genuine wanderers from Cuba. Its preferred habitats are similar to that of its relatives: saline lagoons, mudflats, and shallow brackish coastal or inland lakes. Like all flamingos, it lays a single chalky white egg on a mud mound, between May and August; incubation until hatching takes from 28 to 32 days; both parents brood the young for a period of up to 6 years when they reach sexual maturity. Their life expectancy of 40 years is one of the longest in birds. The American Flamingo is 120–140 cm (47–55 in) in length; males weigh 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) and females 2.2 kg (4.9 lb) kg. Most of its plumage is pink, giving rise to its earlier name of Rosy Flamingo and differentiating adults from the much paler Greater Flamingo. The wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. It is the only flamingo which naturally inhabits North America. The bill is pink and white with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.

 

Isabella

Shaped like a sea horse, Isabela is the largest of the the islands in the Galapagos, more than 4 times larger than Santa Cruz the next largest. Isabela is 80 miles (100 km) in length and though it is remarkably beautiful it is not one of the most visited islands in the chain. Its visitor sites are far apart making them accessible only to faster boats or those with longer itineraries. One of the youngest islands, Isabela is located on the western edge of the archipelago near the Galapagos hot spot. At approximately 1 million years old, the island was formed by the merger of 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. Five of the six volcanoes are still active (the exception is Ecuador) making it one of the most volcanically active places on earth. Visitors cruising past Elizabeth Bay on the west coast can see evidence of this activity in the fumaroles rising from Volcan Chico on Sierra Negra. Two of Isabela's volcanoes lie directly on the equator - Ecuador and Volcan Wolf. Volcan Wolf is the youngest of Isabela's volcanoes and at 5,600ft (1707 m) the highest point in the Galapagos. Isabela is known for its geology, providing visitors with excellent examples of the geologic occurrences that have created the Galapagos Islands including uplifts at Urbina Bay and the Bolivar Channel, Tuft cones at Tagus Cove, and Pulmace on Alcedo. Isabela is also interesting for its flora and fauna. The young island does not follow the vegetation zones of the other islands. The relatively new lava fields and surrounding soils have not developed the sufficient nutrients required to support the varied life zones found on other islands. Another obvious difference occurs on Volcan Wolf and Cerro Azul, these volcanoes loft above the cloud cover and are arid on top. Isabela's rich animal, bird, and marine life is beyond compare. Isabela is home to more wild tortoises than all the other islands. Isabela's large size and notable topography created barriers for the slow moving tortoises; apparently the creatures were unable to cross lava flows and other obstacles, causing several different sub-species of tortoise to develop. Today tortoises roam free in the calderas of Alcedo, Wolf, Cerro Azul, Darwin and Sierra Negra. Alcedo Tortoises spend most of their life wallowing in the mud at the volcano crater. The mud offers moisture, insulation and protects their exposed flesh from mosquitoes, ticks and other insects. The giant tortoises have a mediocre heat control system requiring them to seek the coolness of the mud during the heat of the day and the extra insulation during the cool of the night. On the west coast of Isabela the nutrient rich Cromwell Current upwelling creating a feeding ground for fish, whales, dolphin and birds. These waters have long been known as the best place to see whales in the Galapagos. Some 16 species of whales have been identified in the area including humpbacks, sperms, sei, minkes and orcas. During the 19th century whalers hunted in these waters until the giant creatures were near extinction. The steep cliffs of Tagus Cove bare the names of many of the whaling ships and whalers which hunted in these waters. Birders will be delighted with the offerings of Isabela. Galapagos Penguins and flightless cormorants also feed from the Cromwell Current upwelling. These endemic birds nest along the coast of Isabela and neighboring Fernandina. The mangrove finch, Galapagos Hawk, brown pelican, pink flamingo and blue heron are among the birds who make their home on Isabela. A colorful part to any tour located on the western shore of Isabela, Punta Moreno is often the first or last stopping point on the island (depending on the direction the boat is heading). Punta Moreno is a place where the forces of the Galapagos have joined to create a work of art. The tour starts with a panga ride along the beautiful rocky shores where Galapagos penguins and shore birds are frequently seen. After a dry landing the path traverses through jagged black lava rock. As the swirling black lava flow gave way to form craters, crystal tide pools formed-some surrounded by mangroves. This is a magnet for small blue lagoons, pink flamingos, blue herons, and Bahama pintail ducks. Brown pelican can be seen nesting in the green leaves of the mangroves. You can walk to the edge of the lava to look straight down on these pools including the occasional green sea turtle, white-tipped shark and puffer fish. This idyllic setting has suffered from the presence of introduced species. Feral dogs in the area are known to attack sea Lions and marine iguanas.

 

Galapagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands (official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, some 900 km west of Ecuador. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site: wildlife is its most notable feature. Because of the only very recent arrival of man the majority of the wildlife has no fear of humans and will allow visitors to walk right up them, often having to step over Iguanas or Sea Lions.The Galápagos islands and its surrounding waters are part of a province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 40,000, which is a 40-fold expansion in 50 years. The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

Taken in Middlesborough, NE England. Obesity is considered a major risk factor for a variety of health problems including diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, arthritis and heart disease - amongst others . In the UK the rates of childhood obesity have quadrupled in the past 25 years. Despite (or inspite of) public health messages that advocate healthier lifestyles, the 'public' appears not to be responding in ways expected - "Fatso's filling station " should hardly be funny, but this company seems to suggest it is. Is this a form of resistance?

Previous contributions and statements:

 

1st statement

 

Bethan Jenkins ( Twitter @bethanjenkins ) Plaid AM for South Wales West, said:

 

“While I am always happy to hear about new developments in energy – particularly in renewables – and while I welcome the use of new technology to improve energy production – particularly where emissions are concerned – I still harbour a series of considerable reservations where shale gas extraction and fracking is concerned.

 

My concerns are both global and local. I worry that the ground where the South Wales Coalfield lies, and where much of this gas is found, has been subject to large levels of disruption during the years through extensive mining. This has created all kinds of problems where underground water is concerned, and the careful management it requires at present to prevent sudden flooding and other issues in Valleys communities could become severely disrupted by the practices used in fracking, such as the introduction of additional fluids into the water table.

 

“On top of that, the monitoring of pollution that may come with shale gas extraction becomes that much more problematic if statutory agencies and those responsible for ensuring clean water have to contend with the intricacies of mining’s legacy.

 

“I am also unconvinced by some of the economic argument put forward by proponents of shale gas – that it creates jobs. Of the handful of schemes I have seen, minuscule numbers of jobs are on offer. You won’t cure long-time issues of unemployment in the Valleys – and consequently improve the economy – by providing as few as three jobs per drilling site.

 

“Lastly, one of the sentiments I hear a lot from constituents who face planning applications of this kind is that the companies who put them in, the big energy companies and their financial backers, regard the Valleys as somewhere where you can get any kind of scheme through, because local authorities are so desperate to create jobs. But for those constituents, it goes deeper. They think these companies look at their communities and think it’s alright to test unproven technologies because of the heavy industries of the past and because of the high levels of deprivation now. ‘We’re here to be dumped on,’ is how one resident put it to me. Those concerns have to be addressed before anyone should even think of drilling for shale gas in South Wales.”

 

2nd statement Bethan Jenkins AM said:

 

8th Aug 2013

 

In realation to Frack Free Wales protesting in Balcombe

 

" I support people's rights to peacefully protest as I understand Frances and Justin did in Balcombe. It is important that they are able to voice their opinions about an issue that they are passionate about, and that is why I am supporting them. If people feel that they are not free to protest, then what does this say about our standards of democracy?

 

It is also true to say that many people have concerns about fracking, and that much more work needs to be done with regards to researching its viability and safety before plans for its development are pushed through. I have called on the Welsh Government to implement a moratorium on fracking until testing is completed in England, but I have not been reassured as yet that the Welsh Government will implement this moratorium.

 

"People who campaign in this field remain concerned about the dangers of water scarcity and the poisoning of aquifers, and the evidence presented in peer reviewed academic articles indicates that this process is not safe.

 

"I urge those who support the human rights of individuals to protest peacefully to support these campaigners on the 14th of August, and to raise awareness of this matter in any way they can."

  

Thank you very much Bethan Jenkins AM for South Wales West.

  

• Our Second Contributor

 

@MickAntoniwAM - Labour Assembly Member for Pontypridd

 

"I remain to be convinced that all issues on safety have been addressed & answered until then I wish to see a moratorium on fracking"

 

Statement from Mick Antoniw AM for Pontypridd below. Also included is the question that he asked to the Minister on this issue last month and the Minister’s response for your info.

 

“The local authority which covers my constituency of Pontypridd has recently overseen an application for exploratory drilling so this is an issue of great interest and importance to both my constituents and I. I have raised the issue of exploitation of unconventional gas reserves in the Llantrisant area with the Minister for Natural Resources and food to seek assurances with regard to public safety.

 

“Drilling is a different technology to “fracking” and does not have the same hazards. At present I am unconvinced that “fracking” is safe and I would not support such a development until there is far more investigation into the associated risks. I can assure you that I will continue to monitor this issue very closely.” Mick Antoniw AM for Pontypridd

 

Plenary Record from 12/06/2013

 

Mick Antoniw

 

13:30

 

1. Will the Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government’s approach to fracking? OAQ(4)0018(NRF)

 

Alun Davies The Minister for Natural Resources and Food

 

13:30

 

Our position is precautionary, and is based on the full consideration of all the available evidence. While acknowledging the potential economic benefits of unconventional gas development, we also recognise the environmental and safety concerns relating to the hydraulic fracturing process that is used to extract the gas.

 

Mick Antoniw

 

13:31

 

You will know that parts of the Pontypridd constituency have been highlighted as potential areas for shale gas extraction. There are, naturally, concerns regarding this new energy development. Could you outline what the Government’s strategy will be over the next 12 to 18 months in terms of assurances to the population about any developments in this area?

 

Alun Davies

 

13:31

 

I hope that I can provide those assurances. As I said in my answer to your original question, our position is a precautionary one. We support a robust regulatory regime for unconventional gas exploitation, to ensure the highest standards of public safety and environmental protection. Furthermore, any exploratory operations will also be subject to strict monitoring and scrutiny by the relevant planning authority, as well as by the regulatory bodies that are responsible for public health and environmental protection, including the Health and Safety Executive and Natural Resources Wales. To ensure that Welsh interests are fully represented as this policy area develops, my officials are already in regular discussion with the UK Government’s Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil, which has been established to promote the safe and environmentally sound recovery of the UK’s unconventional gas and oil reserves.

 

Thank you Mick Antoniw AM

  

• Our Third Contributor

 

Leanne Wood (leader of Plaid Cymru Wales)

 

"Key issue for us is where the decision is taken. Wales should decide on all energy developments"

 

She ask me to ref this article - www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/fracking-could-resu...

  

• Our Fourth Contributor - Plaid Cymru

Jonathan Edwards MP for Carmarthen East

 

@JonathanPlaid - my position is to oppose the dash for Welsh gas as energy is not devolved. Otherwise the profits from exploitation are lost.

 

@nspugh So if energy was devolved to Wales you would exploit shale gas reserves & coal bed methane?

 

@nspugh I wouldn't rule it out. Energy resources our biggest economic asset. Coal bed methane licenses already issued from what I understand.

 

@JonathanPlaid renewables are our biggest asset. Energy devolved, shale/coalbed methane & Wales's carbon emisssion targets climate change?

 

@nspugh the party's energy policy clearly favours the promotion of renewables.

 

@JonathanPlaid yes - but if energy was devolved would you leave the gas underground?

 

@nspugh I wouldn't copy the UK Gov and ignore the potential of bio gas.

 

@nspugh wouldn't rule out unconventional gas if exploited by Welsh Gov for people of Wales.30% of our people live in fuel poverty.

 

@nspugh vehemently oppose Osbourne dash for gas. Profits going to a few people and communities left with the legacy of environmental damage

 

@JonathanPlaid as long as what is feeding the biomass plant is sustainable.

 

@JonathanPlaid fuel poverty can be alleviated by community renewable energy shares, energy should be delivered on your doorstep.

 

@JonathanPlaid I don't understand, vehemently oppose Osbourne dash for gas, yet you would do the same, with the same consequences?

  

• Our Fifth Contributor -

Antoinette Sandbach Conservative Assembly Member for North Wales Region, Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs in Assembly

 

@ASandbachAM Are you happy for #shalegas or #fracking to commence in North Wales? #FGBill #FutureGen flic.kr/p/fjRey9

 

@nspugh no indication that would happen. Most of the reserves are in South Wales.

 

@ASandbachAM www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/energy/data/fracking-map-w... N Wales borders under licence for #shalegas extraction, are you happy for it to commence?

 

@nspugh write to me as not something I can answer in 140 characters.

  

• Our Sixth Contributor -

 

Llyr Gruffydd AC/AM - Plaid Cymru The Part of Wales Assembly Member for North Wales & Shadow Minister for Environment, Energy & Agriculture.

 

@LlyrGruffydd If energy was devolved in Wales would you leave the gas underground?

 

@nspugh Yes I would. Too many unanswered questions at the moment

 

@LlyrGruffydd under what conditions would you let #shalegas - #fracking extraction happen in Wales; if any?

  

• Our Seventh Contributor -

Dafydd Elis-Thomas - AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd

 

@ElisThomasD in relation to the #SDBillWales or #FGBill does @WelshGovernment sit back on #ShaleGas & #Fracking?

 

@nspugh @AssemblyWales Environment and Sustainability Committee inquiry on energy and planning evidence www.senedd.assemblywales.org

 

Dear Nigel,

 

Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM has asked the clerking team of the Environment & Sustainability Committee to contact you regarding the Committee meeting on 7 March, which looked at shale gas and gasification. Please see below a link to the meeting agenda / minutes which allows you access Committee meeting papers and the meeting transcript.

 

www.senedd.assemblywales.org/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=225... – English

 

www.senedd.cynulliadcymru.org/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=22... - Welsh

 

@ElisThomasD thank you for your help! Would you leave shale gas in the ground? :)

 

@nspugh Yes. E&SCommittee favours low carbon energy both renewables, particulary hydro and marine, and existing nuclear sites, not gas,

 

@ElisThomasD why do you think the Welsh Gov has been so submissive on shale gas extraction? Imagine 300 plus wells on The Vale Of Glam.

 

@nspugh As to WG planning decisions, if you want a moratorium on exploration and/or exploitation then you need an Assembly motion.

 

@ElisThomasD how do you get a Assembly motion, proposing a moratorium on the exploration and/or exploitation of shalegas in Wales?

 

@nspugh approach E&SCommitte Colleagues @MickAntoniw @russ_george @LlyrGruffydd @WilliamPowell and you have a potential majority!

  

Asked so far on Twitter:

 

@fmwales

@WG_NatResMin

@vaughangething

@JulieMorganLAB

@AndrewRTDavies - Welsh Conservative leader

@IrrancaDaviesMP

@LeanneWood - sent

@ElisThomasD

@natalieben - already clear: greenparty.org.uk/news/2013/06/27/fracking-is-not-the-ans...

@bethanjenkins - sent

@WLGrassroots

@MarkDrakeford

@ElunedParrottAM

@JulieJamesAM

@WilliamPowellAM

@MickAntoniwAM - sent

@AngelaBurnsAM

@KeithDaviesAC

@RhunapIorwerth

@parkgirl59

@MohammadAsghar

@suzydaviesam

@KenSkatesAM

@Byron_Davies

@williamgrahamam

@AlunFfredPlaid

@ElinCeredigion

@cjharris85 - Press & Research Officer to Jonathan Edwards MP and Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM.

@RhodriGlynPlaid

@mabonapgwynfor

@MarkIsherwoodAM

@JFinchSaunders

@peterblackwales

‪@KevinBrennanMP‬

@OwenSmithMP

@ASandbachAM -

@LlyrGruffydd - Plaid

@russ_george - Conservative

@lesley4wrexham - Labour Assembly Member for Wrexham

@ElisThomasD Dafydd Elis-Thomas - AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd -sent

  

To ask...plus a few more I'm sure.

 

@RosemaryButler - AM for Newport West in the National Assembly for Wales.

‪@SandyMewiesAM‬

@ann_jonesam

@JaneHutt - Labour Assembly Member for the Vale of Glamorgan.

@DavidReesAM

@carlsargeant1 - Labour

@HuwLewis

@LeightonCymraeg - Labour

@lesley4wrexham

@Gwendathomas- Labour

@JennyRathbone - Labour

@IeuanWynJones - Plaid

@derekvaughan MEP - Labour

@WG_CommunityMin @JeffCuthbert - Labour AM for Caerphilly Welsh Government Minister for Communities & Tackling Poverty and Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty

Edwina Hart A.M - Labour -Gower

@AlunCairns Conservative MP for the Vale of Glamorgan

@DavidJonesMP Conservative Member of Parliament for Clwyd West

@GlynDaviesMP Conservative Member of Parliament for MONTGOMERYSHIRE

  

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru - The National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Amgylchedd a Chynaliadwyedd - The Environment and Sustainability Committee

 

Dydd Iau, 7 Mawrth 2013 - Thursday, 7 March 2013

 

Questions to UK Onshore Gas Ltd

 

www.senedd.assemblywales.org/documents/s15086/7%20March%2...

 

Twitter @nspugh twitter.com/nspugh

2021 IC CE Gasoline PSI 8.8

 

(1 of 5)

 

460-464

 

Problematic CE of the fleet.

This photos shows a problematic section of State Route 302 at milepost 4.5 near Victor. This section of roadway is near the Mason/Pierce County line. The sloughing roadway created a very rough road for drivers. Due to additional erosion, WSDOT during winter 2017 had to close the lane closest to Puget Sound until repairs could be made. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR302/EVictorRdCulvert/

First Thursday: 9/3/2015

 

Photos by Jennifer Hughes

 

Alien She

Sep 3, 2015 â Jan 9, 2016

 

Alien She, curated by Astria Suparak + Ceci Moss, is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today. A pioneering punk feminist movement that emerged in the early 1990s, Riot Grrrl has had a pivotal influence, inspiring many around the world to pursue socially and politically progressive careers as artists, activists, authors and educators. Emphasizing female and youth empowerment, collaborative organization, creative resistance and DIY ethics, Riot Grrrl helped a new generation to become active feminists and create their own culture and communities that reflect their values and experiences, in contrast to mainstream conventions and expectations.

 

Riot Grrrl formed in reaction to pervasive and violent sexism, racism and homophobia in the punk music scene and in the culture at large. Its participants adapted strategies from earlier queer and punk feminisms and â70s radical politics, while also popularizing discussions of identity politics occurring within academia, but in a language that spoke to a younger generation. This self-organized network made up of teenagers and twenty-somethings reached one another through various platforms, such as letters, zines, local meetings, regional conferences, homemade videos, and later, chat rooms, listservs and message boards. The movement eventually spread worldwide, with chapters opening in at least thirty-two states and twenty-six countries.* Its ethos and aesthetics have survived well past its initial period in the â90s, with many new chapters forming in recent years. Riot Grrrlâs influence on contemporary global culture is increasingly evident â from the Russian collective Pussy Riotâs protest against corrupt government-church relations to the popular teen website Rookie and the launch of Girls Rock Camps and Ladyfest music and art festivals around the world.

 

Alien She focuses on seven people whose visual art practices were informed by their contact with Riot Grrrl. Many of them work in multiple disciplines, such as sculpture, installation, video, documentary film, photography, drawing, printmaking, new media, social practice, curation, music, writing and performance â a reflection of the movementâs artistic diversity and mutability. Each artist is represented by several projects from the last 20 years, including new and rarely seen works, providing an insight into the development of their creative practices and individual trajectories.

 

Artists: Ginger Brooks Takahashi (Pittsburgh), Tammy Rae Carland (Oakland), Miranda July (Los Angeles), Faythe Levine (Milwaukee), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), L.J. Roberts (Brooklyn), Stephanie Syjuco (San Francisco) and more.

 

Archival Materials from: dumba collective; EMP Museum, Seattle; Interference Archive; Jabberjaw; the Riot Grrrl Collection at the Fales Library & Special Collections, NYU; and many personal collections.

 

Collaborative Projects and Platforms include: Counterfeit Crochet Project, Feminist Art Gallery (FAG), General Sisters, Handmade Nation, Joanie 4 Jackie, Learning to Love You More, LTTR, projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project, Sign Painters and more

Womenâs Studies Professors Have Class Privilege / Iâm With Problematic, from the series Creep Lez, Allyson Mitchell, 2012.

 

Altered t-shirts with iron-on transfer and vinyl letters. Courtesy of the artist and Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto.

 

Alien She is curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss, and organized by the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

 

First Thursday: 9/3/2015

 

Photos by Jennifer Hughes

 

Alien She

Sep 3, 2015 – Jan 9, 2016

 

Alien She, curated by Astria Suparak + Ceci Moss, is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today. A pioneering punk feminist movement that emerged in the early 1990s, Riot Grrrl has had a pivotal influence, inspiring many around the world to pursue socially and politically progressive careers as artists, activists, authors and educators. Emphasizing female and youth empowerment, collaborative organization, creative resistance and DIY ethics, Riot Grrrl helped a new generation to become active feminists and create their own culture and communities that reflect their values and experiences, in contrast to mainstream conventions and expectations.

 

Riot Grrrl formed in reaction to pervasive and violent sexism, racism and homophobia in the punk music scene and in the culture at large. Its participants adapted strategies from earlier queer and punk feminisms and ‘70s radical politics, while also popularizing discussions of identity politics occurring within academia, but in a language that spoke to a younger generation. This self-organized network made up of teenagers and twenty-somethings reached one another through various platforms, such as letters, zines, local meetings, regional conferences, homemade videos, and later, chat rooms, listservs and message boards. The movement eventually spread worldwide, with chapters opening in at least thirty-two states and twenty-six countries.* Its ethos and aesthetics have survived well past its initial period in the ‘90s, with many new chapters forming in recent years. Riot Grrrl’s influence on contemporary global culture is increasingly evident – from the Russian collective Pussy Riot’s protest against corrupt government-church relations to the popular teen website Rookie and the launch of Girls Rock Camps and Ladyfest music and art festivals around the world.

 

Alien She focuses on seven people whose visual art practices were informed by their contact with Riot Grrrl. Many of them work in multiple disciplines, such as sculpture, installation, video, documentary film, photography, drawing, printmaking, new media, social practice, curation, music, writing and performance – a reflection of the movement’s artistic diversity and mutability. Each artist is represented by several projects from the last 20 years, including new and rarely seen works, providing an insight into the development of their creative practices and individual trajectories.

 

Artists: Ginger Brooks Takahashi (Pittsburgh), Tammy Rae Carland (Oakland), Miranda July (Los Angeles), Faythe Levine (Milwaukee), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), L.J. Roberts (Brooklyn), Stephanie Syjuco (San Francisco) and more.

 

Archival Materials from: dumba collective; EMP Museum, Seattle; Interference Archive; Jabberjaw; the Riot Grrrl Collection at the Fales Library & Special Collections, NYU; and many personal collections.

 

Collaborative Projects and Platforms include: Counterfeit Crochet Project, Feminist Art Gallery (FAG), General Sisters, Handmade Nation, Joanie 4 Jackie, Learning to Love You More, LTTR, projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project, Sign Painters and more

Women’s Studies Professors Have Class Privilege / I’m With Problematic, from the series Creep Lez, Allyson Mitchell, 2012.

 

Altered t-shirts with iron-on transfer and vinyl letters. Courtesy of the artist and Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto.

 

Alien She is curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss, and organized by the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

  

Holding Sway: PNCA Faculty and Alumni Exhibition

Sep 3, 2015 – Oct 18, 2015

 

Opening Reception Thursday, September 3, 2015, 6-8PM

 

With the first Pacific Northwest College of Art Faculty Biennial to be held in our newly renovated historic Federal Building at 511 NW Broadway, now named the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design, we sought to do something that would not only highlight the artists, designers, and scholars who make up the faculty at PNCA, but also to showcase the scope of contemporary art, craft, and design created by alumni from PNCA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Fine Arts programs. The result is the first ever PNCA faculty and alumni exhibition titled Holding Sway.

 

The faculty and alumni of PNCA are among the nation’s most rigorous thinkers and practitioners. While as a group they are diverse in their creative endeavors, they are united in their drive for a continual exploration of creative practice. The strength of the creative community formed by the cultural producers of PNCA’s faculty, alumni, and students can be witnessed in the range and depth of work presented in Holding Sway.

 

Accompanying Holding Sway is a companion publication featuring fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and criticism by PNCA faculty and alumni.

New County Infirmary

 

Date: 1907

Source Type: Postcard

Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Unknown

Postmark: August 7, 1907, Valparaiso, Indiana

Collection: Steven R. Shook

Remark: During the mid-nineteenth century, a movement was taking place in the United States and Western Europe recognizing the plight of the poor, indigent, and mentally unstable citizens. In the United States, many counties established what were often referred to as poor houses, poor farms, infirmaries, and asylums. Generally, mentally unstable individuals were also housed at these county-established residences, though most states also erected state mental institutions to house those citizens of the state that were deemed to be more problematic for the counties to handle and maintain in an adequate state of care.

 

The genesis of Porter County’s “Poor Farm” took place on June 7, 1855, when the Porter County Commissioners approved the purchase of 80 acres from William C. Pennock for the sum of $3,000. This land comprised the east one-half of the southwest quarter of Section 26 in Center Township. Pennock became the first superintendent of the Porter County Poor Farm, accommodating the poor in the home already located on the newly purchased property.

 

On September 1, 1856, a new dwelling constructed by George C. Buel was opened on the poor farm property to house the poor. This structure was had a footprint of 32 x 45 feet and cost the county $2,482, being paid with a combination of cash and county-issued bond revenue. Residents were, for the most part, self-sufficient. Shelter and meals were provided to the residents in exchange for labor in farming and upkeep of the property.

 

An adjacent 80 acres directly east of the Porter County Poor Farm was purchased by the county for $3,200 in March 1866 to expand the farm to 160 acres. The farm was expanded again on June 16, 1875, when the county purchased all that part of the northeast quarter of Section 35 in Center Township which was lying north and east of Salt Creek and south of a line drawn parallel with the north line of the quarter for $1,200. On June 9, 1876, yet another purchase took place to expand the farm when the county purchased southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 27 in Center Township for $1,200.

 

The home seen in this image was the third and final home to be located on the Porter County Poor Farm. Designed by local architect Charles F. Lembke, ground was broken for this $25,000 structure soon after the sale of county-issued bonds on August 7, 1905; construction was completed in 1906. Shortly after this building was completed, a barn was erected on the property at a cost of $4,000.

 

At some point in time before the construction of this building, the Porter County Poor Farm was being more often referred to as the Porter County Asylum. This suggests that the county was transitioning from housing the poor and indigent to include individuals with real and perceived mental deficiencies and what were considered, at that time, socially undesirable characteristics. As reported in early twentieth century county newspapers, the institutionalized included the truly insane, such sociopaths, psychopaths, and the delusional, as well as the poor and indigent, unemployed (bums and hobos), epileptics, adulterers, prostitutes and loose women, homosexuals, alcoholics, and drug addicts. Oftentimes, the Porter County Asylum served as a temporary housing solution before an individual was committed to the Porter County Jail, Indiana State Prison, or one of the state-operated mental institutions. As evident by the writing on this postcard, the name of institution had evolved into the Porter County Infirmary by 1907.

 

On November 11, 2005, this structure was heavily damaged by an arsonist using kerosene as an accelerant. The extent of the damage was so severe that it was decided to raze the building, which took place during late February and early March 2006.

 

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The following news item appeared in the August 14, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Porter County Business.

At the last meeting of the council the board of county commissioners asked for an appropriation for the erection of a new county asylum. The council passed a resolution instructing the commissioners to procure plans for such a building as was needed, and fall information as to what was expected. At the meeting held Friday [August 7, 1903], the board had present Mr. Butler, secretary of the Indiana state board of charities, who brought with him the plans of several asylums built in various parts of this state. He had examined the county asylum, and severely condemned it. He showed the plans of the Adams county asylum, which cost about $30,000 to construct. It was equipped with a hospital and insane quarters, as well as separate quarters for the sexes. Its capacity was about 40 inmates. Another plan was submitted with a capacity of about 18 inmates which would cost about three-quarters as much as the larger one. Mr. Butler imparted a great deal of valuable information to the commissioners and the council, and advised that a committee be selected to visit some of the new and modern asylums of the state. The commissioners asked for an appropriation to cover the expenses of such a committee to the amount of $125, but the council thought $60 would be sufficient for the purpose and granted this sum. The committee selected are: C. W. Benton, Frank Quick, H. Bornholt, Hail Bates and A. J. Bowser. This committee will start on its trip Friday of this week, and expects to make a report at the September meeting of the county council.

 

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The following news item appeared in the August 21, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Chesterton Chips.

The committee selected by the county council to make an investigation of various county asylums in this state, and report on the needs of this county for accommodations for its poor, left on its mission last Friday morning. The committee consisted of the three county commissioners, Bornholt, Quick and Benton, and Bowser and Bates, of the county council. They visited the asylums of Marshall, Kosciusko and Adams counties. This committee has a vast amount of work yet to do collecting information to be obtained in this county, and as soon as this is ready a report will be made to the council, probably at a special session. As the editor of the Tribune is a member of this committee, and the report is not yet made, it would be improper for us to say anything at this time. We can say, however, that after the report is made and presented to the council, it will be published in full in all the papers of the county that desire to do so, so that the people of the county will know all about the matter. The committee hops to present a plan whereby a suitable county asylum can be built without increasing taxation or issuing bonds, and after it is built, will be self-sustaining. Some idea of the magnitude of the work will be obtained from the above simple statement. How this can be done is the work the committee will be engaged upon for several days.

 

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The following news item appeared in the September 11, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

COUNTY BUSINESS

County Commissioner Benton appeared before the council and reported the result of his committee investigation on the poor house matter. He said that a suitable building with the necessary barns and outbuildings could be built for about $35,000. The opinion of his committee was that the present poor farm was not suitable for the erection of such buildings. He accompanied his report with a map showing the farm, with its swamps and bad lands, and said that the committee would be in favor of waiting a year, and even three or four years before building, rather than build under present conditions. It was the sense of all the council and the board of commissioners that it would not be wise to build on the present poor farm, and the next step in the problem was whether it would be wise to try to run the poor farm on an extensive scale, and depend upon hired help to make the investment pay. Despite the claims of numerous county superintendents, poor farms were not self-sustaining, and the extra cost of management at up the profits of the farm. Not counting the interest on the money invested in a farm and buildings, the best that could be figured out was a deficiency of four or five thousand dollars per year. This amount was created by superintendent's salary, hired help, fuel, insurance, repairs and incidental expenses. The question arose whether it would not be better financiering to get away from the old fashioned idea of farming, which might have been all right in the early days, and take the interest money on the land investment and buy what was needed for the inmates. Prof. Kinsey crystalized this idea into a resolution which he offered, and which was unanimously passed, and which reads as follows:

 

"Resolved that is is the sentiment of the Porter County Council that it would be to the best interest of the county to sell the whole county farm holdings, and purchase a suitable site of not more than 40 acres, as being the more efficient and economical way of caring for the county's poor, and that the undertaking of extensive farming in connection with the county poor is unprofitable and expensive, and that the county commissioners are hereby instructed to look up suitable sites and prices and report to this body.

 

"Resolved, That Bates and Bowser, the same committee heretofore appointed to visit county farms, etc., with the three commissioners, continue with the Board of Commissioners in the investigation of sites and prices."

 

The effect of this resolution will be that until a suitable site can be found at a reasonable price, and some prospect of selling the present poor farm presents itself, there will be nothing doing in the poor house line. The council and commissioners are determined to proceed slowly and with caution in this matter, so that when the work is completed it will be satisfactory to the taxpayers, and of benefit to the inmates.

 

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The following news item appeared in the September 9, 1904, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Council Meeting.

The sum of $25,000 was appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings for the county asylum, the month to be raised by the sale of bonds payable in ten yearly installments of $2,500 each, with interest at 4 per cent. A levy of two cents on the one hundred dollars will meet the bonds and interest. The following resolution was passed, which explains itself.

 

Resolved, That there be appropriated by the Porter County Council the sum of $25,000 for the purpose of building a house and heating plant, plumbing and drainage for said building on the Porter county infirmary grounds and lands for housing the indigent poor of Porter county, to include all necessary expenses connected with such improvement, and that the Board of Commissioners of Porter county, Indiana, by proper proceedings, issue bonds for $25,000 for that purpose, as required by law, to be sold at not less than par, but that the said sum of $25,000 must not be exceeded in any event, either in bonds or in money in the expenditures for that purpose, and that the interest on said bonds must not exceed four per cent per annum on the par value of the bonds, interest payable semi-annually, and that said bonds are to run ten years in a series of ten equal payments, beginning one year after the date of issue, one-tenth thereof payable each year during such period. Said bonds not to be sold until after a contract has been let to a responsible bidder, who has given sufficient surety for the faithful performance of his contract, and whose bid shall not exceed the amount appropriated in this resolution.

 

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The following news item appeared in the January 12, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

County Business.

Architect Lembke submitted drawings for the proposed new county asylum to the board. These had been drawn on suggestions offered by Commissioner Benton, and show a building 123x95, with three floors, basement, first floor and second floor. The building is to be constructed of brick, trimmed with cement block, with tile roof. It is to be heated by steam, and has nineteen rooms for inmates, eight rooms for the superintendent, besides rooms for laundry, furnace, kitchens, closets, bath rooms and six cells for insane. The plans arrange for a division of the sexes, and provide light and ventilation very amply. The height of the rooms are as follows: basement, nine feet; first floor 10 feet; second floor nine feet. The site contemplated is north and east of the present asylum buildings. The board have taken the plans under consideration, and will act on them at the first meeting in February.

 

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The following news item appeared in the January 26, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

CHESTERTON ITEMS.

John F. Wing, of the firm of Wing & Mahurin, architects, Fort Wayne, heard that Porter county contemplated building a new county asylum, and he came to Valparaiso last Saturday to meet the commissioners, and lay before them a plan in the hopes of getting the job. The commissioners had looked at a plan submitted by architect Lambky [Lembke] and had decided to act on the matter at the February meeting. Since Wing has appeared on the scene and has furnished the Board with a lot of useful information, it looks now as though no hasty action would be taken in the matter. The Fort Wayne firm has built public buildings all over the state, and both Quick and Bates agreed that the plans he submitted Saturday were superior in every way to those the Valparaiso man laid before them. This plan calls for accommodations for fifty inmates, with all of the latest improvements in ventilation, hospital quarters, insane wars, etc. It has revealed the fact that no harm can be done to invite architects from all over to come and submit plans, and from the information gathered it will be possible for this county to have a good asylum. The man who furnishes the plans and superintends the work should have no connection with the concern that takes the contract. The TRIBUNE sincerely hopes that this building will be built without friction or even the suspicion of jobbery, and we believe it will. It is well enough to watch, however.

 

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The following news item appeared in the October 5, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

LOCAL NEWS OF THE WEEK

The board of county commissioners went out to the county farm last Monday for dinner. Auditor Corboy and The Tribune man were taken along by Superintendent Henry to see how the new county asylum building was getting on. The work is progressing very satisfactorily, and looks as though it was being well done. The walls are up for the basement and first story, and it is expected that it will be ready for enclosure before winter sets in. It will be at least a year before the building will be ready for occupancy, and if the inmates can be quartered in the new building by this time next year, they will be lucky. Mr. Henry says he does not like the arrangement of the basement, and especially the way provided for the storage cellars on account of the inconvenience of getting to them. Mrs. Henry is worrying about the location and capacity of the cisterns, and unless it is conveniently placed it will mean much work for her. It is proposed to use the old building now used to house the superintendent and inmates for crop storage purposes, leaving them where they are, for a while at least. The poor farm crops are fine this year, and the stock is a credit to the management. Henry and his wife have worked wonders for the county in their management of the county farm, and they are entitled to credit. It will be hard to winter the inmates in their present quarters unless some repairs are made. Cracks almost big enough to throw a cat through are quite plenty and while there will be plenty of fresh air, just how the poor folks can be kept warm is the problem. Mrs. Freeland, who was taken to the asylum a few weeks ago, died recently. Her husband is here, but very feeble. Westchester's delegation seems to be getting on all right, and in fact they all seem to be comfortable. Mr. Henry has managed to get considerable work out of some of the inmates this year, giving each one something he can do. The cripples were stripping seed corn and making it ready for drying, others able to get around were cutting corn, and still others were doing the housework in the inmates' quarters. There is a class who come to the county farm that Mr. Henry wished would go elsewhere. They are those afflicted with loathsome diseases, and lousy. He has no facilities for cleansing them or doctoring them. Representatives of this class are beginning to arrive, and although Henry says he has never yet refused an applicant admittance, he does not know what he will be compelled to do if township trustees continue sending him men like the one he recently received. This individual was a living pest, so loathsome that it was almost impossible to touch him. Caring for the county poor is no snap.

 

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The following news item appeared in the June 7, 1906, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

County Business

Nothing doing about accepting the County Asylum building. The contractor has finished the job, and is ready to turn the building over to the county. County Superintendent Henry is very much dissatisfied with the building, and it will not be surprising if he does not resign. Under present conditions it will be utterly impossible to keep the building warm. Commissioner Anderson visited the building Monday and made a careful inspection of the work. The ceilings are made of corrugated iron nailed to the joice [sic]. The fittings are imperfect, and Mr. Anderson will object very strongly to accepting that part of the work. He says the joice [sic] should have been stripped, and the iron nailed to the strips, and the joints tooled to place. The window sill, both wood and stone have been laid in flat, and the bottoms of the window frames are perfectly flat, the result being that every time it rains water floods the rooms. In all buildings properly constructed these sills and window frames are slanted outward, so that the water will run away from the building. The county has paid all of the contract price but $1,000, and it is a serious question whether this amount will put the building in a habitable condition. The superintendent of construction is criticized severely for permitting so much poor work to be done on the building. There is no kick on the quality of material. Mr. Anderson says that the brick and lumber in the structure is very good, but the manner in which the walls are laid in the partitions, and especially in conspicuous places, and the botch manner in which joints are made is what gets him. It is very unfortunate that this conditions [sic] exists. It seems that is is utterly impossible for Porter county to get a good piece of public work done any more.

 

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The following news item appeared in the June 28, 1906, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

THE POOR HOUSE TROUBLE.

One View of It and Suggestions as to the Cause.

Patched Plans the Primary Reason of the Building's Unsatisfactory Condition.

Porter county's new asylum is just now furnishing the people of Porter county with material to talk about. The building for these wards of the county has been built, and next Monday the board of county commissioners will be asked to accept it from the contractor. It is admitted that this building is unsatisfactory, and an effort is being made to find someone upon whom to fix the blame.

 

Right on the start, I want to say that I do not for a moment believe that the board of county commissioners or any member of that body has done a single act from an unworthy motive. I believe that a blunder has been made which is the primary cause of all the dissatisfaction now existing. That blunder consisted in the board of county commissioners attempting to build a thirty thousand dollar building for $25,000.

 

The county council passed a resolution enabling the board of commissioners to build a building at a cost not to exceed $25,000. complete, and provided the money with which to do this. This resolution fully protected the taxpayers of the county against putting any more money into the building. The county council felt that this much money was ample to house a population of eighteen or twenty paupers, and do it well, if the money was judiciously expended. This far the council could go, but no farther. The providing of plans and the construction of the building was in the hands of the county commissioners.

 

We said a blunder was made. We also believe that Mr. Benton made this blunder. We do not believe that the mistake was made from a bad motive. Mr. Benton championed the cause of "home" talent, and went out of his way to give the people of Porter county any business Porter county had. He had employed Mr. Lembke to build himself a fine home, and Lembke did this work in a manner especially pleasing to Mr. Benton. He wanted Lembke to have the erection of the county asylum. He fully believed Lembke competent to draw the plans and do the work in a manner creditable to the county and to the board. He trusted Lembke.

 

Now for Lembke. This man is supposed to be a competent architect. I do not believe him to be dishonest. Neither do I believe him to be incompetent. In his zeal to give the county a fine building he forgot expense, and drew plans which could not be executed for less than $30,000. The writer had experts go over these plans and figure the cost before they were offered to the public, and was told that they could not be carried out for less than $28,500 net, without a contractor's profit. Bidders submitted estimates, and none were lower than $30,000, a fair figure. The contract could not be let. The county council was solicited to make an additional appropriation. The commissioners were told to cause plans to be made that could be carried out for the appropriation made in the resolution. Instead of doing this, they undertook to patch the plans of the $30,000 building. There [sic; this] is where the colossal blunder was made. This patching choked the life out of the original plan, and gives us the nondescript building now causing such general criticism.

 

The architect had pledged himself to furnish Porter county with plans that would give the county farm a building for $25,000 complete, and when he failed to do this, he should have done one of two things, withdraw from the work or prepare new pans. The board erred it agreed to accept patched plans.

 

The contract was let under the patched plans and specification. Conditions arose which compelled the Commissioners to ask for Mr. Lembke's resignation. He was paid for his plans, and received something like $800 for them. When he was let out, his responsibility ceased. A new man, Henry Lembster was called to complete the work. He was given the plans and specifications, and he says they have been carried out, and that the building has been built according to them. He says he followed the specifications to the letter. He is the county's accredited agent, and the county is responsible for his acts. I do not believe that there are many people in this county who will say that Henry Lembster is either incompetent or dishonest. I have found fault with the building. I pointed out the fact that the windows were set in flat, instead of being bevelled [sic], and that in consequence every time it rained, the rooms were flooded with water. Since then I have seen the specifications and working plans, and I find that the plans compelled the superintendent to have these windows placed just as they are in the building. I find many paragraphs in the specifications ambiguous and difficult to interpret the meaning of. I have questioned the contractor, Mr. Foster, and he says that he left the construction of the building entirely in the hands of the County's representative, and that he has done, is doing, and will do anything the superintendent orders him to do. He says that some of the work is defective, and that he is causing it to be replaced. He talks very reasonable.

 

It would seem to me, in view of the conditions for some one disinterested, say the judge of the circuit court, to appoint a competent committee, whose work shall be to investigate the whole matter, and place whatever blame there is upon the right shoulders. I do not believe that any person lacking the expert knowledge, or who has not gone thoroughly into all of the facts, can be just in this matter at this time. I have an opinion. It may be right, and it may be wrong. But after it is all said and done, I doubt very much if there is anything to be done now, further than to do the best we can, and make good the defects. The County Commissioners is a judicial body, without bond, and cannot be held legally responsible for any mistake it may make. The plans were bought and paid for, and accepted by Porter County. If these plans were faulty, there is no recourse. All that can be done is to hold the contractor to his contract, and if he has not lived up to the plans and specification, compel him to. The sole judge of this matter is Henry Lembster.

 

Sources:

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; August 14, 1903; Volume 20, Number 19, Page 1, Columns 5-6. Column titled "Porter County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; August 21, 1903; Volume 20, Number 20, Page 5, Column 5. Column titled "Chesterton Chips."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; September 11, 1903; Volume 20, Number 23, Page 1, Columns 6-7. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; September 9, 1904; Volume 21, Number 23, Page 1, Column 7. Column titled "Council Meeting."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; January 12, 1905; Volume 21, Number 41, Page 6, Column 1. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; January 26, 1905; Volume 21, Number 43, Page 1, Column 7. Column titled "Chesterton Items."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; October 5, 1905; Volume 22, Number 27, Page 5, Column 6. Column titled "Local News of the Week."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; June 7, 1907; Volume 23, Number 10, Page 1, Column 4. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; June 28, 1907; Volume 23, Number 13, Page 1, Columns 3-4. Column titled "The Poor House Trouble."

 

Copyright 2015. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.

Alien She

 

Photos and Video by Mario Gallucci

 

Alien She

Sep 3, 2015 – Jan 9, 2016

 

Alien She, curated by Astria Suparak + Ceci Moss, is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today. A pioneering punk feminist movement that emerged in the early 1990s, Riot Grrrl has had a pivotal influence, inspiring many around the world to pursue socially and politically progressive careers as artists, activists, authors and educators. Emphasizing female and youth empowerment, collaborative organization, creative resistance and DIY ethics, Riot Grrrl helped a new generation to become active feminists and create their own culture and communities that reflect their values and experiences, in contrast to mainstream conventions and expectations.

 

Riot Grrrl formed in reaction to pervasive and violent sexism, racism and homophobia in the punk music scene and in the culture at large. Its participants adapted strategies from earlier queer and punk feminisms and ‘70s radical politics, while also popularizing discussions of identity politics occurring within academia, but in a language that spoke to a younger generation. This self-organized network made up of teenagers and twenty-somethings reached one another through various platforms, such as letters, zines, local meetings, regional conferences, homemade videos, and later, chat rooms, listservs and message boards. The movement eventually spread worldwide, with chapters opening in at least thirty-two states and twenty-six countries.* Its ethos and aesthetics have survived well past its initial period in the ‘90s, with many new chapters forming in recent years. Riot Grrrl’s influence on contemporary global culture is increasingly evident – from the Russian collective Pussy Riot’s protest against corrupt government-church relations to the popular teen website Rookie and the launch of Girls Rock Camps and Ladyfest music and art festivals around the world.

 

Alien She focuses on seven people whose visual art practices were informed by their contact with Riot Grrrl. Many of them work in multiple disciplines, such as sculpture, installation, video, documentary film, photography, drawing, printmaking, new media, social practice, curation, music, writing and performance – a reflection of the movement’s artistic diversity and mutability. Each artist is represented by several projects from the last 20 years, including new and rarely seen works, providing an insight into the development of their creative practices and individual trajectories.

 

Artists: Ginger Brooks Takahashi (Pittsburgh), Tammy Rae Carland (Oakland), Miranda July (Los Angeles), Faythe Levine (Milwaukee), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), L.J. Roberts (Brooklyn), Stephanie Syjuco (San Francisco) and more.

 

Archival Materials from: dumba collective; EMP Museum, Seattle; Interference Archive; Jabberjaw; the Riot Grrrl Collection at the Fales Library & Special Collections, NYU; and many personal collections.

 

Collaborative Projects and Platforms include: Counterfeit Crochet Project, Feminist Art Gallery (FAG), General Sisters, Handmade Nation, Joanie 4 Jackie, Learning to Love You More, LTTR, projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project, Sign Painters and more

Women’s Studies Professors Have Class Privilege / I’m With Problematic, from the series Creep Lez, Allyson Mitchell, 2012.

 

Altered t-shirts with iron-on transfer and vinyl letters. Courtesy of the artist and Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto.

 

Alien She is curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss, and organized by the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

  

Alien She is presented in two parts:

 

Museum of Contemporary Craft

724 NW Davis

Portland, OR 97209

 

511 Gallery @ PNCA

511 NW Broadway

Portland, OR 97209

 

Both venues are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm.

St Andrew's has been a bugbear of mine, it is a unusual looking Kentish church, a short drive from my house, and yet I have found it always locked.

 

I was now on a run of successes and so hoped to find it open for the riders and striders, and for me too.

 

I parked hard against the high bank beside the road, parking here is always problematic. You approach the church up steep steps, and from the lesser used side, I did not know if the door would be open, but I could hear voices.

 

I was in luck, sitting outside in the warm sunshine was a warden, apparently waiting for his wife to relieve his time on duty, but I was still greeted warmly and encouraged to go inside, as if that was necessary.

 

St Andrews sits in a quiet corner of a quiet village. The main Dover to Sandwich road is a couple of hundred yards away, but you can just hear the sounds of the countryside. Attractive houses and cottages huddle together on the other side of the road, and once in the small churchyard, you can look down on them.

 

St Andrew's has a small squat tower, and so is un-Kentish, but conforms to the usual Norman two cell layout, and once inside, feels ancient, much thanks to the sympathetic improvements done during the 19th century.

 

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A dark and atmospheric church on a steep hill above the village-end. Built of flint with stone and brick work of later periods it has changed little in a hundred years. The Victorian benefactors who refurnished the church did us a great favour – keeping the best of the old whilst giving us the best of the new. Most windows are by Kempe and some are uncommonly good – especially King David in the low side window of the nave. Both nave altars had their own arch and window and the Victorian Rood Screen creates a medieval effect. In the chancel is a fine late medieval brass to one of the owners of Dane Court – the big house of the village, because it has always been on the wall it is in pristine condition. The gorgeous reredos by Powell’s showing Christ the Alpha and Omega is especially fine. Outside the gate is a good set of village stocks!

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Tilmanstone

 

The church, which is dedicated to St. Andrew, is a small mean building, consisting of a body and chancel, with a square tower at the west end, very low, but formerly higher, having been taken down a few years ago; there is one bell in it. In the chancel, against the east wall, is a brass plate, on it are the figures of a man and woman, on his side one son, on her's three daughters, all kneeling, with the arms of Fogg, with a label of three points, impaling Sackville, with a crescent, for Richard Fogg, esq. and Anne his wife; he died in 1598. A gravestone for Richard Fogg, esq. father of fourteen children, famous for his poetry, and skill in heraldry, obt. 1680. A gravestone for Jane, daughter of the Rev. Strangford Viol, late rector of Upminster, in Essex, and Jane his wife, daughter of Richard Fogg, esq. obt. 1719; she married Edward Jacob, surgeon, of Canterbury, who died in 1756. In the east window are three shields of painted glass; the first, the field gone, On a chief, azure, three lions rampant, or; on the sides in black letter, Sir John Lisle, knt. The field was probably or; second, Gules, a cross, argent; third, azure, a bend cotized, argent, between six martlets of the second, under which was formerly this legend, Orate p aia Wi. Tonge, now obliterated. In the north window are remaining four figures; first, a man in armour with a shield, having a plain cross on it, on his breast, in the attitude of thrusting a lance through the jaws of a beast lying at his feet; probably, by the cross designed for St. George; second, a young man crowned; third, an older man crowned, with a globe and sceptre in his hands, and seemingly weeping; fourth, an antient man kneeling, full bearded, on his shoulder a child holding a globe and sceptre, to which he is looking up. In the south window is the figure of a man bearded, with a palmer's bonnet on, and staff, holding in his right hand a book. In the body of the church, a marble monument against the north wall, near the chancel, and inscription, shewing that in the vault underneath are deposited the remains of Michael Hatton, esq. of Dane-court, obt. 1776; also Mrs. Alice Hatton, his widow, obt. 1791; arms, Azure, a chevron, between three wheat sheaves, or, impaling gules, three lilies, argent, stalked and leaved, vert. A monument against the same wall for Thomas Michael Tierney, late student of Brazen Noze college, Oxford, and son of Thomas Tierney, of London, by Savine his wife, obt. 1770, at Arras, in France, on his return to England, æt. 19. On seven different gravestones are memorials for the Smiths, resident at Thornton, from the year 1632 to 1664. In the windows of this church were formerly much more painted glass, both of figures and coats of arms.

 

This church was antiently part of the possessions of the knights hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, to whom it was appropriated by archbishop Langton, about the end of king John's reign; the archbishop reserving to himself and successors, the nomination and institution of a vicar, and at the same time he endowed the vicarage, decreeing that the vicar should receive the whole altarage, and the moiety of all the tithes belonging to this church, and a certain messuage, &c. belonging to it; (fn. 3) in which state the appropriation and vi carage of this church remained until the dissolution of the above order, in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.'s reign, when they both came into the king's hands, and remained there till the year 1558, being the last of Philip and Mary, when the advowson of the vicarage was granted among others to the archbishop; and the appropriation likewise in the third year of queen Elizabeth, this rectory being then valued at six pounds per annum; since which both the appropriation and advowson have remained part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, the archbishop being now possessed of them. The vicarage of Tilmanstone is valued in the king's book at 7l. 12s. 6d. It is now a discharged living, and is of the yearly value of forty-five pounds. In 1588 here were one hundred and nine communicants, in 1640 there were the like number of communicants, and it was valued at fifty pounds. In 1740 it was of the value of sixty pounds.

 

Archbishop Wake, in 1719, on the petition of Nicholas Carter, vicar of this church, gave licence for him to take down the old vicarage-house and to erect a new one. (fn. 4) This vicarage is at present endowed with one half of the great tithes, with a vicarage-house, and garden only, for the vicar's use. The remaining half of the great tithes belongs to the parsonage, with twenty-four acres of glebe land, held on a beneficial lease from the archbishop, by the two sons of the late Mr. John Curling, of Ham. There are fifteen acres of land in this parish allotted as a glebe to Eastry parsonage.

 

In the parish register (the antient part of it) are the names of Cocks, Fogg, very numerous, Arden, Willford, Billingsley, Bargrave, Pattinson, Burville, Capell, Boys, Picks, and Ower.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63613

Dharamshala (also Dharamsala) is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the district headquarters. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama's residence in McLeodGanj and the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 kilometres from Kangra.

 

DESCRIPTION

Dharamshala is a city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees. The suburbs include McLeodGanj, Bhagsunath, Dharamkot, Naddi, ForsythGanj, Kotwali Bazaar (the main market), Kaccheri Adda (government offices such as the court, police, post, etc.), Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari (where the Karmapa is based).

 

The village of McLeodGanj, lying in the upper reaches, is known worldwide for the presence of the Dalai Lama. On 29 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) established the Tibetan exile administration in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie. In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala.

 

Dharamshala is the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising there was an influx of Tibetan refugees who followed the 14th Dalai Lama. His presence and the Tibetan population has made Dharamshala a popular destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying Tibet.

 

One of the main attractions of Dharamshala is Triund hill. Jewel of Dharamshala, Triund is one day trek at the upper reaches of McLeodGanj, about 9 km from McLeodGanj.

 

ETYMOLOGY

Dharamshala (Devanagari: धर्मशाला; ITRANS: Dharmashaalaa; IAST: Dharmaśālā) is a Hindi word (derived from Sanskrit) that is a compound of dharma (धर्म) and shālā (शाला). A loose translation into English would be 'spiritual dwelling' or, more loosely, 'sanctuary'. Rendering a precise literal translation into English is problematic due to the vast and conceptually rich semantic field of the word dharma[1] and the cultural aspect of India.

 

In common Hindi usage, the word dharamshala refers to a shelter or rest house for spiritual pilgrims. Traditionally, such dharamshalas (pilgrims' rest houses) were commonly constructed near pilgrimage destinations (often in remote areas) to give visitors a place to sleep for the night. When the first permanent settlement was created in the place now called Dharamshala, there was one such pilgrims' rest house on the site, and the settlement took its name from that dharamshala.

 

HISTORY

BEFORE THE RAJ

From the earliest times until the British Raj, Dharamshala and its surrounding area was ruled by the Katoch Dynasty of Kangra. The Katoch Dynasty is said to be the oldest serving Royal Family in the world. The Royal Family still keeps a residence in Dharamshala, known as 'Clouds End Villa'.

 

The indigenous people of the Dharamshala area (and the surrounding region) are the Gaddis, a predominantly Hindu group who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic (transhumant) lifestyle. Due to the lack of permanent settlements in the area, some Gaddis lost their seasonal pastures and farmland when the British and the Gurkhas arrived to settle.

 

In 1848, the area now known as Dharamshala was annexed by the British.

 

"Dharamsāla lies on a spur of the Dhaola Dhār, 16 miles north-east of Kāngra, in the midst of wild and picturesque scenery. It originally formed a subsidiary cantonment for the troops stationed at Kāngra, and was first occupied as a station in 1849, when a site was required for a cantonment to accommodate a Native regiment which was being raised in the District. A site was found upon the slopes of the Dhaola Dhār, in a plot of waste land, upon which stood an old Hindu resthouse, or dharmsāla, whence the name adopted for the new cantonment. The civil authorities, following the example of the regimental officers, and attracted by the advantages of climate and scenery, built themselves houses in the neighbourhood of the cantonment; and in 1855 the new station was formally recognised as the head-quarters of the [Kāngra] District."

 

In 1860, the 66th Gurkha Light Infantry was moved from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to Dharamshala, which was at first made a subsidiary cantonment. An ideal position for the new base was found on the slopes of the Dhauladhar Hills, near the site of a Hindu sanctuary, or Dharamshala, hence the name of the town. The Battalion was later renamed the historic 1st Gurkha Rifles, this was the beginning of the legend of the Gurkhas, also known as the 'Bravest of the Brave'. Consequently, fourteen Gurkha platoon villages grew from this settlement, and exist to this day, namely Dari, Ramnagar, Shyamnagar, Dal, Totarani, Khanyara, Sadher, Chaandmaari, Sallagarhi, Sidhbari, Yol, and so on. The Gurkhas worshipped at the ancient Shiva temple of Bhagsunag. The Gurkhas referred to Dharamshala as 'Bhagsu' and referred to themselves as Bhagsuwalas.

 

The 21st Gurkha Regiment from Dharamshala performed heroic feats during World War I and the North West Frontier Province campaigns. The Gurkha cantonment then reached its zenith during World War II, when battalions from Dharamshala made history. Many place names in the town still retain their former cantonment terminologies: Depot Bazaar, Pensioners' Lines, Tirah Lines (named after the 19th century Tirah Campaign), Bharatpore Lines (named after the 1826 Battle of Bharatpore).

 

The second Lord Elgin, Viceroy of India died here (at the 1st Gurkha Rifles Officers' Mess) in 1863 and is buried in the cemetery of St. John in the Wilderness, a small Anglican church distinguished by its stained-glass windows. Dharamshala became a popular hill station for the British working in or near Delhi, offering a cool respite during the hot summer months.

 

"Before the earthquake of 1905, the upper part of the station, which rises to a height of 2,168 metres, contained the European houses, the station church, and the officers' mess and lines of the 1st Gurkhas, together with the public gardens, post office, and two bazars, the Forsythganj and McLeodganj. The public offices, a bazar, and a few European houses made up the lower station, as low as 1,372 metres. The 1st battalion of the 1st Gurkhas used to be stationed here, but was moved to the upper station in 1894-5.... The public gardens, which were, before the earthquake, laid out with much taste in lawns and terraces, contained a valuable collection of indigenous and imported trees and shrubs, and were overlooked by the Assembly Rooms, a handsome building comprising a public hall, a library and reading-room and a billiard-room. The church was beautifully situated in a recess of the mountain."

 

In 1905, the Kangra valley suffered a major earthquake. On April 4 of that year, the earth shook, demolishing much of the cantonment and the neighbouring city of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh as well as the Bhagsunag temple. Altogether, the 1905 Kangra earthquake killed 20,000 people. "1,625 persons perished at Dharamsāla alone, including 15 Europeans and 112 of the Gurkha garrison."."

 

The Gurkhas rebuilt the town along with the temple, which today is acknowledged as the 1st Gurkha Rifles' heritage. The British had planned to make Dharamshala the summer capital of India, but moved to Shimla after the disaster.

 

Not only did the Gurkhas of Dharmshala make a major contribution to India's defence, many were freedom fighters for the Indian National Army, which had been founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Indian National Army Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a Gurkha from the village of Khanyara, composed some of India's most popular and stirring patriotic songs, including "Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja". He is acknowledged so by the Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata. The important contribution of the noted Gurkha social commentator, the late Master Mitrasen Thapa, from the village of Totarani, has been acknowledged by the Himachal Pradesh government. Recently, a park dedicated to the memory of the late Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC, the 'Hero of Skardu', has been opened alongside the road between Lower and Upper Dharamshala.

 

ESTABLISHMENT OF TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY

The Tibetan settlement of Dharamshala began in 1959, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet and the Prime Minister of India allowed him and his followers to settle in McLeodGanj (in Upper Dharmshala), a former colonial British summer picnic spot. There they established the "government-in-exile" in 1960. Dharamshala had been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism for a long time, many monasteries having been established there in the past, by Tibetan immigrants in the 19th century.In 1970, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives which houses over 80,000 manuscripts and other important resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture. It is considered one of the most important institutions for Tibetology in the world, the new director is Geshe Lahkdor, the old translator of H.H. the Dalai Lama.

 

Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area, and most live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamshala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. McLeodGanj is sometimes known as 'Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, or 'Dhasa' (a compound of 'Dharamshala' and 'Lhasa'). It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce.

 

Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the Government are held there.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Dharamshala has an average elevation of 1457 metres, covering an area of almost 8.51 km².

 

Dharamsala is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains.

 

The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as "Lower Dharamshala" or just "Dharamshala." Further up the mountain is McLeodGanj separated in between by the village of Ganchen Kyishong, the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile. A steep, narrow road connects McLeodGanj from Dharamshala and is only accessible to taxis and small cars, while a longer road winds around the valley for use by buses and trucks. McLeodGanj is surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, and rhododendron.

 

The main crops grown in the valleys below are rice, wheat and tea.

 

CONNECTIONS

Dharamshala town is reached by Gaggal Airport, (IATA: DHM, ICAO: VIGG), about 15 km to the town's south and about 10 km north of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town. To reach Dharamshala by train, one has to reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away and then take a bus or a taxi.

 

Pathankot is a broad gauge railway head. There is another railway line from Pathankot to Jogindernagar, a part of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, which is a narrow-gauge line. The nearest station to Dharamshala on this line is Chamunda Marg, half an hour away, where a Shaktipitha is; the town is well connected by road to other parts of the country.

 

Buses of all classes (deluxe, air-conditioned, and regular) drive daily between Dharamshala and major cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi, and Shimla. Several buses each night connect McLeodGanj with Majnu Ka Tila, the Tibetan settlement in Delhi.

 

CLIMATE

Dharamshala has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Summer starts in early April, peaks in early June (when temperatures can reach 36 °C) and last till mid-June. From July to mid-September is the monsoon season when up to 3000 mm of rainfall can be experienced, making Dharamshala one of the wettest places in the state. Autumn is mild and lasts from October to the end of November.

 

Autumn temperatures average around 16–17 °C. Winter starts in December and continues until late February. Snow and sleet are common during the winter in upper Dharamshala (including McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi). Lower Dharamshala receives little solid precipitation except hail. The snowfall of January 7, 2012 was an exception. It was caused by deep low pressure entering the Kangra district. Winter is followed by a short, pleasant spring until April. Historically, the Dhauladhar mountains used to remain snow-covered all year long, however, in recent years they have been losing their snow blanket during dry spells.

 

The best times to visit are the autumn and spring months.

 

TREKKING

Dharamshala is a starting point to a number of trekking trails that especially lead trekkers across Dhauladhar into the upper Ravi Valley and Chamba district. En route, you cross through forests of deodar, pine, oak and rhododendron, and pass streams and rivers and wind along vertiginous cliff tracks, and the occasional lake waterfall and glacier.

 

A 2-km amble takes one to Bhagsu, and then a further 3-km walk will lead the trekkers to Dharamkot. If one wishes to go on a longer walk then he/she can trek 8-km to Triund. The snow line of Ilaqa Got is just a 5-km walk.

 

Other trekking trails that lead you to Chamba from Dharamshala are:

 

Toral Pass (4575m) which begins from Tang Narwana (1150m) that is nearly 10 km from Dharamshala

Across Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m) via near-vertical rocky ascents, steep cliffs and dangerous gorges. This is a highly difficult level trek and takes around six days to complete.

Dharamshala - Bleni Pass (3710m) – Dunali. Compared to other trekking trails, this one is much easier and takes around four or five-days to complete. The trek leads you through alpine pastures, woods, and streams, before ending at Dunali, on the Chamba road.

 

Dharamshala is an ideal destination for rock climbing enthusiasts. One can go rock climbing over the ridges of the Dhauladhar range.

 

Kareri Lake (near Kareri Village) is also a famous trekking destination for travellers.

 

PLACES OF ATTRACTION

Naam Art Gallery The exhibition in ‘NAAM ART GALLERY’ exhibits paintings by Elsbeth Buschmann - watercolours and acrylics - and oil paintings by Alfred W. Hallett. Elsbeth Buschmann, is a professional painter from Germany, having studied painting in London and Paris . She lived in many countries where she held exhibitions, especially in the USA where she received various awards. Her paintings are in private collections in Germany, USA, Scotland, India and Switzerland. In India she held solo exhibitions at AIFAX, New Delhi and TAG, the Art Gallery of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. She also took part in ‘The Himalayan National Exhibition of Art’ and was awarded. Open 10am to 7.00pm (Monday Closed)

 

Masrur (or Masroor): The major attraction of this place is the fifteen exquisitely carved monolithic rock temples dating back to the 8th century. The carvings of these temples are similar to Kailash temple at Ellora. In the sanctum of the main temple, one can find images of Lord Ram, and the Goddesses Sita and Lakshmi. Masrur is 40 km south of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh at 32°4′22″N 76°8′14″E. Template:Jama Masjid, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala.

 

Bhagsu Waterfall: This waterfall is in Bhagsu, 2 km from McLeodGanj. It lies behind the Bhagsunag Temple. During Monsoon, the fall turns into a 30 feet cascade.

 

Bhagsunag Temple: Temple of god Shiva situated around 2 km from McLeodGanj Bazaar. Constructed by 1 GR by around 1800 century and then worshipped majorly by 14 Gukha platoon villages in Dharamshala. Very next to Bhagsunag temple is a water fall, one of the major tourist attraction spot in Dharamshala.

 

Kangra Museum: Situated close to the bus stand, Kangra Art Museum is a unique museum displaying the artifacts of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. This is a treasure of Kangra valley’s cultural past, crafts, arts and other ancient artifacts. Some of the displayed items in the museum are dating back to the 5th century.

 

Kangra Museum encloses a gallery consisting of miniature paintings of Kangra’s rich past, pottery, rare coin memorabilia, sculptures and anthropological materials. It has a varied collection of tribal jewelry, embroidered costumes and wood carvings. A section dedicated to contemporary artworks adds the attraction to the museum.

 

Tourists can easily reach by bus or taxi and it will take 30 mins to one hour to see the museum. While visiting the museum, never miss to explore the Kotwali bazar.

 

Kunal Pathri Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalpeshwari and is 3 km from the Kotwali Bazaar. It's believed that a part of Goddess Sati's skull fell here when Lord Shiva was carrying the charred body of the Goddess; hence the name of the temple.

 

Chamunda Temple: This temple is around 15 km from Dharamshala on the right bank of river Baner on the Mandi-Pathankot highway. According to mythology, Goddess Kali killed the demons Chand and Mund at this place.

 

Dal Lake: The Lake is spread in an area of 1 km and is bounded by rhododendrons, deodars, and junipers forest. Annually, a fair is held at the Kali Temple near the Lake. There is another temple close to the lake that is dedicated to sage Durvasa. Dal Lake is 2 km walk westwards from McLeodGanj bazaar.

 

Triund: Triund is nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar and is around 17 km from Dharamshala. It's a trekking destination from McLeodGanj, and offers magnificent vistas of the mountains and valleys. The nightstays are in the hoods, small time caves, that local gaddis with their goat herds use as shelters from rains during the daytime.

 

Naddi: This scenic picnic spot is located 5 km northwest of McLeodGanj. Naddi offers a spectacular view of the Kangra valley. You can trek to Kareri Lake, Triund, and Guna Devi from here. It's becoming a popular destination for nature lovers.

 

Thaneek Pura or Thanik Pura is a hill station village (hamlet) in Chintpurni in the Una district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is near the Chintpurni Temple, which is a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. The area is surrounded by the western Himalayas in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.

 

McLeodGanj is around 9 km from Dharamshala. This place is famous for its markets, where one can shop for handicraft items, eat Tibetan food and visit statue of Lord Buddha.

 

Sidhbari : A village located 6 km from Dharamshala near Yol Cantonment and a place of historical spiritual significance. Attractions around Sidhbari include the Kapila Muni Cave, Chinmaya Ashram, Gyuto monastery, Aganjar Mahadev Temple and the newly constructed State legislature. The agricultural hamlet of Rakkar nearby is an ideal base to explore the rest of the Kangra district and experience the traditional lifestyle and mud architecture of the Gaddi community.

 

Adi Shakti Temple, Naddi

Aghanjar Mahadev

Bhagsu waterfall

Bhagsunath

Sheela Chowk

Bir - Popular destination for ecotourism, meditation studies, volunteering, and paragliding at Billing.

Brajeshwari Devi Temple

Chamunda Devi Mandir

Chinmaya Tapovan

Chime Gyatsarling Monastery, just behind of Norbulingka Institute, upper Sidhpur. 6 km from Dharmshala and 14 km from Gagal airport.

Dal Lake

Dari

Gopalpur Zoo and tea gardens

Dehra Gopipur

Dharamkot (2100 m)

Guna Devi Mandir amidst dense forest

Historical fort in Old Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Adjoining the Fort is the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, run by the Kangra Royal Family. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.

Haripur Village (near Guler)

Pong Dam Lake

Indru Nag Temple

Kareri Lake

Khaniyara

Kunal Pathri

Lam Dal Lake

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Masrur (rock temple)

Namgyal Monastery

Narghota

Norbulingka Institute

Nurpur

Sidhbari

Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts

Triund (2975 m), a popular day hike or overnight trek. There is a forest rest house for overnight stay.

Tatwani and Machhrial

Trilokpur

Chime Gyatseling Monastery (Guru Padmasambhava)

Near Norbulingka Tibetan Institute

Jama Masjid kotwalibazar Dharamshala

 

WIKIPEDIA

Closest remaining thing in Leeds to the problematic Leek Street Flats of Hunslet that were bulldozed within 14 years (1968 to 1982) This shared an eerily coincidental timeline to the similar and infamous Divis Flats of Belfast.

Pride and Prejudice: on Raphael Perez's Artwork

 

Raphael Perez, born in 1965, studied art at the College of Visual Arts in Beer Sheva, and from 1995 has been living and working in his studio in Tel Aviv. Today Perez plays an important role in actively promoting the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) art and culture in Tel Aviv, and the internet portal he set up helps artists from the community reach large audiences in Israel and abroad. Hundreds of his artworks are part of private collections in Israel and abroad, and his artworks were shown in several group exhibitions: in Tel Aviv Museum of Art, "Zman Le'Omanut" art gallery, Camera Obscura, The Open House in Jerusalem, Ophir Gallery, The Haifa Forum and other private businesses and galleries.

In 2003-4 his paintings and studio appeared in a full-length movie, three student films and two graduation films.

 

Raphael Perez is the first Israeli artist to express his lifestyle as a Gay. His life and the life of the LGBT community are connected and unfold over hundreds of artwork pieces. His art creation is rare and extraordinary by every Israeli and international artistic standard. His sources of inspiration are first and foremost life events intertwined in Jewish and Israeli locality as well as influences and quotes from art history (David Hockney, Matisse). This uniqueness has crossed international borders and has succeeded in moving the LGBT and art communities around the world.

 

This is the first time we meet an Israeli artist who expresses all of his emotions in a previously unknown strength. The subjects of the paintings are the everyday life of couples in everyday places and situations, along with the aspiration to a homosexual relationship and family, equality and public recognition. Perez's works bring forward to the cultural space and to the public discourse the truth about living as LGBT and about relationships, with all of their aspects – casual relationships and sex, the yearning for love, the everyday life and the mundane activities that exist in every romantic relationship – whether by describing two men in an intimate scene in the bathroom, the bedroom or the toilet, a male couple raising a baby or the homosexual version of the Garden of Eden, family dinners, relationship ups and downs, the complexity in sharing a life as well as mundane, everyday life competing with the aspiration to self realization – through Perez's life.

  

Perez's first artworks are personal diaries, which he creates at 14 years of age. He makes sure to hide these diaries, as in them he keeps a personal journal describing his life events in the most genuine way. In these journals he draws thousands of drawings and sketches, next to which he alternately writes and erases his so-called "problematic texts", texts describing his struggle with his sexual orientation. His diaries are filled with obsessive cataloging of details, daily actions, friends and work, as well as repeating themes, such as thoughts, exhibits he has seen, movies, television, books and review of his work.

 

When he is done writing, Perez draws on his diaries. Each layer is done from beginning to end all along the journal. In fact, the work on the diaries never ends.

This struggle never ends, and when the emotion is passed on to paper, and it ends its role and becomes meaningless in a way, the visual-graphic side becomes dominant, due to the need to hide the written text, according to Perez. In books and diaries this stands out even more – when he chooses to draw in a style influenced by children's drawings, the characters are cheerful, happy, naïve and do not portray any sexuality, and when he tries drawing as an adult the sketches became more depressed and somber. During these years Perez works with preschool children, teaching them drawing and movement games. Perez says that during this period he completely abandoned the search for a relationship, either with a woman or a man, and working with children has given him existential meaning. This creation continues over 10 years, and Perez creates about 60 books-personal journals in various sizes (notepads, old notebooks, atlases and even old art books).

 

In his early paintings (1998-1999) the transition from relationships with women to relationships with men can be seen, from restraint to emotional outburst in color, lines and composition. Some characters display strong emotional expression. The women are usually drawn in restraint and passiveness, while a happy and loving emotional outburst is expressed in the colors and style of the male paintings.

 

"I fantasized that in a relationship with a woman I could fly in the sky, love, fly. However, I felt I was hiding something; I was choked up, hidden behind a mask, as if there was an internal scream wanting to come out. I was frustrated, I felt threatened…"

 

His first romance with a man in 1999 has drawn out a series of naïve paintings dealing with love and the excitement of performing everyday actions together in the intimate domestic environment.

 

"The excitement from each everyday experience of doing things together and the togetherness was great, so I painted every possible thing I liked doing with him."

 

From the moment the self-oppression and repression stopped, Perez started the process of healing, which was expressed in a burst of artworks, enormous in their size, amount, content and vivid colors – red, pink and white.

 

In 2000 Perez starts painting the huge artworks describing the hangouts of the LGBT community (The Lake, The Pool) and the Tel Avivian balcony paintings describing the masculine world, which, according to him, becomes existent thanks to the painting. Perez has dedicated this year to many series of drawings and paintings of the experience of love, in which he describes his first love for his new partner, and during these months he paints from morning to night. These paintings are the fruit of a long dialogue with David Hockney, and the similarity can be seen both in subjects and in different gestures.

 

In 2001 Perez creates a series of artworks, "Portraits from The Community". Perez describes in large, photorealistic paintings over 20 portraits of active and well-known members of the LGBT community. The emphasis is on the achievements that reflect the community's strong standing in Tel Aviv.

As a Tel-Avivian painter, in the past two years Perez has been painting urban landscapes of central locations in his city. Perez wanders around the city and chooses familiar architectural and geographical landmarks, commerce and recreation, and historical sites, and paints them from a homosexual point of view, decorated with the rainbow flag, which provide a sense of belonging to the place. His artworks are characterized by a cheerful joie de vivre and colors, and they also describe encounters and meetings. The touristic nature of his paintings makes them a declaration of Tel Aviv's image as a place where cultural freedom prevails.

Perez's Tel Aviv is a city where young families and couples live and fill the streets, the parks, the beach, the houses and the balconies – all the city's spaces. The characters in his paintings are similar, which helps reinforcing the belonging to the LGBT community in Tel Aviv. The collective theme in Perez's artwork interacts with the work of the Israeli artist Yohanan Simon, who dealt with the social aspects of the Kibbutz. Simon, who lived and worked in a Kibbutz, expressed the human model of the Kibbutznik (member of a Kibbutz) and the uniqueness of the Kibbutz members as part of a group where all are equal. Simon's works, and now Perez's, have contributed to the Israeli society what is has been looking for endlessly, which is a sense of identity and belonging.

Perez maps his territory and marks his boundaries, and does not forget the historical sites. Unlike other Tel Avivian artists, Perez wishes to present the lives of the residents of the city and the great love in their hearts. By choosing the historical sites in Tel Aviv, he also pays tribute to the artist Nachum Gutman, who loved the city and lived in it his whole life. In his childhood Gutman experienced historical moments (lighting the first oil lamp, first concert, first pavement), and as an adult he recreated the uniqueness of those events while keeping the city's magic.

Like Gutman, Perez has also turned the city into an object of love, and it has started adorning itself in rich colors and supplying the energy of a city that wishes to be "the city that never sleeps", combining old and new. Perez meticulously describes the uniqueness and style of the Bauhaus houses and balconies along the modern glass and steel buildings, all from unusual angles in a rectangular format that wishes to imitate the panorama of a diverse city in its centennial celebrations.

 

Daniel Cahana-Levensohn, curator.

   

Interview with the painter Raphael Perez about his family artist book

An interview with the painter Raphael Perez about an artist's book he created about his family, the Peretz family from 6 Nissan St. Kiryat Yuval Jerusalem

  

Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about the family artist book you created

Answer: I created close to 40 artist books, notebooks, diaries, sketch books and huge books. I dedicated one of the books to my dear family, a book in which I took a childhood photograph of my family, my parents and brothers and sisters.. I pasted the photographs inside a book (the photograph is 10 percent of the total painting) and I drew with acrylic paints, markers and ink on the book and the photograph, so that the image of the photograph was an inspiration to me Build the story that includes page by page..

  

Question: Tell me when you were born, where, and a little about your family

Answer: I was born on March 4, 1965 in the Kiryat Yuval neighborhood in Jerusalem

I have a twin brother named Miki Peretz and we are seven brothers and sisters, five boys and two girls

 

Question: Tell us a little about your parents

Answer: My parents were new immigrants from Morocco, both immigrated young.

My mother's name before the wedding was Alice - Aliza ben Yair and my father's name was Shimon Peretz,

My mother was born in the Atlas Mountains and was orphaned at a young age and was later adopted by my father's family at the age of 10, so that my mother and father spent childhood and adolescence together....

They had a beautiful and happy relationship but sometimes when they argued my mother would say "even when she was a child she was like that..." This means that their acquaintance and relationship dates back to childhood..

  

Question: What did your parents Shimon and Aliza Peretz work for?

Answer: My father, Shimon Perez, born in 1928 - worked in a building in his youth and then for thirty years worked as a receptionist at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem... My father's great love was actually art, he loved to draw as a hobby, write, read, solve crossword puzzles and research Regarding the issue of medicinal plants, as a breadwinner he could not fulfill his dream of becoming an artist, in order to support and feed seven children. But we are the next generation, his children are engaged in the world of creativity and education, a field in which both of my parents were engaged during their lives. My father died at the age of 69

 

My mother, Alice Aliza Perez, born in 1934, worked as an assistant to a kindergarten teacher, and later took care of a baby at home. She is a woman of wholehearted giving and caring for children and people, a warm, generous and humble woman.. and took care of us in our childhood for every emotional and physical deficiency.. My mother is right For the year 2023, the 89-year-old is partly happy and happy despite the difficulties of age.. May you have a long life..

 

My mother really loved gardening and nature and both of them together created a magnificent garden, my parents have a relatively large garden so they could grow many types of special and rare medicinal plants and my father even wrote a catalog (unpublished) of medicinal plants and we even had botany students come to us who were interested in the field... today they They also grow ornamental plants, and fruit trees...

 

Question: A book about the brothers and sisters

Answer: My elder brother David Perez repented in his mid-twenties.. He was a very sharp, opinionated, curious and very charismatic guy who brought many people back to repentance, and also helped people with problems through the yeshiva and the synagogue to return to the normal path of life, he died young at the age of 56

 

Hana Peretz: My lovely sister, raised eight children, worked in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher, and child care.

She has a very large extended family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren...

 

My brother Avi (Abraham) Peretz studied in Israel at the University of Philosophy and Judaism, he married a wonderful woman named Mira Drumi, a nurse by profession, and together they had three wonderful children, when they moved to the United States in their mid-twenties, where my brother Avi Peretz completed his master's degree in education, worked in the field Education and for the last twenty years is A conservative rabbi

 

The fourth brother is Asher Peretz - a great man of the world, very fond of traveling and has been to magical places all over the world, engaged in the creation of jewelry with two children.

 

I am Rafi Peretz english raphael perez the fifth and after fifteen minutes my twin brother was born

My mother still gets confused and can't remember who was born first :-)

 

My twin brother Miki micky - Michael Peretz, a beloved brother (everyone is beloved), a talented industrial designer, he has three children, his wife Revital Peretz Ben, who is a well-known art curator, active and responsible for the art field in Tel Aviv, they are a dynamic and talented couple, full of talents and action

 

The lovely little sister Shlomit Peretz - has been involved in the Bezeq telephone company for almost three decades, and is there in management positions, raising her lovely and beloved child.

  

The art book I dedicated to my family is colorful, rich in details, shows a very intense childhood, happy, cheerful, colorful, ... We were taught to be diligent and to be happy in our part and to see the glass half full in life, to have emotional intelligence and to put the relationship and love at the center with self-fulfillment in work that will interest you us and you will give us satisfaction.

 

Each of us is different in our life decisions and my family is actually a mosaic of the State of Israel that includes both religious and secular people from the entire political spectrum who understand that the secret to unity is mutual respect for each other... when my mother these days is also the family glue in everyone's gatherings on Shabbat and holidays..

 

The personification of the flower couple paintings by the Israeli painter Raphael Perez

Raphael Perez, also known as Rafi Peretz, is an Israeli painter who

explores his personal and sexual identity through his flower paintings. He created a series of flower paintings from 1995 to 1998, when he was in his early thirties and still in relationships with women, despite feeling gay. His flower paintings reflect his emotional turmoil and his struggle with his sexual orientation. He painted two flowers, one blooming and one wilting, to represent the contrast and conflict between his heterosexual relationships and his true self. He also painted single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to express his longing for a harmonious relationship that matches his nature. He chose sunflowers, white lilies, and red lilies as symbols of expression, purity, and joy, respectively. He painted from real flowers, using different styles and light to create drama and mood. Perez’s paintings of the flower couples are minimalist and focused on the theme of the complex relationship. He omitted any background or context, leaving only the canvas and the drawing of the flower couples. In some of the paintings, he added a very airy abstract surface with thin oil paints that give an atmosphere of watercolors. He also made drawings of flowers in ink, markers and gouache on paper. Later on, he created large acrylic paintings of flowers and still life. Perez’s flower paintings are not mere illustrations or decorations. They are autobiographical and psychological expressions of his inner state and his struggle with his sexuality. He wanted to reveal his loneliness, distress and concealment through these paintings, and to connect with people who are in a similar situation. He deliberately chose only two flowers and no more to intensify the engagement in the charged and complex relationship. Perez also painted and drew couples of men and women with charged psychological states, as well as states of desire for connection and realization of a heterosexual relationship that did not succeed. He used hyperrealism and expressive styles to convey his frozen and calculated state, as well as his mental stress. He used harsh lighting to create contrast and drama, with one side very bright and the other side darker. Perez was influenced by some of the famous artists who painted flowers, such as Van Gogh, who also used sunflowers as a symbol of expression. He also used white lilies and red lilies to convey freshness, cleanliness, purity, color, joy, movement, eruption, and splendor. Perez also painted some single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to show his aspiration for a future where he will have a harmonious relationship. Today, he is 58 years old and in a happy relationship for 10 years with his partner Assaf Henigsberg. He is surrounded by female friends and soulmates and not conflicted with heterosexual relationships as he used to be. He occasionally paints flowers in pots to symbolize home, stability, and peace. Sometimes I paint flowers in pots, which represent home, stability, and solid ground for me. I don’t paint just a couple of flowers, but pots full of flowers that overflow with life. This means that we also have a supportive network of family, friends, and peers around us. We live in a rich, supportive, and protective world. These paintings are a personification of my psychological state, when I had no words to express my feelings to myself. The painting began In 35 years of my creation (starting in 1998), you can read more about how my art and style evolved over time. Perez’s flower paintings are a unique and extraordinary artistic creation that reveals his personal journey and his sexual identity. His work is honest, expressive, and emotional, as well as beautiful and vibrant.

 

The characteristics of the naive painting of the painter Raphael Perez

A full interview with the Israeli painter Raphael Perez (Hebrew name: Rafi Peretz) about the ideas behind the naive painting, resume, personal biography and curriculum vitae Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about your work process as a naive painter? Answer: I choose the most iconic and famous buildings in every city and town that are architecturally interesting and have a special shape and place the iconic buildings on boulevards full of trees, bushes, vegetation, flowers. Question: How do you give depth in your naive paintings? Answer: To give depth to the painting, I build the painting with layers of vegetation, after those low famous buildings, followed by a tall avenue of trees, and behind them towers and skyscrapers, in the sky I sometimes put innocent signs of balloons, kites. A recurring motif in some of my paintings is the figure of the painter who is in the center of the boulevard and paints the entire scene unfolding in front of him, also there are two kindergarten teachers who are walking with the kindergarten children with the state flags that I paint, and loving couples hugging and kissing and family paintings of mother, father and child walking in harmony on the boulevard. Question: Raphael Perez, what characterizes your naive painting? Answer: Most naive paintings have the same characteristics (Definition as it appears in Wikipedia) • Tells a simple story to absorb from everyday life, usually with humans. • The representation of the painter's idealization to reality - the mapping of reality. • Failure to maintain perspective - especially details even in distant details. • Extensive use of repeating patterns - many details. • Warm and bright colors. • Sometimes the emphasis is on outlines. • Most of the characters are flat, lack volume • No interest in texture, expression, correct proportions • No interest in anatomy. • There is not much use of light and shade, the colors create a three-dimensional effect. I find these definitions to be valid for all my naive paintings Question: Raphael Perez, why do you choose the city of Tel Aviv? Answer: I was born in Jerusalem, the capital city which I love very much and also paint, I love the special Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, the ornamental buildings that were built a century ago in the 1920s and 1930s, the beautiful boulevards, towers and modern skyscrapers give you the feeling of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis and there are quite a few low and tall buildings that are architecturally fascinating in their form the special one Also, the move to Tel Aviv, which is the capital of culture, freedom, and secularism, allowed me to live my life as I chose, to live in a relationship with a man, Jerusalem, which is a traditional city, it is more complicated to live a homosexual life, also, the art world takes place mainly in the city of Tel Aviv, and it is possible that from a professional point of view, this allows I can support myself better in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel. Question: Raphael Perez, are the paintings of the city of Tel Aviv different from the paintings of the city of Jerusalem? Answer: Most of the paintings of Jerusalem have an emphasis on the color yellow, gold, the color of the old city walls, the subjects I painted in Jerusalem are mainly a type of idealization of a peaceful life between Jews and Arabs and paintings that deal with the Jewish religious world, a number of paintings depict all shades of the currents of Judaism today In contrast, the Tel Aviv paintings are more colorful, with skyscrapers, the sea, balloons and more secular motifs Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about which buildings and their architects you usually choose in your drawings of cities Answer: My favorite buildings are those that have a special shape that anyone can recognize and are the symbols of the city and you will give several examples: In the city of Tel Aviv, my favorite buildings are: the opera building with its unusual geometric shape, the Yisrotel tower with its special head, the Hail Bo Shalom tower that for years was the symbol of the tallest building in Tel Aviv, the Levin house that looks like a Japanese pagoda, the burgundy-colored Nordeau hotel with the special dome at the end of the building, A pair of Alon towers with the special structure of the sea, Bauhaus buildings typical of Tel Aviv with the special balconies and the special staircase, the Yaakov Agam fountain in Dizengoff square appears in a large part of the paintings, many towers that are in the stock exchange complex, the Aviv towers and other tall buildings on Ayalon, in some of the paintings I took plans An outline of future buildings that need to be built in the city and I drew them even before they were built in reality, In the paintings of Jerusalem, I mainly chose the area of the Old City and East Jerusalem, a painting of the walls of the Old City, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the El Akchea Mosque, the Tower of David, most of the famous churches in the city, the right hand of Moses, in most of the paintings the Jew is wearing a blue shirt with a red male cord I was in the youth movement and the Arab with a galabia, and in the paintings of the religious public then, Jews with black suits and white shirts, tallitas, kippahs, special hats, synagogues and more I also created three paintings of the city of Haifa and one painting of Safed In the Haifa paintings I drew the university, the Technion, the famous Egged Tower, the Sail Tower, well-known hotels, of course the Baha'i Gardens and the Baha'i Temple, Haifa Port and the boats and other famous buildings in the city Question: Raphael Perez, have you created series of other cities from around the world? Answer: I created series of New York City with all the iconic and famous buildings such as: the Guggenheim Museum, the famous skyscrapers - the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Lincoln Center, the famous synagogue in the city, the Statue of Liberty, the flags of the United States and other famous buildings Two paintings of London and all its famous sites, Big Ben, famous monuments, the Ferris wheel, Queen Elizabeth and her family, the double bus, the famous public telephone, palaces, famous churches, well-known monuments I created 4 naive paintings of cities in China, a painting of Shanghai, two paintings of the city of Suzhou and a painting of the World Park in the city of Beijing... I chose the famous skyline of Shanghai with all the famous towers, the famous promenade, temples and old buildings, two Paintings of the city of Suzhou with the famous canals, bridges, special gardens, towers and skyscrapers of the city Question: Raphael Perez What is the general idea that accompanies your paintings Answer: To create a good, beautiful, naive, innocent world in which we will see the innovation of the modern city through the skyscrapers in front of small and low buildings that bring the history and past of each country, all with an abundance of vegetation, boulevards, trees Resume, biography, CV of the painter Rafi Peretz and his family Question: When was Raphael Perez born in hebrew his name rafi peretz? Answer: Raphael Perez in Hebrew his name Rafi Peretz was born on March 4, 1965 Question: Where was Raphael Perez born? Answer: Raphael Perez was born in Jerusalem, Israel Question: What is the full name of Raphael Perez? Answer: His full name is Raphael Perez Question: Which art institution did Raphael Perez graduate from? Answer: Raphael Perez graduated from the Visual Arts Center in Be'er Sheva Question: When did Raphael Perez start painting? Answer: Raphael Perez started painting in 1989 Question: When did you start making a living selling art? Answer: Raphael Perez started making a living selling art in 1999 Question: Where does Raphael Perez live and work? Answer: Since 1995, Raphael Perez has been living and working from his studio in Tel Aviv Question: In which military framework did Raphael Perez serve in the IDF? Answer: Raphael Perez served in the artillery corps Question: Raphael Perez, what jobs did he work after his military service? Answer: Raphael Perez worked for 15 years in education in therapeutic settings for children and taught arts and movement Question: How many brothers and sisters does Raphael Perez, the Israeli painter, have? Answer: There are seven children in total, with the painter 5 sons and two daughters, that means the painter Raphael Perez has 4 more brothers and two sisters Question: What do the brothers and sisters of the painter Raphael Perez do? Answer: The elder brother David Peretz Perez was involved in the field of religious studies, the sister Hana Peretz Perez is involved in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher and child care, the brother Avi Peretz Perez who is in the United States today is a conservative rabbi but in the past was involved in education and therapy, the brother Asher Peretz Perez is involved in the fields of creativity and jewelry The twin brother Mickey Peretz Perez is a well-known industrial designer and seller. The younger sister Shlomit Peretz Perez works in a managerial position at Bezeq. Question: Tell me about the parents of the painter Raphael PerezAnswer: The painter Raphael Perez's parents are Shimon Perez Peretz and Eliza Alice Ben Yair, they were married in 1950 in Jerusalem, both were born in Morocco and immigrated to Israel in 1949, Shimon Peretz worked in a building in his youth and later as a receptionist at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Eliza Alice Peretz dealt in child care Kindergarten, working in kindergartens and of course taking care of and raising her seven children

A better shot of the problematic ballot... note that these votes would have counted in a recount, but not in a tally.

Dharamshala (also Dharamsala) is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the district headquarters. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama's residence in McLeodGanj and the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 kilometres from Kangra.

 

DESCRIPTION

Dharamshala is a city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees. The suburbs include McLeodGanj, Bhagsunath, Dharamkot, Naddi, ForsythGanj, Kotwali Bazaar (the main market), Kaccheri Adda (government offices such as the court, police, post, etc.), Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari (where the Karmapa is based).

 

The village of McLeodGanj, lying in the upper reaches, is known worldwide for the presence of the Dalai Lama. On 29 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) established the Tibetan exile administration in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie. In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala.

 

Dharamshala is the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising there was an influx of Tibetan refugees who followed the 14th Dalai Lama. His presence and the Tibetan population has made Dharamshala a popular destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying Tibet.

 

One of the main attractions of Dharamshala is Triund hill. Jewel of Dharamshala, Triund is one day trek at the upper reaches of McLeodGanj, about 9 km from McLeodGanj.

 

ETYMOLOGY

Dharamshala (Devanagari: धर्मशाला; ITRANS: Dharmashaalaa; IAST: Dharmaśālā) is a Hindi word (derived from Sanskrit) that is a compound of dharma (धर्म) and shālā (शाला). A loose translation into English would be 'spiritual dwelling' or, more loosely, 'sanctuary'. Rendering a precise literal translation into English is problematic due to the vast and conceptually rich semantic field of the word dharma[1] and the cultural aspect of India.

 

In common Hindi usage, the word dharamshala refers to a shelter or rest house for spiritual pilgrims. Traditionally, such dharamshalas (pilgrims' rest houses) were commonly constructed near pilgrimage destinations (often in remote areas) to give visitors a place to sleep for the night. When the first permanent settlement was created in the place now called Dharamshala, there was one such pilgrims' rest house on the site, and the settlement took its name from that dharamshala.

 

HISTORY

BEFORE THE RAJ

From the earliest times until the British Raj, Dharamshala and its surrounding area was ruled by the Katoch Dynasty of Kangra. The Katoch Dynasty is said to be the oldest serving Royal Family in the world. The Royal Family still keeps a residence in Dharamshala, known as 'Clouds End Villa'.

 

The indigenous people of the Dharamshala area (and the surrounding region) are the Gaddis, a predominantly Hindu group who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic (transhumant) lifestyle. Due to the lack of permanent settlements in the area, some Gaddis lost their seasonal pastures and farmland when the British and the Gurkhas arrived to settle.

 

In 1848, the area now known as Dharamshala was annexed by the British.

 

"Dharamsāla lies on a spur of the Dhaola Dhār, 16 miles north-east of Kāngra, in the midst of wild and picturesque scenery. It originally formed a subsidiary cantonment for the troops stationed at Kāngra, and was first occupied as a station in 1849, when a site was required for a cantonment to accommodate a Native regiment which was being raised in the District. A site was found upon the slopes of the Dhaola Dhār, in a plot of waste land, upon which stood an old Hindu resthouse, or dharmsāla, whence the name adopted for the new cantonment. The civil authorities, following the example of the regimental officers, and attracted by the advantages of climate and scenery, built themselves houses in the neighbourhood of the cantonment; and in 1855 the new station was formally recognised as the head-quarters of the [Kāngra] District."

 

In 1860, the 66th Gurkha Light Infantry was moved from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to Dharamshala, which was at first made a subsidiary cantonment. An ideal position for the new base was found on the slopes of the Dhauladhar Hills, near the site of a Hindu sanctuary, or Dharamshala, hence the name of the town. The Battalion was later renamed the historic 1st Gurkha Rifles, this was the beginning of the legend of the Gurkhas, also known as the 'Bravest of the Brave'. Consequently, fourteen Gurkha platoon villages grew from this settlement, and exist to this day, namely Dari, Ramnagar, Shyamnagar, Dal, Totarani, Khanyara, Sadher, Chaandmaari, Sallagarhi, Sidhbari, Yol, and so on. The Gurkhas worshipped at the ancient Shiva temple of Bhagsunag. The Gurkhas referred to Dharamshala as 'Bhagsu' and referred to themselves as Bhagsuwalas.

 

The 21st Gurkha Regiment from Dharamshala performed heroic feats during World War I and the North West Frontier Province campaigns. The Gurkha cantonment then reached its zenith during World War II, when battalions from Dharamshala made history. Many place names in the town still retain their former cantonment terminologies: Depot Bazaar, Pensioners' Lines, Tirah Lines (named after the 19th century Tirah Campaign), Bharatpore Lines (named after the 1826 Battle of Bharatpore).

 

The second Lord Elgin, Viceroy of India died here (at the 1st Gurkha Rifles Officers' Mess) in 1863 and is buried in the cemetery of St. John in the Wilderness, a small Anglican church distinguished by its stained-glass windows. Dharamshala became a popular hill station for the British working in or near Delhi, offering a cool respite during the hot summer months.

 

"Before the earthquake of 1905, the upper part of the station, which rises to a height of 2,168 metres, contained the European houses, the station church, and the officers' mess and lines of the 1st Gurkhas, together with the public gardens, post office, and two bazars, the Forsythganj and McLeodganj. The public offices, a bazar, and a few European houses made up the lower station, as low as 1,372 metres. The 1st battalion of the 1st Gurkhas used to be stationed here, but was moved to the upper station in 1894-5.... The public gardens, which were, before the earthquake, laid out with much taste in lawns and terraces, contained a valuable collection of indigenous and imported trees and shrubs, and were overlooked by the Assembly Rooms, a handsome building comprising a public hall, a library and reading-room and a billiard-room. The church was beautifully situated in a recess of the mountain."

 

In 1905, the Kangra valley suffered a major earthquake. On April 4 of that year, the earth shook, demolishing much of the cantonment and the neighbouring city of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh as well as the Bhagsunag temple. Altogether, the 1905 Kangra earthquake killed 20,000 people. "1,625 persons perished at Dharamsāla alone, including 15 Europeans and 112 of the Gurkha garrison."."

 

The Gurkhas rebuilt the town along with the temple, which today is acknowledged as the 1st Gurkha Rifles' heritage. The British had planned to make Dharamshala the summer capital of India, but moved to Shimla after the disaster.

 

Not only did the Gurkhas of Dharmshala make a major contribution to India's defence, many were freedom fighters for the Indian National Army, which had been founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Indian National Army Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a Gurkha from the village of Khanyara, composed some of India's most popular and stirring patriotic songs, including "Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja". He is acknowledged so by the Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata. The important contribution of the noted Gurkha social commentator, the late Master Mitrasen Thapa, from the village of Totarani, has been acknowledged by the Himachal Pradesh government. Recently, a park dedicated to the memory of the late Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC, the 'Hero of Skardu', has been opened alongside the road between Lower and Upper Dharamshala.

 

ESTABLISHMENT OF TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY

The Tibetan settlement of Dharamshala began in 1959, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet and the Prime Minister of India allowed him and his followers to settle in McLeodGanj (in Upper Dharmshala), a former colonial British summer picnic spot. There they established the "government-in-exile" in 1960. Dharamshala had been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism for a long time, many monasteries having been established there in the past, by Tibetan immigrants in the 19th century.In 1970, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives which houses over 80,000 manuscripts and other important resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture. It is considered one of the most important institutions for Tibetology in the world, the new director is Geshe Lahkdor, the old translator of H.H. the Dalai Lama.

 

Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area, and most live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamshala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. McLeodGanj is sometimes known as 'Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, or 'Dhasa' (a compound of 'Dharamshala' and 'Lhasa'). It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce.

 

Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the Government are held there.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Dharamshala has an average elevation of 1457 metres, covering an area of almost 8.51 km².

 

Dharamsala is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains.

 

The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as "Lower Dharamshala" or just "Dharamshala." Further up the mountain is McLeodGanj separated in between by the village of Ganchen Kyishong, the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile. A steep, narrow road connects McLeodGanj from Dharamshala and is only accessible to taxis and small cars, while a longer road winds around the valley for use by buses and trucks. McLeodGanj is surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, and rhododendron.

 

The main crops grown in the valleys below are rice, wheat and tea.

 

CONNECTIONS

Dharamshala town is reached by Gaggal Airport, (IATA: DHM, ICAO: VIGG), about 15 km to the town's south and about 10 km north of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town. To reach Dharamshala by train, one has to reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away and then take a bus or a taxi.

 

Pathankot is a broad gauge railway head. There is another railway line from Pathankot to Jogindernagar, a part of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, which is a narrow-gauge line. The nearest station to Dharamshala on this line is Chamunda Marg, half an hour away, where a Shaktipitha is; the town is well connected by road to other parts of the country.

 

Buses of all classes (deluxe, air-conditioned, and regular) drive daily between Dharamshala and major cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi, and Shimla. Several buses each night connect McLeodGanj with Majnu Ka Tila, the Tibetan settlement in Delhi.

 

CLIMATE

Dharamshala has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Summer starts in early April, peaks in early June (when temperatures can reach 36 °C) and last till mid-June. From July to mid-September is the monsoon season when up to 3000 mm of rainfall can be experienced, making Dharamshala one of the wettest places in the state. Autumn is mild and lasts from October to the end of November.

 

Autumn temperatures average around 16–17 °C. Winter starts in December and continues until late February. Snow and sleet are common during the winter in upper Dharamshala (including McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi). Lower Dharamshala receives little solid precipitation except hail. The snowfall of January 7, 2012 was an exception. It was caused by deep low pressure entering the Kangra district. Winter is followed by a short, pleasant spring until April. Historically, the Dhauladhar mountains used to remain snow-covered all year long, however, in recent years they have been losing their snow blanket during dry spells.

 

The best times to visit are the autumn and spring months.

 

TREKKING

Dharamshala is a starting point to a number of trekking trails that especially lead trekkers across Dhauladhar into the upper Ravi Valley and Chamba district. En route, you cross through forests of deodar, pine, oak and rhododendron, and pass streams and rivers and wind along vertiginous cliff tracks, and the occasional lake waterfall and glacier.

 

A 2-km amble takes one to Bhagsu, and then a further 3-km walk will lead the trekkers to Dharamkot. If one wishes to go on a longer walk then he/she can trek 8-km to Triund. The snow line of Ilaqa Got is just a 5-km walk.

 

Other trekking trails that lead you to Chamba from Dharamshala are:

 

Toral Pass (4575m) which begins from Tang Narwana (1150m) that is nearly 10 km from Dharamshala

Across Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m) via near-vertical rocky ascents, steep cliffs and dangerous gorges. This is a highly difficult level trek and takes around six days to complete.

Dharamshala - Bleni Pass (3710m) – Dunali. Compared to other trekking trails, this one is much easier and takes around four or five-days to complete. The trek leads you through alpine pastures, woods, and streams, before ending at Dunali, on the Chamba road.

 

Dharamshala is an ideal destination for rock climbing enthusiasts. One can go rock climbing over the ridges of the Dhauladhar range.

 

Kareri Lake (near Kareri Village) is also a famous trekking destination for travellers.

 

PLACES OF ATTRACTION

Naam Art Gallery The exhibition in ‘NAAM ART GALLERY’ exhibits paintings by Elsbeth Buschmann - watercolours and acrylics - and oil paintings by Alfred W. Hallett. Elsbeth Buschmann, is a professional painter from Germany, having studied painting in London and Paris . She lived in many countries where she held exhibitions, especially in the USA where she received various awards. Her paintings are in private collections in Germany, USA, Scotland, India and Switzerland. In India she held solo exhibitions at AIFAX, New Delhi and TAG, the Art Gallery of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. She also took part in ‘The Himalayan National Exhibition of Art’ and was awarded. Open 10am to 7.00pm (Monday Closed)

 

Masrur (or Masroor): The major attraction of this place is the fifteen exquisitely carved monolithic rock temples dating back to the 8th century. The carvings of these temples are similar to Kailash temple at Ellora. In the sanctum of the main temple, one can find images of Lord Ram, and the Goddesses Sita and Lakshmi. Masrur is 40 km south of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh at 32°4′22″N 76°8′14″E. Template:Jama Masjid, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala.

 

Bhagsu Waterfall: This waterfall is in Bhagsu, 2 km from McLeodGanj. It lies behind the Bhagsunag Temple. During Monsoon, the fall turns into a 30 feet cascade.

 

Bhagsunag Temple: Temple of god Shiva situated around 2 km from McLeodGanj Bazaar. Constructed by 1 GR by around 1800 century and then worshipped majorly by 14 Gukha platoon villages in Dharamshala. Very next to Bhagsunag temple is a water fall, one of the major tourist attraction spot in Dharamshala.

 

Kangra Museum: Situated close to the bus stand, Kangra Art Museum is a unique museum displaying the artifacts of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. This is a treasure of Kangra valley’s cultural past, crafts, arts and other ancient artifacts. Some of the displayed items in the museum are dating back to the 5th century.

 

Kangra Museum encloses a gallery consisting of miniature paintings of Kangra’s rich past, pottery, rare coin memorabilia, sculptures and anthropological materials. It has a varied collection of tribal jewelry, embroidered costumes and wood carvings. A section dedicated to contemporary artworks adds the attraction to the museum.

 

Tourists can easily reach by bus or taxi and it will take 30 mins to one hour to see the museum. While visiting the museum, never miss to explore the Kotwali bazar.

 

Kunal Pathri Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalpeshwari and is 3 km from the Kotwali Bazaar. It's believed that a part of Goddess Sati's skull fell here when Lord Shiva was carrying the charred body of the Goddess; hence the name of the temple.

 

Chamunda Temple: This temple is around 15 km from Dharamshala on the right bank of river Baner on the Mandi-Pathankot highway. According to mythology, Goddess Kali killed the demons Chand and Mund at this place.

 

Dal Lake: The Lake is spread in an area of 1 km and is bounded by rhododendrons, deodars, and junipers forest. Annually, a fair is held at the Kali Temple near the Lake. There is another temple close to the lake that is dedicated to sage Durvasa. Dal Lake is 2 km walk westwards from McLeodGanj bazaar.

 

Triund: Triund is nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar and is around 17 km from Dharamshala. It's a trekking destination from McLeodGanj, and offers magnificent vistas of the mountains and valleys. The nightstays are in the hoods, small time caves, that local gaddis with their goat herds use as shelters from rains during the daytime.

 

Naddi: This scenic picnic spot is located 5 km northwest of McLeodGanj. Naddi offers a spectacular view of the Kangra valley. You can trek to Kareri Lake, Triund, and Guna Devi from here. It's becoming a popular destination for nature lovers.

 

Thaneek Pura or Thanik Pura is a hill station village (hamlet) in Chintpurni in the Una district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is near the Chintpurni Temple, which is a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. The area is surrounded by the western Himalayas in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.

 

McLeodGanj is around 9 km from Dharamshala. This place is famous for its markets, where one can shop for handicraft items, eat Tibetan food and visit statue of Lord Buddha.

 

Sidhbari : A village located 6 km from Dharamshala near Yol Cantonment and a place of historical spiritual significance. Attractions around Sidhbari include the Kapila Muni Cave, Chinmaya Ashram, Gyuto monastery, Aganjar Mahadev Temple and the newly constructed State legislature. The agricultural hamlet of Rakkar nearby is an ideal base to explore the rest of the Kangra district and experience the traditional lifestyle and mud architecture of the Gaddi community.

 

Adi Shakti Temple, Naddi

Aghanjar Mahadev

Bhagsu waterfall

Bhagsunath

Sheela Chowk

Bir - Popular destination for ecotourism, meditation studies, volunteering, and paragliding at Billing.

Brajeshwari Devi Temple

Chamunda Devi Mandir

Chinmaya Tapovan

Chime Gyatsarling Monastery, just behind of Norbulingka Institute, upper Sidhpur. 6 km from Dharmshala and 14 km from Gagal airport.

Dal Lake

Dari

Gopalpur Zoo and tea gardens

Dehra Gopipur

Dharamkot (2100 m)

Guna Devi Mandir amidst dense forest

Historical fort in Old Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Adjoining the Fort is the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, run by the Kangra Royal Family. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.

Haripur Village (near Guler)

Pong Dam Lake

Indru Nag Temple

Kareri Lake

Khaniyara

Kunal Pathri

Lam Dal Lake

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Masrur (rock temple)

Namgyal Monastery

Narghota

Norbulingka Institute

Nurpur

Sidhbari

Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts

Triund (2975 m), a popular day hike or overnight trek. There is a forest rest house for overnight stay.

Tatwani and Machhrial

Trilokpur

Chime Gyatseling Monastery (Guru Padmasambhava)

Near Norbulingka Tibetan Institute

Jama Masjid kotwalibazar Dharamshala

 

WIKIPEDIA

Dharamshala (also Dharamsala) is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the district headquarters. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama's residence in McLeodGanj and the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 kilometres from Kangra.

 

DESCRIPTION

Dharamshala is a city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees. The suburbs include McLeodGanj, Bhagsunath, Dharamkot, Naddi, ForsythGanj, Kotwali Bazaar (the main market), Kaccheri Adda (government offices such as the court, police, post, etc.), Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari (where the Karmapa is based).

 

The village of McLeodGanj, lying in the upper reaches, is known worldwide for the presence of the Dalai Lama. On 29 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) established the Tibetan exile administration in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie. In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala.

 

Dharamshala is the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising there was an influx of Tibetan refugees who followed the 14th Dalai Lama. His presence and the Tibetan population has made Dharamshala a popular destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying Tibet.

 

One of the main attractions of Dharamshala is Triund hill. Jewel of Dharamshala, Triund is one day trek at the upper reaches of McLeodGanj, about 9 km from McLeodGanj.

 

ETYMOLOGY

Dharamshala (Devanagari: धर्मशाला; ITRANS: Dharmashaalaa; IAST: Dharmaśālā) is a Hindi word (derived from Sanskrit) that is a compound of dharma (धर्म) and shālā (शाला). A loose translation into English would be 'spiritual dwelling' or, more loosely, 'sanctuary'. Rendering a precise literal translation into English is problematic due to the vast and conceptually rich semantic field of the word dharma[1] and the cultural aspect of India.

 

In common Hindi usage, the word dharamshala refers to a shelter or rest house for spiritual pilgrims. Traditionally, such dharamshalas (pilgrims' rest houses) were commonly constructed near pilgrimage destinations (often in remote areas) to give visitors a place to sleep for the night. When the first permanent settlement was created in the place now called Dharamshala, there was one such pilgrims' rest house on the site, and the settlement took its name from that dharamshala.

 

HISTORY

BEFORE THE RAJ

From the earliest times until the British Raj, Dharamshala and its surrounding area was ruled by the Katoch Dynasty of Kangra. The Katoch Dynasty is said to be the oldest serving Royal Family in the world. The Royal Family still keeps a residence in Dharamshala, known as 'Clouds End Villa'.

 

The indigenous people of the Dharamshala area (and the surrounding region) are the Gaddis, a predominantly Hindu group who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic (transhumant) lifestyle. Due to the lack of permanent settlements in the area, some Gaddis lost their seasonal pastures and farmland when the British and the Gurkhas arrived to settle.

 

In 1848, the area now known as Dharamshala was annexed by the British.

 

"Dharamsāla lies on a spur of the Dhaola Dhār, 16 miles north-east of Kāngra, in the midst of wild and picturesque scenery. It originally formed a subsidiary cantonment for the troops stationed at Kāngra, and was first occupied as a station in 1849, when a site was required for a cantonment to accommodate a Native regiment which was being raised in the District. A site was found upon the slopes of the Dhaola Dhār, in a plot of waste land, upon which stood an old Hindu resthouse, or dharmsāla, whence the name adopted for the new cantonment. The civil authorities, following the example of the regimental officers, and attracted by the advantages of climate and scenery, built themselves houses in the neighbourhood of the cantonment; and in 1855 the new station was formally recognised as the head-quarters of the [Kāngra] District."

 

In 1860, the 66th Gurkha Light Infantry was moved from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to Dharamshala, which was at first made a subsidiary cantonment. An ideal position for the new base was found on the slopes of the Dhauladhar Hills, near the site of a Hindu sanctuary, or Dharamshala, hence the name of the town. The Battalion was later renamed the historic 1st Gurkha Rifles, this was the beginning of the legend of the Gurkhas, also known as the 'Bravest of the Brave'. Consequently, fourteen Gurkha platoon villages grew from this settlement, and exist to this day, namely Dari, Ramnagar, Shyamnagar, Dal, Totarani, Khanyara, Sadher, Chaandmaari, Sallagarhi, Sidhbari, Yol, and so on. The Gurkhas worshipped at the ancient Shiva temple of Bhagsunag. The Gurkhas referred to Dharamshala as 'Bhagsu' and referred to themselves as Bhagsuwalas.

 

The 21st Gurkha Regiment from Dharamshala performed heroic feats during World War I and the North West Frontier Province campaigns. The Gurkha cantonment then reached its zenith during World War II, when battalions from Dharamshala made history. Many place names in the town still retain their former cantonment terminologies: Depot Bazaar, Pensioners' Lines, Tirah Lines (named after the 19th century Tirah Campaign), Bharatpore Lines (named after the 1826 Battle of Bharatpore).

 

The second Lord Elgin, Viceroy of India died here (at the 1st Gurkha Rifles Officers' Mess) in 1863 and is buried in the cemetery of St. John in the Wilderness, a small Anglican church distinguished by its stained-glass windows. Dharamshala became a popular hill station for the British working in or near Delhi, offering a cool respite during the hot summer months.

 

"Before the earthquake of 1905, the upper part of the station, which rises to a height of 2,168 metres, contained the European houses, the station church, and the officers' mess and lines of the 1st Gurkhas, together with the public gardens, post office, and two bazars, the Forsythganj and McLeodganj. The public offices, a bazar, and a few European houses made up the lower station, as low as 1,372 metres. The 1st battalion of the 1st Gurkhas used to be stationed here, but was moved to the upper station in 1894-5.... The public gardens, which were, before the earthquake, laid out with much taste in lawns and terraces, contained a valuable collection of indigenous and imported trees and shrubs, and were overlooked by the Assembly Rooms, a handsome building comprising a public hall, a library and reading-room and a billiard-room. The church was beautifully situated in a recess of the mountain."

 

In 1905, the Kangra valley suffered a major earthquake. On April 4 of that year, the earth shook, demolishing much of the cantonment and the neighbouring city of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh as well as the Bhagsunag temple. Altogether, the 1905 Kangra earthquake killed 20,000 people. "1,625 persons perished at Dharamsāla alone, including 15 Europeans and 112 of the Gurkha garrison."."

 

The Gurkhas rebuilt the town along with the temple, which today is acknowledged as the 1st Gurkha Rifles' heritage. The British had planned to make Dharamshala the summer capital of India, but moved to Shimla after the disaster.

 

Not only did the Gurkhas of Dharmshala make a major contribution to India's defence, many were freedom fighters for the Indian National Army, which had been founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Indian National Army Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a Gurkha from the village of Khanyara, composed some of India's most popular and stirring patriotic songs, including "Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja". He is acknowledged so by the Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata. The important contribution of the noted Gurkha social commentator, the late Master Mitrasen Thapa, from the village of Totarani, has been acknowledged by the Himachal Pradesh government. Recently, a park dedicated to the memory of the late Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC, the 'Hero of Skardu', has been opened alongside the road between Lower and Upper Dharamshala.

 

ESTABLISHMENT OF TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY

The Tibetan settlement of Dharamshala began in 1959, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet and the Prime Minister of India allowed him and his followers to settle in McLeodGanj (in Upper Dharmshala), a former colonial British summer picnic spot. There they established the "government-in-exile" in 1960. Dharamshala had been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism for a long time, many monasteries having been established there in the past, by Tibetan immigrants in the 19th century.In 1970, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives which houses over 80,000 manuscripts and other important resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture. It is considered one of the most important institutions for Tibetology in the world, the new director is Geshe Lahkdor, the old translator of H.H. the Dalai Lama.

 

Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area, and most live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamshala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. McLeodGanj is sometimes known as 'Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, or 'Dhasa' (a compound of 'Dharamshala' and 'Lhasa'). It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce.

 

Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the Government are held there.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Dharamshala has an average elevation of 1457 metres, covering an area of almost 8.51 km².

 

Dharamsala is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains.

 

The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as "Lower Dharamshala" or just "Dharamshala." Further up the mountain is McLeodGanj separated in between by the village of Ganchen Kyishong, the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile. A steep, narrow road connects McLeodGanj from Dharamshala and is only accessible to taxis and small cars, while a longer road winds around the valley for use by buses and trucks. McLeodGanj is surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, and rhododendron.

 

The main crops grown in the valleys below are rice, wheat and tea.

 

CONNECTIONS

Dharamshala town is reached by Gaggal Airport, (IATA: DHM, ICAO: VIGG), about 15 km to the town's south and about 10 km north of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town. To reach Dharamshala by train, one has to reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away and then take a bus or a taxi.

 

Pathankot is a broad gauge railway head. There is another railway line from Pathankot to Jogindernagar, a part of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, which is a narrow-gauge line. The nearest station to Dharamshala on this line is Chamunda Marg, half an hour away, where a Shaktipitha is; the town is well connected by road to other parts of the country.

 

Buses of all classes (deluxe, air-conditioned, and regular) drive daily between Dharamshala and major cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi, and Shimla. Several buses each night connect McLeodGanj with Majnu Ka Tila, the Tibetan settlement in Delhi.

 

CLIMATE

Dharamshala has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Summer starts in early April, peaks in early June (when temperatures can reach 36 °C) and last till mid-June. From July to mid-September is the monsoon season when up to 3000 mm of rainfall can be experienced, making Dharamshala one of the wettest places in the state. Autumn is mild and lasts from October to the end of November.

 

Autumn temperatures average around 16–17 °C. Winter starts in December and continues until late February. Snow and sleet are common during the winter in upper Dharamshala (including McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi). Lower Dharamshala receives little solid precipitation except hail. The snowfall of January 7, 2012 was an exception. It was caused by deep low pressure entering the Kangra district. Winter is followed by a short, pleasant spring until April. Historically, the Dhauladhar mountains used to remain snow-covered all year long, however, in recent years they have been losing their snow blanket during dry spells.

 

The best times to visit are the autumn and spring months.

 

TREKKING

Dharamshala is a starting point to a number of trekking trails that especially lead trekkers across Dhauladhar into the upper Ravi Valley and Chamba district. En route, you cross through forests of deodar, pine, oak and rhododendron, and pass streams and rivers and wind along vertiginous cliff tracks, and the occasional lake waterfall and glacier.

 

A 2-km amble takes one to Bhagsu, and then a further 3-km walk will lead the trekkers to Dharamkot. If one wishes to go on a longer walk then he/she can trek 8-km to Triund. The snow line of Ilaqa Got is just a 5-km walk.

 

Other trekking trails that lead you to Chamba from Dharamshala are:

 

Toral Pass (4575m) which begins from Tang Narwana (1150m) that is nearly 10 km from Dharamshala

Across Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m) via near-vertical rocky ascents, steep cliffs and dangerous gorges. This is a highly difficult level trek and takes around six days to complete.

Dharamshala - Bleni Pass (3710m) – Dunali. Compared to other trekking trails, this one is much easier and takes around four or five-days to complete. The trek leads you through alpine pastures, woods, and streams, before ending at Dunali, on the Chamba road.

 

Dharamshala is an ideal destination for rock climbing enthusiasts. One can go rock climbing over the ridges of the Dhauladhar range.

 

Kareri Lake (near Kareri Village) is also a famous trekking destination for travellers.

 

PLACES OF ATTRACTION

Naam Art Gallery The exhibition in ‘NAAM ART GALLERY’ exhibits paintings by Elsbeth Buschmann - watercolours and acrylics - and oil paintings by Alfred W. Hallett. Elsbeth Buschmann, is a professional painter from Germany, having studied painting in London and Paris . She lived in many countries where she held exhibitions, especially in the USA where she received various awards. Her paintings are in private collections in Germany, USA, Scotland, India and Switzerland. In India she held solo exhibitions at AIFAX, New Delhi and TAG, the Art Gallery of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. She also took part in ‘The Himalayan National Exhibition of Art’ and was awarded. Open 10am to 7.00pm (Monday Closed)

 

Masrur (or Masroor): The major attraction of this place is the fifteen exquisitely carved monolithic rock temples dating back to the 8th century. The carvings of these temples are similar to Kailash temple at Ellora. In the sanctum of the main temple, one can find images of Lord Ram, and the Goddesses Sita and Lakshmi. Masrur is 40 km south of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh at 32°4′22″N 76°8′14″E. Template:Jama Masjid, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala.

 

Bhagsu Waterfall: This waterfall is in Bhagsu, 2 km from McLeodGanj. It lies behind the Bhagsunag Temple. During Monsoon, the fall turns into a 30 feet cascade.

 

Bhagsunag Temple: Temple of god Shiva situated around 2 km from McLeodGanj Bazaar. Constructed by 1 GR by around 1800 century and then worshipped majorly by 14 Gukha platoon villages in Dharamshala. Very next to Bhagsunag temple is a water fall, one of the major tourist attraction spot in Dharamshala.

 

Kangra Museum: Situated close to the bus stand, Kangra Art Museum is a unique museum displaying the artifacts of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. This is a treasure of Kangra valley’s cultural past, crafts, arts and other ancient artifacts. Some of the displayed items in the museum are dating back to the 5th century.

 

Kangra Museum encloses a gallery consisting of miniature paintings of Kangra’s rich past, pottery, rare coin memorabilia, sculptures and anthropological materials. It has a varied collection of tribal jewelry, embroidered costumes and wood carvings. A section dedicated to contemporary artworks adds the attraction to the museum.

 

Tourists can easily reach by bus or taxi and it will take 30 mins to one hour to see the museum. While visiting the museum, never miss to explore the Kotwali bazar.

 

Kunal Pathri Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalpeshwari and is 3 km from the Kotwali Bazaar. It's believed that a part of Goddess Sati's skull fell here when Lord Shiva was carrying the charred body of the Goddess; hence the name of the temple.

 

Chamunda Temple: This temple is around 15 km from Dharamshala on the right bank of river Baner on the Mandi-Pathankot highway. According to mythology, Goddess Kali killed the demons Chand and Mund at this place.

 

Dal Lake: The Lake is spread in an area of 1 km and is bounded by rhododendrons, deodars, and junipers forest. Annually, a fair is held at the Kali Temple near the Lake. There is another temple close to the lake that is dedicated to sage Durvasa. Dal Lake is 2 km walk westwards from McLeodGanj bazaar.

 

Triund: Triund is nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar and is around 17 km from Dharamshala. It's a trekking destination from McLeodGanj, and offers magnificent vistas of the mountains and valleys. The nightstays are in the hoods, small time caves, that local gaddis with their goat herds use as shelters from rains during the daytime.

 

Naddi: This scenic picnic spot is located 5 km northwest of McLeodGanj. Naddi offers a spectacular view of the Kangra valley. You can trek to Kareri Lake, Triund, and Guna Devi from here. It's becoming a popular destination for nature lovers.

 

Thaneek Pura or Thanik Pura is a hill station village (hamlet) in Chintpurni in the Una district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is near the Chintpurni Temple, which is a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. The area is surrounded by the western Himalayas in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.

 

McLeodGanj is around 9 km from Dharamshala. This place is famous for its markets, where one can shop for handicraft items, eat Tibetan food and visit statue of Lord Buddha.

 

Sidhbari : A village located 6 km from Dharamshala near Yol Cantonment and a place of historical spiritual significance. Attractions around Sidhbari include the Kapila Muni Cave, Chinmaya Ashram, Gyuto monastery, Aganjar Mahadev Temple and the newly constructed State legislature. The agricultural hamlet of Rakkar nearby is an ideal base to explore the rest of the Kangra district and experience the traditional lifestyle and mud architecture of the Gaddi community.

 

Adi Shakti Temple, Naddi

Aghanjar Mahadev

Bhagsu waterfall

Bhagsunath

Sheela Chowk

Bir - Popular destination for ecotourism, meditation studies, volunteering, and paragliding at Billing.

Brajeshwari Devi Temple

Chamunda Devi Mandir

Chinmaya Tapovan

Chime Gyatsarling Monastery, just behind of Norbulingka Institute, upper Sidhpur. 6 km from Dharmshala and 14 km from Gagal airport.

Dal Lake

Dari

Gopalpur Zoo and tea gardens

Dehra Gopipur

Dharamkot (2100 m)

Guna Devi Mandir amidst dense forest

Historical fort in Old Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Adjoining the Fort is the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, run by the Kangra Royal Family. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.

Haripur Village (near Guler)

Pong Dam Lake

Indru Nag Temple

Kareri Lake

Khaniyara

Kunal Pathri

Lam Dal Lake

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Masrur (rock temple)

Namgyal Monastery

Narghota

Norbulingka Institute

Nurpur

Sidhbari

Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts

Triund (2975 m), a popular day hike or overnight trek. There is a forest rest house for overnight stay.

Tatwani and Machhrial

Trilokpur

Chime Gyatseling Monastery (Guru Padmasambhava)

Near Norbulingka Tibetan Institute

Jama Masjid kotwalibazar Dharamshala

 

WIKIPEDIA

The construction of a new fire station to replace Gipton and Stanks fire stations and removal of 24 fulltime posts from the establishment by way of planned retirements.

Key Points:

 Gipton is classed as a very high risk area and Stanks as medium risk area.

 Stanks fire station is poorly located at the outer edge of the local community and access/egress from the site is problematic.

 In the 5 year period between 2004/5 and 2009/10 operational demand in these areas reduced by 28% (there has been a reduction of 61% of serious fires) . 2

 WYFRS has piloted a new type of vehicle (Fire Response Unit) to deal with smaller fires and incidents to free up fire appliances to respond to more serious emergencies.

 The pilot has been successful and it is believed that a District based Fire Response Unit will handle in the region of 3,000 calls per year.

 The new fire station would have lower running costs.

 The two Killingbeck fire appliances would be supplemented by a Resilience Pump for use during spate conditions.

 Targeted community safety and risk reduction work would continue.

  

1. Foreword

 

1.1 This proposal forms one of a number of similar initiatives developed by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) as part of its plans for the future provision of a highly effective and professional Fire and Rescue Service.

1.2 Each proposal is based on sound and comprehensive research, using real data from past performance and predictions of future demand and risk. Multiple sources of analysis have been used, allied to professional judgment and experience, to form the basis of robust business cases for change. The proposals are also reflective of the significant improvements in fire and community safety achieved over the past 10 years and represents a return on the investment made by the Authority on behalf of the public of West Yorkshire.

1.3 The proposals also incorporate a number of new and innovative approaches to addressing the challenge of maintaining high standards of performance for an emergency response service, within ever tightening financial constraints. The proposals have been developed as a package of inter related initiatives, representing major capital investment in local communities, whilst at the same time delivering annual recurring savings.

 

2. Introduction

 

2.1. Gipton fire station was constructed in 1937; it provides the initial emergency response cover for the residential and commercial areas of Gipton, Harehills, Burmantofts, Killingbeck, Halton Moor and Oakwood.

 The fire station area covers approximately 8.45 square miles.

 There is a population of 75,316.

 There are approximately 2015 commercial properties within the area.

2.2. Stanks fire station was constructed 1973; it provides the initial emergency response cover for the mainly residential locations of Whinmoor, Swarcliffe, Whitkirk, Colton, Halton, Crossgates, Scarcroft, North Seacroft, Wellington Hill, Manston, Barwick-in-Elmet, Scholes and Thorner.

 The station area covers approximately 14.39 square miles

 There is a population of 42,452

 There are approximately 663 commercial properties within the area.

2.3. Gipton has been classified as a very high risk area using the WYFRS Risk Matrix methodology. During 2009/10 there were 2196 operational incidents within this area including 86 dwelling fires and 33 Road Traffic Collisions. Stanks fire station area has been classified as medium risk and during the same period there were 688 operational incidents in the area including 34 dwelling fires and 12 Road Traffic Collisions. 1

2.4. Three fire appliances currently provide the initial fire and rescue coverage for Gipton and Stanks and are constantly crewed by 60 whole-time firefighters. The operational demand in these areas has reduced by 28% between 2004/5 and 2009/10 (there has been a reduction of 61% of serious fires) yet the provision of operational resources has remained the same over this period of time. 24

 

3. Community Impact Assessment

 

3.1. The following statement is taken from the 2011-2015 Community Risk Management Strategy and emphasises our commitment to deliver an efficient economic and effective range of services, “Every area within WYFRS will be considered in order to provide a better service at reduced cost”.

3.2. To enable WYFRS to deliver against this commitment a wide range of analysis and modelling tools have been used to determine the current and predicted levels of service delivery, together with their associated costs. These tools have also been used to undertake four separate impact assessments in regard to WYFRS proposals which will seek to:

 Identify options which minimise reductions in service delivery standards and where there is scope for service delivery improvement.

 Develop measures that will mitigate any negative impact upon service delivery and where possible maximise opportunities to achieve improvements.

3.3. WYFRS has developed a risk matrix which allocates a separate score/rating for hazards within communities. It is possible to use this risk rating in conjunction with the costs for providing services to each fire station to compare the cost of fire and rescue cover for each area. Gipton is one of the more cost effective stations in West Yorkshire but Stanks is almost 50% more expensive proportionate to the risk. 6

3.4. For most parts of the day the operational demand on resources based at the new station will be comparable to those of equally resourced fire stations. Figure 1 compares the predicted average operational activity levels for the new station with those of two other fire stations provided with two appliances. It indicates that although operational activity levels are generally comparable they are slightly higher during the evening hours due to the occurrence of smaller nuisance fires. 7

3.5. A Fire Response Unit has been piloted in Leeds District; this unit will attend small fires, car fires and certain fire alarms. These types of incident occur frequently in the East Leeds area. Figure 2 shows the level of activity in the new fire station area with the incidents the Fire response Unit attends taken out of the activity levels. The benefit of the Fire Response Unit can clearly be seen. The activity levels for the new station have been reduced considerably compared to other stations; it also shows that the new station will be less operationally active during the evening than the other local stations.

3.6. The new station in East Leeds will have a comparable level of activity to other fire stations provided with two appliances. 7

Figure 2 - Activity Timeline of Incidents Excluding Secondary Fires and Some False Alarms

Site Locations

3.7. An extensive review of emergency response cover has recently been completed and this has included the use of evaluation tools alongside local knowledge and professional judgment to identify optimum locations to build new WYFRS fire stations.

3.8. A site search mapping system has identified a number of appropriate areas across the County to build new fire stations and a number of sites have been identified within these areas which would provide the best solutions. A new fire station site must first be available for purchase and also provide access to road networks, it must not be located within flood plains and it must meet local planning permission requirements.

3.9. Analysis has been undertaken using the Fire Service Emergency Cover (FSEC – see also para 3.15) toolkit, together with the Phoenix/Active resource modelling toolkit.

3.10. The optimum area for a fire station between Gipton and Stanks has been identified as being situated on the A64 in the vicinity of Killingbeck police station. This proposed site is approximately 1.6 miles from Gipton Approach and 2.2 miles from Sherburn Road. The presence of a large site owned by West Yorkshire Police at this location may also present some potential to co-locate resources.

Determining where resources should be located

3.11. Independent research has assisted WYFRS to determine the potential impact that the implementation of each proposal would have on fire appliance attendance times to operational incidents. A simulation model has been used to identify the performance impact of moving resources to the new fire station. This modelling measures how the location of a new fire station would have performed if it had been in existence and responded to the actual incidents that did occurred in this area between 2007/8 and 2009/10. 4

3.12. Models have been run for locating a two fire appliances at Gipton and closing Stanks, and then run again for locating a two fire appliances at Stanks and closing Gipton, both these options provide a significantly lower level of response performance than would be achieved by locating

 

3.13. The proposals has a small reduction in performance in fire appliance attendance times against the Risk based Planning Assumptions for all incidents across the whole of West Yorkshire of approximately 0.3% for first appliance and 0.1% for the second appliance. 4

3.14. Local Impact – Figure 3 identifies that:

 There is a reduction in response performance against the Risk Based Planning Assumptions in the Gipton station area. The main reason for this is simultaneous activity. This change will be greatly mitigated by the Fire Response Unit. The predicted response times still represent good performance and are appropriate for the. Further impact will be achieved by targeted risk reduction activities.

Fire Service Emergency Cover (FSEC) toolkit

3.15 The FSEC software toolkit has been developed by Central Government (Department for Communities and Local Government) for use by Fire and Rescue Authorities in determining appropriate fire and emergency cover. It enables the relationship between dwelling fire casualties and the social demographics of small areas in the county (super output areas) and the location of response resources (fire stations) to be determined. Four demographic benchmarks are used to demonstrate this relationship and to represent predicted risk associated with a range of appliance response times.

3.16 Analysis of the FSEC outputs (which is a cost benefit analysis in regard to property and life risk) predicts that the relocating the fire station to Killingbeck will:

 Reduce the risk to the community.

 Result in significant efficiencies. 9

3.17 The FSEC modelling suggests that the impact of the Killingbeck proposal would be less than other relocation options

3.18 The Phoenix/Active software tool is another analysis tool used to identify the impact of any changes of the Risk Based Planning Assumptions referred to above. It predicts that locally there is likely to be a small adverse impact on the performance against Risk Based Planning Assumptions. Across the Brigade the impact is negligible. 10

Predicted Risk Level

3.19. A new fire station located, within the Killingbeck area would attract the same risk classification as the Gipton fire station area therefore the new fire station would be classified as very high risk. Targeted risk reduction activity will help to reduce the risk, with the aim of reducing it sufficiently enough to re-categorise the area as high risk in the future. 1

3.20. Isochrones (travel distance) can be drawn around the proposed location of the new fire station (Section 8). These indicate the distance the appliance would be able to travel within the Risk Based Planning Assumption time of 7 minutes.

3.21. Section 8 also illustrates that for this area of West Yorkshire a single fire station in the new location provides fire appliance coverage which is more proportionate to risk than the current arrangements.

Risk Reduction

3.20 During 2010 a comprehensive and integrated framework for service delivery was developed, this is outlined in the Community Risk Management Strategy 2011-15. This was implemented in 2011 and is proving a very effective means for targeting resources and reducing risk and is an essential method for reducing any negative impact of change in fire cover. Fundamental to this approach is the introduction of District Risk Reduction Teams and Local Area Risk Reductions Teams.

3.21 The location of a fire station in the Killingbeck area will enable targeted community safety activities such as Home Fire Safety Checks to continue.

 

4 Firefighter Safety Impact Assessment

 

Risk and firefighters gathering risk information about premises.

4.1 One of WYFRS’s risk indicators is dedicated solely to “Firefighter safety” and has taken cognisance of the following statement within the 2009 WYFRS Firefighter Safety Strategy; “Effective gathering and analysis of information prior to operational incident attendance is of critical importance”.

4.2 The firefighter safety indicator captures the following information to reflect this statement:

 The predominance of specified commercial properties within each fire station area.

 The availability of associated risk information held for commercial properties.

 The predominance of high-rise properties within each fire station area.

4.3 The swift arrival of supporting resources can have a beneficial impact upon the safe management of operational incidents and this is the rationale for this information being captured by the indicator.

4.4 Following the 2009/10 evaluation process the firefighter safety risk bandings for Gipton and Stanks have been determined as high and very low respectively. 1

8

4.5 The targets for operational risk information for the 2012/13 IRMP Action Plan will be set in a proportionate manner, with areas of higher risk levels receiving a greater number of operational risk information inspections. More inspections will take place in areas such as Gipton to increase the availability of risk information available to firefighters via the Mobile Data Terminals (MDT’s) and as more information is made available the corresponding risk level will be reduced.

4.6 The Premises Data-base currently indicates that there are a total of 1650 commercial properties within the Gipton and Stanks area that have not been made subject to an operational information inspection. A high priority has been placed on firefighters in Gipton visiting the premises where incidents could potentially occur. 11

4.7 It is therefore anticipated that the availability of risk information via the Mobile Data Terminals (MDT’s) for properties within all areas will be considerably improved by 2015, by which time the corresponding firefighter safety risk banding will have been reduced to Medium

The arrival times of the 2nd fire appliance

4.9. During 2009/10 there were a total of 333 operational incidents within the areas of Gipton and Stanks which required the attendance of more than one pumping appliance (one every 1.1 days). 12

4.10. Currently the North and East Leeds area has two fire appliances based at Gipton, Moortown and Leeds with one at Rothwell, Garforth, Stanks and Wetherby.

4.11. Increased second pump arrival times require the first attending crew to manage the initial stages of certain incidents in isolation; there is some potential for fires to become more developed in these initial stages.

4.12. The proposal improves the second appliance attendance times into Garforth station areas and there is little impact for the others local station areas.

 

5. Equality Impact Assessment

 

5.1 The new Public Sector Equality Duty places a requirement on the organisation to ensure where changes affect service delivery to the community or employees WYFRS assess those changes for any possible negative impact on equality. In this context equality refers to the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010, race, gender, disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation, age, gender-reassignment, maternity and pregnancy and marriage and civil partnerships.

5.2 This Equality Impact Assessment has been completed by using information drawn from the Office for National Statistics in regard to this area and has been used to determine whether the removal of a fire appliance from the area will lead to an adverse or disproportionate impact upon any sections of the population. 13

5.3 A 2008 report provided by the Communities and Local Government (CLG) department analysed the correlation between dwelling fires and socio demographics. This report has been used to provide an indication of whether any particular groups within the population are at heightened risk from fire. The report indicates that sick/disabled persons, lone pensioners and Black Caribbean/African groups were associated with a greater incidence of dwelling fires.

5.4 The Gipton and Harehills population was estimated as being 24,904 during 2001 with a fairly equal gender distribution. The predominant ethnic group within the population is White British with Asian/Asian British representing the next major group, followed by Pakistani, Black British/Caribbean and Asian/British Bangladeshi.

9

5.5 Approximately 49% of the resident Gipton and Harehills population are Christians, 23% are of Muslim faith and 25% declared no religious preference. In 2001 16% of the population was aged over 60 and 20% of the population had a limiting long-term illness.

5.6 The WYFRS Prevention strategy contained within the 2011-2015 Community Risk Management Strategy emphasises that risk reduction activities will be focussed toward areas of the county identified as being at higher risk from dwelling fires, deliberate fire setting and road traffic collisions and that an appropriate and proportionate allocation of resources will be made available for District Risk Reduction Teams (DRRT) to achieve this.

5.7 Although the Ward statistics indicate that the communities of Gipton and Harehills are very diverse the findings of the Equality Impact Assessment are that this proposal will not lead to any negative changes in the delivery of Prevention, Protection and Response services and consequently there will be no anticipated impact upon any under-represented groups. The Equality Impact Assessment also confirms that there is no negative impact on any employee group.

 

6. Organisational Impact Assessment

 

Efficiencies

 

6.1 This proposal will enable WYFRS to manage some of the financial deficit caused by reduced government funding.

6.2. The proposal has considered the less than optimal positioning of existing fire stations and appliances together with the reduced operational demand placed and associated costs. The most cost effective solution to these issues is to provide a new fire station and ensure that two fire appliances will be crewed by nine firefighters who will respond to emergencies in less than two minutes from being mobilised.

6.3. This can be achieved by reducing the staffing at Gipton and Stanks by 24 posts; this will be done by way of planned retirements. The staffing and duty system at the new fire station will remain the same.

6.4. The removal of posts that coincide with forecasted retirements will achieve significant revenue savings.

6.5. Although capital investment will be required to construct a new fire station, part of these costs will potentially be off-set by the sale of the two existing fire station sites.

6.6. There will be other associated savings delivered by this proposal, including:

 Reduction of Personal Protective Equipment.

 Reduction in consumables and station maintenance costs.

 The new station will be more environmentally friendly and have energy efficiency technology.

6.7. The analysis undertaken for Gipton and Stanks has identified that there is considerable overlap in the existing Risk Based Planning Assumption isochrones (footprints) for these areas. This overlap represents a duplication of resource coverage and therefore one of the objectives for providing a more efficient service within these areas is to reduce this overlap. 14

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Impact across West Yorkshire and Resilience

6.8 The reduction in pumping appliances in this area does have a small impact upon attendance times against the Risk Based Planning Assumptions across West Yorkshire for all incidents; performance is reduced by 0.3% for first appliances and 0.1% for second appliances. 4

6.9 In order to maintain WYFRS’s operational resilience, the fire appliance currently sited at Stanks will be relocated at the new fire station. This fire appliance will not be continually staff but will be activated during periods of anticipated or unanticipated high levels of operational activity and in response to significant events which could affect emergency response; such as wide area flooding, bonfire night, periods of bad weather or when attending very large incidents.

6.10 The use of Resilience Pumps supports WYFRS strategy of staffing the appropriate number of fire appliances for normal levels of activity and having the mechanisms to add further fire appliance when required. This strategy is important in maintaining an excellent fire and rescue service whilst meeting the efficiencies required by the reduction in public service budgets.

 

7. Conclusions

 

7.1 The existing fire stations at Gipton and Stanks are 3.7 miles apart and consolidating resources at a new fire station at a central location is an economic, effective and efficient way of providing fire and rescue services for these areas.

7.2 The provision of two front-line fire appliances constantly crewed by whole-time firefighters is still deemed appropriate for this area despite the success of previous year’s risk reduction activities.

7.3 Targeted risk reduction initiatives co-ordinated by the Leeds Outer North East, Inner North East and Outer East Local Area Risk Reduction Teams will be undertaken.

7.4 It is expected that the targets established for gathering safety critical risk information, will mitigate the impact upon the safety of WYFRS firefighters resulting from the removal of a pumping appliance from this area.

7.5 The introduction of a Resilience Pump will maintain three appliances in the area and support WYFRSs resilience arrangements

7.6 The consolidation of Gipton and Stanks resources at one central location together with the addition of a Resilience Pump will deliver significant efficiency savings whilst maintaining a high level of service delivery and providing employees with vastly improved accommodation facilities.

 

Living in a modern building with condominiums is very problematic, especially when we have brutalist architecture and an environment with lots of garbage lying around. Why? Well, let me tell you. First of all, you have to deal with the noise of your neighbors, who are either blasting music, arguing, or doing other things that are better left unsaid. Second, you have to pay a hefty fee for the maintenance of the building, which is supposed to be sleek and elegant, but instead looks like a concrete bunker. Third, you have to face the depressing sight of the trash-strewn streets every time you look out the window, which makes you wonder why you even bother to recycle. And fourth, you have to endure the ridicule of your friends and family, who think you are crazy for living in such a place. So, in conclusion, living in a modern building with condominiums is very problematic, and you should move out as soon as possible.

 

Source: AI Text Generator

PORTER COUNTY INFIRMARY, VALPARAISO, IND.

 

Date: Circa 1907-1910

Source Type: Postcard

Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Unknown (#5097)

Postmark: None

Collection: Steven R. Shook

Remark: During the mid-nineteenth century, a movement was taking place in the United States and Western Europe recognizing the plight of the poor, indigent, and mentally unstable citizens. In the United States, many counties established what were often referred to as poor houses, poor farms, infirmaries, and asylums. Generally, mentally unstable individuals were also housed at these county-established residences, though most states also erected state mental institutions to house those citizens of the state that were deemed to be more problematic for the counties to handle and maintain in an adequate state of care.

 

The genesis of Porter County’s “Poor Farm” took place on June 7, 1855, when the Porter County Commissioners approved the purchase of 80 acres from William C. Pennock for the sum of $3,000. This land comprised the east one-half of the southwest quarter of Section 26 in Center Township. Pennock became the first superintendent of the Porter County Poor Farm, accommodating the poor in the home already located on the newly purchased property.

 

On September 1, 1856, a new dwelling constructed by George C. Buel was opened on the poor farm property to house the poor. This structure was had a footprint of 32 x 45 feet and cost the county $2,482, being paid with a combination of cash and county-issued bond revenue. Residents were, for the most part, self-sufficient. Shelter and meals were provided to the residents in exchange for labor in farming and upkeep of the property.

 

An adjacent 80 acres directly east of the Porter County Poor Farm was purchased by the county for $3,200 in March 1866 to expand the farm to 160 acres. The farm was expanded again on June 16, 1875, when the county purchased all that part of the northeast quarter of Section 35 in Center Township which was lying north and east of Salt Creek and south of a line drawn parallel with the north line of the quarter for $1,200. On June 9, 1876, yet another purchase took place to expand the farm when the county purchased southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 27 in Center Township for $1,200.

 

The home seen in this image was the third and final home to be located on the Porter County Poor Farm. Designed by local architect Charles F. Lembke, ground was broken for this $25,000 structure soon after the sale of county-issued bonds on August 7, 1905; construction was completed in 1906. Shortly after this building was completed, a barn was erected on the property at a cost of $4,000.

 

At some point in time before the construction of this building, the Porter County Poor Farm was being more often referred to as the Porter County Asylum. This suggests that the county was transitioning from housing the poor and indigent to include individuals with real and perceived mental deficiencies and what were considered, at that time, socially undesirable characteristics. As reported in early twentieth century county newspapers, the institutionalized included the truly insane, such sociopaths, psychopaths, and the delusional, as well as the poor and indigent, unemployed (bums and hobos), epileptics, adulterers, prostitutes and loose women, homosexuals, alcoholics, and drug addicts. Oftentimes, the Porter County Asylum served as a temporary housing solution before an individual was committed to the Porter County Jail, Indiana State Prison, or one of the state-operated mental institutions. As evident by the writing on this postcard, the name of institution had evolved into the Porter County Infirmary by 1907.

 

On November 11, 2005, this structure was heavily damaged by an arsonist using kerosene as an accelerant. The extent of the damage was so severe that it was decided to raze the building, which took place during late February and early March 2006.

 

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The following news item appeared in the August 14, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Porter County Business.

At the last meeting of the council the board of county commissioners asked for an appropriation for the erection of a new county asylum. The council passed a resolution instructing the commissioners to procure plans for such a building as was needed, and fall information as to what was expected. At the meeting held Friday [August 7, 1903], the board had present Mr. Butler, secretary of the Indiana state board of charities, who brought with him the plans of several asylums built in various parts of this state. He had examined the county asylum, and severely condemned it. He showed the plans of the Adams county asylum, which cost about $30,000 to construct. It was equipped with a hospital and insane quarters, as well as separate quarters for the sexes. Its capacity was about 40 inmates. Another plan was submitted with a capacity of about 18 inmates which would cost about three-quarters as much as the larger one. Mr. Butler imparted a great deal of valuable information to the commissioners and the council, and advised that a committee be selected to visit some of the new and modern asylums of the state. The commissioners asked for an appropriation to cover the expenses of such a committee to the amount of $125, but the council thought $60 would be sufficient for the purpose and granted this sum. The committee selected are: C. W. Benton, Frank Quick, H. Bornholt, Hail Bates and A. J. Bowser. This committee will start on its trip Friday of this week, and expects to make a report at the September meeting of the county council.

 

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The following news item appeared in the August 21, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Chesterton Chips.

The committee selected by the county council to make an investigation of various county asylums in this state, and report on the needs of this county for accommodations for its poor, left on its mission last Friday morning. The committee consisted of the three county commissioners, Bornholt, Quick and Benton, and Bowser and Bates, of the county council. They visited the asylums of Marshall, Kosciusko and Adams counties. This committee has a vast amount of work yet to do collecting information to be obtained in this county, and as soon as this is ready a report will be made to the council, probably at a special session. As the editor of the Tribune is a member of this committee, and the report is not yet made, it would be improper for us to say anything at this time. We can say, however, that after the report is made and presented to the council, it will be published in full in all the papers of the county that desire to do so, so that the people of the county will know all about the matter. The committee hops to present a plan whereby a suitable county asylum can be built without increasing taxation or issuing bonds, and after it is built, will be self-sustaining. Some idea of the magnitude of the work will be obtained from the above simple statement. How this can be done is the work the committee will be engaged upon for several days.

 

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The following news item appeared in the September 11, 1903, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

COUNTY BUSINESS

County Commissioner Benton appeared before the council and reported the result of his committee investigation on the poor house matter. He said that a suitable building with the necessary barns and outbuildings could be built for about $35,000. The opinion of his committee was that the present poor farm was not suitable for the erection of such buildings. He accompanied his report with a map showing the farm, with its swamps and bad lands, and said that the committee would be in favor of waiting a year, and even three or four years before building, rather than build under present conditions. It was the sense of all the council and the board of commissioners that it would not be wise to build on the present poor farm, and the next step in the problem was whether it would be wise to try to run the poor farm on an extensive scale, and depend upon hired help to make the investment pay. Despite the claims of numerous county superintendents, poor farms were not self-sustaining, and the extra cost of management at up the profits of the farm. Not counting the interest on the money invested in a farm and buildings, the best that could be figured out was a deficiency of four or five thousand dollars per year. This amount was created by superintendent's salary, hired help, fuel, insurance, repairs and incidental expenses. The question arose whether it would not be better financiering to get away from the old fashioned idea of farming, which might have been all right in the early days, and take the interest money on the land investment and buy what was needed for the inmates. Prof. Kinsey crystalized this idea into a resolution which he offered, and which was unanimously passed, and which reads as follows:

 

"Resolved that is is the sentiment of the Porter County Council that it would be to the best interest of the county to sell the whole county farm holdings, and purchase a suitable site of not more than 40 acres, as being the more efficient and economical way of caring for the county's poor, and that the undertaking of extensive farming in connection with the county poor is unprofitable and expensive, and that the county commissioners are hereby instructed to look up suitable sites and prices and report to this body.

 

"Resolved, That Bates and Bowser, the same committee heretofore appointed to visit county farms, etc., with the three commissioners, continue with the Board of Commissioners in the investigation of sites and prices."

 

The effect of this resolution will be that until a suitable site can be found at a reasonable price, and some prospect of selling the present poor farm presents itself, there will be nothing doing in the poor house line. The council and commissioners are determined to proceed slowly and with caution in this matter, so that when the work is completed it will be satisfactory to the taxpayers, and of benefit to the inmates.

 

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The following news item appeared in the September 9, 1904, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

Council Meeting.

The sum of $25,000 was appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings for the county asylum, the month to be raised by the sale of bonds payable in ten yearly installments of $2,500 each, with interest at 4 per cent. A levy of two cents on the one hundred dollars will meet the bonds and interest. The following resolution was passed, which explains itself.

 

Resolved, That there be appropriated by the Porter County Council the sum of $25,000 for the purpose of building a house and heating plant, plumbing and drainage for said building on the Porter county infirmary grounds and lands for housing the indigent poor of Porter county, to include all necessary expenses connected with such improvement, and that the Board of Commissioners of Porter county, Indiana, by proper proceedings, issue bonds for $25,000 for that purpose, as required by law, to be sold at not less than par, but that the said sum of $25,000 must not be exceeded in any event, either in bonds or in money in the expenditures for that purpose, and that the interest on said bonds must not exceed four per cent per annum on the par value of the bonds, interest payable semi-annually, and that said bonds are to run ten years in a series of ten equal payments, beginning one year after the date of issue, one-tenth thereof payable each year during such period. Said bonds not to be sold until after a contract has been let to a responsible bidder, who has given sufficient surety for the faithful performance of his contract, and whose bid shall not exceed the amount appropriated in this resolution.

 

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The following news item appeared in the January 12, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

County Business.

Architect Lembke submitted drawings for the proposed new county asylum to the board. These had been drawn on suggestions offered by Commissioner Benton, and show a building 123x95, with three floors, basement, first floor and second floor. The building is to be constructed of brick, trimmed with cement block, with tile roof. It is to be heated by steam, and has nineteen rooms for inmates, eight rooms for the superintendent, besides rooms for laundry, furnace, kitchens, closets, bath rooms and six cells for insane. The plans arrange for a division of the sexes, and provide light and ventilation very amply. The height of the rooms are as follows: basement, nine feet; first floor 10 feet; second floor nine feet. The site contemplated is north and east of the present asylum buildings. The board have taken the plans under consideration, and will act on them at the first meeting in February.

 

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The following news item appeared in the January 26, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

CHESTERTON ITEMS.

John F. Wing, of the firm of Wing & Mahurin, architects, Fort Wayne, heard that Porter county contemplated building a new county asylum, and he came to Valparaiso last Saturday to meet the commissioners, and lay before them a plan in the hopes of getting the job. The commissioners had looked at a plan submitted by architect Lambky [Lembke] and had decided to act on the matter at the February meeting. Since Wing has appeared on the scene and has furnished the Board with a lot of useful information, it looks now as though no hasty action would be taken in the matter. The Fort Wayne firm has built public buildings all over the state, and both Quick and Bates agreed that the plans he submitted Saturday were superior in every way to those the Valparaiso man laid before them. This plan calls for accommodations for fifty inmates, with all of the latest improvements in ventilation, hospital quarters, insane wars, etc. It has revealed the fact that no harm can be done to invite architects from all over to come and submit plans, and from the information gathered it will be possible for this county to have a good asylum. The man who furnishes the plans and superintends the work should have no connection with the concern that takes the contract. The TRIBUNE sincerely hopes that this building will be built without friction or even the suspicion of jobbery, and we believe it will. It is well enough to watch, however.

 

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The following news item appeared in the October 5, 1905, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

LOCAL NEWS OF THE WEEK

The board of county commissioners went out to the county farm last Monday for dinner. Auditor Corboy and The Tribune man were taken along by Superintendent Henry to see how the new county asylum building was getting on. The work is progressing very satisfactorily, and looks as though it was being well done. The walls are up for the basement and first story, and it is expected that it will be ready for enclosure before winter sets in. It will be at least a year before the building will be ready for occupancy, and if the inmates can be quartered in the new building by this time next year, they will be lucky. Mr. Henry says he does not like the arrangement of the basement, and especially the way provided for the storage cellars on account of the inconvenience of getting to them. Mrs. Henry is worrying about the location and capacity of the cisterns, and unless it is conveniently placed it will mean much work for her. It is proposed to use the old building now used to house the superintendent and inmates for crop storage purposes, leaving them where they are, for a while at least. The poor farm crops are fine this year, and the stock is a credit to the management. Henry and his wife have worked wonders for the county in their management of the county farm, and they are entitled to credit. It will be hard to winter the inmates in their present quarters unless some repairs are made. Cracks almost big enough to throw a cat through are quite plenty and while there will be plenty of fresh air, just how the poor folks can be kept warm is the problem. Mrs. Freeland, who was taken to the asylum a few weeks ago, died recently. Her husband is here, but very feeble. Westchester's delegation seems to be getting on all right, and in fact they all seem to be comfortable. Mr. Henry has managed to get considerable work out of some of the inmates this year, giving each one something he can do. The cripples were stripping seed corn and making it ready for drying, others able to get around were cutting corn, and still others were doing the housework in the inmates' quarters. There is a class who come to the county farm that Mr. Henry wished would go elsewhere. They are those afflicted with loathsome diseases, and lousy. He has no facilities for cleansing them or doctoring them. Representatives of this class are beginning to arrive, and although Henry says he has never yet refused an applicant admittance, he does not know what he will be compelled to do if township trustees continue sending him men like the one he recently received. This individual was a living pest, so loathsome that it was almost impossible to touch him. Caring for the county poor is no snap.

 

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The following news item appeared in the June 28, 1906, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

THE POOR HOUSE TROUBLE.

One View of It and Suggestions as to the Cause.

Patched Plans the Primary Reason of the Building's Unsatisfactory Condition.

Porter county's new asylum is just now furnishing the people of Porter county with material to talk about. The building for these wards of the county has been built, and next Monday the board of county commissioners will be asked to accept it from the contractor. It is admitted that this building is unsatisfactory, and an effort is being made to find someone upon whom to fix the blame.

 

Right on the start, I want to say that I do not for a moment believe that the board of county commissioners or any member of that body has done a single act from an unworthy motive. I believe that a blunder has been made which is the primary cause of all the dissatisfaction now existing. That blunder consisted in the board of county commissioners attempting to build a thirty thousand dollar building for $25,000.

 

The county council passed a resolution enabling the board of commissioners to build a building at a cost not to exceed $25,000. complete, and provided the money with which to do this. This resolution fully protected the taxpayers of the county against putting any more money into the building. The county council felt that this much money was ample to house a population of eighteen or twenty paupers, and do it well, if the money was judiciously expended. This far the council could go, but no farther. The providing of plans and the construction of the building was in the hands of the county commissioners.

 

We said a blunder was made. We also believe that Mr. Benton made this blunder. We do not believe that the mistake was made from a bad motive. Mr. Benton championed the cause of "home" talent, and went out of his way to give the people of Porter county any business Porter county had. He had employed Mr. Lembke to build himself a fine home, and Lembke did this work in a manner especially pleasing to Mr. Benton. He wanted Lembke to have the erection of the county asylum. He fully believed Lembke competent to draw the plans and do the work in a manner creditable to the county and to the board. He trusted Lembke.

 

Now for Lembke. This man is supposed to be a competent architect. I do not believe him to be dishonest. Neither do I believe him to be incompetent. In his zeal to give the county a fine building he forgot expense, and drew plans which could not be executed for less than $30,000. The writer had experts go over these plans and figure the cost before they were offered to the public, and was told that they could not be carried out for less than $28,500 net, without a contractor's profit. Bidders submitted estimates, and none were lower than $30,000, a fair figure. The contract could not be let. The county council was solicited to make an additional appropriation. The commissioners were told to cause plans to be made that could be carried out for the appropriation made in the resolution. Instead of doing this, they undertook to patch the plans of the $30,000 building. There [sic; this] is where the colossal blunder was made. This patching choked the life out of the original plan, and gives us the nondescript building now causing such general criticism.

 

The architect had pledged himself to furnish Porter county with plans that would give the county farm a building for $25,000 complete, and when he failed to do this, he should have done one of two things, withdraw from the work or prepare new pans. The board erred it agreed to accept patched plans.

 

The contract was let under the patched plans and specification. Conditions arose which compelled the Commissioners to ask for Mr. Lembke's resignation. He was paid for his plans, and received something like $800 for them. When he was let out, his responsibility ceased. A new man, Henry Lembster was called to complete the work. He was given the plans and specifications, and he says they have been carried out, and that the building has been built according to them. He says he followed the specifications to the letter. He is the county's accredited agent, and the county is responsible for his acts. I do not believe that there are many people in this county who will say that Henry Lembster is either incompetent or dishonest. I have found fault with the building. I pointed out the fact that the windows were set in flat, instead of being bevelled [sic], and that in consequence every time it rained, the rooms were flooded with water. Since then I have seen the specifications and working plans, and I find that the plans compelled the superintendent to have these windows placed just as they are in the building. I find many paragraphs in the specifications ambiguous and difficult to interpret the meaning of. I have questioned the contractor, Mr. Foster, and he says that he left the construction of the building entirely in the hands of the County's representative, and that he has done, is doing, and will do anything the superintendent orders him to do. He says that some of the work is defective, and that he is causing it to be replaced. He talks very reasonable.

 

It would seem to me, in view of the conditions for some one disinterested, say the judge of the circuit court, to appoint a competent committee, whose work shall be to investigate the whole matter, and place whatever blame there is upon the right shoulders. I do not believe that any person lacking the expert knowledge, or who has not gone thoroughly into all of the facts, can be just in this matter at this time. I have an opinion. It may be right, and it may be wrong. But after it is all said and done, I doubt very much if there is anything to be done now, further than to do the best we can, and make good the defects. The County Commissioners is a judicial body, without bond, and cannot be held legally responsible for any mistake it may make. The plans were bought and paid for, and accepted by Porter County. If these plans were faulty, there is no recourse. All that can be done is to hold the contractor to his contract, and if he has not lived up to the plans and specification, compel him to. The sole judge of this matter is Henry Lembster.

 

Sources:

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; August 14, 1903; Volume 20, Number 19, Page 1, Columns 5-6. Column titled "Porter County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; August 21, 1903; Volume 20, Number 20, Page 5, Column 5. Column titled "Chesterton Chips."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; September 11, 1903; Volume 20, Number 23, Page 1, Columns 6-7. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; September 9, 1904; Volume 21, Number 23, Page 1, Column 7. Column titled "Council Meeting."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; January 12, 1905; Volume 21, Number 41, Page 6, Column 1. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; January 26, 1905; Volume 21, Number 43, Page 1, Column 7. Column titled "Chesterton Items."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; October 5, 1905; Volume 22, Number 27, Page 5, Column 6. Column titled "Local News of the Week."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; June 7, 1907; Volume 23, Number 10, Page 1, Column 4. Column titled "County Business."

 

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; June 28, 1907; Volume 23, Number 13, Page 1, Columns 3-4. Column titled "The Poor House Trouble."

 

Copyright 2009. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon cutting the grass for the first time this year and snapping away at a pair of house sparrows who were busy nest building. Also the first time trying out my monopod as hand holding this camera/lens combination is still problematic due to my hand injury. Enjoy :)

 

Mrs Sparrow here

Nemiana simplex on underside of micaceous quartzose sandstone slab from the Precambrian of Ukraine. (12.7 centimeters across at its widest)

 

Ediacaran organisms are some of the most celebrated and problematic fossils in the rock record. The most famous Ediacarans are creatures (animals?) such as Dickinsonia, Spriggina, and Tribrachidium.

 

The most widely-available Ediacaran material in the retail fossil trade is Nemiana simplex Paliy, 1976 from Ukraine. Fossils of this organism are small to moderately large, circular to subcircular masses on the undersides of sandstone beds (convex hyporelief; most Ediacaran macrofossils are preserved on the soles of sandstone beds). Many Nemiana specimens show a subtle concentric wrinkling.

 

Paliy (1976) identified it as a coelenterate (?) incertae sedis. It’s similar to the sea anemone trace fossil Bergaueria. This similarity has prompted many to consider Nemiana fossils as the undersides of sea anemones. But, if it is a burrowing sea anemone, it’s odd why there’s no central puckered structure (cf. Bergaueria).

 

Others suggest that Nemiana may represent siphonocladalean chlorophyte algae similar to the living Ventricaria (“Valonia”) (Siphonocladaceae). Such green algae are commonly called “ball algae” or “sailor's eye balls” or “bubble algae” or “sea pearls”. Individual ~spheres of such algae are large single cells. In & out of water, these huge cells have surprising rigidity (they can even bounce off countertops & floors like superballs). So, Nemiana may not be an animal at all.

 

Stratigraphy: Yampol Member, Mogilev Formation, Balday Series, upper Vendian (= upper Ediacaran), upper Neoproterozoic

 

Locality: Novodnestrovsky Quarry, Podolia, Ukraine

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Some info. from Andy Knoll (pers. comm.) & Jere Lipps (pers. comm.).

 

Some info. from Paliy (1976) & Paliy et al. (1979):

 

Paliy, V.M. 1976. Остатки бесскелетной фауны и следы жизнедеятелъности из отложений верхнего докембрия и нижнего кембрия Подолии [Ostatki besskeletnoy fauny i sledy zhiznedeyatelnosti iz otlozheniy verkhnego dokembriya i nizhnego kembirya Podolii] [Remains of unskeletonized faunas and traces of life activity from Upper Precambrian and Lower Cambrian deposits in Podolia]. pp. 63-77, 149-154, 160-161, pls. 21-28 in Палеонтология и Стратиграфия Верхнего Докембрия и Эижнего Палеозоя Юго-Запада Восточно-Европейской Платформы [Paleontologiya i Stratigrafiya Verkhnego Dokembriya i Nizhnego Paleozoya Yugo-Zapada Vostochno-Europeyskoy Platformy] [Upper Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Southwestern East-European Platform]. Kiev. Naukova Dumka. [in Russian]

 

Paliy, V.M., E. Posti & M.A. Fedonkin. 1979. Мягкотелые Метазоа и ископаемые следы животных венда и раннего кембрия [Myagkotelye Metazoa i iskopaemye sledy zhivotnykh venda i rannego kembriya] [Soft-bodied Metazoa and trace fossils from the Vendian and Lower Cambrian]. pp. 49-82, 103-108, 205-208, pls. 48-68 in Палеонтология Верхнедокембрийских и кембрийских Отложений Востчно-Европейской Платформы [Paleontologiya Verkhnedokembriyskikh i Kembriyskikh Otlozheniy Vostochno-Europeyskoy Platformy] [Paleontology of Upper Precambrian and Cambrian Deposits in the East-European Platform]. Moscow. Izdatelstvo “Nauka”. [in Russian]

 

The delayed work on the problematic bicycle bridge at Victoriaslussen continues. In the background, a Metro train between Gamla stan and Slussen. And behind that the Mariaberget hill on Södermalm.

From a vexillological POV, no doubt problematic, but from a human perspective, an interesting combo, no doubt symbolizing friendship and mutual goodwill between neighbours.

 

On a trailer in Colborne, Ontario.

I've been feeling a little show nostalgic.

Show . Firefly

Character . River Tam

Video . Firefly . The Message

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Textures by spookyzangel

Stick, String and Ice Planet made in PS.

 

Pose by me. (not for sale, unless you want it.)

Pride and Prejudice: on Raphael Perez's Artwork

 

Raphael Perez, born in 1965, studied art at the College of Visual Arts in Beer Sheva, and from 1995 has been living and working in his studio in Tel Aviv. Today Perez plays an important role in actively promoting the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) art and culture in Tel Aviv, and the internet portal he set up helps artists from the community reach large audiences in Israel and abroad. Hundreds of his artworks are part of private collections in Israel and abroad, and his artworks were shown in several group exhibitions: in Tel Aviv Museum of Art, "Zman Le'Omanut" art gallery, Camera Obscura, The Open House in Jerusalem, Ophir Gallery, The Haifa Forum and other private businesses and galleries.

In 2003-4 his paintings and studio appeared in a full-length movie, three student films and two graduation films.

 

Raphael Perez is the first Israeli artist to express his lifestyle as a Gay. His life and the life of the LGBT community are connected and unfold over hundreds of artwork pieces. His art creation is rare and extraordinary by every Israeli and international artistic standard. His sources of inspiration are first and foremost life events intertwined in Jewish and Israeli locality as well as influences and quotes from art history (David Hockney, Matisse). This uniqueness has crossed international borders and has succeeded in moving the LGBT and art communities around the world.

 

This is the first time we meet an Israeli artist who expresses all of his emotions in a previously unknown strength. The subjects of the paintings are the everyday life of couples in everyday places and situations, along with the aspiration to a homosexual relationship and family, equality and public recognition. Perez's works bring forward to the cultural space and to the public discourse the truth about living as LGBT and about relationships, with all of their aspects – casual relationships and sex, the yearning for love, the everyday life and the mundane activities that exist in every romantic relationship – whether by describing two men in an intimate scene in the bathroom, the bedroom or the toilet, a male couple raising a baby or the homosexual version of the Garden of Eden, family dinners, relationship ups and downs, the complexity in sharing a life as well as mundane, everyday life competing with the aspiration to self realization – through Perez's life.

  

Perez's first artworks are personal diaries, which he creates at 14 years of age. He makes sure to hide these diaries, as in them he keeps a personal journal describing his life events in the most genuine way. In these journals he draws thousands of drawings and sketches, next to which he alternately writes and erases his so-called "problematic texts", texts describing his struggle with his sexual orientation. His diaries are filled with obsessive cataloging of details, daily actions, friends and work, as well as repeating themes, such as thoughts, exhibits he has seen, movies, television, books and review of his work.

 

When he is done writing, Perez draws on his diaries. Each layer is done from beginning to end all along the journal. In fact, the work on the diaries never ends.

This struggle never ends, and when the emotion is passed on to paper, and it ends its role and becomes meaningless in a way, the visual-graphic side becomes dominant, due to the need to hide the written text, according to Perez. In books and diaries this stands out even more – when he chooses to draw in a style influenced by children's drawings, the characters are cheerful, happy, naïve and do not portray any sexuality, and when he tries drawing as an adult the sketches became more depressed and somber. During these years Perez works with preschool children, teaching them drawing and movement games. Perez says that during this period he completely abandoned the search for a relationship, either with a woman or a man, and working with children has given him existential meaning. This creation continues over 10 years, and Perez creates about 60 books-personal journals in various sizes (notepads, old notebooks, atlases and even old art books).

 

In his early paintings (1998-1999) the transition from relationships with women to relationships with men can be seen, from restraint to emotional outburst in color, lines and composition. Some characters display strong emotional expression. The women are usually drawn in restraint and passiveness, while a happy and loving emotional outburst is expressed in the colors and style of the male paintings.

 

"I fantasized that in a relationship with a woman I could fly in the sky, love, fly. However, I felt I was hiding something; I was choked up, hidden behind a mask, as if there was an internal scream wanting to come out. I was frustrated, I felt threatened…"

 

His first romance with a man in 1999 has drawn out a series of naïve paintings dealing with love and the excitement of performing everyday actions together in the intimate domestic environment.

 

"The excitement from each everyday experience of doing things together and the togetherness was great, so I painted every possible thing I liked doing with him."

 

From the moment the self-oppression and repression stopped, Perez started the process of healing, which was expressed in a burst of artworks, enormous in their size, amount, content and vivid colors – red, pink and white.

 

In 2000 Perez starts painting the huge artworks describing the hangouts of the LGBT community (The Lake, The Pool) and the Tel Avivian balcony paintings describing the masculine world, which, according to him, becomes existent thanks to the painting. Perez has dedicated this year to many series of drawings and paintings of the experience of love, in which he describes his first love for his new partner, and during these months he paints from morning to night. These paintings are the fruit of a long dialogue with David Hockney, and the similarity can be seen both in subjects and in different gestures.

 

In 2001 Perez creates a series of artworks, "Portraits from The Community". Perez describes in large, photorealistic paintings over 20 portraits of active and well-known members of the LGBT community. The emphasis is on the achievements that reflect the community's strong standing in Tel Aviv.

As a Tel-Avivian painter, in the past two years Perez has been painting urban landscapes of central locations in his city. Perez wanders around the city and chooses familiar architectural and geographical landmarks, commerce and recreation, and historical sites, and paints them from a homosexual point of view, decorated with the rainbow flag, which provide a sense of belonging to the place. His artworks are characterized by a cheerful joie de vivre and colors, and they also describe encounters and meetings. The touristic nature of his paintings makes them a declaration of Tel Aviv's image as a place where cultural freedom prevails.

Perez's Tel Aviv is a city where young families and couples live and fill the streets, the parks, the beach, the houses and the balconies – all the city's spaces. The characters in his paintings are similar, which helps reinforcing the belonging to the LGBT community in Tel Aviv. The collective theme in Perez's artwork interacts with the work of the Israeli artist Yohanan Simon, who dealt with the social aspects of the Kibbutz. Simon, who lived and worked in a Kibbutz, expressed the human model of the Kibbutznik (member of a Kibbutz) and the uniqueness of the Kibbutz members as part of a group where all are equal. Simon's works, and now Perez's, have contributed to the Israeli society what is has been looking for endlessly, which is a sense of identity and belonging.

Perez maps his territory and marks his boundaries, and does not forget the historical sites. Unlike other Tel Avivian artists, Perez wishes to present the lives of the residents of the city and the great love in their hearts. By choosing the historical sites in Tel Aviv, he also pays tribute to the artist Nachum Gutman, who loved the city and lived in it his whole life. In his childhood Gutman experienced historical moments (lighting the first oil lamp, first concert, first pavement), and as an adult he recreated the uniqueness of those events while keeping the city's magic.

Like Gutman, Perez has also turned the city into an object of love, and it has started adorning itself in rich colors and supplying the energy of a city that wishes to be "the city that never sleeps", combining old and new. Perez meticulously describes the uniqueness and style of the Bauhaus houses and balconies along the modern glass and steel buildings, all from unusual angles in a rectangular format that wishes to imitate the panorama of a diverse city in its centennial celebrations.

 

Daniel Cahana-Levensohn, curator.

   

Interview with the painter Raphael Perez about his family artist book

An interview with the painter Raphael Perez about an artist's book he created about his family, the Peretz family from 6 Nissan St. Kiryat Yuval Jerusalem

  

Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about the family artist book you created

Answer: I created close to 40 artist books, notebooks, diaries, sketch books and huge books. I dedicated one of the books to my dear family, a book in which I took a childhood photograph of my family, my parents and brothers and sisters.. I pasted the photographs inside a book (the photograph is 10 percent of the total painting) and I drew with acrylic paints, markers and ink on the book and the photograph, so that the image of the photograph was an inspiration to me Build the story that includes page by page..

  

Question: Tell me when you were born, where, and a little about your family

Answer: I was born on March 4, 1965 in the Kiryat Yuval neighborhood in Jerusalem

I have a twin brother named Miki Peretz and we are seven brothers and sisters, five boys and two girls

 

Question: Tell us a little about your parents

Answer: My parents were new immigrants from Morocco, both immigrated young.

My mother's name before the wedding was Alice - Aliza ben Yair and my father's name was Shimon Peretz,

My mother was born in the Atlas Mountains and was orphaned at a young age and was later adopted by my father's family at the age of 10, so that my mother and father spent childhood and adolescence together....

They had a beautiful and happy relationship but sometimes when they argued my mother would say "even when she was a child she was like that..." This means that their acquaintance and relationship dates back to childhood..

  

Question: What did your parents Shimon and Aliza Peretz work for?

Answer: My father, Shimon Perez, born in 1928 - worked in a building in his youth and then for thirty years worked as a receptionist at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem... My father's great love was actually art, he loved to draw as a hobby, write, read, solve crossword puzzles and research Regarding the issue of medicinal plants, as a breadwinner he could not fulfill his dream of becoming an artist, in order to support and feed seven children. But we are the next generation, his children are engaged in the world of creativity and education, a field in which both of my parents were engaged during their lives. My father died at the age of 69

 

My mother, Alice Aliza Perez, born in 1934, worked as an assistant to a kindergarten teacher, and later took care of a baby at home. She is a woman of wholehearted giving and caring for children and people, a warm, generous and humble woman.. and took care of us in our childhood for every emotional and physical deficiency.. My mother is right For the year 2023, the 89-year-old is partly happy and happy despite the difficulties of age.. May you have a long life..

 

My mother really loved gardening and nature and both of them together created a magnificent garden, my parents have a relatively large garden so they could grow many types of special and rare medicinal plants and my father even wrote a catalog (unpublished) of medicinal plants and we even had botany students come to us who were interested in the field... today they They also grow ornamental plants, and fruit trees...

 

Question: A book about the brothers and sisters

Answer: My elder brother David Perez repented in his mid-twenties.. He was a very sharp, opinionated, curious and very charismatic guy who brought many people back to repentance, and also helped people with problems through the yeshiva and the synagogue to return to the normal path of life, he died young at the age of 56

 

Hana Peretz: My lovely sister, raised eight children, worked in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher, and child care.

She has a very large extended family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren...

 

My brother Avi (Abraham) Peretz studied in Israel at the University of Philosophy and Judaism, he married a wonderful woman named Mira Drumi, a nurse by profession, and together they had three wonderful children, when they moved to the United States in their mid-twenties, where my brother Avi Peretz completed his master's degree in education, worked in the field Education and for the last twenty years is A conservative rabbi

 

The fourth brother is Asher Peretz - a great man of the world, very fond of traveling and has been to magical places all over the world, engaged in the creation of jewelry with two children.

 

I am Rafi Peretz english raphael perez the fifth and after fifteen minutes my twin brother was born

My mother still gets confused and can't remember who was born first :-)

 

My twin brother Miki micky - Michael Peretz, a beloved brother (everyone is beloved), a talented industrial designer, he has three children, his wife Revital Peretz Ben, who is a well-known art curator, active and responsible for the art field in Tel Aviv, they are a dynamic and talented couple, full of talents and action

 

The lovely little sister Shlomit Peretz - has been involved in the Bezeq telephone company for almost three decades, and is there in management positions, raising her lovely and beloved child.

  

The art book I dedicated to my family is colorful, rich in details, shows a very intense childhood, happy, cheerful, colorful, ... We were taught to be diligent and to be happy in our part and to see the glass half full in life, to have emotional intelligence and to put the relationship and love at the center with self-fulfillment in work that will interest you us and you will give us satisfaction.

 

Each of us is different in our life decisions and my family is actually a mosaic of the State of Israel that includes both religious and secular people from the entire political spectrum who understand that the secret to unity is mutual respect for each other... when my mother these days is also the family glue in everyone's gatherings on Shabbat and holidays..

 

The personification of the flower couple paintings by the Israeli painter Raphael Perez

Raphael Perez, also known as Rafi Peretz, is an Israeli painter who

explores his personal and sexual identity through his flower paintings. He created a series of flower paintings from 1995 to 1998, when he was in his early thirties and still in relationships with women, despite feeling gay. His flower paintings reflect his emotional turmoil and his struggle with his sexual orientation. He painted two flowers, one blooming and one wilting, to represent the contrast and conflict between his heterosexual relationships and his true self. He also painted single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to express his longing for a harmonious relationship that matches his nature. He chose sunflowers, white lilies, and red lilies as symbols of expression, purity, and joy, respectively. He painted from real flowers, using different styles and light to create drama and mood. Perez’s paintings of the flower couples are minimalist and focused on the theme of the complex relationship. He omitted any background or context, leaving only the canvas and the drawing of the flower couples. In some of the paintings, he added a very airy abstract surface with thin oil paints that give an atmosphere of watercolors. He also made drawings of flowers in ink, markers and gouache on paper. Later on, he created large acrylic paintings of flowers and still life. Perez’s flower paintings are not mere illustrations or decorations. They are autobiographical and psychological expressions of his inner state and his struggle with his sexuality. He wanted to reveal his loneliness, distress and concealment through these paintings, and to connect with people who are in a similar situation. He deliberately chose only two flowers and no more to intensify the engagement in the charged and complex relationship. Perez also painted and drew couples of men and women with charged psychological states, as well as states of desire for connection and realization of a heterosexual relationship that did not succeed. He used hyperrealism and expressive styles to convey his frozen and calculated state, as well as his mental stress. He used harsh lighting to create contrast and drama, with one side very bright and the other side darker. Perez was influenced by some of the famous artists who painted flowers, such as Van Gogh, who also used sunflowers as a symbol of expression. He also used white lilies and red lilies to convey freshness, cleanliness, purity, color, joy, movement, eruption, and splendor. Perez also painted some single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to show his aspiration for a future where he will have a harmonious relationship. Today, he is 58 years old and in a happy relationship for 10 years with his partner Assaf Henigsberg. He is surrounded by female friends and soulmates and not conflicted with heterosexual relationships as he used to be. He occasionally paints flowers in pots to symbolize home, stability, and peace. Sometimes I paint flowers in pots, which represent home, stability, and solid ground for me. I don’t paint just a couple of flowers, but pots full of flowers that overflow with life. This means that we also have a supportive network of family, friends, and peers around us. We live in a rich, supportive, and protective world. These paintings are a personification of my psychological state, when I had no words to express my feelings to myself. The painting began In 35 years of my creation (starting in 1998), you can read more about how my art and style evolved over time. Perez’s flower paintings are a unique and extraordinary artistic creation that reveals his personal journey and his sexual identity. His work is honest, expressive, and emotional, as well as beautiful and vibrant.

 

The characteristics of the naive painting of the painter Raphael Perez

A full interview with the Israeli painter Raphael Perez (Hebrew name: Rafi Peretz) about the ideas behind the naive painting, resume, personal biography and curriculum vitae Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about your work process as a naive painter? Answer: I choose the most iconic and famous buildings in every city and town that are architecturally interesting and have a special shape and place the iconic buildings on boulevards full of trees, bushes, vegetation, flowers. Question: How do you give depth in your naive paintings? Answer: To give depth to the painting, I build the painting with layers of vegetation, after those low famous buildings, followed by a tall avenue of trees, and behind them towers and skyscrapers, in the sky I sometimes put innocent signs of balloons, kites. A recurring motif in some of my paintings is the figure of the painter who is in the center of the boulevard and paints the entire scene unfolding in front of him, also there are two kindergarten teachers who are walking with the kindergarten children with the state flags that I paint, and loving couples hugging and kissing and family paintings of mother, father and child walking in harmony on the boulevard. Question: Raphael Perez, what characterizes your naive painting? Answer: Most naive paintings have the same characteristics (Definition as it appears in Wikipedia) • Tells a simple story to absorb from everyday life, usually with humans. • The representation of the painter's idealization to reality - the mapping of reality. • Failure to maintain perspective - especially details even in distant details. • Extensive use of repeating patterns - many details. • Warm and bright colors. • Sometimes the emphasis is on outlines. • Most of the characters are flat, lack volume • No interest in texture, expression, correct proportions • No interest in anatomy. • There is not much use of light and shade, the colors create a three-dimensional effect. I find these definitions to be valid for all my naive paintings Question: Raphael Perez, why do you choose the city of Tel Aviv? Answer: I was born in Jerusalem, the capital city which I love very much and also paint, I love the special Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, the ornamental buildings that were built a century ago in the 1920s and 1930s, the beautiful boulevards, towers and modern skyscrapers give you the feeling of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis and there are quite a few low and tall buildings that are architecturally fascinating in their form the special one Also, the move to Tel Aviv, which is the capital of culture, freedom, and secularism, allowed me to live my life as I chose, to live in a relationship with a man, Jerusalem, which is a traditional city, it is more complicated to live a homosexual life, also, the art world takes place mainly in the city of Tel Aviv, and it is possible that from a professional point of view, this allows I can support myself better in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel. Question: Raphael Perez, are the paintings of the city of Tel Aviv different from the paintings of the city of Jerusalem? Answer: Most of the paintings of Jerusalem have an emphasis on the color yellow, gold, the color of the old city walls, the subjects I painted in Jerusalem are mainly a type of idealization of a peaceful life between Jews and Arabs and paintings that deal with the Jewish religious world, a number of paintings depict all shades of the currents of Judaism today In contrast, the Tel Aviv paintings are more colorful, with skyscrapers, the sea, balloons and more secular motifs Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about which buildings and their architects you usually choose in your drawings of cities Answer: My favorite buildings are those that have a special shape that anyone can recognize and are the symbols of the city and you will give several examples: In the city of Tel Aviv, my favorite buildings are: the opera building with its unusual geometric shape, the Yisrotel tower with its special head, the Hail Bo Shalom tower that for years was the symbol of the tallest building in Tel Aviv, the Levin house that looks like a Japanese pagoda, the burgundy-colored Nordeau hotel with the special dome at the end of the building, A pair of Alon towers with the special structure of the sea, Bauhaus buildings typical of Tel Aviv with the special balconies and the special staircase, the Yaakov Agam fountain in Dizengoff square appears in a large part of the paintings, many towers that are in the stock exchange complex, the Aviv towers and other tall buildings on Ayalon, in some of the paintings I took plans An outline of future buildings that need to be built in the city and I drew them even before they were built in reality, In the paintings of Jerusalem, I mainly chose the area of the Old City and East Jerusalem, a painting of the walls of the Old City, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the El Akchea Mosque, the Tower of David, most of the famous churches in the city, the right hand of Moses, in most of the paintings the Jew is wearing a blue shirt with a red male cord I was in the youth movement and the Arab with a galabia, and in the paintings of the religious public then, Jews with black suits and white shirts, tallitas, kippahs, special hats, synagogues and more I also created three paintings of the city of Haifa and one painting of Safed In the Haifa paintings I drew the university, the Technion, the famous Egged Tower, the Sail Tower, well-known hotels, of course the Baha'i Gardens and the Baha'i Temple, Haifa Port and the boats and other famous buildings in the city Question: Raphael Perez, have you created series of other cities from around the world? Answer: I created series of New York City with all the iconic and famous buildings such as: the Guggenheim Museum, the famous skyscrapers - the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Lincoln Center, the famous synagogue in the city, the Statue of Liberty, the flags of the United States and other famous buildings Two paintings of London and all its famous sites, Big Ben, famous monuments, the Ferris wheel, Queen Elizabeth and her family, the double bus, the famous public telephone, palaces, famous churches, well-known monuments I created 4 naive paintings of cities in China, a painting of Shanghai, two paintings of the city of Suzhou and a painting of the World Park in the city of Beijing... I chose the famous skyline of Shanghai with all the famous towers, the famous promenade, temples and old buildings, two Paintings of the city of Suzhou with the famous canals, bridges, special gardens, towers and skyscrapers of the city Question: Raphael Perez What is the general idea that accompanies your paintings Answer: To create a good, beautiful, naive, innocent world in which we will see the innovation of the modern city through the skyscrapers in front of small and low buildings that bring the history and past of each country, all with an abundance of vegetation, boulevards, trees Resume, biography, CV of the painter Rafi Peretz and his family Question: When was Raphael Perez born in hebrew his name rafi peretz? Answer: Raphael Perez in Hebrew his name Rafi Peretz was born on March 4, 1965 Question: Where was Raphael Perez born? Answer: Raphael Perez was born in Jerusalem, Israel Question: What is the full name of Raphael Perez? Answer: His full name is Raphael Perez Question: Which art institution did Raphael Perez graduate from? Answer: Raphael Perez graduated from the Visual Arts Center in Be'er Sheva Question: When did Raphael Perez start painting? Answer: Raphael Perez started painting in 1989 Question: When did you start making a living selling art? Answer: Raphael Perez started making a living selling art in 1999 Question: Where does Raphael Perez live and work? Answer: Since 1995, Raphael Perez has been living and working from his studio in Tel Aviv Question: In which military framework did Raphael Perez serve in the IDF? Answer: Raphael Perez served in the artillery corps Question: Raphael Perez, what jobs did he work after his military service? Answer: Raphael Perez worked for 15 years in education in therapeutic settings for children and taught arts and movement Question: How many brothers and sisters does Raphael Perez, the Israeli painter, have? Answer: There are seven children in total, with the painter 5 sons and two daughters, that means the painter Raphael Perez has 4 more brothers and two sisters Question: What do the brothers and sisters of the painter Raphael Perez do? Answer: The elder brother David Peretz Perez was involved in the field of religious studies, the sister Hana Peretz Perez is involved in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher and child care, the brother Avi Peretz Perez who is in the United States today is a conservative rabbi but in the past was involved in education and therapy, the brother Asher Peretz Perez is involved in the fields of creativity and jewelry The twin brother Mickey Peretz Perez is a well-known industrial designer and seller. The younger sister Shlomit Peretz Perez works in a managerial position at Bezeq. Question: Tell me about the parents of the painter Raphael PerezAnswer: The painter Raphael Perez's parents are Shimon Perez Peretz and Eliza Alice Ben Yair, they were married in 1950 in Jerusalem, both were born in Morocco and immigrated to Israel in 1949, Shimon Peretz worked in a building in his youth and later as a receptionist at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Eliza Alice Peretz dealt in child care Kindergarten, working in kindergartens and of course taking care of and raising her seven children

Pride and Prejudice: on Raphael Perez's Artwork

 

Raphael Perez, born in 1965, studied art at the College of Visual Arts in Beer Sheva, and from 1995 has been living and working in his studio in Tel Aviv. Today Perez plays an important role in actively promoting the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) art and culture in Tel Aviv, and the internet portal he set up helps artists from the community reach large audiences in Israel and abroad. Hundreds of his artworks are part of private collections in Israel and abroad, and his artworks were shown in several group exhibitions: in Tel Aviv Museum of Art, "Zman Le'Omanut" art gallery, Camera Obscura, The Open House in Jerusalem, Ophir Gallery, The Haifa Forum and other private businesses and galleries.

In 2003-4 his paintings and studio appeared in a full-length movie, three student films and two graduation films.

 

Raphael Perez is the first Israeli artist to express his lifestyle as a Gay. His life and the life of the LGBT community are connected and unfold over hundreds of artwork pieces. His art creation is rare and extraordinary by every Israeli and international artistic standard. His sources of inspiration are first and foremost life events intertwined in Jewish and Israeli locality as well as influences and quotes from art history (David Hockney, Matisse). This uniqueness has crossed international borders and has succeeded in moving the LGBT and art communities around the world.

 

This is the first time we meet an Israeli artist who expresses all of his emotions in a previously unknown strength. The subjects of the paintings are the everyday life of couples in everyday places and situations, along with the aspiration to a homosexual relationship and family, equality and public recognition. Perez's works bring forward to the cultural space and to the public discourse the truth about living as LGBT and about relationships, with all of their aspects – casual relationships and sex, the yearning for love, the everyday life and the mundane activities that exist in every romantic relationship – whether by describing two men in an intimate scene in the bathroom, the bedroom or the toilet, a male couple raising a baby or the homosexual version of the Garden of Eden, family dinners, relationship ups and downs, the complexity in sharing a life as well as mundane, everyday life competing with the aspiration to self realization – through Perez's life.

  

Perez's first artworks are personal diaries, which he creates at 14 years of age. He makes sure to hide these diaries, as in them he keeps a personal journal describing his life events in the most genuine way. In these journals he draws thousands of drawings and sketches, next to which he alternately writes and erases his so-called "problematic texts", texts describing his struggle with his sexual orientation. His diaries are filled with obsessive cataloging of details, daily actions, friends and work, as well as repeating themes, such as thoughts, exhibits he has seen, movies, television, books and review of his work.

 

When he is done writing, Perez draws on his diaries. Each layer is done from beginning to end all along the journal. In fact, the work on the diaries never ends.

This struggle never ends, and when the emotion is passed on to paper, and it ends its role and becomes meaningless in a way, the visual-graphic side becomes dominant, due to the need to hide the written text, according to Perez. In books and diaries this stands out even more – when he chooses to draw in a style influenced by children's drawings, the characters are cheerful, happy, naïve and do not portray any sexuality, and when he tries drawing as an adult the sketches became more depressed and somber. During these years Perez works with preschool children, teaching them drawing and movement games. Perez says that during this period he completely abandoned the search for a relationship, either with a woman or a man, and working with children has given him existential meaning. This creation continues over 10 years, and Perez creates about 60 books-personal journals in various sizes (notepads, old notebooks, atlases and even old art books).

 

In his early paintings (1998-1999) the transition from relationships with women to relationships with men can be seen, from restraint to emotional outburst in color, lines and composition. Some characters display strong emotional expression. The women are usually drawn in restraint and passiveness, while a happy and loving emotional outburst is expressed in the colors and style of the male paintings.

 

"I fantasized that in a relationship with a woman I could fly in the sky, love, fly. However, I felt I was hiding something; I was choked up, hidden behind a mask, as if there was an internal scream wanting to come out. I was frustrated, I felt threatened…"

 

His first romance with a man in 1999 has drawn out a series of naïve paintings dealing with love and the excitement of performing everyday actions together in the intimate domestic environment.

 

"The excitement from each everyday experience of doing things together and the togetherness was great, so I painted every possible thing I liked doing with him."

 

From the moment the self-oppression and repression stopped, Perez started the process of healing, which was expressed in a burst of artworks, enormous in their size, amount, content and vivid colors – red, pink and white.

 

In 2000 Perez starts painting the huge artworks describing the hangouts of the LGBT community (The Lake, The Pool) and the Tel Avivian balcony paintings describing the masculine world, which, according to him, becomes existent thanks to the painting. Perez has dedicated this year to many series of drawings and paintings of the experience of love, in which he describes his first love for his new partner, and during these months he paints from morning to night. These paintings are the fruit of a long dialogue with David Hockney, and the similarity can be seen both in subjects and in different gestures.

 

In 2001 Perez creates a series of artworks, "Portraits from The Community". Perez describes in large, photorealistic paintings over 20 portraits of active and well-known members of the LGBT community. The emphasis is on the achievements that reflect the community's strong standing in Tel Aviv.

As a Tel-Avivian painter, in the past two years Perez has been painting urban landscapes of central locations in his city. Perez wanders around the city and chooses familiar architectural and geographical landmarks, commerce and recreation, and historical sites, and paints them from a homosexual point of view, decorated with the rainbow flag, which provide a sense of belonging to the place. His artworks are characterized by a cheerful joie de vivre and colors, and they also describe encounters and meetings. The touristic nature of his paintings makes them a declaration of Tel Aviv's image as a place where cultural freedom prevails.

Perez's Tel Aviv is a city where young families and couples live and fill the streets, the parks, the beach, the houses and the balconies – all the city's spaces. The characters in his paintings are similar, which helps reinforcing the belonging to the LGBT community in Tel Aviv. The collective theme in Perez's artwork interacts with the work of the Israeli artist Yohanan Simon, who dealt with the social aspects of the Kibbutz. Simon, who lived and worked in a Kibbutz, expressed the human model of the Kibbutznik (member of a Kibbutz) and the uniqueness of the Kibbutz members as part of a group where all are equal. Simon's works, and now Perez's, have contributed to the Israeli society what is has been looking for endlessly, which is a sense of identity and belonging.

Perez maps his territory and marks his boundaries, and does not forget the historical sites. Unlike other Tel Avivian artists, Perez wishes to present the lives of the residents of the city and the great love in their hearts. By choosing the historical sites in Tel Aviv, he also pays tribute to the artist Nachum Gutman, who loved the city and lived in it his whole life. In his childhood Gutman experienced historical moments (lighting the first oil lamp, first concert, first pavement), and as an adult he recreated the uniqueness of those events while keeping the city's magic.

Like Gutman, Perez has also turned the city into an object of love, and it has started adorning itself in rich colors and supplying the energy of a city that wishes to be "the city that never sleeps", combining old and new. Perez meticulously describes the uniqueness and style of the Bauhaus houses and balconies along the modern glass and steel buildings, all from unusual angles in a rectangular format that wishes to imitate the panorama of a diverse city in its centennial celebrations.

 

Daniel Cahana-Levensohn, curator.

   

Interview with the painter Raphael Perez about his family artist book

An interview with the painter Raphael Perez about an artist's book he created about his family, the Peretz family from 6 Nissan St. Kiryat Yuval Jerusalem

  

Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about the family artist book you created

Answer: I created close to 40 artist books, notebooks, diaries, sketch books and huge books. I dedicated one of the books to my dear family, a book in which I took a childhood photograph of my family, my parents and brothers and sisters.. I pasted the photographs inside a book (the photograph is 10 percent of the total painting) and I drew with acrylic paints, markers and ink on the book and the photograph, so that the image of the photograph was an inspiration to me Build the story that includes page by page..

  

Question: Tell me when you were born, where, and a little about your family

Answer: I was born on March 4, 1965 in the Kiryat Yuval neighborhood in Jerusalem

I have a twin brother named Miki Peretz and we are seven brothers and sisters, five boys and two girls

 

Question: Tell us a little about your parents

Answer: My parents were new immigrants from Morocco, both immigrated young.

My mother's name before the wedding was Alice - Aliza ben Yair and my father's name was Shimon Peretz,

My mother was born in the Atlas Mountains and was orphaned at a young age and was later adopted by my father's family at the age of 10, so that my mother and father spent childhood and adolescence together....

They had a beautiful and happy relationship but sometimes when they argued my mother would say "even when she was a child she was like that..." This means that their acquaintance and relationship dates back to childhood..

  

Question: What did your parents Shimon and Aliza Peretz work for?

Answer: My father, Shimon Perez, born in 1928 - worked in a building in his youth and then for thirty years worked as a receptionist at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem... My father's great love was actually art, he loved to draw as a hobby, write, read, solve crossword puzzles and research Regarding the issue of medicinal plants, as a breadwinner he could not fulfill his dream of becoming an artist, in order to support and feed seven children. But we are the next generation, his children are engaged in the world of creativity and education, a field in which both of my parents were engaged during their lives. My father died at the age of 69

 

My mother, Alice Aliza Perez, born in 1934, worked as an assistant to a kindergarten teacher, and later took care of a baby at home. She is a woman of wholehearted giving and caring for children and people, a warm, generous and humble woman.. and took care of us in our childhood for every emotional and physical deficiency.. My mother is right For the year 2023, the 89-year-old is partly happy and happy despite the difficulties of age.. May you have a long life..

 

My mother really loved gardening and nature and both of them together created a magnificent garden, my parents have a relatively large garden so they could grow many types of special and rare medicinal plants and my father even wrote a catalog (unpublished) of medicinal plants and we even had botany students come to us who were interested in the field... today they They also grow ornamental plants, and fruit trees...

 

Question: A book about the brothers and sisters

Answer: My elder brother David Perez repented in his mid-twenties.. He was a very sharp, opinionated, curious and very charismatic guy who brought many people back to repentance, and also helped people with problems through the yeshiva and the synagogue to return to the normal path of life, he died young at the age of 56

 

Hana Peretz: My lovely sister, raised eight children, worked in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher, and child care.

She has a very large extended family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren...

 

My brother Avi (Abraham) Peretz studied in Israel at the University of Philosophy and Judaism, he married a wonderful woman named Mira Drumi, a nurse by profession, and together they had three wonderful children, when they moved to the United States in their mid-twenties, where my brother Avi Peretz completed his master's degree in education, worked in the field Education and for the last twenty years is A conservative rabbi

 

The fourth brother is Asher Peretz - a great man of the world, very fond of traveling and has been to magical places all over the world, engaged in the creation of jewelry with two children.

 

I am Rafi Peretz english raphael perez the fifth and after fifteen minutes my twin brother was born

My mother still gets confused and can't remember who was born first :-)

 

My twin brother Miki micky - Michael Peretz, a beloved brother (everyone is beloved), a talented industrial designer, he has three children, his wife Revital Peretz Ben, who is a well-known art curator, active and responsible for the art field in Tel Aviv, they are a dynamic and talented couple, full of talents and action

 

The lovely little sister Shlomit Peretz - has been involved in the Bezeq telephone company for almost three decades, and is there in management positions, raising her lovely and beloved child.

  

The art book I dedicated to my family is colorful, rich in details, shows a very intense childhood, happy, cheerful, colorful, ... We were taught to be diligent and to be happy in our part and to see the glass half full in life, to have emotional intelligence and to put the relationship and love at the center with self-fulfillment in work that will interest you us and you will give us satisfaction.

 

Each of us is different in our life decisions and my family is actually a mosaic of the State of Israel that includes both religious and secular people from the entire political spectrum who understand that the secret to unity is mutual respect for each other... when my mother these days is also the family glue in everyone's gatherings on Shabbat and holidays..

 

The personification of the flower couple paintings by the Israeli painter Raphael Perez

Raphael Perez, also known as Rafi Peretz, is an Israeli painter who

explores his personal and sexual identity through his flower paintings. He created a series of flower paintings from 1995 to 1998, when he was in his early thirties and still in relationships with women, despite feeling gay. His flower paintings reflect his emotional turmoil and his struggle with his sexual orientation. He painted two flowers, one blooming and one wilting, to represent the contrast and conflict between his heterosexual relationships and his true self. He also painted single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to express his longing for a harmonious relationship that matches his nature. He chose sunflowers, white lilies, and red lilies as symbols of expression, purity, and joy, respectively. He painted from real flowers, using different styles and light to create drama and mood. Perez’s paintings of the flower couples are minimalist and focused on the theme of the complex relationship. He omitted any background or context, leaving only the canvas and the drawing of the flower couples. In some of the paintings, he added a very airy abstract surface with thin oil paints that give an atmosphere of watercolors. He also made drawings of flowers in ink, markers and gouache on paper. Later on, he created large acrylic paintings of flowers and still life. Perez’s flower paintings are not mere illustrations or decorations. They are autobiographical and psychological expressions of his inner state and his struggle with his sexuality. He wanted to reveal his loneliness, distress and concealment through these paintings, and to connect with people who are in a similar situation. He deliberately chose only two flowers and no more to intensify the engagement in the charged and complex relationship. Perez also painted and drew couples of men and women with charged psychological states, as well as states of desire for connection and realization of a heterosexual relationship that did not succeed. He used hyperrealism and expressive styles to convey his frozen and calculated state, as well as his mental stress. He used harsh lighting to create contrast and drama, with one side very bright and the other side darker. Perez was influenced by some of the famous artists who painted flowers, such as Van Gogh, who also used sunflowers as a symbol of expression. He also used white lilies and red lilies to convey freshness, cleanliness, purity, color, joy, movement, eruption, and splendor. Perez also painted some single flowers or two flowers in their prime, to show his aspiration for a future where he will have a harmonious relationship. Today, he is 58 years old and in a happy relationship for 10 years with his partner Assaf Henigsberg. He is surrounded by female friends and soulmates and not conflicted with heterosexual relationships as he used to be. He occasionally paints flowers in pots to symbolize home, stability, and peace. Sometimes I paint flowers in pots, which represent home, stability, and solid ground for me. I don’t paint just a couple of flowers, but pots full of flowers that overflow with life. This means that we also have a supportive network of family, friends, and peers around us. We live in a rich, supportive, and protective world. These paintings are a personification of my psychological state, when I had no words to express my feelings to myself. The painting began In 35 years of my creation (starting in 1998), you can read more about how my art and style evolved over time. Perez’s flower paintings are a unique and extraordinary artistic creation that reveals his personal journey and his sexual identity. His work is honest, expressive, and emotional, as well as beautiful and vibrant.

 

The characteristics of the naive painting of the painter Raphael Perez

A full interview with the Israeli painter Raphael Perez (Hebrew name: Rafi Peretz) about the ideas behind the naive painting, resume, personal biography and curriculum vitae Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about your work process as a naive painter? Answer: I choose the most iconic and famous buildings in every city and town that are architecturally interesting and have a special shape and place the iconic buildings on boulevards full of trees, bushes, vegetation, flowers. Question: How do you give depth in your naive paintings? Answer: To give depth to the painting, I build the painting with layers of vegetation, after those low famous buildings, followed by a tall avenue of trees, and behind them towers and skyscrapers, in the sky I sometimes put innocent signs of balloons, kites. A recurring motif in some of my paintings is the figure of the painter who is in the center of the boulevard and paints the entire scene unfolding in front of him, also there are two kindergarten teachers who are walking with the kindergarten children with the state flags that I paint, and loving couples hugging and kissing and family paintings of mother, father and child walking in harmony on the boulevard. Question: Raphael Perez, what characterizes your naive painting? Answer: Most naive paintings have the same characteristics (Definition as it appears in Wikipedia) • Tells a simple story to absorb from everyday life, usually with humans. • The representation of the painter's idealization to reality - the mapping of reality. • Failure to maintain perspective - especially details even in distant details. • Extensive use of repeating patterns - many details. • Warm and bright colors. • Sometimes the emphasis is on outlines. • Most of the characters are flat, lack volume • No interest in texture, expression, correct proportions • No interest in anatomy. • There is not much use of light and shade, the colors create a three-dimensional effect. I find these definitions to be valid for all my naive paintings Question: Raphael Perez, why do you choose the city of Tel Aviv? Answer: I was born in Jerusalem, the capital city which I love very much and also paint, I love the special Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, the ornamental buildings that were built a century ago in the 1920s and 1930s, the beautiful boulevards, towers and modern skyscrapers give you the feeling of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis and there are quite a few low and tall buildings that are architecturally fascinating in their form the special one Also, the move to Tel Aviv, which is the capital of culture, freedom, and secularism, allowed me to live my life as I chose, to live in a relationship with a man, Jerusalem, which is a traditional city, it is more complicated to live a homosexual life, also, the art world takes place mainly in the city of Tel Aviv, and it is possible that from a professional point of view, this allows I can support myself better in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel. Question: Raphael Perez, are the paintings of the city of Tel Aviv different from the paintings of the city of Jerusalem? Answer: Most of the paintings of Jerusalem have an emphasis on the color yellow, gold, the color of the old city walls, the subjects I painted in Jerusalem are mainly a type of idealization of a peaceful life between Jews and Arabs and paintings that deal with the Jewish religious world, a number of paintings depict all shades of the currents of Judaism today In contrast, the Tel Aviv paintings are more colorful, with skyscrapers, the sea, balloons and more secular motifs Question: Raphael Perez, tell me about which buildings and their architects you usually choose in your drawings of cities Answer: My favorite buildings are those that have a special shape that anyone can recognize and are the symbols of the city and you will give several examples: In the city of Tel Aviv, my favorite buildings are: the opera building with its unusual geometric shape, the Yisrotel tower with its special head, the Hail Bo Shalom tower that for years was the symbol of the tallest building in Tel Aviv, the Levin house that looks like a Japanese pagoda, the burgundy-colored Nordeau hotel with the special dome at the end of the building, A pair of Alon towers with the special structure of the sea, Bauhaus buildings typical of Tel Aviv with the special balconies and the special staircase, the Yaakov Agam fountain in Dizengoff square appears in a large part of the paintings, many towers that are in the stock exchange complex, the Aviv towers and other tall buildings on Ayalon, in some of the paintings I took plans An outline of future buildings that need to be built in the city and I drew them even before they were built in reality, In the paintings of Jerusalem, I mainly chose the area of the Old City and East Jerusalem, a painting of the walls of the Old City, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the El Akchea Mosque, the Tower of David, most of the famous churches in the city, the right hand of Moses, in most of the paintings the Jew is wearing a blue shirt with a red male cord I was in the youth movement and the Arab with a galabia, and in the paintings of the religious public then, Jews with black suits and white shirts, tallitas, kippahs, special hats, synagogues and more I also created three paintings of the city of Haifa and one painting of Safed In the Haifa paintings I drew the university, the Technion, the famous Egged Tower, the Sail Tower, well-known hotels, of course the Baha'i Gardens and the Baha'i Temple, Haifa Port and the boats and other famous buildings in the city Question: Raphael Perez, have you created series of other cities from around the world? Answer: I created series of New York City with all the iconic and famous buildings such as: the Guggenheim Museum, the famous skyscrapers - the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Lincoln Center, the famous synagogue in the city, the Statue of Liberty, the flags of the United States and other famous buildings Two paintings of London and all its famous sites, Big Ben, famous monuments, the Ferris wheel, Queen Elizabeth and her family, the double bus, the famous public telephone, palaces, famous churches, well-known monuments I created 4 naive paintings of cities in China, a painting of Shanghai, two paintings of the city of Suzhou and a painting of the World Park in the city of Beijing... I chose the famous skyline of Shanghai with all the famous towers, the famous promenade, temples and old buildings, two Paintings of the city of Suzhou with the famous canals, bridges, special gardens, towers and skyscrapers of the city Question: Raphael Perez What is the general idea that accompanies your paintings Answer: To create a good, beautiful, naive, innocent world in which we will see the innovation of the modern city through the skyscrapers in front of small and low buildings that bring the history and past of each country, all with an abundance of vegetation, boulevards, trees Resume, biography, CV of the painter Rafi Peretz and his family Question: When was Raphael Perez born in hebrew his name rafi peretz? Answer: Raphael Perez in Hebrew his name Rafi Peretz was born on March 4, 1965 Question: Where was Raphael Perez born? Answer: Raphael Perez was born in Jerusalem, Israel Question: What is the full name of Raphael Perez? Answer: His full name is Raphael Perez Question: Which art institution did Raphael Perez graduate from? Answer: Raphael Perez graduated from the Visual Arts Center in Be'er Sheva Question: When did Raphael Perez start painting? Answer: Raphael Perez started painting in 1989 Question: When did you start making a living selling art? Answer: Raphael Perez started making a living selling art in 1999 Question: Where does Raphael Perez live and work? Answer: Since 1995, Raphael Perez has been living and working from his studio in Tel Aviv Question: In which military framework did Raphael Perez serve in the IDF? Answer: Raphael Perez served in the artillery corps Question: Raphael Perez, what jobs did he work after his military service? Answer: Raphael Perez worked for 15 years in education in therapeutic settings for children and taught arts and movement Question: How many brothers and sisters does Raphael Perez, the Israeli painter, have? Answer: There are seven children in total, with the painter 5 sons and two daughters, that means the painter Raphael Perez has 4 more brothers and two sisters Question: What do the brothers and sisters of the painter Raphael Perez do? Answer: The elder brother David Peretz Perez was involved in the field of religious studies, the sister Hana Peretz Perez is involved in the field of education, a kindergarten teacher and child care, the brother Avi Peretz Perez who is in the United States today is a conservative rabbi but in the past was involved in education and therapy, the brother Asher Peretz Perez is involved in the fields of creativity and jewelry The twin brother Mickey Peretz Perez is a well-known industrial designer and seller. The younger sister Shlomit Peretz Perez works in a managerial position at Bezeq. Question: Tell me about the parents of the painter Raphael PerezAnswer: The painter Raphael Perez's parents are Shimon Perez Peretz and Eliza Alice Ben Yair, they were married in 1950 in Jerusalem, both were born in Morocco and immigrated to Israel in 1949, Shimon Peretz worked in a building in his youth and later as a receptionist at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Eliza Alice Peretz dealt in child care Kindergarten, working in kindergartens and of course taking care of and raising her seven children

Alien She

 

Photos and Video by Mario Gallucci

 

Alien She

Sep 3, 2015 – Jan 9, 2016

 

Alien She, curated by Astria Suparak + Ceci Moss, is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today. A pioneering punk feminist movement that emerged in the early 1990s, Riot Grrrl has had a pivotal influence, inspiring many around the world to pursue socially and politically progressive careers as artists, activists, authors and educators. Emphasizing female and youth empowerment, collaborative organization, creative resistance and DIY ethics, Riot Grrrl helped a new generation to become active feminists and create their own culture and communities that reflect their values and experiences, in contrast to mainstream conventions and expectations.

 

Riot Grrrl formed in reaction to pervasive and violent sexism, racism and homophobia in the punk music scene and in the culture at large. Its participants adapted strategies from earlier queer and punk feminisms and ‘70s radical politics, while also popularizing discussions of identity politics occurring within academia, but in a language that spoke to a younger generation. This self-organized network made up of teenagers and twenty-somethings reached one another through various platforms, such as letters, zines, local meetings, regional conferences, homemade videos, and later, chat rooms, listservs and message boards. The movement eventually spread worldwide, with chapters opening in at least thirty-two states and twenty-six countries.* Its ethos and aesthetics have survived well past its initial period in the ‘90s, with many new chapters forming in recent years. Riot Grrrl’s influence on contemporary global culture is increasingly evident – from the Russian collective Pussy Riot’s protest against corrupt government-church relations to the popular teen website Rookie and the launch of Girls Rock Camps and Ladyfest music and art festivals around the world.

 

Alien She focuses on seven people whose visual art practices were informed by their contact with Riot Grrrl. Many of them work in multiple disciplines, such as sculpture, installation, video, documentary film, photography, drawing, printmaking, new media, social practice, curation, music, writing and performance – a reflection of the movement’s artistic diversity and mutability. Each artist is represented by several projects from the last 20 years, including new and rarely seen works, providing an insight into the development of their creative practices and individual trajectories.

 

Artists: Ginger Brooks Takahashi (Pittsburgh), Tammy Rae Carland (Oakland), Miranda July (Los Angeles), Faythe Levine (Milwaukee), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), L.J. Roberts (Brooklyn), Stephanie Syjuco (San Francisco) and more.

 

Archival Materials from: dumba collective; EMP Museum, Seattle; Interference Archive; Jabberjaw; the Riot Grrrl Collection at the Fales Library & Special Collections, NYU; and many personal collections.

 

Collaborative Projects and Platforms include: Counterfeit Crochet Project, Feminist Art Gallery (FAG), General Sisters, Handmade Nation, Joanie 4 Jackie, Learning to Love You More, LTTR, projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE project, Sign Painters and more

Women’s Studies Professors Have Class Privilege / I’m With Problematic, from the series Creep Lez, Allyson Mitchell, 2012.

 

Altered t-shirts with iron-on transfer and vinyl letters. Courtesy of the artist and Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto.

 

Alien She is curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss, and organized by the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

  

Alien She is presented in two parts:

 

Museum of Contemporary Craft

724 NW Davis

Portland, OR 97209

 

511 Gallery @ PNCA

511 NW Broadway

Portland, OR 97209

 

Both venues are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm.

The practice of magic can be problematic.

WARNING: Please don't try to replicate the reaction at home, Declan is a fully trained and qualified Chemist (the type that does Chemistry not the type who fills your prescriptions) and followed all the relevant safety protocols for handling our shoot.

 

The setup was a bit problematic as the key "light" was from the chemical reaction. This was a once only effect for the two sets so we first got the rim lights lined up, set the camera Aperture and Shutter speed in Manual to expose the rims correctly and then got the focus fixed on the correct point.

 

I decided to shoot bracketed so that we could get a few different exposures and maybe catch the correct one. Then Declan suggested I switch the camera to Aperture priority so that for each bracketed set the camera made the (hasty) decision on shutter speed for me as I would not have time to make the decision myself (the first reaction was only to last about 20 seconds).

 

I've almost completely gone Manual for most of my shooting but Declan's idea made this shoot work, hands down - the best way to shoot this was Aperture Priority. There is no way I could have judged the exposure, set the camera in fully Manual, shot the bracket set and then re-exposed all over again fast enough to get enough shots before the reaction died down. In the end I shot 8 sets of 3 bracketed images.

 

Preparation shot

Pre-Photoshop Shot

  

Model: Declan Fleming

  

Strobist:

 

Camera set to Aperture Priority @ f5.6 - Bracketing a set of 3 images: -1, 0 & +1

 

Subject positioned at the top of a flight of stairs.

 

Triggers

YongNuo RF-602

 

"Keylight"

Large flask containing Oxygen to which Phosphorous was added. The reaction caused a very bright white light to be emitted from the flask.

 

Rim

1 x SB900 - Cam right very high, bare and gelled with 1/8 cut CT Blue.

1 x SB900 - Behind subject, bare and gelled with 1/4 cut CT Blue.

 

Me!

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Dharamshala (also Dharamsala) is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the district headquarters. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama's residence in McLeodGanj and the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 kilometres from Kangra.

 

DESCRIPTION

Dharamshala is a city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees. The suburbs include McLeodGanj, Bhagsunath, Dharamkot, Naddi, ForsythGanj, Kotwali Bazaar (the main market), Kaccheri Adda (government offices such as the court, police, post, etc.), Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari (where the Karmapa is based).

 

The village of McLeodGanj, lying in the upper reaches, is known worldwide for the presence of the Dalai Lama. On 29 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) established the Tibetan exile administration in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie. In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala.

 

Dharamshala is the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising there was an influx of Tibetan refugees who followed the 14th Dalai Lama. His presence and the Tibetan population has made Dharamshala a popular destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying Tibet.

 

One of the main attractions of Dharamshala is Triund hill. Jewel of Dharamshala, Triund is one day trek at the upper reaches of McLeodGanj, about 9 km from McLeodGanj.

 

ETYMOLOGY

Dharamshala (Devanagari: धर्मशाला; ITRANS: Dharmashaalaa; IAST: Dharmaśālā) is a Hindi word (derived from Sanskrit) that is a compound of dharma (धर्म) and shālā (शाला). A loose translation into English would be 'spiritual dwelling' or, more loosely, 'sanctuary'. Rendering a precise literal translation into English is problematic due to the vast and conceptually rich semantic field of the word dharma[1] and the cultural aspect of India.

 

In common Hindi usage, the word dharamshala refers to a shelter or rest house for spiritual pilgrims. Traditionally, such dharamshalas (pilgrims' rest houses) were commonly constructed near pilgrimage destinations (often in remote areas) to give visitors a place to sleep for the night. When the first permanent settlement was created in the place now called Dharamshala, there was one such pilgrims' rest house on the site, and the settlement took its name from that dharamshala.

 

HISTORY

BEFORE THE RAJ

From the earliest times until the British Raj, Dharamshala and its surrounding area was ruled by the Katoch Dynasty of Kangra. The Katoch Dynasty is said to be the oldest serving Royal Family in the world. The Royal Family still keeps a residence in Dharamshala, known as 'Clouds End Villa'.

 

The indigenous people of the Dharamshala area (and the surrounding region) are the Gaddis, a predominantly Hindu group who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic (transhumant) lifestyle. Due to the lack of permanent settlements in the area, some Gaddis lost their seasonal pastures and farmland when the British and the Gurkhas arrived to settle.

 

In 1848, the area now known as Dharamshala was annexed by the British.

 

"Dharamsāla lies on a spur of the Dhaola Dhār, 16 miles north-east of Kāngra, in the midst of wild and picturesque scenery. It originally formed a subsidiary cantonment for the troops stationed at Kāngra, and was first occupied as a station in 1849, when a site was required for a cantonment to accommodate a Native regiment which was being raised in the District. A site was found upon the slopes of the Dhaola Dhār, in a plot of waste land, upon which stood an old Hindu resthouse, or dharmsāla, whence the name adopted for the new cantonment. The civil authorities, following the example of the regimental officers, and attracted by the advantages of climate and scenery, built themselves houses in the neighbourhood of the cantonment; and in 1855 the new station was formally recognised as the head-quarters of the [Kāngra] District."

 

In 1860, the 66th Gurkha Light Infantry was moved from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to Dharamshala, which was at first made a subsidiary cantonment. An ideal position for the new base was found on the slopes of the Dhauladhar Hills, near the site of a Hindu sanctuary, or Dharamshala, hence the name of the town. The Battalion was later renamed the historic 1st Gurkha Rifles, this was the beginning of the legend of the Gurkhas, also known as the 'Bravest of the Brave'. Consequently, fourteen Gurkha platoon villages grew from this settlement, and exist to this day, namely Dari, Ramnagar, Shyamnagar, Dal, Totarani, Khanyara, Sadher, Chaandmaari, Sallagarhi, Sidhbari, Yol, and so on. The Gurkhas worshipped at the ancient Shiva temple of Bhagsunag. The Gurkhas referred to Dharamshala as 'Bhagsu' and referred to themselves as Bhagsuwalas.

 

The 21st Gurkha Regiment from Dharamshala performed heroic feats during World War I and the North West Frontier Province campaigns. The Gurkha cantonment then reached its zenith during World War II, when battalions from Dharamshala made history. Many place names in the town still retain their former cantonment terminologies: Depot Bazaar, Pensioners' Lines, Tirah Lines (named after the 19th century Tirah Campaign), Bharatpore Lines (named after the 1826 Battle of Bharatpore).

 

The second Lord Elgin, Viceroy of India died here (at the 1st Gurkha Rifles Officers' Mess) in 1863 and is buried in the cemetery of St. John in the Wilderness, a small Anglican church distinguished by its stained-glass windows. Dharamshala became a popular hill station for the British working in or near Delhi, offering a cool respite during the hot summer months.

 

"Before the earthquake of 1905, the upper part of the station, which rises to a height of 2,168 metres, contained the European houses, the station church, and the officers' mess and lines of the 1st Gurkhas, together with the public gardens, post office, and two bazars, the Forsythganj and McLeodganj. The public offices, a bazar, and a few European houses made up the lower station, as low as 1,372 metres. The 1st battalion of the 1st Gurkhas used to be stationed here, but was moved to the upper station in 1894-5.... The public gardens, which were, before the earthquake, laid out with much taste in lawns and terraces, contained a valuable collection of indigenous and imported trees and shrubs, and were overlooked by the Assembly Rooms, a handsome building comprising a public hall, a library and reading-room and a billiard-room. The church was beautifully situated in a recess of the mountain."

 

In 1905, the Kangra valley suffered a major earthquake. On April 4 of that year, the earth shook, demolishing much of the cantonment and the neighbouring city of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh as well as the Bhagsunag temple. Altogether, the 1905 Kangra earthquake killed 20,000 people. "1,625 persons perished at Dharamsāla alone, including 15 Europeans and 112 of the Gurkha garrison."."

 

The Gurkhas rebuilt the town along with the temple, which today is acknowledged as the 1st Gurkha Rifles' heritage. The British had planned to make Dharamshala the summer capital of India, but moved to Shimla after the disaster.

 

Not only did the Gurkhas of Dharmshala make a major contribution to India's defence, many were freedom fighters for the Indian National Army, which had been founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Indian National Army Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a Gurkha from the village of Khanyara, composed some of India's most popular and stirring patriotic songs, including "Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja". He is acknowledged so by the Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata. The important contribution of the noted Gurkha social commentator, the late Master Mitrasen Thapa, from the village of Totarani, has been acknowledged by the Himachal Pradesh government. Recently, a park dedicated to the memory of the late Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC, the 'Hero of Skardu', has been opened alongside the road between Lower and Upper Dharamshala.

 

ESTABLISHMENT OF TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY

The Tibetan settlement of Dharamshala began in 1959, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet and the Prime Minister of India allowed him and his followers to settle in McLeodGanj (in Upper Dharmshala), a former colonial British summer picnic spot. There they established the "government-in-exile" in 1960. Dharamshala had been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism for a long time, many monasteries having been established there in the past, by Tibetan immigrants in the 19th century.In 1970, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives which houses over 80,000 manuscripts and other important resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture. It is considered one of the most important institutions for Tibetology in the world, the new director is Geshe Lahkdor, the old translator of H.H. the Dalai Lama.

 

Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area, and most live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamshala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. McLeodGanj is sometimes known as 'Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, or 'Dhasa' (a compound of 'Dharamshala' and 'Lhasa'). It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce.

 

Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the Government are held there.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Dharamshala has an average elevation of 1457 metres, covering an area of almost 8.51 km².

 

Dharamsala is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains.

 

The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as "Lower Dharamshala" or just "Dharamshala." Further up the mountain is McLeodGanj separated in between by the village of Ganchen Kyishong, the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile. A steep, narrow road connects McLeodGanj from Dharamshala and is only accessible to taxis and small cars, while a longer road winds around the valley for use by buses and trucks. McLeodGanj is surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, and rhododendron.

 

The main crops grown in the valleys below are rice, wheat and tea.

 

CONNECTIONS

Dharamshala town is reached by Gaggal Airport, (IATA: DHM, ICAO: VIGG), about 15 km to the town's south and about 10 km north of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town. To reach Dharamshala by train, one has to reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh town by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away and then take a bus or a taxi.

 

Pathankot is a broad gauge railway head. There is another railway line from Pathankot to Jogindernagar, a part of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, which is a narrow-gauge line. The nearest station to Dharamshala on this line is Chamunda Marg, half an hour away, where a Shaktipitha is; the town is well connected by road to other parts of the country.

 

Buses of all classes (deluxe, air-conditioned, and regular) drive daily between Dharamshala and major cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi, and Shimla. Several buses each night connect McLeodGanj with Majnu Ka Tila, the Tibetan settlement in Delhi.

 

CLIMATE

Dharamshala has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Summer starts in early April, peaks in early June (when temperatures can reach 36 °C) and last till mid-June. From July to mid-September is the monsoon season when up to 3000 mm of rainfall can be experienced, making Dharamshala one of the wettest places in the state. Autumn is mild and lasts from October to the end of November.

 

Autumn temperatures average around 16–17 °C. Winter starts in December and continues until late February. Snow and sleet are common during the winter in upper Dharamshala (including McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi). Lower Dharamshala receives little solid precipitation except hail. The snowfall of January 7, 2012 was an exception. It was caused by deep low pressure entering the Kangra district. Winter is followed by a short, pleasant spring until April. Historically, the Dhauladhar mountains used to remain snow-covered all year long, however, in recent years they have been losing their snow blanket during dry spells.

 

The best times to visit are the autumn and spring months.

 

TREKKING

Dharamshala is a starting point to a number of trekking trails that especially lead trekkers across Dhauladhar into the upper Ravi Valley and Chamba district. En route, you cross through forests of deodar, pine, oak and rhododendron, and pass streams and rivers and wind along vertiginous cliff tracks, and the occasional lake waterfall and glacier.

 

A 2-km amble takes one to Bhagsu, and then a further 3-km walk will lead the trekkers to Dharamkot. If one wishes to go on a longer walk then he/she can trek 8-km to Triund. The snow line of Ilaqa Got is just a 5-km walk.

 

Other trekking trails that lead you to Chamba from Dharamshala are:

 

Toral Pass (4575m) which begins from Tang Narwana (1150m) that is nearly 10 km from Dharamshala

Across Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m) via near-vertical rocky ascents, steep cliffs and dangerous gorges. This is a highly difficult level trek and takes around six days to complete.

Dharamshala - Bleni Pass (3710m) – Dunali. Compared to other trekking trails, this one is much easier and takes around four or five-days to complete. The trek leads you through alpine pastures, woods, and streams, before ending at Dunali, on the Chamba road.

 

Dharamshala is an ideal destination for rock climbing enthusiasts. One can go rock climbing over the ridges of the Dhauladhar range.

 

Kareri Lake (near Kareri Village) is also a famous trekking destination for travellers.

 

PLACES OF ATTRACTION

Naam Art Gallery The exhibition in ‘NAAM ART GALLERY’ exhibits paintings by Elsbeth Buschmann - watercolours and acrylics - and oil paintings by Alfred W. Hallett. Elsbeth Buschmann, is a professional painter from Germany, having studied painting in London and Paris . She lived in many countries where she held exhibitions, especially in the USA where she received various awards. Her paintings are in private collections in Germany, USA, Scotland, India and Switzerland. In India she held solo exhibitions at AIFAX, New Delhi and TAG, the Art Gallery of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. She also took part in ‘The Himalayan National Exhibition of Art’ and was awarded. Open 10am to 7.00pm (Monday Closed)

 

Masrur (or Masroor): The major attraction of this place is the fifteen exquisitely carved monolithic rock temples dating back to the 8th century. The carvings of these temples are similar to Kailash temple at Ellora. In the sanctum of the main temple, one can find images of Lord Ram, and the Goddesses Sita and Lakshmi. Masrur is 40 km south of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh at 32°4′22″N 76°8′14″E. Template:Jama Masjid, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala.

 

Bhagsu Waterfall: This waterfall is in Bhagsu, 2 km from McLeodGanj. It lies behind the Bhagsunag Temple. During Monsoon, the fall turns into a 30 feet cascade.

 

Bhagsunag Temple: Temple of god Shiva situated around 2 km from McLeodGanj Bazaar. Constructed by 1 GR by around 1800 century and then worshipped majorly by 14 Gukha platoon villages in Dharamshala. Very next to Bhagsunag temple is a water fall, one of the major tourist attraction spot in Dharamshala.

 

Kangra Museum: Situated close to the bus stand, Kangra Art Museum is a unique museum displaying the artifacts of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. This is a treasure of Kangra valley’s cultural past, crafts, arts and other ancient artifacts. Some of the displayed items in the museum are dating back to the 5th century.

 

Kangra Museum encloses a gallery consisting of miniature paintings of Kangra’s rich past, pottery, rare coin memorabilia, sculptures and anthropological materials. It has a varied collection of tribal jewelry, embroidered costumes and wood carvings. A section dedicated to contemporary artworks adds the attraction to the museum.

 

Tourists can easily reach by bus or taxi and it will take 30 mins to one hour to see the museum. While visiting the museum, never miss to explore the Kotwali bazar.

 

Kunal Pathri Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalpeshwari and is 3 km from the Kotwali Bazaar. It's believed that a part of Goddess Sati's skull fell here when Lord Shiva was carrying the charred body of the Goddess; hence the name of the temple.

 

Chamunda Temple: This temple is around 15 km from Dharamshala on the right bank of river Baner on the Mandi-Pathankot highway. According to mythology, Goddess Kali killed the demons Chand and Mund at this place.

 

Dal Lake: The Lake is spread in an area of 1 km and is bounded by rhododendrons, deodars, and junipers forest. Annually, a fair is held at the Kali Temple near the Lake. There is another temple close to the lake that is dedicated to sage Durvasa. Dal Lake is 2 km walk westwards from McLeodGanj bazaar.

 

Triund: Triund is nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar and is around 17 km from Dharamshala. It's a trekking destination from McLeodGanj, and offers magnificent vistas of the mountains and valleys. The nightstays are in the hoods, small time caves, that local gaddis with their goat herds use as shelters from rains during the daytime.

 

Naddi: This scenic picnic spot is located 5 km northwest of McLeodGanj. Naddi offers a spectacular view of the Kangra valley. You can trek to Kareri Lake, Triund, and Guna Devi from here. It's becoming a popular destination for nature lovers.

 

Thaneek Pura or Thanik Pura is a hill station village (hamlet) in Chintpurni in the Una district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is near the Chintpurni Temple, which is a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. The area is surrounded by the western Himalayas in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.

 

McLeodGanj is around 9 km from Dharamshala. This place is famous for its markets, where one can shop for handicraft items, eat Tibetan food and visit statue of Lord Buddha.

 

Sidhbari : A village located 6 km from Dharamshala near Yol Cantonment and a place of historical spiritual significance. Attractions around Sidhbari include the Kapila Muni Cave, Chinmaya Ashram, Gyuto monastery, Aganjar Mahadev Temple and the newly constructed State legislature. The agricultural hamlet of Rakkar nearby is an ideal base to explore the rest of the Kangra district and experience the traditional lifestyle and mud architecture of the Gaddi community.

 

Adi Shakti Temple, Naddi

Aghanjar Mahadev

Bhagsu waterfall

Bhagsunath

Sheela Chowk

Bir - Popular destination for ecotourism, meditation studies, volunteering, and paragliding at Billing.

Brajeshwari Devi Temple

Chamunda Devi Mandir

Chinmaya Tapovan

Chime Gyatsarling Monastery, just behind of Norbulingka Institute, upper Sidhpur. 6 km from Dharmshala and 14 km from Gagal airport.

Dal Lake

Dari

Gopalpur Zoo and tea gardens

Dehra Gopipur

Dharamkot (2100 m)

Guna Devi Mandir amidst dense forest

Historical fort in Old Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Adjoining the Fort is the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, run by the Kangra Royal Family. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.

Haripur Village (near Guler)

Pong Dam Lake

Indru Nag Temple

Kareri Lake

Khaniyara

Kunal Pathri

Lam Dal Lake

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Masrur (rock temple)

Namgyal Monastery

Narghota

Norbulingka Institute

Nurpur

Sidhbari

Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts

Triund (2975 m), a popular day hike or overnight trek. There is a forest rest house for overnight stay.

Tatwani and Machhrial

Trilokpur

Chime Gyatseling Monastery (Guru Padmasambhava)

Near Norbulingka Tibetan Institute

Jama Masjid kotwalibazar Dharamshala

 

WIKIPEDIA

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By Mark Nelson President Nelson Water:

 

With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

 

Hard water is a common issue throughout Canada and North America. While it is not considered dangerous to health, hard water can be problematic in a variety of ways around the home. So, here we’ll explore how to determine if your home has hard water and what you can do to correct the issue.

 

The Problems With Hard Water

 

Hard water contains high levels of minerals, specifically calcium, magnesium, and possibly iron. While these minerals are considered essential for human health when in significant quantities in your water, it can create a number of issues around your home. Hard water minerals accumulate to cause scale. This can be visible around fixtures such as shower heads and taps, but it can also be hidden inside pipes and water using appliances. Unfortunately, this scale not only impedes water flow, but it can also create energy efficiency problems, as the scale accumulates around heating elements, forcing appliances to work harder. Eventually, this scale build up will compromise the lifespan of your appliances, forcing premature replacement.

 

Hard water can also cause problems with laundry, dish washing, and bathing. You may notice spots on your glassware, your whites may look dull and gray, or your skin may feel dry and itchy. All of these issues are related to hard water. The hard water minerals interfere with the lather capabilities of soaps and detergent. This impedes cleaning and may create a scum that is difficult to rinse. This soap scum can even remain on your skin and hair, causing itchy, irritated skin and dull, hard to style hair. If you have experienced any of these issues, it is likely that you have hard water and you’ll need to determine the level of hardness in your water.

 

DIY Testing

 

If you’re unsure whether your home is affected by hard water, there is a simple way to perform a DIY check. This can be performed at home to determine if you need to take further action. You’ll need some pure liquid soap and a clear water bottle.

 

First, fill your container, such as an empty plastic bottle, approximately a third of the way to the top with tap water.

 

Add approximately ten drops of your liquid soap into the container. Pure liquid soap will work best for this. Any soap labelled as detergent will contain additives that can affect the results of this testing, so try to stick to pure soap varieties, such as Castile soap that does not contain perfumes or dyes.

 

Put the lid on the container and shake for at least ten seconds. You want to mix the soap and water in an attempt to make bubbles.

 

Once you’ve shaken the bottle, it’s time to check the results. If you can see a decent amount of soap suds on top and nice, clear water underneath, your water is relatively soft. If your bottle doesn’t contain many suds even after a vigorous shaking and the water looks cloudy, it is a good indication that you have hard water.

 

If preferred, you can keep adding more soap and shaking to continue this test. Just remember the more soap needed to create bubbles, the greater your water hardness.

 

The reason this test provides insight into your water hardness is that the hard water minerals prevent soap from creating suds and cleaning effectively. The sap binds with the dissolved minerals to form a cloudy liquid that will leave a residue on your dishes, shower, clothing, hair, and skin.

 

Detergents are formulated with additives to create suds in hard water. This is why these products shouldn’t be used in the above test. Unfortunately, even if you’re using these products, you’ll still need to use increasing quantities in hard water to get those all important suds.

 

Accurate Water Testing

 

While this DIY test can provide you with some information, it is not completely accurate. This test will highlight a hard water problem, but it won’t provide a precise number of the water hardness level of your supply. This test highlights a need for more accurate water testing.

 

A water treatment expert can provide this form of testing. The technician is equipped to test water for the hardness level, pH, total dissolved solids and other possible contaminants. This testing can be tailored to check for the contaminants that are common in your geographical area. For example, if you live in a rural area, it is a good idea to check for nitrates and other chemicals associated with agricultural runoff. The technician can help you to identify the underlying cause of any water problems you may be experiencing, such as strange tastes, odours or aesthetic qualities, such as strange colours.

 

Treatment Options

 

Once you have had accurate testing performed, your water technician can help you to understand the testing results and guide you through the treatment options. If the only water quality issue is high hardness levels, a water softener is likely to be the best choice. These devices use ion exchange to replace the magnesium and calcium with sodium ions. This immediately creates softer water to eliminate any hard water issues around your home.

 

If you have more extensive water quality issues, you are likely to need other types of water treatment. For example, Reverse Osmosis systems can be used to eliminate up to 99.9% of waterborne contaminants. This is a particularly effective treatment method for heavy metals, minerals, bacteria, and viruses. Unfortunately, the semipermeable membrane in RO systems can be vulnerable to clogging and damage if you have high total dissolved solids. In this scenario, you may need to introduce a pre-filter to remove any sediment and larger particles of dissolved solids before it is passed through the RO membrane.

 

If you have concerns or questions about your water quality, you should consult a professional water quality expert. An experienced professional can perform on site water testing to check for hard water and other contaminants before recommending the treatment options best suited to your water conditions.

 

The post Does Your Home Have Hard Water? appeared first on Nelson Water Blog.

 

Does Your Home Have Hard Water? published first on medium.com/@OsmoWaterFilter

 

Another Japanese monster comes out of the image from here. For others click on ringu.

 

I believe that Japanese are identified with their bodies, or self image from the perspective of their universalised eye of the other (e.g. secularly "Seken no me" or religiously, the sungoddess' mirror). Images of people are therefore, as well as being anthropomorphised to a far greater extent (consider Japanese virtual idols, such as Hajime Miku), inherently problematic in that they give the lie to the imaginary Japanese self. When in a horror morive an image becomes real, it promotes the realisation that the viewer is also an image, and "already dead" (Lacan, and Sixth Sense:-).

 

How quickly can I explain my understand of Lacan and Japanese culture?!

 

The internalisation of an other is essential for self. Humans gain their sense of self by internalising the perspectives of others, first their parents, and then more generally and learning to see themselves, and identify with these internalised-external perspectives. These "selves" give individuality just as they take it away. Self is gained at the price of internalising others, or the other. Self is gained at the price of morality.

 

Most Western theorists, such as George Herbert Mead, argue that the internalisation of the other is fully or effectively achieved only in Language. They assume this to be the case based on the fact that phonetic speech *only needs to be said to be heard*, it bends around, it does not need a mirror, they point out. The self therefore is found in the experience of hearing oneself speak (Derrida's s'entred parle?).

 

What these Western theorist fail to note is that

1) As a mental experience, self representations in language are no more inherently reflected than self-representations in images. One only needs to think "I" as to experience the thought, true. But one only needs to imagine oneself as to experience that imagining.

2) There is no necessity entailed in speech, vocal or mental, that requires the vocaliser or thinker to identify with self speach. This identification is cultural. We Westerners are taught to identify with ourselves as meanings. And people can be taught to identify with themselves as imaginings, as I argue they are in Japan.

 

In either case there needs to be cultural encouragement to agregate and care about the aggregation of either linguistic or imagined views upon self.

 

Lacan was a obscurantist, and I understand little of what he had to say but he says things that (alas!) I can't find in any other author.

 

1) That both linguistic and imagined self-representations are possible.

2) That the self is believed in due to the percieved intersection of these two forms of self-representation.

 

We ignore the fact that sound never comes from vision, that there is no essential difference between speech and miming (see the tragedy of those watching mimed songs in David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Mullholland Drive).

 

Even so, Lacan, like other Western theorists, decry the imagined. Lacan says that the imaginary world lacks the possibility of universalisation.

 

A person that lives in the imaginary is always trapped in binary relationships between themselves and a viewer. He is right in a way, but he did not take into account the skill with which Japanese people layer so many different imaginary self perspectives, so many eyes, to achieve as much autonomy, or almost as much autonomy, as those that aggregate the ear of the other.

 

In both Japanese and Western culture there is a drive towards purifying the self of either the linguistic or imaginary. Westerners "should" be purely worded. Japanese should be purely un-worded and imagined.

 

But in both cultures, the absence of the other-style of self-recognition is self-destroying; both are needed to maintain the illusion of self.

 

The Japanese are far happier with the realisation of truth. Their greatest and finest look the void in the eye. But for the rank and file, for anyone, loss of self is terrifying. To realise that ones self is only a self-represtantion, a dead thing, an externality, is both liberating, and the

greatest horror.

 

And here, in the above image, is that horror. The image comes to life, and tells us that the, our image, is only an image.

 

When the words stop, when the telephone is just a recording (chakushin ari), or noise (ringu), and the image comes to life (above), one is faced with the lie and the terrifying truth.

   

Another cool thing about Lacan is that he associated the visual with the motherly and language with the fatherly. We live in our mothers eye, and our father's ear. "Fathers" are a social linguistic construct and "mothers" are the people that looked at us, reared us. It is for that reason that the superego is dad, and the Lacanian Other is the topos of name of the father, and that the monsters that come out of the image in Japanese horror are women. I think that this ghost, in the above image, is a woman.

In “Historic Houses in Lancashire: The Douglas Valley 1300-1770” (Heritage Trust for the North West, 2002), author Garry Miller describes Billinge Hall as a “much remodelled house of fallen status”, analysis of which is “problematical” because the original design has been much obscured by later adaptations.

 

The oldest parts of Billinge Hall date from the early or mid 17th century. Historically it was home to the Billinge family, whose pedigree back to the time of Edward III was recorded by Sir William Dugdale in 1665. Inventories of goods owned by members of the family, now preserved in the Archdeaconry of Chester Probate Records at Lancashire Archives under ref. WCW, give clues to what may have been the original layout. An inventory of goods belonging to Richard Billinge, Gentleman, appraised on 18 January 1627, mentions a parlour chamber, a little chamber, a parlour/buttery, a pantry, a buttery/milk house, a kitchen and a soot loft. A “soot loft” was a space or chamber above and either side of the main hearth, often with a clay floor and used for storing logs for burning. Mr Miller suggests it may be evidence of the “ceiling in” of what had formerly been an open -i.e. full height- medieval hall. In 1664 Richard Billinge's grandson - “Doctor Billinge”, as he is described in the Hearth Tax Assessments at National Archives, ref. E179/250/11- was held liable to pay tax on 5 hearths. This may be compared with 12 hearths at nearby Bispham Hall and 16 at Birchley Hall. An inventory of his estate at Lancashire Archives dated 20 June 1670 identifies 15 rooms: a hall, a parlour, a green parlour, a kitchen, a larder, a garner, a brewhouse, a parlour chamber, a stowhouse chamber, a little ground chamber, a brewhouse chamber, a milk-house chamber, a porch chamber and a gallery.

 

In 1691 the fifth part of the manor of Billinge comprising houses, a windmill, dovecote and lands in Billinge and Rainford was sold by Doctor Billinge's son and daughter-in-law, John and Margaret, to Frances Bispham of Bispham Hall (“Palatinate of Lancaster: Court of Common Pleas: Enrolments of Fines” at National Archives, ref. PL18/226). This “fifth part” is again mentioned in a later document in the same series -PL18/368, covering the period 1777-8- when Holt Leigh was in possession. The Hall is shown on maps by William Yates (1788) and George Hennet (1828-9). Eventually, it became part of the Bankes family's Winstanley Estate, and was included in the sale held in May 1951 to raise money for the payment of substantial duties following the death of G H Bankes DL JP.

 

The property is Grade II-listed.

Nemiana simplex individual on underside of micaceous quartzose sandstone slab from the Precambrian of Ukraine. (2.6 cm diameter)

 

Ediacaran organisms are some of the most celebrated and problematic fossils in the rock record. The most famous Ediacarans are creatures (animals?) such as Dickinsonia, Spriggina, and Tribrachidium.

 

The most widely-available Ediacaran material in the retail fossil trade is Nemiana simplex Paliy, 1976 from Ukraine. Fossils of this organism are small to moderately large, circular to subcircular masses on the undersides of sandstone beds (convex hyporelief; most Ediacaran macrofossils are preserved on the soles of sandstone beds). Many Nemiana specimens show a subtle concentric wrinkling.

 

Paliy (1976) identified it as a coelenterate (?) incertae sedis. It’s similar to the sea anemone trace fossil Bergaueria. This similarity has prompted many to consider Nemiana fossils as the undersides of sea anemones. But, if it is a burrowing sea anemone, it’s odd why there’s no central puckered structure (cf. Bergaueria).

 

Others suggest that Nemiana may represent siphonocladalean chlorophyte algae similar to the living Ventricaria (“Valonia”) (Siphonocladaceae). Such green algae are commonly called “ball algae” or “sailor's eye balls” or “bubble algae” or “sea pearls”. Individual ~spheres of such algae are large single cells. In & out of water, these huge cells have surprising rigidity (they can even bounce off countertops & floors like superballs). So, Nemiana may not be an animal at all.

 

Stratigraphy: Yampol Member, Mogilev Formation, Balday Series, upper Vendian (= upper Ediacaran), upper Neoproterozoic

 

Locality: Novodnestrovsky Quarry, Podolia, Ukraine

------------------

Some info. from Andy Knoll (pers. comm.) & Jere Lipps (pers. comm.).

 

Some info. from Paliy (1976) & Paliy et al. (1979):

 

Paliy, V.M. 1976. Остатки бесскелетной фауны и следы жизнедеятелъности из отложений верхнего докембрия и нижнего кембрия Подолии [Ostatki besskeletnoy fauny i sledy zhiznedeyatelnosti iz otlozheniy verkhnego dokembriya i nizhnego kembirya Podolii] [Remains of unskeletonized faunas and traces of life activity from Upper Precambrian and Lower Cambrian deposits in Podolia]. pp. 63-77, 149-154, 160-161, pls. 21-28 in Палеонтология и Стратиграфия Верхнего Докембрия и Эижнего Палеозоя Юго-Запада Восточно-Европейской Платформы [Paleontologiya i Stratigrafiya Verkhnego Dokembriya i Nizhnego Paleozoya Yugo-Zapada Vostochno-Europeyskoy Platformy] [Upper Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Southwestern East-European Platform]. Kiev. Naukova Dumka. [in Russian]

 

Paliy, V.M., E. Posti & M.A. Fedonkin. 1979. Мягкотелые Метазоа и ископаемые следы животных венда и раннего кембрия [Myagkotelye Metazoa i iskopaemye sledy zhivotnykh venda i rannego kembriya] [Soft-bodied Metazoa and trace fossils from the Vendian and Lower Cambrian]. pp. 49-82, 103-108, 205-208, pls. 48-68 in Палеонтология Верхнедокембрийских и кембрийских Отложений Востчно-Европейской Платформы [Paleontologiya Verkhnedokembriyskikh i Kembriyskikh Otlozheniy Vostochno-Europeyskoy Platformy] [Paleontology of Upper Precambrian and Cambrian Deposits in the East-European Platform]. Moscow. Izdatelstvo “Nauka”. [in Russian]

And back to the Kent church project.

 

I began the project in July 2009, so this is the 13th year. Many churches I have found open, others have been more problematic than others.

 

In the past it was Preston, Sturry, Hinxhill and Thannington Without that I tried to get into for years, but managed it either by arranging a visit or using Heritage Weekend. But through it all, one church remained defiant.

 

We first went to Barming one Good Friday, must have been 2011 or 21, and obviously, most had services. Barming was locked, and has remained so on every visit, maybe five or six over the last decade.

 

A friend managed to get inside a few weeks back, so he gave me the parish's e mail address, and I tried to make an appointment. The first one when we had the orchid management meeting last month, the church couldn't do. But when I suggested this weekend, a warden said she would open up for me.

 

So, a plan was hatched to visit four of the churches along the Medway, including Barming, and maybe get lucky elsewhere.

 

And the spring-like weather continued, Saturday dawning clear and bright, though chilly. But it would warm up quickly. We got up, had coffee and headed for Tesco, though we didn't need that much. We thought.

 

We rushed round and filled four bags with stuff, came back home and while Jools put the shopping away, I made bacon butties and a fresh brew. The bacon smelt delicious cooking, but tasted of nothing, a real disappointment.

 

But I was sure the rest of the day wouldn't be a disappointment.

 

I made sure we left leaving 90 minutes to get to the other side of Maidstone, should have been easy.

 

We cruised up to the M20, and all was going well. We cruised past Ashford, and into the Brexit contraflow, only for traffic to grind to a halt just after the west junction. No way to turn round.

 

eeeeek!

 

But there was just a van with a puncture, and we all allowed cars to merge and in ten minutes we were past and cruising again.

 

The choice was either to go through or round Maidstone. The town's one way system is dreadful, and a trip round the bypass, 270 degrees and many miles round the town is better than half the day spent in jams at traffic lights in the town centre.

 

We reached Mereworth, more of this later, and turned down the valley road, passing through Wateringbury, Teston and then to Barming.

 

Half an hour early.

 

But even this was good, as the churchyard had lots of wild flowers and the light in the spring sunshine and dew covered grass was wonderful. I made use of the time and rattled 50 shots off of the flowers and headstones.

 

I was sitting by the porch when Sue arrived, I waved and she came over, I said thanks for opening the church and appologised for disturbing her morning. She was very nice saying it was no trouble.

 

She undid the porch door, and then the inner door, and I was in.

 

In truth, like many things you anticipate for a long time, the reality isn't as good, but after reading John Vigar's description, the bench ends, made in 14th century Germany, was more that worth the effort.

 

I snap everything else, say thanks and put a tenner in the collection box.

 

A short drive away was Teston, where there is a Victorian church just above the main road.

 

I park and walk up, and inside a warden was cleaning and the good news was that she was very happy to let me snap as she worked. It took ten minutes or so, by which time she had finished too, so I said thanks and I walked back to the car, calling at the village shop for ice cream, of which they had none So I bought two bags of mini cheddars and we munched those on the short drive to Waterningbury.

 

The church there is on the main road, and was locked.

 

The plan was to call my friend and fellow orchidist, Ian, and he would come over and show us his local patch of Early Purples.

 

In the meantime, a warden came along and did open up, but I didn't ask if I could go in, he didn't seem to friendly and locked the door behind him. Anyway, Ian soon arrived and we set off to look for some orchids.

 

Not in flower, but not long now.

 

Up from the main road was a narrow lane, lined with huge mansions, one by some gentleman from the Middle East, had huge walls and two very aggressive German Shepherds at the gats who made it clear that this was their patch and we were not welcome. But they were on the other side of the gate and we soon left their barking behind.

 

Going was slow as my back was playing up, so I had to take rests as the road gently rose. Quite pathetic really, but it did smart.

 

After ten minutes, the road flattened and we turned off and walked into the wood, and after much slithering, we came upon two areas with about 25 rosettes in each.

 

At the edge of the wood, there was a low cliff, and below was an orchard, or a "Platt", where they grow the Kent Cob Nut, some kind of domesticated hazelnut, and only found in Kent, apparently.

 

We walk back to the path and then back down to the car.

 

I say we would be heading home rather than the pub due to my back, and Ian had stuff on in the afternoon.

 

On the way back I said we would call in at Mereworth church, which is quite the most wonderfully unusual church in the area, Italianate in design, and painted on the inside with Trompe-l'œil decorations.

 

It was open, and inside a gentleman was sitting in silence, reading his book and sipping coffee from a thermos.

 

He greeted me warmly.

 

Behind him, sun shone through the stained glass in the upper east windows. Quite, quite dazzling. And once I had photographed the rest fo the church, I went and got the big lens to capture the windows and light really close up.

 

I climb into the car and we drive back tot he motorway, munching in yet another bag of mini cheddars as we go.

 

It took about an hour to get back, I listen to the football as we go, not a bad day, all in all.

 

Back home I cook a batch of fritters, they take and hour to prepare and cook, I listen tot he football as I work. Norwich had played the evening before, and lost. So Saturday would be punishment as teams around us played and mostly picked up points.

 

The game's up.

 

After eating, I watch the evening game, though I can't remember who that was: Citeh v someone. Oh yes, Everton, and Citeh win thanks to some dodgy VAR decisions, as "big" teams seem to.

 

And that was that.

McMansion and farmhouse. Deliveries are often problematic as the house numbers jump from the 900's to the 100's then down to double digits.

Harriers land long at El Centro to clear the arresting gear, which can prove problematic for their small outrigger landing gear.

spanwidth min.: 64 cm

spanwidth max.: 68 cm

size min.: 43 cm

size max.: 48 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 25 days

incubation max.: 26 days

fledging min.: 0 days

fledging max.: 0 days

broods 1

eggs min.: 5

eggs max.: 12

  

Physical characteristics

 

Chestnut-brown diving duck with long tail, often cocked vertically. Male has white head, black cap and blue bill, swollen at base. Female has pale face with dark cap and cheek-stripe and blackish, less swollen bill. Similar spp. Ruddy Duck O. jamaicensis is smaller with brighter chestnut plumage. Male has more extensive black cap and dark hindneck and female has narrower facial band and browner cap. Both sexes lack swollen base to bill. Hybrid identification can be very problematic. Voice Low rattling noise uttered during display. Otherwise generally silent.

 

Habitat

 

White-headed Ducks breed in shallow fresh or brackish marshes connected with larger wetland complexes. Such wetlands are often seasonal, created by spring floods and drained at summer, but they are especially productive, being very rich in aquatic vegetation and invertebrates. In winter, White-headed Ducks prefer large brackish or saline lakes.

 

Other details

 

The species is Palearctic, with a fragmented breeding distribution extending east from Spain and Morocco in western Europe to western China and western Mongolia, and north from Iran to southern Russia. Divisions between biogeographical populations are poorly understood (Scott & Rose 1996), but four major populations are thought to remain: a migratory central Asian population breeding mainly in northern Kazakhstan and southern Russia and wintering in western Asia, the Middle East and in eastern Europe as far west as Greece; a small and declining migratory east Asian population, wintering in Pakistan and perhaps originating from southern Russia and Mongolia; a population resident in Spain, the Spanish population has increased from 22 birds in 1977 to around 2,500 wintering birds today; and another resident in North Africa (Tunisia and north-east Algeria).

Most of the population is concentrated in only four countries (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Spain). The most important wintering countries differ from year-to-year, presumably depending on weather conditions. In recent years, ten countries have held over 1,000 birds (Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Seven countries hold significant numbers of White-headed Ducks throughout the year (Algeria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan). Since a few years the Spanish population is threatened by hybridisation with the Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis, an introduced species from America. The other main threats are over hunting and habitat destrution.

 

Feeding

 

White-headed Ducks feed almost entirely by diving, mainly at night. Benthic Chironomid larvae are the major diet component at most sites, both for adults and ducklings, but polychaetes (especially in coastal lakes used as wintering sites), amphipods and a variety of other invertebrates are eaten, as well as seeds and vegetative parts of Potamogeton, Ruppia, Scirpus and many other aquatic plants. The availability of chironomid larvae is a key feature in habitat selection. Wintering birds on Caspian Sea contained snails Hydrobia, red seaweed Polysiphonia, and stonewort Chara, and seeds of Ruppia maritima. Females from central Kazakhstan, in July, contained seeds of Potamogeton and Najas, and waterboatmen Corixa and Micronecta. Young caught at same time had only insects.

 

Conservation

 

Despite uncertainty about the possible large-scale inter-year movement of birds between wintering sites, mid-winter counts indicate that the population of this species has undergone a very rapid decline of over 50% in the last 10 years, which qualifies it as Endangered. Given increases in the Spanish subpopulation, it is projected that the overall rate of decline will be lower in the next 10 years. [conservation status from birdlife.org]

 

Breeding

 

The species forms monogamous pair bonds of seasonal duration. The nest is usually located over water in emergent vegetation. Females lay 4-9 eggs, more usually 5 or 6, at 1.5 day intervals, and may relay if the first clutch is removed. Relative to body mass, lays the largest egg of any waterfowl, and total clutch mass may approach 100% of a female's non-breeding body weight. Incubation begins from April to June in southern Europe, and up to a month later further north. Eggs hatch after 22-24 days in the wild. Only one brood is reared per year. Little information on hatching or nesting success. Brood size at hatching 3-7 ducklings, usually 5-6. The fledging period is 8-10 weeks, somewhat longer than most ducks. Females can breed first at one year old although the proportion doing so is unknown. It is one of the few water birds that moult twice a year, during breeding season and winter, being unable to fly during these periods.

 

Migration

 

Resident and dispersive in west Mediterranean. Mainly migratory in east Mediterranean and Asia. The western population is resident, numbering about 1,000 birds breeding mainly in Spain but also in Algeria and Tunisia. The eastern population is larger and migratory. White-headed Ducks breed mainly in Turkey, where the biggest eastern population is located (200-300 pairs), while fewer breed in Russia, Iran and occasionally in Romania.

Moult movements are poorly understood, but large flocks of moulting individuals gather on certain sites (e.g. the Sudochie wetlands in Uzbekistan, and Lake Tengiz in Kazakhstan). Departure from breeding localities begins in late August and is completed by mid-October. In Central Kazakhstan, largest numbers occur in September, but birds leave the region completely by mid-October. In Uzbekistan, major passage through the Amu Darya delta in October. In Pakistan, birds first appear in October and leave by the end of March. It is currently unknown whether there is interchange between the Spanish and North African populations. However, the recent increase in the number of White-headed Ducks in Morocco suggests that interchange does occur. Emigration of birds from Algeria or Tunisia was suggested as a possible explanation for the peak count of 4,489 birds in Spain in September 2002. However, as over 1,000 ducklings were hatched at El Hondo that year, it seems equally likely that these numbers could be explained by a bumper breeding year.

 

v's drains have been becoming more and more problematic... friday she somehow blocked the tube on the left side as she slept... and it drained out all over her pj's... and the right side had been becoming more and more painful and itchy... so saturday we took up the doctor's offer to remove the right drain... she offered to meet us at her office at 10am today (sunday)... the whole procedure only lasted a couple of minutes... and v felt nothing... the doc snipped a stich on the drain and pulled a one foot length of tube out of v's side... easy as pie... the left drain is still needed... we see the plastic surgeon on tuesday to discuss that one...

 

on the way back from the doc, we decided to have breakfast at our favorite mexican restaurant... chorizo and eggs... yum... the waiter takes our order and i ask for coffee... that's when v informs me that i'll be having a frozen margarita... and she'll just have a couple of small drinks... so it comes to the table... 2 straws... i have a drink then set it to the side... the waiter is telling us about his xmas plans... we are the only customers... (damn economy)... about 10 mins pass and the waiter goes to get our order... and i hear this really loud minute long slurping gurgling sound coming from v... i'm wondering if the remaining drain exploded... but instead it was v sucking down the last remnants of the margarita we were "sharing." that woman can make me laugh like no one else ever could!! i guess she is feeling better!!

 

Tom

The purest form of the Alchemical Earth element. Trying to come up with a good phrase (Pure root, pure power/will/ ground, ground, grounded, gravity) was problematic. Felt like I was shortchanging the other elements or making this one unusually heavy or negative, or directing the meaning. ("Fertile ground" is true, since having the ace of disks means having the physical or financial health required for a project, but, "fertile" narrows the scope too much.)

 

My main disk image from is an ancient bronze mirror I sketched in my Art of Japan class, and then never saw again, wondering if I imagined it. Somehow, I recently devised the correct search terms and rediscovered it, and its name "Chokkomon". Maybe I'll be inspired to churn out all the remaining disks now. (Could happen!)

Source images: from previous cards (reading the photoshop filters): tulip detail, hvar sunset, flowers (from four of wands), HDTA (ob. TrentMas reference), art-deco wings, heptadecagram, oracle wheel. New images: chokkomon (traced new version), tree roots growing around stone buddha, internet root chart, tree ring slice, wings from a tattoo I designed (for someone else).

A Giger Bar is a bar themed and modelled by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger. There are two Giger Bars: the first, the H.R. Giger Bar in Chur, Switzerland, which opened in 1992, and the second is The Museum HR Giger Bar, located in Château St. Germain, Gruyères, Switzerland, which opened on April 12, 2003. There was a third Giger Bar, located at The Limelight in New York City, but when the Limelight was closed, the Giger Bar was shut down.

 

A fourth Giger bar, one that Giger dissolved his involvement with after facing frustrations with Japanese building codes and with the Japanese company behind the bar, which created the bar after only rough preliminary sketches, was located in Shiroganeidai, Tokyo, in the late 1980s. Giger had wanted private booths that functioned as individual elevators which travelled up and down the interior 4 stories of the design. This design was problematic given restrictions caused by earthquake resistant engineering. Giger disowned the Tokyo Giger Bar and never set foot in the place. Within a few years, the establishment was out of business.

 

The interior of the bars are themed along the lines of his famous biomechanical style as shown in the Alien films. The roof, walls, fittings and chairs are all modelled by the artist and fit into the same designs as seen in the films he designed, notably "Alien". The prominent high-backed chair design was originally intended as a Harkonnen throne for an abandoned Dune film project.

 

Gruyères is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz.

 

The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to the well-known cheese.

 

Gruyères is 810 m above sea level, 4.5 km south-south-east of the district capital Bulle. The historical town is placed on top of an isolated hill north of the alps, in the foothills of mount Moléson. It is also the location where the Saane river (French name: Sarine) leaves the Fribourg alps.

 

Gruyère cheese is an important factor in supporting the tourist trade in the region. A major tourist attraction is the medieval town of Gruyères with its castle, containing a regional museum and an arts museum. There are cultural activities in the castle (concerts, theater). There is a cheese factory in Pringy which is open to visitors. Nearby is Mont Moléson, a mountain suitable for climbing, or for the less athletic there is a cablecar to the summit which was rebuilt in 1998. The resort town Moléson-Village caters for both summer and winter tourism.

 

The castle (Château de Gruyères) was constructed between 1270 and 1282 in the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. The end of the 15th century stands out as the golden age in the history of the counts. In 1476, count Louis takes part in the Burgundy war by the Confederates’ side. Following this deed of valour, modernization works were undertaken. The adjustment of the esplanade with its chapel, the spiral staircase in the courtyard and the transformation of the main building go back to that time. Thus, the castle loses its fortress appearance to become a stately residence. The baroque interiors remind one of the time when the bailiffs sent by Fribourg lived there. The romantic landscapes were painted in mid 19th century by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Barthélemy Menn and other well known artists.

 

Gruyères stands in the midst of the Fribourg green pre-Alpine foothills. The castle, one of the most prestigious in Switzerland, towers majestically above the medieval town. The crane (in french: “grue”) - its heraldic representation - inspired the name Gruyères. Despite the importance of the House of Gruyères its beginnings remain quite mysterious. Nineteen counts are accounted for in the period between the 11th and 16th century. The last of them, Michel, had been in financial trouble almost all his life only to end in bankruptcy in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom between them. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiffs and then to the prefects sent by Fribourg. In 1849 the castle was put up for sale and sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who stayed at the castle during summer time and restored it with the help of their painter friends. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the collection.

 

More about Gruyères on wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruy%c3%a8res

H. R. Giger on wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._Giger

Official Giger museum site - www.hrgigermuseum.com/

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