What Is Theosophy?

The Secrets of The Universe Laid Bare By The Accumulated Wisdom Of The Ages

The question “What is Theosophy?” must have risen to the lips of some thousands of persons during the last three or four years, if the world is anything like what it used to be, and it is only reasonable to suppose that in nearly as many instances as the question has been put the answer has not been forthcoming, or, at least, that no satisfactory solution has been proffered. From the vastness of the subject and its utter newness to Western minds this state of things is not very much to be wondered at, but apart from that, the extreme difficulty of giving anything approaching an intelligible explanation of the word to minds permeated with WEstern ideas and moulded by Western thought and associations is so great as to render the task well nigh hopeless. Theosophy was unknown to Western intelligence – except in the form of the wildest and most improbable narratives, and those of the most fragmentary character – till some 14 years since, when Madame H. P. Blavatsky, a Russian lady who had spent the greater part of her previous life picking up strange stores of still strangers knowledge among the speculative peoples of the far East, settled in New York, and commenced the diffusion of her ideas in regard to her occult knowledge. Her most active disciple was a Colonel Olcott, in conjunction with whom the Theosophical Society was formed for objects stated below. A singular fact came out in reference to this very singular organization not very long ago; it appears that Madame Blavatsky, the president-founder, is practically the Theosophical Society one and indivisible, for while the members may be expelled to any extent, the president-founder cannot be removed, the consequence being that notwithstanding the possible loss of every single member, the society can never suffer annihilation as long as Madame Blavatsky lives, the wishes of the rest of the organization to the contrary. Theosophy has apparently produced the first and only society which it is impossible to suppress or abolish. Madame Blavatsky is now located in London, where her teachings have been met with more amusement than reverence, but the president-founder appears proof against any amount of that kind of “argument,” and disposes of it as being of as little value as the wanton smoke-curls of the weed she loves so well. Among the orthodox and the indifference – who may be placed upon pretty much the same plane as far as honest inquiry is concerned – theosophy has made no convert, but in the ranks of the ever-increasing class of speculative thinkers who have been forced to abandon the old traditional creeds the “new” gospel has received a large number of earnest followers, perhaps the most noticeable being Mrs. Annie Besant, whose succession to theosophical ranks proves – if it proves anything – that there is “something in it” worthy of investigation. In America, where the cult has taken a firmer root, the theosophists claim Edison, the great electrician, as one of their disciples, and his certificate of membership is enrolled among the society’s archives.

The subject was laid before the Croydon Socratic Society on Tuesday night, at their usual meeting at West Croydon, by no less an authority than Mr. Herbert Burrows, who, in addition to being a highly-valued friend of the society and a fellow socialistic worker with Mrs. Besant, is also an enthusiastic theosophist and a brilliant young thinker in more than one branch. The Socratics are a more than ordinarily hard-headed body, but it was plain to see that on Tuesday evening there was a lack of sympathy with the subject that boded trouble ahead, as the sequel showed. Mr. Burrows first spoke of the difficulties of handling a subject which comprehended the concentrated knowledge of the East extending over a period of possibly 20,000 years in about forty minutes, and expressed the opinion that he was quite prepared to find at the concussion fo the lecture that his hearers only matter of doubt was as to whether he was a fool or a madman, or a combination of both. He then passed on the deal with the question in the way most suited to the assembly, namely, from it scientific aspect, and remarked that theosophy was utterly and entirely opposed to the Darwinian theory, and that it dealt with the more recondite forces and laws of nature in respect of which Western investigators were as ignorant as Newton’s child upon the seashore, aye, and more so, because, to speak figuratively, they had not even the knowledge to pick up the stones. Wisely keeping clear of the phenomenal portion of his subject – for theosophical wonder-working, even if it were possible to him, would be no more convincing of the truth of theosophy than the working of a material miracle was proof of any sort of moral truth – he explained in passing that theosophy claimed to be the underlying truth of which all the great and varied religious systems were but the exoteric side, and that the Theosophical Society had been founded to accomplish three objects, (1) To be the nucleus of a universal brotherhood; (2) To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, religions, and sciences; and (3) To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the physical powers latent in man. Now, Western science failed to accomplish the latter object in some very essential particulars, and that principally because its investigations were conducted on imperfect lines, while theosophy, working upon an entirely different lines, not only agreed with the conclusions of the Western scientist, but could find a passage beyond the dead wall which blocked the path of all our scientists at a certain point, and beyond which wall no single Western investigator had yet been able to penetrate. What was the reason of this? Possibly because Western scientists started on too limited a basis. Personally he had long ago been led to the conclusion – from the study of Huxlye’s treaties on protoplasm forces, and from Professor Huxley’s own showing the material physical sciences of the body proved rather a barrier than an assistance to the study of the powers of nature. For example, when a note of music was struck it was accompanied by numbers of other miner sounds which it was impossible for the ear to distinguish because of its inherent of its inherent defects, while at the same time the existence of the minor notes had been demonstrated ad nauseam. A defect of this kind must prove an obstacle to true investigation because of its misleading results. If that were the case man practically knew nothing at all about the forces which were behind those of which we do know or fancy we know something. This naturally led to the conclusion that if our senses were only refined and acute enough it would be possible to perceive and understand the unseen forces of nature. On the other hand, the scientists of the West, everyone of them, however profound their investigations, were met at one point in their inquiries by a dead wall which they found it impossible to pass, in a very large class of phenomena, which they found to be absolutely inexplainable by their modern science.

Theosophy boasted that it could pass this wall by reason of the storehouse of actual mental knowledge, not mere theory only, which had been stored in the minds of a few men in India and of late years in Tibet, and handed on from one to the other for thousands of years. These men were investigators themselves, and they made a secret of their knowledge for obvious reasons, because by virtue of their knowledge there were few of the processes of nature that were secret to them; they asserted that they could explain phenomena whose solution was regarded as hopeless, and that simply and entirely by their knowledge of the laws of nature. In these things they owned no supernatural influences – there is no personal god in theosophy, which is purely pantheistic – but could give a rational explanation from the phenomena of nature, according to the laws of nature, though doubtless not according to the laws of Western scientists, and by this means they claimed to obtain a clue to both the spiritual and physical nature of man. The western scientist, up to a certain point, could state how certain phenomena were manifested, but the theosophist went further, and could tell why these things were. Science was absolutely unable to explain phenomena such as hypnotism, clairvoyance, and mesmerism to anything like an adequate extent and while he knew the majority of people dismissed these things as a result of trickery and fraud, they were nevertheless established facts, and rapidly establishing themselves as practical agents of surgical treatment. Apart from that theosophy could give a clear and adequate reason why for these things, and until people could give a better explanation it was both foolish and unphilosophic for people to deny that theosophy could do so.

Mr. Burrows then divided into an intensely interesting disquisition with regard to the numerous laws of nature whose existence and demonstration is known to our modern scientists, but which have entirely baffled them in their efforts to comprehend and tabulate the same. For instance, by means of a definite arrangement of a violin, a turning for, a strong light, and a sort of sheet suspended after the style of a “magic lantern” sheet, it was found that a note of music possesses distinct and unmistakable colours, which vary with different notes. Another instrument, the pendulagram, demonstrates that a musical note possess force. The apparatus is constructed upon vibrating principles, and is fitted with a universal-jointed pen. Upon a certain note being struck certain spiral curves are recorded by the pen. Strike another not, and a different class of spirals is produced; strike the first not again, and the spirals are produced similar to those registered on the first occasion. Now, why are these spiral? That is what theosophy alone can tell, and the man who has this knowledge can practically control the forces of nature! The materialist failed to surmount the wall that stopped him, and why? Partly because he failed to recognize that there was no rigid line of demarcation between the spiritual and the material part of man. Judging by the state of clairvoyance, when the physical material senses of man were in a certain sense paralysed, the intelligent, spiritual, mental faculties of man were sharpened. Man dealt in two worlds, the outward visible world, and the inward invisible world. The latter could only come into play when the other was deadened, or, in other words, purified and refined of the presence of the material outer world. Taking another line, he showed that the theosophist and the Western scientist, by widely differing methods, agreed, step by step, that under the whole nature lay some widely-diffused basic force, and that while the Western could only tell the relation between things – as in the molecular theory – the theosophist could explain the essence of the things themselves, or rather, could get behind the relation of the things and explain why they were so related. This method, produced to its natural conclusion, must lead up to the explanation of the spiritual nature of man, and thus theosophy was seen to comprehend the great truths that underlie all the great religions of the world.

At this stage the speaker left the relatively-scientific part of the question – which is at once its explanation and its raison d’eire – and passed on to deal with the teachings of theosophy, which is much more easy to follow. The very name is a clue, for “theosophy” (knowledge of or about God – the term God being universally accepted, not in the sense of a personal anthromorphic God, but as including the whole of both the known and the unknown) implies knowledge or wisdom respecting the absolute. It is sometimes also called the wisdom-religion because it professes to have had from time immemorial the knowledge of all the laws governing the spiritual, the moral, and the material. The reason why this knowledge has not been imparted to all is obvious – a man with such knowledge would have the lives and interests of his fellows who were not equally enlightened entirely at his disposal. The existence of three abnormal powers has been recognised, as a matter of fact, in plain, practical, prosy Germany, where stringent laws have already been passed against the exercise of hypnotic powers – such as those demonstrated by the Rev. Arthur Tooth at Woodside the other day – by unqualified persons. It is easily seen that if such laws are necessary to restrain the persons who do not fully comprehend the feeble powers they undoubtedly possess, the necessity would be vastly greater in the case of persons who have exhaustive knowledge of far greater powers. Hence in the interests of the race, the theosophists say, the knowledge is jealousy guarded in a few minds, although it is acquirable by anyone who will go through the long and tedious mental, physical, and spiritual training necessary to that end, for theosophists hold that the knowledge they possess can only be obtained by the careful refinement of the spiritual entity from the obscurations of the material physical, a process involving purity of word, thought, idea, and action. It is claimed that the theosophist has ascertained by actual experience that man, instead of consisting simply of body, soul, and spirit, is a septenary, or seven-partite being. The first division is the physical body, which acts as the vehicle for all the other principles; then there is the vital principle common to all animals; and the next is the astral, or the double or phantom body. Theosophists believe that the adept (a person who has attained to the higher knowledge) can separate his higher spiritual principle from the physical, and travel whither he will in the guise of the astral body, leaving the physical in a state of trance. The fourth, which forms the last of what is called the lower principles, is the seat of the animal desires and passions. Teh three higher principles consist (1) of the mind or intelligence (which has two aspects, one towards the lower and one towards the higher) ; (2) the spiritual soul, which forms the vehicle for (3) the spirit itself. Now, with regard to this “spirit” may be introduced one of the vital principles of theosophy. It is believed as an actual fact that the spirit in man is the only real and permanent part of his being, the rest of his nature being variously compounded, nad consequently always resolving into other compounds. The spirit of every man is said to spark fo the Divine Whole, whence it comes by cyclic or evolutionary procedure through every form of matter till it reaches its highest form – self-consciousness – in man. From the human enthrallment the spirit, according to its efforts while in that condition, passes at the death of the body towards the higher (i.e. towards re-absorption in the Divine Whole), or else downwards into the lower forms of matter, thence to “work out its own salvation,” or return to self-consciousness in the human. In its upward course the divine spark is u undergoing repeated incarnations through the vegetable, mineral, animal, and human states ; in each of these it is latent, but it is only manifest in man. The spirit retains its individuality during the whole progress from its origin to its reunion to the Divine, and exists successively in various races and planets.

The discussion that ensued beggars description from the fact that nearly everybody who spoke seemed to have failed to grasp the bearings of the subject. This was only natural under the circumstances – the explanation of a single page of a theosophical “educational” tract is sufficient to make a man’s hair curl if he has not been initiated – but the lecturer dealt lightly with his critics in his reply. The latter, by the way, did not commence till nearly 11 o’clock, and was principally devoted to the removal of misconceptions. From a quantity of propagandist leaflets – on of which (“Karma as a Cure for Trouble”) strangely reminded one of a patent medicine puff – it was seen that the practical side of theosophy is of no little importance from teh social point of view. One of the essentials to spiritual development is “the entire eradication of selfishness in all forms, and the cultivation of broad, generous sympathy in and effor for the good of others,” and another stipulates for “the careful performance of every duty belonging to one’s station in life, without desire for reward, leaving results for Divine law.” Apart from this, theosophy professes to explain the contrast and unisions of the world’s faiths and the common foundations underlying them all ; the existence of evil, suffering, and sorrow; social and individual inequalities, contrasts, and antithesis; accidents, misfortunes, and untimely deaths; the failure of conventional religions to greatly extend their areas, reform abuses, reorganize society, expand to the idea of brotherhood, abate discontent, diminish crime, elevate humanity, and adequately realise in individual lives the ideal they professedly uphold. These form only a small portion of the large order theosophists are ready to fill, but if they can only get believers in their strange tremendous system to go heartily in for spiritual development on the lines mentioned above, there are plenty of folks in this world who will be glad to find a place for them.

The former Ribbleton Station.

The big question is when?

This sign has recently appeared on Gamull Lane in Preston which is one of the proposed stops. It is actually the site of the still intact and former Ribbleton Station on the Preston to Longridge branch railway line. Now a private residence.

This line latterly only served a Coal Concentration Depot off Skeffington Road in Preston until the early 90s. This will be the site of the Tram shed and test track. The rest of the Longridge branch is either derelict and used as a communal rubbish dump or a cycle path, which is also used as a communal rubbish dump and littered in broken bottles!

Preston City Council have a very poor record of maintaining their public highways...

As for the sign appearing, well thats all there is to see of the proposed Tram network. The date of appearance though is ten years since scheme proposed and two years since their website was updated, a coincidence or not, I dont know.

It's physically impossible to implement John Tory's plan to put heavy rail down Eglinton West without tunnelling or taking away street space. (Photo by Marc Demouy)

sous les pavés la plage..sous la plage les plastiques....

Local Democracy Week

quotidie

266 : 9.23

leftover shavings in electric juicer; apple and carrot

---

Parker has a few pieces whose titles starts with: "Negatives of . . . ", and in those pieces she explored the 'killed off' matter in the production of an object. About Negatives of Sound, she had explained the question she set herself as such:

... the idea of all sound produced, and to achieve it what do you have to get rid of?

She ended up with a small pile of black lacquer, remains from cutting grooves in records. It was, literally, a pile of negatives of sound.

This piece explores something along similar ground. In this small jam jar is two slices of an apple and two slices of a carrot, without the juice. It was collected from an electric juicer, after apples and carrots had gone through it. Instead of focusing on the fact that it has been cast off, which would make the title Negative of Juice, this piece focuses on the fact that it has remained its original state. Thus: Apple and Carrot. An initial reaction would be a marginalizing “that doesn’t even look like an apple or a carrot”, but it does not change the fact that it still is an apple and a carrot. This concept of a physical transformation not affecting a core identity is given great attention by Parker. And the beauty of her manifestation of this concept is that she does it through small, quotidian things—a record, old and abandoned silver ornaments; I did it through some fruit and vegetable—that act like an empty can, allowing the concept to be magnified (i.e. sound is to impact) once put in.

We are in a world of incredibly fast-paced change. Greek-American computer scientist and architect Nicholas Negroponte calls it digitality, the apparently ‘second’ post-modern age: an age marked by the rapidly continually increasing power of technology and communication. This pervading power makes it is easy for people to forget roots, beginnings, and the past. It is easy to dismiss, or even give complete disregard to, the process of a finished product. Because of word-processing programs and electronic mail, for example, it no longer matters how we write a letter – there is no need to worry about pen and paper and legible handwriting, a decent envelope and the right amount of stamps. Because of advanced machinery, it no longer matters to production plant how long it would take for 100 people to craft and assemble 50,000 analogue clocks. This generation geared towards convenience is forgetting the value in the process.

Parker beyond being an artist, therefore, is arguably a nostalgic. It shows in her work that her heart lingers in a time when the process was magnified; when effort in the process had the potential to bring even greater value to the end product. This is a time that has passed, passed like the one who had made the juice and left the remains of the fruit and vegetable (despite still being completely edible) for me to find and collect.

In the creation of anything, something must be destroyed; something must be left behind. What people have a choice in is the forgetting one thing to make space for the thought of something new. Parker’s work, and this response, chooses not to forget.

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part of my A Level art contextual study. in response to cornelia parker, who deals with the killed-off, the thrown away, the negatives.

A MINUSMA staff member asks a question during a town hall meeting with MINUSMA staff members at the MINUSMA Operational Base in Bamako during Secretary-General António Guterres two day visit to Mali.

Nikon D80 with Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens

~Dirty Harry (1971)

"Little Timmy Thalbutt approached a Broadway agent with an idea for an act, along with a note from his mother saying that he had her permission to enter the world of show business so long as he was home by 6 and stayed away from “loose women”.

“IQ Boy” was billed as a genius, a modern day Aristotle and premiered during intermission at a mid-day matinee of an experimental production of “Cats”.

In a stroke of theatrical suicide, Timmy broke the fourth wall and began asking oddly compelling but totally inconsequential questions. What baffled the audience most was the fact that he picked on particular spotlighted impromptu members of the audience with these questions, waiting patiently for awkward and wildly incorrect answers before moving on, as if not actually listening to the responses. What’s and Why’s and Wherefores flowed thick and fast before the curtain could be hastily drawn and Timmy whisked backstage for a brisk dressing down to the strains of the jug band tuning up for the overture to Act 2.

Timmy’s career was over as quickly as it had started, he had learned a valuable but none the less painful lesson – no one likes a smartarse. Timmy’s agent waived her usual exorbitant fee, writing it off as a tax deduction, delighted her venture into musical theatre allowed her to secure a dinner date with “The Rum Tum Tugger” supposedly due to an apparent compassion and empathy with kids and nothing at all to do with how he filled his leotard.” - biography by wonko

Question Mark. Aus der Serie „Satzzeichen“ 2014

Rotierende Skulptur aus Lianen Findling, fluoriszierendes Klebeband, schwarze Totenkopf Büchse und Schwarz Licht

Skulptur, Objekt, Video, Installation, Fotografie

Markus Wintersberger 2014

no questions answered

Un cimetière militaire allemand à Solers pose question et

faire un historique sur son origine fait partie du devoir de

mémoire.

Quittant leur zone de débarquement en Normandie les 1er

et 2 août 1944 après la trouée d ‘Avranches, les alliés acculèrent d’abord l’adversaire à la Loire pour pivoter ensuite vers

le nord-est. Du 20 au 25 août, ils atteignirent la Seine entre Le

Havre et Troyes ; par endroits, des têtes de pont avaient déjà

été formées sur la rive est de la Seine. Le 25 août, le gouverneur militaire de Paris, le Général de l’infanterie von Choltitz,

signa la capitulation.

Vers le 25 août, les alliés - britanniques et canadiens sur la

gauche, américains sur la droite - passèrent à l’attaque sur

toute la largeur du front entre Le Havre et Troyes, au nordest. Dans ces manœuvres, le 7ème corps d’armée américain

avança vers Soissons, entre Paris et Fontainebleau, en livrant

bataille aux forces de la 1ère armée et de la 5ème armée blindée allemandes.

C’est dans ces combats que furent tués les soldats allemands

inhumés à Solers.

Le 30 août 1944, la 1ère armée américaine commençait la

création d’un cimetière provisoire sur une étendue de terrain

située à l’ouest de Solers, où elle inhuma tant les corps de

ses propres soldats que ceux de l’armée allemande. A gauche

de la route menant à Soignolles-en-Brie, elle enterra environ

2000 de ses morts et, à droite, un nombre à peu près égal de

soldats allemands. Il s’agissait presque exclusivement de victimes de combats très durs qui se déroulèrent au cours de la

seconde quinzaine d’août, en Marne inférieure, lors de la retraite du corps d’armée allemande, nommé Herresgruppe B.

Après la cessation des hostilités, les corps des soldats américains furent transférés au cimetière militaire d’Épinal, qui fut

aménagé de manière définitive, tandis que les pelouses allemandes passèrent sous l’administration des autorités françaises et furent agrandie par suite de l’addition de nombreuses

tombes provenant non seulement de la région avoisinante,

mais aussi de Troyes et de Chartres. C’est ainsi que les corps

des soldats allemands tués lors des combats de juin 1940

dans la région de la Marne furent transférés à Solers.

Dans le cadre de l’accord franco-allemand du 23 octobre

11954 concernant les tombes militaires, la nécropole de Solers

fut choisie pour devenir, après les travaux d’agrandissement

nécessaires, un des cimetières militaires allemands définitifs

en France.

L’Association Populaire Allemande pour l’Entretien des Sépultures Militaires, A. S. B.L, fut chargée, par le Gouvernement

Fédéral Allemand, de l’exécution des travaux de constructions et horticoles. Ceux-ci furent entrepris en avril 1960 et

terminés en juillet 1962. Aucune tombe ne fut plus ajoutée.

Les frais d’aménagements du cimetière ont été conjointement supportés par le Gouvernement Fédéral Allemand et

l’Association Populaire. Le 28 juillet 1962, le cimetière fut

inauguré solennellement en présence de nombreux parents

des disparus et il fut ensuite remis aux mains du public.

« Nous ne devrions pas quitter ce lieu sans nous pénétrer du

sacrifice de ceux qui reposent ici et sans emporter avec nous

leur muette exhortation : l’exhortation à la Paix. »

Tous les ans, le dimanche suivant le 11 novembre, à l’occasion du Jour de Deuil National Allemand, la commune s’associe aux cérémonies commémoratives.

Source : la revue allemande « Am Rande der Strassen »

Le 18 septembre 2019 en début de soirée, j'arrive ā Sion par un bus assurant la liaison Avignon-Lyon-Genève-Sion. Alors que je m'apprête à rejoindre mon hôte du soir je profite du paysage que je surplombe. Le coucher de soleil donne ā la ville de Sion un caractère surnaturel, les nuages changent de couleur, les lampadaires s'allument, le château de Tourbillon illumine le paysage. Après avoir fait du couchsurfing -première expérience très positive-, je débute le lendemain mon excursion de deux semaines de balade dans le Val d'Hérens au cœur du Valais. Chargé de mon paquetage d'une dizaine de kilos, j'occupe la matinée de mon premier jour d'excursion par l'achat de produits locaux. Pas question de tomber en panne sèche ā 3000 mètres d'altitudes. Un saucisson, du fromage de la région – l'Étivaz-, du chocolat noir -Ovomaltine « C'est de la dynamite ! »-, des fruits secs et c'est parti. Avant de quitter Sion je profite de l'ambiance du centre ville de bon matin. Un passant solitaire traverse la place de la Planta. Du ciel transparaissent quelques rayons du soleil. Atemporel. En début d'après-midi, l'autobus m'amène ā Thyon-les-collons. Arrivé ā environ 2000 mètres d'altitude, je débute ma marche dans un paysage grandiose. Première impression : la connexion avec le ciel, l'impression d' être au dessus de tout... ou presque. Des nuages au loin m'invitent ā monter plus haut, les cols des montagnes ā les gravir pour y découvrir ce qui s'y cache derrière. Je traverse les steppes et gazons alpins, il y a beau temps. La végétation que je croise est luxuriante, colorée et diversifiée. Je croise peu de touristes.

Durant les trois premiers jours, j'essaye de prendre un rythme. J'essaye d'atteindre en fin de journée les points que je me suis fixé comme but en début de journée. Je n'y parviens pas. Non pas que physiquement je sois éreinté par le dénivelé que je commence ā ressentir dans les cuisses et ischio-jambier, mais par les nombreux arrêts que je m'autorise pour faire des sessions photographiques. Poser ā terre les bâtons de marche, enlever le sac ā dos, sortir l'appareil photo, cadrer, faire la photographie, ranger l'appareil, réajuster les sangles de maintient, remettre le sac sur le dos, s'abaisser et prendre les bâtons de marche. Reprendre la marche. Toute une opération qui au bout d'un temps me fait plutôt jeter ā terre les bâtons, poser un peu ā la va vite le sac ā terre et répéter toutes ces opérations. Mais cette légère contrainte est largement compensée par l'étonnement, l'admiration, l'ébahissement que j'ai d'être face ā un tel paysage. Une faune et une flore sauvage, laissée ā l'état de liberté. C'est un paysage de caractère qui invite ā la plénitude. Quelques rares habitations qui se perdent dans un paysage montagneux. Le voisinage ne semble pas être une question contraignante. Je m'imagine alors le mode de vie que doivent avoir ces gens qui vivent dans ces habitats le temps d'une saison... peut-être ā l'année. Je prends conscience qu'en montagne, la fraîcheur se fait rapidement sentir dès que le soleil n'illumine plus le flanc de montagne sur lequel vous êtes. En septembre, selon ou l'on se trouve, 17h est l'heure à laquelle il est légitime de se soucier de l'endroit du coucher. Le premier jour, je fais l'erreur de tarder dans le choix du lieu du bivouac. À 19h je commence ma recherche. Après une heure et demie je parviens ā trouver un compromis. En sous-bois, sur le flanc d'un sol pentu, je compense alors les aléas du terrains en mettant en boule quelques habits dans la tente. Je dîne - bien grand mot quand la casserole est ā la fois l'outil de cuisson, l'assiette pour le plat principal et le contenant du thé en fin de repas. Ma première nuit est fraîche, l'idée de dormir dans un sous-bois rend l'atmosphère humide, le froid ressenti comme étant davantage prégnant.

Le lendemain je repars en bonne forme. Je continue de longer le fleuve de la Dixence qui se trouve en contrebas du chemin que j'empreinte. Pause ravitaillement pour récupérer ā une source de l'eau et remplir ma gourde de 2 litres. Il n'est pas rare de croiser des troupeaux sur mon chemin mené ou pas par des éleveurs. Au deuxième jour de marche, Thyon-les-collons est ā peine visible. Je croise de-ci, de-là des maisonnettes, des troupeaux sur mon chemin. Le dénivelé se fait plus marqué et le poids du sac se fait davantage sentir sur les épaules. Pause déjeuner. Le paysage se fait de plus en plus montagneux, les roches noires contrastent avec les couleurs ocres, jaunes pétantes des fourrages. Il me faudra trois jours pour arriver au niveau du Lac des Dix (2365m) et de son barrage aux dimensions impressionnantes. D'une hauteur de 235 mètres, long comme deux terrains de football mis bout ā bout, ce barrage est d'une profondeur de 200 mètres ā sa base et d'une quinzaines de mètres ā son point le plus haut. Son poids serait égal ā celui de la grande pyramide de Khéops en Egypte. De telles dimensions permettent au barrage de la Grande Dixence de contenir les 400 millions de m3 d'eau du lac, développant une puissance électrique record de 2000 MW ce qui lui permet d'être considéré comme le plus haut barrage-poids du monde. Un tel spectacle est étonnant. 15 mètres de marche permettent de constater de l'exploit de cette architecture. D'un coté distant de quelques mètres le lac de la Dixence calme et paisible, de l'autre côté la vallée qui s'étend 200 mètres plus bas. À perte de vue des vallons, montagnes, des pics. Au loin, la ville de Sion.

Première nuit ou les étoiles se révèlent avec une pollution lumineuse réduite. La voûte céleste se laisse prendre en photographie en pause lente. Il n'est pas rare durant les quelques nuit que je passe proche d'une forêt, d'un bois ou d'un ruisseau de me réveiller plusieurs fois la nuit, saisi par le froid. La couche supérieure de la tente gèle parfois. Par mégarde je laisse deux habits posés sur la tente pour qu'ils sèchent à l'extérieur. Durant la nuit, les cristaux de glaces se forment et les gèlent entièrement. Les débuts de journées sont fraîches et reculent mon heure de départ. La solution ā défaut d'avoir des moufles pour maintenir les mains au chaud : avoir des chaussettes aux mains. À 10h le soleil réchauffe l'atmosphère, les habits sèchent et je peux faire ma toilette et un petit bain frigorifique dans le Torrent de Chenna ā 10h du matin. La route qui mène au barrage de la Grande Dixence est tortueuse, je n'aurai pas ā l'emprunter, prenant un chemin de terre qui y mène directement. Il me fait passer par une succession de tunnel creusé dans des flancs de montagne. Le soir, sans réseau 4G, je campe ā la pointe du lac de Dix. Seul, sans pollution lumineuse, sonore, humaine. J'ai l'impression d'être en proie ā la nature, à une solitude qui ne fait pas peur, mais ou tout est possible. Le passé ou le futur lointain n'est pas dans mes pensée. Seul le présent et ses alternatives temporelles proches m'occupent l'esprit. Je trouve un lieu où dormir et installe la tente. Rapidement je me lave grâce ā l'eau d'un ruisseau qui coule. Je prépare à manger, déguste face à un paysage qui s'obscurcit. La nuit tombe, des nuages se découpent sur les pics des montagnes. Je m'endors avec le seul bruit du vent qui tapote sur la toile de tente.

4ème journée, je quitte le lac des Dix pour me rendre au col de Riedmatten en passant par le pas de chèvre (2919m). Je me lève ā 5h du matin. Ma première action ? Prendre un petit-déjeuner à base de chocolat, fruits secs variés, fajitas, patte d'amande avec un peu de chocolat aussi. Un petit coup de toilette puis je m'occupe de trier, ranger le matériel pour qu'il tienne dans les 50 litres du sac ā dos. Au fur et à mesure des jours qui passent je dois avouer que cette action répétitive me lasse un peu mais devient un rituel qui marque le début et la fin de la journée. Je débute la marche alors que le soleil se lève sur les pics de montagnes et la vallée au loin. La montée se fait de plus en plus pentue. Je traverse le Torrent de Cheilon. Peu ā peu, le chemin de caillou se transforme en chemin symbolique ou seul les balises en indiquent concrètement la trajectoire. La flore se fait plus rare, le paysage imposant se fait plus abrupte, le dénivelé s'affirme. Je ne m'aide plus seulement de mes jambes mais aussi de mes mains pour gravir. Je m'attarde un temps face au mont Blanc de Cheilon et ā son glacier. Observation contemplative. Arrivé au Col de Riedmatten, je laisse derrière moi les roches, pierres et une flore qui se fait rare pour y découvrir les steppes qui mènent vers le lac de Moiry. Le paysage environnant est entrecoupé de pics et de pentes dans un écrin de nature sauvage. Je vois dans le Glacier de Tsijore Nouve une tête de mort... En début d'après-midi j'entame ma descente vers Arolla (2000m) dominée par le mont Collon en arrière plan. Arrivé ā Arolla, les nuages s'obscurcissent... J'empreinte un pont de singe qui tangue ā chaque pas dans un rebond lancinant. Une sensation amusante qui donne l'impression d’être plus léger, d'avoir le pas hésitant.

Je campe le soir près de la Sage, dans un champs qui en apparence semble appartenir à personne. La nuit fut entrecoupée par une pluie battante et des rafales de vent. Le lendemain je me réveille avec une brume qui se dissipe. Ayant plutôt l'habitude de côtoyer des architectures de béton je quitte la Sage et ses chalets de bois qui semblent venir d'une autre époque. L'objectif que je me fixe ā la mi-journée c'est d'arriver au Lac Bleu, réputé pour se situer dans un écrin de nature sauvage, avec une eau d'une couleur bleu vive - résultant de l'action conjuguée des algues et des argiles glaciaires-. Sur le chemin qui monte au lac, en pleine forêt, alors que je remets une sangle de mon sac à dos, je me fais surprendre par le bond d'un cerf adulte qui fend les fourrages à une vitesse éclair. La scène se déroule face à moi à une trentaine de mètres. Pas un seul bâtiment aux alentours. La nature. Elle m'invite ā un imaginaire digne des films de fantasy comme le Seigneur des Anneaux ou encore à me plonger dans l'ambiance cinématographique d'une période Moyenâgeuse où les croyances et rituels étaient connectés à la nature. Une époque où la démographie humaine était moins importante, où la valeur humaine était autre. Peu de temps m'en faut pour arriver au Lac Bleu. Vu l'heure, je décide de laver et faire sécher au soleil mes vêtements sales. Je mets en place un dispositif d'étendoir assez incongru en utilisant mes bâtons de marche et la table de camping qui se trouve sur une butte en surplombant le lac. 1h. 2h. Le soleil se couvre peu ā peu, malgré des rafales de vent bien présentes, le linge ne sèche pas. 3H, je commence ā me dire que je ne pourrais pas continuer plus loin ma marche de la journée. 19h30. J'installe la tente pour me réchauffer – connaissant la fraicheur des nuits proches d'une source d'eau-. Je décide de faire du feu avec un briquet, quelques brindilles et des branches ramassées de ci de-là. Sans succès. Nuit tombante depuis le lac bleu. Cette nuit fut la plus difficile. Je me réveille plusieurs fois durant la nuit, me réchauffe les doigts en allumant un briquet, entasse mes habits les uns par dessus les autres. À quelques centaines de mètres je traverse ce qui semble être un village abandonné. Une inscription surplombe l'un des chalets : « Le petit chalet ». Le lendemain je prends la route pour les Haudères (1454m), charmant village de vallée où tous les bâtis ou presque sont en bois. Traversant les forêts Valaisannes, je prête l'oreille ā plusieurs coups de feu. En cette basse saison, les chasseurs sont plus présent dans les forêts que les randonneurs. Je fais d'ailleurs la rencontre de trois d'entres eux. Le premier est pris en photographie sur smartphone par sa femme alors qu'il porte ā bout de bras un cerf tel un trophée. Le second lorsque je croise un chasseur porter sur son dos un cerf. Cette rencontre me permets de discuter avec lui sur sa pratique. Je suis notamment étonné de le voir redescendre de si bonne heure (8h) avec déjà un cervidé mort sur le dos. Il m'explique qu'il a tué l'animal la veille, l'a vidé de ses entrailles, a dormi dans une cabane de chasseur et qu'il redescend ā son véhicule pour aller vendre la bête ce matin. Curieux de son arme, il me montre ses cartouches et son viseur d'une précision de plus de 500 mètres. Je le prends en photographie avant que chacun nous reprenions nos routes. À la mi-journée, je décide que je dormirai dans un camping avec plus de confort ā la clef. Avant d'entrer dans les Haudères, je fais la rencontre de plusieurs chalets fleuris nichés sur le flanc de la montagne. Je pourrais presque m'attendre ā ce que Bilbon Sacquet sorte avec un lot de pinte de Gandalf’s Ale, de Bilbo’s Beer ou encore de Frodo’s Lager. Ca n’arrivera pas, mais je m'amuse ā me l'imaginer. Arrivé ā Les Haudères je découvre un centre-village tout fait de bois et de pierres. Deux artères coupent le village d'Est en Ouest et du Nord au Sud. Je passe face au Garage des Alpes, atelier de réparation automobile pour me rendre jusqu’à l'auberge-camping Molignon, endroit ou je dormirai pour la nuit.

À minuit il se met à pleuvoir durant plusieurs heures. De bon matin je croise dans le camping un touriste qui me déconseille de randonner jusqu'au Col de Torrent avec la météo qu'il y a eu la veille. Les sommets sont enneigés. Je décide de me prendre une journée de repos et vais en direction d'Evolène (1371m) pour m'y acheter des moufles afin d'éviter le froid ressenti parfois durant la nuit ou pour éviter le frottement de la paume sur les bâtons de marche. Le lendemain en direction de La Sage je croise les dernières maisons. Alors que je continue mon ascension, derrière moi l'orage semble se profiler sur les Haudères et Evolène. Je continue la marche en espérant que la météo ne se dégrade pas trop. Arrivée dans les nuages.

J'expérimente ma première nuit à 0 degré à 2700 mètres d'altitude sur le flanc de montagne ā 300 mètres du Col de Torrent. Les nuage sont en formation, j'ai la tête dans les nuages. Levé ā 7h du matin je pars en direction le Col de Torrent ā 2916 mètres d'altitude. Le chemin de traverse me mène jusqu'au lac de Moiry (2249m) d'un bleu étonnant et son barrage qui surplombe la vallée. Son barrage voûte situé dans le canton du Valais en Suisse est localisé au-dessus du village de Grimentz. Il a été mis en service en 1958 après 4 ans de construction. Je m'endors près du pas de Lona (2787m) sous une nuit étoilée. Le lendemain matin, c'est la tête dans les nuages et le brouillard que je débute mon excursion matinale avec l'impression d'assister ā un spectacle, un ballet où les nuages glissent cotonneusement sur les flancs de montagne. Quelle sensation de solitude. Dans l'après-midi j'atteins la cabane des Becs de Bosson ā 2983 mètres d'altitude puis la pointe de la Tsevalire ā 3026 mètres. Je finis la journée bien fatigué proche de la Becca de Lovegno à près de 2700m ou j'y passe la nuit. 18h, le soleil se couche derrière les crêtes. Je passe ma nuit la plus fraiche, -2 degré était annoncé par la météo locale. Je ne dors pas bien, me réveille souvent. Mon pantalon, le sac ā dos et tout ce qui peut tenir chaud est empilé au dessus de moi sur le sac de couchage. Durant un court moment, je décide d'allumer le réchaud pour réchauffer mes doigts.

Le lendemain je me repose durant deux heures proche du lac du Louché (2567m), situé dans un écrin de nature marécageux, isolé et préservé de toute activité humaine. Cet endroit est l'un des plus silencieux de toute mon excursion. Pas de bruit. Celui du vent par intermittence. Seul les trainées de condensation d'un avion haut dans le ciel marque la réalité de notre époque et renforce mon extase sonore et visuelle face à un tel lieu. Je prends en photographie la Gentiana Verna, première de la saison qui occupe avec parcimonie les prairies subalpines. Je reprends la marche pour me rendre au Mont-Noble ā près de 2670m. Une fois franchie cette étape je ne cesse de descendre en altitude en passant par Mase (1301m) pour me rendre aux grottes de Combioula qui se trouvent dans les gorges de la Borgne. La source chaude de ces grottes permet de profiter d'une eau à une vingtaine de degrés tout en admirant le paysage environnant. La rivière Borgne qui passe ā quelques mètres est bien plus froide. Le lendemain je me rends direction Hérémence pour y découvrir les pyramides d'Euseigne qui font partie des caractéristiques géologiques impressionnantes du territoire. Je me rends ā Vex (939m). Plus tôt dans la journée j'avais passé un coup de téléphone pour y réserver une nuit en camping.

Arrivé lā-bas, je suis reçu par le gérant. Il a l'allure imposante d'un biker de film américain des années 80. Le bandana autour de la tête, assez petit et trapu, la bedaine en supplément. Débute alors un quiproquo où je lui annonce avoir réservé un emplacement de tente pour la nuit. Lui me dit que non. La fatigue n'aidant pas, j'affirme mon point de vue. Quiproquo qui abouti ā ce que la discussion se dégrade. Je décide de partir promptement, n'ayant pas envie d'avoir à faire à ses chiens. Je me rends compte que l'erreur venais de moi et que le camping en question où j'avais une place de réservée était ā Sion au camping Valcentre (500m). Je repense ā cet épisode ubuesque tout en marchant. En bande dessinée ça aurait fait le gag. 17h. Vite il me faut accélérer le pas pour me rendre sur place. Le coup du sort jouant en ma défaveur ou bien car j'étais désinformé, je prends un chemin balisé pour les randonneurs qui me mène à... un cul de sac ou plutôt à un chemin condamné. Du fait de la chute de pierres il y avait quelques mois de cela, la passerelle qui surplombe La Borgne n'est plus. Voyant l'heure filer, je décide tout de même de traverser la rivière le sac ā dos tenu les bras en l'air. Me croyant libéré de cette histoire d'éboulis de pierres je fais face à deux autres reprises à des culs de sac ou des portions de chemin fragilisés. Je me dépêche de les franchir en prenant un maximum conscience des points d'équilibres qui sont optimum pour ma traversée de ces obstacles. Je quitte la rivière et rejoint les champs de vigne. En fin de journée sur les coups de 19 heures j'arrive au camping de Sion fatigué mais content d'avoir réussi à atteindre mon point d'étape de la journée. Les deux jours qui suivent me permettent de faire des emplettes (surtout des plaquettes de chocolat) et de préparer mon retour en France. Je prends le bus le 4 octobre tout en me disant que je reviendrais un de ces jours parmi ces paysages Suisse afin d'en découvrir davantage.

Taken at Marine Study Center in Oceanside, NY with Pentax K100D and Tamron 70-300 Di Macro. Question Marks mimic dead leaves well, as illustrated by this one hanging from a branch.

Jane Smalley of St. Gabriel's Hospital answers a question at a mock press conference held with several players at the Emergency Management Training Center on Camp Ripley. Included were Brig. Gen. William Lieder, Glenn Elvecrog of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Scott MacKissock, the Morrison County Public Information Officer. Exercise Vigilant Sheen was an exercise which took place on Aug. 7-8, 2013. Representatives from several agencies in and around Minnesota gathered at Camp Ripley to work with the Minnesota National Guard in simulating a disaster response. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Pfc. William Boecker/Released)

www.minnesotanationalguard.org/press_room/e-zine/articles...

Question for ART 101: This is an example of Idealism in Objective art. Consider the way hair is shown. What makes it more Idealized than the hair of the dog shown here: www.flickr.com/photos/24364447@N05/15318019943 ?

This sarcophagus is an example of Objective Style in art. Objective Style comes in three flavors:

Idealism features the formal principles of Harmony, Uniformity, Pattern, and Balance.

Expressionism boldly features Irregularity, Imbalance, Disharmony, Awkwardness, and even Ugliness.

Naturalism features a relatively low degree of Abstraction, but it also subtly reflects the character, personality, and values of those who made it.

This sculpted outer coffin was originally made for the Egyptian general Penephtah who lived during the XXVI Dynasty (600-525 BCE), according to the hieroglyphics inscription on the middle section.

This is such a great set! This was a very kind gift from Joanne from the ITP board. They are so great! I love the tv series from the 60's and the newer films. There is a lot of detail in these dolls. Now the question is whether or not to debox.

I am not sure which Barbie she is and her head is very loose. Should I rebody her or what? Can someone identify the steffie head, I might rebody her on a fashionista body.

Notes from Caroline Jarrett's workshop on creating Better UX Workshops, held at EMBL-EBI on Sept 27, 2012

A full interview with the Israeli painter Raphael Perez (in Hebrew Rafi Peretz) about the ideas behind the naive painting, resume, personal biography and CV

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 shadow, 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 mainly 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 of today

In contrast, the Tel Aviv paintings are more colorful, with skyscrapers, the sea, balloons and more secular motifs

Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about which buildings and their architects you usually choose in your city paintings

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: 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 Mark. Aus der Serie „Satzzeichen“ 2014

Rotierende Skulptur aus Lianen Findling, fluoriszierendes Klebeband, schwarze Totenkopf Büchse und Schwarz Licht

Skulptur, Objekt, Video, Installation, Fotografie

Markus Wintersberger 2014

Queer Question Time

Mon 24 May, 7:30pm. £5

Booking: 0161 274 / www.contact-theatre.org

“What will a new government mean for equality legislation in the UK?”

“In the 21st century, is there any longer a need for a festival like Queer Up North to exist?”

“Do we really believe in free speech? Or only when we agree with its point of view?”

Following hugely successful outings in 2007 and 2008, Queer Question Time makes a return to the Queer Up North festival, this time hosted by velvet voiced raconteur Tom Allen, star of BBC Radio 4’s The Correspondent and Bleak Expectations, and winner of So You Think You’re Funny and the BBC New Comedy Award.

Joining Tom will be a panel of esteemed thinkers and writers including:

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Linda Bellos, equality activist and founder of Diversity Solutions.

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Angela Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Sexuality at The University of Manchester.

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Matthew Todd, Editor of Attitude Magazine.

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Peter Tatchell, human rights activist.

They, just like their BBC namesake, will tackle questions proposed by members of the audience.

‘Lively, charismatic...the cream of the crop’ Time Out on Tom Allen

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Supported by The Kobler Trust and The Scotshill Trust.

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Part of Queer Up North International Festival 2010.

www.queerupnorth.com

predictions?

alright. i need an explanation because i never got one while i was in china. why do people throw playing cards on the ground? beijing is the only place i have seen this. i understood seeing discarded 4 cards (4 in mandarin is 四si(4) which sounds like 死(3) which means death. it's kind of an unlucky number), but 8! 发财！why discard that? i saw all kinds of cards on the ground, and i just don't get it. help me out here.

Weber Spur Trail, Labagh Woods, Chicago, Illinois.

The Weber Spur Trail is an abandoned Union Pacific Railroad spur track. Several years ago the rails were removed resulting in a rustic trail full of wildlife & vegetation. There are plans to make the trail a multi-use bike/hiking trail, but those plans are in the early stages.

by Francis de Tuem released on Easter Sunday 27.3.2016

FDT 's 4th Tiatr

more here goo.gl/Q7fhXl

joegoauk-tiatr.blogspot.in/2016/03/question-mark-by-franc...

13 DPO. Just to be sure, I used 2 different tests this morning. Even with dodgy 'no-flash photography, there's no question that they're both positive.

Top: First Response test

Bottom: Generic Medical Centre test (my friend's mum nicked them for me from where she works)

That's a question I tried to answer on Quora a few months ago and then update it by answering it on my blog.

I've built the video APIs icon by modeling it on the Programmable Web's logo, hooked with FaceTime logo and the recording rectangle we are used to as the Play button on movies.

The answer is here: bloggeek.me/hosted-video-api/

TO THE SQUARE 2 (#TSQ2) re-invigorates the question of public space as the crucial locus for the articulation of the political and the art of protest. Read more..

Curated by Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen. Commissioned by Checkpoint Helsinki as part of Helsinki Festival. The 7th iteration of the Re-Aligned Project of Perpetuum Mobilε.

TSQ2 ARTISTS: Ammar Abo Bakr (Luxor/Cairo); Núria Güell (Barcelona), Khaled Jarrar (Ramallah); Vladan Jeremić & Rena Rädle (Belgrade); Nikolay Oleynikov (Nizhny Novgorod / Moscow); Raumlabor (Berlin); ZIP Group (Krasnodar).

THE SQUARE newspaper: edited by Perpetuum Mobilε; design by Tzortzis Rallis (Occupied Times); art by Ganzeer, Federico Geller, Vladan Jeremić & Rena Rädle and articles by Michel Bauwens, Feminist Pencil, Grey Violet, Núria Güell, G.U.L.F., Occupy Museums, Teivo Teivainen, Telekommunisten and Nadya Tolokonnikova of Zona Prava/Pussy Riot.

The grand opening on the 29th August was followed by a concert by the prominent singer of the Egyptian Revolution, Ramy Essam with the Finnish hip-hop star Paleface.

Photo Credits: Jani Ahlstedt / Alexander Burov

Copyright: Perpetuum Mobile / Checkpoint Helsinki

Full Programme:

www.re-aligned.net/tsq2-concept-programme

On Facebook:

www.facebook.com/events/737483989641891/

Perpetuum Mobile

www.PerpetualMobile.org

Checkpoint Helsinki

www.checkpointhelsinki.fi

Fotografía: Kiiiwiii Photography

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Sígueme en mi página de Facebook. (Follow me on Facebook):

www.facebook.com/kiiiwiiiphotography

©All rights reserved.

I thought this screen shot was kind of funny! :) I love Big Time Rush!

One question, Does anyone have a gif of James doing that thing with his hands in front of his face? I just think that's HILARIOUS when he does it and I want a gif of it to put on twitter.

Taken for Monthly Scavenger Hunt (MSH) June 2013 1. Knotty and for

Our Daily Challenge: THE BIG QUESTION, is the topic for Thursday 20 June 2013

Question Mark. Aus der Serie „Satzzeichen“ 2014

Rotierende Skulptur aus Lianen Findling, fluoriszierendes Klebeband, schwarze Totenkopf Büchse und Schwarz Licht

Skulptur, Objekt, Video, Installation, Fotografie

Markus Wintersberger 2014

There are times while looking over my shoulder that I find myself questioning where I have come from and where I am going to. On this day I am thankful for being able to ask these questions. I do know that I need to start preparing my contribution for today's Thanksgiving dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Photograph composition was created for the Our Daily Challenge topic:

OVER THE SHOULDER

I found .... The Answer

I Wrote ...

I Solved ...

Flasback:

www.flickr.com/photos/30086389@N05/2915185684/

Question:

Day XX

How to capture a person in a picture? That is the question when it comes to portraits. However, this assignment allows me to think about the people I know and care about and decide what they are recognizable for. Adults have always found their nitch in life by the time they are older. It has always been easy to describe what you remember someone for when reminiscing. However, children can be harder. Children are my passion and they are who I decided to focus on. They are fun and playful and that’s why I decided to play with the pictures and have fun with the kids while I was taking their pictures.

Portrait 1 is a picture of my neighbor girl. She is the thrill seeker. She has always the one jumping off the swing, climbing to the top, and hanging upside down. This was a no brainer to put her upside down on the play set, she was over eager too. The picture had the bars of the swing set giving it some frame work through the picture. The picture was taken in shade and so the black and white seemed perfect with the light on the ground that seeped through the leaves of the tree.

Portrait 2 played off the angle for its fun. She is always riding her bike and asking me to take her on a bike ride so when I asked if I could take pictures of her, she ran back and returned with her bike. I used the light behind her to create more of a contrast. Black and white seemed perfect to create a more depth and contrast to the background of the blank sky and houses. I used her shade to from the sun to allow the brightness and focus of her. The light behind her makes her stand out from the background. The houses in the background give lines to picture allowing a frames look to her.

Portrait 3 is of my niece. She loves her bath time and is always playing in water when possible. She loves to have water poured on her face. She loves color so it was perfect to show the picture in color and show the color of the tub. The pool wraps around the body giving a separation to her head. The expression of excitement and expectation of the next glass of water is perfect. The lighting could have been better but the look of expression was what I was going for.

The self portrait was taken by someone else but turned out the way I wanted. I wanted a picture of me doing what I love. Riding my motorcycle is what calms and excites me all at the same time. The Sophia setting was used for this because it helped give the contrast I wanted between me, the road, and the surroundings. The lights on the motorcycle in the picture are perfect because it draws in the eyes but doesn’t overtake or reflect oddly. I knew I wanted to use the lines of the road. Also the poles and lines of wire compliment the picture nicely.

Portraits are wonderful for expressing someone’s passions and feelings. It’s hard to express with words but a portrait can show the expression on the face and in the soul. A photo can only tell the story. It was my job to create the story. I captured the story and they provided the emotion. Each picture came out better than I imagined. They also show exactly the memories I have of each child. I hope all of you can see their passion as much as I do.

Question Mark. Aus der Serie „Satzzeichen“ 2014

Rotierende Skulptur aus Lianen Findling, fluoriszierendes Klebeband, schwarze Totenkopf Büchse und Schwarz Licht

Skulptur, Objekt, Video, Installation, Fotografie

Markus Wintersberger 2014