By day there is never a clear shot of Buckingham Palace but at midnight I had the palace all to myself.

I was disappointed at how many post lights were out. I had to use PS to turn on a dozen lights. I wonder at the reasoning behind not replacing broken lights outside this iconic building.

US Supreme Court Staircase

Yep, I actually managed to make another one. Well I say made, I technically cheated, all I did was re-skin the Colossal, but it'll do.

So I worked out a few things while building the Warhammer, one being long hammers look stupid (hence the mace) and the other being that this body type works better for the more human looking 15 metre class of shifters. This means I'm gonna re-do the Colossal and make it...well maybe not to scale with the others, but certainly with its own unique body type. But enough of that, here's the actual background:

The Warhammer is a unique titan as it's uses a distinctly biological component, being able to create weapons, shields, spikes and even projectiles from its own skin. As you can guess, this is a little tricky to do in a mech, so for now the explanation is that it has either:

A. Interchangeable arms and weapons

B. Liquid metal skin, from which weapons and stuff can be created.

I did come up with a few options for the interchangeable arms, so that's probably the most likely option, as liquid metal skin is a bit too sci fi.

Next is the pilot. I won't lie, I fucked this up massively, should have gone wireless, but I'm also kinda attached to the tube and pod idea. Might come back to it and give it an antennae or something instead.

Next is armour. Yes armour. Y'know when you're kinda absentmindedly building and forget the source material entirely? Well that happened, but my reasoning is that it's built for war, so it has some light armour just to keep it a bit more protected. It's supposed to be silver, I kinda forgot stud.io doesn't understand silver, and as a result of this I forgot the change the silver to a more shiny colour.

Next....Oh the face plate. I kinda hit a dead end with the head, so I instead went for one which (if it were real) would project the face of the pilot onto the faceplate. Also, not to blow y own trumpet, but the head I was able to build for the colossal is the best head I could do, so I needed to differentiate it from the Colossal. Oh, and it's also got spikes on it's back because....well it did this a few times during it's brief run in the manga, so I added it to the mech.

So that's the Warhammer. I'm working on the Armoured next so keep an eye out for that. As always please lemme know what you think and if there's anything that could be improved :D

A worker common carder bumble bee (Bombus pascuorum) forages on a purple clover.

Bees collect a sugary juice called nectar from the blossom by sucking it out with their tongues. They store it in what's called their honey stomach, which is different from their food stomach. When they have a full load, they fly back to the hive.

Carder Bumblebees earn this name from their habit of combing material together (carding) to create a covering for the cells containing the larvae. This species usually creates its nests above ground, often in grass tussocks, in old mouse runs through grass, in tangles of vegetation or just under the surface of the soil.

Honeybees have defensive weapons at both ends of their bodies, Greek and French researchers have found: They can not only sting their enemies, as has long been known, but they can also bite them, injecting a venom that paralyzes invaders.

Do bees have a brain?

The bee brain only contains about a million neurons, while humans have about 100 billion. ... Somehow, bees are capable of complex reasoning and storing memories over miles and miles of flight, and recent research has begun to show that little bee brains might be the key to understanding our own.

"After some reasoning the museum and Marcus agreed to keep government officials out of the business of my next expedition. We can't risk any bureaucratic interference after that mess with the ark. My studies have led us to believe there are further artifacts in Hovitos territory back in Peru. Knowing those goons, there's got to be more artifacts they have behind secure doors.

The item in question is a supposed crystal skull, supposedly from their Gods, if you believe in that sort of thing. Reminds me of an old colleague of mine, Oxley, it was his lifelong obsession but I never heeded much to it until now. The legend says it resides in a lost river delta, guarded within the bowels of the earth. Of course there's going to be temples and of course there's going to be traps. There better not be snakes.

Even though it's best we professors don't pay much heed to the ghost stories, there have been rumors coming out of an area not too far from the spot that an abandoned temple dig site has recently been having unexplained phenomenons. So if anything it's likely worth the benefit to go out there to check. Jock provided me with this photo, it was difficult to tell because of the grain, but then again, this is 1936. He seemed to know exactly where this temple was.

Me and Jock departed at daybreak so I could reach the temple before the Hovitos started their daily patrol. Paco's coming in tomorrow to assist the excavation. In case what we're searching for is in fact, the temple of the crystal skull, take general advice. Don't let tourists in here, don't use anything noisy to disturb the spirits like vehicles, and most importantly, NEVER look into anything's eyes.

I hate Disney."

-Indy

I don’t think the driver of the car actually arrived here at the site with the machine gun erected as shown. I’m not exactly sure of the reasoning for this. I’m sure it’s all in humor though.

As "a bumble" questions Gangie's reasoning for wanting his photo, Yukon Cornelius looks on wondering if he has finally lost it because not only is he talking nonsense but doesn't everyone know it 's Flickr not Flick!

© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without My Written Consent

Like it or not, in 2024 this is the common motive power on CPKC. While most fans would rather shoot the geep than the AC4400, in the right scenery even a beat up Poo Boat can be acceptable. (sometimes!)

While gassing up the truck in Assiniboia, I looked across the street and spotted this scene just as the sun poked out through the clouds. This is the first time I've seen 2 sets of CP power in the yard at Assiniboia, but with no crews on duty the reasoning behind the event was never found.

Let the new years wash them away

I don't smoke, thus the reasoning for the photoshop smoke. I was going to make real smoke, but didn't feel like making a fire.

You guys have a safe and happy new year

Tumblr

Good morning everyone! I want to first express my sincere gratitude to everyone that has shown interest, those that have accepted my invitation and those that have taken a shot on their own. I can not say thank you enough as this challenge is turning out to be one of the best thus far I have hosted. I have been an admirer of many that have said yes, as well as a new fan of many of the photographers in this challenge, whom I've recently had the privilege in following! Second Life is more than a virtual game we've stumbled upon or was recommended by a friend. It has become a place of artistic expression, entrepreneurship for aspiring and successful designers as well as a creative canvas for all our builders! Aye, this is only a few reasons to the meaning of Second Life for all of us.

As this challenge continues through out the month of February, I will continue to send invitations to Flickr artists and seek daily for individuals I do not follow so that they do can be apart of this challenge. Please understand that this challenge is not exclusionary by any means. Yes, in comparison to my other challenges it has been by invitation ONLY, for the purpose of this theme. Does this mean you can't join if not invited? Absolutely not! Does it mean you need to be an expert in photography? Absolutely not! If you haven't been asked and desire to be apart of this challenge please contact me immediately. Flickr is a vast place and I am inviting daily to keep the momentum of this challenge for the month long of February.

So here is my invitation and respectful request. If you are interested in joining or know a friend that loves this style photography, PLEASE, drop me a Facebook message or send me a Flickr email. I would love to have you, as long as you are comfortable with expression imagery, pose manipulation, shadow and light exercises. It would be my honor in speaking with you regarding the details and requirements of this challenge.

However, I respectfully ask, if you have not spoken with me prior to posting your image, please refrain from using the #PryceBodyLanguageChallenge hashtag as well as tagging me in the photo. Each image presented to the photographers whom have completed their challenge has been discussed and agreed upon. So again I extend the invitation to you if you are interested! Please know, I personally may not have invited you but there is no motivation behind my reasoning in not doing so.

Again, I love and support the Second Life photography community and hosting these challenges has been my small contribution in supporting and getting to know each and everyone one of you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this note and please, I'd love to hear from you. If I currently don't follow you, drop me a line, so I may add you to the growing number of individuals I stalk...aye...follow daily. Much appreciation and I look to hear from you soon.

- Law

Email Me By Flickr!

Facebook Message Me!

Inworld Name: LawrenceD Resident

I know for a lot of people this won't seem like all that much of an achievement as some people get that much on single pictures, but for me, right now..It really is =)

That my pictures have gotten even the relatively small amount of attention that they do just seems amazing to me & I thank each and every one of you who've viewed my stream, left comments, made notes & fav'd. You. Are. All. AWESOME!!!

Ahem, now to the pic; this was taken waaay back in april when I went with some friend's university basketball team for a tournament in spain. This was the first picture I took when I got there, taken from the balcony of my hotel room...tbh it makes me laugh cos of the irony of taking a picture like this at SalouFest. XD

It's a pretty simple composite piece made from one picture altered into 3 versions...I kinda made the first, then the 2nd..then went ooh what'd it look like in b&w..then the problem of which to put on here came up lol, couple that with me thinking pics with white background look soooo kool on flickr and TA-DAA!!! [Dontcha just love the reasoning]

View LARGE for betterness =)

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

Dr. Seuss

I took these photos today because of something that was on my mind. Gathered up my props, and headed off to one of my favorite places,

climbed through the back door and and spent an hour or so shooting. I headed home, thinking about the reasons that I wanted these

photos, and then I realized that I was exhausted. I stayed up too late last night because I can’t sleep after a closing shift, then got up too

early to crawl back into work to finish what I wasn’t able to finish last night, even though it’s my day off, because I didn’t want to leave it for the next person coming in because work has been really tough lately, and no one needs any extra thrown on their plate. So, I ended up taking a long nap

(way too long) and when I woke up, I really couldn’t remember my reasoning behind these photos. And there was a thought process at one point. Apparently, I dumped my memory banks

during my nap. (This is not a good thing, is it?!)

Anyway.... this is what I know about time:

1. It passes too quickly

2. There is never enough

3. You don’t get it back

4. Mom always said “Don’t wish your life away.”

5. I get it now, Mom ... It’s true, time is the most valuable thing you have to give,

or can receive. Even when you have nothing left to give, you still have your time to share and it doesn’t cost a dime. What can

be better than someone that is willing to give up their precious time to spend with you? Mom was

always right. So was Dad. Why does it take so long to understand these things?

6. Time marches on...and on... and on....

Shasta daisy from my garden.

Way back in June I was mucking about on the iPaddle (as one does) playing with the distortion filters in Affinity. I probably should have been doing something more constructive but, hey-ho, life is too short.

So this is a set based around a flower pic. I chose it as a starting point because it’s a high-contrast image with oodles of radial symmetry, and I thought it would show up the distortion effects. (A slippery deceit of course as I conveniently invented the reasoning for my chaotic creative meandering after the fact - I suggest you never believe the fallacy that I really know what I am doing! :) ).

I’ll cover the processing notes for all the variants and replicate the commentary so you only need read it once (if at all, lol).

I’ll post a link to the in-camera original in the first comment.

Edit 1 - Colour

A plain colour version, then given a harsh gritty feel by duplicating the image and blending back probably with hard light (though I am not entirely sure).

Edit 2 - Plain B&W

The colour version converted to B&W. Bilateral blur (an edge-preserving blur which effectively smoothes out the petals. Glow filter … for a bit of glow (though te be honest I think it’s a bit of a misnomer) :)

Edit 3 - Twirl

Starting with the plain B&W added twirl in the centre and also a radial blur. Blended the original back to the twirly version with Soft Light.

Edit 4 - Shasttered

This used the Diffuse distortion filter (not the Diffuse Light filter) to create the diffusion look. Tweaked that a bit and then took the original B&W version and blended it back with the Subtract mode. This overprinted the diffuse look with an inverted version of the original.

I really like this effect - it reminded me of splatter painting in my young days (back in the caves in France ;) ). Or perhaps printing with a flower using black paper and white ink…

For Sliders Sunday. I’ll also put the three B&W versions into the 100x challenge as I am rather behind (as life around me doesn’t seem to pause for long enough).

Thank you for taking the time to look. I hope you enjoy the images. Happy Sliders Sunday and 100x!

[Handheld in daylight.

Raw development and all the subsequent processing done in Affinity Photo.]

"It's like reasoning with a screaming child."

"Leave the screaming child to cry it out. Then they calm down, and you can talk to them."

60... 90...

Я не могу его забыть. Глупо и бесполезно все это. Недели в месяцы и все как один день. Я не могу его забыть.

From the perspective of water fleas / putting a fish-head behind bars / is perfect reasoning.

“It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.”

~Albert Einstein

Indeed it’s the same bike from the previous upload. Saw it first few months ago (August if I’m not mistaken) since then I always planned to take a picture of it. But due to a lot of reasoning, I just had a chance yesterday and so, I take full advantage of my few minutes to snap every angle. But actually the original concept is for me to pose beside the bike and do another self-portrait. And because I’m very shy since birth, I hesitated until my chances are gone as the owner takes it back home. Anyways, here are the top two favorites from the set (see another one @ comments). Cheers everyone! Happy photography!

My dilemma was choosing between a rag doll that was adorable but too cheap looking for a girl that deserves the best and a fashionable doll that has been popular for decades but didn't seem sentimental enough. The solution was to get her both of them.

My reasoning was to give my Leslie Anne a little bit of the girlhood she didn't get to have. Whereas I wanted to be a woman from an early age but had no interest in being a little girl, Leslie Anne wanted to be a girl from a tender age. I got to watch my little sister grow up, but my girlfriend had no sister. Whenever she wants to experience a taste of girlhood, she has the dolls to help her do so. My Lady is many kinds of girls: a high society woman, Sweet Sixteen, a hot, sexy girl, and a little girl. To see her own Christmas pix, go to: www.flickr.com/photos/leslie_anne_007/3124776563/in/photo... .

Merry Christmas, my love! The winter solstice celebration of Yule is about the renewal of the seasons. Christmas is a celebration of God's renewal of love for all of us. I share my Christmas joy with my friends on Flickr.

Around here, the lake waters are nice and warm in the summer, and are much better for swimming than our chilly seas. This person is doing long distance swimming, judging by the gear. I'm not sure of the reasoning for the float... An emergency G&T supply?

New Hampshire Northcoast GP18 1801 leads DOBO passed the Boston & Maine station in Andover, MA. As a throwback to the railroads earlier locomotives, 1801 is running long hood forward. This practice is largely not seen on most road trains. The operating direction of the early GP units was based on the preference of the railroad. Some say it was for crew protection; others say for operational flexibility. Whatever the reasoning may be, it is still a sight to see in person.

A little gear story if you are interested. If you have read my narratives over the last year you’ll know I’ve been juggling 3 camera systems Canon RF, Fujifilm X series and OM-systems. You’ll also know I bleat on about not being able to justify this gear when I’m hardly getting out to use it. So to calm my inner demons I decided to sell my Canon R7 camera. My reasoning was that I only used it for sea storm photography attached to my EF 100-400mm L lens and could as easy attach that lens to my R5 with the x1.4 extender, plus I was thinking about using my OM1 with the 100-400mm for the wild sea. So I checked with MPB and they offered £675 for the R7. At the same time I was wondering about buying the Sigma 16-300mm for my Fujifilm XT5 as a casual carry anywhere. Now here’s the twist. In the end I decided not to sell the R7 and buy the same lens for it as that carry anywhere, so I end up owning more gear not less, go figure. Anyway what do I thing of the lens, it’s ok, having owned in the past two superzoom lens for my canon DSLR’s the sigma 18-200 and 18-250, it is far superior to those but after then owning canon L lenses I’m a bit spoilt. So here an image from new years day while out with Carla, Missy and Jesse while eating ice creams I rushed back to the car to pick up my carry anywhere kit.

I photographed this Arctic Tern sitting on a small iceberg just below the Magdalena Glacier on Spitsbergen. One distinguishing feature of Arctic Terns is that their legs are so short they appear almost legless.

Bear with me on this because it is relevant. When birds of paradise were first brought back from Papua New Guinea to Europe they were prepared by the locals in such a way that they were just skin, beak and feathers. So western Zoologists thought that these birds had no legs, bones or entrails, and that they must just float about among the clouds (ie the heavens or paradise), and it was even thought that the female laid her eggs in a special cavity in the male's back. When Linnaeus described the first Greater Bird of Paradise in 1758 he called it Paradisaea apoda which translates as legless bird of paradise because his type specimen was without legs, flesh or skeleton. Just five years later in 1763 Erich Pontoppidan, the Norwegian Bishop, Author, Historian and Cryptozoologist described the Arctic Tern as paradisaea. I have not been able to find out why he named it after paradise but they are so short-legged they appear as almost legless and I wonder if this was his reasoning. Pontoppidan also argued for the existence of Sea Serpents, the Kraken and Mermaids in his 2 volume Natural History of Norway in 1752 and 1753 so he might well have believed these birds had no legs like the birds of paradise. If anyone fancies deciphering Pontoppidan's original eighteenth century Norwegian manuscript it is here: gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN391287532 . But Pontoppidan's description was considered to be indeterminate, so Morten Brünnich published a description ( in Ornithologia Borealis 1764 p46). However, Arctic Tern was not generally recognised as being distinct from Common Tern until 1819 (by Johann Naumann, who called it Sterna macrura which means large tailed tern, because its tail is longer than Common Tern), but this was 56 years after Pontoppidan's original description. The name macrura persisted from 1819 until the middle of the twentieth century when it was decided that Brünnich's description amending Pontoppidan's original was the earliest valid description and name.

I do so hate getting stuck in a rut and I think that's why I like to play around with different looks.

When I first started out on this journey dressing fully I was given a little bit of advice and that was " You need to get an image both hair and clothes and not change it "

I think the reasoning behind this advice was that on the whole women stick with a look and as we want to be seen as a woman we should follow the same action plan. Have to say I did for a bit but being the rebel I am it didn't last long.

So my advice is. if you fancy trying a look just give it a go you might find it works for you.

I Just didn't want to change out of this last night its sooooo comfortable wear believe it or not.

Someone I know tried to harm herself and was admitted to the psychiatric hospital. I don’t know her well enough to reach out directly, but it still stayed with me. I kept wondering what one could say in a situation like that, or what I could tell my friend who is close to her.

Later in the evening, I took some time alone and went to stand on a pier, looking out into the night. Something very familiar started moving through me. The gap between what we know and what we actually feel, and how often those two are in direct contradiction.

There are so many things we know to be true on a cognitive level. “There is beauty in the world,” for example. It is true. But knowing that and feeling it are entirely different experiences. You can agree with the statement without the beauty being emotionally accessible to you at all. Someone can say it to you, and you can nod and think, yes, that’s true, while inside nothing responds.

Even beauty itself has layers. You can register something as “nice” and move on, or you can be so deeply immersed in it that it leaves a trace, something that stays with you and alters your internal state, even if only slightly.

That’s why trying to convince someone of anything cognitively so often fails. And more than that, it can feel subtly disrespectful. As if their inner reality is being talked over, or corrected, instead of witnessed.

What seems more effective, at least from my own experience, is not explaining what is true about the world, but showing something true. Something that has the potential to reach the emotional level. Not an argument, not a reframing, but an encounter.

I’ve noticed in my own life how easily narratives can harden into something like emotional huts, self-contained worlds that feel unbreakable. And the only thing that has ever really shifted them wasn’t reasoning, but a very honest revelation. Something real enough to be felt, not just understood.

I use the term "fan" loosely as the show is great, but zombies are my greatest fear. There's no reasoning with them. None whatsoever.

I caught this tiger sneaking into my house uninvited. Even after some reasoning he was hesitant to leave....

Strobist:2 SB-25's at 1/8(one on each side) and a diffused 430EX to the front to create the shadow. The room was pitch black.

What You Waiting For Gwen (Toys R Us Exclusive),

Orange County Girl Gwen,

ComicCon exclusive Gwen(only 100 sold!),

Wind It Up Gwen,

2007 Tour Exclusive(only 1000 produced)

The ComicCon Exclusive and 2007 Tour Exclusive dolls aren't technically part of the series. They were released beforehand in order to promote the upcoming series of dolls.

The 2007 Tour doll was the first doll to be sold after the first series. She was sold on The Sweet Escape tour. The first shipment of dolls sold out within the first half of the tour so she was gone before the tour reached me. Luckily I was going to 2 shows and the second shipment had been shipped by my second show, in Arizona.

There were 150 of the ComicCon doll produced. 50 were given to Gwen herself and 100 were meant to be sold at ComicCon, however Huckleberry Toys decided to give the fans a chance to grab the doll before ComicCon and sent out an email that the dolls would be on sale THAT DAY! The dolls obviously sold out extremely quickly on a first-call-first-serve basis. Many fans who didn't get the doll were outraged at the low quantity. Huckleberry Toys' reasoning behind the small quantity was that they were going to be sold at ComicCon which would be predominantly male consumers who wouldn't be too interested in buying a Gwen Stefani doll.

Luckily I was first to hear about her. I had been emailing Huckleberry Toys with questions about the dolls and they let me know ahead of time that they would be selling this extremely limited edition doll. If I hadn't been emailing them I wouldn't have her.

Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2017

Reasoning behind the photo can be found in my blog at www.fernandocoelho.photography/blog

May 11

Saint Matthew LÊ VĂN GẪM

Businessman

(1813-1847)

Sacrificing Life For a Great Cause

In 1844 agreeing with the proposal of Bishop Cuénot Thể, Pope Grégorio XVI divided the Diocese of the South into two dioceses: the East vicariate composed of provinces in the middle of Vietnam, and the West vicariate composed of southern provinces and Cambodia. The West vicariate was assigned to Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa who at the time was expelled to Singapore. Bringing Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa back to the new diocese was the desire of the faithful as well as clerics; and this dangerous task was shouldered by Saint Matthew Gẫm even though he knew of the dangers that would threaten his life. The shining example shown by the saint would forever live in the Vietnamese Catholics who love their Church.

An Exemplary Head of Family

Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was born in 1813 under King Gia Long’s reign in Tắt, a community in Long Đại village, Gò Công parish in Biên Hoà province (presently Thủ Đức district). He was the eldest in a family of five sons and a daughter. Matthew Gẫm had inherited from his father, Paul Lê Văn Lại, and his mother, Maria Nguyễn Thị Nhiệm, a tradition of profound piety.

At 15, Mathew Gẫm received permission from his parents to enter Lái Thiêu seminary to study for the priesthood. However, only a month later, his parents came to take him home. As the eldest son he obeyed his parents and went home to work to help the family financially. And God had led him on a different path. At 20, he married a girl from the community of Thành of Long Điền village, Bà Rịa province (presently Châu Thành district, Đồng Nai province). The couple had a happy and loving family life with four children.

On his frequent business trips, he fell for another woman; but after much agonizing, he cut off this unhealthy relationship. To atone for his mistakes, he deepened the love for his wife and spent more time educating the children, especially teaching them Christian values. Among his four children, the eldest and the youngest died from illness; the second son was killed when he tried to stop the burning of Cầu Ngang church; and the third son was jailed for faith and burned to death along with many others in Bà Rịa on 1/7/1862. The deaths for faith of his two sons were results of Christian teachings he imparted on his children.

A Generous Businessman

Owning his own boat and skillful in seamanship, his business grew rapidly. He generously helped the clerics and he won the trust of missionaries. At the suggestion of Fr. Lợi, treasurer of the rectory of Bà Rịa, he made occasional trips to Singapore or Penang, Malaysia, to pick up missionaries and Vietnamese seminarians or to ship back religious artifacts and books. After many successful trips, the endeavor was finally uncovered and he was watched closely by local mandarins.

In 1846, he accepted the request from Fr. Lợi to sail to Singapore to bring Bishop Dominic Lefebvre Nghĩa, Fr. Duelos Lộ, and three seminarians back to Saigon. As if having premonition of dangers coming to him, he said goodbye to the grandparents and carefully advised his wife and children of his wishes before embarking on the trip. The trip to Singapore was uneventful. The return trip on May 23 lasted longer than normal because the boat ran into a storm and spent four days evading pirates, therefore he missed the scheduled appointment with the group that would pick up the passengers. Not until June 6 did he arrived in the port of Cần Giờ where Mr. Huy, parish council president of the Christian community of Chợ Quán, after waiting for 6 days had left for home.

Knowing that he was a subject under surveillance by the government, Mr. Matthew Gẫm dropped anchor for two days waiting for the waiting party to no avail, then he decided to sail deeper into Saigon. Passing a guard post, he encountered a patrol boat to which he paid a bribe of 10 piasters to avoid arrest. However, 5 sailors on the patrol boat fearing the uncovering of their taking bribe gave pursuit and stopped his boat. Mr. Matthew Gẫm urged the passengers to oppose the arrest, however Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa disagreed reasoning that it was against the Christian spirit of compassion.

Suffering and Glory.

On morning of 6/8/1846 with reinforcement from another patrol boat, soldiers escorted Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s boat to the dock in Nghé. Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa and Fr. Duelos Lộ were jailed in Công Quán where Fr. Duelos Lộ passed away on 7/17/1846. Later the bishop was transferred to the royal capital of Phú Xuân where King Thiệu Trị sentenced to death by decapitation that was then reduced to expulsion to Singapore (he later reentered Vietnam.) Mr. Matthew Gẫm admitting to be the main organizer was jailed in isolation in Saigon.

A few days later, the mandarins summoned him to the tribunal for interrogation and urged him to walk over the cross. He bravely endured tortures mentioning no name nor walking over the cross. In court he gave his name as Lê Văn Bửu while his sentence recorded the name Lê Văn Bối. Twenty days later, the mandarins sent a petition to the royal capital seeking death by beheading, but the king delayed the decision until the following year.

During the awaiting period, Mr. Matthew Gẫm was subjected to heavy cangue and shackles, but he always carried a sense of joy and serenity. He said: “How could I be sad and afraid because I neither rob nor steal anything. Dying for faith is a good thing.” Three times Fr. Thán put on disguise to visit, to hear confession, and to give him communion. Fr. Phan Văn Minh (martyred on 7/3/1853) also came and gave encouragement. Christians from Chợ Quán, Thị Nghè, An Nhơn and Lăng (Chí Hoà) also invited one another to visit the hero of the diocese. Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s father as well as his brother, Corporal Paul Bàng were also arrested and jailed in Biên Hoà for the reason of family connection. His mother and other siblings escaped into the Thủ Đức area also visited him in jail several times.

After 7 months in jail, his death sentence was approved by King Thiệu Trị, but because of the approacing New Year, the king delayed the execution until after the New Year. With the New Year over, a few mandarins in Gia Định city sympathetic to the gentle businessman petitioned the king to reduce the death sentence to life in prison reasoning that even the bishop was not executed. But when the royal army was defeated by the French in Đà Nẵng in March 1847, the king decided against their request.

On 5/11/1849 Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was led to the execution site in “Đa Còm,” or “Stunted Banyan tree,” the name given to a stunted banyan tree growing in the hamlet (presently Chợ Đũi parish, then part of Chợ Quán parish,) with the presence of many Christians and pagans. Three younger siblings of the hero of faith, Thomas Trọng, Paul Bằng, and Agnes Nguyện, were also present at the execution of their brothers. Corporal Bàng and Mr. Phước had to fight the crowd to escort Fr. Thán close to the prisoner to give the last rite to his brother. The corporal also gave the executioner 3 piasters asking to him to deliver a quick death avoiding suffering to his brother.

Unfortunately, after the gong sounded, touched by the sorrow of spectators the shaking executioner had to take three tries to severe the head. The martyr’s siblings and Christians approached the remains, sew the head back to the body, replaced a white robe, put a blue scarf around his head, and carried his remains back on a hammock for burial in Chợ Quán.

In 1870, Mrs. Nhiệm, the mother of the martyr, testified to the beatification investigation tribunal that:

“My husband and I did not feel sorrow on the news of his death. We were happy that his death would make him a saint.”

On 5/27/1900, Pope Leo XIII elevated Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm to the rank of blessed.

"Dancing With Clouds - Never Take 'No' For An Answer"

ISBN: 978-0-6484855-7-5

The re-write or revision of my First Edition is complete and ready to be sent to the Printer.

I am planning for an initial 50 copies, and go from there.

Let me know if you are interested.

A person who writes a book, either needs name recognition from some famous event or be an established author, already, or be damned lucky to be picked up by a big name publishing house. I would advise to proceed with extreme caution.

Look at the pricing for this publisher who contacted me-

www.balboapress.com/en/packages-services

They pushed hard, kept calling. I finally disengaged.

Another issue is the size and shape of a finished book to consider and it seems each company offers a different format and sizes. My finished book will be 6" X 9" (152.4mm X 228.6mm) . . . Not all offer that dimension.

Each publishing company will offer different grades of paper, some that are suited to little better than newspaper quality all the way up to one piece of paper that would accept color images and print that will not bleed through or be seen from the other side costing $0.14 to $0.20 per page, based on weight of paper and quality.

Then, there is the type of cover, such as softcover, hard cover with image wrapped around it from front to back, and traditional hard cover with a dust jacket that gets easily torn or lost over the years . . . And, with each type of cover the cost increases.

Then, there is internal design of the book . . . And, to understand all of that and the reasons and the vernacular peculiar to the software is time consuming. There is publishing vernacular that one needs to become familiar with. Dimensions and lots of measurements to take into consideration and to think of it correctly, the measurements are really taken from the spine-side of the page. Book measurements are not straight forward. If a person wants a specific size book, let's assume 6" X 9" and it could be any size, that is up to you and there is a reasoning behind selecting a certain size. When laying out or designing the book, it must be made over-sized, because it will be cut or trimmed to the final size, so that can add an element of confusion, if not properly explained by Support personnel.

Also, photos that you upload to Flickr will not suffice for printing and publishers. The .TIF or .JPG must be 300dpi. CMYK Color is preferred, and GRACoL2006 or FOGRA39 profile applied, but Adobe RGB will also work.

Text applied to it must be vector graphic, not rasterized.

Next and certainly not the least, is what book layout/design software should the book be created with? The industry standard used to be Quark Express, but Adobe InDesign has taken over, but some publishers have their own which they prefer.

So, there is a lot to writing a book and getting it published, not merely putting words on paper. That is the easy part. In fact, creating an Index is almost as hard as writing the book.

Note: I took the front cover photo, while flying under a thunderstorm. The back cover was taken with my 35mm film camera. The photo of the winglet was taken years later, with a different camera and layered onto the base image.

cassidyphotography.net/dancing-with-clouds/

A gentle reminder about copyright and intellectual property-

Ⓒ Cassidy Photography (All images in this Flickr portfolio)

"The strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack"

After months of hard work, I finally completed my custom minifigures from the video game Destiny. These figures are based off of my personal Year 1 characters (Titan, Hunter, Warlock respectively), hence the outdated gear. Before I say anything else, I know a lot of you think Destiny was a shit game and I understand your reasoning, but I enjoyed playing the game. I made a lot of new friends, like my buddy Shane/DaLastPrime, by playing this game and made a lot of good memories, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't complain about how much of a let down Destiny was to you or how awful you think the game is. But hey, I'm not stopping you, however I just want the main focus to be these custom minifigures.

I'm not going to go into a ton of detail on this photo because I am planning on uploading 3 more individual shots of each figure, so I'll go into further detail on those pictures where you can see all of the details I'd talk about.

First off, I need to thank Sander. Back in July I commissioned him to make me a few items for these figures, knowing I'd be making them for the release of The Taken King. I commissioned him to make Achlyophage Symbiote, Helm of Saint-14, Obsidian Mind, Chest of the Exile, and the Kellhunter's Hood. I got the items back in September but I didn't have enough time to make all 3 characters by TTK, so I decided to just hold off and take my time. Sander did a spectacular job with the sculpts, and I really cannot thank him enough. Go check him out if you aren't familiar with his work, he's one of the best sculptors I know and is an awesome dude. Thanks again man!

Just as a quick overview of each figure, the order goes (L->R):

-Titan: Defender Titan sporting a Thunderdevil-ish shader. All parts of the Titan, besides the helmet, were sculpted by me. He has a Dead Orbit Titan Mark on his right side which isn't visible from this angle, so I'll be sure to show you that in the individual photos. The Titan is armed with a painted Red Death pulse rifle from Brickinator99's shape ways store.

-Hunter: Gunslinger Hunter with the Queen's Web shader. The helmet, cloak, and torso were sculpted by Sander, the rest by me. One of the trickiest parts was the hood, which I ended up modifying a CapeMadness hood so it could fit around the helmet. I also wanted to shoutout Josiah (brickzalive) for giving me some tips on dry sculpting, mainly with the knife on the side of the Hunter's leg. The weapon is a custom made Fatebringer hand cannon made out of BrickArm's HC1, ABR, and various other parts. He also has a gold plated BrickArms MK.44 Hand Cannon (thanks Sean!) but it's not pictured, but will be included in the single photo.

-Ghost: Saw Jaymes's (TheLostMinifig) design for a Ghost a little while back, so I copped his design, so credit to him!

-Warlock: Voidwalker Warlock sporting the Cryptographic shader. The helmet was sculpted by Sander, the rest was sculpted/crafted by me. The Warlock had some pretty tricky elements to him, mainly being the collar and the robes. The robe/torso extension was made out of two combined cloth skirt pieces, then cut up and painted. I chose cloth because I wanted the legs to still be able to move around. The collar is a significant part of the Crota raid Warlock chest, so I knew I had to add it. It was sculpted out of thin layer of Procreate. The Warlock is armed with Brickinator99's Vex Mythoclast, which I painted. Hopefully I'll be modifying it a little more soon.

Please let me know what you all think! I'd really like to get some feedback considering it took me months to make all these figures!

Thanks guys!

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMzKYJJPPjU

If anyone has a Bungie account, I submitted the video for Movie of the Week, so vote for me here! You may have to scroll a little, but it's in there: www.bungie.net/en/Community?sort=1

The medaka fish is studied on the International Space Station to examine the impact of microgravity on its bones. Impacts to the medaka’s bones in microgravity may help scientists determine the reasoning for a decrease in astronaut bone density during spaceflight

Credits: Philipp Keller, Stelzer Group, EMBL

Read Full article:

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/biologic...

This is my own version of "Symbiote/Black Spider-Man". I have taken the look from Miles Morales Spidey just because I liked the look of his costume. I have changed the origin and combined him with both Parasites (symbiotes), he is a stable version of both Ravage (Carnage) and Parasite (Venom) combined.

Tell me what y'all think! Also my version of his backstory is below!

LC Verse Spider-Man

Black Arachnid - Peter Parker

- When Spider-Man is captured by Jack'O Lantern he is heavily experimented on and is bonded with the parasitic organisms, "Ravage(carnage) and Parasite(Venom)" leading to an amalgamation of the two. The experiment is "successful" in Normans Eyes due to his creation being exactly like Spider-Man just more enhanced, ruthless and immune to vibration. The "voices" of the two parasites differ in opinion and often give Peter the choice of "right and wrong", Parasite being the right and Ravage being the wrong. Peter is bonded to the suit but however can "detach" himself from it temporarily by reasoning with the parasites who have access over the control of it. Peters personality is also altered depending on which parasite is "piloting" him at the time, if the Ravage parasite is in control he becomes aggressive and ruthless in combat. If Parasite is in control the hero is calm and collected and is strategic in combat with a strict moral code of "no killing".

The David W. Dyer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, formerly known simply as the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a historic United States Post Office and federal courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida located at 300 Northeast 1st Avenue in Miami, Florida. Completed in 1933 of limestone, it is the largest such structure in South Florida.

The building was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1997, it was renamed to honor David W. Dyer, a former Chief Judge of the Southern District who was appointed to the circuit court in 1966.

In 1926, a devastating hurricane decimated southern Florida, prompting Congress to appropriate more than $2 million for a new courthouse in Miami in 1928. The Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury selected the highly regarded architectural partnership of Phineas Paist and Harold D. Steward. In the 1920s, Paist had been one of the primary architects for developer George E. Merrick, for the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. Designing the building between 1930 and 1931, Paist and Steward blended classically inspired Renaissance Revival forms and design elements with Mediterranean ornamentation.

Paist and Steward developed two sets of plans, each to be built upon a poured concrete and steel structural frame, ensuring the new federal building would resist hurricane-force winds. The first was envisioned using imported marble and bronze, while the second was to use aluminum and local coralline limestone, a lithified coral quarried at Windley Key near Key Largo and called Keystone. The government opted to clad the building in Keystone, reasoning that local materials added to the regional appeal of the building. Construction commenced in 1931 and the opening ceremony was held on July 1, 1933. It remains the most monumental Keystone structure in South Florida.

When it opened, the building housed all Miami-area federal agencies with the exception of the Weather Service. The U.S. Postal Service vacated the building in 1976. It was occupied by federal courts and various federal agencies until 2008. It is contained within Federal Courthouse Square, a two-block area that includes two other courthouses. On May 12, 2016, neighboring Miami Dade College signed a $1 a year, 115-year lease of the building for use as classrooms and lecture halls.

The building is an example of Mediterranean Revival architecture that combines Renaissance Revival elements with regional Florida architectural features. The building, which is faced in Keystone, is three stories in height, with the third story set above a widely projecting entablature on the north, east, and south elevations.

The facade, which has a slightly projecting central bay, faces east onto First Avenue and is dominated by a colonnade composed of regularly spaced engaged Corinthian columns supporting the classical entablature crowning the second story. Cast-aluminum casement window frames have embossed repeating chevron patterns. Spandrel panels depicting scenes from Florida's history are above the second story's arched windows.

The bays adjoining the colonnade feature paired Corinthian pilasters. Bas relief medallions containing classical figures in profile decorate lintels. The central parapet features a carved marble frieze incorporating a large eagle, flanked by a repeating motif of pelicans supporting heraldic shields. The entrances at the ends of the facade have surrounds of carved Floridene buff marble. The north and south elevations feature two-story Corinthian pilasters evoking the facade's colonnade. Ornate mascarons (carved faces) are found on the building's exterior.

The north and south elevations are dominated by central pavilions with bays separated by evenly spaced two-story engaged columns, placed singly and in pairs. An annex is attached to the west elevation. The building's shallow hipped roof is covered with terra-cotta tiles, typical of the Mediterranean Revival style.

Interior spaces are equally elaborate and incorporate eleven different types of marble. Entry vestibules with arched openings lead to the main lobby, where marble covers floors and forms wainscot. Marble pilasters have striking gilt capitals. An inset, multi-colored marble star pattern adorns the center of the floor. Original aluminum and glass chandeliers hang from the painted and gilt wood-and-plaster coffered ceiling. Marble postal tables retain original lamps and inset cast-brass grilles.

The double-height ceremonial District Courtroom is another significant space with well-preserved original details, including the carved wooden judge's bench, jury box, witness stand, and clerk's desk. Decorative details include fluted pilasters, rosettes, and carved plaques with floral rinceaux. At the walls, seven feet of paneled wood wainscot is located beneath scored plaster. Marble Ionic pilasters divide the window openings.

The mural Law Guides Florida Progress completed by artist Denman Fink in 1941 is located above the judge's bench and is flanked by two pairs of Ionic marble pilasters. The mural depicts the positive impact of justice guiding Florida's economic development. Fink included a likeness of himself as a draftsman and a likeness of architect Phineas E. Paist, with whom he worked in Coral Gables, as a chemist. The coffered ceiling features rosettes, stars, and shells.

Other significant artwork in the courthouse includes two striking cast-stone lunettes by Yugoslav-born American artist Alexander Sambugnac. Executed in 1938, the low-relief panels portray two allegorical figures representing themes of the spirit of justice and are placed on the lintels above the leather-covered doors. Love and Hope shows a young woman playing the lyre, while Wisdom and Courage depicts a seated figure gazing at a tablet of the law.

The interior brick courtyard admits light into the building while also providing a beautiful outdoor space commonly found in Florida architecture. A two-story loggia with a vaulted ceiling and columns surrounds the courtyard on three sides.

Keystone pilasters support arched lunette windows above the public lobby's paired French doors. Quoins (corner blocks) and Doric columns add decorative elements to the space. The courtyard's interior walls are unplastered brick, as are the exterior walls that face toward the courtyard from the north, east and south wings. The loggia's plaster walls and ceiling are ornamented with the multi-colored Frescoes in Courtyard, added by artist David Novros in 1984. An original postal marble writing table with an elaborate pedestal occupies the west side of the courtyard,

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.emporis.com/buildings/332633/dyer-federal-building-an...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Dyer_Federal_Building_and_...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

nicolas-hoizey.photo/galleries/travels/europe/greece/cret...

Since ancient times, the islands and coastal areas of Greece had boatyards where wooden ships were built. Wooden ships, also known in Greek as *kaikia* (aka caïque), played an important role in the economy.

These boats had unique technical, typological and cultural features, some of which dated back to the Byzantine-medieval era.

In 2013, the kaikia was added to Greece’s National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Sadly, however, these works of art are today being destroyed after the European Union decided in 1983 to subsidize fishermen to scrap their boats. The initial reasoning behind this questionable decision was to tackle overfishing.

Besides the EU’s irrational decision which failed to consider the importance of the kaikia tradition for Greece, decades of inactivity on the part of Greek officials led to the destruction of thousands of handmade wooden boats.

The David W. Dyer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, formerly known simply as the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a historic United States Post Office and federal courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida located at 300 Northeast 1st Avenue in Miami, Florida. Completed in 1933 of limestone, it is the largest such structure in South Florida.

The building was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1997, it was renamed to honor David W. Dyer, a former Chief Judge of the Southern District who was appointed to the circuit court in 1966.

In 1926, a devastating hurricane decimated southern Florida, prompting Congress to appropriate more than $2 million for a new courthouse in Miami in 1928. The Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury selected the highly regarded architectural partnership of Phineas Paist and Harold D. Steward. In the 1920s, Paist had been one of the primary architects for developer George E. Merrick, for the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. Designing the building between 1930 and 1931, Paist and Steward blended classically inspired Renaissance Revival forms and design elements with Mediterranean ornamentation.

Paist and Steward developed two sets of plans, each to be built upon a poured concrete and steel structural frame, ensuring the new federal building would resist hurricane-force winds. The first was envisioned using imported marble and bronze, while the second was to use aluminum and local coralline limestone, a lithified coral quarried at Windley Key near Key Largo and called Keystone. The government opted to clad the building in Keystone, reasoning that local materials added to the regional appeal of the building. Construction commenced in 1931 and the opening ceremony was held on July 1, 1933. It remains the most monumental Keystone structure in South Florida.

When it opened, the building housed all Miami-area federal agencies with the exception of the Weather Service. The U.S. Postal Service vacated the building in 1976. It was occupied by federal courts and various federal agencies until 2008. It is contained within Federal Courthouse Square, a two-block area that includes two other courthouses. On May 12, 2016, neighboring Miami Dade College signed a $1 a year, 115-year lease of the building for use as classrooms and lecture halls.

The building is an example of Mediterranean Revival architecture that combines Renaissance Revival elements with regional Florida architectural features. The building, which is faced in Keystone, is three stories in height, with the third story set above a widely projecting entablature on the north, east, and south elevations.

The facade, which has a slightly projecting central bay, faces east onto First Avenue and is dominated by a colonnade composed of regularly spaced engaged Corinthian columns supporting the classical entablature crowning the second story. Cast-aluminum casement window frames have embossed repeating chevron patterns. Spandrel panels depicting scenes from Florida's history are above the second story's arched windows.

The bays adjoining the colonnade feature paired Corinthian pilasters. Bas relief medallions containing classical figures in profile decorate lintels. The central parapet features a carved marble frieze incorporating a large eagle, flanked by a repeating motif of pelicans supporting heraldic shields. The entrances at the ends of the facade have surrounds of carved Floridene buff marble. The north and south elevations feature two-story Corinthian pilasters evoking the facade's colonnade. Ornate mascarons (carved faces) are found on the building's exterior.

The north and south elevations are dominated by central pavilions with bays separated by evenly spaced two-story engaged columns, placed singly and in pairs. An annex is attached to the west elevation. The building's shallow hipped roof is covered with terra-cotta tiles, typical of the Mediterranean Revival style.

Interior spaces are equally elaborate and incorporate eleven different types of marble. Entry vestibules with arched openings lead to the main lobby, where marble covers floors and forms wainscot. Marble pilasters have striking gilt capitals. An inset, multi-colored marble star pattern adorns the center of the floor. Original aluminum and glass chandeliers hang from the painted and gilt wood-and-plaster coffered ceiling. Marble postal tables retain original lamps and inset cast-brass grilles.

The double-height ceremonial District Courtroom is another significant space with well-preserved original details, including the carved wooden judge's bench, jury box, witness stand, and clerk's desk. Decorative details include fluted pilasters, rosettes, and carved plaques with floral rinceaux. At the walls, seven feet of paneled wood wainscot is located beneath scored plaster. Marble Ionic pilasters divide the window openings.

The mural Law Guides Florida Progress completed by artist Denman Fink in 1941 is located above the judge's bench and is flanked by two pairs of Ionic marble pilasters. The mural depicts the positive impact of justice guiding Florida's economic development. Fink included a likeness of himself as a draftsman and a likeness of architect Phineas E. Paist, with whom he worked in Coral Gables, as a chemist. The coffered ceiling features rosettes, stars, and shells.

Other significant artwork in the courthouse includes two striking cast-stone lunettes by Yugoslav-born American artist Alexander Sambugnac. Executed in 1938, the low-relief panels portray two allegorical figures representing themes of the spirit of justice and are placed on the lintels above the leather-covered doors. Love and Hope shows a young woman playing the lyre, while Wisdom and Courage depicts a seated figure gazing at a tablet of the law.

The interior brick courtyard admits light into the building while also providing a beautiful outdoor space commonly found in Florida architecture. A two-story loggia with a vaulted ceiling and columns surrounds the courtyard on three sides.

Keystone pilasters support arched lunette windows above the public lobby's paired French doors. Quoins (corner blocks) and Doric columns add decorative elements to the space. The courtyard's interior walls are unplastered brick, as are the exterior walls that face toward the courtyard from the north, east and south wings. The loggia's plaster walls and ceiling are ornamented with the multi-colored Frescoes in Courtyard, added by artist David Novros in 1984. An original postal marble writing table with an elaborate pedestal occupies the west side of the courtyard,

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.emporis.com/buildings/332633/dyer-federal-building-an...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Dyer_Federal_Building_and_...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

المنطق .. سيأخذك من النقطة ( أ ) إلى النقطة ( ب ) .. أما الخيال .. فسيأخذك إلى ( أي مكان )

The Streets of Mos Eisley - 19 years BBY

TK-7140

We had just been stationed on Tatooine 3 days ago. It was a regular day patrolling the streets of Mos Eisley. We had been ordered to keep the piece and look out for anyone who insisted on cooperating with the Galactic Empire. Usually, Tatooine was not much of an interest to the Empire, as it didn’t serve being much of a threat, being mostly a place for gambling, smuggling, crimes, and trading.

The Empire's reasoning for placing us here was "that it was needed during these times". I didn't question it, good soldiers follow orders. There had been rumors of some sort of an organization who worked against the empire, although yet very unknown and us clones were not allowed to know much. Me and my troops had never encountered an enemy of the empire before, but I was sure that there had to be some group of people working against us, somewhere in the galaxy. And I knew that these people had to be hunted down and punished for their crimes.

Suddenly I got a hologram message from one of the Grand Admirals:

“There have been numerous reports of a supposed Jedi spotted near the Docking Bay in Mos Eisley. Gather all troops and prepare for execution. Inquisitors have been informed and are on their way. And make no mistakes Commander, Lord Vader will not take kindly to any failure”.

-It will be done, Grand Admiral.

I had never fought against a Jedi before, during the time of Order 66 I was injured and could not fight. This was my chance. My chance to punish the Jedi for what they had done.

"Troopers, a Jedi has been spotted near the Docking Bay, prepare for execution"

As I saw the other men run towards the Docking Bay I took a deep breath, grabbed my pistols and prepared myself, following my squad.

Another photo I took from within the old Sentinel Works in Polmadie on my visit over the last festive season. For more info, history etc see the earlier photo I posted at the time here:

flic.kr/p/QA8xE3

The rights & wrongs of accessing these abandoned, derelict buildings is something that exercises my conscience often but in my own mind if I'm not causing any damage or distress and the place is genuinely derelict so I have no problem with taking a look- even if a fence needs climbed or entrance is through a window. 'Keep Out' warning signs don't deter me either(I usually regard them as the owners covering themselves legally if intruders come a cropper). I never cause any damage in order to get in or while I am there.

Despite all my reasonings many friends & colleagues seem unconvinced. They don't deter me though because I do so enjoy the whole adventure and some of the photographic results are quite exciting and seem to appeal to an audience out there on Flickr and Facebook. That's good enough for me.

One of the jewish rituals practiced on the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is known as Kapparot. The head of the family swings live rooster and hen (for women) above his family members heads and recites the following three times:

This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. (This rooster (hen) will go to its death ), while I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace

And thus, the sins of a person are symbolically transferred to the fowl. The fowl is then brought to a slaughterhouse and the butcher (shochett) is performs the Derasah (pressing) on which the knife is drawn across the throat and never hacking or pressing it. The ritual of the kapparot with live chickens is still performed in some of the ultra-orthodox communities, in spite of the fact that many prominent figures of the jewish law strongly oppose the custom and consider it as a non-Jewish ritual. I think their reasoning is true nowadays…While I were there, in the slaughterhouse, with all the chickens brought in, I could simply see the death in their eyes.

digital art

Another possible I shot for the MM "CIRCLES" theme, but didn't get around to uploading earlier... So, out of thoroughness, here it is anyway... :-)

MACRO MONDAYS Flickr Group: www.flickr.com/groups/macromonday/

HMM!!!

Nikon D7100 + Tokina 100mm f/2.8 FX Macro Lens (AT-X M100 AF PRO D AF 100mm f/2.8)

+ Nikon Speedlight SB-700 Flash (BOUNCED)

f/11 @ 1/60 @ iso 800

(tweaked in Smart Photo Editor)

I hope you're listening

This is my last goodbye

My last goodbye

There's no saving me

Too far gone for reasoning

My hands aren't clean

I gave it all to play for keeps

When it's over

And they throw me in my grave

I leave knowing

There was nothing left to say

There was just no saving me

So I keep on.

Part of my Independence Day celebration.

I'll be celebrating my independence and freedom every day the rest of the year and the rest of my life! There's nowhere I'd rather be :-)

My personal independence and freedom were unexpectedly forced on me. I fought it a bit and it took a while to accept and adapt to it. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. Possibly done intentionally in my best interest to save me. Maybe it was for Joe. It's had a marked positive effect on him too. He's much calmer and at ease. Whatever the reasoning, we're finding our groove and rhythm and it's pretty cool :-)

I have enough positive energy to power a small village!

LA LETTURA FA VIAGGIARE LA MENTE

Leggere fa bene. Migliora le competenze linguistiche, logiche e di comprensione del testo. Aumenta la conoscenza del mondo ma anche la conoscenza di sé e degli altri, mantiene attive le funzioni cognitive di memoria, attenzione e concentrazione, ragionamento e capacità critica. I libri insegnano a comprendere il mondo, ad approfondire, a riflettere, a pensare. Propongono la calma e la temperanza.

Note tratte dal sito:

www.dors.it/2024/01/la-lettura-come-fonte-di-benessere---...

READING MAKES THE MIND TRAVEL

Reading is good for you. It improves linguistic, logical and text comprehension skills. It increases knowledge of the world but also knowledge of oneself and others, it keeps the cognitive functions of memory, attention and concentration, reasoning and critical ability active. Books teach us to understand the world, to delve deeper, to reflect, to think. They propose calm and temperance.

CANON EOS 6D Mark II con ob. SIGMA 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM

© All rights reserved

Kris Kros Photography

Side story: While I was taking pictures of this church, the church guard approached me and said that no one is allowed to take photos since this church is a private organization. I failed to understand the reasoning behind why a church that is in full view to the public is not supposed to be photographed. Anyway, since I had already taken some pictures, I didn't argue and just left.

This church is called The Mosaic Church which is located in the north east wing of the Pasadena City Hall.

Follow me on Instagram: @oilfighter

Facebook: whosHu Photography

Website: www.whoshulandscape.com/

I woke up to a cloudless morning in Yosemite. After looking at the sky, I had a feeling that some ground fog might develop right around sunrise. It's a wild guess but my reasoning was that since it was really cold the night before, and the forecast calls for a warmer day than yesterday, the cloudless sky might warm up the ground really fast, which will cause ground fog to develop. With that hope in mind, I headed over to a meadow that I pass by everyday but never shot in, hoping for something good.

Sure enough, ground fogs were developing as I was walking into the meadow. I found a tall stand of trees swimming in fog as my foreground and settled in for the sunrise. To my delight, some wispy clouds started to form right behind me as the sunrise approaches. I kept hoping that the wind will carry the clouds over to the top of the Half Dome before the sun peaks over the mountains.

Finally, after an agonizingly long wait, just before the sun gets too high, the clouds floated over Half Dome, and a perfect swirl of fog drifted over the tree stand in front of me. The timing was perfect! I used a 3 shot bracket here to balance out the exposure, since the shape of the Half Dome made it impossible to use my trusty graduated ND filters.

Canon 5D Mark III

24-105mm F/4

3 shot bracket, manual blend

This snowflake has a definitely sense of depth in the center with symmetry only strongly broken on the bottom branch. Curious why? Read on and view large!

Whenever you see one branch smaller than the others on a snowflake so uniformly like this, it’s almost always because of interference caused by another snowflake. Imagine if this crystal locked into another snowflake like cogs in a machine. What if one branch of another crystal overlapped this snowflake and covered up this bottom branch? It would starve it of some building blocks by preventing access to all the available water vapour. This would make the branch smaller, and the growth would always be stunted compared to the other branches.

This is supported by a lack of “impacts” from super cooled water droplets. See the darker dots on the other branches? This snowflake passed through a layer of clouds that didn’t contain pure water vapour but larger droplets of water that freeze on impact with the snowflake. The fact that these droplets are missing from the lower branch would be evidence that it was somehow shielded from these impacts by another crystal. Whether or not that extra snowflake broke away in the air or when the crystal landed is unknown, but it wasn’t there when I discovered and started photographing this little gem.

The center has a brighter hexagon area which is a fun feature, but the details of which are actually on the opposite side of the snowflake. This crystal split in two by a cavity growing so large that it divided the plate into two new planes of growth independent of one another, and in this scenario is very common that one plate grows faster than the other. The smaller plate is behind the larger one, and where the two are both overlapping you see the snowflake as brighter. The crystal is brighter in this area simply because there are more layers of ice to reflect light back to the camera, and that’s also the reason why bubbles in the ice are usually brighter as well.

The physics of these tiny gems is easy to understand from a deductive reasoning standpoint, and it becomes a fun puzzle to put together each time, depending on just a few simple rules of growth. If you’d like to know all of these rules and put the puzzles together yourself, grab a copy of Sky Crystals: www.skycrystals.ca/book/ - which also comprehensively details the photographic equipment, settings, technique and post-processing so you can make similar images yourself!