The most recognizable church on Anglesey, St. Cwyfan's, is popularly know as the Church in the Sea (or eglwys bach y mor in Welsh). Perched on a tiny island called Cribinau, encircled by a sea wall, this simple medieval church dates to the 12th century. It is thought to be dedicated to the Irish St. Kevin, who founded the monastery across the sea at Glendalough in Co Wicklow, Ireland.

 

It may seem an odd and perilous place to build a church, but it originally stood at the end of a peninsula between two bays, Porth Cwyfan and Porth China, as shown on John Speed's map of Anglesey from 1636. In the decades after this the sea slowly eroded the coast in the two bays enough that the peninsula was cut off, turning it into an island.

A causeway was built to the island to allow parishioners to get to the island. Its remains are visible in the picture below. However, even with the causeway, sometimes high tides prevented access. At those times services were held in a room in the nearby house, Plas Llangwyfan, which was specially consecrated for the purpose.

 

The waves continued to eat away at the island until, in the late 19th century, some of the graves surrounding the church began to fall into the sea. At this time the church was also disused and roofless, having been replaced by a new church further inland. However, in 1893 local architect Harold Hughes, concerned for the fate of this evocative old church, raised money to save the it by constructing a seawall around the island and restoring the building.

 

Although the church was initially built in the 12th century, only a small portion of the south wall dates from this period. Most of the walls were rebuilt during a 14th century reconstruction. In the early 16th century an aisle was added to the north side, accessed through an arcade of three arches, but it was demolished in the early 19th century as the cliff edge eroded ever closer. The infilled arches can now be seen in the outer wall, after the old cement mortar was removed during refurbishment in 2006. This refurbishment also involved limewashing the walls, making them very white, to the consternation of some locals who were used to the old grey appearance.

 

This tiny church was at the centre of a big controversy in the 18th century. In 1766 the Bishop of Bangor appointed Dr Thomas Bowles as the parish priest of Trefdraeth, which included St. Cwyfan's as a chapelry. Unfortunately Dr Bowles spoke no Welsh, and only five of the 500 parishioners understood English. They protested against his appointment and eventually the case was heard in the ecclesiastical court in 1773. The judge ruled that Bowles should not have been appointed, as Welsh speaking priests should be sent to primarily Welsh speaking parishes. However, once a priest has been granted ecclesiastical freehold of a parish it is very difficult to remove them, so the judge ruled that he should be allowed to stay in his post, which he did until his death later that year.

Recognizing the flight patterns of the different birds really helped in catching this image. I saw and recognized this Pileated Woodpecker from a distance and focused on the bird and shooting a burst at the right moment to catch this male with his wings wide open.

Canon EOS 7D2, EF400 5.6L USM, F8, 1/2000, ISO 1000.

Recognized as one of the most significant buildings in America, Trinity Church took shape on marshland in Boston's Back Bay in the 1870's.

 

This is a 7 shot pano using canon 5dmkiii, 17-40mm L USM Canon, no tripod, no flash.

 

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If interested in purchasing any of my pictures, please visit Monsoon Photo

 

Copyright © Swapan Jha. All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.

La Plaza del Castillo (Gazteluko Plaza o Gazteluko Enparantza en euskera) es una plaza pública situada en el centro de la ciudad de Pamplona (Navarra), España y que ocupa una superficie de casi 14.000 m2. Es la segunda más grande de la ciudad siendo superada por la Plaza de los Fueros, con unos 18.000 m2.1

Desde su construcción la plaza se convirtió en el centro neurálgico de la vida social pamplonesa y en uno de los iconos más reconocibles de la ciudad, siendo hoy en día todavía escenario de importantes acontecimientos de la misma, por lo que suele ser habitual referirse a ella como "el cuarto de estar" de todos los pamploneses.

El centro de la plaza está ocupado desde el 28 de junio de 1943, por un quiosco de música de 18 metros de altura elevado sobre tambor escalonado y cuya cúpula está sostenida por columnas de orden jónico. Anteriormente tuvo uno de madera que había sustituido en 1910 a la fuente de la Beneficencia, obra de Luis Paret, conocida en Pamplona como "La Mariblanca", actualmente adornando los Jardines de la Taconera de la ciudad.

Al sur de la plaza, en el comienzo de la Avenida de Carlos III se encuentra la estatua dedicada al rey Carlos III el Noble.

En 1859, se levantó en el ángulo noreste de la plaza el Hotel La Perla, todavía en funcionamiento, y el más antiguo de Navarra.

Entre 1880 y 1895, la plaza vio la construcción de los edificios del Nuevo Casino Principal y del Café Iruña, ambos de estilo historicista de aire romántico de fin de siglo que aún conservan, así como la apertura de otros cafés que convirtieron la plaza en el centro de la vida social pamplonesa de la época.

 

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_del_Castillo_(Pamplona)

 

The Plaza del Castillo (Gazteluko Plaza or Gazteluko Enparantza in Basque) is a public square located in the center of the city of Pamplona (Navarra), Spain and occupies an area of almost 14,000 m2. It is the second largest in the city being surpassed by the Plaza de los Fueros, with about 18,000 m2.

Since its construction, the square has become the nerve center of Pamplona's social life and one of the most recognizable icons of the city, and today it is still the scene of important events in the city, which is why it is often referred to as the "living room" of all the people of Pamplona.

The center of the square is occupied since June 28, 1943, by a bandstand of 18 meters high elevated on stepped drum and whose dome is supported by columns of Ionic order. Previously it had a wooden one that had replaced in 1910 the fountain of the Beneficencia, work of Luis Paret, known in Pamplona as "La Mariblanca", at the moment adorning the Gardens of the Taconera of the city.

To the south of the square, at the beginning of the Avenida de Carlos III is the statue dedicated to King Carlos III the Noble.

In 1859, the Hotel La Perla, still in operation and the oldest hotel in Navarre, was built in the northeast corner of the square.

Between 1880 and 1895, the square saw the construction of the buildings of the Nuevo Casino Principal and the Café Iruña, both in a historicist style with a turn-of-the-century romantic air that still remain, as well as the opening of other cafés that turned the square into the center of Pamplona's social life of the time.

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

VIEW LARGE HERE

View On Black

 

Throughout your life people will come and go. Many will mean nothing to you but some will have a profound influence. It may be subtle it may be obvious. You may not understand the lesson at first. It may hit you years later. It may be an important person, or a close relative or friend. A beggar or homeless man that you hand some change to in a brief second. It may be his dirty hand or a glint in his eye that you remember. It may be a word or a speech you have listened to. But if you look carefully at this person and listen for that voice inside, the one that guides you the one that matters, there in lies a truth a life lesson. This is a saint. Sent to you for a reason, they are there to teach you something. Don’t falter. Don’t rush by too fast, still the moment even if only briefly. Absorb, learn and go forward. These are blessings in disguise. This is recognizing your saints.

  

Picture is of a man who lives in an insane asylum on an island in the Mediterranean. He spotted me and my camera, jumped up from his bench in the court yard and grabbed at my shirt, tugging at it, begging me to take his picture. I smiled and said ok. He ran over to the wall and said ‘here, take it here’. He stood up so proud and stared straight. I took his picture and told him I would be back next year and he would have it then. Promise. I did go back. Asked the aids where this man in my picture was. They pointed to a room upstairs, said he never leaves it now. He saw me enter his dark room and recognized me even after a year had passed. He asked if I brought the picture said he was waiting a long time. I said to him a year is not that long and a promise is a promise. He could not move much. Reached for the photo, smiled and set it by his small night stand. He told me he was dying of cancer and had not long to live. He told me I had made him happy and would look at that photo and smile at how he use to be. He thanked me. I left.

I then knew that when he died someone would place that photo into his coffin. I knew then how important my work could be. Recognize your saints.

 

SS

 

Il. Title- ( - sang sur mains - ) Mike Mullen having a nice steak dinner with a 'clear conscience' ... ( On top of dead Afghani civilians & dead soldiers.. Egomaniac.. ) Yes Wikileaks shared this piece inspired by them & their work: twitter.com/wikileaks/status/21824111844 it & the entire Wikileaks series is not- for sale.

At some point there may be an exhibition with funds going towards WL & Bradley Manning.

 

But for now none of the pieces in the series are commercially available or for sale to private individuals.

 

They do have free use by Wikileaks however.

More work to be posted soon.

  

Dimensions: 18" x 24.5" acid free paper, acrylics, gouache & ebony pencil

 

"Mr. Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family," Mullen said."

 

www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/29/pentagon-wikileaks-bl...

 

MMm no- Mullen..How can we end these wars ASAP- & STOP you from getting any MORE blood on YOUR hands..

  

( News from Wikileaks Twitter feed, 8 - 19 - 2012: "In fact, being from another planet, he might even have picked up on something that most Americans would be unlikely to notice -- that, with only slight alterations, Mullen’s blistering comment about Assange could be applied remarkably well to Mullen himself. “Chairman Mullen,” that Martian might have responded, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he is doing, but the truth is he already has on his hands the blood of some young soldiers and that of many Afghan families.” "

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml )

   

War Diary - wardiary.wikileaks.org/ Timeline: wartimeline.haineault.com/

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mullen#2007_Senate_testimon...

  

& from the Pentagon- "“We want whatever they have returned to us and we want whatever copies they have expunged… We demand that they do the right thing. If doing the right thing is not good enough for them, then we will figure out what alternatives we have to compel them to do the right thing." mashable.com/2010/08/05/pentagon-wikileaks-demand/

 

The NERVE.. -

  

Wikileaks - "What we didn't hear from the Pentagon last week: "killing all those innocent people is bad. Sorry. We will stop that" Thursday, August 05, 2010

YES.

 

-

 

"Thousands of children and adults had been killed and the US could have announced a broad inquiry into these killings, "but he decided to treat these issues with contempt''.

He said: "This behaviour is unacceptable. We will continue to expose abuses by this administration and others."" - www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/30/us-military-wikileak...

 

-

 

( From Wikileaks twitter- Aug 19 2010 _ ) -

 

Wikileaks vs the Pentagon: Phony Fingerpointing

Tom Engelhardt:: Who Really Has Blood On Their Hands?

  

"Consider the following statement offered by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a news conference last week. He was discussing Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks as well as the person who has taken responsibility for the vast, still ongoing Afghan War document dump at that site. "Mr. Assange,” Mullen commented, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family.”

 

Now, if you were the proverbial fair-minded visitor from Mars (who in school civics texts of my childhood always seemed to land on Main Street, U.S.A., to survey the wonders of our American system), you might be a bit taken aback by Mullen’s statement. After all, one of the revelations in the trove of leaked documents Assange put online had to do with how much blood from innocent Afghan civilians was already on American hands.

 

The British Guardian was one of three publications given early access to the leaked archive, and it began its main article this way: “A huge cache of secret U.S. military files today provides a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents. They range from the shootings of individual innocents to the often massive loss of life from air strikes...” Or as the paper added in a piece headlined “Secret CIA paramilitaries’ role in civilian deaths”: “Behind the military jargon, the war logs are littered with accounts of civilian tragedies.

 

The 144 entries in the logs recording some of these so-called ‘blue on white’ events, cover a wide spectrum of day-by-day assaults on Afghans, with hundreds of casualties.” Or as it also reported, when exploring documents related to Task Force 373, an “undisclosed ‘black’ unit” of U.S. special operations forces focused on assassinating Taliban and al-Qaeda “senior officials”: “The logs reveal that TF 373 has also killed civilian men, women, and children and even Afghan police officers who have strayed into its path.”

 

Admittedly, the events recorded in the Wikileaks archive took place between 2004 and the end of 2009, and so don’t cover the last six months of the Obama administration’s across-the-board surge in Afghanistan. Then again, Admiral Mullen became chairman of the Joint Chiefs in October 2007, and so has been at the helm of the American war machine for more than two of the years in question.

 

He was, for example, chairman in July 2008, when an American plane or planes took out an Afghan bridal party -- 70 to 90 strong and made up mostly of women -- on a road near the Pakistani border. They were "escorting the bride to meet her groom as local tradition dictates." The bride, whose name we don’t know, died, as did at least 27 other members of the party, including children. Mullen was similarly chairman in August 2008 when a memorial service for a tribal leader in the village of Azizabad in Afghanistan’s Herat Province was hit by repeated U.S. air strikes that killed at least 90 civilians, including perhaps 15 women and up to 60 children. Among the dead were 76 members of one extended family, headed by Reza Khan, a "wealthy businessman with construction and security contracts with the nearby American base at Shindand airport."

 

Mullen was still chairman in April 2009 when members of the family of Awal Khan, an Afghan army artillery commander on duty elsewhere, were killed in a U.S.-led raid in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. Among them were his "schoolteacher wife, a 17-year-old daughter named Nadia, a 15-year-old son, Aimal, and his brother, employed by a government department.” Another daughter was wounded and the pregnant wife of Khan's cousin was shot five times in the abdomen.

 

Mullen remained chairman when, in November 2009, two relatives of Majidullah Qarar, the spokesman for the Minister of Agriculture, were shot down in cold blood in Ghazni City in a Special Operations night raid; as he was -- and here we move beyond the Wikileaks time frame -- when, in February 2010, U.S. Special Forces troops in helicopters struck a convoy of mini-buses, killing up to 27 civilians, including women and children; as he also was when, in that same month, in a special operations night raid, two pregnant women and a teenage girl, as well as a police officer and his brother, were shot to death in their home in a village near Gardez, the capital of Paktia province. After which, the soldiers reportedly dug the bullets out of the bodies, washed the wounds with alcohol, and tried to cover the incident up. He was no less chairman late last month when residents of a small town in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan claimed that a NATO missile attack had killed 52 civilians, an incident that, like just about every other one mentioned above and so many more, was initially denied by U.S. and NATO spokespeople and is now being “investigated.” "

  

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml

    

-

 

"What is interesting is who is responsible for the killings.

 

Of the 1,325 civilian deaths recorded by the Afghan human rights group, 23 per cent were attributed to Nato or Afghan government forces. The Taliban and their allies were responsible for 68 per cent of the deaths.

 

The UN study claimed the civilian death toll was slightly lower at 1,271 with anti-government forces blamed for 76 per cent of the casualties.

 

Chronicling precise figures is extremely difficult because most parts of the country are inaccessible.

 

Crucially, both studies suggested that the proportion of deaths attributed to Nato and Afghan government forces were down compared to last year because of fewer air strikes.

 

This is important because clumsy air strikes on innocent villages and unfair raids on their houses has been driving a lot of Afghans to pick up arms on behalf of insurgents."

 

by, Hamida Ghafour

More: www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100811/OP...

 

& -

"My countrymen called me a prostitute

(Filed: 26/10/2004)

 

Fourteen months ago, Hamida Ghafour went to Afghanistan to cover her native countrys postwar reconstruction for this newspaper. But, as a westernised Afghan, her homecoming wasnt as welcoming as she had hoped"

www.afghanistan.org/news_detail.asp?17220

 

I am skeptical about agendas.. It can be confusing, this is why for better or worse one must have THE FACTS - it would have been better if we had them from the START.

 

Without facts no one cares what we do- or who we kill, because we simply don't have ANY concept of how a decade long war is going..

 

“The government is engaging in selective prosecution to ensure that employees keep their mouths shut,” says Stephen Khon, a lawyer specializing in whistleblowing cases. “All of a sudden the whistleblower becomes public enemy number one. There is no proportionality.” www.alternet.org/world/147778/how_the_military_destroys_t...

  

This- - you MUST watch-- It's of Afghani's asking for peace & for us to leave- "Wikileaks Assange, stand freely for love & we in Afg will stand with you.." From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9E_nXiPj9g

 

US war crimes: soldiers speak out. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj6s1V0Dpuw

  

From Wikileaks Twitter- "UNAMA Human Rights Unit issued recommendations in the report including:

 

• The Taliban should withdraw all orders and statements calling for the killing of civilians; and, the Taliban and other AGEs should end the use of IEDs and suicide attacks, comply with international humanitarian law, cease acts of intimidation and killing including assassination, execution and abduction, fully respect citizens’ freedom of movement and stop using civilians as human shields.

 

• International military forces should make more transparent their investigation and reporting on civilian casualties including on accountability; maintain and strengthen directives restricting aerial attacks and the use of night raids; coordinate investigation and reporting of civilian casualties with the Afghan Government to improve protection and accountability; improve compensation processes; and, improve transparency around any harm to civilians caused by Special Forces operations.

 

• The Afghan Government should create a public body to lead its response to major civilian casualty incidents and its interaction with international military forces and other key actors, ensure investigations include forensic components, ensure transparent and timely compensation to victims; and, improve accountability including discipline or prosecution for any Afghan National Security Forces personnel who unlawfully cause death or injury to civilians or otherwise violate the rights of Afghan citizens."

unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1741&ctl=Deta...

 

From Wikileaks Twitter- CBC

 

"A bomb is found tucked into a school typewriter. Insurgents dressed in military uniforms attack an education chief. School guards are tied up while the building is bombed to smithereens. Teachers and students at an all-girls high school are poisoned through the drinking water."

 

"School attacks

Year Number of attacks against schools

2005 98

2006 220

2007 236

2008 348

2009 610

 

Source: UNICEF. Data for 2008 and 2009 are from the UN Country Task Force on Children, and previous years are from the Ministry of Education."

 

"Education for children up in Afghanistan since 2002- .

"Nine years ago, about 100,000 students were enrolled in schools. The figure now stands at more than seven million students, one-third of whom are girls, according to the Afghanistan Ministry of Education.

 

"It's one of those sectors where we've seen radical and dramatic progress since 2002," notes Rowell.

 

"No one knows where the country is going … but education is a beacon of success."

 

Read more: www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/08/06/f-afghanistan-education...

 

& www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/database-afghan-war-logs/

 

""

 

"New Petition Gains Prominent Signatures: “Defend WikiLeaks – End the Secret Wars” - Sign: seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/64042

"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Jung.

   

Treating Soldier Stress: www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2008931_2172992,00...

 

"Afghan War Diary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  

The Afghan War Diary (also called The War Logs) is a collection of internal U.S. military logs of the War in Afghanistan published by Wikileaks on 25 July 2010.

The logs consist of 91,731 documents, covering the period between January 2004 and December 2009. Most of the documents were classified as "secret", which The New York Times called "a relatively low level of classification".

As of 28 July 2010, only 75,000 of the documents have been released to the public, a move which Wikileaks says is "part of a harm minimization process demanded by [the] source". Prior to releasing the initial 75,000 documents, Wikileaks made the logs available to The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel in its German and English on-line edition which published reports per previous agreement on that same day, July 25, 2010."

 

&

 

"In June 2010, Guardian journalist Nick Davies and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange established that the US army had built a huge database with six years of sensitive military intelligence material, to which many thousands of US soldiers had access and some of them had been able to download copies, and WikiLeaks had one copy which it proposed to publish online, via a series of uncensorable global servers.

 

Wikileaks describes itself as "a multi-jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public."

 

In an interview with the U.K.'s Channel 4, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said that "we have a stated commitment to a particular kind of process and objective, and that commitment is to get censored material out and never to take it down." He contrasted the group with other media outlets by saying that "other journalists try to verify sources. We don't do that, we verify documents. We don't care where it came from." He denied that the group has an inherent bias against the Afghanistan War, saying that "We don't have a view about whether the war should continue or stop – we do have a view that it should be prosecuted as humanely as possible." However, he also said that he believes the leaked information will turn world public opinion to think more negatively of the war."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary

  

"War has become a luxury that only small nations can afford." -

Hannah Arendt

 

"The leak of tens of thousands of Afghanistan war-related documents tells us more than the sum total of many official communiqués about the war. On balance, more disclosure is a good thing, but the leaking of raw military intelligence is a special case that requires a careful, rather than a cavalier, approach.

 

There is not enough information about the war, and much official information is misleading. In Canada, the federal government's quarterly reports contain a few updates based on its goals in Kandahar, but little else that informs. The government has already shown itself to be an unreliable source on issues relating to Afghan detainees.

 

The situation is now too dangerous for the most trustworthy chroniclers – journalists, UN personnel – to go outside NATO-protected areas.

 

So reliable, independent information is lacking. The circumstances in this war make such information even more necessary."

 

www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/we-neede...

  

"Instead, many eyes will now pore over this data from many different directions, looking for patterns and attempting to eliminate the noise, disinformation and fog of war.

Many will look to it to criticise and condemn the US presence in Afghanistan, but if those on the other side – those who support such military incursions – have any sense, they too will use it to understand better the war in which they find themselves and adapt their counsel to fit more accurately the facts on the ground.

That’s the benefit, usually, of an open society. We get to triangulate on the truth by gathering facts in the public space, then providing them to all sides to chew over. We use this against our own illusions and those of more closed societies who can only view the world through one narrow perspective.": www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0730/1224275801...

  

wikileaks.org/

 

( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_ecology )

 

"The first phase was chilling, in part because the banter of the soldiers was so far beyond the boundaries of civilian discourse. “Just fuckin’, once you get on ’em, just open ’em up,” one of them said. The crew members of the Apache came upon about a dozen men ambling down a street, a block or so from American troops, and reported that five or six of the men were armed with AK-47s; as the Apache maneuvered into position to fire at them, the crew saw one of the Reuters journalists, who were mixed in among the other men, and mistook a long-lensed camera for an RPG. The Apaches fired on the men for twenty-five seconds, killing nearly all of them instantly."

 

Read more www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khat...

  

"With the release of the WikiLeaks documents, Arab media may finally feel vindicated, as Western media finally start to give greater prominence to civilian casualties." newamericamedia.org/2010/07/wikileaks-documents-validate-...

 

"Wikileaks confirmed: A plan to kill American geologist with poison beer

 

The Wikileaks documents contain a claim that Pakistan and Afghanistan insurgents were working to poison alcoholic drinks in Afghanistan. While that's unproven, one US adviser in Afghanistan tells the Monitor he was almost poisoned that way in 2007." : www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0728/Wiki...

  

"This is duplicitous only if you close your eyes to the Pakistani reality, which the Americans never did. There was ample evidence, as the WikiLeaks show, of covert ISI ties to the Taliban. The Americans knew they couldn't break those ties. They settled for what support Pakistan could give them while constantly pressing them harder and harder until genuine fears in Washington emerged that Pakistan could destabilize altogether. Since a stable Pakistan is more important to the United States than a victory in Afghanistan—which it wasn't going to get anyway—the United States released pressure and increased aid. If Pakistan collapsed, then India would be the sole regional power, not something the United States wants."

 

www.billoreilly.com/site/rd?satype=13&said=12&url...

 

"How to read the Afghanistan war logs: video tutorial

David Leigh, the Guardian's investigations editor, explains the online tools we have created to help you understand the secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan": www.guardian.co.uk/world/datablog/video/2010/jul/25/afgha...

 

"Jonathan Foreman, writing for the right of center National Review's Corner blog, hopes the documents will force America to deal with the possible deceptions being made by ally Pakistan. "It is possible that the publication of documents that provide actual evidence — rather than rumors — of the role of ISI personnel in Taliban planning, logistics, and strategy will give the West greater leverage in dealing with Islamabad and might force Pakistan’s political elite to confront the reality of the ISI’s secret activities. If so, that would be a silver lining to what is otherwise a military disaster abetted by the U.S. and British media."

www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/NATL-The-Importance-o...

  

"The real significance of the Afghan war diaries lies in what Wikileaks represents as a movement, as an evolution in journalism. One analyst has called it the emergence of open source journalism. Julian Assange makes it possible for anybody anywhere in the world to submit secret documents for publication." www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Sevanti_Ninan/article541...

  

A War Without End: www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,708314,00.html

  

"Julian Assange on the Afghanistan war logs: 'They show the true nature of this war'

 

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, explains why he decided to publish thousands of secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan Afghanistan war logs expose truth of occupation": www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jul/25/julian-assange...

 

The history of US leaks: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10769495

 

Freedom of Information Act: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_(United_...

 

"A long-delayed Afghanistan war funding bill, stripped of billions for teachers and black farmers, is back before the House and walking now into the storm over the Internet leak of battlefield reports stirring old doubts about U.S. policy and relations with Pakistan.": www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40254.html & www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40251.html

  

This is a large study/drawing, Assange/Wikileakers of the organization Wikileaks ( wikileaks.org ) uses 'matches from sources' to disclose US gov secrecy ( behind large black curtains ) & to also finally bring some much needed attention & closure to some of these revelations ( set ablaze ).

   

This ongoing series is dedicated to everyone who has needlessly had their lives destroyed, been injured or die in this almost past decade of war. For the sources, journalists & average citizens who risk their lives to inform us.

Reuters reporters Namir Eldeen, Saeed Chmagh & the good samaritan ( father ) who died trying to save them & of course his two surviving small children who will forever be impacted by the brutality of war for decades to come.

 

Please help Private Bradley Manning- www.bradleymanning.org/

  

"One surprising consequence of the war in Iraq is the surrender of postmodernism to a victorious modernism. This has been largely overlooked in North America.

 

In reaction to the U.S. intervention in Iraq, Jacques Derrida, a famous postmodernist, signed on as co-author of an article drafted by the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, previously an opponent of his, in an unmistakable endorsement of modernist Enlightenment principles. Derrida, the apostle of deconstructionism, is now advocating some decidedly constructive and Eurocentric activism.

 

The article appeared simultaneously in two newspapers on May 31, in German in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as "After the War: The Rebirth of Europe," and in French in Libération, less triumphantly, as "A Plea for a Common Foreign Policy: The demonstrations of Feb. 15 against the war in Iraq designed a new European public space."

 

Other famous intellectuals joined in with supportive newspaper articles of their own: Umberto Eco (of The Name of the Rose) and Gianni Vattimo in Italy and an American philosopher, Richard Rorty. This provoked much discussion in Europe, but only a few comments so far in North America, the Boston Globe and the Village Voice being rare exceptions.

 

This week in Montreal, there was an anti-globalization riot in which windows were broken in protest against a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting. But the Habermas-Derrida declaration praises the WTO and even the International Monetary Fund as part of Weltinnenpolitik: maddeningly hard to translate, but something like "global domestic policy" or "external internal policy."

 

Yet it is not much of a stretch to claim the young anti-globalists as disciples of postmodernism and Derrida, who has hitherto been a foe of "logocentrism" (putting reason at the centre), "phallologocentrism" (reason is an erect male organ and, as such, damnably central) and Eurocentrism (the old, old West is the homeland of all of the above).

 

Derrida added a note to the article, observing most people would recognize Habermas's style and thinking in the piece, and that he hadn't had time to write a separate piece. But notwithstanding his "past confrontations" with Habermas (Derrida had objected to being called a "Judaistic mystic," for one thing), he agreed with the article he had signed, which calls for new European responsibilities "beyond all Eurocentrism" and the strengthening of international law and international institutions."

 

More: www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php

 

"In early 2003, both Habermas and Derrida were very active in opposing the coming Iraq War, and called for in a manifesto that later became the book Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe for a tighter union of the states of the European Union in order to provide a power capable of opposing American foreign policy. Derrida wrote a foreword expressing his unqualified subscription to Habermas's declaration of February 2003, "February 15, or, What Binds Europeans Together: Plea for a Common Foreign Policy, Beginning in Core Europe,” in Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe which was a reaction to the Bush administration demands upon European nations for support for the coming Iraq War[25]. Habermas has offered further context for this declaration in an interview."

 

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%c3%bcrgen_Habermas#Habermas_and_D...

  

Habermas: ”The asymmetry between the concentrated destructive power of the electronically controlled clusters of elegant and versatile missiles in the air and the archaic ferocity of the swarms of bearded warriors outfitted with Kalashnikovs on the ground remains a morally obscene sight

 

I consider Bush' s decision to call for a "war against terrorism" a serious mistake, both normatively and pragmatically. Normatively, he is elevating these criminals to the status of war enemies; and pragmatically, one cannot lead a war against a "network" if the term "war" is to retain any definite meaning.”

     

Derrida: “To say it all too quickly and in passing, to amplify and clarify just a bit what I said earlier about an absolute threat whose origin is anonymous and not related to any state, such "terrorist" attacks already no longer need planes, bombs, or kamikazes: it is enough to infiltrate a strategically important computer system and introduce a virus or some other disruptive element to paralyze the economic, military, and political resources of an entire country or continent. And this can be attempted from just about anywhere on earth, at very little expense and with minimal means. The relationship between earth, terra territory, and terror has changed, and it is necessary to know that this is because of knowledge, that is, because of technoscience.

 

It is technoscience that blurs the distinction between war and terrorism. In this regard, when compared to the possibilities for destruction and chaotic disorder that are in reserve, for the future, in the computerized networks of the world, "September 11" is still part of the archaic theater of violence aimed at striking the imagination. One will be able to do even worse tomorrow, invisibly, in silence, more quickly and without any bloodshed, by attacking the computer and informational networks on which the entire life (social, economic, military, and so on) of a "great nation," of the greatest power on earth, depends.”

 

www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php

 

I am incredibly- delighted at all the vital discussions about the war & US gov that are FINALLY taking place- & on a mass scale- as a result of this leak .. Simply miraculous..

  

FREEDOM & PEACE ( transparency, diplomacy & the evolution of such ) FOR ALL WAR NATIONS.

  

( WARNING - links ( after excerpt ) are NOT for sensitive viewers- ) "Wikileaks have released over 150 supressed images. This is the tip of the iceberg, keep looking, keep publishing.In the last week Wikileaks has released over 150 censored photos and videos of the Tibet uprising and has called on bloggers around the world to help drive the footage through the Chinese internet censorship regime — the so called “Great Firewall of China”The transparency group’s move comes as a response to the the Chinese Public Security Bureau’s carte-blanche censorship of youtube, the BBC, CNN, the Guardian and other sites carrying video footage of the Tibetan people’s recent heroic stand against the inhumane Chinese occupation of Tibet."

fortuzero.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/tibet-western-media-sa...

 

file.wikileaks.org/file/tibet-protest-photos/index.html

 

FREE TIBET!!!!!!!!!!!!

   

Also other dire & serious issues ( out of countless ) - that expose corruption by corporations & gov's:

 

"A documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at the Guardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one of the companies it investigates. Pig Business criticises the practices of the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming it is responsible for environmental pollution and health problems among residents near its factories."

 

www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/29/pig-business-document...

 

"In an investigation broadcast on BBC Radio 5 on November 14, 2004,[79] it was reported that the site is still contaminated with 'thousands' of metric tons of toxic chemicals, including benzene hexachloride and mercury, held in open containers or loose on the ground. A sample of drinking water from a well near the site had levels of contamination 500 times higher than the maximum limits recommended by the World Health Organization.[80]

 

In 2009, a day before the 25th anniversary of the disaster, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi based pollution monitoring lab, released latest tests from a study showing that groundwater in areas even three km from the factory up to 38.6 times more pesticides than Indian standards."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

   

-

 

The Blue Mask - Lou Reed - www.goear.com/listen/9960779/the-blue-mask-lou-reed ( & O Superman ) www.goear.com/listen/02cf55d/o-superman-(for-massenet)-la...

 

Lou Reed The Blue Mask

 

Lyrics:

 

They tied his arms behind

his back to teach him how to

swim They put

blood in his coffee and milk

in his gin They stood over the

soldier in

the midst of the squalor

There was war in his body and

it caused his

brain to holler

Make the sacrifice

mutilate my face

If you need someone to kill

I'm a man without a will

Wash the razor in the rain

Let me luxuriate in pain

Please don't set me free

Death means a lot to me

The pain was lean and it made

him scream he knew he was alive

They put a

pin through the nipples on his chest

He thought he was a saint

I've made love to my mother,

killed my father and my brother

What am I

to do

When a sin goes too far, it's

like a runaway car It cannot

be controlled

Spit upon his face and scream

There's no Oedipus today

This is no play you're thinking you

are in What will you say

Take the blue mask down from my face and

look me in the eye I get a

thrill from punishment

I've always been that way

I loathe and despise repentance

You are permanently stained

Your weakness buys indifference

and indiscretion in the streets

Dirty's what you are and clean is what

you're not You deserve to be

soundly beat

Make the sacrifice

Take it all the way

There's no won't high enough

To stop this desperate day

Don't take death away

Cut the finger at the joint

Cut the stallion at his mount

And stuff it in his mouth

---

  

-

   

"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder. "

  

Albert Einstein

  

IMAGINE THE HAPPINESS & GREAT WORK AHEAD OF US WE COULD HAVE AT THE END OF THE WARS!!!!!!!!!

 

www.goear.com/listen/48d6016/hora-de-la-mehedinti-romania...

 

NO MORE WAR & FREEDOM FOR ALL WAR NATIONS!!!!!!!!!

 

Peace.

The article below originated from:

Traditional Building Magazine

Updated: Jan 6, 2020

Original: Feb 2, 2016

 

Originally built in 1916, the Palm Beach courthouse was a tour de force of Neoclassical architecture. The architect Wilber Burt Talley designed a granite base, brick and stone façades, soaring Indiana limestone columns and Corinthian capitals that held up triangle pediments, and a dentil molding below the cornice. The four-story, 40,000-sq.ft. the building housed the county government offices and records, as well as the jail.

 

Almost immediately the courthouse ran out of space, and 11 years later an addition was constructed 25 feet to the east. Talley again served as the courthouse architect, and the 1927 addition was similar in appearance and used many of the same materials as the original building. In 1955, the two buildings were connected with usable rooms to accommodate the growing county.

 

Yet another addition was required in the late ’60s; it was completed in 1969. The architecture firm Edge & Powell delivered a brick building that nearly doubled the square footage to 180,000 sq. ft. This time, the addition was less than sympathetic. In fact, the 1916 and 1927 buildings were lost in the center of the new construction, which wrapped around them completely.

 

The building was utilized for 36 years in this configuration, until 1995, when a new courthouse opened across the street. Expansions had plagued the 1916 courthouse almost as soon as it was built, and this was no exception. “After the new courthouse opened, the old one was slated for demolition,” says Rick Gonzales, Jr., AIA, CEO and principal at REG Architects. “Since I knew about the 1916 courthouse, I recognized the potential of the site and got in touch with preservation specialists in the area. It took some time, but a group of us eventually convinced the county to fund a feasibility study, which we conducted in 2002.”

 

Gonzales talks about stimulating interest in the project: “We would go to the new courthouse to sell our idea and walk people up to the windows to look at the old site,” he says.

 

“‘Believe it or not, there’s a building inside that building,’ I’d say. That really piqued people’s interest.”

 

The county agreed to fund the project, and demolition of the additions began in January 2004 and was completed two years later. “It took a long time because it was a selective demolition,” says Gonzales. “We needed to be careful to salvage many of the materials from the 1927 building to use in the restoration of the 1916 structure. It resembled the original, so we took everything we could for reuse.” A number of materials were recovered, including limestone, granite, wood windows, doors, marble wainscot, mosaic floor tiles, wood flooring, trim, and hardware.

 

While a majority of the materials were the same from building to building, the detailing was not identical. “We were working from the drawings of the 1927 building because we couldn’t find drawings for the earlier structure,” says Gonzales. “We had thought the detailing was the same, but when we put our studies together we saw that the rhythm, proportion, and cornices were different.”

 

When REG Architects couldn’t apply the 1927 documentation to the restoration, the firm examined what was remaining of the building and the few images that had survived. “For a while, we had no cornice pieces, because all of the exterior ornamentations had been destroyed when the façades were smoothed for the addition,” says Gonzales. “Then a contractor found a 16-in. piece, which we used to re-create the cornice line.”

 

Other elements that needed to be re-created, such as the granite and limestone porticos on the north, south, and west façades, were designed using historic photographs. “We found limestone with the same vein from the same Indiana quarry that was originally used,” says Gonzales. “We were extremely lucky in that the quarry ran out of that vein right after our order.” REG Architects was also able to match the granite.

 

Many components of the building were salvaged and restored. The cornerstones were restored and placed in their original locations at the northwest corner. The 12 Corinthian capitals and the load-bearing limestone columns – each of which weighs 30,600 lbs. – were pieced back together and repaired. “Placement of the capitals was especially tedious,” says Gonzales, “because it needed to be precise. They were then secured with pegs and glue.”

 

On the north, south, and west elevations, the brick was restored and, when necessary, replaced. “We couldn’t locate replacement brick with the same hues as the existing brick hues,” says Gonzales, “so we hired artists to stain it so that it blended with the original brick.” On the east elevation, REG Architects specified new brick so the new façade clearly stood out from the old ones.

 

To the same point, new hurricane-proof wood windows were chosen for the east elevation, while REG Architects was careful to preserve as many old windows as possible on the other elevations. Hedrick Brothers repaired 76 original wood windows as well as the window hardware. “We found a local manufacturer, Coastal Millwork of Riviera Beach, FL, to get the original windows tested for hurricane-preparedness,” says Gonzales. “The company reinforced and laminated the windows, so we were able to reinstall them.”

 

The crowning achievement of the exterior work was the re-creation of an eagle crest on the west pediment.

Based on a small postcard and images of other eagle crests, Ontario, Canada-based Traditional Cut Stone designed the crest for Palm Beach. “They created a small scale model and then a full-scale model in clay,” says Gonzales. “The final piece, which took five months to produce, was hand-carved from five pieces of Indiana limestone.” Traditional Cut Stone was also responsible for all of the limestone work on the building. REG Architects based much of its interior design on the Desoto County Courthouse in Arcadia, FL, which was built by Talley in 1913.

 

“The dilemma about the interiors was that there was little archival material and few original photographs to give a precise vision for the interiors,” says Gonzales. “Emphasis was placed on trying to restore the character of the main courtroom and the main interior public spaces.” The main courtroom on the third and fourth floors was especially aided by the Desoto research. The millwork was re-created and the plaster ceiling and moldings, maple flooring, doors, and door hardware were restored. Replica lighting was fabricated.

 

Architectural elements in the corridors and staircases received similar treatment. Hendrick Brothers uncovered the original mosaic flooring and had it repaired. Only five percent of the tile needed to be replaced; in these cases, matching tile from the 1927 building was used. About 80 percent of the marble wainscoting was salvaged, while the other 20 percent was replaced with matching marble from the original quarry. Wood doors and door hardware were salvaged and reused.

 

All of the building code upgrades – including efficient HVAC, fire protection, and hurricane protection – were hidden as much as possible with historic finishes. The alley elevation provided an ADA-accessible entrance and space for elevators.

 

The newly restored Palm Beach County Court House now accommodates a museum for the historical society, as well as offices for the County’s Public Affairs Department and County Attorney. “People say this project was an alignment of the stars,” says Gonzales. “It was. We were lucky to have the opportunity to save this building, we worked with a lot of great people, and it turned out well. It was a great labor of love.” TB

 

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

www.traditionalbuilding.com/projects/courthouse-unwrapped

downtownwpb.com/things-to-do/history-museum-and-restored-...

www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=96755

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_and_Pat_Johnson_Palm_Beach_...

 

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

Eventhough the gayfeathers have finished blooming weeks ago, they still are artistic with the back lighting.

Circle Dance: Shinnecock Reservation, L.I., NY: Labour Day Pow Wow, September 2006.

 

********************************************************************************************

 

Shinnecock Tribe

Rte 27-A, Montauk Hwy

Southhampton, NY 111968

631-283-6143

State recognized; (no BIA office liason - seriously ridiculous!)

 

********************************************************************************************

 

Shinnecock Indian Nation: An Ancient History and Culture.

 

Since the beginning, Shinnecock time has been measured in moons and seasons, and the daily lives of our people revolved around the land and the waters surrounding it. Our earliest history was oral, passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and as far back as our collective memory can reach, we are an Algonquin people who have forever lived along the shores of Eastern Long Island.

 

Scientists say we came here on caribou hunts when the land was covered with ice. But our creation story says we were born here; that we are the human children of the goddess who descended from the sky. It was she, the story goes, who caused the land to form beneath her feet from the back of Great Turtle, deer to spring forth from her fingertips; bear to roar into awakening, wolf to prowl on the first hunt. It was she who filled the sky with birds, made the land to blossom and the ponds and bays to fill with fish and mollusks. And when all was done, the Shinnecock, the People of the Shore, appeared in this lush terrain. We are still here.

 

As coastal dwellers, we continue to prize the bounty of the sea, the shellfish, the scaly fish, which for thousands of years provided the bulk of our diet. We were whalers, challenging the mighty Atlantic from our dugout canoes long before the arrival of the big ships, long before the whaling industry flourished in the 19th century.

 

In the 1700's, we became noted among the northeastern coastal tribes for our fine beads made from the Northern quahog clam and whelk shells. The Dutch, who arrived on our shores before the English, turned our beads (wampum) into the money system for the colonies.

 

The Shinnecock Nation is among the oldest self-governing tribes of Indians in the United States and has been a state-recognized tribe for over 200 years. In 1978, we applied for Federal Recognition, and in 2003, we were placed on the Bureau of Indian Affairs' "Ready for Active" list.

 

Traditionally, decisions concerning the welfare of the tribe were made by consensus of adult male members. Seeking to shortcut the consensus process in order to more easily facilitate the acquisition of Indian lands, the Town of Southampton devised a three member trustee system for the Shinnecock people. This system of tribal government was approved by the New York State legislature in February of 1792. Since April 3, 1792, Shinnecock Indians have gone to the Southampton Town Hall the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April to elect three tribal members to serve a one- year term as Trustees. In April of 2007, the Shinnecock Indian Nation exercised its sovereign right as an ancient Indian Nation and returned to one of its basic Traditions: it bypassed the Southampton Town Hall and for the first time since 1792 held its leadership elections at home, where they will remain.

 

The Trustee system, however, did not then and does not now circumvent the consensus process, which still remains the governing process of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Major decisions concerning the tribe are voted yea or nay by all eligible adult members, including women, who gained the right to vote in the mid-1990s. Also in that period, the Shinnecock Nation installed a Tribal Council, a 13 member body elected for two years terms. The Council is an advisory body to the Board of Trustees.

 

Today, we number over 1300 people, more than 600 of whom reside on the reservation adjacent to the Town of Southampton on the East End of Long Island. While our ancestral lands have dwindled over the centuries from a territory stretching at least from what is known today as the Town of Easthampton and westward to the eastern border of the Town of Brookhaven, we still hold on to approximately 1200 acres.

 

With modest resources, we have managed to build a community to help us better meet the demands of an ever expanding and intrusive world. In addition to the Shinnecock Presbyterian church building and its Manse, our infrastructure includes a tribal community center, a shellfish hatchery, a health and dental center, a family preservation and Indian education center, a museum, and playgrounds for our children. Also on our list of recent achievements is the design and development of an official Shinnecock Indian Nation flag and an official seal.

 

Our skilled craftspeople and fine artists find employment within the Tribe as well as the surrounding area. The number of tribal members holding advanced degrees in law, business, medicine, social sciences and liberal arts continues to grow, and tribal members hold positions of responsibility in all areas, including teaching, banking and counseling, both within and outside the Shinnecock community.

 

One of the earliest forms of economic development that the Shinnecock Nation undertook was to lease Reservation acreage to local area farmers for their crops, mainly potatoes and corn. While the project did bring in a small income for the Tribe, the resulting damages from pesticides leaking into the ground water and polluting our drinking water supply were enormous. We had great expectations for our shellfish hatchery (Oyster Project) but brown tide and general pollution forced it to close before it had the chance to develop into the business enterprise it was planned to be. In the summer of 2005, the Tribe began reseeding parts of its waterways with oysters, and celebrated a renewal harvest of Shinnecock chunkoo oysters at the Tribal Thanksgiving Dinner, November 2006.

 

At the present moment, the Shinnecock annual Powwow is the economic development project of record for the Shinnecock Nation. Revived in 1946 as a benefit for our church, the Powwow has evolved into an event that hosts thousands of visitors. But we are at the mercy of the weather. For the past two years, rainstorms have forced us to drastically revise our budgeting plans. We are now exploring Indian Gaming as a means of attaining the much needed self-sufficiency that will enable us to perform the sacred duties laid out for us by the Ancestors — to protect, manage and maintain the Shinnecock Indian Nation.

 

By Bevy Deer Jensen

Shinnecock Nation Communications Officer

 

*********************************************************************************************

 

For more information on the Shinnecock Nation, please visit: www.shinnecocknation.com/

 

*********************************************************************************************

 

photography: a. golden, eyewash design, c. 2006.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire is probably one of the most recognizable and iconic aircraft in history, with a total production number of 20 351. As I have always been fond of it, I decided to give it a try, even though it is my very first propeller aircraft model.

 

About the aircraft

The history of the Spitfire started in 1934, with the first flight of the famous K5054 prototype taking place on 5th March 1936. After the initial delays, the first Spitfire Mk. Is started to reach the operational units in 1938, and since then the type became a stronghold of RAF fighter forces, with a number of substantial improvements being introduced over the whole duration of WWII. Most of these improvements were directly correlated with the development of another icon, the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Consequently, 3 generations of Spitfires are commonly recognized: early Merlins (Merlins with a single-stage supercharger, Spitfires Mk. I, II, III, V, VI, and PR XIII), late Merlins (60 and 70 series Merlins with a two-stage supercharger, Spitfires Mk. VII – IX, PR X, PR XI, and Mk. XVI), and the last generation utilizing more powerful and heavier Rolls-Royce Griffon (Mk. IV, XII, XIV, XVIII, PR XIX, XX, 21-24). Among all those Marks, the Mk. IX and XVI were by far the most numerous, and their introduction was a major step in RAF’s capabilities. The idea for Mk. IX came out of necessity, as after the introduction of Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in late 1941 it became obvious that the then-standard Spitfire Mk. V was no match for the newest Luftwaffe addition. As the two-stage Merlin 61 became available, the Supermarine proposed to address this issue with an interim Mk. IX variant, which was basically Mk. V airframe fitted with the new engine. At the beginning, it was planned as just a short-term fix, with the revised Mk. VIII being the “ultimate” late-Merlin variant. However, the Mk. IX proved to be so successful that there was no point in disturbing its production lines, and it remained in production until the end of the war with constant upgrades being added (e.g. Merlin 66 engine). An interesting twist in the history of the Mk. IX is the Mk. XVI variant, which even though gained a new Mark number, differed only by the fact that instead of the British-built Merlin 66, its US licensed-built Packard Merlin 266 variant was utilized.

 

About the building process

The Spitfire is my very first propeller-driven aircraft, and it was basically an accident that I even started it. I was playing with some trans-clear canopy solutions and after one of the attempts I thought “Well, this looks like a Spitfire canopy”. As it turned out, it was perfectly scaled to my favorite 1:33 scale, so I had no choice but to continue. Still, the idea to make a WWII fighter was not new to me, as for years I’ve been a great fan of a number of different designs by other builders, so I’ve always wanted to have one for myself. As the Spitfire is an extremely common topic, it is impossible to mention all my inspirations. Still, by far the most prominent one was the Spitfire Mk. IX by Ed Diment, which even utilizes the same scale as mine. Another big inspiration was a much bigger Spitfire Mk. I by Lennart Cort. In fact, I had a very hard time deciding on the scale, as his 1:18 Spitfire looks so amazing it gave me second thoughts. Other, smaller designs, which were extremely useful for me, were the Spits by Dierett89, Sydag, BuildArmy, and picardbricks. As I mentioned before, the first part I got together was the canopy, followed by the engine section. Then, I got stuck a bit with the wings, as I really wanted to include the dihedral on them. Finally, I was able to slightly minimize the solution proposed by Nick Goodwin, which fitted nicely with the rest of the plane. The shape of the wings was also a bit painful to get right, but as I decided to go for the “clipped” wings, I didn’t have to make them fully elliptical, which made it much easier. The rest of the fuselage was quite easy. A big challenge overall was the very disappointing variety of dark green pieces, which I had to compensate for with the extensive amount of stickers. Here, the solution proposed by Maks in his Su-24

turned out to be very handy – I just had to use an awful lot of stickers from 76907 Lotus Evija set. I must say that the results look surprisingly good, as the colors match perfectly.

 

About the model

The model represents a Supermarine Spitfire LF. Mk.XVIe in a 1/33 scale. The camouflage is based on the aircraft currently stored in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków. It was produced in 1944 and served in the 421 Squadron of the Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In 1956 it was moved to the RAF museum in Hendon, having a short episode in the 1967 Battle of Britain film. Since 1977 it has been in the possession of the Polish Aviation Museum, where currently it is presented in the camouflage of the Polish 308 Squadron as TB995 ZF-O. The original aircraft of this designation was delivered to 308 Sqn. on 15th March of 1945, and the Squadron was mainly involved in the anti-V1 and V2 operations. As the Mk. XVI was introduced in 1944, there are so misconceptions about its configuration. Similarly to what happened to P-51 Mustang, the late Spitfire variants were fitted with the teardrop “bubble” canopy. Even though it was used in a number of different Marks, including Mk. IX, it is most commonly associated with Mk. XVI, as due to the shorter production, a much higher percentage of them received this upgrade. Still, the “razorback” Mk. XVIs were also quite common, being virtually indistinguishable from the standard Mk. IXs, which is the case for the TB995 ZF-O. As the model is significantly smaller than my usual jets, I wasn’t able to include as many working features as usual. Still, it has movable flaps, a working tail, and working landing gear.

  

Bdrc

If you recognize yourself and want me to remove the photo, you can ask me at the email address mentioned on my profile and I will proceed accordingly. Thank you

 

Pokud se poznáváte a chcete, abych fotografii odstranil/a, můžete mě o to požádat na e-mailové adrese uvedené v mém profilu a já se dle toho pokusím. Děkuji

 

Tobia (10 months old) is son of Costantino aka "Constantine The Great"

 

He is a Lagotto Romagnolo dog, a water dog.

This is the only breed of dog that is officially recognized as specialized in truffle hunting.

This Class B building is one of the most recognized on the West Palm Beach skyline," said Ron Kent, senior vice president of Jack Lupo. "It displays architectural charm from another era and is an extremely valuable and prestigious property."

 

At 93,000-square-feet, the building boasts a roster of more than 100 tenants, said Tom Robertson, director, and co-broker at Jack Lupo. "Due to its proximity to the courthouse, it is home to numerous law firms, as well as brokerages and other professional services companies.

 

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

www.loopnet.com/Listing/224-Datura-St-West-Palm-Beach-FL/...

www.emporis.com/buildings/130878/harvey-building-west-pal...

www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2001/12/17/daily...

 

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

 

You may recognize this scenic S curve, outside of Las Vegas, on the way up to Red Rock Canyon. When we used to live there, I would often make early morning runs up to my favorite spots hoping for dramatic light and colorful skies. On this morning, years ago, the beautiful sunrise light turned an ordinary harsh and hot desert into a mysterious alien landscape.

 

© 2017 Chris Ross Photography. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, share, link, or use this image in any form, digital or otherwise, on blogs, personal or professional websites or any other media form. This work is protected under international copyright laws and agreements. No part of this photostream may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without my prior permission.

You may recognize this as lobby plant up north. In Florida it is a garden plant that can grow over eight feet high and this time of year will put out a long plume of flower balls.

 

“Dracaena fragrans (cornstalk dracaena), is a flowering plant species that is native to tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 m (1,970–7,380 ft) altitude.”

The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The specialized Expo themed "Energy Turns the World", was recognized by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

 

It opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982, after receiving over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany.

 

The fair was constructed on a 70-acre (280,000 m2) site between downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee. The core of the site primarily consisted of a deteriorating Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot. The railroad yard was demolished, with the exception of a single rail line, and the depot was renovated for use as a restaurant. The Sunsphere, a 266-foot (81 m) steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built for the 1982 World's Fair. It still stands and remains a symbol for the city of Knoxville.

 

In 2007, the East Tennessee Historical Society opened an exhibit commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World's Fair.

 

Knoxville boosters developed the idea for a World's Fair in the city after the example of Spokane, Washington, which hosted a World's Fair in 1974. W. Stewart Evans, president of the Downtown Knoxville Association, proposed the world's fair idea to the city government.

 

Knoxville Mayor Kyle Testerman appointed banker Jake Butcher to lead an exploratory committee, and Butcher served as the driving force behind the fair. Within the city, many people referred to the event as "Jake's Fair". A body known as the Knoxville Foundation Inc. was established to organize and operate the event. There was skepticism about the ability of Knoxville, described as a "scruffy little city" by a national publication, to successfully host a World's Fair.

 

This was the second World's Fair to be held in Tennessee. The state's first endeavor was the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897, held in Nashville in Middle Tennessee.

 

On May 1, 1982, the 1982 World's Fair opened with the theme "Energy Turns the World". Television commercials broadcast prior to the fair used the marketing tagline "You've Got To Be There". The opening ceremony was broadcast on local and regional TV, with President Ronald Reagan arriving to open the fair. TV figure Dinah Shore was the master of ceremonies, and artists such as Porter Wagoner and Ricky Skaggs performed as the gates opened. A six-month pass to the fair sold for $100 (equivalent to $260 in 2018).

 

The fair drew more than 11 million visitors, making it one of the most popular world's fairs in US history. It made a profit of $57, far short of the $5 million surplus projected by organizers and boosters. Knoxville was left with a $46 million debt.

 

Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, People's Republic of China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, People's Republic of Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany. Panama never occupied its pavilion space, which was eventually occupied by a group of Caribbean island nations.

 

The Peruvian exhibit featured a mummy that was unwrapped and studied at the fair. The Egyptian exhibit featured ancient artifacts valued at over US$30 million. Hungary, the home country of the Rubik's Cube, sent a large, automated Rubik's Cube with rotating squares for the entrance to its pavilion. The cube remains in downtown Knoxville, where it has been displayed in the lobby of the Holiday Inn World's Fair Park. Every night of the fair, at 10 pm, a 10-minute fireworks display was presented that could be seen over much of Knoxville.

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots played a preseason football game at Neyland Stadium on August 14, 1982. The Steelers won the game 24–20.

 

An NBA Exhibition game took place between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers took place at Stokely Athletic Center in October 23, 1982.

 

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

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_World%27s_Fair

The Karlsson family posing on the porch of their new red cottage home in Hallsberg (Örebro County, Central Sweden) in 1913. My restoration and digital hand colorization of Samuel Lindskog´s image in the Örebro County Museum archive. (We only know the first name of the husband, Samuel.)

 

The red paint -. called the Falu red - is produced as a by-product of the Falun copper mine.

"The original red paint—bright, and almost luminescent in the afternoon sunlight—was already popular, due in part to the whimsies of the rich and royal during an architectural period known as the Brick Renaissance. Even though it wasn’t commercially manufactured until 1764, it was used as early as the 16th century. “The king of Sweden in the 1570s ordered that the castle in Stockholm and in Turku, Finland be painted red from material from the mine here,” says Nybelius. Back then, the grand Gothic brick buildings of the Netherlands were especially popular among northern European nobility. “When Sweden was a great power, we wanted our buildings to look like the bricks in Holland. But we have a lot of wood, so they just painted it to look like brick,” explains Anna Blomster, a PhD in Scandinavian studies from UCLA who wrote her thesis on Swedish red cottages. It was thus that red became a symbol of Swedish royalty, and, ironically, a nod to the pomp and grandeur of faraway kingdoms.

It was only in the early 1900s that the red paint became recognized as the archetype of Swedish country life. “We had a bad housing situation and had very high rents,” says Blomster. There was a shift to the countryside from the cities, due to a national recession that caused mass unemployment and evictions. By 1900, the rents in Stockholm were the highest in Europe. In 1904, a bill was passed to provide loans for people to build their own houses in the country. “If you were working class and sober, you could get financial aid to build your own house,” she says. “Somewhere in this process they started to talk about the red paint as the Swedish color and started to connect it to Swedishness.” In short, if you had a home and didn’t know what color to paint it, red was the recommended hue.

 

From then on out, the red cottage in the country has become an irreversible part of the Swedish identity—a perpetual motif on postcards, in storybooks, and in real estate agent listings. “If you ask a child to paint a house, it’s always painted red. The red house is the heart of Sweden,” says Nybelius."

 

(Smithsonian Magazine)

Recognized by their white, papery bark, Silver Birch trees are found throughout Scotland’s wooded countryside and boggy moors. These delicate, yet hardy trees reminded me of my beloved aspen back home, and provided a nice foreground element to the Highland mountains beyond and one of the only colorful sunrises during our trip to Wester Ross.

www.optimalfocusphotography.com

thewantonwardrobe.wordpress.com/2018/05/13/recognizing-co...

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

*Working Towards a Better World

 

This is the eighth in my new series, one which recognizes my friends here on Flickr. I wish to thank you for your friendship and your support! Some of you I work with, some of you I have worked with, some of you have given me opportunities and the rest of you my wonderful friends share an infinity with art and an ability to share our love, ideas and support thank you all!

 

“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” -

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

 

R. R.

www.flickr.com/photos/pixel_fan/favorites/

 

angspence

www.flickr.com/photos/angspence/

 

augenbrauns

www.flickr.com/photos/100776999@N03/

 

roberto mac1

www.flickr.com/photos/robertom56/page1

 

Amg80

www.flickr.com/photos/60166527@N07/page1

 

ennios2000

www.flickr.com/photos/maretto2000/

 

Larry Rivera

www.flickr.com/photos/130084253@N05/

 

mel . li

www.flickr.com/photos/melgibson/

 

Erick Hernandez

www.flickr.com/photos/92278595@N07/

 

Justin Kenneth Rowley

www.flickr.com/photos/110569055@N04/

 

anacrusa1

www.flickr.com/photos/celeste_perez/

 

ivan bradauskas

www.flickr.com/photos/105032127@N06/

 

Zone Patcher

www.flickr.com/photos/psychoactivartz/

 

metamorphoses

www.flickr.com/photos/82965928@N00/

 

Princess 812

www.flickr.com/photos/97546697@N05/

 

Marian391

www.flickr.com/photos/marian_391/

 

***** PLEASE UNDERSTAND, that there are so many of you who have befriended and support me, that if you have not already been mentioned, you will be. Please be patient, my list is long and will continue!!!

 

Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo❤️

I am so thrilled to see that so longed for GRAIN effect in nearly every edited photo today, is not necessary in this series of photos...

 

Contrary, it is sometimes a necessity to REDUCE NOISE rather than adding it.

 

With this photo (and this series) I 'danced' between leaving or taking away the grain, depending on the photo.

 

Every one of these photos mean something to me. It reminds me of the time I have spent in this sanctuary, where the majority of this film was shot... I can remember every positioning, trying to think what could be the best possible shot...

 

As this was my first film, I wanted to use my film the most optimal way, with minimum of bad photos. But I wouldn't panic about it. Or degrade myself if I fail. No! My intentions with film photography were (and are) not recognizable or tangible to my mind... But I know what I feel when I'm doing it. Pure joy. Contentment. Isn't that the most essential here?

 

THIS PHOTO...

also depicts 2PM-ish period (nearly same time as the previous photo in CHAPEL... we had a lunch break so I was able to take these photos carefully)...

Again, playing with the shadows and light... I must admit I think I did some arrangements of the grille to get the best looking look.. I hope you don't mind :)

Tiê-sangue (Ramphocelus bresilius)

Ave símbolo da Mata Atlântica e uma das mais espetaculares do mundo, o tiê-sangue (Ramphocelus bresilius), também conhecido como sangue-de-boi, tiê-fogo, chau-baêta e tapiranga, é uma ave sul-americana passeriforme da família Thraupidae, reconhecida pela beleza de sua plumagem vermelha.

Fonte: wikiaves

Blood Tetanus (Ramphocelus bresilius)

A symbol of the Atlantic Rainforest and one of the most spectacular in the world, the blood-sucker (Ramphocelus bresilius), also known as oxblood, fire-breathing, chau-baêta and tapiranga, is a South American passeriform bird Thraupidae, recognized by the beauty of its red plumage.

Source: wikiaves

Recognizing very few plants, I bought a copy of Zoe Devlin's "The wildflowers of Ireland" (a wonderfully thorough guide). I believe that this is Red Valerian. This plant was growing out of old stone walls everywhere. It is an introduced species, not sure from where. With it's mild climate and regular rainfall, Ireland sometimes has problems with introduced species becoming very comfortable in thier new home.

I recognize those white lenses.

The Statue of Liberty is an icon, a national treasure, and one of the most recognizable figures in the world. Each year millions who cherish her ideals make the journey to experience her history and grandeur in person. She is the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, inspiration, and hope.

The Statue of Liberty was built in France between 1875 and 1884. The 225 Ton statue was disassembled and shipped to New York City in 1885. The statue was reassembled on Liberty Island in 1886, although the torch has been redesigned or restored several times since its installation. The statue would undergo many changes and improvements over the years. In 1907, the first elevator was installed inside it, and in 1916, it was illuminated for the first time after being converted to electric power. It would go dark for two years during World War II, due to blackout regulations. The torch was replaced entirely in the 1980s.

In 1865 Frenchman , a political intellectual , Édouard de Laboulaye proposed the idea of presenting a monumental gift from the people of France to the people of The United States. Sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi was in attendance for Laboulaye’s proclamation. Of like mind with Laboulaye’s cause, Bartholdi began conceptualizing the colossal structure that would soon be known as Liberty Enlightening the World. Bartholdi was designing the Statue, he also took a trip to the United States in 1871. During the trip, Bartholdi selected Bedloe's Island as the site for the Statue. Although the island was small, it was visible to every ship entering New York Harbor, which Bartholdi viewed as the "gateway to America.

 

A huge amount of cash was required to build her. The Fund raising process begun. Despite these efforts, fundraising for the pedestal went slowly. To spark public action, in 1885, Joseph Pulitzer placed an ad in his paper the New York World inviting readers to donate to the cause. In exchange, Pulitzer printed each donor’s name in the newspaper. The public rose to the challenge with 120,000 people donating over $100,000 and securing the remaining funds needed for the Statue’s pedestal.

 

In 1876, French artisans and craftsmen began constructing the Statue in France under Bartholdi's direction. The arm holding the torch was completed in 1876 and shown at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The head and shoulders were completed in 1878 and displayed at the Paris Universal Exposition. The entire Statue was completed and assembled in Paris between 1881 and 1884. Also in 1884, construction on the pedestal began in the United States.

After the Statue was presented to Levi P Morton, the U.S. minister to France, on July 4, 1884 in Paris, it was disassembled and shipped to the United States aboard the French Navy ship, Isère. The Statue arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885, and was met with great fanfare. Unfortunately, the pedestal for the Statue was not yet complete and the entire structure was not reassembled on Bedloe's Island until 1886.

 

Once the pedestal was completed in 1886, the Statue was reassembled with surprising speed by a fearless construction crew - many of whom were new immigrants. The first piece of the Statue to be reconstructed was Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel's iron framework. The rest of the Statue's elements followed without the use of scaffolding - all construction materials were hoisted up by steam driven cranes and derricks. In order to sculpt the Statue's skin Eiffel used the repoussé technique developed by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. This technique was the process of molding light-weight copper sheets by hammering them onto the Statue's hallowed wooden framework. Although Fort Wood remained on Bedloe's Island, it was not an obstacle in the design, construction, or reassembly of the Statue of Liberty. Instead, the star-shaped structure became a part of the Statue's base - the pedestal sits within its walls.

It was inaugurated on Oct. 28, 1886 with a ceremony presided by President Grover Cleveland and accompanied by a water parade of about 300 vessels. Cleveland saluted Bartholdi, the sculptor, as “the greatest man in America today.” The day's wet and foggy weather did not stop some one million New Yorkers from turning out to cheer for The Statue of Liberty. Parades on land and sea honored the Statue while flags and music filled the air and the official dedication took place beneath the colossus "glistening with rain." When it was time for Bartholdi to release the tricolor French flag that veiled Liberty's face, a roar of guns, whistles, and applause sounded.

 

The Statue of Liberty was designated a National Monument in 1924 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. In 1956, Bedloe’s Island was renamed Liberty Island by a joint resolution in Congress.

 

Detailed information collected from internet.

Shot with Nikon Z7 and Nikon 24-70, from a boat in evening.

Posted on 2024 Election date 05 November 2024.

 

© photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Helgoland is a German island in the North Sea. In the past, the island has been part of Denmark and the United Kingdom, but since 1890 it has been German property. It is considerably further away from the coast than the East Frisian Islands. Strangely enough, it is not part of the customs territory of the European Community. On Helgoland, Halunder freesk is spoken, a North Frisian language. The main island, with the recognizable cliff of Trias fur sandstone, which is subdivided into Oberland and Unterland. The small island of Düne is mainly covered with sand and popular with nudists. There is an airport on Düne and there are two bungalow parks. Helgoland is traffic-free: there are only a few cars, and cycling is prohibited. There is a small bus that makes a tour around the island. There are also some electric vehicles that serve as vans. Helgoland can be reached by high-speed catamaran, ferry or by small propeller plane. The island enjoys considerable fame among nature and especially bird lovers because it is an important breeding ground and stopping place for sea birds from the North Sea region and for migratory birds. The Northern Gannet is a seabird living at the coasts of the North Sea. Colonies are mostly located on offshore islands with cliffs, from which the birds can more easily launch into the air. Gannets breed here on the cliffs of Helgoland in the summer. The birds overwinter at sea and are known to follow ships. They dive for fish in a spectacular way and can do that at a speed of 100 km/hour if they drop.

 

Northern Gannets started breeding on the German island Helgoland about 25 years ago. The colony, nowadays holding about 700 breeding pairs, birds annually die on the nest. Gannets build their nests on steep cliff faces. They used seaweed to construct the nest. Northern gannets exhibit many types of aggressive behavior while they are nesting. Confrontations normally only take place between birds of the same sex. A female will not react if a male approaches a nest but it will react fiercely if another female approaches. The fights between males occupying nests for the first time are particularly intense. Such fights can last for up to two hours and may lead to serious injuries. Birds lunge at each other and lock bills, wrestling for extended periods while neighbors peck at them. In addition to all confrontations, there are couples who take care of each other. Nice to experience and capture their mating dance and couple bonding. A unique pairing ritual in which the head and neck are held upright while loud, loud calls are made. This behavior helps to create a long-term bond between mating partners. Photo taken during the breeding season at the Breithorn rock.

 

Helgoland is een Duits eiland in de Noordzee. In het verleden is het eiland onderdeel geweest van Denemarken en van het Verenigd Koninkrijk, maar sinds 1890 is het Duits grondbezit. Het ligt aanzienlijk verder uit de kust dan de Oost-Friese Waddeneilanden, waar het niet toe gerekend wordt. Het hoofdeiland, met de herkenbare klif van Trias bontzandsteen, dat is onderverdeeld in Oberland en Unterland. Helgoland is te bereiken per high-speed catamaran, veerboot of per kleine propeller vliegtuig. Aan de noordkant van het Oberland zie je Lange Anna, een herkenningspunt van Helgoland. Lange Anna is een lange 47 meter hoge rots (nu door omvallen bedreigde) van bontzandsteen. De echte lokale naam is Nathurn Stak. Het beklimmen van de rotspunt is niet toegestaan, maar toeristen kunnen de rots van een afstand bekijken. Het eiland geniet aanzienlijke faam bij natuur- en vooral vogelliefhebbers omdat het een belangrijke broed- en pleisterplaats is voor zeevogels uit het Noordzeegebied en voor trekvogels. De Jan-van-gent is een zeevogel met een groot verspreidingsgebied in de Noordzee. De naam van deze vogel heeft niets met de naam van de persoon Jan van Gent te maken. Het woord gent is verklaarbaar en herkenbaar voor een mannelijke watervogel zoals een gans. Mogelijk heeft het ook te maken met de Nederlands gewoonte om in uitdrukkingen de naam Jan te plaatsen zoals "Jan en alleman", vandaar jan-van-gent. Jan-van-genten broeden in de zomer op klippen op rotsige eilanden zoals Helgoland. Jan-van-gent vogels vertonen veel soorten van agressief gedrag terwijl ze nestelen. Confrontaties vinden normaal gesproken alleen plaats tussen vogels van hetzelfde geslacht. Een vrouwtje zal niet reageren als een mannetje een nest nadert, maar het zal fel reageren als een ander vrouwtje nadert. De gevechten tussen mannen die voor het eerst nesten bezetten, zijn bijzonder intens. Dergelijke gevechten kunnen tot twee uur duren en kunnen leiden tot ernstig letsel. Vogels vallen naar elkaar uit en worstelen langdurig terwijl buren naar hen pikken. Naast alle confrontaties zijn er paartjes die elkaar verzorgen. Mooi om hun baltsrituelen en paarbinding mee te maken en vast te leggen. Een uniek paringsritueel waarbij het hoofd en de nek rechtop worden gehouden terwijl luide, harde oproepen worden gedaan. Dit gedrag helpt om een langdurige band tussen parende partners te creëren.

 

Recognizing the Advantages of Aromatherapy...http://www.thegreenlivingexpert.com/advantages-of-aromatherapy.html #Crystals #Etsy #essentialoils #giveaway #AD #win #handmade #etsymntt #gift #sale #painrelief #pain #bath #Gifts #body #Healing #Spa #natural #lavender #epiconetsy #health #sleep #vegan #Kickstarter #giftforher #Patchouli #eo #giftidea #ricepack #essentialoil #jewelry #therapy #relax #Massage #Etsymnt #hotcoldpack #organic #candle #amazon #Kindle #Nook #Fever #Cold #sports #craftshout #Candles #scents #LavHa4Life #homedecor #soycandle

Perry is proudly recognized as the Tree Capital of the South cozily nestled along Florida's Nature Coast. We are a family friendly community in which to raise your children, work, or simply to stop by and visit. Our historic downtown is lined with friendly home town shops and features our recently restored steam locomotive era train station. Perry is a full-service, low cost place to call home.

 

The City has been honored to receive the highest national financial reporting award for twenty years in a row. Our taxes are lower than over 170 other cities in Florida. We are home to an "A" scholastically rated high school. We have a variety of festivals throughout the year highlighted by the Florida Forest Festival which includes the "World's Largest Free Fish Fry." Some of the finest fresh and saltwater fishing (including scalloping) is centered here.

 

Hunters come from all over to experience prime Nature Coast hunting. Many freshwater springs, including the world's largest, are just minutes away. The area's economy is diverse with both manufacturing and agricultural employment opportunities. Our state of the art hospital recently opened a multi-million dollar medical arts facility. We welcome you to learn more, come visit, and experience family friendly Perry!

 

Perry, Florida was first called Rosehead. It is not known how this name was chosen. In 1875 the name was changed to Perrytown after Madison Stark Perry, Florida's fourth Governor. Later the "town" was dropped and the name became Perry.

 

The City of Perry is the only incorporated city in Taylor County, Florida. It was incorporated in 1903 and adopted its City Charter on May 12, 1981. The City's population as of 2004 was estimated to be 6,703. (U. S. Census Bureau)

 

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

www.cityofperry.net/

Perry is proudly recognized as the Tree Capital of the South cozily nestled along Florida's Nature Coast. We are a family friendly community in which to raise your children, work, or simply to stop by and visit. Our historic downtown is lined with friendly home town shops and features our recently restored steam locomotive era train station. Perry is a full-service, low cost place to call home.

 

The City has been honored to receive the highest national financial reporting award for twenty years in a row. Our taxes are lower than over 170 other cities in Florida. We are home to an "A" scholastically rated high school. We have a variety of festivals throughout the year highlighted by the Florida Forest Festival which includes the "World's Largest Free Fish Fry." Some of the finest fresh and saltwater fishing (including scalloping) is centered here.

 

Hunters come from all over to experience prime Nature Coast hunting. Many freshwater springs, including the world's largest, are just minutes away. The area's economy is diverse with both manufacturing and agricultural employment opportunities. Our state of the art hospital recently opened a multi-million dollar medical arts facility. We welcome you to learn more, come visit, and experience family friendly Perry!

 

Perry, Florida was first called Rosehead. It is not known how this name was chosen. In 1875 the name was changed to Perrytown after Madison Stark Perry, Florida's fourth Governor. Later the "town" was dropped and the name became Perry.

 

The City of Perry is the only incorporated city in Taylor County, Florida. It was incorporated in 1903 and adopted its City Charter on May 12, 1981. The City's population as of 2004 was estimated to be 6,703. (U. S. Census Bureau)

 

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

www.cityofperry.net/

One of the largest members of the orb weaver family Araneidae in North America, the Black and Yellow Garden Spider is one of the most commonly known and recognized spiders anywhere. It is known to rapidly shake and vibrate in its web as a defensive strategy to scare predators off. The shaking blurs the spider and makes it appear bigger than it really is.

 

Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff):

Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)

Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom

ISO – 320

Aperture – f/8

Exposure – 1/50 second

Focal Length – 300mm

 

The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.

 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

Together we’re building a new identity ecosystem, a globally recognized universal biometric ID blockchain system. It will be a biometric smartchip ID that will be tracked worldwide by AI to solve the 17 sustainable development goals.

 

The Mark of the Beast is a Certification Mark of authentication (the new global standard), affirming that all who are involved with this new global biometric digital ID blockchain are compliant with the core principles of the 17 Sustainable Development goals, which have been adopted by all the United Nations Member States. No one will be able to buy or sell or do anything in society without this Certification Mark. This Mark will now become mandatory for all. Without it, you will be arrested.

 

Through the means of a microchip implant we will be able to eradicate human trafficking (we cause the crisis, and then we offer you the solution). Every kind of supposed virtuous cause will be exploited to promote the 666 Beastchip. Climate change…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Refugees…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Human rights…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Fight poverty…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. For the sake of equality, inclusiveness, and sustainability…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah.

 

www.accenture.com/us-en/services/blockchain/digital-identity

 

Though the story of the Little Prince and his voyages among the planets is clearly fiction, Saint-Exupéry’s own experiences as a pilot helped inspire that tale. The plane crash that begins the story, through which the narrator meets the title character, mirrors a real mishap that left the author stranded in the Sahara in the mid-1930s, while on his way from Paris to Saigon on an airmail run. While waiting to be rescued in the desert, he kept himself company with his musings, and later spun the incident into his delightful children’s tale, The Little Prince. He ended up walking many miles in the desert before being rescued by a passing Bedouin. He described his ordeal in the 1939 book: Wind, Sand and Stars.

 

“You, Bedouin of Libya who saved our lives, though you will dwell forever in my memory yet I shall never be able to recapture your features. You are Humanity and your face comes into my mind simply as man incarnate. You, our beloved fellowman, did not know who we might be, and yet you recognized us without fail. And I, in my turn, shall recognize you in the faces of all mankind. You came towards me in an aureole of charity and magnanimity bearing the gift of water. All my friends and all my enemies marched towards me in your person. It did not seem to me that you were rescuing me: rather did it seem that you were forgiving me. And I felt I had no enemy left in all the world.”

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars

This is the soggiest mourning dove I've ever seen - it barely even looks like a MODO. Andover, NJ

Never turn your back to life.

 

I enjoy taking photos and contemplate on them. I took this simple photo and had some good lessons from it.

 

Believe it or not, I found out the secret of happiness that a lot of people are desperately looking for.

 

Always consider the bounties you have. Never think of those you don't.

 

Nobody has it all in this life. Some people have the money. However they are so sick that they cannot enjoy it.

 

Some other people may enjoy perfect health but they are sad because they think that money is happiness.

  

Appreciating what you have and forgetting the things you don't make you happy.

 

Please contemplate on the following saying of Propjet Muhammed (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)

  

On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas, one of the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

 

One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”

 

Another narration reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.

Perry is proudly recognized as the Tree Capital of the South cozily nestled along Florida's Nature Coast. We are a family friendly community in which to raise your children, work, or simply to stop by and visit. Our historic downtown is lined with friendly home town shops and features our recently restored steam locomotive era train station. Perry is a full-service, low cost place to call home.

 

The City has been honored to receive the highest national financial reporting award for twenty years in a row. Our taxes are lower than over 170 other cities in Florida. We are home to an "A" scholastically rated high school. We have a variety of festivals throughout the year highlighted by the Florida Forest Festival which includes the "World's Largest Free Fish Fry." Some of the finest fresh and saltwater fishing (including scalloping) is centered here.

 

Hunters come from all over to experience prime Nature Coast hunting. Many freshwater springs, including the world's largest, are just minutes away. The area's economy is diverse with both manufacturing and agricultural employment opportunities. Our state of the art hospital recently opened a multi-million dollar medical arts facility. We welcome you to learn more, come visit, and experience family friendly Perry!

 

Perry, Florida was first called Rosehead. It is not known how this name was chosen. In 1875 the name was changed to Perrytown after Madison Stark Perry, Florida's fourth Governor. Later the "town" was dropped and the name became Perry.

 

The City of Perry is the only incorporated city in Taylor County, Florida. It was incorporated in 1903 and adopted its City Charter on May 12, 1981. The City's population as of 2004 was estimated to be 6,703. (U. S. Census Bureau)

 

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

www.cityofperry.net/

FABBRY FACTORY

Universally recognized as having "invented" amarena cherries and fruit syrups, Fabbri's story is one in which the protagonists are the men and women who, over the last century, have helped to make the company an international success and to promote Italian quality throughout the world.

There are many ways to tell a story. We have decided to place people and their experiences at the heart of ours, because Fabbri’s story is one in which the protagonists are the men and women who, over the last century, have helped to make the company an international success and to promote Italian quality throughout the world.

 

Gennaro Fabbri gave the first blue and white jar in Fabbri’s history to his wife, Rachele, as a sign of his love and his appreciation for having created her amarena-cherry recipe. But little did he know that that one small gesture would have given the world the joy of such a unique flavor for many generations to come.

 

Fabbri 1905, History

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR6eVq9gfOQ

www.fabbri1905.com/en/480/history

 

Fabbri recipes

www.fabbri1905.com/en

 

The syrup you see on my photo is made with

6 parts of water

1 part of "amarena Fabbri" syrup

 

"Panettone"

is the typical Christmas cake in Italy, has its origins in Milan

and this "panettone" you see in the photo has inside Amarena Fabbri.... wood, delicious with cream....

enjoy......

  

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“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…

  

they are made with the eye, heart and head.”

  

[Henry Cartier Bresson]

  

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Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.

  

© All rights reserved

Ruins of the Ancient Greek Theatre at Taormina, 1905, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

  

Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853 – 1919), the Hungarian painter loved by Picasso.

 

"Csontváry’s works were exhibited in Paris in 1948. Picasso spent an hour outside the exhibition’s regular opening hours viewing them, and after emerging, declared “I did not realize there was another great painter in this century aside from myself.”

Csontváry probably would have taken issue with Picasso’s proclamation, arguing that he was a more significant painter even than Raphael."

"On the hot sunny afternoon of 13 October 1880, when Csontvary was 27 years old, he had a mystic vision. He heard a voice saying, 'You will be the greatest Sunway Painter, greater than Raphael!' He took journeys around Europe, visited the galleries of the Vatican, and returned to Hungary to earn money for his journeys by working as an apothecary. From 1890, he traveled around the world. He visited Paris, the Mediterraneum (Dalmatia, Italy, Greece), North Africa and the Middle East (Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Syria) and painted pictures. Often his pictures are very large, several metres wide and height is not unusual."

 

"In recent decades, Tivadar Kosztka Csontváry has become a true national hero. After all, he has all the necessary attributes: he was only celebrated after his time, his canon of work is not only spectacular, but also unique, and his contemporaries in Hungarian society treated him as all future national heroes were: he was mocked and humiliated.

 

He painted his major works between 1901 and 1909. He had some exhibitions in Paris (1907) and Western Europe. Most of the critics in Western Europe recognized his abilities, art and congeniality, but in the Kingdom of Hungary during his life, he was considered to be an eccentric crank for several reasons, e. g. for his vegetarianism, anti-alcoholism, anti-smoking, pacifism, and his cloudy, prophetic writings and pamphlets about his life (Curriculum), genius (The Authority, The Genius) and religious philosophy (The Positivum). Some of his biographists considered this as a latent, but increasingly disruptive schizophrenia. Although he was later acclaimed, during his lifetime Csontváry found little understanding for his visionary, expressionistic style. A loner by nature, his “failure” impaired his creative power.

His art connects with post-impressionism and expressionism, but he was an autodidact and cannot be classified into one style. He identified as a "sunway"-painter, a term which he created.

 

The painter, after being derided for decades, ended up starving to death after the Soviet Republic took everything away from him.

He starved to death.

 

To give us an idea of how his life’s work was rated at the time, his heirs attempted to sell the paintings to delivery men as they were painted on high-quality canvas. Were it not for Gedeon Gerlóczy, who recognized Csontváry’s genius and bought them all up, there would be no paintings surviving to this day.

 

Today, a Csontváry is worth millions of Euros."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tivadar_Csontv%C3%A1ry_Kosztka

bestbudapest.blog.hu/2015/07/22/csontvary_the_hungarian_p...

Journey with us through Webb’s breathtaking view of the Pillars of Creation, where scores of newly formed stars glisten like dewdrops among floating, translucent columns of gas and dust.

 

If this majestic landscape looks familiar, you may recognize the original. Hubble first captured the Pillars of Creation in 1995 and revisited it in 2014. Webb’s latest view was taken in near-infrared light, which is invisible to our eyes. Seeing in infrared allows Webb to pierce through the dust and reveal stars galore.

 

In this image, compare and contrast the Pillars of Creation as seen by Webb and Hubble. On the left here is Hubble’s iconic view, taken in visible light in 2014. On the right is Webb’s new near-infrared view. (Also find a high-res of just the Webb image here on our Flickr!)

 

Why go back to where we’ve been before? Webb helps us identify far more precise counts of newborn stars, along with the quantities of gas and dust. This will deepen our understanding of how stars form and burst out of these dusty clouds over millions of years. Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-takes-star-...

 

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

 

Image description: Two images of the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region in space. At left, Hubble’s visible-light view shows darker pillars that rise from the bottom to the top of the screen, ending in three points. The background is opaque, set off in yellow and green toward the bottom and blue and purple at the top. A handful of stars of various sizes appear.

 

Webb’s near-infrared image at right shows the same pillars, but they are semi-opaque and rusty red-colored. The peaks of the second and third pillars are set off in darker shades of brown and have red outlines. The background is cast in darker blues and blacks, and stars in yellow and white of all sizes speckle the entire scene. Webb’s image was cropped and rotated to match Hubble’s view, so much of the top right corner and a small portion of the left corner has been left black.

   

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“pain and love have no borders,

even if we raise walls not to see the pain

and we put boundaries to not recognize love.”

 

(Enzo Bianchi)

 

“il dolore e l'amore non hanno frontiere,

anche se noi alziamo muri per non vedere il dolore

e mettiamo confini per non riconoscere l'amore.”

 

(Enzo Bianchi)

  

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Mozart - Lacrimosa

 

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click to activate the small icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream (it means the monitor);

or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;

 

clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;

oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;

 

Qi Bo's photos on Fluidr

  

Qi Bo's photos on Flickriver

  

www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...

  

www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...

 

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Questo è un racconto fotografico, realizzato in due giornate nel maggio di quest'anno 2023, nel paese di Limina, in provincia di Messina (lo stesso Santo è celebrato nel paese di Calatabiano, in provincia di Catania, con una spettacolare corsa in discesa !), si realizzano così due tipiche feste religiose tradizionali siciliane che hanno in comune la devozione verso questo santo, San Filippo: egli viene raffigurato di colore “nero” poiché una leggenda lo vede protagonista di una lotta negli Inferi contro Lucifero, dalla cui lotta ne viene fuori ricoperto di fuliggine. San Filippo è un santo molto festeggiato non solo in Sicilia, ma lo è anche nel Salernitano, in Calabria (questi culti si realizzano seguendo il suo percorso fatto in vita) fino ad arrivare al suo culto nell’isola di Malta. La vicinanza con Taormina (paese nel quale abito e lavoro) dei paesi di Calatabiano e Limina, mi facilita certamente il compito di realizzare fotografie di queste feste tradizionali, compatibilmente coi miei turni lavorativi; in entrambi i paesi le feste si svolgono in due giornate; in quel di Limina durante la prima giornata il Santo viene portato in spalla da una chiesa posta in lieve periferia nel paese di Limina fino “al borgo Murazzo”, che dista circa 8 chilometri, sono così 8 Km che vengono percorsi correndo ininterrottamente (tranne una breve sosta di raccoglimento in località “Durbi”); poi ad otto giorni di distanza (la cosiddetta “ottava”) il Santo esce portato in spalla con una corsa “sfrenata-indiavolata” che inizia da un’altra chiesa nel centro di Limina, giungendo poi dopo una ripidissima e faticosissima salita in cima al “Monte Calvario”, poi ridiscende e girovaga tra i quartieri del paese, (ed oltre, fino alla contrada "Durbi", per poi ritornare in paese): non si tratta di un semplice girovagare, in momenti ben stabiliti, il Santo viene “fatto ballare” con uno sfrenato andirivieni su percorsi rettilinei alternato ad un movimento rotatorio vorticoso su se stesso: questa è una differenza sostanziale con la vara di Calatabiano (quest’ultima è pesantissima, circa 12 quintali, percorre un percorso impervio, molto ripido e scosceso in discesa, con “gradoni” in pietra molto alti in parte mancanti , questo è un antico percorso realizzato per giungere al castello Normanno), sicché in Calatabiano la “parodia” con gli esorcismi compiuti dal Santo Nero, consiste nella relativa velocità impressa al Santo durante il percorso, invece a Limina, la vara essendo più leggera, consente ai devoti andature rapide, rettilinee e vorticose, moviemnti anch’essi che rievocano i movimenti convulsi compiuti dagli indemoniati sottoposti agli esorcismi del Santo (un certo rischio di capovolgimento è insito in entrambe le vare). Nel paese di Calatabiano San Filippo acquista l’appellativo di “Siriaco”, cioè proveniente dalla Siria, mentre nel paese di Limina Egli acquista l’appellativo “d’Agira”, dal nome del paese, in provincia di Enna, dove egli morirà: è sempre lo stesso santo (cambia un pochino la fisionomia del volto), in entrambe le statue la mano destra è alzata ad inviare una benedizione, oppure ad effettuare un esorcismo, la mano sinistra stringe un libro (è il documento “apotropaico” che gli diede San Pietro, per consentirgli di vincere le forze del Male). Aggiungo qualche breve cenno sulla vita di questo santo, anche per cercare di capire come nasce il suo culto in Sicilia, come anche in altri paesi al di fuori dell'isola. Le fonti che parlano di San Filippo sono due, chiamate “le Cronache di Eusebio d’Agira” e “le Cronache di Atanasio”, queste cronache tra loro sono in buona parte discordanti, tranne le descrizioni sulle sue caratteristiche di sacerdote e di taumaturgo, sulle sue capacità di compiere esorcismi scacciando i demoni dagli impossessati. Egli nacque probabilmente in Tracia (regione sud-orientale della penisola balcanica nel 40 d.C. (?), all’epoca era una provincia romana, ai tempi d’Arcadio, imperatore romano d’Oriente, nato da padre siriano e da madre romana, nella sua infanzia fu educato ai principi del Cristianesimo che andava propagandosi anche in quelle terre. Egli giunge dalla Tracia a Roma, viene ordinato sacerdote da Pietro, ed è proprio da Lui che viene mandato in Sicilia (terra pagana sotto il dominio Romano), col compito di evangelizzare quei luoghi e compiere esorcismi; sbarca a Capo Faro a Messina iniziando fin da subito il suo mandato, poi percorre la fascia orientale della Sicilia dirigendosi a sud verso l’Etna (ecco che Limina e Calatabiano, interessati dal suo passaggio, grazie alle sue capacità di guaritore ed esorcista, gli divengono devote); giunge così al paese di Agira (Enna), dove lì muore dopo quarant’anni di Apostolato nell’isola.

 

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This is a photographic story, taken over two days in May of this year 2023, in the town of Limina, in the province of Messina (the Saint himself is celebrated in the town of Calatabiano, in the province of Catania, with a spectacular downhill race! ), two typical traditional Sicilian religious festivals are thus held which have in common the devotion towards this saint, San Filippo: he is depicted as "black" in color since a legend sees him as the protagonist of a fight in the Underworld against Lucifer, from whose fight he it comes out covered in soot. San Filippo is a much celebrated saint not only in Sicily, but also in the Salerno area, in Calabria (these cults are carried out following the path he followed in life) up to the cult of him on the island of Malta. The proximity of the towns of Calatabiano and Limina to Taormina (the town where I live and work) certainly facilitates the task of taking photographs of these traditional festivals, compatibly with my work shifts; in both countries the celebrations take place over two days; in Limina, during the first day, the Saint is carried on his shoulders from a church located on the outskirts of the town of Limina to "the village of Murazzo", which is about 8 kilometers away, thus 8 km which are covered by running continuously (except for one short rest stop in the “Durbi” area); then eight days later (the so-called "octave") the Saint comes out carried on his shoulder with a "wild-desperate" run that starts from another church in the center of Limina, arriving after a very steep and tiring climb to the top of the “mountain Calvario”, then descends again and wanders through the districts of the town (and beyond, up to the "Durbi" district, to then return to the town): it is not a simple wandering, at well-established moments, the Saint comes " made to dance" with an unbridled coming and going on straight paths alternating with a swirling rotary movement on itself: this is a substantial difference with the Calatabiano launch (the float is very heavy, around 12 quintals, and travels along an impervious, very steep and steep path downhill, with very high stone "steps" partly missing, this is an ancient route built to reach the Norman castle), so that in Calatabiano the "parody" with the exorcisms performed by the Black Saint consists in the relative speed given to the Saint during the journey, however, in Limina, the launch being lighter, allows the devotees rapid, straight and whirling gaits, movements which also recall the convulsive movements performed by the demoniacs subjected to the Saint's exorcisms (a certain risk of capsizing is inherent in both floats). In the town of Calatabiano San Filippo acquires the name of "Siriaco", that is, coming from Syria, while in the town of Limina he acquires the name "from Agira", from the name of the town, in the province of Enna (Sicily), where he died: it is always the same saint (the physiognomy of the face changes a little), in both statues the right hand is raised to send a blessing, or to carry out an exorcism, the left hand holds a book (it is the "apotropaic" document that gave Saint Peter, to allow him to defeat the forces of Evil). I add some brief information on the life of this saint, also to try to understand how the cult of him was born in Sicily, as well as in other countries outside the island. There are two sources that speak of Saint Philip, called "the Chronicles of Eusebius of Agira" and "the Chronicles of Athanasius", these chronicles are largely discordant with each other, except for the descriptions of his characteristics as a priest and a miracle worker, on his ability to perform exorcisms by expelling demons from those possessed. He was probably born in Thrace (south-eastern region of the Balkan peninsula in 40 AD (?), at the time it was a Roman province, at the time of Arcadius, Eastern Roman emperor, born to a Syrian father and a Roman mother, in In his childhood he was educated in the principles of Christianity which was also spreading in those lands. He came from Thrace to Rome, was ordained a priest by Peter, and it was by him that he was sent to Sicily (a pagan land under Roman rule), with the task to evangelize those places and carry out exorcisms; he lands at Capo Faro in Messina, starting his mandate immediately, then travels along the eastern strip of Sicily heading south towards Etna (here Limina and Calatabiano, affected by his passage, thanks to the his abilities as a healer and exorcist become devoted to him); he thus reaches the town of Agira (Enna), where he dies after forty years of apostolate on the island.

 

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Limina, S. Filippo torna a correre dopo due anni di pandemia. E’ la rievocazione dei miracoli

  

Limina. San Filippo d'Agira, il film della festa 2022

  

Festeggiamenti di San Filippo d’Agira - Limina 11 maggio parte 1

  

PROMO San Filippo D'Agira - Limina (ME) 2022

  

Festeggiamenti in onore di San Filippo d’Agira - Limina 21 maggio 2022 parte 2

  

Festeggiamenti in onore di San Filippo d’Agira - Limina 21 maggio 2022 parte 3

 

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The Other Son | Official US Trailer

  

The Other Son | "Joseph meets with his Rabbi" | Official Clip

 

Mehdi Dehbi in The Other Son

  

Mehdi Dehbi in The Other Son

  

Mehdi Dehbi in the Making of The Other Son

  

Tuđi sin / The Other Son

 

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 7

  

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 2

  

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 5

  

Il figlio dell'altra - Trailer

 

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 6

 

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 9

 

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 4

  

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 3

 

IL FIGLIO DELL'ALTRA, trailer italiano, regia di Lorraine Lévy

 

Lorraine Lévy ''Le Fils de L'autre''

 

IL FIGLIO DELL' ALTRA - Clip 8

   

The Rivergate Tower is a 454 ft tall skyscraper in downtown Tampa, Florida with 31 floors. It is also known as the Sykes building and commonly referred to as the Beer Can Building.

 

Building Facts:

 

The architects of this skyscraper were recognized with an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1993.

 

The building is one of the tallest limestone structures in the world.

 

At sunset, the building's limestone facade glows yellow-orange over the Tampa skyline.

 

The building's cylindrical design was intended to look like a lighthouse on the Tampa skyline.

 

The building's only exterior lighting are two skyward facing lights, which further the building's lighthouse symbolism.

 

Concentric circles located in the building's lobby mark distances of time and space.

 

Despite the building's apparent cylindrical design, a linear grid wraps around the building's facade.

 

The building's measurements and numerical seaquences are based on the Fibonacci series (where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers).

 

The building's 1,880 windows and 13 feet from floor to floor resemble the building's mathematical basis on the Fibonacci series.

 

The building was built as the NCNB state headquarters, which was formerly located in the city of Miami.

 

At the base of the tower are two 6-story cubes where bank tellers used to work.

 

The building's top five floors have thin rose-colored glass notches that offer views over the city.

 

The building has floor to ceiling windows with a thick concrete band horizontally separating them, which gives the appearance of two smaller windows.

 

The building has a 26-foot high entrance way that faces the park across.

 

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

www.emporis.com/buildings/128611/rivergate-tower-tampa-fl...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivergate_Tower

 

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

 

Despicably Rotten Scoundrel

  

My thanks to everyone who has helped me with ideas in writing this story. You all know of whom I speak.

 

The opening scene is a formal charity ball in Scotland, at the seaside town of Clachtoll.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Despicably Rotten Scoundrel

 

“I’m not really wicked, just written that way…!”

 

A pickpocketing female thief’s rather despicable and rotten tale told from her perspective….

 

“I’m not jealous, just an opportunist.”

 

^^^^^^^^^^

 

I do love a good old-fashioned charity ball.

 

It’s a place where rich twits, sorry, guests love to show off their finery, flaunting the fact they are wealthy enough to be invited to donate a bit of their easily earned, or given, cash. Also wealthy enough to be shorn of some of their wealth by other, shall we say, less proper manners.

 

Now, it’s true that there are mostly adults at these types of charity things.

 

But they also have a tendency to doll up their younger sons/daughters and bring them along to pretty much just display them. The poor dears are usually bored and desperate to be noticed. Which works to my advantage.

 

A bit of juicy, easy ripe pickings on the side with usually some surprisingly profitable results.

 

And then there are the parents and other adult guests, who once they have imbibed enough, become subtle and compliant enough for my fingers to do their task of acquiring their more valuable adornments

 

And I never thought of pickpocketing as right out stealing, preferably thinking of it as teaching a life lesson to those foolish enough, or young enough, to present a vulnerably easy target. And earn my living in the process.

 

But why the soliloquy one may ask?

 

Well, the last time I attended such a function I deliciously petted away a pair of pearl necklaces, a single and double strand, from two very different but equally gullible, charming quite young ladies who were attending a grown-up Ball for the first time. Their pearls fetched a surprising value.

 

One was in soft velvet the other was in sleek silk-covered chiffon. Both were easily woven into my web.

 

At the same affair, I also lifted an expensive diamond brooch from a wealthy lady as well as two fat leather wallets from a pair of tuxedo-wearing gentlemen.

 

But then I attracted nosey official notice and had to make a hasty exit. Blimey, a girl’s got to make a living.

 

And now here I was, a year later, standing across the street from yet another charity ball in Scotland. Smoking a leisurely cigarette as I watch the rich ladies' attire flowing down elegantly beneath furs and satin evening wraps of the mostly female guests pouring into the venue.

 

I spotted a group of younger ladies dressed elegantly in a collection of silks and satins, no wraps. They were off to the side smoking and chatting away amiably. They appeared to be an accepting lot, and I instinctively saw them as an acceptable way to camouflage my entrance.

 

I crossed the street and walked up behind them close enough to get a feel for the manner of conversation. They were all Scottish judging by their accents. Being Welsh myself I was hoping they would jump at the opportunity to talk with a newcomer to the area.

 

They were, and soon I was in with them thicke as thieves. Which was rather fitting.

 

The ball was in full swing by the time all of my adopted group decided to enter the establishment and I waltzed right in with them, easily escaping the notice of two security bulls who were keeping an eye on the entrance.

 

Once safely inside I made an excuse to leave them, promising them I’d catch up with them again. A promise I meant to keep for they were wearing some really lovely jewellery, and once they had drunk up a bit, should make them easy marks.

 

I licked my lips with anticipation over that future activity.

 

Once I broke away I circled the perimeter of the massive hall, watching the dancers in the middle. Looking out for an opportunity of any sort.

 

By the bar, a pair of young men were chattering away, and I pushed myself between them as I passed through. Easily lifting a gold watch from one of the tuxedoed pair.

 

I then spied with my little eye an elegant lady wearing taffeta, placing a solid gold compact inside her small pearl-handled white beaded clutch purse. I stood near bye, and as she bent down to adjust a strap on her high heel, I walked past and snatched the purse up, hiding it in my own larger purse.

 

I walked quickly off in another direction.

 

Then my heart stopped as I spied a young lady sitting at a table alone watching what I assumed were her guardians dancing.

 

What made it inviting was that no one was watching her.

 

In a chair next to her hung a luxurious sable, too valuable to trust in hat check.

 

Laying upon the chair was a small silvery clutch purse, worth quite a bit by my scrutiny. The girl was holding a purse of her own, a pretty, small satin number with rhinestones. Too expensive to pass up.

She was fidgety, either bored or needed to use the loo.

 

I walked up to her.

 

“Hello, luv.” I said as she looked up at me with a happy cherub face, glad to have someone to chat with.

 

“Aye Miss, halo. ” she answered with that darling soft accent that the young scot lassies all seem to have.

 

She was pretty, wearing a gold sequined blouse with long sleeves and a high collar. A long black skirt sleekly poured from her waist, held there by a gold belt with a large rhinestone clasp. Her long red hair was down hiding any jewels she may be wearing in her ears. Around her neck though, was a twisted strand silvery necklace with 5 real diamonds hanging down in a v shape at the necklace’s centre.

 

“You’re such a cutie I murmured reaching around and lifting her hair from her backside and running it through my fingers, eyeing her dazzling earrings set with real diamonds…and how they were set in her earlobes. They are old fashioned hinged clasped twins, valuable. My mouth drools over this discovery, for it could be child’s play to lift them.

 

She squirmed gleefully at my praise.

“Thank you, miss.”

 

I laid my hand on her shoulder, feeling the ultra-soft material of her blouse. I caressed my fingers along her sleeve.

 

“Your outfit is quite smashing Lass.”

 

With a woeful tone of voice she admitted:

“This was my sister's miss, I wanted a gown of my own, but papa said to wait till next year, and then I can wear real makeup!”

 

I petted her along the sleek backside of her blouse.

“You’ll look beautiful then I’m sure. As you look now, without makeup. And speaking of beauty, that darling purse you're holding is rather pretty. Is that your sister's also?

 

She shook her head no, the diamonds at her ears and throat erupting into frenzied sparkles. She held the purse up.

“Father Christmas brought it.”

 

I reached down and touched its exquisite satiny material.

“Very pretty. Something to take care of, especially tonight.”

 

Possessing the same curiosity of youth that needed me pearls last year, she bought into it, asking…

 

“Why tonight miss?”

 

I leaned in and explained.

“A lady had her purse stolen a little while ago, right from her table. The police are looking for him. You may want to put yours somewheres safe until he is caught. “

 

She looked at her purse worried, not sure what to make of what I had said.

 

I place my hand reassuringly on her elbow and pointed down to a purple silk-lined pocket of the sable.

“There miss, place it inside the pocket. No one will see it there.”

 

She obediently bent over to do so, while I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, petting the delicious gold-colored material that covered it.

 

I looked around making sure the coast was clear, saying to her….

 

“Oh, and the other purse as well.”

 

She reached over to the table and picked it up. My fingers moved into position. As she leaned over to put it inside I easily undid the simple hook and circle clasp of her necklace and pulled the dangling piece from around her throat and slipped it inside my pocket in a blink of an eye.

 

She turned and looked at me with wildly opened concerned eyes.

 

“Oh. I’m sure they will catch him soon. Then you can take it back out. But for now, your purse is safe, as well as your sister’s”

 

She shook her head, earrings again flicking an expensive dance. But nothing glimmered where her necklace had been.

 

“My sister is not here miss. . She’s in France. It’s just me ,mum and dad.”

 

I knelt between her and that chair that held the gorgeous sable cost.

 

“Oh, please point them out to me.”

 

With young obedience, she surveys the crowd.

 

As she searched, and as I watched her face, my hand was feeling along the rich sable, reaching inside the sable coats’ pocket and pulling out the two small purses, placing them into my own, now sitting on the floor.

 

Her still-searching eyes lit up and she said…

“There they are…”

 

She was pointing to a rather handsome couple. The father is in a dark black tux with a black satin vest. Her mum was sumptuous in a long black satin gown with rhinestone trimmings. She was displaying a rather delicious set of diamond jewellery. My fingers itched, but I had done enough here.

 

I squeeze her shoulder, rising, as she again was becoming mesmerized by watching the dancers. Her earrings were tempting me, and I will admit I tried forcing myself to pass them by, but…

 

“Must take my leave sweetie, charming to have met such a pretty girl.”

 

She answered, keeping her eyes on the dance floor.

“Thank you, miss.”

 

I went in front of her and knelt looking into her doe-like wide green eyes.

“I think you will look positively lovely next year in your gown. I think you should wear your hair up.”

 

She smiled at me as I lifted up her silky hair.

 

“Thank you miss, I’m looking ever so to it, hopefully, I can wear one like mums…”

 

As she said that, my fingers were expertly caressing off the jewels dangling freely from her earlobes with a very practiced stroking touch of my own.

 

With her earrings clutched in my hands, I told her I hoped she would, and looked towards her mother on the dance floor.

 

She looked also and as she was I plopped her earrings in my purse and took leave.

 

I then hurriedly made my way to the bar for a drink and a breather. I had meant to pace myself this evening and not repeat my mistake from a year ago.

 

I mulled over my drink, watching the crowd, admiring the pickings they wore or carried. The drink and my delicious thoughts took their effect and I realized I needed to urgently use the loo, sorry, powder my nose, as the wealthy ones would say.”

 

I headed inside the nearest one and found one empty stall remaining. It was then a large group of women came in and gathered around the sinks and side tables waiting their turn.

 

I exited and with practiced quickness, looked them over, eyeballing a few plump purses, and the rings and bracelets that adorned the wrists, fingers holding them. I focused on an ornate diamond clip worn in the blonde hair of a young lady dressed in black velvet, my fingers tingled. Licking my lips I yelled…

 

“Mouse, there’s a mouse in my stall!”

 

In the ensuing panic, I forced myself into their startled midst as I hurried to leave. Bumping into the velvet-gowned young lady, she tripped and started to fall, as it was playing out, my hand snaked up through her hair easily whisking out the startled young thing’s fancy diamond clip in the process.

 

I made the door and left. Marveling at how easy that score had been. The fact that the flashy hair clip had been the only jewel probably allowed to be worn by the young lady did not faze me a bit.

 

I walked around the outer rim of the room, basking in the clever way I had nicked that expensive diamond clip from the unwary young victim.

 

It was then, in a side alcove of couches and comfy chairs, I spotted the group I had come in with. Already going on with drink-induced chatting and giggling. All very touchy-feely and huggy

 

I was all in for a bit of that action, seeing a multitude of opportunities for my fingers to be employed with.

 

I grabbed a tray of drinks that was sitting waiting for one of the waiters.

 

Took it over where it was well received by this group of wealthy young ladies.

 

And soon was again in thicke with them, laughing and doing some touching of my own upon their softly, expensively, attired figures.

 

I easily lifted fat wallets from two unguarded evening purses, before deciding to up my game.

 

One of the ladies, Trish, dressed in a silk dress with a nice diamond drop pendant and an even nicer gem-filled bracelet was telling a story that I wasn’t paying any attention to. What I was paying attention to was the other 3 dames in the group. All three dolled up in satin gowns with some very nice jewelry set with gemstones that matched the colors of their sumptuous designer gowns.

 

We were all huddled very close together around Trish to listen in to her captivating gossiping story told in a whisper.

 

They were not watching me.

 

I was holding onto one of the listening broad's blue satin gloved hands, managing to slowly work off her cocktail ring, a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds.

 

As we all put hands to our mouths to gasp over a particularly juicy bit of Trish’s story I placed my hand up along the backside of another listener's sunset-red taffeta gown.

 

Reaching for her necklace I undid the clasp, then waited until another highlight of Trish’s story had us all leaning in closer before slipping the ruby set gold necklace from around my victim’s throat without missing a beat.

 

Trish finally reached the climax of her story and the ladies turned toward each other and started talking about it over.

 

I just smiled the said.

“Really. That’s quite a delicious story.”

Though I still had no clue about her babbling.

 

But as I said that I place my left hand on the diamond-clad wrist of her right hand, over her vulgarly pricy bracelet. She put her other hand on my chest. I swore she was coping a feel.

 

She chirped...

“Isn’t it a riot, really I cannot believe it happened.”

 

As she said that, looking earnestly for approval in my hazel eyes with her heavily mascaraed blue ones, I squeezed her wrist, undoing her diamond bracelet and lifting it into my palm.

 

Transferring the bracelet to my pocket. I picked up a drink and chatted with them for a good ten minutes.

 

I finally found an opportunity to bid them adieu.

 

I received hugs all around. As I hugged Trish, my fingers nimbly undid her pendant and I slipped it off as her friends began yet another conversation.

 

Trish was in a hurry to join in so I had a very easy time of it.

 

I headed back out the hallway, finally letting out my breath, to have a smoke and take a well-earned break as I decided what to do next.

 

This patch was proving a gold mine, but have I had my run?

 

That would be a big No, to my run of luck being over that evening!

  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

As I headed out I passed one of the rental guards. He looked bored. I noticed his open handcuffs attached to his belt.

 

I went up, acting tipsy, and placing my hand on his shoulder winked at him

 

“Happy to see you on the job.”

 

As I told him that my other hand lifted off his cuffs, mainly because I take a fancy to acquire anything shiny.

 

I then head out to the exit.

 

A man and lady are on the ground by the stairs smoking right under a ‘no smoking sign.

 

They did not appear to be a couple.

 

The male is wearing a fitted suit and what I considered a power tie, smoking a long thin cigar. I can tell he is wealthy by his silver Rolex and a fat wallet.

 

The man is randy ,obviously hitting on the girl. Not successfully I might add.

 

He eyes me with flirty interest.

 

I eyed the girl.

 

She was an early 20ish model of the type one would call mousey. Very tipsy and coy. I was surprised she wasn’t coming onto the bloke's advances.

 

Emilie, the girl, was wearing a fitted designer dress of gold satin with rhinestone trimmings. She was sporting a nice collection of expensive gold jewelry, pouring all along her body from ears, neck wrists, and hairpiece. She had no less than 5 cocktail rings that flashed rippling out along her fingers as she smoked.

 

I had the inkling, mainly by how she carried herself. that she may have been wearing gold jewelry this evening, but she also owned and could have been wearing diamonds. But gold did not interest me. Her diamonds would have.

 

So I found myself wishing our randy male fellow smoker would chase away the girl so I can relieve the git of his deliciously tempting expensive watch.

 

I pulled out one of my two lighters, the round one with no fuel, and unsuccessfully tried to lit my cigarette.

 

The male whose name was Sebastian, leaned over to light it for me and I nimbly picked his wallet.

 

The rental cop just then stuck his long nose outside the main door.

 

Looking down upon our small group he lectured

“‘Ere no. No doing that there. Take your business to the park yonder.”

 

He went back inside.

 

Sebastian sighed, giving us both a look. Sensing, incorrectly I might add, that neither of us are interested in him, he tossed the nub of his cigar and followed the guard inside.

 

Since I had just started my cigarette I crossed the street. The girl followed me, gaily chirping in my ear

“ That’s probably the only thing the guard is allowed to do, and thank you for saving me from that bore Sebastian. “

 

She pulled out a cigarette and asked if I had a light. I hesitated, then pulled out my square lighter and easily lit it. She guided my hand to her mouth. Her eyes were looking int mine, exploring. I felt her fingers subtlety caress my wrist.

 

It just may have been in gratitude, but that’s not what I read in her eyes.

 

Now I don’t lean that way, unless it’s to my benefit. Her gold jewelry now did appear to me to be one, a benefit I mean.

 

“Thank you she whispered coyly.”

 

Your welcome I said, taking up her hand and purring how pretty she looked this evening. Which was no lie, on several levels.

 

Yes. I dolled myself up pretty well she said. Her fingers wrapping around mine.

 

“I think you look lovely also..” she complimented me with a shyness I found almost as fetching as her gold necklace.

 

I had read the signs correctly, now if only I was right about everything I had deduced about her. My mind already wrapping around a plan.

 

I let her pull me to her. I could feel her perking breast’s running scintillating along my own through the thin material of my dress. Her breathing became deeper.

 

I responded by spitting out my cigarette and clasping my hands behind her and digging my fingers into her hinny.

She squealed with delight. Her own cigarette tumbling from her thicke red lips.

 

She went onto her tippy toes and planted a kiss upon my mouth. I responded by adding my tongue to the party.

 

She raised her knee up between my legs and began massaging my sweet spot sending prickly waves of pleasure through my entire being. Though my real center of pleasure lay upon her gold jewels and the way they were delightfully shimmering as she played along with my figure.

 

I raised my hands around her back. My leg went up as she stopped. Feeling it there she began to rub along it. Exciting herself.

 

Running my fingers to the back of her throat as all of my marks attention was on pleasuring herself, I had the pleasure of undoing the clasp of her three-strand gold necklace and lifting it from the front of her dress to behind her back and into my fist.

 

She whispered.

“There’s a playground up on the hill “

 

I answered, startled at how husky my voice was coming out

“ A playground, I like the sound of that. “

 

I let her lead, my hand wrapped around her silken waist. Holding tightly onto my prize.

 

^^^^^^^^**

Reaching the deserted playground,

We embraced, sucking and kissing passionately

 

I sat her on the bench. Had her lie down.

 

She giggled as my hands went up underneath her dress, and silk slip. I then discovered why she was giggling, she was not wearing panties.

 

My fingers delved inside past wet hairs and probed as she arched her back in ecstasy. She spread her dress open, revealing plump breasts striking inside her thin gold satin brocade patterned brassiere. She managed to undo it and flung it onto the grass. Then began to massage her naked breasts, rings sparkling, solid gold bracelets glinting. Her exposed breasts cooled in the misty air.

 

My free hand went up and joined in with her fun. Her rings were pleasingly digging into my flesh as I dig deeper into hers.

 

She was moaning with deep guttural primeval pleasure. Her whole figure is on electric, lava-hot fire.

 

Then shrieking so loudly it echoed, in a flash of seething back-arching ecstasy, she came….

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Later we sat on a bench smoking. She was basking in delight.

 

“So happy I met you…!” she said cheerfully.

 

I intentionally didn’t answer.

 

She looked up into my face.

 

“I know this is cliche but want to go to my flat?”

 

I looked at her, then looked over her remaining gold jewelry. It was calling out to just take me, as I answered her question...

 

“Gorgeous, simply Gorgeous. Oh I’m going to you flat Luv , but alone!”

 

She looked at me confused, trying to think through her horny drink-induced haze just what I was prattling on about.

 

I pulled the cuffs from my bag.

 

Going around behind her I raised her arms, she was totally pliable. Not really registered what I was holding. I pulled her arms behind the bench. Cuffing around one wrist, I cuffed the other end to a metal leg set in concrete.

 

As I looked into her eyes I saw they were starting to spin and sure enough, she passed out, for whatever reason, fear or just physically spent…

 

I checked her pulse, she wasn’t dead, just in a cold dead faint.

 

I began stripping the sully Lass of her remaining gold jewelry. Pulling out her earrings, undoing her hairpiece, and unfastening her many bracelets. Then methodically working away, I sucked off her rings. And finally, I unclasped a gold ankle bracelet.

 

Picking up her purse I found her address and the numbered key to her flat. I left her surprisingly mock designer purse on the bench. But emptied her wallet, discarding it on the ground.

 

As I checked her over for any missed valuables I thought of giving her a little more pleasure, but decided I was better off just letting her sleep it off.

 

Walking quickly out of the playground I cut to the opposite side of the park.

 

Hailing one of the parked cabs I gave him her address. Using her money to pay for it when we got there.

 

It was in a very posh neighborhood, I licked my lips wondering if I was right to be expecting diamonds somewhere inside her flat.

 

As I enter the block of flats I see a well-dressed man unlocking the door next to my victim's numbered door.

 

I say “Ello” and he jumps.

 

“Thought you were my wife.”

 

I had moved closer spying a fat wallet bulging from his pocket

 

I purr saying cheekily:

 

“No, wish I was, did you lose her now?

 

“Ah, here she is, found her now didn’t I.”

 

I turn. My eyes bugging out. I forgot all about lifting wallets as I saw his wife come inside, dazzling like some ornate overfilled display case at Tiffanies.

 

She was wearing a deep blue brocade patterned silk dress with flashy sapphire rhinestones adorning the neckline and waistline.

 

Her hazel eyes had been masterfully made up with black eyeliner and blue mascara. She looked like a picture actress from a Telly show.

 

She was wearing a stunning set of sparkling sapphire and diamond-encrusted jewellery. A full array, hanging from her ears, neck wrists, and fingers. One ring was especially flashy

 

Perched on her head was a short diamond studded tiara.

 

I had seen many tiaras this evening, but none this close to my already trembling fingers.

 

At the rather daringly low cut of her gown hung a very expensive sapphire/ diamond brooch successfully stealing away the prominence of the lady’s beautifully plump breasts.

 

She floats up to us.

 

They are both happily tipsy and introduce themselves as my new neighbor.

 

They both ask if I would like to join in for a nip, or a nightcap.

 

Bird in hand I thought. Let this one go.

 

I smile at the pretty pair

 

“Rain check please I need my beauty sleep.”

 

I give them both a hard look over, openly relishing the rich attire, and beckoning trimmings, of this clueless couple as they bid me farewell and go inside their flat

 

Then with those succulent imaginings, I use the key to my victim’s flat and go inside to rob the joint.

 

I waste no time, heading directly to the girls' bedroom where I knew the good stuff would be found.

 

Finding the bedrooms down a corridor, I go inside the master room and methodically begin with the contents in the drawers of a large oak wardrobe, feeling through satin, silk, and lacy undergarments. I find a velvet case holding some nice pearls and empty them into my purse. Then felt along some prickling soft dresses and gowns, being rewarded with finding a gold broach and diamond pin for my efforts.

 

Knowing there has to be more I check behind the many pictures on the walls.

 

Finding one, a painting of ‘Twelve Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, set on a hinge that, when opened, exposed a wall safe. Expertly I place an ear to it as I work the tumblers, finding the combination quite easily.

 

Opening it I see several items. An old, loved Teddy Bear, a bundle of letters tied with ribbon on top of some photos, an oblong box that looked strikingly like the one I keep my vibrator in, and more importantly, three thin velvet-covered cases. Pulling out the largest case. I opened it.

 

My eyes opened wide, like a child who has been visited by Father Christmas. I had found her diamonds. A nice full collection of sparking “ice” that I quickly let slide into my purse. The others two cases contained evening jewellery also. One was a nicely ornate set of 24 Caret gold and the last was a set of glittery sapphires. I empty them all quickly.

 

Time enough later to drool over the nice haul I was taking.

 

I left the safe open and lifting my now very weighty purse, started to leave her bedroom to make my escape.

 

But then I spied it… and a naughty thought entered my head.

 

Sitting on a hook in a shadowy corner was a new dress, not yet taken in for a fitting. A short sleek black satin number with a sassy low-cut top, ribbed waistband, and above-the-knee hemline.

 

I go over and admire it. On a whim I slip off my dress, then undo my bra, to try it on.

 

Brilliant, it fits me like a hand in a glove.

 

Going back to the wardrobe, still wearing the dress, I pull out a small satchel and dump its contents on the floor.

 

I place my bulging purse inside, then neatly fold the dress I had been wearing and place it on top. Adding my bra also, relishing the feel of the material upon my naked breasts.

 

I also snatch up a pair of silver rhinestone-adorned high heels I had admired and place them inside also.

 

I headed out, more than satisfied with my evening’s haul, I had every intention of planning to call it a night.

 

But, as I was leaving the flat, I see my victim’s new neighbor, the man, as he is locking the door.

 

Putting the key in his pocket he turned and spots me standing there.

 

I gave him my best foxy smile, asking in my best new neighborly fashion

 

“We’re you off to in such a hurry luv everything, all right? Didja Lose your wife again?”

 

“So sorry”. he apologized in a high voice. not questioning why I was now back out in the hallway in a different dress, though his eyes went down to take a brief study of my breasts, then my legs gracefully sticking out from the dress’s shamefully high hemline.

 

He answered, obviously flustered on several levels.

“It’s a bother I need to go back to the restaurant, my wife left her bloody expensive purse there.”

 

A fish hooked, now to play him I thought as he walked up to me.

 

“Hope you not too long. And about that nightcap, knock on my door first when you get back luv.”

 

I reached down and began fingering his John Thomas, I gave it a good wank, finding the boy was already hard.

 

He was not displeased by my copping a feel, in the least.

 

He stuttered, before dashing off.

 

“I, I h’have 30 minutes to find a cab and get there before it closes.”

 

I smile. My hand was on his room key which I had lifted from his pocket.

 

^^^^^^^^^^

 

Flipping the keys in my hand, I went to the outside entrance and from a side, window saw the husband catch his cab.

 

“Bully,” I thought, that gives me 45 minutes, more than enough time.

 

I carefully walk down the deserted hallway and reach the flat of the friendly, wealthy, couple.

 

I carefully pry open the door and have a look and listen.

 

There is no one in the main room, which is unlit. It all appears to be the same layout, though opposite, as the flat I just burgled.

 

I carefully close and lock the door and slip into the shadows, my eyes adjusting, aware that I am running against the clock.

 

I hear movement from the area I know is the flats’ kitchen. Then the light clicks on. My objective, again, is the master bedroom’s wall safe. I’m hoping the Wife had had enough time to slip into something more comfortable and put her jewels away in the wall safe.

 

But I needed to take a look.

 

I took a peak in the kitchen. I could see her figure moving about. She was still wearing her gown…and jewels. I would have to deal with that later. But first the safe. From a reflection, I saw her Mascara was askew. They’ve been naughty tonight.

 

I move over to the small corridor off which lie the bedrooms. I see the master bedroom door is slightly open. Candlelight flickered out from the bottom, dancing along the polished oak wood floors.

 

Reaching the door to the master bedroom, I open it, slip inside, and lock the bedroom door behind me.

 

They have indeed just moved in. There were several traveling cases of various sizes. Shirts, trousers, and ties hung on a corner stand. In another corner, an oil Landscape painting was on the floor under the closed wall safe, waiting to be put up. Next to the safe was a large double tigerwood wardrobe.

 

I continue to quickly survey the rest of their room.

 

From the opposite side of the room, the candle was lit on a vanity reflected in the mirror. Something glittered. Shiny I thought.

 

I go over and see several 14k gold and silver necklaces, bangle bracelets, and rings all laid out in a heap inside an open case.

 

Suddenly I hear the door knob rattling

 

“Luv. Your back? You’ve got the chambre door looked”

 

“Chambre is it?” I thought. Pretty fancy for a flat. Even an upscale one like this.

 

Dropping the small satchel I go over to the door. Tapping on it I unlock it and stand by the wall so I will be behind the door as it opens.

 

The wife swished in, unknowingly talking to her still-absent husband in her heavy lowland Scottish accent.

 

“Guid lord laddie, sneaking about on myself are ya now? Well I….. umpph ?”

 

I had snuck out from behind the door, gripping her from behind, one hand on her mouth cutting off her sentence, the other pointing a finger in the small of her elegantly attired back like I was holding a pistol on her.

 

I hissed Into a diamond dangling ear.…

“Okay my pretty bird, this is not your husband, but a thief. You know what a thief does, now dontcha?”

 

She nodded weakly and I felt her figure go limp.

 

“Good, now not a sound out of you. Go and sit on that stool yonder,”

 

As I guided her, she went obediently to the oak vanity stool. As we passed a spot where more of her husband's ties hung, I whipped off a handful.

 

I pulled out the stool and she sat down facing the vanity mirror, giving her a clear sweeping view of the master bedroom behind her.

 

In the reflection of the mirror, she saw me, recognized who she thought I was(new neighbor), and looked at me with sad, large puppydog-like, questioning eyes.

 

I quickly, perhaps a bit roughly, pulled her hands behind her and tied them up using her husband's neckties. Then, using the same, I bound each ankle to the front legs of the stool.

 

“Now lady, where’s your husband?”

 

Tearfully she lied in a pleading tone…

 

“Not here, but he is coming back soon.”

 

Of course, I knew better, but I said…

“Then I’ll take my chances.”

 

She started to say more, but I cut her off by gagging her with a blue-striped Etonian Club tie that went well with her blue mascara.

 

Again in her ear, I whispered sternly.

 

“Going to be a good girl now, aren’t ya Lass?!”

 

She gave me a feeble nod yes.

 

I look down at the open case of day jewelry.

I reach in and begin scooping out the contents into the satchel as she watches and quivers in uneasy discomfort.

 

I knelt beside her.

“Okay my pretty one, time for you to take some weight off, time for me to trim your feathers.

 

She balked as I ran my fingers, intently, up along her gown, my fingers scintillating with the feel of its soft material.

 

Ignoring her muffled pleas I reached up and yanked out a long gem-studded pierced earring from each ear. I dropped them inside the satchel at my knees.

 

Then facing her, smiling with wicked intent, I unclamped her heavily jewel-laden necklace and let it slide down between her fear-perked breasts before reaching in deep and after a bit of fondling, finally fished out. I plopped it on top of her earrings, where it lay sparkling with intense fire.

 

I moved behind her, watching her watch me as I worked off her wide sparkling bracelets, dropping them onto the necklace, then I sucked off each of her rings, spitting them out into the growing pile inside the leather satchel. The last one, the big one I had admired, I left it in my mouth and looked at it in the mirror. My victim shuddered. I spit it out onto the glistening pile inside the satchel.

 

In the reflection of the mirror, I carefully watched her reaction, as I also watched my hands, snaking around feeling along her voluptuous bosom. I groped down along the pair of pert beauties, finally reaching down below her ample breasts, and unfastened the stunning brooch she had been so daringly wearing out, begging all evening to be stolen by any thief-minded observer.

 

And it was now mine!

 

I said as much to her, and she squirmed at my sneering words.

 

“Sweetie, you have probably no idea how much interest you generated amongst thieves like me when wearing a brooch like this out for an evening. I could barely pay attention to my dinner at the restaurant we were all at. I’m surprised you did not lose it earlier, but then, that’s my luck for tonight.”

 

I pocketed the brooch. This was too special to lose.

 

“Okay princess, now your precious crown..!”

 

I stood up and played with her hair, running my fingers through her silky locks I reached for her shimmering diamond-encrusted tiara and worked it out.

I placed it carefully in with the rest of my newly acquired jewelry collection.

 

Then I placed my head on top of her own and looking at her in the mirror pulled down her gag. I then said to my hapless prey.

“Let’s have the numbers to the safe pretty bird.”

 

She shook her head

“It’s empty. My jewels are still in the bank she pleaded.”

 

I cooed into her now naked ear.

“Liar, your eyes are a dead giveaway. “

 

I smiled at her reflection with a very pernicious look before continuing:

 

“But, even if your eyes were wrong, I’ll still be having a look won’t I now luv. I live to be looking at the insides of safes, empty or not. It’s a quirk of me own”

 

She shook her head no again.

 

I sighed. Redid her gag, picked up the delightfully 2/3rds full satchel carried it over to the safe.

 

Putting my ear against it and worked the tumblers. With the practice I had with the other flat’s safe, I had it opened in no time.

 

Inside was several healthy bundles of £ notes and five velvet-covered cases. I stuffed the notes into the satchel. Pulling out each case I opened them finding my eyes almost blinded by the assorted jewels they contained as the candle lite played over them. I would say that each case contained £75,000 worth of gems. A very nice haul.

 

As I emptied the last case I threw it on the blue satin cover of the king-sized bed and looked at my victim, thoroughly wilted down.

 

I said to her…

“What’s in there?”

 

Her eyes opened wide looking at the spot along the wall I was pointing to…

 

Chuckling I went to the double wardrobe I had been pointing to, and opened it, seeing a fine collection of my victim's clothing. Including gowns of every color and type of rich material. I looked them over, selecting a rather sleekly pretty one of blood-red satin with the diamond rhinestone trimmings that outlined the gown's bosom and waist, a design of the sort that always catches my eye.

 

Watching my hapless victim, I placed it against my figure as I looked at her, and then as I slid my fingers up and down its sensuously fine length, I admired myself in the mirror.

 

“Well my pretty one, it needs taking in, but I can make it work.”

 

I placed it gently inside the satchel, which I then closed up.

 

Then I thought pearls, they always have pearls?

Deviously I abruptly snapped out a question, though I suspected I knew the answer.

 

“Where are your pearls lady!”

 

She jumped at my sharp words, her eyes involuntarily dropping down to the shelves at the bottom of the wardrobe.

 

I knelt and began opening the shelves and once again found my fingers swimming through some rather luxurious silk and satin underthings.

 

Why these rich twit females think that places like their lingerie drawers make for an excellent place to hide their valuables will always be a mystery to me.

 

It was in the bottom drawer, underneath some long dress slips, where I found not one, but two cases that when opened I was pleased to see contained two sets of quite lovely pearls.

 

I held one necklace of pearls, a double strander, to my throat where it lay prettily down along my black satin dress just reaching my own delightfully perked naked breasts, and admired it in the mirror, seeing my victim slump down even more in despair.

 

I dropped the necklace into the satchel, quickly followed by the rest of the cases gleaming contents.

 

I then walked over with the satchel and standing above her lied to her reflection in the mirror...

 

“Okay pretty bird, lastly now, where’s the delicious evening purse I saw you with at the restaurant tonight?”

 

Wide-eyed she tried to tell me, words muffled by her gag, that she didn’t have it, forgotten it there hadn't she now.

 

I said to her, tweaking her chin:

“I believe you this time luv, ….Toodles..”

 

Then left her there, tied up in her bedroom.

 

^^^^^^^^^^

 

I headed down the hall and peeked out the outside door to the corridor.

 

Seeing it was empty I went out, locking the door behind me.

 

Going to the flat of my first victim I tossed the key inside and left the door unlocked.

 

Sighing with relief, I headed out.

  

^^^^^^

 

As I leave the complex of posh flats I see a cab coming down the street.

 

I quickly move into the shadows.

 

The cab pulls to the curb, and not surprisingly, my victim’s husband exited the cab.

 

I stay hidden in the shadows as he hurries past me unseen.

 

As he went inside the door, I slip from the shadows and jump in the back of the very same cab he had just exited, startling the driver who was a tad bit reluctant to take on another fare, that was until I waved a £50 note in his face.

 

I let out a deep breath as we drove off.

 

I was on pinpricks for the whole drive, though it was less than 9 kilometers away.

 

I had the driver drop me off at the hotel across from the one I was staying at this week.

 

I went inside, snuck out a side door, and when the coast was clear, crossed the street and walked into my hotel.

 

In my room, I picked up my already packed bags( a precaution I always take before leaving my room in case of the need for a quick getaway ), put on my leather jacket, and headed down to the front desk.

 

For during the ride here in the cab I reasoned to myself that tonight it would be a good idea to promptly check out of my hotel and take the first early morning train to…anywhere far away.

 

Which is exactly what I did.

 

So, on a roll of the dice so to speak, I took the train to my next adventure.

 

Her next Adventure:

 

“A Nefariously Rotten Scoundrel”

 

Fini

 

The Taj Mahl "crown of palaces",is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

 

Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian and Indian architectural styles.

 

In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.

Perry is proudly recognized as the Tree Capital of the South cozily nestled along Florida's Nature Coast. We are a family friendly community in which to raise your children, work, or simply to stop by and visit. Our historic downtown is lined with friendly home town shops and features our recently restored steam locomotive era train station. Perry is a full-service, low cost place to call home.

 

The City has been honored to receive the highest national financial reporting award for twenty years in a row. Our taxes are lower than over 170 other cities in Florida. We are home to an "A" scholastically rated high school. We have a variety of festivals throughout the year highlighted by the Florida Forest Festival which includes the "World's Largest Free Fish Fry." Some of the finest fresh and saltwater fishing (including scalloping) is centered here.

 

Hunters come from all over to experience prime Nature Coast hunting. Many freshwater springs, including the world's largest, are just minutes away. The area's economy is diverse with both manufacturing and agricultural employment opportunities. Our state of the art hospital recently opened a multi-million dollar medical arts facility. We welcome you to learn more, come visit, and experience family friendly Perry!

 

Perry, Florida was first called Rosehead. It is not known how this name was chosen. In 1875 the name was changed to Perrytown after Madison Stark Perry, Florida's fourth Governor. Later the "town" was dropped and the name became Perry.

 

The City of Perry is the only incorporated city in Taylor County, Florida. It was incorporated in 1903 and adopted its City Charter on May 12, 1981. The City's population as of 2004 was estimated to be 6,703. (U. S. Census Bureau)

 

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

www.cityofperry.net/

Zebras are easily recognized by their bold black-and-white striping patterns. The belly and legs are white when unstriped, but the muzzle is dark and the skin underneath the coat is uniformly black. The general pattern is a dorsal line that extends from the forehead to the tail. From there, the stripes stretch downward except on the rump, where they develop species-specific patterns, and near the nose where they curve toward the nostrils. Stripes split above the front legs, creating shoulder stripes. The stripes on the legs, ears, and tail are separate and horizontal. Zebras also have complex patterns around the eyes and the lower jaw. Striping patterns are unique to an individual and heritable. During embryonic development, the stripes appear at eight months, but the patterns may be determined at three to five weeks. Young or foals are born with brown and white coats, and the brown darkens with age.

Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra

Photo capture date & Location: 2017-10 Rietvlei Nature Reserve

Cape Grassbird, Sphenoeacus afer intermedius, 17 - 19 cm / 6.7 - 7.5 in. ENDEMIC. COMMON resident in fynbos and rank grass and ferns. Mostly remains in dank vegetation. Came out to sing when the rain paused momentarily.

 

Sani Pass, Lesotho, Africa. Flickr map tag ID is incorrect (Flickr does not recognize Lesotho)).

 

©bryanjsmith.

recognize anyone?

The Prince’s Palace in Rab is one of the most important monuments on the island and one of the most recognizable buildings of Rab’s medieval architecture. Although it has not been preserved in its fully original form, its appearance, location, and surviving parts testify to the long and rich history of the town of Rab. Today, the Prince’s Palace houses the offices of the Rab city administration and the council chamber.

 

Location and Urban Context

 

The Prince’s Palace is situated in the heart of Rab’s historical core, close to the port, as was often the case with administrative buildings during Venetian rule.

Its position was not accidental – it served as a symbol of secular authority at a strategic point from which the administration, judiciary, and everyday life of the town were controlled.

 

History and Purpose

 

The Prince’s Palace was the seat of the comes Arbae (the Count of Rab), the official who represented Venetian authority during the period when Rab was part of the Venetian Republic (from the 10th century until 1797).

 

Roles of the Prince’s Palace throughout history:

 

Administrative center – the place where political and economic decisions for the town and island were made.

 

Judicial center – court hearings were held here, and verdicts were issued.

 

Residence of the prince – the official residence and working quarters of the Venetian representative.

 

Archive and administrative building – housed the city archive, records, statutes, and council decisions.

 

Architectural Features

 

The Prince’s Palace is a complex of buildings from various periods: from the Romanesque council hall overlooking Donja Street, to Gothic extensions and Renaissance interventions.

 

Although not fully preserved today, the following features remain recognizable:

 

1. Façade and Exterior Appearance

 

A combination of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architectural elements.

 

Stone as the dominant material.

 

Rich window frames, trifora and bifora windows, characteristic of Dalmatian communal palaces.

 

2. Inner Courtyard

 

The former palace had an inner courtyard with passages connecting different parts of the complex, as well as a cistern.

 

The courtyard was used for public gatherings, receptions, and judicial ceremonies.

 

3. Administrative Rooms

 

Rooms for the council, chancery, and archive were located on the upper floors.

 

A separate section served as the prince’s residence, distinct from the public functions.

 

Reconstructions and Current State

 

Over the centuries, the Prince’s Palace suffered various damages, alterations, and losses. Parts of the complex were demolished or modified in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, only some original elements survive, but:

 

architectural traces still allow a clear identification of the palace’s position and volume,

 

archaeological research has confirmed the continuity of an administrative center at this site,

 

conservation works have preserved the most valuable elements, such as Gothic windows and sections of Renaissance façades.

 

The Prince’s Palace in Rab’s Cultural Identity

 

For the people of Rab, the Prince’s Palace is not merely a ruin or historical building – it is a symbol of the town’s thousand-year-old autonomy. Even in its altered form, it remains one of the key landmarks of the old town, especially in the context of:

 

the 14th-century Rab Statute,

 

the tradition of self-governance and communal institutions,

 

the urban coherence of the historical town center.

  

The Knežev dvor (Prince’s Palace) in Rab is one of the most important monuments of historical and administrative power on the island and a defining landmark of the medieval architecture of the town of Rab. Although it has not survived in its complete original form, its surviving sections, location, and architectural traces bear witness to the long and rich history of the city.

________________________________________

Location and Urban Setting

The Knežev dvor is located in the very heart of Rab’s historic core, near the Cathedral complex and the famous “four bell towers.” It stands close to the main urban axis (the ancient Decumanus), in an area where the most significant civic, religious, and noble institutions were concentrated throughout the centuries.

Its position was carefully chosen—this palace symbolized secular authority and oversight of administrative, judicial, and civic affairs.

________________________________________

Historical Role and Purpose

The palace served as the official seat of the knez (count or governor of Rab), the Venetian-appointed official (comes Arbae) during the centuries when Rab belonged to the Venetian Republic (from the 10th century until 1797).

Functions of the Knežev dvor through history:

•Administrative center – where political, economic, and civic decisions for the island were made.

•Judicial hub – hosting court hearings and legal proceedings.

•Residence of the prince – official living and working quarters of the Venetian representative.

•Archive and chancery – housing important records, statutes, and decisions of the town council.

________________________________________

Architectural Characteristics

Originally, the palace was a complex of several buildings built across different periods, from Romanesque foundations to Gothic expansions and Renaissance alterations.

Although today only parts remain, several features can still be recognized:

1. Exterior and façade

•A combination of Gothic and Renaissance elements.

•Dominated by finely worked local limestone typical of Dalmatian coastal architecture.

•Decorative window frames, including biforas and triforas, similar to those seen on other Dalmatian civic palaces.

2. Inner courtyard

•The former palace included a courtyard, likely with arcades and internal connections between administrative, residential, and ceremonial spaces.

•It served for official gatherings, receptions, and legal ceremonies.

3. Interior rooms

•Chambers for the town council, the chancery, and the archive were located on the upper floors.

•A separate section contained the private living quarters of the knez, ensuring separation between public and residential functions.

________________________________________

Reconstruction and Present State

Over the centuries, the Knežev dvor suffered damage, reconstructions, and partial demolitions. Significant parts were altered or lost during the 19th and 20th centuries. Nevertheless:

•Architectural remnants still reveal the palace’s original volume and layout.

•Archaeological research has confirmed the continuity of administrative activity on the site.

•Conservation efforts have preserved valuable elements such as Gothic windows and Renaissance façade fragments.

________________________________________

Cultural Significance for Rab

For the people of Rab, the Knežev dvor is more than a historical structure—it represents centuries of autonomy, governance, and civic identity. Even in its altered form, it remains a symbolic anchor of the old town, especially in relation to:

•the medieval Rab Statute (14th c.),

•traditions of local self-government,

•and the architectural integrity of the historic core.

________________________________________

Summary

The Knežev dvor of Rab was once a prestigious center of Venetian governance and the heart of civic authority. Today it stands as a historical and architectural monument that preserves the memory of Rab’s medieval prominence. Though fragmented, it still radiates historical significance and remains essential for understanding the political and urban development of the island.

 

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s084 11876 RabOtok1926 Knežev dvor. 1926. Brusić Vladislav: Otok Rab Nakladnik: Franjevački kamporski samostan sv. Eufemije

 

Knežev dvor na Rabu jedan je od najvažnijih spomenika povijesno-administrativne vlasti na otoku i jedan od najprepoznatljivijih objekata rapske srednjovjekovne arhitekture. Iako danas nije sačuvan u potpuno izvornom obliku, njegov izgled, položaj i sačuvani dijelovi svjedoče o dugoj i bogatoj povijesti grada Raba. U Kneževu dvoru danas su smješteni uredi rapske gradske uprave i vijećnica.

________________________________________

Položaj i urbanistički kontekst

Knežev dvor smješten je u srcu povijesne jezgre grada Raba, uz kompleks katedrale i tzv. „četiri zvonika“. Nalazi se u blizini glavne gradske ulice (tzv. Decumanus), u zoni u kojoj su se tijekom stoljeća koncentrirale najvažnije upravne, crkvene i plemićke institucije.

Njegov položaj nije slučajan – bio je simbol svjetovne vlasti na strateškom mjestu iz kojeg se kontrolirala uprava, pravosuđe i svakodnevni život grada.

________________________________________

Povijest i namjena

Knežev dvor bio je sjedište rapskog kneza (comes Arbae), dužnosnika koji je predstavljao mletačku vlast u razdoblju kada je Rab bio dio Mletačke Republike (od 10. st. pa sve do 1797.).

Uloge Kneževa dvora kroz povijest:

•Upravni centar – mjesto gdje se donosile političke i gospodarske odluke za grad i otok.

•Središte pravosuđa – ovdje su se održavale sudske rasprave i izdavale presude.

•Rezidencija kneza – službeni stan i radni prostori mletačkog predstavnika.

•Arhiv i uredovna zgrada – čuvao se gradski arhiv, zapisi, statuti i odluke vijeća.

________________________________________

Arhitektonska obilježja

Izvorni Knežev dvor bio je kompleks zgrada iz raznih razdoblja, od romaničkih temelja preko gotičkih dogradnji do renesansnih intervencija.

Iako danas nije u potpunosti sačuvan, prepoznatljiva su sljedeća obilježja:

1. Fasada i vanjski izgled

•Kombinacija gotičkih i renesansnih arhitektonskih elemenata.

•Kamen je dominantni materijal, s tipičnom dalmatinskom obradom.

•Bogati prozorski okviri, trifore i bifore, karakteristične za dalmatinske komunalne palače.

2. Unutarnje dvorište

•Nekadašnji Knežev dvor imao je unutarnje dvorište, često s arkadama i komunikacijama između različitih dijelova kompleksa.

•Dvorište se koristilo i za javna okupljanja, dane primanja i sudske ceremonije.

3. Upravne prostorije

•Prostorije za vijeće, kancelariju i arhiv bile su smještene u gornjim katovima.

•Poseban dio je bio namijenjen stanu kneza, odvojen od javnih funkcija.

________________________________________

Rekonstrukcije i današnje stanje

Knežev dvor je kroz stoljeća pretrpio niz oštećenja, pregradnji i gubitaka. Dio kompleksa srušen je ili izmijenjen u 19. i 20. stoljeću. Danas se vide samo neki očuvani elementi izvorne zgrade, no:

•arhitektonski tragovi i dalje omogućuju jasnu identifikaciju položaja i volumena dvora,

•arheološka istraživanja potvrdila su kontinuitet upravnog centra na tom mjestu,

•konzervatorski radovi sačuvali su najvrednije dijelove, poput gotičkih prozora i dijelova renesansnih pročelja.

________________________________________

Knežev dvor u kulturnom identitetu Raba

Za Rabljane Knežev dvor nije samo ruševina ili povijesna građevina – on je simbol tisućljetne gradske autonomije. Čak i u izmijenjenom obliku, ostao je jedan od ključnih točaka identiteta starog grada, naročito u kontekstu:

•rapskog Statuta iz 14. stoljeća,

•tradicije samouprave i komunalnih institucija,

•urbanističke cjelovitosti starogradske jezgre.