Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

Life begins early in the spring for these soon to be frogs. Found in a ditch filled with algae and stagnated water were mounds and mounds of frog embryos. Metamorphosis takes anywhere from a few weeks to a year, depending on the type of frog. Each egg is covered with a jelly type substance for protection. This mound of embryos was rescued and placed in an aquarium and taken to a 2nd grade classroom where the students can learn about metamorposis. Although placed in the aquarium at the first of this week, these embryos are already beginning to look like tadpoles, 4 days later.

Reminiscing in a dress from a while ago, and thinking back to the late nights that went along with it.

.

In this time of stagnation, I often look forward to a return to those times, (or maybe a slightly more subdued version😉) but a good reminisce was a nice reminder that at least some progress has been made along the way...

You don't look, You don't listen, You Stagnate

This photo was published in the October/November issue of Talent Photo Magazine.

 

Explored, highest position #37.

 

Strobist: SB-26 at 1/16 reflected in silver umbrella cam upper right, triggered by SB-28 at 1/64.

 

Everyone has heard of the rule of thirds. It is scientifically proven that an image with the rule of thirds applied is more pleasing to look at than otherwise. However - rules constrain your creativity. Photography is art. Art in my eyes is the complete unfolding of the mind. When true art is created, it is not with rules in mind, but with your own artistic eye. While they are helpful guidelines, they shouldn't be followed blindly.

 

Another thing I've come to think of lately is how uninnovative most people's photography is (goes for me too). One usually sees the same thing over and over again. I think it's because we aspire to the popular photographers, and to achieve similar popularity, we mimic their expressions and ideas. We compare ourselves all the time. You don't come up with really unique things because others aren't either. Somehow we therefore think that it is not necessary to think new. I think so many genres have stagnated and that too many artists are throwing out the same pictures. I guess this is a natural consequence of the rising popularity of photography as a hobby.

 

With that said, there's still alot of interesting and innovative art out there!

This album's name is dedicated to my favourite game of all time Elder Scrolls Online and race of all time, The Argonians (reptile humanoids). There's a story for you to read below about some of them towards the bottom.

 

What does Ku Vastei mean? Read below

 

By Lights-the-Way, Mystic of the Mages Guild

 

It is hard to describe the culture of my people. Often my tongue stumbles as I try to explain, but it is my hope that ink and quill will give me time enough to gather my thoughts. And perhaps, though such writing, I will finally connect the parts of me that now feel so divided; my homeland of Murkmire and my new life within the Mages Guild.

 

These journals are to become my ku-vastei. And, as I write that, I can think of no better topic to begin with.

 

Ku-vastei roughly translates to "the catalyst of needed change," though such a direct translation in no way does justice to the original meaning. Another translation could be "that which creates the needed pathway for change to occur" or even "the spark which ignites the flame which must come into being."

 

Perhaps a more direct analysis should be first presented. Ku-vastei is a noun, a thing or person. Vastei directly translates to change, an important part of my culture. Ku is harder to speak of. It is that which leads to change, though not that which creates change. An important role, as stagnation is a fate worse than death.

 

Take a boulder which sits atop a cliff, teetering in place. It must fall eventually. The ku-vastei does not push the boulder off the cliff; rather, it picks the pebble which holds the rock in place. And so it falls, not by a push, but by a pathway cleared.

 

Ku-vastei is revered, just as change itself is revered, for to look back at what was means to stumble as you move forward. Sometimes, a little push in the right direction is all someone needs to remember such wisdom. Other times, they may need to be shoved.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Naka Desh Tribe

 

by Emmanubeth Hurrent, the Wayfarers' Society of Wayrest

 

My guide, Names-the-Orchids, took me deep into the swamp to meet a little-known tribe called the Naka-Desh, or Riverbacks. Few Imperials venture far enough into Black Marsh to meet the People of the River, and the Naka-Desh see little benefit in traveling beyond the boundaries of their Hist's roots. For that reason, most perceive them as a secretive and mysterious tribe. This misconception is made all the more amusing by the Riverbacks' boundless hospitality.

 

We approached the Riverbacks' territory via ferry boats. Our expedition encountered tribal sentries almost immediately. They floated to the surface of the water like turtles or crocodiles. I was struck by the wideness of their faces, the largeness of their eyes, and the broad webs adorning their forearms and throats. The Hist clearly provided the "right skin" for the locale. Riverback territory is more water than land—a drowned marsh navigable by small rafts, canoes, and little else.

 

Names-the-Orchids greeted them with a series of low croaks. They cheerfully repeated the sound before lifting themselves onto our boat. Neither of the sentries seemed familiar with Cyrodilic, so our guide had to interpret. She told us that the Riverbacks demanded tribute in the form of a riddle before they would grant passage. I detected no threat behind the demand. It seemed like more of an invitation than an order. I've no talent for wordplay, but I shared a children's riddle about doorknobs that practically every Imperial knows. As soon as Names-the-Orchids translated it, the two sentries clapped their hands. One of them pressed his forehead to mine, croaked twice, then both vanished into the water as suddenly as they appeared.

 

We spent four days among the Riverbacks—all but one of them on rafts fishing. Riverback fishing resembles traditional fishing in name only. Rather than hook and line, the Naka-Desh use large river fish called osheeja gars. Each osheeja is secured by a strange harness and bridle. When the Argonians find an abundant fishing spot, they release the predatory gars and let them snatch up the fish. As soon as an osheeja bites a fish, the Argonians pull their pets to the side of the boat and claim the fish for themselves. I asked Names-the-Orchids how it works. Apparently, the bridle prevents the gar from swallowing. She assured me that the osheejas are well-cared for, though. Until they grow too old, of course, whereupon they too are eaten.

 

Our time with the Riverbacks was not without frustration. Of all the Argonians I have met, the Naka-Desh were by far the least curious. Other than riddles, they had no appetite for anything we brought. They refused our food, took no particular interest in our tales, and did not even ask for our names. This disinterest combined with their boundless hospitality made most of the expedition uncomfortable. Names-the-Orchids chided us for thinking kindness demands reciprocity. As always, even these small disappointments teach us valuable lessons.

 

["the tribe is not currently in the game but in the world of the game"]

The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California and is estimated to have an area of 318 square miles. It is shrinking at an increasing rate now estimated upwards of 3.75 square miles per year. It is heavily toxic. High levels of selenium with a substantial amount of heavy metals such as cadmium and copper are present. Fish that exist in this soup cannot be eaten. The wind in this area drives the toxic dust over a wide area and is the cause of many breathing issues for local inhabitants. On the flip side the deposits of lithium that exist beneath this goulash are estimated to be worth $540 billion dollars. Enough to build 375 million vehicle batteries. The economic viability of extracting and processing the crude lithium is still in debate. Meanwhile time moves on and all that occurs is stagnation.

Paphos, located on the southwest coast of the Republic of Cyprus, has a rich and diverse history that spans over thousands of years. From ancient civilizations to modern times, the city has played a significant role in the development of the island. Here is a brief history of Paphos in 1000 words:

 

Paphos has a legendary origin tied to Greek mythology. According to myth, the city was founded by Agapenor, one of the Greek heroes of the Trojan War, who is said to have led the inhabitants of Arcadia to establish a new settlement. The city soon became associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, as it was believed to be her birthplace.

 

The ancient city of Paphos flourished during the Hellenistic period, serving as an important center of trade and culture. It became the capital of Cyprus under the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled the island after the death of Alexander the Great. The city enjoyed a period of prosperity, with impressive public buildings, theaters, and temples constructed during this time.

 

During the Roman period, Paphos continued to thrive and became a prominent Roman city. The Romans constructed several grand structures, including a theater and a large agora, showcasing their architectural and engineering prowess. The city became the capital of the Roman province of Cyprus and was visited by the Apostle Paul, who converted the Roman governor to Christianity.

 

With the rise of Christianity, Paphos became an important center of the new religion. The city was the site of several significant events, including the alleged conversion of the Roman governor Sergius Paulus and the martyrdom of Saint Paul's disciple, Saint Neophytos. Numerous churches and monasteries were established in Paphos, leaving a lasting religious legacy.

 

In the following centuries, Paphos witnessed the rule of various empires and dynasties, including the Byzantines, Arabs, and Crusaders. The city faced numerous invasions and pillaging during this period, leading to its decline. However, Paphos managed to retain some of its importance as a regional trade center.

 

In 1489, the Venetians gained control of Paphos and fortified the city against Ottoman threats. Their rule was short-lived, as the Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus in 1570. Under Ottoman rule, Paphos experienced a period of stagnation and decline, with many of its structures falling into ruin.

 

The 19th century brought significant changes to Paphos with the arrival of British colonial rule. The British established a modern administration and infrastructure in the city, including a port and improved transportation networks. Paphos regained some of its former glory and became a popular tourist destination.

 

In 1960, Cyprus gained independence from British rule, and Paphos became part of the newly formed Republic of Cyprus. The city continued to attract tourists, with its ancient ruins and beautiful coastline serving as major draws. Paphos experienced steady growth and development, with the establishment of new residential areas, hotels, and resorts.

 

In 1980, the archaeological site of Paphos was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its outstanding universal value. The site encompasses ancient Roman villas with well-preserved mosaics, historic fortresses, and tombs. It serves as a testament to Paphos' rich history and cultural heritage.

 

In recent years, Paphos has undergone significant urban development and revitalization, particularly with its selection as the European Capital of Culture in 2017. The city has seen the construction of new infrastructure, such as the Paphos International Airport and a modern marina, further boosting its tourism industry.

 

Today, Paphos continues to thrive as a popular tourist destination, offering a unique blend of ancient history, natural beauty, and modern amenities. The city's rich historical legacy, combined with its picturesque coastline and vibrant cultural scene, make it a fascinating place to explore and experience the captivating history of Cyprus.

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

Late night lights of Barangaroo train station construction, winter of 2021. Sony a6300 long exposure - photos were edited in Lightroom.

The Light On The Closing Box - Ion Mystical World

 

The Symbolism Of Candle Light In The Mystic World Of Ion - Text by Daniel Arrhakis

 

Just as in many religions and creeds the Candlelight has a mystical symbolism, they represent the enlightenment of the soul and the protection in the darkness.

 

In the Mystic World of Ion its symbolism is more comprehensive and universal. The light of the candle represents the Knowledge and the search of this knowledge without dogmas and with openness to new ideas, being nonetheless traditionalist.

 

Light represents the search for knowledge and education in the Exact Sciences, Arts or Humanities and is therefore open to new ideas, even contradictory ones. In fact the World only evolves in the Peaceful Revolution of Contraries, the resulting Balance is seen as a transforming and creative force.

 

Without Light, Darkness invades Space and also the minds of Men in the form of Ignorance, this is the great percussion of conflicts, of slavery, but also of the stagnation and alienation of societies.

Knowledge is thus the Enlightenment of the Soul and whoever seeks it can no longer live without it, in the background is the Universal Light, the true goal of the soul that questions itself in its role in the World and the Universe. Without Light the Darkness spreads and invades Space and Time erasing our own Existence.

 

But on the other hand the candle or the wax represents the physical part of matter in the background the physical body. But in the Mystical World of Ion, it also represents Tradition, the Past and History to remind us of our origins and the importance of the continuation of human values ​​and our deep mystical convictions that are inherent in all of us.

 

We may ask if an electric lamp will not have the same effect, after all it also gives Light, but it is not the same thing, because it does not have the same ancestral symbolism that has accompanied us for generations. After all, it is not enough to make Light, but also that it has meaning in our hearts and that our soul recognizes naturally.

 

The link between the Past and the Present is then represented by the Candle, the Light that it gives us the Knowledge that is renewed from Generation to Generation. We will only have Future if we respect our Past and our mystical connection with Nature and the Universe.

 

But on the other hand if this light is confined in a room or in an enclosed space it will not be seen outside it, hence the need to take the Light to other spaces for others to see, the light is thus also the passage of Knowledge to others who Live in the dark.

 

In the future the Knowledge and the promotion of Education will be the great source of Joy and the percussion of Peace in the World; investment in these areas should be one of the fundamental objectives of all mankind.

 

_________________________________________

 

O Significado Da Luz Da Vela no Mundo Místico De Ion -

Texto de Daniel Arrhakis

 

Tal como em muitas religiões e credos a Luz das Velas têm um simbolismo místico, elas representam o iluminar da alma e a protecção na escuridão.

 

No Mundo Místico de Ion o seu simbolismo é mais abrangente e Universal. A luz da vela representa o Conhecimento e a procura desse conhecimento sem dogmas e com abertura a novas ideias não deixando de ser no entanto tradicionalista.

 

A luz representa a procura do conhecimento e a educação seja nas Ciências Exactas, Artes ou nas Ciências Humanas (Humanidades) e portanto está aberta a novas ideias mesmo que contraditórias. Aliás o Mundo só evolui na Revolução Pacífica dois Contrários, o Equilíbrio resultante é visto como força transformadora e de criação.

 

Sem Luz a Escuridão invade o Espaço e também a mente dos Homens na forma da Ignorância, esta é a grande precursora dos conflitos, da escravidão mas também da estagnação e alienação das sociedades. O Conhecimento é assim a Iluminação da Alma e quem o procura não poderá mais viver sem ela, no fundo é a Luz Universal, o verdadeiro objectivo da alma que se interroga no seu papel no Mundo e no Universo. Sem Luz a Escuridão alastra e invade o Espaço e o Tempo apagando a nossa própria Existência.

 

Mas por outro lado a vela ou a cera representa a parte física da matéria no fundo o corpo físico. Mas no Mundo Mistico de Ion, representa também a Tradição, o Passado e a História para nos fazer lembrar as nossas origens e a imporatancia da continuação dos valores humanos e das nossas profundas convicções misticas que são inerentes a todos nós.

 

Poderemos perguntar se uma lâmpada não fará o mesmo efeito, afinal dá também Luz, mas não é a mesma coisa, pois não possui o mesmo simbolismo ancestral que nos acompanhou durante gerações. Afinal não basta então que se faça Luz mas também que esta tenha significado nos nossos corações e que a nossa alma reconheça naturalmente.

 

O elo entre o Passado e o Presente é representado então pela Vela, a Luz que ela nos dá o Conhecimento que se renova de Geração em Geração. Só teremos Futuro se respeitarmos o nosso Passado e a nossa ligação mística com a Natureza e o Universo.

 

Mas por outro lado se esta luz estiver confinada numa sala ou num espaço fechado ela não será vista fora dele, daí a necessidade de levar a Luz a outros espaços para que outros a vejam, a luz é assim também a passagem do Conhecimento para outros que vivam na escuridão.

 

No Futuro o Conhecimento e a promoção da Educação será a grande fonte de Alegria e o percursor da Paz no Mundo; o investimento nestas áreas deveria ser um dos objectivos fundamentais de toda a Humanidade.

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

A young lad enjoys the pleasure of riding his cycle all alone in the stagnated water just outside his house, Tambaram, Chennai.

Just found out that this shot has been included in the “landscape photographer of the year” book and exhibition at the national theatre in London. It’s a competition I entered way back in August to put it lightly I’m thrilled to bits, and it’s wonderful that some good friends have also been included too (Tim, Wayne, Paul and Dav), anyway plug over (o:

 

As a family we are embarecingly habitual, especially so, when it comes to the weekend. On a Saturday if where not at a childrens party, (which is very frequent with two young kids) we tend to do the boring shopping stuff that we don’t have time for in the week. Eneverabally this involves going to a local town and ending up dragging the tired kids around the supermarket at the end of the day. In fact just saying this here makes me feel like its Saturday now, I can almost smell the take out curry we consistently have, when the kids are safely tucked up in bed, (‘it's even the same order each week’! Man this is getting personal, somebody please tell me it’s not just me!)

 

Now on a Sunday there is no change to our habitual nature and if the weather is good, we head off to the Yorkshire Dales and find some picturesque country village to have lunch in and use as the foundation to a walk. On the other hand if the weather looks a bit suspect, we tend to go swimming, especially at this time of year when the sun goes down so dam early.

 

Anyway on this occasion we headed to Skipton, It’s a beautiful little dales town that has some good cafés and shops to wander around, not to mention a lovely swimming pool and if the rain isn’t too horizontal, there is a short walk up behind the castle that is just packed full of photographic potential. On this occasion I went up here in full knowledge that Cathy and the kids were happy wandering around the town and as I knew that the beach trees would be turning autumnal and I wanted to explore the potential movement opportunities of this small stream.

 

What I find interesting here, is partly the way a particular locality changes over the year and revisiting the very same location, can provide such a different atmosphere and creative fuel for photographic inspiration. I knew that in this location the trees would be turning a wonderful golden colour and after the strong rain the previous week the stream would have a good flow. However what I find less obvious, but more interesting, is the way my habitual nature forces me to find new ways of approaching a familiar location in order to keep my creatively inquisitive nature satisfied. There would be little point at all, for me, in executing the same compositions in slightly different light. Yes I see the merit of this action to find the ‘perfect’ set of environmental factors, and if somebody else did manage to use ‘my composition’ but come up with a better set of emotion provoking environmental conditions, I’d be somewhat upset, but for me to do this feels like I’m heading for creative stagnation.

 

(Please don’t make the assumption that I’m recommending this action to everybody that would be just that bit too arrogant for my liking. I’m just trying here to explore the recesses of my subconscious and very publically exposing the idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of the inner workings of my mind, in order to make new neural connections in the name of creative development.)

 

On a side, but strongly related note, this weekend I visited Bolton abbey and went to the same location as this photograph, to attempt to improve on what I’d already worked on the previous year. I wanted to repeat the shot in enhanced conditions (autumnal colours and lighting) and although I did tentatively repeat the same composition, I found myself desperately avoiding the earlier year’s composition and trying very hard to come away with something different. As I walked away in reflection, I felt a hollow emptiness and if I’m honest a tad shamed by repeating my visit to this location, as if I was in some way going backwards creatively. Now if I’d have had fog, vibrant golden light and perfect autumnal colours, I may have been satisfied, as I know the photograph could have been improved on, but coming up with a ‘new’ shot, that sparks that wonderful excited feeling when you view it knowing you’ve got a winner on your hands is hard to beat.

 

So from this should I conclude that the process of finding and executing ‘new’ images is of greater importance than the image its self? Do I value the exploration more than the end product? Or is it finding the uniquely new, (if that’s indeed remotely possible in our contemporary photographically saturated world) and presenting it to the wider audience, that my fragile ego is craving lasting admiration that is the driving force? Kind of like being the first ever person up a mountain, does it matter that Hillary was first up Everest, or did Tenzing just enjoy the personal challenge and the permanent historic accolades could go to the man with the longest stride or biggest chin? This could possibly go too deep into my own personal insecurities for my comfort so let me change the subject and come back to this when I’ve reflected a bit more and plucked up the courage to expose the inside of my mind.

 

To be fair what I did want to try and do in this shot, was exploited what I did know about the location, (the turning leaves, and water flow) and attempt to realise a series of movement experiments from different locations I’d been working on over the last few months. I’ve always been a massive fan of movement in photography, due to the way it uniquely injects energy and draws on the emotions. This shot then is not just a simple turn up and see what happens, It is not just lucky, but a synthesis of a pre collection of information, distilled from knowledge of the location, observations on the weather and seasons, and in part, a culmination of ideas inspired by experiments over my creative lifespan.

 

Again I’m not trying to make out that I’m any kind of expert here, but I felt that offering a shot history to what is the tip of the image production iceberg presented here, might help others question where the seemingly simple, but very complex set of decisions we inisiate whilst making photographs, are in fact coming from a multitude of influences that have titanic consequences when it comes to image icebergs.

 

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

A Colonialist Storm

Over and Over Again

 

Decades of

Credit has dried up

Constituted mania

Reforms, Rescues and Stagnation

The abyss stares back

  

Read more: www.jjfbbennett.com/2021/04/the-inception-of-capital.html

 

 

is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates :-) T.S. Eliot

 

chrysanthemum, 'Paintbox', sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

Another fancy gate in the Summer Palace, this one near the Marble Boat. It gives one a sense of just how the crowds build up on the afternoon of a public holiday.

 

The Summer Palace is the best place to explore both the finery of China’s Golden Age and its rapid decay in the 19th Century. The Summer Palace isn’t just one palace, but in fact a vast complex covering more than a square mile, containing more than 3,000 buildings, and the famous Seventeen Hole Bridge as iconic a symbol of Beijing as the Palace of Westminster is of London.

 

Beijing was booming in the 1700s, with the population growing rapidly and along with it much light industry. Around 1749, the Qianlong Emperor decided to build a palace eight miles from the smoky downtown, on a beautiful site overlooking a lake that was being used for stables, to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing. He had the lake dredged and expanded to create what is now Kunming Lake, and the earth excavated to do so was used to raise the height of what is now Longevity Hill. What would become the Summer Palace was still called the Gardens of Clear Ripples.

 

Designed in the style of the gardens of South China, and drawing on motifs from Chinese mythology, the hill was soon graced by the Great Temple of Gratitude and Longevity, later renamed the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, which was overlooked by the Tower of Buddhist Incense, and graced by other wonderfully named buildings like Hall of Benevolence and Longevity the Hall for Listening to Orioles.

 

Encapsulating China’s Qianglong Golden age, it also encapsulates its subsequent disastrous decline. While the Qianlong Emperor lavished support on the arts and expanded China’s borders to their greatest ever extent, years of exhausting campaigns weakened the military, while in the Empire’s prosperous core, decadence set in, with endemic corruption, wastefulness at the court and a stagnating civil society. These problems would accelerate after the Qianlong Emperor died in 1799. In the heyday of intercontinental sailing ships, Chinese had already successfully managed direct trading relations with Europe for several centuries by this point, exporting porcelain to Europe and the Americas at scale. So when some arrogantly uncouth emissaries arrived at court in the 1830s from an upstart country named Britain, they were initially dismissed as a particularly unpleasant of self-deluding barbarians.

 

But a sign of the rotten state of the Chinese Empire as the 19th Century wore on was the increasingly dilapidated state of the Summer Palace. During the Second Opium War, British and French forces sacked and burned the Summer Palace as part of an invasion of Northern China which forced the Qing government to sign a trade treaty on unwelcome terms. The Place was further damaged in 1900, by an alliance of Western and Japanese troops who were putting down the Boxer Rebellion. Yet the Chinese Imperial system which stretched unbroken back to Qin ended in 1912, when Puyi, the last Emperor abdicated. Two years later, the Summer Palace was turned into a public park, and so it has remained ever since, barring a few years after the Communist takeover of 1949, when it briefly housed the Central Party School.

 

Restoration work has taken place at some pace since the 1980s, and continues to the present day.

 

This magnificent site can be very crowded, especially if you visit, as I did, on the second day of China’s weeklong early October holiday. More than ten million visitors come here every year, averaging nearly 30,000 per day. You can see why. Despite the crowds, this is one of the world’s great historic sights.

 

The Summer Palace is a half-hour ride on a new subway line from the city centre. The surrounding are suburbs are wealthy, and house Xi Jinping and most of the party bigwigs – but they don’t take the subway!

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

 

is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates :-)

T.S. Eliot

 

hybrid camellia, 'Green's Blues', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, Raleigh, north carolina

youtu.be/tlCkafSYNJI

 

“Inherent to all traditional religion,” Heschel states, “is the peril of stagnation. What has become settled and established may easily turn foul. Insight is replaced by clichés, elasticity by obstinacy, spontaneity by habit.” In such circumstances, when religion grows “irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid,” when it is reduced to lifeless “customs and ceremonies,” what is needed are courageous people willing to think, feel, and act differently. “Acts of dissent,” Heschel writes, “prove to be acts of renewal.” The kind of “creative dissent” Heschel values, which “comes out of love and faith,” is exceedingly rare, since it requires an exquisite combination of “deep caring, concern, untrammeled radical thinking informed by rich learning, a degree of audacity and courage, and the power of the word.” In other words, creative dissenters need to be thoroughly immersed in tradition without, however, being slaves to it; they have to combine deep faithfulness with profound audacity. Such souls are scarce, Heschel realizes, and yet they are indispensable if religion is to remain vital and avoid decay."

 

-Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence by Shai Held

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

Light and Shadows

 

When light shatters

Into unspeakable pieces

A brilliant shadow

Through an object appears

 

Who knew this secret?

Carried within these waves

For but a moment

A charcoal sketch is displayed

 

Waiting for a dawn

Becomes a thirst for one

With zeal an object is placed

Paint from light begins to work

 

Upon this concrete canvas

Someone’s creativity spills

Colors are added

And rainbow arches form

 

To share this image

A camera is introduced

Light hurdles through a lens

Snap- a picture is made

-rc

This album's name is dedicated to my favourite game of all time Elder Scrolls Online and race of all time, The Argonians (reptile humanoids). There's a story for you to read below about some of them towards the bottom.

 

What does Ku Vastei mean? Read below

 

By Lights-the-Way, Mystic of the Mages Guild

 

It is hard to describe the culture of my people. Often my tongue stumbles as I try to explain, but it is my hope that ink and quill will give me time enough to gather my thoughts. And perhaps, though such writing, I will finally connect the parts of me that now feel so divided; my homeland of Murkmire and my new life within the Mages Guild.

 

These journals are to become my ku-vastei. And, as I write that, I can think of no better topic to begin with.

 

Ku-vastei roughly translates to "the catalyst of needed change," though such a direct translation in no way does justice to the original meaning. Another translation could be "that which creates the needed pathway for change to occur" or even "the spark which ignites the flame which must come into being."

 

Perhaps a more direct analysis should be first presented. Ku-vastei is a noun, a thing or person. Vastei directly translates to change, an important part of my culture. Ku is harder to speak of. It is that which leads to change, though not that which creates change. An important role, as stagnation is a fate worse than death.

 

Take a boulder which sits atop a cliff, teetering in place. It must fall eventually. The ku-vastei does not push the boulder off the cliff; rather, it picks the pebble which holds the rock in place. And so it falls, not by a push, but by a pathway cleared.

 

Ku-vastei is revered, just as change itself is revered, for to look back at what was means to stumble as you move forward. Sometimes, a little push in the right direction is all someone needs to remember such wisdom. Other times, they may need to be shoved.

 

-------------------------------------

 

The Gee-Rusleel Tribe

 

by Emmanubeth Hurrent, the Wayfarers' Society of Wayrest

 

I've had the privilege to speak to two different Miredancer elders now, and I've learned a great deal from both of these conversations. The "Gee-Rusleel," as they call themselves, are among the most introspective Argonians I've met in my travels. They also tend to be the most pleasant. For all their reclusiveness and wariness, I've never met a people more willing to share a meal or a game of Shells and Stones. They are skilled crafters, with a particular knack for working with Hist amber and egg shells. They are also peerless navigators, guiding their flat-bottom boats effortlessly through the swamp, master weavers, and skilled cartographers.

 

The most defining characteristic of the Miredancer tribe, however, is piety. This deep reverence for the Hist has earned them the right to name a "Sap-Speaker" for countless generations.

 

According to the elders I spoke with, the Sap-Speaker is the Hist's direct intermediary. (This is, of course, subject to debate. Many tribes boast unique methods of communion with the Hist. But as far as I have seen, the Miredancers make the most compelling case for the methods they use.) Sap-Speakers often go into seclusion for days or even weeks on end, venturing either down into the roots or high into the canopy of leaves in the uppermost branches. Here, they commune with the Hist. Indeed, the word that one of the elders used was "journey."

 

These journeys into the Hist tax the Sap-Speakers, but are thoroughly private affairs. After days by themselves, the Sap-Speakers emerge to hide away with old books, scrolls, and tablets. I asked after the purpose of these periods of seclusion, and this is what the elders told me. "The Sap-Speaker enters the embrace of the Hist to learn from the great tree," one elder said. "While in close contact with the roots and branches, the Sap-Speaker receives visions and other forms of communication that neither you nor I would understand."

 

The other elder continued. "Even the Sap-Speaker finds some of what is shown to be mystifying and confusing. I have heard that a Sap-Speaker is treated to ancient metaphors, arcane secrets, and visions that make little sense to creatures so far removed from sap and pulp." Apparently, the second period of seclusion allows the Sap-Speaker time to reflect on what he or she was shown, as well as time to consult with the ancient writings of Sap-Speakers who came before. After a suitable period of study and reflection, the Sap-Speaker emerges to reveal the Hist's will to the tribe.

 

I attempted to get more information about what happens while the Sap-Speaker meditates among the roots or branches, but I'm not sure the elders knew much more. They did tell me that the only nourishment the Sap-Speaker receives during these periods of seclusion is provided by the Hist itself in the form of sap, leaves, and the otherwise forbidden fruit of the tree.

 

There is a price to pay for the gift of Hist communion, however. Ingesting large quantities of Hist sap is a dangerous affair, even for Argonians. Sap-Speakers routinely suffer the effects of sap-poisoning, including "gold tongue" (permanent change of mouth pigmentation to a golden hue), unbidden hallucinations, "bark-scale" (thickening and darkening of surface scales), and other maladies they were reticent to talk about. The current Sap-Speaker, Thumarz, was in seclusion during my visit to the tribal village. I hope to meet him someday. If he's half as wise as the elders I interacted with, I'd no doubt learn a great deal from him.

 

Despite their deeply religious nature, the Miredancers also seem to have an obsession with games of all types. They are particularly fond of the games Nine-Shells and Shells and Stones, as well as sports such as the popular "teeba-hatsei" (also known as "hip and tail ball.") In addition to lovingly explaining their own games, they wanted to know everything I could tell them about the games we play back in Wayrest. I must admit, their enthusiasm was quite infectious! And I found it highly amusing to watch them try to re-create Deceiver's Bones from the vague description I provided.

 

The Miredancers are also inveterate gamblers, but they often forget to collect their winnings. Unlike the games of men and mer, Miredancer competitions appear to be completely devoid of malice or injured pride. Victory and defeat seem more like afterthoughts than objectives, due in no small part to their phlegmatic disposition. As in most things, their focus is strictly on the moment—the now. It pains me to leave their village, but I still have many more tribes to study. I doubt any of them will be as fascinating or as friendly as the Miredancers.

 

["the tribe is not currently in the game but in the world of the game"]

The city of Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. This city is the economic center of western Florida. The central financial district is an area of high-rise office towers, but Tampa also has historic old sections such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.

 

The maps drawn by the Spanish conquistadors show a number of Indian settlements around the Tampa Bay area. In 1824 the Americans built a fort at the mouth of the Hillsborough River directed against the Seminole Indians. After the Second Seminole War a port and trading center were established here, and this soon developed into a regional center. The Civil War brought a period of stagnation, until a boost was given to the town by the construction of the South Florida Railroad.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century Tampa became a fashionable winter resort. In 1886 the Cuban cigar manufacturer Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his business to Tampa and a new quarter, Ybor City, was built for his Spanish-speaking employees. The mining of phosphates in the surrounding area also gave a stimulus to the city's development.

Mystic Water - Ion symbolism by Daniel Arrhakis (2019)

 

With the music : Crypt of Insomnia - Lunaris | Beautiful Dramatic Orchestral Vocal Music

 

youtu.be/gwCIt77sP1w?list=RD_GCIYk6HbXU

  

In the Mystical World of Ion water has a transcendental role and a feminine character is also synonymous of duality and change or inner transformation.

 

If on the one hand it is the cradle of life and the source on which we quench thirst on the other hand is the symbolism of perseverance, resistance and hope. Their passage continues to erode the rocks, however hard they are, and in the same way extinguishes the flames of unquietness.

But it is also the life expectancy for the seeds that the farmer throws to the earth and the waters of the fountains that we drink or of that sea of life that we love so much.

 

Its duality is also one of its qualities if the sound of water running in the river or the rain that falls sweetly in those winter days are peace-keepers of the soul and somehow invites to contemplation, it is also certain that in the great storms its character rebel demonstrates his will to indomitable Freedom.

 

It is purity when it touches us on the face or blesses us in its simplicity but also its permanent change of physical state alerts us to mutability and the permanent inconstancy of our life that can change at any moment. In a way it alerts us in its cycles of change to be prepared for the transformations that life can bring us and the need to be perseverant face to adversity.

 

In certain spiritual contemplative days of simplicity that we take for us own, water or herbal infusions (with little or no sugar) and bread are the only ones elements that should be present accompanied by prayers and or essential energy funding that exists in universe using contact with the natural world (forests, parks, coastal areas, etc.) and refraining from worries or conflicts.

 

Like water that always chooses the easiest way to run on gravity, as serious as our problems may seem in the vast majority of cases they always have a simpler resolution; often a good night's sleep is an excellent counselor. Gentleness and respect for all living beings, simplicity and honesty in our actions with a sincere smile help us to accept others and ourselves better.

 

Although there are baptismal rituals in the Mystic World of Ion, it is reserved only for adults who accept it in their free will and have reached more advanced spiritual stages.

 

The change of state of water is one of its most intrinsic properties and transfigures the change or inner transformation.

The passage through the various states (solid, gaseous, or liquid) are intermediate stages of matter, and their symbolism also encompasses the change and spiritual transformation that develops within us along our temporal lines.

 

Change is the motor of evolution and learning, without change the world lived in stagnation and does not evolve, so we also have stages of life that have their beginning and end and so we should not fear change especially if it is to better for ourselves or for others.

The most difficult transformation is always the interior and is the one in which we must always focus our efforts; the external or visual transformation, though important, only strengthens our ego, and it always has an egoistic character.

 

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

  

O Simbolismo Da Água no Mundo Místico De Ion

 

No Mundo Místico de Ion a água tem uma papel transcendental e um carácter feminino sendo também sinónimo de dualidade e de mudança ou transformação interior.

Se por um lado é o berço da vida e a fonte na qual saciamos a sede por outro lado é o simbolismo da preserverança, da resistência e da esperança. A sua passagem continua erode as rochas por mais duras que elas sejam e da mesma forma apaga as chamas da inqietude. Mas também é a esperança de vida para as sementes que o agricultor deita à terra e das águas das fontes que bebemos ou daquele mar cheio de vida que tanto amamos.

A sua dualidade é também uma das suas qualidades se o som da água a correr no rio ou da chuva que cai docemente naqueles dias de inverno são apaziguadores da alma e de certa forma convida à contemplação, também é certo que nas grandes tempestades o seu carácter revoltoso demonstra a sua vontade de Liberdade indomável.

 

Ela é a pureza quando nos toca na face ou nos abençoa na sua simplicidade mas também a sua permanente mudança de estado físico alerta-nos para mutabilidade e a inconstância permanente da nossa vida que pode mudar a qualquer momento. De certa forma alerta-nos nos seus ciclos de mudança para estarmos preparados para as transformações que a vida nos pode trazer e a necessidade de sermos perseverantes para enfrentarmos a adversidade.

 

No Mundo Místico de Ion a água tem um papel depurativo, quer na nossa higiene diária, quer ao ser bebida todos os dias de forma pausada naturalmente ou na forma de infusões.

Em certos dias contemplativos espirituais de despojamento e que retiramos para nós proprios, a água ou infusões de plantas (com pouco ou nenhum açúcar) e o pão serão os únicos elementos que deverão estar presentes acompanhados de orações e ou captações da energia essencial que existe no universo usando o contacto com o mundo natural ( florestas, parques, zonas costeiras, etc. ) e abstendo-se de preocupações ou de conflitualidades.

 

Tal como a água que escolhe sempre o caminho mais fácil para correr em função da gravidade, por mais sérios que nossos problemas possam parecer, na grande maioria dos casos eles têm sempre uma resolução simples; muitas vezes uma boa noite de sono é uma excelente conselheira. Gentileza e respeito por todos os seres vivos, simplicidade e honestidade em nossas acções com um sorriso sincero ajudam-nos a aceitar melhor os outros e a nós mesmos.

 

Embora existam rituais baptismais no Mundo Místico de Ion, ele é reservado apenas para adultos que os aceitam em seu livre arbítrio e alcançaram estágios espirituais mais avançados.

 

A Mudança de estado da água é uma das suas mais intrínsecas propriedades e transfigura a mudança ou transformação interior.

A passagem pelos vários estados (sólido, gasoso ou liquido) são estágios intermédios da matéria e o seu simbolismo abrange também a mudança e a transformação espiritual que se desenvolve dentro de nós ao longo das nossas linhas temporais.

 

A mudança é o motor da evolução e da aprendizagem, sem mudança o Mundo vivia na estagnação e não evoluía, assim também nós temos etapas da vida que têm o seu principio e fim e por isso não devemos temer a mudança em especial se esta for para melhor seja para nós próprios ou para os outros.

A transformação mais difícil é sempre a interior e é aquela em que devemos concentrar sempre os nossos esforços; a transformação exterior ou visual embora importante apenas reforça o nosso ego e este tem sempre um carácter egoísta.

Life is about learning. Whenever we lose that need and desire to keep learning, we find ourselves stagnating and losing forward movement in our lives. God created life as a school so that every day of our existence brings with it some new lesson, experience, and knowledge; some new expectation, information, sight or sound. All of these things contribute toward our growth as an individual, if we recognize them, accept and welcome them!

Vernazza (Latin: Vulnetia) is a town and comune located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northwestern Italy. It is one of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre region. Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, has no car traffic, and remains one of the truest "fishing villages" on the Italian Riviera.

 

Vernazza's name is derived from the Latin adjective verna meaning "native" and the aptly named indigenous wine, vernaccia ("local" or "ours"), helped give birth to the village's moniker.

 

First records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date back to the year 1080. Referred to as an active maritime base of the Obertenghi, a family of Italian nobility, it was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defence of pirates.

 

Over the next two centuries, Vernazza was vital in Genova's conquest of Liguria, providing port, fleet, and soldiers. In 1209, the approximately 90 most powerful families of Vernazza pledged their allegiance to the republic of Genova.

 

The first documented presence of a church dates back to 1251, with the parish of San Pietro cited in 1267. Reference to the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia of Vernazza occurs in 1318. Some scholars are of the opinion, due to the use of materials and mode of construction, that the actual creation of the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia took place earlier, some time in the 12th century. The Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia was expanded upon and renovated over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, and thereafter was erected the octagonal bell tower that rises from the apse.

 

In the 1400s, Vernazza focused in its defense against the dreadful and regularly occurring pirate raids, erecting a fortifying wall. In the mid-1600s, like many of the Cinque Terre villages, Vernazza suffered a period of decline that negatively affected wine production, and prolonged the construction of the trail system and harbor molo (pier constructed to protect against heavy seas).

 

In the 1800s, after a long period of stagnation, Vernazza returned to wine production, enlarging and creating new terraced hillsides. The result was a revitalization of Vernazza's commerce. Also at this time, the construction of the Genova–La Spezia rail line began, putting an end to Vernazza's long isolation. The population of Vernazza increased by 60% as a result. Meanwhile, the construction of La Spezia's naval base also proved important to Vernazza in providing employment for many members of the community.

 

With the arrival of the 20th century, Vernazza experienced a wave of emigration as working the land was viewed as dangerous and the culprit of disease, and the ability to further exploit agriculture diminished.

 

In 1997, the Cinque Terre was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and in 1999 the National Park of the Cinque Terre was born. Today the main source of revenue for Vernazza is tourism. However, as a testimony to the strength of centuries-old tradition, fishing, wine and olive oil production still continue to take place.

 

On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding, and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remained in a continued state of emergency.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Die Lupinen blühen, die Schwäne tümpeln futtersuchend und ungestört im ufernahen Wasser, alles ist ruhig, von Hektik und Unordnung keine Spur. Hier am Spielbergerteich bei Schrems im Waldviertel kann man einfach schauen, ruhig und zufriedener werden, seine Gedanken ordnen und sich an der Natur und am Leben freuen.

 

The lupines blossoms, the swans stagnate and forage undisturbed in the near-shore water, all is calm, no trace of rush or mess. Here at the pond Spielbergerteich near Schrems in the Lower Austrian region Waldviertel (woodquarter) you can simply show around, becoming tranquil and more pleased, arrange your thoughts and enjoy the nature and life.

This time will go by as they go by

all the horrible days of life

The winds that blow you down will subside

The blood from your wound will stagnate

The wandering soul will return to its nest

What was lost yesterday will be found

The spotless sun conceived

will come out again in your side

And you will say to the sea:

how could I drowned

without a compass and lost

reach the port with broken sails?

And a voice will tell you: Don't you understand?

The same wind that broke the ships

is what makes the seagulls fly

Óscar Hahn

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dN3RMyPsnw

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

A pair of stone lions and two stone sutra pillars stand in front of a spacious platform which is all that remains of the southern part of the Sumeru Temple on the north or back slope of Longevity Hill in Beijing’s Summer Palace complex. The rest was destroyed in the Anglo-French sack of Beijing in 1860-1.

 

The Summer Palace is the best place to explore both the finery of China’s Golden Age and its rapid decay in the 19th Century. The Summer Palace isn’t just one palace, but in fact a vast complex covering more than a square mile, containing more than 3,000 buildings, and the famous Seventeen Hole Bridge as iconic a symbol of Beijing as the Palace of Westminster is of London.

 

Beijing was booming in the 1700s, with the population growing rapidly and along with it much light industry. Around 1749, the Qianlong Emperor decided to build a palace eight miles from the smoky downtown, on a beautiful site overlooking a lake that was being used for stables, to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing. He had the lake dredged and expanded to create what is now Kunming Lake, and the earth excavated to do so was used to raise the height of what is now Longevity Hill. What would become the Summer Palace was still called the Gardens of Clear Ripples.

 

Designed in the style of the gardens of South China, and drawing on motifs from Chinese mythology, the hill was soon graced by the Great Temple of Gratitude and Longevity, later renamed the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, which was overlooked by the Tower of Buddhist Incense, and graced by other wonderfully named buildings like Hall of Benevolence and Longevity the Hall for Listening to Orioles.

 

Encapsulating China’s Qianglong Golden age, it also encapsulates its subsequent disastrous decline. While the Qianlong Emperor lavished support on the arts and expanded China’s borders to their greatest ever extent, years of exhausting campaigns weakened the military, while in the Empire’s prosperous core, decadence set in, with endemic corruption, wastefulness at the court and a stagnating civil society. These problems would accelerate after the Qianlong Emperor died in 1799. In the heyday of intercontinental sailing ships, Chinese had already successfully managed direct trading relations with Europe for several centuries by this point, exporting porcelain to Europe and the Americas at scale. So when some arrogantly uncouth emissaries arrived at court in the 1830s from an upstart country named Britain, they were initially dismissed as a particularly unpleasant of self-deluding barbarians.

 

But a sign of the rotten state of the Chinese Empire as the 19th Century wore on was the increasingly dilapidated state of the Summer Palace. During the Second Opium War, British and French forces sacked and burned the Summer Palace as part of an invasion of Northern China which forced the Qing government to sign a trade treaty on unwelcome terms. The Place was further damaged in 1900, by an alliance of Western and Japanese troops who were putting down the Boxer Rebellion. Yet the Chinese Imperial system which stretched unbroken back to Qin ended in 1912, when Puyi, the last Emperor abdicated. Two years later, the Summer Palace was turned into a public park, and so it has remained ever since, barring a few years after the Communist takeover of 1949, when it briefly housed the Central Party School.

 

Restoration work has taken place at some pace since the 1980s, and continues to the present day.

 

This magnificent site can be very crowded, especially if you visit, as I did, on the second day of China’s weeklong early October holiday. More than ten million visitors come here every year, averaging nearly 30,000 per day. You can see why. Despite the crowds, this is one of the world’s great historic sights.

 

The Summer Palace is a half-hour ride on a new subway line from the city centre. The surrounding are suburbs are wealthy, and house Xi Jinping and most of the party bigwigs – but they don’t take the subway!

 

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

This is pretty much the way Boise is right now. Snow still on the ground and freezing (but not terrible) temps don't allow much thawing. There are periods when the sun peeks out, but mostly it is grey due to that massive cloud of crud looming over the city. Inversion, air stagnation, whatever you want to call it, this is typical winter conditions in Boise.

 

For the weekly theme "whither the weather"

Months ago my flickr friend Paul Bruins (www.flickr.com/photos/panorama_paul/) uploaded another amazingly beautiful vertorama. This one was particularly interesting to me because of the tree stump in front of a gorgeous warm sunrise (www.flickr.com/photos/panorama_paul/5966005473/). As soon as I saw it I asked Paul if he would allow me to use it for a composite. He very generously said "yes". For months I have been working on this image, mostly tweaking the background. I was procrastinating taking the shot of myself for the photo I had in mind because I wasn't sure what emotion/pose/concept I really wanted to play with. I settled on the concept of stagnation; a state that I sometimes find myself in, and appropriate since I felt that was part of what caused my delay in settling on the subject.

 

If you look at the original image you will see that I had to change a number of things to get it to be framed the way I had envisioned. I made some use of the content aware scaling feature in CS5 to stretach out the sky a little, but then I ended up cropping back down a bit too. I scaled up the whole tree stump to better fill the frame. This meant that I had to also remove the original stump and fill in the hole that doing so created. The hole was filled with about 80% water surface and 20% new vegetation. In both cases I used copy/paste to create new layers with existing content from other areas of the photos and then cloned and feathered edges etc. to get a clean match.

 

Next I set out to capture myself to add in. This was a little tricky since I was operating the camera myself and sitting on the floor in front of it and had to keep scurrying around to see if I was getting an appropriate angle. I only took about 30 shots and found one that worked within those. My studio was already setup for another shoot I was supposed to do that got cancelled, but I had to modify it a little to get this shot.

 

I used a 300ws studio strobe with large gridded softbox at full power, about 6 feet to subject left, and behind by two feet. This did not precicely match the position of the sun in the photo, but I knew this relative positioning would suffice. A second 150ws studio strobe was used with a beauty dish, and hung above on a boom stand, also full power, to get a little fill light. Both lights were triggered with Pocket Wizards.

 

Final step was isolation and compositing, which took around 5 hours. Kind of my standard isolation/compositiong approach used here. I wasn't able to use any kind of quick select or channel masking trick for the isolation, so I just had to resort to good old fashioned hand painted masking. I did employ some of my usual tricks for masking out the edges of my hair, which is essentially to get rid of the edges and create my own using custom hair brushes. I used 4 different hair brushes this time. I then put the isolated me into a smart object so that any additional masking is done in a different mask from the isolation mask, but I can still rpeserve the isolation mask.

 

There is one layer for the treestump, and then 8 additional layers are added to that to bring texture into areas where the real tree didn't exist (like the arms, and my left foot). Then there are two copies of me- one desaturated and set to multiply, and then another with the blend mode set to normal. Everything else is done just by painting the layer masks for each of these two layers to allow texture from the underlying tree layer to come through.

 

Another huge thanks to Paul for allowing me to use his image as the basis for this image.

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

#case 12: // detect pi'ing in initial

 

.. if (lastPi'ing)

 

.. {

 

.... calculatingUpdated

 

.. }

 

.. else // lastTai'ing

 

.. {

 

.... calculatingUpdated

 

.... if (Pi) changeTo13StopingStopped4NewCYCLE;

 

.. }

 

.. break

 

..

 

.

 

#case 11: // detect tai'ing in initial

 

..

 

.. calculatingUpdated

 

.. if (Pi) changTo12;

 

..

 

.. break

 

..

 

.

 

/*

 

.

 

..

 

.. 初去而返，見走止於寜

 

.. 先迎後背，去而復返，再離止於野

 

..

 

.

 

*/

   

- - 07/11/2015 Photo

- - 17/11/2015

   

《*》 又逢雨季，雷电交加，浓云滚滚 …..

   

#Hexagram 11 is named 泰 (tài) = (合)

 

"Pervading". Other variations include "peace" and "greatness".

 

Its inner trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.

   

#Hexagram 12 is named 否 (pǐ) = (分)

 

"Obstruction". Other variations include "standstill (stagnation)" and "selfish persons".

 

Its inner trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.

   

《__..

 

---- hide line ----

 

..__》

  

#《卷38》王莽下，天鳳二年（乙亥，公元一五年）

 

.

 

.. 春，二月，大赦天下，

 

.. 民訛言，黃龍墮死黃山宮中，

 

.. 百姓奔走，往觀者有萬數

 

.. 莽惡之，捕系，問語所從起，不能得

 

..

 

.

   

- - 15/11/2015

 

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

 

First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue, and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies.Following the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed, the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city, especially the downtown area.

 

Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, whose sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols", are extremely popular in the surrounding area. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. As one of the largest cities in the Appalachian region, Knoxville has positioned itself in recent years as a repository of Appalachian culture and is one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The data above was taken from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee

 

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

 

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière was built between 1872 and 1884 to thank the Virgin Mary for having spared the city from invasion during the Franco-Prussian war. It has become one of the major symbols of Lyon, in part thanks to its dominant location on a hill overlooking the city. It is one testament of the great influence that Christianity has had on the city over the centuries.

 

LYON HISTORY

 

Lyon, also spelled Lyons, capital of both the Rhône département and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes région, east-central France, set on a hilly site at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. It is the third largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille.

 

A Roman military colony called Lugdunum was founded there in 43 bce, and it subsequently became the capital of the Gauls. Lyon reached its peak of classical development in the 2nd century ce, during which time Christianity was introduced. In 177 the Christian community was persecuted by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, and in 197 Lucius Septimius Severus decimated Lyon. In 1032 Lyon was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, but the real power lay with the city’s archbishops, whose influence caused important ecumenical councils to be held there in 1245 and again in 1274. Lyon was annexed to the kingdom of France in 1312.

The Renaissance ushered in a period of economic prosperity and intellectual brilliance. The establishment, in 1464, of commercial fairs together with the arrival in the city of Italian merchant bankers enabled Lyon to flourish. By the 17th century it was the silk-manufacturing capital of Europe. Printing was introduced as early as 1473, and Lyon soon became one of the most active printing centres in Europe.

 

The French Revolution brought uneasy times. The collapse of the domestic market and the closing of foreign markets brought a slump in the silk industry, and in 1793 the city was besieged by republican forces of the Montagnards. In the 19th century prosperity returned, bringing about considerable industrial expansion. Urban development began only in the 1950s, after the periods of stagnation and depression between 1920 and the end of World War II.

Lyon is spread over a narrow peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers and on their opposite banks. A zone of factory and residential suburbs encircles the city. On the right bank of the Saône, Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) remains as one of the finest surviving architectural complexes of the Renaissance era. The peninsula is now the heart of the business district. The east bank of the Rhône is divided between a wealthy area, the Brotteaux, and a district with factories and workers’ houses extending east toward the fringing communities of Villeurbanne and Bron. To the south, along the Rhône, Feyzin and Saint-Fons constitute one of the largest oil-refining complexes in France.

 

www.britannica.com/place/Lyon-France

Sometimes if you stand still too long the moss and stagnation start to take over

Dated 1894 on the front fractable.

 

"Prostějov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈproscɛjof]; German: Proßnitz, Yiddish: פראסטיץ‎ Prostitz) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 44,000 inhabitants. Today the city is known for its fashion industry and AČR special forces unit 601. skss based there. The centre of the town is historically significant and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

 

The first historical mention of the village Prostějovice is from 1141. By the middle of the 13th century, it had developed into an important market village. At that time, German settlers were invited here, who established a new settlement on the site of today's TG Masaryk Square, to which the rights of the original settlement were transferred. On March 27, 1390, Prostějov was granted the right of the annual market thanks to the lords of Kravaře, which in fact became a town. In the Hussite period, the promising development slowed down as the city suffered delays on both sides; the insufficiently fortified Prostějov became easy prey for the troops of Margrave Albrecht and was burned down in 1431. The prosperity of the city was brought about by the establishment of the Jewish city and especially after a year 1490 more than a century-old government of the Pernštejn families, whose property became the town. In 1495, the city began the construction of stone walls with four gates with bastions. Between 1521 and 1538, the townspeople built a Renaissance town hall.

 

At the end of the 16th century, the city became the property of the Liechtensteins, which resulted in the stagnation of the city's development. In Prostejov the year 1527 printer Kaspar Aorga printed the first book on Moravia. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was devastated and in 1697 a fire broke out, killing the town hall, the school and the church. Then the city began to acquire a Baroque character. Around the middle of the 17th century, mainly thanks to local Jews, the food, textile and clothing industries developed rapidly, and in 1858 the first Czech ready-to-wear clothing industry was founded in Prostějov - the factory of the Mandla brothers, which attracted new inhabitants. In the 1960s, Prostějov was connected by rail with Brno and Olomouc. The 19th and 20th centuries changed the face of the city in the style of historicism and Art Nouveau. Since the 20s and especially 30s, dominating the construction becoming in Prostejov functionalism." - info from Wikipedia.

 

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

 

Now on Instagram.

 

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.

I do not usually ask people to pose in front of the camera. But that evening, I saw this man coming out of his tent. It was just off the main road, the one that connects the sangam and goes towards the main gate and bus stand. There was a small monticule of land, on top of which a number of tents have been pitched. Bellow the monticule, there was a body of stagnating water, used for various purposes, but mainly junk and organic debris. So I tell the pasha to hold his stance, in all his glory and tranquility. By the time I took a few shots of him and turned around, a group of about 15 kids and grownups was there, looking at us, curious as ever... all smiles good vibes.

The city of Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. This city is the economic center of western Florida. The central financial district is an area of high-rise office towers, but Tampa also has historic old sections such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.

 

The maps drawn by the Spanish conquistadors show a number of Indian settlements around the Tampa Bay area. In 1824 the Americans built a fort at the mouth of the Hillsborough River directed against the Seminole Indians. After the Second Seminole War a port and trading center were established here, and this soon developed into a regional center. The Civil War brought a period of stagnation, until a boost was given to the town by the construction of the South Florida Railroad.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century Tampa became a fashionable winter resort. In 1886 the Cuban cigar manufacturer Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his business to Tampa and a new quarter, Ybor City, was built for his Spanish-speaking employees. The mining of phosphates in the surrounding area also gave a stimulus to the city's development.

The city of Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. This city is the economic center of western Florida. The central financial district is an area of high-rise office towers, but Tampa also has historic old sections such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.

 

The maps drawn by the Spanish conquistadors show a number of Indian settlements around the Tampa Bay area. In 1824 the Americans built a fort at the mouth of the Hillsborough River directed against the Seminole Indians. After the Second Seminole War a port and trading center were established here, and this soon developed into a regional center. The Civil War brought a period of stagnation, until a boost was given to the town by the construction of the South Florida Railroad.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century Tampa became a fashionable winter resort. In 1886 the Cuban cigar manufacturer Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his business to Tampa and a new quarter, Ybor City, was built for his Spanish-speaking employees. The mining of phosphates in the surrounding area also gave a stimulus to the city's development.

It has been a very long time since last seeing United's fleet of 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, the last time being over 5 years ago when United began introducing the type into commercial service; an initial batch of 10 were ordered which was gradually increased with 22 now in service with first deliveries commencing in late-2016, and it could be said started the regeneration of United Airlines after over 6 years of stagnation following their merger with Continental Air Lines.

For United Airlines, the Boeing 777-300ERs were the first aircraft to have unveiled their new Polaris interior products which became the standard on all long-haul wide-body jets going forward. The fleet of 22 are effectively their flagship aircraft having replaced the venerable Boeing 747-400s which were already being phased out from active service, and feature a considerably premium-heavy layout.

At present, the Boeing 777-300ERs can mainly be found operating from 3 hubs at Newark-Liberty, San Francisco and Washington-Dulles; the fleet mainly operates on flights on higher capacity routes, Newark-Liberty their main New York-area and transatlantic hub, San Francisco is their main transpacific hub accessing the Asia-Pacific region, and Washington-Dulles is their secondary transatlantic hub covering the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Currently, United Airlines operates 96 Boeing 777s, which includes 19 Boeing 777-200s, 55 Boeing 777-200ERs and 22 Boeing 777-300ERs.

November Two Two Five One Uniform is one of 22 Boeing 777-300ERs operated by United Airlines, delivered new to the carrier on 29th January 2020 and she is powered by 2 General Electric GE90-115B engines.

Boeing 777-322/ER N2251U lifts-off from Runway 25R at Brussels-Zaventem (BRU) on UA951 to Washington-Dulles (IAD), Virginia.

The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. It was the sole university in Milan and the greater Lombardy region until the end of the 19th century.

Currently, it has 18 departments and 9 faculties. It does not have a main campus, its buildings and facilities are scattered around the city, earning the city of Pavia its title "a city campus". The university caters to more than 20,000 students who come from Italy and all over the world.

The university offers more than 80 undergraduate programs, more than 40 master programs and about 20 doctoral programs, including 8 English programs. About 1,500 students who enter the university every year are international students.

The university operates multiple cultural and scientific museums, including the University History Museum, a botanical garden, research centers, university libraries and a university press. The university is also affiliated with Policlinico San Matteo, where every year, hundreds of medical students from the university perform clinical rotations during their clinical years.

The University of Pavia is a member of the COIMBRA Group and European University Association. It also participates in the Erasmus Programme, which allows student exchanges between the University of Pavia and various universities in Europe.

An edict issued by the Frankish king of Italy, Lothar I (ruled 818-55) mentions the existence of a higher education institution at Pavia as early as AD 825. This institution, mainly devoted to ecclesiastical and civil law as well as to divinity studies, was then selected as the prime educational centre for northern Italy.

In 1361, the institution was officially established as a studium generale by the Holy Roman emperor Charles IV, who granted the same teaching privileges enjoyed by the University of Paris and Bologna, allowing the institution to teach canon and civil law, philosophy, medicine and liberal arts. It was then expanded and renovated by the duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, becoming the sole university in the Duchy of Milan until the end of the 19th century. Gian Galeazzo worked tirelessly to consolidate the institution and in 1389, he obtained a permission from Pope Boniface IX to teach advanced theology courses.

It was divided into two distinct universities — of jurisprudence (teaching civil and canon law courses) and of arts (teaching medicine, philosophy and liberal arts courses). A rector was elected every year, normally a student who was over twenty years old. The institution offered bachelor, licentiate and doctoral degrees. Despite the politics and hardships due to wars and pestilence, it experienced great growth and the institution was considered to be prestigious as evidenced by the influx of foreign students at the time. In 1412, Filippo Maria Visconti further consolidated the universities, invited prominent scholars to teach there and declared an edict giving serious penalties aimed at preventing students from going elsewhere to study.

Towards the 15th century, prominent teachers such as Baldo degli Ubaldi, Lorenzo Valla, Giasone del Maino taught students in the fields of law, philosophy and literary studies.

During the ongoing Italian War of 1521-6, the authorities in Pavia were forced to close the university in 1524. However, during the 16th century, after the university was re-opened, scholars and scientists such as Andrea Alciato and Gerolamo Cardano taught here. During the Spanish colonization, the research and educational activities of the university stagnated, but there were still prominent scholars such as Gerolamo Saccheri who was still involved with the university.

The rebirth of the university was, in part, due to the initiatives led by Maria Theresa and Joseph II of the House of Austria, in the second half of the 18th century. The initiatives included massive renovations to the teaching programs, research and structure rehabilitations, which were still retained by the university until now.

Throughout its history, the university had benefited from the presence of many distinguished teachers and scientists who wrote celebrated works and made important discoveries — chemist Luigi Valentino Brugnatelli, mathematician Girolamo Cardano (born in Pavia, 1501–76), physicist Alessandro Volta (chair of natural philosophy 1769-1804), poet Ugo Foscolo (chair of eloquence 1809-10), playwright Vincenzo Monti, jurist Gian Domenico Romagnosi, naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani, mathematician Lorenzo Mascheroni and anatomist Antonio Scarpa.

In 1858, the University was the scene of intense student protests against Austrian rule in northern Italy (through the kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia). The authorities responded by ordering the university's temporary closure. The incidents at Pavia were typical of the wave of nationalist demonstrations all over Italy that immediately preceded the Unification (1859–66).

During the 19th century, the medical, natural science and mathematics schools were graced by prominent scientists who propelled the status of the university to new heights. Three Nobel Prize winners taught in Pavia — physician Camillo Golgi (at Pavia from 1861), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1906 for his studies on the structure of the nervous system, chemist Giulio Natta (at Pavia between 1933 and 1935) and physicist Carlo Rubbia. In addition, distinguished mathematicians Eugenio Beltrami, Felice Casorati and Luigi Berzolari were regular teachers in Pavia. It was also in the University of Pavia, in 1912, Carlo Forlanini discovered the first successful cure for tuberculosis — artificial pneumothorax. In the 1960s, the Faculty of Economics and Commerce as well as Engineering were added to the current lineup of faculties.

During the 20th century, teaching and research activities were carried out by additional prominent scholars such as Pasquale Del Giudice and Arrigo Solmi for law history; Contardo Ferrini and Pietro Bonfante for Roman law; Luigi Cossa and Benvenuto Griziotti for economy, Giacinto Romano for medieval and modern history and Plinio Fraccaro for ancient history.

Also critical to the university's reputation was its distinguished record of public education, epitomized by the establishment of private and public colleges. The oldest colleges, the Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri, were built in the 16th century, and in more recent times others were founded through both public and private initiatives — the Collegio Nuovo, the Collegio Santa Caterina and the other eleven colleges managed by EDiSU. In 1997 the IUSS, was established, a Higher Learning Institution (Italian: Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori) similar to the Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa. The IUSS is the federal body that links the colleges of Pavia which constitute the Pavia University System.

Today, the University continues to offer a wide variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary teaching. Research is carried out in departments, institutes, clinics, centres and laboratories, in close association with public and private institutions, enterprises, and factories.

Photo taken in Kungsholmstorg at Gärdesloppet, or Prins Bertil Memorial, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

The Renault 4, also known as the 4L (pronounced "Quatrelle" in French), is a small economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault.

 

The car was launched at a time when several decades of economic stagnation were giving way to growing prosperity and surging car ownership in France. The first million cars were produced by 1 February 1966, less than four and a half years after launch; eventually over eight million were built, making the Renault 4 a commercial success because of the timing of its introduction and the merits of its design.

 

In Colombia, the Renault 4 was one of the highest-selling vehicles. Many Colombians nicknamed it "Amigo fiel" (Faithful friend) due to its popularity.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_4

  

The city of Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. This city is the economic center of western Florida. The central financial district is an area of high-rise office towers, but Tampa also has historic old sections such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.

 

The maps drawn by the Spanish conquistadors show a number of Indian settlements around the Tampa Bay area. In 1824 the Americans built a fort at the mouth of the Hillsborough River directed against the Seminole Indians. After the Second Seminole War a port and trading center were established here, and this soon developed into a regional center. The Civil War brought a period of stagnation, until a boost was given to the town by the construction of the South Florida Railroad.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century Tampa became a fashionable winter resort. In 1886 the Cuban cigar manufacturer Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his business to Tampa and a new quarter, Ybor City, was built for his Spanish-speaking employees. The mining of phosphates in the surrounding area also gave a stimulus to the city's development.

We're here visiting Moss Is Boss

 

A rolling stone gathers no moss is an old proverb, credited to Publilius Syrus. People who are always moving, with no roots in one place, avoid responsibilities and cares. As such, the proverb is often interpreted as referring to figurative nomads who avoid taking on responsibilities or cultivating or advancing their own knowledge, experience, or culture. Another interpretation equates "moss" to "stagnation"; as such the proverb can also refer to those who keep moving as never lacking for fresh ideas or creativity.