View allAll Photos Tagged Reasoning
Tomorrow might be a better day or maybe worse, an alteration is not final. The door must be open to let in or seek opinion, that is called reasoning! Without which, the centre of everything is void...!
Let the night pass with the sound of music! Tomorrow might be a better day!
Thank you for your kind visit. I will try to return your kind comments as soon as possible. Enjoy the moment! :-)
"I have always found that Angels have the vanity to speak of themselves as the only wise; this they do with a confident insolence sprouting from systematic reasoning"
William Blake, in "The marriage of heaven and Hell"
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Amtrak's eastbound 'Empire Builder', train number 8, soars over the swollen banks of the Skykomish River on bridge 1753.4 just east of Gold Bar, Washington.
The west side of Stevens Pass endured constant rain for over 24 hours leading up to the day of our visit. The rainstorm culminated by dumping exceptionally heavy showers around mid-day. The tributary creeks and rivers feeding the Skykomish River were raging by the afternoon, dumping the churning white water of their mountain runoff into the typically docile waterway at the center of the Skykomish Valley. After squeezing every lumen of the days usable light into our camera sensors up on Stevens Pass, our group was fixing to photograph one more train before heading for home. A quick glance at Eagle Falls near Baring revealed a maelstrom of white water, surging through the gap in the rocks, leaving no place for even a foolhardy photographer to stand. With even blue hour passing rapidly, and Amtrak #8 advancing steadily towards us, we pushed towards Gold Bar, and the riverside park near bridge 1753.4. Upon arrival, we discovered that the wide silt beach where we had started our day eleven hours before was now under two feet of swirling water. Each successive wave was advancing further into the bushes that typically are well above the touch of the river. A frantic search for alternative angles, on solid ground resulted in the composition above. Partway through my first test exposure, to dial in my camera settings, the trackside trees high above on the western side began to catch the headlights of the approaching train. Fifty five seconds of shutter open time passed slowly, as I did my best to shield my lens from the downpour with my hat.
Barely visible below the truss span, and closest deck girder span are piers remaining from the bridge of the Wallace Falls Timber Company's logging railroad. WFT used a steel span across the center of the river with wooden pile trestle approaches. This bridge allowed WFT to add spurs on the south side of the river to their already extensive network of trackage feeding logs to the mills. Use of a steel bridge for a logging railroad was atypical, but some of the reasoning behind this has been brought to light thanks to local rail historian David Sprau. In his words: "...I always had been told that Wallace Falls Timber had been somewhat hoodwinked into putting a steel and concrete bridge over the river there, instead of a traditional wood or Howe truss, because 'somebody' had assured them that GN would be glad to buy it, and the alignment, from them anytime they wished to sell, because GN was 'very close' to going ahead with a line change at that location."
An article he shared from the September 13, 1929 edition of the Monroe Monitor about recent Great Northern Rwy surveyors working the area adds further substance to this: "The present bridge across the Skykomish River in use by the Wallace Falls Timber company is of the heavy type in use on most railway construction and it is rumoured that the railway officials had some ultimate purpose in mind in getting the timber company to build such a bridge." Unfortunately for the Wallace Falls Timber Co., the Great Northern did not act on any of their plans and surveys for realignment of the mainline between Gold Bar and Index for over 30 more years. By the time GN's 'Reiter Revision' to reduce curvature and ease the ruling grades was under construction in 1960, the WFT had gone out of business, and their trestle was in a state of disrepair. The logging railroad's bridge was demolished not long before the new GN line went into use in 1962. Today the concrete piers stand as the few clues that this place once hosted another railroad.
Thanks to Dave Sprau for his research, and permission to post the above.
During my previous, brief stay in Second Life, I had access to a small white chapel. One of my fondest memories of that time was that chapel.
“We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasoning of the theological mind.”
― A. W. Tozer
The longest running freebie blog on the grid and still going strong! Today a group gift from [erotiK] and gifts from Guapa and NaaNaa's!
Fab Free: fabfree.wordpress.com/2025/08/21/the-sun-in-my-eyes/
"The Sun In My Eyes" by The BeeGees
How can I prove?
There is no reasoning or asking why
Only to prove
I love you deeply with the sun in my eyes
The term nous (rhymes with “juice”) is important in Orthodox spirituality and the Fathers. Nous originally referred simply to the intellect, the means by which one could apprehend truth. In the New Testament, St. Paul often used nous in its ordinary Greek cultural sense of “mind.” The Fathers of the Church also used the word nous and other terms from Greek culture and philosophy; however, through their use in the Church, these terms acquired a specific Christian meaning. Among the Fathers, nous became a theological “term of art”—in other words, it has a specific and specialized meaning.
Nous has been defined and described in various ways. In Orthodox theology, nous refers not to the rational operation of the mind but to that part of the soul that allows the human person to know God, “the purest part of the soul, the eye of the soul.”2 “Man has two centers of knowing: the nous, which is the appropriate organ for receiving the revelation of God that is later put into words through the reason, and the reason which knows the sensible world around us.”
The Fathers frequently referred to the nous, and it has a very specific role in theology according to their experience and understanding. The Fathers rejected the idea that one could acquire knowledge of God by discursive reasoning (dianoia). True knowledge of God is gained through purification of the intellect (nous), and this comes about only with prayer. A famous statement known to all Orthodox theologians is, “The true theologian is one who prays.” A purified intellect grows in its knowledge of God through spiritual experience, not through dialectical reasoning, application of philosophical techniques, or the acquisition of mental skills. “The knowledge of reason is consequently of lower order than spiritual knowledge, apprehension or perception [of divine truth], which is the function of the intellect [nous] and is beyond the scope of reason.”
-Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind Copyright ©2020 Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou
Myocastor coypus, a giant rat known locally as Nutria, curled up tight like Kipling’s Hedgehog straining to become an Armadillo. Sorry, Nutria, Armadillo already has a place in Texan hearts, leaving no room for invasive species. Wetlands at Riverstone is a lovely small nature park in a residential development, which provides a refuge for Nutria by excluding alligators. Safer for stray dogs, I guess.
In a place where you would likely become a victim of the title, UP 1454 leads a healthy sized LBU53X past the fixed aspect semaphore on the south side of Watertown, WI.
The reasoning for this move was to store a bunch of refrigerated boxcars between Fort Atkinson and Jefferson at the end of the line
They say that animals are incapable of feelings and reasoning. This is false. No living thing on earth is void of either. They also say that man is the most intelligent — and the most superior — species on earth. This is also false. It is very arrogant to assume that we are the most intelligent species when we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. It has been shown that both rats and monkeys learn from making errors, yet we have not. Our history proves this. All creatures on earth have the capacity to love and grieve the same way we do. No life on the planet is more deserving than another. Those who think so, are the true savages.
Suzy Kassem,
((Photo taken in Echo Ridge, SURL: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amaria/114/49/22))
It took a long time before the beings let It roam around, not too close, but not so far away from their sight. They would still keep silence on Its presence, keep a tense stance and remain aware of their surroundings, recognizing the predator that It truly was but accepting that in that moment It represented no threat..
Humans would also recognize It but rather as a guardian of the forests where It would roam, respecting its presence and even in counted occasions, bowing to It while leaving a small prey as an offer, most times It would return the gesture and retire in silence as to not intrude their activities since they were still evolving and It did not want to have any influence on them.
Those efforts did not last once those human groups often quiet and respectful broke into the forest to fight for land and a strange new concept that seemed so foreign to them considering their brittle nature: power. These creatures were totally powerless against the nature, they were fragile and mortal, even in their prime there were so many threats surrounding them constantly that It's mind could not comprehend the reasoning behind the fight. More reason for It to avoid them, hiding and running away from the conflict.
Animals were different to humans, they fought because of hunger, because of reproduction and territories which would come to close the circle as it would involve food. Again some seasons where harsher than the others and the possibility to starve during a cold winter was always there.
Things were changing among those pesky humans. It noticed first that they would hunt prey for hunger, but every now and then, also for pleasure and the sake of hurting other creatures. Sometimes to bring misery and destruction to their own kind was more important than survival itself. To destroy all resources to prevent others to survive was more important than their own chances.
The time for a shift was approaching and its endeavors have been unsuccessful for quite a long time now, yet there was still a chance if It traveled further to the North where humans did not roam as often, the vast dark forests extended offering It protection and the cold, oh the cold! It prevented the human legions to set foot to settle on the harsh landscapes. The animals had to live and survive in packs, as climate was often cruel.
The following beast that It chose to assimilate next was a wolf, a young female that would probably have more chances to be accepted than a male loner. Getting close to their packs to watch over them was near impossible at times, as an animated carcass, It did not hibernate and this would freak the life out of the rest of the creatures whom would run at the sight of the already deformed and partially rot bear.
Humans had not run from It the last time, they had carry tools made of minerals and polished pieces of wood and stood defiantly glaring into its direction. How odd, these creatures seemed to have lost the ability to identify It as a predator, all sense of respect for its existence. Was this the real reason behind their extinction? Their inability to identify danger?
CN Q120 is seen shoving the HIT traffic back another 10-12 car lengths so the head end can be taken down the Deepwater Branch to the Halifax Intermodal Terminal. A most unusual move opened up this shot, as 120 got permission to work between Mile 4.3 and 1.8 of the Bedford Sub. Of course, the reasoning for this unique maneuver was due to the fact that there were 168 cars...ahead of the DPU, and then some after that. As can be seen, Rockingham Yard was plugged. CN AC GEVOs 2846 & 2940 provided the head end power, while Tier 4, 3061 was DPU.
I wanted to talk a little about Artificial Intelligence and my purpose is to engage other photographers in a thoughtful discussion. I have already reached out to friends of mine who are photographers that I don't know from Flickr but in real life (What is that?!?!) and have heard their perspectives. Basically, most photographers use Photoshop or Light Room to some extent to manipulate photos and that has been happening for some time and has admittedly become something I use too but, at some point, I am worried that humans aren't going to be using their brains at all and then what's the point of being human???
I've heard about some of the ideas behind being the creative impulse still and basically being a sort of still life director of what you want. I think there's a real economic advantage in terms of being able to have incredible backgrounds for portrait photos you've taken, too, from what I have heard.
But, where I feel like I am very much drawing the line at is street photography. It took quite a long time for me personally to work up the nerve to do street photography myself. I just was so worried I would inadvertently get people mad by taking their photos. Yet, the moment you ask the person in front of you of you have permission to take their photograph (even if the answer is yes), you eliminate the spontaneity of that moment when this human was existing in a space simply being just and only themselves and that is something important to consider. Over the years with facial recognition software, I've become a little more conflicted, especially at political protests, because my need to document the moment should never surpass the need for personal privacy and protections. Weighing all of these ethical dilemmas results in a serious migraine. AI would surely eliminate some of these fears.
On the flip side, the reason I was drawn to street photography has a lot to do with my internal need to capture what it means to be human and a lot of that is lost when you resort to AI where it's all your own ideas vs. a chance to learn something from others, risky or not. When you put yourself out there to capture that moment, you have to wait, you have to use split of the moment reflexes, and you have to use pretty much every facet of your brain's sulci and gryi. It challenges you both philosophically and neurologically. You learn to be an acute judge of micro-expressions, patterns of movement, and predictor of what may happen now and next from thousands of possibilities. You might be the only one there to capture a specific moment (Which is why I sometimes enjoy this more than concert photography) and all of this is in addition to being able to gauge a sense of light, shadow, saturation levels, and perspective. It really requires a higher level of cognitive reasoning, risk, and patience that photographing portraits, nature, or concerts doesn't always involve (although sometimes does).
Basically, are we going to keep using our brains? Because, AI can allow a person who has had a stroke to control their speech areas and communicate or AI can contribute to the obsoluteness of true artists who are yearning to document real moments in the world.
Then again, are there any genuine moments if everything is from the perspective of the photographer, a human privileged enough to have a camera?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
**All photos are copyrighted**
Driving the Washington side of the river following quite a fruitful morning on the BNSF, shades of Armour Yellow moving quickly along the adjacent Oregon shoreline caught our attention as Union Pacific finally cuts loose their first train of the day. With the beautiful 11,249 foot snow-capped peak of Mount Hood towering at its back, Roseville, CA originated merchandise extra MRVHKX 25 races truck and automobile traffic along nearby Interstate 84 through Biggs Junction as it motors eastward across the Portland Sub, following the Columbia River with tonnage for the railroad's hump yard at Hinkle, OR. Flanking next to the fast moving freight, and probably reasoning behind the line's total absence of morning rail traffic, maintenance-of-way flats for a nearby tie gang who are busy working the 20-mile section of double track between here and The Dalles, sit tied down on a couple side tracks once used for the now vacant Biggs Rufus Silo Building, a historical landmark to the area. While you will not get the quantity of train traffic that you would otherwise see on BNSF's side of the Gorge, quality most certainly favors the UP side, such like the case here as a sharp looking array of five company EMD SD70 products front this long, 120-car freight on Memorial Day weekend.
Todos los derechos reservados - All rights reserved - copyright © Pilar Azaña Talán
Los sueños no sólo nos dan alegría, sino que nos ponen en contacto con nuestra propia sabiduría interior, incluso la que sabe cómo curarnos de cualquier cosa. Ir más allá de un diagnóstico requiere de algo más que razonamientos, implica un cambio de rumbo. La dirección que marca un sueño cuenta con el poder y la luz de nuestro corazón, algo que está más allá de cualquier medicina; darse cuenta de esto implica nada menos que sentirnos el capitán de nuestra vida...
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The dreams not only make us happy, they put us in touch with our own inward wisdom, even the one that it knows how to recover of any thing. To go beyond a diagnosis needs of something more than reasonings, implies a change of course. The direction that marks a dream relies on the power and the light of our heart, something that it is beyond any medicine; realize this implies nothing less than us feeling the captain of our life...
i feel like i've been in a state of numbness for the past two weeks after announcing the closing of The Mystic Realms. But with the final public access being tomorrow, it's fully hitting me. Well, no. Every time i've logged in, sentimentality has smacked me across the face and i've sobbed every moment i've looked at the screen. it's been a really hard decision to make.
This realm has been not only a home to so many others, but a safe haven for me as well. my baby, my pride and joy, a world that helped me come together and meet so many incredible people, weave and witness absolutely wonderful stories, and watch creativity flow beyond boundaries. i rekindled friendships with people that i know will be knitted tightly forever, and this place has created a whole new family and world for me that i'd never expected. it's really really hard for me to say good bye and let go of. even moreso, it's really hard feeling like i'm taking it away from all those wonderful people just now listed above. i'm so sorry.
i love each and every one of you, and appreciate you all so very much. especially those that understand the reasoning for the closing and have been so supportive in every decision we've made. i'm so proud of all of you, of us, and this sim as a whole. i hope we all continue to bond and grow together, and i hope to continue to weave stories in whatever worlds we find ourselves in next. thank you for helping make the mystic realms as magical as it came to be.
Revs Institute
The McLaren F1 was the ultimate street car of the Twentieth Century. That was the consensus of the motoring press, and certainly McLaren’s intent. Who better to unseat Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Jaguar than the factory that had accumulated five consecutive Group 7 (Can Am) world championships, three Indy 500 victories and six Formula 1 titles?
Put to the task of creating McLaren’s ultimate street car was Gordon Murray, who became famous designing the Brabham race car that caused the phrase “ground effects” to be coined. Accordingly, the aerodynamics of Murray’s F1 McLaren were exquisite, showing so few wind-harnessing excrescences that one wonders how the car stayed on the road. The secret? A full ground effects under tray is incorporated with air entering the venturi channel below the front bumper between the flanking radiator openings. Engine air is ducted through the roof. While there is a rear spoiler, it pops up only under braking to apply downforce on the rear to compensate for nose dive.
What the F1 doesn’t have is telling as well: active suspension, four-wheel drive, power steering, anti-lock brakes. The reasoning was that the first two add weight, the third dulls steering response, ABS brings lack of driver control. The factory was confident experienced connoisseurs, who were McLaren’s market, would approve the deletions.
The F1’s body, a monocoque hull made wholly of carbon fibre, was styled by Peter Stevens. The one-plus-two seating configuration is one Murray had doodled in school notebooks while attending college in South Africa. The passengers are literally staggered into a “rear” seat. The center driving position means one doesn’t get into the car so much as install oneself. Once the dihedral door is swung upward and forward, the driver rolls rump-end first across the left-side passenger area, swinging feet down into position. The owner’s manual provides a diagram.
In the motoring world the F1 was as avidly anticipated as the various incarnations of Star Wars. With a top speed of 240 mph (set by McLaren with the prototype car in stock configuration at VW’s test track) and 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, it did not disappoint. A total of one prototype and 68 production F1 McLarens were built from 1993 to 1998.
Woke up this morning, well rested and in a good mood.
My better half is down south and can therefore not interfere with her wisdom and rational reasoning, so my ideas could flow freely, undisturbed, so to say.
So I called up a few comrades and said: "How about WE got to Moscow and track down that Vladimir? I am so sick of his shit."
They all went: "Hell yeah! Let´s go!"
So, here we are now, at the Polish border.
(Please be so kind and send money to diesel via PayPal or something, you have no idea how much these vehicles drink per mile.)
Remember this date, and have a nice weekend, we´re going to have fun for sure.
The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. It is a large bird with mostly black plumage and a red bill. It is a monogamous breeder, with both partners sharing incubation and cygnet-rearing duties. Source Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan
Black swan theory :
The black swan theory or theory of black swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. The term is based on an ancient saying that presumed black swans did not exist – a saying that became reinterpreted to teach a different lesson after the first European encounter with them.
Taleb's "black swan theory" refers only to unexpected events of large magnitude and consequence and their dominant role in history. Such events, considered extreme outliers, collectively play vastly larger roles than regular occurrences. More technically, in the scientific monograph "Silent Risk", Taleb mathematically defines the black swan problem as "stemming from the use of degenerate metaprobability"
The phrase "black swan" derives from a Latin expression; its oldest known occurrence is from the 2nd-century Roman poet Juvenal's characterization in his Satire VI of something being "rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno" ("a rare bird in the lands and very much like a black swan"). When the phrase was coined, the black swan was presumed not to exist. The importance of the metaphor lies in its analogy to the fragility of any system of thought. A set of conclusions is potentially undone once any of its fundamental postulates is disproved. In this case, the observation of a single black swan would be the undoing of the logic of any system of thought, as well as any reasoning that followed from that underlying logic. Source Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
Lien vers le texte en langue française
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9orie_du_cygne_noir
TD : Sony Alpha 6000 @Pentax-M 200mm f/2.8 prime lens.
1/640 f/8 800ISO. Processed in ACR, converted to jpeg in PS6.
The National Theatre, located in Budapest originally opened in 1837. Since then, it has occupied several locations, including the original building at Kerepesi Street, the People's Theatre at Blaha Lujza Square, as well as Hevesi Sándor Square, its longest temporary location. It currently occupies the National Theatre building, which opened March 15, 2002.
The concept of a national theatre in Budapest was born at the turn of the 18th-19th century, promoted by influential thinkers including Ferenc Kazinczy and Baron István Széchenyi. Széchenyi was a major figure in Hungary's reform. He dreamed of a great building on the bank of the Danube that would operate in the form of a joint-stock company. He proposed his plans in his 1832 pamphlet, A Magyar Játékszínről.
The Hungarian Parliament made the decision to move forward with a national theatre in its 41st article of 1836. Led by Antal Grassalkovich, construction began in 1835 on Kerepesi Street. With a company assembled in the previous four years by András Fáy and Gábor Döbrentei (playing in the Court Theatre of Buda), the theatre opened on August 22, 1837, under the name Pesti Magyar Színház (Hungarian Theatre of Pest). Its goals were to give birth to the national drama and to showcase classics of world literature. Nationalized in 1840, the name was changed to the National Theatre, which it still holds today.
The National Theatre building was demolished in the 1900s. The company moved to the People's Theatre at Blaha Lujza Square in 1908. In the following decades, the company was only a tenant of People's Theatre, and the building's state continually deteriorated. In 1963, authorities decided to demolish it, citing metro line construction as the reasoning. Operation ceased one year later, and the building was demolished on April 23, 1965. The company transferred to the renovated Petőfi Theatre (today is known as Thália), in Nagymező Street. Two years later, it relocated again to the former Magyar Theatre in Hevesi Sándor Square.
After the demolition of the People's Theatre, a proposal was made to build the new theater in the City Park, at Felvonulási Square. An international design contest for the new theatre was held in 1965. No first place prize was awarded, and instead the second place prize was shared between the plans of Miklós Hofer and Jan Bogusławski - Bohdan Golebiewski. The planning, led by Hofer, stretched on for the better part of two decades. The building permit was finally granted in 1985, but the construction work went no further than chopping down a few trees. In 1988, a tender was held for a new location and Engels Square (today Erzsébet Square) was chosen. Another decade passed without any progress. In 1996, Parliament agreed to move on to the next phase. However, the project was delayed again due to political quarrels over the next several years. The project resumed again with architect Ferenc Bán being declared the winner, but the newly elected government stopped the work, finding it too costly.
In 1999, ministry commissioner György Schwajda commissioned Mária Siklós to make plans for a building at a new location Essenza, the bank of the Danube. This decision was met with anger from the Hungarian architect community, and a bid was held. György Vadász's won the bid. He did not modify Siklós's plans further, and construction began with Siklós's plans on September 14, 2000. The new National Theatre opened on March 15, 2002, Hungary's National Day.
My one and only entry into this year's Summer Joust, in the Bridging the Gap category.
What's more challenging than a structure that's unsupported over 32 studs? A structure spanning 32+ studs that's only supported on one side!
... Or at least that was my reasoning going into this project. :P What I thought would take me a month turned into 7 weeks, and I had to abandon any plans for other entries just to finish this one on time. And now I never want to touch a lime green brick again. :P
The end result is remarkably sturdy though. I started with the hand and worked my way downward, and the underlying technic armature held up the full weight of the hand for the entire build time without any issue. Truly amazing what Lego is capable of—the whole arm is connected with just four technic pins at the base. If I were to press down hard on the palm, the landscape would break in half before anything happened to the arm.
See if you can spot the hidden skunk!
And here's proof that the structure spans 32+ studs.
EDIT: Check out the strength test on Instagram!
Et que ferait il s'il ne se souvenait même pas qui lui avait dit que TOUT se passait ici. Dans l'instant. Il pourrait alors poursuivre tous ses raisonnements. Sans faille. Ce qu'il a pu imaginer trouver en ces lieux ... il le trouverait ou... il la trouvera !
...
And what would he do if not even remember who told him that EVERYTHING was going on here. In the moment. It could then continue its reasoning. Flawless. Imagine what he could find in these places ... he would find when he will find ... ...
.
Kim was at the supermarket.
All the beer except Corona was sold out.
Corona was at reduced prices.
It has to have been because of its name, right?
I certainly don't understand the reasoning processes.
She got limes to go with it.
Does this mean we're more or less likely to get
Corona and Lime Disease?
She also says that the Asian food section was full.
And she overheard someone saying, "no, don't get from there."
All perceiving is also thinking, all reasoning is also intuition, all observation is also invention.
Rudolf Arnheim
A House Sparrow sits all fluffed up to keep warm. It was a rather chilly day, so I can see the reasoning behind this.
The S-92B is an anti-aircraft platform in service with the Zlovenian National Army.
Inspired by conspicuous amounts of vodka and Kop-Tek Industry's attempt at mounting a silly gun on the back of a truck, the engineers at Zlovenia Arms Incorporated decided to do the same thing. The result was a 20mm chain gun mounted on the platform of an S-53 Kuše SAM system. With 2 MANPADs because why the hell not at this point, the reasoning went.
And so, with a health dosage of military-industrial complex and a dash of alcohol, the S-92B somehow went into production as an actual thing.
In service, the S-92B, despite it's interesting origins, has actually proved to be a quite effective, if expensive, point defense system.
For Divide And Conquer VI.
The Cauldron, Glencoe, Scotland
I won’t bore you all with the history behind this reasoning but if I go to Glencoe specifically to photograph Glencoe I stay in the Kingshouse Hotel right in the heart of the area. It’s a bit of an indulgence I know but it cuts down on the driving and it’s nice to be able to look out the window to see what the weather is actually doing rather than relying on the various weather apps we Togs fill up our phones with.
Another of the benefits of staying at The Kingshouse Hotel is that it’s a very short walk to a small set of waterfalls that someone (a Tog I expect) named ‘The Cauldron’. I’ve seen it flowing pretty full and also quite dry but never frozen before. I have to say when I got there on my first full day in Glencoe I was quite taken aback at the degree of freezing that had occurred.
Normally I’d have been down in the water with my wellies and tripod but I could not predict how thick the ice would be, what depth the water beneath it was and, even if I’d risked it, one crack in the ice and many a composition would have been ruined!
I therefore contented myself with shooting from a ledge or with the tripod and camera only resting on the ice. Me being me I spent quite a while shooting various photostacked and bracketed images (and both as a series) trying various compositions. They haven’t all worked out and others I’m in two minds about however just the fun I had looking at the frozen water and being out in those conditions were more than enough.
© All rights reserved to Steve Pellatt. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
Enlightenment Also known as "The Age of Reason".
It was thought during the Enlightenment that human reasoning could discover truths about the world, religion, and politics and could be used to improve the lives of humankind. Scepticism about received wisdom was another important idea; everything was to be subjected to testing and rational analysis.
Nothing rational about Glastonbury.
Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.
“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.”
- Santosh Kalwar
Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=hejHkPaoPWw
SHAPE OF MY HEART by STING
WHAT IS THE SHAPE OF MY HEART WITHOUT HIM
Addiction is a funny thing; it takes you by surprise
You think that you're just having fun;
not aware you're telling lies
He gambled away all that he had,
didn't realise until it was gone
now he shuffles through the darkness;
eyes cast down to hide his shame
He doesn't even see me closely following
he is hollowed out from deep within
we move in very different circles now;
we live through varied; indifferent times
His steps are small and slow; unhurried;
he has no place to go.
my steps are faster; quickly hurrying
I wonder if he even knows
and if he feels me as I pass him by
he shows no trace of recognition;
doesn't question why
He gambled everything we had
he gambled away his life
the stakes were high;
but when the chips were down
he gambled away our love
I spent so long in trying to save him
because he wouldn't save himself
reasoning became so pointless; futile;
he wouldn't fight to spare my health
he sold my art to feed his habit
sold my diamond engagement ring
with sapphires like my bright blue eyes
now clouded when I sing
but what is the definition of addiction
can anyone among us tell me why
I would waste my life in chasing something
that was only born to live so long then die
what is the shape of my heart without him
it lies broken; shattered on the floor
the angels tried to piece it back together again
but it will never be as good as it was before
Once something so very beautiful is broken
there's a fragile weakness that remains
and the glue that once held you altogether
never sets as fast or strong again.
- AP – Copyright remains with the author
'copyright image please do not reproduce without permission'
My artwork is a compilation of 5 of my photographs
Looking at the results of ILPOTY I couldn’t help feeling that many of the winning photos looked so surreal, if that’s the right word, maybe sublime is a better fit. Struggling with my choice of adjectives I look up the two words. Surreal: Marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream. Sublime: Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe. Looking at these definitions I’ve decided that surreal was the right choice, for me. My reasoning is that I couldn’t image in reality standing on this earth and seeing scene such as presented by the photographer. Look up the results of ILPOTY and tell me what you think. My photo of the day is a morning in Hertfordshire last month.
Yesterday and immediately after prolonged showers the sun came out and two intrepid adder fans went hunting. Reasoning that the recent cold weather would have made the snakes grateful for any sunshine we were rewarded with at least 8 sightings including a melanistic animal. Happy Days and thanks again to my friend Andy without whom I would never find any.
As evening sets in, BNSF 9662 leads a loaded coal train south as it meets a BNSF Geometry train at the Academy passing siding withing the USAF Academy grounds.
I remember this shot almost not happening. While waiting for the trains to show up, Security Forces stopped by and asked what was my reasoning for being here. I told them of my intentions, showed ID, and even showed them my photos of other trains. Now since this is federal property, i'm at their mercy, not so if this was public property. Interestingly, he didn't care about the trains, but I was told to delete photos of the Academy's aircraft and gliders that i took earlier while they were flying. Once he saw me physically delete them, he went on his way. Don't know why, but for this shot, it was a small price to pay.
Lake Mackenzie
New Zealand
There are some images we have a strong emotional tie to while others we feel appear the best. Of all the scenes I photographed in New Zealand, this one has by far the strongest emotion associated with it. Whether it was because the whole day was wet beyond belief leading up to this or whether it was just the scene itself, I'll never know. Perhaps the scene won't be remembered by others looking at this image with the same poignancy but I'd like to share this moment and my reasoning with you for this series!
The 1080p version of our NZ trip is here:
After seeing Rich Barnett’s photo, from his father Bob’s collection, of GRWO at the Quinipoxet Reservoir back in the day, it urged me to dig this one out from a 2016 chase with Nick Palazini of a pair of the P&W’s “bigger” motive power in charge of train GRWO returning from the Pan Am interchange. Although taken from a slightly different angle, the location is exactly the same and shows how over grown a few decades has made this particularly “off limits” location. We were indeed accosted by the big bad water police for being here as he didn’t believe our reasoning, but were saved when the engineer (a good friend of ours) made it known we were there just for pictures, and we went on our way. I don’t suggest going here for a photo as it might not work out in your favor and could land you in some trouble with the heightened security of the reservoir. Plus, this was 6 years ago and I’d imagine this is even more overgrown now.
Here’s a link to Rich’s father’s photo for comparison:
flic.kr/p/2nsB3ZV
August 2016
Princeton, MA.
"Research has also shown that many older folks tend to be happier than younger ones. Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, commented that “people’s goals and reasoning change as they come to appreciate their mortality and recognize that their time on Earth is finite. When people face endings they tend to shift from goals about exploration and expanding horizons to ones about savoring relationships and focusing on meaningful activities,”
Thanks for visiting and for your feedback. Enjoy your week.
The astute philosopher seeks the optimum environment to contemplate the epistemological, metaphysical, and axiological concepts that form the foundational pillars of philosophical investigation.
Some masters have retreated to mountain heights. Others to temples of knowledge. Linus prefers a bench in Turtle Crossing Park.
It offers the quiet solitude (Sometimes.) that is conducive to clear, flowing thought. Both inductive and deductive reasoning are vigorously pursued.
...
...grrrmbbll...
...
Linus has deduced that his hunger is an epistomological certainty, his empty stomach is a metaphysical reality, and a cheeseburger is of immense axiological value.
...
...grrrmbbll...
...
Time to head to Boop's. There, Linus will be able to more fully explore the insurmountable ontology of the cheeseburger, the profound aesthetic of grilled beef and cheese, and the evident causality on the effect of his hunger.
It's all for philosophy.
•────────────────•°•❀•°•────────────────•
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Peanuts Collection
50 Years Celebration
Linus
1998, Flambro
Flambro is another of our favorite brands for the Peanuts license. We had an account with them when we had our collectibles store and Flambro never failed to delight with their colorful and innovative designs.
This series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Peanuts (Which occured in 2000), features nine figurines, each of them incredibly cute, such as Linus here.
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50429117446/
Linus has been seen making Sally Brown's day in BP 2022 Day 93:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51979042027
And ruining Sally Brown's evening in Halloween 2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/44916334414
Linus has been seen in celebrating Christmas 2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/25405215048
And Christmas 2022:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52583890655
And loooots of philosophizing in BP 2019 Day 104:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/47556990622
In BP 2022 Day 86:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51964794123
In BP 2023 Day 71:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52742510422
In BP 2024 Day 119:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53684193732
in BP 2025 Day 117:
If truth lies outside the realm
of our conscious perception
and reasoning, then
other means must be defined to find
evidence of its place and
proof of its existence
monoprint, DM, 2021
Galileo Galilei was an important Italian scientist, physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. His scientific contribution started a new era in the history of astronomy, he was the first astronomer to access new knowledge using the telescope. He defended the concept that the Earth was not the center of the universe.
Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, on February 15, 1564, son of Vincenzo Galilei and Julia Ammannati. His parents noticed Galilei's great intelligence and special aptitudes from an early age. The boy showed an interest in the arts and performed excellent paintings, demonstrating manual skill and creativity to manufacture toys and contraptions. He played the organ and zither with aplomb. Thus, Galilei excelled in studies at the Sunday school in Vallombrosa and planned to enter the monastery, but his father did not agree with the idea and enrolled him to study medicine at the University of Pisa. Two years after joining, he dropped out of the course and went to dedicate himself to the study of mathematics. The move did not please his father, and Galilei ended up dropping out of the University in 1585. He did not complete any degrees, but in the same year he went to Florence and began giving private lessons to support himself. He stood out for his research in geometry and continued with his mathematical studies.
It was at this time that he invented the hydrostatic balance, a mechanism that would be published in a detailed treatise in the year 1644. In 1589, in recognition of his scientific contributions and brilliant reasoning, he was appointed to the chair of mathematics at the University of Pisa. He was not welcomed by teachers, as he was only 25 years old, had incomplete academic training and publicly discredited Aristotle's established theories. In 1590 Galilei published a treatise on the motion of bodies. In 1591 he was removed from the professorship, after succumbing to intrigues and disputes with Aristotle's supporters. In 1592 he was appointed by the Senate of Venice to teach mathematics at the University of Padua, a position he would hold for 18 years. In 1609 he built a telescope based on the one previously invented by Hans Lippershey in Holland. Galilei made meticulous observations of the sky and incredible discoveries: he located the four largest moons of Jupiter and the mountains and craters on the Moon's surface. And when he detected spots present on the Sun's surface, the discovery helped to prove his theory that the star rotated on an axis. He investigated Saturn and observed what appeared to be two fixed moons, which were the edges of Saturn's ring system, but Galilei's telescope was not accurate enough to determine exactly what those points were.
His findings were collected and published in March 1610 in the book “The Messenger of the Stars”. The work was acclaimed and also generated much controversy, as Galilei publicly defended Nicolaus Copernicus' theory that the Sun was the center of our Solar System, not the Earth. At that time, the Catholic Church fully controlled science and held the opposite view, that the center was the Earth.
In 1616 Galilei was cornered by the authorities of the Inquisition and threatened with the death penalty if he did not publicly deny the scientific truths he had proved. He was expressly prohibited from teaching and propagating ideas that were contrary to the position of the Church. Even so, in 1632 he published the "Dialogue Concerning the Two Greatest Systems of the Universe", causing the Church's total rejection and intolerance. Prevented from continuing with his research and theories, the scientist retired to his castle located in Arcetri, a village near Florence, where he dedicated himself to pursuing his experiments alone.
Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642 in Arcetri, Italy. He was almost blinded by the observation of sunspots done without adequate protection for decades. Three hundred and fifty years later, through Pope John Paul II, on October 31, 1992, the Catholic Church formally recognized the legitimacy of Galilei's theories.
***
He is reburied here:
The lifeboats of the RMS Titanic played a crucial role in the disaster of 14–15 April 1912. The ship had 20 lifeboats that, in total, could accommodate 1,178 people, approximately half of the 2,208 on board the night it sank. RMS Titanic had a maximum capacity of 3,547 passengers and crew.
18 lifeboats were used, loading between 11:45 p.m. and 2:15 a.m., though Collapsible Boat A floated off the ship's partially submerged deck, and Collapsible Boat B floated away upside down minutes before the ship upended and sank.
Many lifeboats only carried half of their maximum capacity; there are many versions as to the reasoning behind half-filled lifeboats. Some sources claimed they were afraid of the lifeboat buckling under the weight, others suggested it was because the crew were following orders to evacuate women and children first. As the half-filled boats rowed away from the ship, they were too far for other passengers to reach, and most lifeboats did not return to the wreck, due to fear of being swamped by drowning victims. Only lifeboats 4 and 14 returned to retrieve survivors from the water, some of whom later died.
1,503 people did not make it on to a lifeboat and were aboard Titanic when she sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. 705 people remained in the lifeboats until later that morning when they were rescued by RMS Carpathia. Those aboard the lifeboats were picked up by Carpathia over the course of 4 hours and 30 minutes, from about 4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and 13 of the lifeboats were also taken aboard. The lifeboats were returned to the White Star Line at New York Harbor, as they were the only items of value salvaged from the shipwreck, but subsequently vanished from history over time.
Although nothing remains of the original lifeboats, some surviving fittings can still be seen such as nameplates reading 'S.S. TITANIC' of which several are known to exist in museums and private collections, along with brass numbers, port plates reading 'LIVERPOOL' and house flags of the White Star Line such as a burgee removed from the hull of one lifeboat by a souvenir hunter and now displayed in the museum of the Titanic Historical Society. A full-size, accurate replica lifeboat is now on display at the maritime museum in Falmouth, England and a less accurate one in Belfast at the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction.
North Park
Redheaded Woodpecker, either excited to see me or angry I haven't been around and is approaching to scratch my eyes out. I'll let your deductive reasoning finish the scenario. :-)
We Will SEE!
So glad I go this Thursday evening! And wish now, I had gotten, the whole bush's pic.
A strom came thru on Friday evening!
and when I got home, about 630PM!
She had fallen over, on the ground! Yes poor old Rhodie had hit the ground!
NOW! Poor old Rhodie ,Needs rescuing, when the rain lets up!
I will try to Tie, and help her , back up to bloom , out,the rest of what,short, season they do bloom.
HOPE every one had a great WEEK - End
If you are in these, storm area be careful! Be safe
I think we are suppose, to see RAIN, for about 3 DAYS, Again.
Please Do be Careful!
Still am I ever so confident, and persuaded ,God has it all UNDER, His Control!
Sometimes HE has to calm the storms Then some times he calms Us and other too! Gald to KNOW He can walk on every storm of LIFE! Big and little ones too
And His reasonings are not our either! Just Glad to know, the Storm Wave, walker and Rider!
Do have,a happy safe, week end! I do Pray ,every one is Safe,and okay too!
Cindy Lou
Dolphins have incredible intelligence, their brains contain spindle neurons. These enable superior brain functions such as recognising, remembering, reasoning, communicating, perceiving, adapting to change, problem-solving and understanding. Other animals that contain spindle neurons are elephants and apes such as gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.
Working on the water in the same area i see dolphins on a regular basis, they are inquisitive creatures and very social. This dolphin swam alongside the boat, tilted to one side and looked me in the eye. It felt like she recognised me. I wonder ?
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands
Cour suprême des Pays-Bas
Hoher Rat der Niederlande
The Hague, Korte Voorhout 8
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands, literally "High Council of the Netherlands") is one of the highest courts of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba. The Court was established on 1 October 1838 and sits in The Hague, Netherlands.
The Court has exclusive final jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters. In certain administrative cases it has final jurisdiction as well, while in other cases this jurisdiction rests with the adjudicative division of the Council of State, the Central Appeals Tribunal (Centrale Raad van Beroep), the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (College van Beroep van het bedrijfsleven) as well as judicial institutions in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Court is a court of cassation, which means that it has the competence to quash or affirm rulings of lower courts, but no competence to re-examine or question the facts. It only considers whether the lower courts applied the law correctly and the rulings have sufficient reasoning. In so doing it establishes case law. According to Article 120 of the Constitution, courts may not rule on the constitutionality of laws passed by the States General and treaties. With the exception of constitutional Court of Sint Maarten courts (which rules on constitutionality with regards to the Sint Maarten constitution only) have thus no competence for judicial review with respect to the Constitution.
The Supreme Court currently consists of 36 judges: a president, 6 vice-presidents, 25 justices (raadsheren, literally "Lords of the Council") and 4 justices in exceptional service (buitengewone dienst). All judges are appointed for life, until they retire at their own request or mandatorily at the age of 70.
History
The development of cassation in the Netherlands was heavily influenced by the French during the Batavian Revolution at the end of 18th century. The establishment of the Supreme Court on 1838 brought an end to the Grote Raad van Mechelen and its successor the Hoge Raad van Holland, Zeeland en West-Friesland, which both served as high appellate courts.
Authority
In the Netherlands a case is first heard by one of the ten district courts (rechtbanken). Afterwards, either side may appeal to one of the four courts of appeal (gerechtshoven). Finally, either party may file a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court.
Source: Wikipedia
About the architecture
The building is located in the historic city center of The Hague along the Korte Voorhout and adjacent to Malieveld park. The new design, with the measured vibrancy of its facades, interacts with the trees across the street announcing the city gateway. The main entrance is flagged by six bronze statues, with a single pane of glass subtly marking the transition from the street to the interior. The transparency of the building signifies both accessibility to the public as well as the soundness and clarity of judgment. The entrance hall with courtrooms forms the public area and double height ceilings span the full length of the building. The floors and walls are of a light grey limestone that exudes a velvety texture. The upper floors accommodate offices, a library with study places, a restaurant, and council and meeting chambers. Daylight permeates the building through several skylights, forming the core of the distinct domains of the Council and Procurator General Office. The light, the sightlines throughout the space, and the open perspective inspire social interaction, encourage the exchange of ideas and opinions, and allows for informal gatherings.
Source: kaanarchitecten.com/work/supreme-court-of-the-netherlands/
In front of the façade, facing the street, six bronze statues depicting Dutch jurists, active between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.
Hugo de Groot (1583-1645) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Grotius
Simon van Leeuwen (1626-1682) nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_van_Leeuwen (only in dutch)
Ulricus Huber (1636-1694) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrik_Huber
Johannes Voet (1647-1713) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Voet
Cornelis van Bijnkershoek (1673-1743) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_van_Bynkershoek
Joan Melchior Kemper (1766-1824) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Melchior_Kemper
I got to keep a running
from thirsty ones wanting a leaning,
I am not one who’s sustaining,
and that I fill, comes a drowning
I got to keep on spinning,
from fools wanting a lightning
I'm not one who's brightening
and a thunder, the only earning
And I got to keep on hastening
from sinner seeking pardoning,
for I’m not her who is divining
and that brave me, yet owes his reckoning
and ones wanting not a burning
and ones wanting not a groaning
and ones fearing much a lightning
there, I’ll be a returning.
and ones without reasoning
there I’ll be a meaning,
In hands of the uncomplaining
there, I’ll be a sustaining.
Okay, John and Jax. Having been tagged by both of you in less than 24 hours, I guess I really need to go ahead and devote the time to this task. My favorite 10 albums of all time. IMPOSSIBLE! It simply cannot be done. To try and cultivate into a mere 10 albums (and let alone rank them) a half a century of musical tastes and preferences is physically impossible. So I cannot even begin to do so.
I can however, relate to you perhaps ten albums that, for a plethera of reasons, have impacted who I am, how I feel about life or world issues or just everyday living, or have seeded themselves firmly into the medley of musical variations I have come to enjoy over the span of 50 years. Some are rock, some are country, some are blues, some are just uniquely different. But the majority of them have had their early roots in the blues, or have been influenced by various blues artists to some degree. So in no particular order, here they are.
SRV, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Sky is Crying.
Released about one year after Vaughan's death in 1990, the album features ten tracks originally recorded between 1984 and 1989.
The Sky Is Crying illustrates many of Vaughan's musical influences, including songs in the style of traditional Delta blues, Chicago blues, jump blues, jazz blues, and Jimi Hendrix. The album's tone alternates primarily between uptempo pieces and gritty, slow blues. The album includes a Grammy-winning extended instrumental cover version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing"; "Chitlins con Carne", a jazz instrumental; and, "Life by the Drop", a song written by Vaughan's friend Doyle Bramhall and played on acoustic guitar. This song is not about Vaughan's struggle with drug abuse, as many think, but actually about Vaughan's friendship with Doyle Bramhall from Bramhall's perspective.
ZZ Top, Tres Hombres.
Tres Hombres is the third album by American blues-rock band ZZ Top, released in 1973, and marked the first of many times the band worked with engineer Terry Manning. It proved to be the group's commercial breakthrough, attracting a far larger fanbase. The album hit the top ten while the single "La Grange" hit 41 on the singles chart.
The band's name is often said to be a combination of two popular brands of rolling paper, Zig-Zag and Top. It has also been claimed as a tribute to blues singer Z. Z. Hill. However, Gibbons wrote in his autobiography, Rock + Roll Gearhead, that it actually came from a tribute to and a play on the name of blues guitar master B. B. King. The band had planned to call themselves Z.Z. King, but felt it was too similar. Since B.B. King was at the "top", they settled on ZZ Top.
In January 1973, ZZ Top opened for The Rolling Stones three shows in Hawaii. They also began recording with engineer Terry Manning at Ardent Studios in Memphis. The resultant third album, Tres Hombres (1973), was the first for which the band gained a million-seller and wide acclaim. Hombres featured ZZ's classic hit "La Grange", written about the Chicken Ranch, a famous La Grange, Texas bordello (that was also the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). Other album cuts like "Waitin' for the Bus" and its immediate follower "Jesus Just Left Chicago" became fan favorites and rock-radio staples. However, my favorite tune to be spawned on this album was "Hot, Blue and Righteous".
Delbert McClinton, Never Been Rocked Enough.
This album is probably the most currently produced album on my list here, and possibly on my list of the 50 most influential albums for me. It as produced and relased in 1992. Nothing since then, at least to my immediate knowledge, would make the list.
Delbert McClinton (born 4 November 1940, Lubbock, Texas) is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. Active as a side-man since at least 1962 and as a band leader since 1972, he has recorded several major-label albums, and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Hot Country Songs charts. His highest-peaking single was "Tell Me About It", a 1992 duet with Tanya Tucker which reached #4 on the Country charts. He has also had four albums that made it to #1 on the U.S. Blues chart, and another that reached #2.
His 1992 release of this album featured the hit single "Every Time I Roll the Dice", which made it to #13 on the US Mainstream Rock charts, While the album only made it to #113. He has written for and recorded with a group of musicians that reads like the who's who or the music industry, including John Lennon.
And at the legendary Skyliner Ballroom, where McClinton's band was the only white act to play its Blue Monday nights AND be the backing band for the headliners, he received a first-class tutelage from the masters of blues music like Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. McClinton cut a number of local and regional singles before hitting the national charts in 1962 playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's now classic “Hey! Baby.” On a subsequent package tour of England, Delbert showed some of his harp licks to the rhythm guitarist for a young band at the bottom of the bill. The lessons he gave John Lennon were later heard on hit singles by The Beatles; when the two met Lennon already knew the instrument's basics, and the experienced McClinton shared some new licks with him.
Pink Floyd, Momentary Lapse of Reason
A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK and US in September 1987. In 1985 guitarist David Gilmour began to assemble a group of musicians to work on his third solo album. At the end of 1986 he changed his mind, and decided that the new material would instead be included in a new Pink Floyd album. Subsequently Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright (who had left the group in 1979) were brought on board for the project. Although for legal reasons Wright could not be re-admitted to the band, he and Mason helped Gilmour craft what would become the first Pink Floyd album since the departure of lyricist and bass guitarist Roger Waters in December 1985.
The album was recorded primarily on Gilmour's converted houseboat, Astoria. Its production was marked by an ongoing legal dispute between Waters and the band as to who owned the rights to Pink Floyd's name, which was not resolved until several months after the album was released. Unlike most of Pink Floyd's studio albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason has no central theme, and is instead a collection of rock songs written mostly by Gilmour and musician Anthony Moore. Although the album received mixed reviews and was derided by Waters, with the help of an enormously successful world tour it easily out-sold their previous album The Final Cut. A Momentary Lapse of Reason is certified multi-platinum in the US.
Although the amazing talents of Water's were not present on this album, it still spawned two of my all time favorite songs, "Dogs of War", and "On the Turning Away".
Iron Maiden, Live After Death.
Live After Death is a live album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on October 14, 1985 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US (it was re-released by Sanctuary/Columbia Records in the US in 2002). It was recorded during the band's World Slavery Tour. The album was instrumental in establishing the band as an extraordinary live band and is regarded as one of the best live albums ever recorded.
For anyone with a love of metal, Iron Maiden is a must hear band. The cover art was done by Derek Riggs, and pictures the band's mascot, Eddie rising from a grave. On that grave is a tombstone with a quote from the fantasy and horror fiction author H. P. Lovecraft's The Nameless City:
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
Yet with strange aeons even death may die."
The proper quote is actually "And with strange..." instead of "Yet with strange...". A similar version of this phrase is used in Metallica's song "The Thing That Should Not Be" from the Master of Puppets album.
Queensryche, Operation Mindcrime.
Operation: Mindcrime is a concept album by American progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Released on May 3, 1988, it is the band's third full-length album. A rock opera, its story follows a man who becomes disillusioned with the society of the time and reluctantly becomes involved with a revolutionary group as an assassin of political leaders. The album is highly regarded within the heavy metal community, often labelled as one of the genre's finest works. It ranked at number 10 at metal-rules.com's best heavy metal albums ever. In January 1989, it ranked #34 on Kerrang! magazine's "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time."
The album begins with the protagonist, Nikki, in a hospital. He lies in a near catatonic state, unable to remember anything but snippets from his past. Suddenly, Nikki's memories come flooding back in a torrent. He remembers how, as a heroin addict and would-be political radical frustrated with contemporary society, he was manipulated into joining a supposed secret organization dedicated to revolution. At the head of this organization is a political and religious demagogue known only as Dr. X, who by manipulating Nikki through a combination of his heroin addiction and brainwashing techniques, uses Nikki as an assassin. Whenever Dr. X uses the word "mindcrime" Nikki becomes his docile puppet, a state which Dr. X uses to command Nikki to undertake any murder that the Doctor wishes. Through one of Dr. X's probable associates, a corrupt priest named Father William, Nikki is offered the services of a prostitute-turned-nun named Sister Mary. Through his friendship and growing affection toward Sister Mary, Nikki begins to question the nature of what he is doing. Dr. X notices this and, seeing a potential threat in Mary, orders Nikki to kill both her and the priest. Nikki goes to Mary's church and kills the priest, but after confronting Mary fails to comply with the command to murder her. He and Mary decided to leave the organization together, and Nikki goes to Dr. X to tell him that they are out. Dr. X, however, reminds Nikki that he is an addict, and that he is the one who can provide him with his daily fix. Nikki leaves, conflicted and returns to Mary, only to find her dead, hanging from her own rosary. He cannot cope with the loss, as well as the possibility that he himself may have killed her and not known it, and begins to succumb to insanity. The police, arriving on the scene, arrest him for Mary's murder and the murders he committed for Dr. X. He is put into a hospital, where he begins to remember what has happened.
Rush, Hemispheres.
Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed at Trident Studios in London. This album continues Rush's trend of using the fantasy and science fiction lyrics written by Neil Peart. Similar to their 1976 release, 2112, Hemispheres contains a single, epic song broken into chapters as the first half of the album ("Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres") while the second half contains two more conventionally-executed tracks ("Circumstances", "The Trees"), then is rounded out by the nine-and-a-half-minute instrumental, "La Villa Strangiato".
The album contains examples of Rush's adherence to progressive rock standards including the use of epic, multi-movement song structures, complex rhythms and time signatures, and flexible guitar solos, like those found in "La Villa Strangiato".
Hemispheres was Rush's fourth consecutive Gold album upon release in 1978 and would subsequently go Platinum in the US. For a short period of time, the album was released on Canadian red vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with poster (catalogue number SANR-1-1015), and as a limited edition picture disc (catalogue number SRP-1300),both have which become much sought after collectors items.
Hang in there, folks....only 3 to go. I apologize, but I try not to halfway do anything...LOL!
Metallica, Ride the Lightning.
Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on July 27, 1984 through Megaforce Records and was re-released on November 19, 1984 by Elektra Records. Ride the Lightning was certified gold by the RIAA on November 5, 1987 and was most recently certified 5x platinum on June 9, 2003.
Ride the Lightning retains the speed of Kill 'Em All on songs like "Trapped Under Ice" and "Fight Fire with Fire", but also contains the first of Metallica's longer, more intricate tracks, such as "Fade to Black" and the nearly 9-minute closing instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". "Ride the Lightning" is the last Metallica album to credit former member, Dave Mustaine. Ride the Lightning was listed at #3 on a list compiled by metal-rules.com of the Top 100 Metal Albums of All Time.
"Ride the Lightning" is Metallica's first song which directly pointed on the misery of the criminal justice system. The song is one of two on the album that credits former member Dave Mustaine. The lyrics of the song "Ride the Lightning" are written from the perspective of someone who is forthcoming death-by-electrocution, although he didn't commit murder.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" was composed by Cliff Burton, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. The songs inspiration is Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls about the dishonor of modern warfare and Robert Jordan's eminent doom during the bloody Spanish Civil War, with specific allusions to the scene in which five soldiers are obliterated during an air-strike, whilst taking a position on a hill.
The lyrics of Fade to Black suggest a man contemplating, then eventually committing suicide. Metallica revealed that they have received letters from fans who were dissuaded from committing suicide by the song.
"Creeping Death" describes the Plague of the Firstborn (Exodus 12:29). The lyrics deal with the 10 plagues on Egypt, and throughout the song, four of the ten plagues are mentioned as well as the Passover.
"The Call of Ktulu" was Metallica's second instrumental song, following the first instrumental "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" from Kill 'Em All. The song working title was originally "When Hell Freezes Over".
The idea of the song "The Call of Ktulu" is based upon H.P. Lovecraft's book The Shadow Over Innsmouth which was first introduced to the rest of the band by Cliff Burton. The song's name was taken from one of H.P. Lovecraft's main stories featuring Cthulhu, The Call of Cthulhu, which was written in 1928 for the magazine Weird Tales. The name "Ktulu" is originally written "Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft.
And all this time you thought they were just a bunch of fucking stoners.....hehehe.
Led Zeppelin, IV.
The fourth album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No title is printed on the album, so it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums. Also the album has alternatively been referred to as , Four Symbols, The Fourth Album (those two titles each having been used in the Atlantic Records catalogue), Untitled, Runes, Sticks, ZoSo and The Hermit. Zoso is also the moniker for the band's guitarist, Jimmy Page.
Upon its release, Led Zeppelin IV was a commercial and critical success. The album is one of the best-selling albums in history at 37 million units. It has shipped over 23 million units in the United States alone, putting it third on the all-time list in the United States and twelfth world-wide. In 2003, the album was ranked 66th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
"Black Dog" got its name from a stray black dog that was roaming about the concourse of Headley Grange during recording sessions for the song.
"The Battle of Evermore" and "Misty Mountain Hop" are references to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels.
"Going to California" is a reference to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
The idea for each member of the band to choose a personal emblem for the cover was Page's. In an interview he gave in 1977, he recalled:
After all this crap that we'd had with the critics, I put it to everybody else that it'd be a good idea to put out something totally anonymous. At first I wanted just one symbol on it, but then it was decided that since it was our fourth album and there were four of us, we could each choose our own symbol. I designed mine and everyone else had their own reasons for using the symbols that they used.
Page stated that he designed his own symbol himself and has never publicly disclosed any reasoning behind it. However, it has been argued that his symbol appeared as early as 1557 to represent Saturn. The symbol is sometimes referred to as "ZoSo", though Page has explained that it was not in fact intended to be a word at all.
Bassist John Paul Jones' symbol, which he chose from Rudolf Koch's Book of Signs, is a single circle intersecting 3 vesica pisces (a triquetra). It is intended to symbolise a person who possesses both confidence and competence.
Drummer John Bonham's symbol, the three interlocking rings, was picked by the drummer from the same book. It represents the triad of mother, father and child, but also happens to be the logo for Ballantine beer.
Singer Robert Plant's symbol was his own design, being based on the sign of the supposed Mu civilisation.
There is also a fifth, smaller symbol chosen by guest vocalist Sandy Denny representing her contribution to the track "The Battle of Evermore"; it appears in the credits list on the inner sleeve of the LP, serving as an asterisk and is shaped like three triangles touching at their points.
And finally we make it home with....
Allman Brothers, Live at Fillmore East.
At Fillmore East is a double live album by The Allman Brothers Band. The band's breakthrough success, At Fillmore East was released in July 1971. It ranks Number 49 among Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and remains among the top-selling albums in the band’s catalogue. It is often cited as being one of the most well-known live recordings in history.
Recorded at the Fillmore East concert hall, the storied rock venue in New York City, on Friday and Saturday March 12, 1971–March 13, 1971, it showcased the band's mixture of blues, Southern rock and jazz. The cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" which opens the set showcases Duane Allman's slide guitar work in open E Tuning. "Whipping Post" became the standard for a long, epic jam that never lost interest (opening in 11/8 time, unusual territory for a rock band), while the ethereal-to-furious "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", with its harmonized melody, Latin feel and burning drive invited comparisons with John Coltrane (especially Duane's solo-ending pull-offs, a direct nod to the jazz saxophonist).
The album was produced by Tom Dowd, who condensed the running time of various songs, occasionally even merging multiple performances onto one track. At Fillmore East peaked at #13 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart.
Two other songs recorded during the same set of shows, "Trouble No More", and the memorable "Mountain Jam", were later released on Eat a Peach, the latter spanning two sides of the double album.
Those songs were later included in their entirety, along with uncut versions of some, re-edited versions of others, and some previously omitted tracks, on a new release of the Fillmore material entitled The Fillmore Concerts (1992). "Stormy Monday" gained back a harmonica solo; "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" and "Drunken Hearted Boy" were included as well.
In 1998 a 5.1 DTS mix of the original version was released with Duane Allman in the left rear channel, Dickey Betts in the right rear channel, Jai Johanny Johanson in the front left channel, Butch Trucks in the right front channel and Gregg Allman and Berry Oakley both spread out over the front and center channels.
George Kimball of Rolling Stone magazine hailed them as "the best damn rock and roll band this country has produced in the past five years." A few months later, group leader Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The group survived that and the death of bassist Oakley in another motorcycle accident a year later; with replacement members Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams, the Allman Brothers Band achieved its peak commercial success in 1973 with the album Brothers and Sisters and the hit single "Ramblin' Man". Internal turmoil overtook the band soon after; the group dissolved in 1976, reformed briefly at the end of the decade with additional personnel changes, and dissolved again in 1982.
In 1989, the group reformed with some new members and has been recording and touring since. A series of personnel changes in the late 1990s was capped by the departure of Betts. The group found stability during the 2000s with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, the nephew of their drummer, serving as its guitarists, and became renowned for their month-long string of shows in New York City each spring. The band has been awarded eleven gold and five platinum albums between 1971 and 2005 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Rolling Stone ranked them 52nd on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004.