I know I look sharp

harmful

dangerous

and over-reactive.

But, this is just how I was made.

Don’t be fooled…these pinpricks

are only made for the ones

who attack me first.

You can’t judge a book by its cover

or a plant by its prickles.

It wasn’t my choice to have this form.

So, you’ll have to trust my pure intentions.

I promise for you

I will be different….

caress you like a tickle

whisper sweet nothings in your ears.

I assure you looks deceive

and you will not regret

coming closer

and giving your life to me.

**All poems and photos are copyrighted**

Macro Mondays

Geometry Shapes.

silver square reactive foil

silence

source inward…

vastness depth…

no thought…

color void…

charcoal and light…

familiar form…

outward flow…

waking time…

encountering you…

-rc

/********

One of the early realizations of the life of stillness is that the opposite of the contemplative life is not the active life but the reactive life: highly habituated emotional styles and lifestyles that keep us constantly reacting to life like victimizing victims, ever more convinced that the videos that dominate and shape our awareness are in fact true. The life of stillness gradually heals this split and leads us into wide-open fields where buried treasure lies (Mt 13:45–46), fields where the soul can “bathe in its own space” and “make long swathes in meadow lengths of space.”35 The God we seek already shines through our eyes. May our seeking not blind us to what already lies “hidden in plain sight all around us.”

-A Sunlit Absence Silence, Awareness, and Contemplation; Martin Laird, O.S.A.

Back to Glencoe... Ive still about 20 or so images worth processing and sharing from this trip. I really liked the light just catching the side of the Blackmount slopes whilst the distant tops were engulphed by an incoming snow cloud! It was a reactive handheald shot as moments later the light was gone. But I just was drawn to the mood and contrast.

The first day of this trip was definately my most productive... completely down to the changeable weather I got giving interest to the landscape. Id say 70% of the images where from day 1 and the other 30% from Day 2 and 3! I think if id had 3 days like Day one i'd have ran out of memory cards! LOL

Upward force

Home position

Reactive floating

SEL 181 215, Taben (ligne Trier - Saarbrücken), 01 Juillet 2020.

La 181 215, désormais propriété du SEL, et alors tout récemment réactivée et ressortie d'atelier dans une nouvelle livrée fantaisiste TEE (aucun exemplaire de la série n'a historiquement porté cette livrée au cours de leur carrière à la DB), achemine un lot de DE18 pour la SNCF depuis les usines ex-Vossloh de Kiel, jusqu'à Saarbrücken. Le convoi longe la Saar à l'approche de Taben.

Je dédie cette série de photos à Franck Zumella, Hélio Phil, *Sugarth* Thierry et à helixarx Jean-Pierre pour les remercier de l'aide et des conseils qu'ils m'ont apporté pour le choix de mon nouveau matériel photographique.!!!

Hier c'était la première sortie photo avec ce nouveau matos que je ne maîtrise pas encore, ces photos ont été prises à main levée sans stabilisateur car j'avais oublié de le réactiver.!!!

"C'est comme ça qu'on reconnait les amateurs.ha ha ".

Excellente journée à toutes et à tous.

I dedicate this series of photos to Franck Zumella, Hélio Phil, * Sugarth * Thierry and to helixarx Jean-Pierre to thank them for the help and advice they gave me for the choice of my new photographic equipment.! !!

Yesterday was the first photo outing with this new gear that I do not yet master, these photos were taken by show of hands without stabilizer because I forgot to reactivate it !!!

'This is how we recognize amateurs.ha ha'.

Excellent day to all.

[I ask a special favour. Please start at the first photograph I've posted today ("Convict Built") and work your way back to this one. The reason will become obvious.]

Today I've been examining the history of the Clarendon Estate. It is built alongside the South Esk River in rich pastoral land. As I stood here recently and took this photograph there was no one else around. The COVID-19 restrictions had ensured the estate was closed to tourists and here I was alone with the spirits of the afternoon air.

Sometimes you hear things across the years (and I'm talking "psyche" here not "psychic"). I could give you my theory of ghosts which follows similar lines (but I'll spare you that). Suddenly I re-membered that this place was once the free country of an ancient people. They were not large in number, but it was their country and the country of their ancestors.

Now I'm a free spirit and love liberty all the more as I get older. I'm more than happy to be described as a Libertarian. But the truth of what happened in the early 19th century in this "country" must be told. This is not a left-wing v. right-wing issue though some try to paint it as much. This is about truth, justice and liberty.

So very quickly let me summarise for you the events that took place in what we now call the Northern Midlands of Tasmania. The first inhabitants of the Evandale District were the Palawa people. It was significant land in the foothills of the important mountain known as "turapina" (Ben Lomond). tacinc.com.au/tasmanian-aboriginal-place-names/

This flat plain, that lies between turapina and the Great Western Tiers range that you can see in the background of this photograph, was rich hunting grounds for kangaroos and wallabies. So when first contact was made in the region between the local tribes and colonial settlers, there was no immediate threat on either side. But given its location it was an important meeting place for the clans in the area.

The earliest British settler in the region, David Gibson (1809), would often leave out meat that he had slaughtered for local tribes - possibly as part of a negotiated settlement. When Gov. Macquarie visited the area in 1811, again there was no threat. But by the 1820s this had all changed.

It appears the increasing number of settlers - and many without the scruples of a David Gibson - led to open conflict with the tribes in an attempt to drive them off the land. But this is not just any land. This is ancestral lands. This is the place beyond the limitations of time and space. This is the Dreamtime, a sacred land where Eternity is in our hearts. And this is what I felt very clearly on the afternoon I took this photograph.

The attacks by settlers and the reactive guerrilla actions by the native tribesmen has now been called, "The Black War" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_War . Many died, mostly on the indigenous side.

By 1832 almost all the local clan survivors were rounded up and removed to Flinders Island in a humanitarian program set up by the Rev. George Augustus Robinson to preserve the lives of the survivors.

In almost all public events in Tasmania now, an elder representing the indigenous people presents what is called a "Welcome to country." It is a ceremonial recognition that we all stand on land occupied for millennia by an ancient people who must not be forgotten. For better or worse the historical events are done. We cannot change them. But together we can look to the future to ensure a warm welcome to all, for this is "Our Country".

[Enlarge this photograph, move around and feel this "country".]

How to caple with the Tides? Reactive or static footbridge: This is the static version in top view. Left wet, right dry. Very clever people on Helgoland (= holy land).

Listen to Dum Dum Boys : Tidenes tidsfordriv

a bogie cement tanker, passing the horse landings, salop goods avoider, Crewe. (19. 07. 16)

This, totally random, and impulsive shot, is fairly typical of me,

the train was accelerating away from walking pace, ( i have no idea what the speed limit is here, but it isn't that fast )

i noticed a something, a reflection, in one of the tanks,

so i took the shot,

The sand coloured graffiti added to the illusion, others of the rake had graffiti, it was a complete fluke that i happened to shoot this one.

I have worked it with adjustments and additions, but this is the original, now framed, equally randomly ... the top edge of the framing is actually a shadow and sunlight line across the image, i just utilised it as part of the overall frame.

To see the 2 images created to use this original shot click on the album, "That Cement Tank" just to the right ;-))

Done from my manipulated photos.

I've been experimenting with trying my hand at abstracts. I'm finding that it's more difficult than I thought it would be.

2 chicks tread a bare line in darkness,

Puffs of dust waiting in the nebula

For the spark of another

The one who spins from the heat

A purple, glittering gas

with X ray feathers that beat

Fumbling over the first, beak

Locked like a missile for the second

Target, a growing, reactive star.

Mum always did prefer the second.

Swan A: "Hey, do you see that?"

Swan B: "What?"

Swan A: "Right up there!"

Swan B: "Where?"

Swan A: "I think it's a branch!"

Swan B: "Dude, you better don't think..."

Swan A: "What?"

Swan B: "What what?"

Swan A: "Wait..."

Swan B: "For what?"

Swan A: "I think it's an organism evolving for billions of years from an ancient ancestor based on deoxyribonucleic acid created from the basic star elements by highly reactive carbon chemistry!"

Swan B: "WHAT?"

Swan A: "...No, sorry, it's just a branch, definitely a branch..."

One year ago today, we brought Ivar home from the shelter. He was a 5 month old kitten that was found on the streets. There were a few cuts on his face, he had three kinds of worms, and was very skittish (but also very lovey dovey!). This first year was a bit rough on him because even after healing him up from the cuts & worms, he had several ear infections, needed to have his hip replaced, and went through a round of tests for his digestive system. Now, though, he finally seems to be okay and we really hope he has many years of health & happiness ahead. He certainly deserves it!

He can still be skittish a bit, but is so much less reactive than he used to be. He’s become very brave, exploring new things and reacting positively to my reassurances when he gets a bit scared.

I fell in love with him the instant they placed him in my arms and over this last year, that love has only grown. He will forever be part of my heart.

Here's Harbie just spotting some horses on the television! He was very alert after this shot!

Input events

Reactive view

Form model

Another Harbie shot!! Hard to resist trying to get that perfect 'paw-trait' everywhere we went!! We had chosen this bench for a picnic so we could see the sea.

How could we not love this crazy pup!!

I was trying to sneak up and photograph this Heron and an Egret that was next to it. They both took off and the Heron landed behind some cattails silhouetted against the sky. It was a quick shot that was reactive rather than planned. I almost deleted this image, but instead processed it through Lightroom and decided to keep it.

Just a bit south of Canon Beach. My girlfriend was bugging me to go back to the car because she was cold. I gave her the keys and stayed.

Featuring:

Available at Enchantment!

Here is Harbie spotting a dog in the distance and getting ready to bark at it! We have a long way to go but it was nice to take him out there.

© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved

Candid street photography from Glasgow, Scotland. A rapid reactive shot to a fast moving subject so the focus is a little off but there are some seriously interesting tattoos and piercings here. It looks to me like she has inked her chakras and there are some curious moon phase tattoos on her hands. Enjoy!

Humans have long gazed toward the heavens, searching to put meaning and order to the universe around them. Although the movement of constellations were the easiest to track, other celestial events such as eclipses and the motion of planets were also charted and predicted.

The night sky definitely has colours, but they are too faint to see just with the eye. Airglow is caused by reactive atoms created by the dissociation of oxygen and nitrogen by solar UV during the day. This occurs in the low densities of the upper atmosphere they can last well into the night, and when they recombine they produce the photons that cause the airglow. The main source is atomic oxygen, at high levels most of the photons are red, but below 100km there is a green layer.

There are also the different colors of nebulae. The natural colors of hydrogen emission nebulae range from blue and magenta, to red. If oxygen is present, it emits a very saturated green that changes the color of the nebulae making them teal, cyan, green, or even bluish-white.

The constellation Ophiuchus is the Serpent Bearer. This large constellation can be seen in the night sky from June through October. Although most of the stars are dim, Ophiuchus' teapot shape makes it easy to find. Ophiuchus is full of celestial objects. There are numerous clusters and one nebula in the constellation.

Only to scratch the surface of what is in the night sky.

I spent this morning giving the students a lecture on the various approaches to photography.

After discussing Jeff Wall’s thoughts of the farmer vs the hunter, I decided to take a trip to a new location during my lunch break. My purpose was to create reactive landscape photography.

The weather was absolutely brutal. I was completely exposed on the cliff edge and I did not take a tripod. Thankfully the image stabilisation system in my camera allowed to to close my aperture just enough to get some wonderful images of the coastline at Portreath.

The feeling of walking away from a spontaneous shoot with the thought of one photograph that you’re excited about is amazing. This is my photograph.

Hopefully this will inspire them to get out with their cameras…

Harbie has had his annual check up and vaccinations at the vet. I expected it to be a challenging visit and it was a bit, but luckily there weren't any other dogs there for him to bark at! I had warned the receptionist he was reactive to other dogs and she made sure he was the last appointment on a day that Tim could help me take him there. He did yelp when the vet did his vaccination but Harbie forgave him immediately and jumped up as if to say, "I still love you!" He's put on weight since last year but that's probably due to the positive reinforcement training we've been doing with him - we'll just have to keep an eye on things!!

Can you believe it's exactly 2 years since we collected Bosnian Harbie from the kennels near Hatfield to begin his life with us?!

We have had Harbie as part of our family since Friday the 13th May 2022. There have been many times I have wondered if we can cope with this scoundrel, but it looks like he's going nowhere!!

We have had ups and downs with his reactivity to dogs, but I do think we have made improvements since we first had him. Back then he would have barked at all dogs we saw out and the barking and lunging would go on for up to 5 minutes for me - he's a heavy, strong dog. But with lots of positive training and a bag constantly filled with dog treats, he is able to see most dogs across the street and not react as long as we keep him moving and talk to him in an encouraging way. He initially barked at mopeds and scooters on the street but that rarely happens now. We aren't where we want to be - with a dog that can go on the train or in a cafe or play in a park - but I believe he is a happy dog and he has lots of human friends.

For my detailed image, I wanted to get a close-up photo of the details of a cheetah’s face. Freeman explains the differences between reactive photos and planned photos, which I thought was interesting. This photo was more reactive since I wanted to see the cheetahs but wasn’t expecting one to walk right up to the fence. I like how this image came out, and I think that it succeeds at capturing the details of the cheetah's face. The exposure, contrast, whites, clarity, and saturation were increased while the highlights, blacks, haze, and noise were reduced. Distracting elements were removed in Photoshop, and there is some post-crop vignetting.

tom del ades, egna, southtyrol, italy

The Roaches, Staffordshire

When everything comes together. Side light from the setting Sun (side light is useful for creating an almost 3D effect in images and what possible better light could you wish for when at the roaches... the jutting rock formations are enhanced beautifully in this kind of light with all of the beautiful textures and geological patterns highlighted.

This was one of those reactive photography shoots which I adore, nothing else gets the adrenaline going when you've got beautiful light which in itself is often fleeting, and then you see a rainbow, which you know is going to be even more fleeting. Then it's just lining up a composition as best you can, luckily this is one I'd already planned, the conditions came together beautifully.

"an interactive/reactive mobile element audio / colour sculpture.. or a colony of affectionate funny looking organisims that get off making music for you."

Watch...Listen...Interact

~EXPERIENCE ART~

Ends soon!

slurl.com/secondlife/Ars Simulacra/106/179/21

Built with Processing

Live visuals from Living Festival VJ set

I blew up a suitcase.

But that's probably not enough info.

Briefly - Tannerite is a legal binary explosive used in reactive targets for long-range shooters. When its two components are mixed, it is still stable, only detonating if struck by an object moving at 2,000fps or faster.

The charge in this video is a half-pound, the standard-sized charge. I had shot at over a dozen Tannerite targets prior to this shot, and while the explosions were loud, they weren't all that impressive. So when my neighbor gave me an old suitcase he was throwing out and I got the brilliant idea to put a Tannerite charge in there, I thought that, at best, it would simply tear a big ragged hole in the suitcase or something.

Had I actually taken a physics course in college, I probably would have had a better understanding about explosions and the expansion of gases and such. Hell - I even got CLOSER because I didn't think it'd be that bad. As you can see, this went way beyond a ragged hole in the suitcase - the whole damned thing blowed up, smacking me and my friend Jose with debris.

This was actually incredibly stupid and not something I'd repeat - at least not at such close range. We really could have gotten hurt.

That said - it's still funny as hell and I can't stop laughing about it.

Caption contest - what's Harbie laughing at?!!

We're excited to unveil the magic of the Labyrinth Rose v2 Set, a stunning addition to the Lightweaver collection! This beautiful, reactive fantasy flower comes with 10 luminous color and emissive modes, and can be enjoyed as a classic color-change (CC) décor piece. Designed with PBR textures, legacy bake fallback textures, and four elegant shape variants, it’s as versatile as it is breathtaking.

Taking up just 2–3 LI, it also comes with optional sound and particles, and scripts that can be deleted, it’s perfect for any environment. Launching at Hallow Manor alongside the Labyrinth Rose Wine Set — don’t miss this radiant seasonal bloom!

Oct 23 Soft opening

Oct 24 General opening

LM: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elysian%20Veil/143/148/23

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French Exercise in the Ivory Coast - Coordination and reactivity - From July 28 to 30, an exercise scenario was conducted by the battalion of the Licorne force.

Involving all the forces, the training aimed to equip the various detachments of full operational capability of the tactical level.

To this end, the sequences were divided into three phases: crowd control, combat in urban areas and the seizure of a target by helicopter operations. The tactical expertise to companies asking employees, sections and crews to control the arms coordination and be able to respond on short notice and in proportion to the threat encountered.

French Exercise in the Ivory Coast - Coordination and reactivity - From July 28 to 30, an exercise scenario was conducted by the battalion of the Licorne force.

Involving all the forces, the training aimed to equip the various detachments of full operational capability of the tactical level.

To this end, the sequences were divided into three phases: crowd control, combat in urban areas and the seizure of a target by helicopter operations. The tactical expertise to companies asking employees, sections and crews to control the arms coordination and be able to respond on short notice and in proportion to the threat encountered.

French Exercise in the Ivory Coast - Coordination and reactivity - From July 28 to 30, an exercise scenario was conducted by the battalion of the Licorne force.

Involving all the forces, the training aimed to equip the various detachments of full operational capability of the tactical level.

To this end, the sequences were divided into three phases: crowd control, combat in urban areas and the seizure of a target by helicopter operations. The tactical expertise to companies asking employees, sections and crews to control the arms coordination and be able to respond on short notice and in proportion to the threat encountered.

In reactive mind, whenever our attention was stolen by a distraction, our attention immediately clung to the distraction. The clinging mind immediately produced a story in our heads about what or whom we are angry at, envious of, ashamed of, puffed-up about, greedy for, envious of. But now, in receptive mind, characterized by a liberating release into our practice and hence cleared of so much mental clutter, all the prepositions fall away. We easily shift our attention from what we are aware of—anger, joy, fear, pain, shame, happiness, peaceful recollection, pride, despair, what have you—to the awareness itself, the very aware-ing, before the clinging mind whisks up a frothy story of anger, joy fear, pain, happiness, recollection, pride, despair. When the “of” falls away there is quite simply no one there to launch a story to tell, no video to play, no one there to comment, chatter, or cling. There is simple joy, fear, pain, happiness, peace, pride, despair that is naked of all narrative. There is no isolated, separate self to whip up all these stories in our heads.

-An Ocean of Light Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation, Martin Laird, O.S.A.

/**************************

There is no Mystery by Klaus Schulze

youtu.be/HqJ1EkxJFQU

The ancient arena champion, reactived and ready to defend his title, whether you like it or not.

Reactive armor

Let us return to the metaphor of the bicycle wheel. It is full of spokes. The spokes are connected to both rim and hub. In reactive mind, our attention is fixed on the rim of the wheel where the spokes are most distant from one another. In receptive mind we can shift our attention from the rim of awareness to the hub of the aware-ing itself—free of any commentary, including the pasted-up, isolated, noise-ridden, independent self. When we do this, the thinking, calculating, screeching, self-loathing, seeking-for-an-object, reactive mind is immediately drawn to silence; that is, until we try to look at it and try to turn awareness into an object. Then we find ourselves yet again strutting and parading on the parapets of delusion, “I am aware of awareness.” This is not what this skill is about. Awareness is not an object. Simple, receptive mind is spacious enough to allow the simple shift from what we are aware of to the intimate, groundless ground of aware-ing itself.

-An Ocean of Light Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation, Martin Laird, O.S.A.

We've just had another training session with Juanita and she gave us some tips for our walks. She wants us to train Harbie to look at us more often when we walk outdoors so that he doesn't pull as much and also train him to touch our hands with his nose to demand. I hope we will see some improvements to his behaviour in time. I like using this lane for part of our walks cos we rarely pass any dogs here.

...is over-reactive and violent.

This poor fikou spider did not deserve this.

Built for the 2022 Bio-Cup in the preliminary round of Nature.

If you haven't thought of entering the Bio-Cup, it's a tournament style building event and your time to enter is running out, so get your Constraction and Technic parts together and start building, the preliminary round ends June 7th!