DISCLAIMER: THIS ISSUE CONTAINS GRAPHICALLY DEPICTED VIOLENCE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION

 

The year was 2006. Jason Blood sat in his Gotham City apartment during a stormy night, looking out a window at the harsh rain and bright flashes of lightning. His fingers rubbed across his smooth and hairless chin before, abruptly, a voice was heard in the back of his head. A familiar voice, that of his inner demon.

 

“Why are you just sitting in here? You should be out there, filling enemy’s hearts with fear!”

 

“Etrigan” Jason gasped, him and his chair falling backward into a nearby bookshelf. “I… I thought this nightmare was over” Jason quivered, standing back up with one hand clutching his bruised occiput.

 

“Ha! There’s no way you believe that lie. Etrigan is eternal, until you die!”

 

“You can quit it with the rhyming” growled Jason, his eyebrows furling.

 

“…Fine.”

 

“But… How are you back? Why is this happening, I don’t understand, I-…”

 

“This curse isn’t temporary, Blood.”

 

“I thought I at least bested you mentally… I was even in control of your body when battling Klarion last year, and again with Eldon Peck just a few months ago”

 

“I was still there, albeit silent and used. I could still see through clouded eyes… You know, back before Merlin bonded your soul with my own, I was a person. Demon, yes, but I thought, I spoke, I lived. You can’t expect me to obey your manipulation forever..!”

 

Jason was silent.

 

“…And they call ME a monster!” continued Etrigan.

 

“I’m sorry” said Jason

 

“…’Sorry’? ‘SORRY’?! THAT’S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY!?” Etrigan roared.

 

Jason’s hand involuntarily clenched into a fist before hurling upward, landing a punch on his jaw. He fell backward, the top of his head colliding with the glass window as he grunted in discomfort.

 

“Wait… What did you say about Merlin?” Jason asked, slowly sitting back up.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Just a moment ago, you said something about Merlin bonding our souls together… Do you remember our past? Have you been keeping that from me?!”

 

“Do not antagonize me over this.”

 

“How could I not? Whenever you were in control, all you did was slaughter the innocent. If not for me striving so hard to take over permanently, all of Gotham and San Fransisco would be extinct. Not to mention you hiding away knowledge you apparently had about my history, something I have every right to know. There’s a reason the public eye sees you as a monster.”

 

“Shut up. Shut up! Shut up!!! SHUT UP!!!” Etrigan demanded.

 

Jason’s hand grew larger and yellowed, his fingernails growing into claws before uncontrollably and aggressively scratching over his own eye as he shrieked in agony. He bashed his head against the window behind him in attempts to free himself from Etrigan’s assault, causing the glass to crack slightly behind his head. His hand shifted back to its previous human state before he used it to clutch the now-blind eye, sobbing from the other optic.

 

“The public’s eye may see me as a monster, but now yours can’t” Etrgian insensitively joked.

 

“H-… how could you…” Jason whimpered.

 

“Oh please, spare me from your whining. You’re lucky all I gave you was a scratch.”

 

Jason stood up and turned himself back to the window, one hand still on his eye, the other pressed against the partially cracked glass. He looked at his feet as a bloodied tear drop fell from between the gaps in his fingers and noticeably splatted on a floorboard. He looked back up and out the window, both hands dropping to his sides. He stood in an almost defeated stance with dangling arms and limp shoulders, whilst in the glass he saw a false reflection that appeared as Etrigan staring back at him.

 

“You’re weak, Blood” said the reflection.

 

Jason’s hands clenched into fists and his shoulders tightened and his face scrunched up threateningly.

 

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!” he cried, hurling his fists repeatedly at the glass until his knuckles bled and the window was completely shattered, shards crashing below like hail from the sky. He looked down at it. Due to all the blood loss, he felt lightheaded. Unbalanced. The empty window-frame stretched from floor to ceiling, so with little effort, he could easily fall. Which he did. But not in the direction he expected. He fell backward, merely onto the floorboards, completely avoiding a fatal drop. Though it was still enough to knock him unconscious.

 

He lied there for roughly 15 minutes, a small cup’s worth of blood leaking from his mouth before his eyes abruptly shot open.

 

“Change, change, o’ form of man. Release the might from fleshy mire. Boil the blood in the heart of fire. Gone, gone, o’ form of man. Release the demon… Etrigan” Etrigan chanted from Jason’s lips, causing him to change form. Now fully formed and standing, Etrigan said “Thank you, Blood, for tiring yourself out for me. Now I am in control, and I can finally be free..!” before animalistically charging forward and lunging through the window…

 

~Madam Web

The highs and lows of being a transgendered woman are so extreme. These photos are from a period when my Gender Dysphoria was at its most intense and out of control. I would literally do anything when like this to be me 24/7. I’m so incredibly happy and feel so incredibly feminine and feel robbed of all those years when I’ve had to live how society dictates. My dressing as Susan is out of control and I dress at every available opportunity for as long as possible……… but I know that the self loathing, questioning and repulsion will return. It’s all part of an uncontrollable, unpredictable and unfathomable cycle.

After parting ways with the Greenes, and leaving the mercenaries for them to incarcerate, Jason and the Outlaws found themselves sitting in one of Jay Greenes’ convoy trucks heading straight for Gotham. The first leg of their drive was in silence. Not the uncomfortable kind, but the happy and anxious kind. Roy sat in the back of the vehicle, tinkering with Jason’s remaining taser gun, while Jason drove and Scarlet rested on his shoulder in the passenger seat. She had not taken her eyes off of the ring Jason had proposed to her with since he had, and Jason focused on driving while Roy focused on his work. Jason was clad in one of Jay Greene’s militia’s jackets, of which Scarlet quietly rested her head on. It took a loud, uncontrollable cough from Jason to stir the group into conversing once more.

  

“Are you ok?” Scarlet asked as she finally sat up straight and stretched out. Clearing his throat several times, Jason answered in a somewhat raspy voice,

  

“Yeah…sorry. Don’t know what that was. Sorry for the interruption Mrs. Todd.” Scarlet beamed with happiness as Roy placed the finished taser gun on the divider between the driver and passenger seats, saying,

  

“Boom. I finished. Batman cranked the dial on those things pretty low so I just turned it all the way back up. Now it’ll only take one shot from this to completely incapacitate someone. On top of being able to load any type of bullet into it.”

  

“How about water bullet?” Jason asked sarcastically.

  

“Pfft…I don’t see why not.” Roy answered, unsure.

  

“Ok…ok…hear me out here…” Scarlet said, talking with exaggerated hand motions, “Ice cream bullet.”

  

“No way.” Jason said as Roy answered,

  

“I mean…I guess if it didn’t melt…Has Freeze ever done something like that? I know he’s got the ice but…”

  

“I don’t think so. Could’ve with Dick or Tim but that’s beyond me. All I know is that’s the way I want to go.” The Outlaws laughed, followed by a moment of silence which was interrupted by Scarlet,

  

“What do you expect in Gotham?” Sighing, Jason shrugged,

  

“No idea, really. I’d heard rumors, you know, this and that. The mayor did this, some guy in a red ninja costume did that. Usual Gotham headlines.”

  

“Do you think Ra’s is really the guy behind all this?” Roy asked, examining the anti-Lazarus formula he had in his pocket.

  

“I really hope not,” Jason said, turning to Scarlet and Roy quickly in between looking at the road as he continued, “What scares me is that Batman needs us. Batman. Of all people. This guy has contingencies for his contingencies. He’s got a Robin lined up five minutes after the current one drops dead. But he needs our help to fight whatever’s coming. That can only mean one thing: Endgame.”

  

“Endgame?” Roy asked.

  

“Endgame. Knightfall. Whatever you want to call it. It’s basically the self-destruct button on Batman’s holdings in Gotham, to make sure no one can get to them. But it also works as a distress call, to any and all who are strong and willing to fight a common enemy. An ultimate enemy. Endgame’s an end of days precautionary scenario. It’s…it’s the last contingency. The one last ace up Batman’s sleeve in the face of total annihilation.”

  

“So we were the first wave of this Endgame? Because we were summoned first?” Scarlet asked. Grimacing, Jason replied,

  

“There’s only one way to tell.”

  

————————————————————————————————

  

A short while later, just as the sun began to set over the Gotham harbor, Jason and the Outlaws arrived on the outskirts of the great city.

  

“Wait…does anyone else smell smoke?” Scarlet asked. This prompted Jason to pull over next to the bridge leading into Gotham just as he noticed something: the traffic leaving Gotham was extensive. By the looks of it, there seemed to be a full-scale evacuation. Grabbing his upgraded taser gun and mask, Jason stepped out of the car and looked across the waterway into Gotham. His mouth dropped slightly out of disbelief as Roy and Scarlet joined him outside.

  

“What is-wait…is that what I think it is?” Roy asked as he noticed what Jason was staring at: Wayne Manor, engulfed in flames and crumbling apart. While he could not see if the Batcave was decimated beneath the wreckage, this was enough to confirm Jason’s suspicions,

  

“It’s…Endgame.”

  

————————————————————————————————

  

End of Volume 10

   

~Basil

 

I’ve been tagged by Tricia. This is how it goes. List 10 things that your friends may or may not know about you, but that are true. Tag ten people and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick message will do). Don’t forget to link back to the person who tagged you. Post a picture in your stream with the 10 facts and list your tagged people. I tag anyone who wants to play.

 

This is a picture of me (right) and some little girl (left). I’m about 3 years old and helping her buckle her shoe.

 

1. I’m a sucker for kindness. I can’t help crying when I watch shows where people help others or give to charities. Home Makeover, Idol Gives Back or Oprah, just anything with nice people and I turn into a boob.

 

2. I’m addicted to books and magazines…things just aren’t right if there are not a few stacks of them somewhere in my home. This has carried over to my children. I never thought I would have to tell one of my kids to stop reading…my daughter devours books.

 

3. I’m not creative. I have to see something done and then I can try it and add a little of me to it. That’s why flickr is so great for me…inspiration everywhere!

 

4. I’m shy. I have a serious social phobia and will not speak in front of large crowds or play charades. I would rather die.

 

5. I love animals, so much that I’m a vegetarian. I’m the lady who will stop if an animal has been hit. I’d also be the one who sobs uncontrollably for hours for the sweet life lost.

 

6. My life has been blessed by adoption. I was able to get pregnant with my first but, after that…nothing…heartbreaking. We have two children that we have adopted and what a joy they are. I do believe that sometimes the greatest disappointments in life turn out to be the greatest blessings.

 

7. I love to scare people. Hide under beds, behind doors, grab feet in the dark, sneak up behind you and roar. It’s all in good fun.

 

8. I was born and raised in the same town that I live in today.

 

9. I’m the youngest of 8 children. Yup, I’m the baby and no I’m not spoiled.

 

10. This goes with the shyness…I have a hard time commenting on other’s photos or descriptions for my photos. Words don’t really come out the way I want them to and I often have feelings so deep that my words don’t adequately describe.

 

I've seen A Place to Bury Strangers quite a few times but always in the dark. Even when I saw them at Coachella playing oppostie Sir Paul McCartney (Paul was still playing after their set. The man just couldn't stop singing I swear to God), I shot APTBS in 6400iso which is kind of a downer for someone who flew in from Chicago to California.

 

Anyhow, I thought I might be so raptured during this set despite being so unaccepted a few weeks ago when I wasn't taken to the invisible choir. It was really really amazing to see them play with 800iso light (mainly to boost up my shutter speed. If they were a slower moving band it could have easily been 400iso).

 

I have shots of the guitar in air and instrument dueling but I have to be honest to say I love the imminence of it as we can all imagine the guitar being absolutely destroyed beyond belief against the hard contours of the stage. I was thinking of the guitar as an uncontrollable beast, perhaps the only dragon of its time and man's realization that what was held in his hands could be broken but it would break him as well...the only one of it's kind. Just imagine. And every guitar is different and each one with its own memories of all the times it was loved and held.

 

Portrait of Oliver Ackermann:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/kirstiecat/5803152056/in/photostream

 

Myspace: www.myspace.com/aplacetoburystrangers

 

**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**

Barry's feet ran against the road, each step melting the ice frozen over.

 

Barry, I found Trickster. Text Joe this address, tell him to bring as many men as he can.

 

August had done it. Barry didn't know how he did, or why the man messaged him over Joe, but it didn't matter. Jay's words to him echoed through his mind with each step taken.

 

"You haven't failed him yet."

 

Bivolo's followed.

 

"Don't ever stop… being a hero."

 

Wally would be saved, Barry would make sure of it.

 

His body came to a halt as he arrived at the address he was texted, a mom and pop shop he'd frequented before. The outside walls were made of brick, with no windows on the second floor. Barry's head turned to his right as bright headlights came into view. As the lights shut off, Barry saw August in the driver's seat.

 

"Detective Heart," Barry said, greeting the man as he stepped out of his car. "Where's Detective West?"

 

It was only as he got close that Barry noticed the bloodstains on August's jacket. "I told a friend to inform the CCPD," he said, eyeing the building. "Let's go."

 

Barry placed a hand in front of August, stopping him in place. "Detective… are you alright?" he asked, eyeing the dried red patterns. "Why are you here alone…"

 

"Listen, Flash, we don't have time to dance around," August said, throwing Barry's arm off of him. "Wally needs us."

 

"Alright, yeah," Barry said, turning towards the building. "One moment."

 

In an instant, Barry dashed into the building, zipping around the ground floor. The dining room was completely void of color, plain tables and chairs being the only thing to fill the room. Stepping into the kitchen, Barry's blood ran cold as he spotted a crimson trail along the tile floor. Following the dried blood, Barry cracked open the freezer, gritting his teeth at the sight. "Dammit," Barry sighed, staring at the restaurant owners laying dead in the freezer.

 

"He's a psychopath," August said, peering over Barry's shoulder.

 

"Detective, I said wait outside!" Barry said, startled. "This place could be booby trapped, it's one of Trickster's mo's."

 

"We don't have time to worry about that and you know it," August said, dismissing Barry and walking through the kitchen. "It's best we leave their bodies there until this thing is over and done with…"

 

Barry grimaced at the thought, but gently closed the freezer door, the man was right about that much. 'August… what happened?' he thought, nearly asking the man in front of him. He couldn't though, his identity needed to stay a secret.

 

The two made their way through the kitchen, eventually finding the staircase tucked away in the corner of the room. "I'm gonna check for tripwires," Barry said, stepping in front of August. "It'll only be a second.

 

"Sure."

 

With a quick dash, Barry sped up the stairs, dismantling three separate wires laying along the steps. Once done, he stood at the top of the staircase, tossing the wires to ground. After nodding to August, Barry turned, opening the door to the second floor.

 

The room was large, filled with oversized toys and trinkets alike. August's footsteps could be heard behind him, but the louder sound was a metal crank from inside the room. Taking a step forward, Barry spotted Jesse, sitting in a bean bag with a weapon in his hand. Wally was strapped to the machine from the video, though it now seemed to glow.

 

'What kind of madman…'

 

"Jesse!"

 

Barry's thought was interrupted by August, who stormed into the room.

 

"August?" Wally asked, looking up at the duo. "Flash! I knew it!"

 

The sound of shifting metal was caught by Barry's ears, his eyes locking onto a moving metal plate below August's feet.

 

"August lookout!"

 

"Detective!" Barry shouted, dashing to August and pushing him from harm's way. Not a moment after a saw blade launched from the floor gap, embedding itself in the ceiling. "Are you okay?" Barry asked, earning a nod in response.

 

"I was really hoping that'd get one of you…" Trickster pouted, hopping up from the beanbag. "You've got good eyes, kid. Too bad they'll be attached to a corpse soon!"

 

"Not on my watch," Barry mumbled, dashing towards Jesse. A speed punch sent the older man backwards, dropping the large weapon he was holding. Jesse smirked, tapping the buckle of his belt. A second later, the dropped weapon exploded, adhesive like goo splattering around the room.

 

Barry attempted to dodge, but the spread of the explosion was too wide, pinning him to the wall. "Dammit!" he shouted, trying to pull himself free. His gaze caught Wally's, his heart dropping at the fear in the boy's eyes.

 

The sound of thunder from outside echoed loudly, causing Jesse to exhibit a wicked smile. "Well, since you're trapped… villainous monologue time!" he shouted with glee. "You're probably wondering, 'What? The detective is still here, he's fumbling.' Well if that's what you're thinking, you're wrong, here's why…"

 

With a press of a button, the ceiling began to open, revealing the night sky above them. Barry's eyes flickered from the forming clouds back down to Jesse. "Let him go, Jesse," he ordered.

 

"Let me finish my monologue!" Jesse replied, clearing his throat. "As you can see here, the West boy is strapped to a brilliant device built by… some guy, I don't remember his name. Anywho, the design is a special one, with blueprints made from your pal Weather Wizard."

 

"Mardon?" Barry asked, eyes widening as he realized the device's true purpose. "Jesse…"

 

"Bingo!" Jesse said, smiling wide. "His brother came to me after the breakout saying how they owe me a favor… something about those mafia folk, always with the favors... I went ahead and cashed it in early."

 

"Why…" Barry asked, trying to pull himself free.

 

"It's meant to be ironic, y'know?" Jesse explained, drawing squiggles on his chest with a finger. "The whole lightning bolt thing is your motif after all, I thought it was self explanatory."

 

"Not the device, why Wally!?" Barry shouted, pulling on the adhesive to no avail. "He did nothing to you! He's not a part of this!"

 

"Not a part of this, hm?" Jesse asked, bringing his hand to his chin. "If I remember correctly, an Iris West interrupted our little squabble, no? She wasn't a part of this either."

 

"It's not the same and you know it!"

 

Suddenly, August charged Jesse, striking him with a rising elbow. Following up the attack with a left hook, August sent the villain to the ground, now bleeding from the mouth. "Stop trying to reason with him!" August shouted towards Barry. Jesse looked up at August with a smile, earning a kick to the head.

 

Jesse rolled to the side, avoiding a second kick. Grabbing onto August's foot, he tripped the detective, pulling him to the ground. Pressing a button on his belt, his hand inflated, now mimicking a boxing glove. Slamming his hand down, he landed a brutal strike in August, tearing the man's lip open. A second strike caused a mixture of spit and blood to fly, painting the floor.

 

August blocked the third strike, using the momentum to flip Jesse over his head. Pulling himself to a stand, August kicked Jesse in the ribs, twice, before grabbing him by the collar. Dragging the man to a stand, August pinned Jesse against the wall, punching him in the face once more.

 

"How do we turn it off!?" August shouted as more thunder rolled in.

 

"Oh honey…" Jesse said, giggling, "you can't turn it off. That's the trick!"

 

August's eyes widened, his head swivelling to look at Wally. The boy was shaking in the chair, tears running down his face and mouth parted. "August?" he mumbled, staring into his eyes.

 

"Let him go… now!"

 

Barry watched as August interrogated Jesse, his eyes shifting to Wally every so often. He was stuck. His arms were bound and he couldn't phase his body out of the adhesive. He was stuck watching Wally die. Stuck watching August suffer.

 

He was stuck as another person died before his eyes.

 

A sound akin to a hummingbird began to resonate throughout the room.

 

He was stuck, unable to save even one person.

 

Wind began to pick up, swirling around Barry.

 

He was stuck while his brother fell into the same madness he was.

 

His body began to vibrate uncontrollably.

 

"Not… again!" Barry shouted, both Wally and August's heads shifting to him. "I won't sit by and watch him die!"

 

The wind in the room became stronger as various toys and trinkets were pulled into its funnel. The goo stuck to Barry was pushed off him, his body beginning to rotate at insane speeds. Barry was spinning his entire body like a hurricane, like The Top. Stopping in place, the wind dispersed, the goo splattering along the floor and walls, toys scattering around the room.

 

Another crackle of thunder sounded off, causing Barry's eyes to sparkle with golden light.

 

Barry felt time around him freeze. The blue of the lightning lit up the room as it traveled downward, directly towards Wally. It was moving fast, too fast. He still couldn't phase another person, it was too risky. The restraints were welded shut, so he wouldn't be able to pry Wally out of the chair.

 

He couldn't just stand and watch Wally die.

 

So he ran.

 

His body crashed through the brick of the building's wall, falling from the second story to the street below. His left arm was now shattered from the impact, hanging limply at his side, but it didn't matter. None of that mattered.

 

The moment his feet hit the ground, sounds of thunder resonated throughout the night. He was off. Each step he took cracked the pavement beneath him. Each movement caused every overworked muscle in his body to burn. Each second he took was another chance Wally could die.

 

'Faster,' he thought, lightning sparking off his body like a firework as he sped up even further. 'Faster, Barry! C'mon!'

 

The sonic boom that followed obliterated windows from the buildings he passed, filling the road and sidewalks with broken glass. Street signs were bent and trees fell over, as if Barry's speed was an aura, ravaging the world around him. He needed to make it, CCPD was a block away. He had to make it.

 

Prepping his right arm, Barry burst into the CCPD, blowing the doors off the building. People in the lobby were sent careening back, but all Barry could do was hope they'd be unharmed. The shard of glass now lodged in Barry's bicep went almost unnoticed as the man ran up the stairs, stumbling into his lab.

 

The rack of chemicals practically glowed in the night, each different colored vial and beaker shining brightly. Raising his stabbed arm, he began grabbing the vials, mixing them together to create one single concoction.

 

'Need to be faster than the reaction,' he thought, dipping his finger into the mixture to stir, ignoring the burn. 'Faster than lightning… Faster than-'

 

Barry capped the mixture, gripping it tightly as he launched himself out through the Lab's window, riddling his body with glass. The landing was ungraceful, Barry's knees buckling from the pressure, causing him to stumble. His hand held a firm grip on the chemicals, lightning flashing across his eyes.

 

He could see the lightning strike from blocks away, he wasn't going to make it. With a guttural scream, Barry launched forward, tearing his boots to shreds. The glass lodged in his body cracked and crumbled from the sheer speed he was going, leaving the bloody shards all along the street.

 

"Move!" he cried out as he approached the building.

 

Like a catapult, Barry launched himself through the hole he'd made with a single leap. As he reentered the building, the lightning strike was centimeters away from Wally. His body was careening through the air and he had no time to stop himself. If he crashed, it would be too late.

 

He had no options left, so he launched the chemicals forward, the vial spiraling through the air like a football. His body came crashing down onto the floor, his already shattered arm taking even more damage. As he rolled along the ground, his eyes caught Wally's own.

 

Then thunder struck as the lightning bolt connected with the vial.

 

The room exploded with light, the force sending Barry's broken body flying into the wall. August and Jesse were both knocked down, the latter's head slamming against the brick wall in the process.

 

As the light faded, Barry opened his eyes, looking for any signs of life from Wally. Tears began to fall as his gaze locked onto the ginger boy, standing unharmed from the lightning. Barry took note of the ice blue electricity that sparked off his body, giving him an ethereal glow. The corners of Barry's mouth curved slightly, a small giggle slipping from his lips.

 

He saved him.

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

NEXT TIME: Homebound, a New Door Opens!

If you are interested in my works, they are available on Getty Images.

 

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I think all art is about control - the encounter between control and the uncontrollable.

- Richard Avedon

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile........

} Relative to my other stories, this segment takes place earlier in the careers of Clayface and other featured characters. {

 

Hey, my name’s Wally West. I’m one of the, what, nine or so people that’ve been dubbed “The Fastest Man Alive”? … I’d say I’m at least the second fastest, especially when you factor in that some of those guys can only reach top speed on straightaways, I happen to know two of them are doppelgängers, and really, I’d call Savitar more of a sprinter… I, uh, don’t like to get hung up on technicalities.

 

I’m an invaluable member of the Justice League, and not just for my powers. I’ve got a winning personality that neither hardened space-cops nor immortal warriors can resist. Even Batman likes me. Or, “trusts me”… Trusts me enough to protect his city, and that’s saying a lot, for him. He contacted me this morning, explaining that he has business on the other side of the world, something about his ex and a pool turning people into zombies… I don’t think I would’ve gotten the gist of it, even if he’d expounded. He says he’ll make it back by tonight, and if it were anyone else but him (or me, I guess), I wouldn’t have believed them.

 

Being Batman for a few hours doesn’t sound so bad, but the thing is, I’ve got a decent system with the Rogues back in Keystone. They’re good at avoiding collateral damage, usually even-tempered about the “getting arrested” part… Even got Tarpit to take it to an abandoned lot the other week. I’ve heard Gotham has less cordial villains. And more of them. And more than a few citizens that have had their share of false vigilantes running around. Nothing a dashing guy like me can’t work around!

 

0.082 seconds after I stepped boot inside city limits (I was taking it slow until I saw some action), I was in the GCPD precinct to let the commissioner know about the changing of the guard, maybe catch a whiff of a case that could use solving. Turns out you don’t need the Speed Force to find a crime scene in Gotham. The nice officer at the front desk informed me that a break-in had occurred INSIDE the station at dawn.

 

*flash*

 

} GCPD EVIDENCE STORAGE {

 

I probably should’ve thought about how people from around here aren’t used to a red and yellow lightning bolt zipping through buildings. I might not have made the lasting impression of causing the portly detective before me to hurl his styrofoam coffee cup into the air. I caught it too late to save his shirt.

 

Detective: What IS this?!

 

Me (handing the cup back): This is yours. (pointing at his stains) THIS is my dry-cleaning bill, sorry pal. (jerking both thumbs at my chest) And THIS is Gotham’s substitute hero for the day, made with 100% less angst.

 

Detective (glowing crimson): I’m gonna wring the Bat-freak’s neck! What’s he do, take sick days now??

 

Another detective walks in around a shelf. Her uniform is tidy, her hair even more so.

 

Detective #2: Don’t tell me you MISS the Bat now, Bullock.

 

Bullock: If he’s gonna be a nuisance, I’d prefer he be a predictable one. Now he’s phoning up other leotards to come stick their noses in my cases!

 

Me: “Leotards”. I get it.

 

Detective #2 (offering a handshake): Detective Montoya. Batman already got in touch with the commissioner, told us you’d be here before we knew it.

 

Me: That’s my thing. So… don’t take this the wrong way, but how…

 

Montoya: … did we let someone sneak into our evidence room and get away? We’re in the middle of breaking up a gang dispute at the docks AND a massive manhunt for a birthday-obsessed serial killer. The station has been practically vacant, and no one’s had time to fully assess our latest acquisitions.

 

I look over the unsorted items that have halved the room’s capacity, all strewn across tables.

 

Bullock: Hands off. I don’t care if you ARE wearing’ gloves!

 

Me: You don’t have to tell me that… although I could touch everything in here, and if you blinked, you would never know.

 

Bullock’s mouth opens wide enough to ensnare passing birds, but Montoya interjects.

 

Montoya: Cameras were wiped. I know it looks like a mess, but we’ve had a dozen other of our people take inventory, and nothing’s been nicked. Someone came and went without lifting a single thing…

 

Me: … Had the sense to take out the cameras…

 

Bullock (unwrapping a toothpick): … But was sloppy enough to set off the alarm. It’s gotta be some goon screwin’ around with no real plan in mind.

 

Montoya: On top of all that, if they touched anything in here, we’ll never find it against a hundred other fingerprints.

 

Amidst the chaos, a computer monitor and what appears to be a heavily modified hard drive catch my eye.

 

Me: Mhm… What’s the story with this?

 

Bullock (hurriedly): Some guy we nabbed last week; Etienne Guiborg, “The Dealer”. Thinks he’s a real mastermind, but we dismantled his illegal auctioning ring without any fight at all.

 

Montoya: He has his OWN inventory on that computer; thousands of heisted weapons, artifacts, and their locations. Once our schedule lightens up, we’re hunting down every last one. Actually…

 

Me: You need a speed-reader. On it.

 

Bullock: Wait a minute, I’ve seen you in the papers before. Can’t you do that, whatsit called, time-hole thing? Go back a few hours and catch the perp in the act!

 

Me: Do you want to run the risk of my actions causing a ripple in reality that changes this timeline to one where everyone is biologically half-chicken, all on the account of stopping an opportunistic thief?

 

Bullock: …

 

Me: Time travel’s nuts, man.

 

*flash*

 

Me: Hey, anyone else notice this down here?

 

The detectives lean under the desk to where I went to plug in the machine.

 

Me: This outlet has dust all over it, but the lower socket, it’s clean. And what do you know… The Dealer’s extension cord has dust between the tines.

 

Bullock: Sunuva… they DID swipe something!

 

I think it over for 0.053 seconds (I’m sluggish on weekends), then a light bulb switches on.

 

Bullock: Well, are you gonna plug it in? They may have wiped the memory!

 

Me: Don’t touch anything.

 

Bullock: You can’t tell ME not-

 

*flash*

 

*Scotch tape obtained from main office*

 

*flash*

 

I begin tearing tape and sticking every inch of the keyboard’s surface.

 

Montoya: What is he-

 

*flash*

 

Me (thrusting fistfuls of tape towards them): LOOK!

 

Bullock: … Congratulations genius, you managed to get NO fingerprints on even one of ‘em.

 

Montoya: Wait… no fingerprints? But it hasn’t been dusted, not since we busted The Dealer.

 

Me: YEAH!

 

Bullock: Would you care to let us in on whatever harebrained theory you just concocted?

 

Me: No time, but I’ll have your guy in a jiffy.

 

Bullock: “NO TIME”, he says!

 

Me: Uhh, I’m going to need…

 

*flash*

 

Me: (arms loaded with twenty-odd tape dispensers): … all of these. I’ll restock, promise.

 

*flash*

 

Montoya: Under that mask, I’d put money on him being CSI.

 

Bullock: I’d put money on him being a fruitcake.

 

***

 

Thirty intersections later, and I find myself at what I’m hoping is the bad guy’s lair. A middle school, deserted for the summer. Everything’s fitting together.

 

*flash*

 

My entrance, like last time, startles the classroom’s occupant. This time, they drop a neatly-organized box of Crayola. This time, I don’t bother to recover it. Villains don’t deserve neatly-organized boxes of Crayola. I rush forward and slug the surprised criminal in his cylindrical mask. He careens over the desks, and catch him by the collar on the opposite side of the room, before he has an unfriendly run-in with the floor.

 

Me: Alright, pencil-neck, talk to me.

 

Eraser: Hands off the suit! Do you know how much money you have to sink into a cyber-yellow pinstripe suit? Did you even know CYBER-YELLOW was a color?!

 

Me (lowering him): Okay, noted, the suit’s expensive.

 

Eraser: How did you FIND me??

 

Me: Familiarity with GCPD’s layout and security, leaving no evidence behind but still tripping an alarm to show off… Fits your m.o. like a glove. I do my supervillain homework before I go barging into other cities. You couldn’t resist wiping off the keyboard, so I had a hunch you also compulsively cleaned other public property before use… like crosswalk buttons. After some trial and error, and no small amount of tape, I tracked y-

 

Eraser (scoffing): Aaand Batman would have me snitching by now. You’re not so fast.

 

Me: Trust me, you don’t want me to get too Batman on you, or…

 

Eraser (dramatically): You wouldn’t be able to come back from the darkness?

 

Me: I was going to say it might make me physically ill. Speedsters eat way more than the average person every day, and if I vomit, it’ll be one heckuva mess to clean up. One that you probably won’t be able to ignore.

 

Eraser: … That's the flimsiest, most contrived threat; you can’t actually get physically ill from tha-

 

Me (crossing arms): I’ll self-induce it.

 

Eraser: You wouldn’t…

 

Me: Tell me what you saw on Dealer’s database.

 

Eraser: Okay look, some guy I’ve never seen before hired me. Says he knew about Dealer’s confiscated computer, and wanted me to get him inside just for five minutes to look around. It’s not like I cared what he was doing, so I have no idea what he got out of it. But I know what I got out of it: Stencils. The good stuff.

 

Me (gritting teeth): I’m a millisecond away from collecting all the gum under the desks in this place and putting them inside your mask.

 

Eraser: EDWARD BURKE! I heard him whispering “Edward Burke” over and over! I’ve got nothing else!

 

Me: That’s oddly useful. Okay, I’m arresting you now.

 

*flash*

 

} GCPD HOLDING CELLS {

 

Me: I’d appreciate it if you confessed to your crimes, whenever they happen to notice you in here. I’m sort of up against the clock.

 

Eraser: Nothin’. doin’.

 

Me (locking Eraser in): By the way, you made me waste a bunch of these guys’ tape just to find you. Why can’t you Gotham rogues all hang out at a bar, like they do in Keystone?

 

*flash*

 

Eraser: … A supervillain bar… huh.

 

} BURKE INSTITUTE OF ASTRONOMY (formerly Norbet Institute of Astronomy) {

 

I pause for a entire 1.4 seconds to confirm the sign outside, before crashing through the main entrance and finding my way to the development facility. Machinery is scattered across the tiles, beakers bubble uncontrollably… and a man that looks like an astronaut suffering from insomnia is slouched on the floor, rewiring the circuitry running through his suit’s chest-plate.

 

Me: Dr. Edward Burke?

 

Burke: Oh, have you been here long? I’m very sorry, I’ve been preoccupied with my work for…

 

He glances at a wrinkled calendar, halfway lodged in a drawer near his head.

 

Burke: … a solid two weeks now, I suppose. Time management was never my strongest quality.

 

Me: Don’t get me started. Look, I know all about Etienne Guiborg using your laboratory to store his wares, and I think we can resolve this without any violence…

 

Burke (perking up): That name! I heard about him in the newspaper not long ago. Oh, no sir, I’m not involved with any smuggling, I must affirm! No, no more business with supervillains. My old boss Irving Norbet, he was a very bad fellow! Tried to use our technology to rob banks!

 

Me: You’re wearing the suit right now.

 

Burke (toying with small components and dials on the suit): AM I?!? … Ah, so I am. Well, it really has quite fascinating functions; I’m only looking to improve the design, not use it for anything nefarious, absolutely not! Dr. Norbet only did what he did after overexposure to a strange meteor we were analyzing… messed with his head. This was all confirmed by the police!

 

I take a quick survey of the room while he’s rambling, spotting a grey mass perched on a workbench, shrouded in a sort of haze, like it’s giving off energy.

 

Me (scowling): Does this meteor look anything like that one sitting over there, NOT in its container and likely effecting you?

 

Burke: Dear… dear me. Well, this all must look highly suspicious! If you didn’t believe I was innocent, as I’m sure anyone as keen as you would, you might be very confused by the circumstances.

 

Me: Actually I’m… still comprehending the idea that two people in this timeline wanted to use the name “Planet Master”.

 

Then the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a speedster happened; I got ambushed. Enough volts to jumpstart Gotham City shoot through my body, launching me straight through the reinforced wall of Burke’s Institute and into the evening air, leaving me a smoking red heap on freshly-cut grass.

 

… I’d like to take an intermission from my story to clarify that accelerated perception is a superpower that has to be turned on. OKAY? It takes a lot of adrenaline and carbs to activate. I can’t just see EVERYthing in slow-motion. … Moving on.

 

I crane my head and spit out a mouthful of sod, while my eyes adjust to see my attacker stepping through the Flash-shaped hole in the building. He’s dressed in black armor, orbs of electricity wavering in his fists, and grinning like a wild dog. Lester Buchinsky.

 

Electrocutioner: Heh. Friend of mine tipped me off that some hero might come poking around here tonight. Not the one I was hoping for, but murderers can’t be choosers.

 

Me (feeling Speed Force welling up inside me again): Just keep talking there, friend-o, I’ll be with you in a sec.

 

Electrocutioner (unfazed): Overheard you talking to that idiot Burke. You really think our kind would trust our gear with him? Be caught DEAD working with him?

 

Me: Yeah, well, the bar’s set pretty low, Taserface.

 

Electrocutioner: That’s it.

 

Before he can lift his arm to incinerate me, I dart at his midsection, only to once again rebound and land in the planters HARD.

 

Electrocutioner: Like the force-field? I’ve been upgrading. Get this…

 

I roll out of the way of a bolt lobbed from his fist, leaving it to carve a charred path across the lawn.

 

Electrocutioner (admiring the gloves): They’re projectile now.

 

Me: Mama Buchinsky must be proud.

 

I begin running circles around him, as Electrocutioner jerks around to try and draw a bead on me. The faster I punch him, the more the force-field will resist. If I try running at him at a normal pace, his gauntlets will meet their mark before I can land a blow. So… I guess I’ll have to try letting him hit me again.

 

I take a detour to the parking lot, rip the tires and hoods off of two vans, and race back to Electrocutioner before he knows I’m gone. I come to a halt and plant the hoods on either side of me, with the tires wrapped around my torso. Now for the only part of this plan that I know will 100% work…

 

Me: Yo, Shocker!

 

Electrocutioner lets loose a solid flow of electricity from his hand to me, and I brace myself as it races directly at my chest. My suit is a conductive elastomer: Good for streamlining my own charge, but the Speed Force doesn’t play nicely with outside currents. That’s why this guy is even a slight threat to me. Car tires, on the other hand, are great insulators. Or so I’ve heard. I’m really hoping that’s true.

 

Electrocutioner’s assault strikes the tires. I still feel it. A lot. But I force myself to stay put. As I hoped, Electrocutioner only pours on more power when he sees I’m still standing. I have no idea how much juice he has left in those gloves, or if I can outlast them. Just as everything starts turning grey and I feel my knees giving out, the pain stops, and he’s standing with outstretched arms and sputtering gloves, and I’M standing with two car hoods locked in potential difference.

 

Electrocutioner: Wha-?

 

Me: Capacitor. Seriously, you should know what that is.

 

*flash*

 

Electrocutioner collapses with a black eye. I shake out my knuckles and check on Burke, who’s still tinkering away carelessly. Maybe whoever hired Eraser thought to make up Edward Burke a ruse, just to sic Electrocutioner on anyone potentially tracking him. In which case, I was looking at a dead end, unless Electrocutioner wasn’t as dumb as he looked. As I go to interrogate my third supervillain today, I notice something on Electrocutioner’s fingertips and boot soles.

 

Salt. I hadn’t drained his power supply with my capacitor at all; salt was its own dielectric, and enough had accumulated on his weapon to short-circuit the system when Electrocutioner overdid it. The question of why it would be anywhere near his equipment came to me just as quickly as the answer. Salt. The Dealer’s storage space. I knew where I had to look next.

 

*flash*

 

} WAMPUM UNDERGROUND, PENNSYLVANIA (a lively 300+ mile jog from Gotham) {

 

I zip into the mineshaft-turned-warehouse, slowing once I pass into the restricted sections, and all ambient light winks out. I try to muffle the slap of my boots on the expansive floor, but the echo is unstoppable. Rubbing my palms together at just the right speed, I generate a steady flow of Speed Force sparks, enough to brighten a few feet around me. I’m in the right place; old movie props, autographed portraits, film reels stacked to the ceiling…

 

A mannequin with a camera for the head…

 

*flash*

 

Only this time it wasn’t me. Blinding white like I’ve never seen washes over my field of vision, and I stagger backwards, trying to shake it off.

 

Voice #1: Feeling a little EXPOSED?

 

Something damp and heavy envelops why chest and neck, lifting me off the floor. My head is still spinning, and before I think to phase through the restraint, I’m slammed back down. The back of my skull hits a metal shelf, and at once my strength gives out. I lay there stunned, barely picking up on another voice past the ringing in my ears. A choked, slithery sort of voice.

 

Voice #2 (sighing): “The Flash”, is it? No need to fret, in that event; your concussion will clear right up in a few hours, no doubt. You ARE one of those heroes that can heal. Makes for such dull, tensionless action sequences.

 

Me: What… are you looking… for, in here… Clayface?

 

Clayface: Ah, I needn’t introduce myself, how convenient. I see The Batman DOES brief his minions before sending them to their doom.

 

Me (ignoring him): Let me guess… a potter’s wheel? Been… wanting to lose some weight and… make a nice vase at the same time?

 

Voice #1: A regular Bob Hope, this guy.

 

Clayface (ignoring me in turn): You still managed to locate us.

 

Me: What, after you sent me on a goose-chase after Planet Master? Your hired meathead still had some salt on him from when he was, I guess, helping you break into this place? I already knew you were looking for something The Dealer had hidden away… Salt, secret stash…

 

I hear Clayface walking closer.

 

Me: … Salt mines. The moisture is great for preserving all kinds of stuff. I went to the one out in Hutchinson, Kansas for a field trip.

 

His pace stops inches from my face.

 

Clayface: I RIGHTFULLY assumed Eraser would betray me. I had not known he overheard my mention of Edward Burke until he queried me later on, and so I concocted a lie for him to pass on to YOU.

 

Me (the pain in my temple worsening): If you weren’t… looking for Edward Burke after all, then what… did Eraser hear?

 

Clayface: He heard correctly. I am looking for an Edward Burke… Edward C. Burke…

 

There’s a sound of metal clunking into metal; Clayface’s accomplice rummaging through the film reels. One last crash, and a whoop of excitement reverberates through the cavern.

 

Voice #1: Right where the computer said it was, Karlo!

 

Clayface (clasping his grimy palms): Splendid, Mr. Camera! You see, FLASH… Edward C. Burke is portrayed by the great Lon Chaney, in the lost film “London After Midnight”. That is to say, formerly-lost. The Dealer did indeed possess many antiquities.

 

Me: You… tampered with evidence in police custody, hired an… assassin, and broke into this place for a MOVIE?

 

Clayface: I cannot always gratify the wild imaginations of you vigilantes, assuming we supervillains are continuously out for blood, dreaming up blueprints for world domination. A film like this deserves to be in the care of someone who can appreciate it, not lock it away.

 

Me: And “Mr. Camera”; you suckered a C-Lister into… helping you with this insane hobby?

 

Mr. Camera: He’s in it to build a legacy. Me, I’m making a scrapbook.

 

Clayface (amused): You are so deluded, speedster, you think anyone branded a criminal has no allegiances to their own, never without an ulterior motive. Eraser, Electrocutioner, they knew precisely what they were in for. Now look at yourself, bludgeoned like a dumb animal, conveniently in a deep hole to have dirt poured over you… Did The Batman offer you some compensation for this humiliation? Why would he appreciate your reckless heroics when he would gladly sacrifice himself in the same manner, in the “righteous pursuit of evil”, and think nothing of it? … I could smother you right now, but I choose to leave you alive…

 

His footsteps leave in the direction of the mine’s entrance.

 

Clayface: … I do not wish to instigate bad relations with the Rogues. Unlike you noble heroes, I value partnerships. I would not dream of robbing them of their favorite quarry. Let us withdraw, Mr. Camera.

 

Mr. Camera follows him. I feel something light and stiff bounce off my arm. A Polaroid photo.

 

Mr. Camera (sneering): Here. I think I got your good side.

 

I muster the energy for one more sentence.

 

Me: Heroes don’t… need a pat on the back to feel… good about the work they do. You’re right, we hardly ever know what we’re… getting into… aside from our eventual deaths. That’s okay, because… we’re not living for ourselves…

 

The waves of nausea take their toll, and I pass out. Whether or not Clayface was still near enough to hear me, I can’t shake the feeling my words have fallen on deaf ears.

... Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile

A beautiful heartshaped rock found by my young cousin on the beach, during my beach trip you can see that my skin got burned by the sun, but it was worth it ^_*

Seashell

Explored

German postcard by Schwules Museum, Berlin, for the exhibition Fabrik der Gefühle. Hommage an Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 2002. Photo: Maximilian Johannsmann / Rainer Werner Fassbinder Foundation.

 

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor. Fassbinder was part of the New German Cinema movement. Starting at age 21, Fassbinder made over forty films and TV dramas in fifteen years, along with directing numerous plays for the theatre. He also acted in nineteen of his own films as well as for other directors. Fassbinder died in 1982 at the age of 37 from a lethal cocktail of cocaine and barbiturates.

 

Rainer Werner Fassbinder was born in Bavaria in the small town of Bad Wörishofen in 1945. The aftermath of World War II deeply marked his childhood and the lives of his bourgeois family. He was the only child of Liselotte Pempeit, a translator and Helmut Fassbinder, a doctor who worked out of the couple's apartment in Sendlinger Strasse, near Munich's red light district. In 1951, his parents divorced. Helmut moved to Cologne while Liselotte raised her son as a single parent in Munich. In order to support herself and her child, Pempeit took in boarders and found employment as a German to English translator. When she was working, she often sent her son to the cinema in order to concentrate. Later in life, Fassbinder claimed that he saw a film nearly every day and sometimes as many as three or four. As he was often left alone, he became independent and uncontrollable. He clashed with his mother's younger lover Siggi, who lived with them when Fassbinder was around eight or nine years old. He had a similar difficult relationship with the much older journalist Wolff Eder, who became his stepfather in 1959. Early in his adolescence, Fassbinder identified as homosexual. As a teen, Fassbinder was sent to boarding school. His time there was marred by his repeated escape attempts and he eventually left school before any final examinations. At the age of 15, he moved to Cologne and stayed with his father for a couple of years while attending night school. To earn money, he worked small jobs and helped his father who rented shabby apartments to immigrant workers. Around this time, Fassbinder began writing short plays and stories and poems. In 1963, aged eighteen, Fassbinder returned to Munich with plans to attend night school with the idea to eventually study theatrical science. Following his mother's advice, he took acting lessons and from 1964 to 1966 attended the Fridl-Leonhard Studio for actors in Munich. There, he met Hanna Schygulla, who would become one of his most important actors. During this time, he made his first 8mm films and took on small acting roles, assistant director, and sound man. During this period, he also wrote the tragic-comic play: Drops on Hot Stones. To gain entry to the Berlin Film School, Fassbinder submitted a film version of his play Parallels. He also entered several 8 mm films including This Night (now considered lost) but he was turned down for admission, as were the later film directors Werner Schroeter and Rosa von Praunheim. He returned to Munich where he continued with his writing. He also made two short films, Der Stadtstreicher,/The City Tramp (1965) and Das Kleine Chaos/The Little Chaos (1966). Shot in black and white, they were financed by Fassbinder's lover, Christoph Roser, an aspiring actor, in exchange for leading roles. Fassbinder acted in both of these films which also featured Irm Hermann. In the latter, his mother – under the name of Lilo Pempeit – played the first of many parts in her son's films.

 

In 1967 Rainer Werner Fassbinder joined the Munich Action-Theater, where he was active as an actor, director and script writer. After two months he became the company's leader. In April 1968 Fassbinder directed the premiere production of his play Katzelmacher, the story of a foreign worker from Greece who becomes the object of intense racial, sexual, and political hatred among a group of Bavarian slackers. A few weeks later, in May 1968, the Action-Theater was disbanded after its theatre was wrecked by one of its founders, jealous of Fassbinder's growing power within the group. It promptly reformed as the Anti-Theater under Fassbinder's direction. The troupe lived and performed together. This close-knit group of young actors included among them Fassbinder, Peer Raben, Harry Baer and Kurt Raab, who along with Hanna Schygulla and Irm Hermann became the most important members of his cinematic stock company. Working with the Anti-Theater, Fassbinder continued writing, directing and acting. In the space of eighteen months he directed twelve plays. Of these twelve plays, four were written by Fassbinder; he rewrote five others. The style of his stage directing closely resembled that of his early films, a mixture of choreographed movement and static poses, taking its cues not from the traditions of stage theatre, but from musicals, cabaret, films and the student protest movement. Fassbinder used his theatrical work as a springboard for making films. Shot in black and white with a shoestring budget in April 1969, Fassbinder's first feature-length film, Liebe ist kälter als der Tod/Love is Colder than Death (1969), was a deconstruction of the American gangster films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Fassbinder plays the lead role of Franz, a small-time pimp who is torn between his mistress Joanna, a prostitute (Hanna Schygulla), and his friend Bruno, a gangster sent after Franz by the syndicate that he has refused to join. His second film, Katzelmacher (1969), was received more positively, garnering five prizes after its debut at Mannheim. From then on, Fassbinder centered his efforts in his career as film director, but he maintained an intermittent foothold in the theatre until his death. Fassbinder’s first ten films (1969–1971) were an extension of his work in the theatre, shot usually with a static camera and with deliberately unnaturalistic dialogue. Wikipedia: “He was strongly influenced by Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) and the French New Wave cinema, particularly the works of Jean-Luc Godard.” Fassbinder developed his rapid working methods early. Because he knew his actors and technicians so well, Fassbinder was able to complete as many as four or five films per year on extremely low budgets. This allowed him to compete successfully for the government grants needed to continue making films. Unlike the other major auteurs of the New German Cinema, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders, who started out making films, Fassbinder's stage background was evident throughout his work.

 

In 1971, Rainer Werner Fassbinder took an eight-month break from filmmaking. During this time, Fassbinder turned for a model to Hollywood melodrama, particularly the films German émigré Douglas Sirk made in Hollywood for Universal-International in the 1950s: All That Heaven Allows, Magnificent Obsession and Imitation of Life. Fassbinder was attracted to these films not only because of their entertainment value, but also for their depiction of various kinds of repression and exploitation. Fassbinder scored his first domestic commercial success with Händler der vier Jahreszeiten/The Merchant of Four Seasons (1971). Loneliness is a common theme in Fassbinder's work, together with the idea that power becomes a determining factor in all human relationships. His characters yearn for love, but seem condemned to exert an often violent control over those around them. A good example is Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant/The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) which was adapted by Fassbinder from his plays. Wildwechsel/Jailbait (1973 is a bleak story of teenage angst, set in industrial northern Germany during the 1950s. Like in many other of his films, Fassbinder analyses lower middle class life with characters who, unable to articulate their feelings, bury them in inane phrases and violent acts. Fassbinder first gained international success with Angst essen Seele auf/Fear Eats the Soul (1974). which won the International Critics Prize at Cannes and was acclaimed by critics everywhere as one of 1974's best films. Fear Eats the Soul was loosely inspired by Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (1955). It details the vicious response of family and community to a lonely aging white cleaning lady (Brigitte Mira) who marries a muscular, much younger black Moroccan immigrant worker. In these films, Fassbinder explored how deep-rooted prejudices about race, sex, sexual orientation, politics and class are inherent in society, while also tackling his trademark subject of the everyday fascism of family life and friendship. He learned how to handle all phases of production, from writing and acting to direction and theatre management. This versatility surfaced in his films where he served as composer, production designer, cinematographer, producer and editor.

 

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s final films, from around 1977 until his death, were more varied, with international actors sometimes used and the stock company disbanded, although the casts of some films were still filled with Fassbinder regulars. Despair (1978) is based upon the 1936 novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, adapted by Tom Stoppard and featuring Dirk Bogarde. It was made on a budget of 6,000,000 DEM, exceeding the total cost of Fassbinder's first fifteen films. In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden/In a Year of Thirteen Moons (1978) is Fassbinder most personal and bleakest work. The film follows the tragic life of Elvira, a transsexual formerly known as Erwin. In the last few days before her suicide, she decides to visit some of the important people and places in her life. Fassbinder became increasingly more idiosyncratic in terms of plot, form and subject matter in films like his greatest success Die Ehe der Maria Braun/The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), Die Dritte Generation/The Third Generation (1979) and Querelle (1982). Returning to his explorations of German history, Fassbinder finally realized his dream of adapting Alfred Döblin's 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980). A television series running more than 13 hours, it was the culmination of the director's inter-related themes of love, life, and power. Fassbinder took on the Nazi period with Lili Marleen (1981), an international co production, shot in English and with a large budget. The script was vaguely based on the autobiography of World War II singer Lale Andersen, The Sky Has Many Colors. He articulated his themes in the bourgeois milieu with his trilogy about women in post-fascist Germany: Die Ehe der Maria Braun/The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), Lola (1981) and Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss/Veronika Voss (1982), for which he won the Golden Bear at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival. Fassbinder did not live to see the premiere of his last film, Querelle (1982), based on Jean Genet's novel Querelle de Brest. The plot follows the title character, a handsome sailor (Brad Davis) who is a thief and hustler. Frustrated in a homoerotic relationship with his own brother, Querelle betrays those who love him and pays them even with murder.

 

Rainer Werner Fassbinder had sexual relationships with both men and women. He rarely kept his professional and personal life separate and was known to cast family, friends and lovers in his films. Early in his career, he had a lasting, but fractured relationship with Irm Hermann, a former secretary whom he forced to become an actress. Fassbinder usually cast her in unglamorous roles, most notably as the unfaithful wife in The Merchant of Four Seasons and the silent abused assistant in The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. In 1969, while portraying the lead role in the T.V film Baal under the direction of Volker Schlöndorff, Fassbinder met Günther Kaufmann, a black Bavarian actor who had a minor role in the film. Despite the fact that Kaufmann was married and had two children, Fassbinder fell madly in love with him. The two began a turbulent affair which ultimately affected the production of Baal. Fassbinder tried to buy Kaufmann's love by casting him in major roles in his films and buying him expensive gifts. The relationship came to an end when Kaufmann became romantically involved with composer Peer Raben. After the end of their relationship, Fassbinder continued to cast Kaufmann in his films, albeit in minor roles. Kaufmann appeared in fourteen of Fassbinder's films, with the lead role in Whity (1971). Although he claimed to be opposed to matrimony as an institution, in 1970 Fassbinder married Ingrid Caven, an actress who regularly appeared in his films. Their wedding reception was recycled in the film he was making at that time, The American Soldier. Their relationship of mutual admiration survived the complete failure of their two-year marriage. In 1971, Fassbinder began a relationship with El Hedi ben Salem, a Moroccan Berber who had left his wife and five children the previous year, after meeting him at a gay bathhouse in Paris. Over the next three years, Salem appeared in several Fassbinder productions. His best known role was Ali in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974). Their three-year relationship was punctuated with jealousy, violence and heavy drug and alcohol use. Fassbinder finally ended the relationship in 1974 due to Salem's chronic alcoholism and tendency to become violent when he drank. Shortly after the breakup, Salem went to France where he was arrested and imprisoned. He hanged himself while in custody in 1977. News of Salem's suicide was kept from Fassbinder for years. He eventually found out about his former lover's death shortly before his own death in 1982 and dedicated his last film, Querelle, to Salem. Fassbinder's next lover was Armin Meier. Meier was a near illiterate former butcher who had spent his early years in an orphanage. He also appeared in several Fassbinder films in this period. After Fassbinder ended the relationship in 1978, Meier deliberately consumed four bottles of sleeping pills and alcohol in the kitchen of the apartment he and Fassbinder had previously shared. His body was found a week later. In the last four years of his life, his companion was Juliane Lorenz), the editor of his films during the last years of his life. On the night of 10 June 1982, Fassbinder took an overdose of cocaine and sleeping pills. When he was found, an unfinished script for a film on Rosa Luxemburg was lying next to him. His death marked the end of New German Cinema.

 

Steve Cohn at IMDb: “Above all, Rainer Werner Fassbinder was a rebel whose life and art was marked by gross contradiction. Known for his trademark leather jacket and grungy appearance, Fassbinder cruised the bar scene by night, looking for sex and drugs, yet he maintained a flawless work ethic by day. Actors and actresses recount disturbing stories of his brutality toward them, yet his pictures demonstrate his deep sensitivity to social misfits and his hatred of institutionalized violence.”

 

Sources: Steve Cohn (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

CONTENT WARNING: This issue contains mentions of sexual activity, quasi religious practices, and in some cases, extreme violence/torture. If any of that discomforts you, you don't have to read this issue.

  

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My father, was a lot of things. On the outside, he was a rather kind and gentle man. He'd go out of his way to help his neighbours, no matter how little he had. He'd go to church every Sunday, like a 'good person'. Their words, not mine. He was living a normal, suburban life. But like everyone else, my father had darkness inside him. Soon enough, he'd be known as one thing alone. A killer. At his core, he was a twisted, depraved serial killer.. This especially showed after the Hendersons moved next door, in the early 70s.

 

My parents would welcome the new neighbours with open arms. As the two couples got to know each other, the Hendersons introduced my parents to Satanism. The promise of eternal life was a captivating concept for my father. Not in some sort of afterlife, but right here and now. It was so interesting to my father, that he dedicated most of his time studying everything he could about his newfound faith. My mother on the other hand, was into the all-night orgies that this newfound lifestyle provided. It was all so exciting to her, in more ways than one. However, my father didn't particularly care for the sex rituals, often passing on such events in favor of his research. His anger towards the Hendersons and his girlfriend grew overtime, as they continued these 'unnecessary distractions'. Father saw them as idiots without faith. Which often led to arguments. Somehow my father managed to show restraint during these arguments, making sure not to harm them physically. After all, he still had a facade to keep up.

 

Through his studies, my father would learn of a book that supposedly held the secrets of eternal life. Traveling to England, he'd find the book in the town of Wych Cross. After obtaining the book, he came back home to Star City. He was determined, to find a worthy sacrifice for The Great Beast.

 

Soon after arriving home, he'd learn of my mother's pregnancy. She decided to leave the Church altogether. It was time for her to grow up, and be responsible for a change. The sexually promiscuous phase of her life was now over. She wanted commitment from my father. He agreed, only because he saw an opportunity. That unborn me, could be a great enough sacrifice, to please The Great Beast to give him eternal life. He knew if he said his true intentions then, she'd leave. He didn't want to take that risk, so he waited for me to be born.

 

The book he obtained in England, provided my parents with enough wealth to live comfortably. Dad grew impatient, waiting for me to be born. Desperate to summon the Beast, he looked elsewhere for sacrifices. Targeting virgin teenage girls, as they are the next best thing in sacrificial rituals. He'd waste no time in kidnapping one after another, hoping that their blood would be enough to appease the Great Beast. He'd hide his victims in the basement, and somehow no one knew what was going on behind closed doors. Not even my mother. Unfortunately for my dad, it wasn't enough.

 

In 1978, I was born. They were both excited, for different reasons. Nothing would stop my father now. As soon as mom fell asleep, he'd take me to the basement. He'd start the ritual, speaking various words in Latin, hoping he'd get his wish. Once again, the ritual failed. It was at this point mother would open the basement door, and find my father, knife in hand and me placed on that stone table crying.

 

"You shouldn't be here. If only you stayed sleeping... Look what you've made me do" He'd warn, before running over to my mother. She tried running away, but tripped going back up the stairs. She didn't stand a chance, as he stabbed her repeatedly. Just like that, my mother was dead. Killing her didn't phase him. He only saw her as an obstacle that now needed to be removed. After getting rid of the evidence, my father got to work once again.

 

He's stuck with me, whether he liked it or not. He decided to make the best of it. My father now had company for his summoning sessions. Somehow, the chanting was enough to lull baby me to sleep.

 

As I grew older, my father taught me everything he knew. Since I was only a kid then, a lot of the details went in one ear, and out the other. That didn't stop my father from trying. He wasn't getting any younger, and knew he needed someone to carry on his mission. Sure enough, when I was five, I would become his accomplice. It's a day I'll never forget.

 

Father called me down into the basement. I'd make my way down the stone stairway, wiping my eyes, since it was still early in the morning, not that I really knew the difference at that point. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I'd see my dad, dressed in robes, hood covering his face. Strapped against the table, was a girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and clearly terrified. I was morbidly used to this routine. But today was slightly different.

 

"Come over here, son." Father would say, in a rather calm tone.

 

"Please, just let me go!" She'd beg, crying uncontrollably as she struggled within the restraints.

 

Unfortunately for her, I am my father's son. I walk over to the stone table, while father places a stepping stool against the table.

 

"It's time. You know what to do." Father says before handing me the knife.

 

Responding with a nod, I step up the stepping stool until I reach the top. Holding onto the knife with both hands, I plunged it into the girl's right hand with all my strength.

 

She couldn't help but scream at the sudden influx of pain. Not that it mattered to me, as I felt no remorse for what I was doing. For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. As such, I had no intention of stopping there. I continued making smaller cuts along her arms and legs, making sure not to hit any major artery. I let the blood run down the table, towards the sigil drawn on the floor. She continued to scream, almost gasping for air at times. My father chanted in the usual Latin phrases, as the blood hit the sigil. Eventually, after several hours, she'd bleed out and die. Unfortunately, once again, the ritual hadn't worked.

 

It wasn't all for nothing however, as that was the day the Throwing Star Killer was born.

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

Halloween Night, 2002

 

"C'mon Jannae, where are you?" I say with a sigh, as I pace around Villa Park in my Red Riding Hood costume. It's been twenty minutes already, and she still hasn't shown. What could be taking her so long? We were gonna meet up here, as it's pretty quiet on Halloween, before heading to my boyfriend Mitch's Halloween party.

 

"Okay, this isn't funny Jannae. If this is an attempt to scare me, it's working. Congrats, you did it! Now can we go?" Of course, nobody responds.

 

Great, just great Sheila. Say that any louder and people might think you're crazy.

 

Sitting down on the park bench, I nervously tap my fingers against the side of the bench.

 

A few minutes pass by before there's a noticeable crunching sound, coming from behind me. Looking over my shoulder, there's a figure standing in the open field, stepping on fallen twigs and branches as it approaches.

 

"Jannae is that you?" I call out, but the figure doesn't respond. The figure continues walking towards me, unphased.

 

"Please tell me that's you! Jannae?" It's then that I get an eery feeling in my stomach. Like something's not right here. Jannae would've responded by now, right?

 

The voice in my head is telling me to run. It's only when the figure starts to pick up the pace, that I listen to that voice. Standing up, I start running at a reasonable pace. With the figure being between me and the potential help on the streets, my only option is the forest in front of me.

 

My heartbeat starts to rise, as I enter the forest.

 

This can't be happening! Why is this creep after me? I haven't even told Mitch I'm in love with him, and now I may never get the chance to.

 

I occasionally look over my shoulder as I run through the forest, making sure he hasn't caught up. The branches scrape against my arm as I pass through the underbrush, one even cutting my shoulder.

 

It isn't long before my red cloak gets caught on a tree branch, and I have to cut my losses with it. And of course it did!! Really should have done this sooner.. With my hands shaking, it takes me a couple of seconds longer than necessary to untie the bow, leaving the hood and cloak behind. He's getting closer, as I hear his footsteps crunch and snap behind me.

 

As I look behind me, he's almost caught up. I see him reach for something, only to throw it at me seconds later. By some miracle, it misses, embedding into one of the trees I pass by.

 

As I come up and over the hill, there's a fork in the dirt pathway. Left, or right. I don't have time to weigh my options, so I hurry down the left pathway.

 

The terrain is rougher here, with lots of bumps, rocks, logs, and branches in the way.

 

A loud crunching noise fills my ears as I run. At one point, I almost miss a step, and trip because of it. Somehow, I'm able to save myself before falling flat on my face.

 

I don't even have the chance to catch my breath. As much as I want to stop, I can't. Like, it's at the point where it feels like I'm swallowing blood, which is so gross. Also, trying to run in these shoes? No thank you! I went for something cuter, something Mitch would've appreciated, but clearly, that was the wrong call. To be fair though I also wasn't expecting to be chased in the woods by some psycho today either.

 

Continuing to run down this path downhill, I look over my shoulder once again. He's not there. Looks like I'm putting some distance between us.

 

My heart continues to beat at what feels like super speed, as sweat drips down my forehead.

 

To my right is a tree, shaped in a way where there could be some sort of alcove on the other side. Could be a nice hiding spot maybe? Lucky for me, the other side of that tree does have a small alcove for me to hide in. I just need to rest for a minute, and then I can keep going.

 

So I did exactly that. I waited, curled up in that small, cramped alcove, hoping that I wouldn't be found by that psycho. I don't wanna die. I just wanna live. There's still so much I haven't done.

 

After several minutes go by, I peek my head out, making sure no one's there. Not seeing anyone, I exit, and I'm about to go back on the pathway, when something stabs into my back. I turn around, and see the psycho hunting me down. His red eyes piercing into my soul. In his hands, is the thing I think ninja's use. Throwing star or something like that? Either way, I feel myself getting lightheaded, and in this moment I knew I was out of time. I'm going to die.

 

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Halloween Night, 2007

It's Halloween night once again, which means the Throwing Star Killer's going to strike again. My father, and the rest of SCPD have had no luck in tracking this monster down and taking him in. Ollie's busy right now, so that leaves me on my own for this one. That's okay though, this monster needs all the handicaps they can get.

 

Four previous victims, all found the same way. Young, teenage girls strung up, with multiple entry wounds from throwing stars, drained of their blood and the same symbol drawn below them. The locations seemed random at first, but with each victim, it became clearer. Connecting them all on a map, it almost creates a pentagram. The location that completes said pentagram is Star City Cemetery. How cliche, I know.

 

It doesn't take me long to find them in the cemetery, given the elaborate set up just screams ritualistic serial killer. Wearing a skull mask, the bastard's chanting what I assume is Latin gibberish, since it's almost always Latin with this sort of thing. The girl is bleeding, strung up on a cross behind him. Ollie would have a field day with this guy.

 

He doesn't notice me coming, which gives me an easy opener with my Canary Cry, which sends him flying through the air, crashing into a headstone. It also snaps the bottom of the cross the girl is strung up on, leading to the cross falling backwards, and crashing seconds later.

 

Damnit! Please be okay. I don't have much time to focus on the girl, as that probably won't be enough to stop the killer.

 

"Took you long enough. I was wondering if you'd ever figure it out. No Emerald Archer today? Hmm, that's a tad disappointing." He says with a groan, as he gets up.

 

"You should be grateful he isn't. Doesn't matter though, as you'll get your ass kicked either way. Don't worry, I promise I'll make this quick."

 

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, little bird." He says with a laugh, as he starts throwing his signature throwing stars at me. I'm able to roll out-of-the-way just in time, leading the throwing stars hitting the back of the headstone.

 

"You missed." I taunt, as I try to close the gap between us, running towards him. He tries to keep his distance, throwing projectiles towards me. One of them manages to hit my shoulder. However, I don't let that stop me as I pull it out with a grunt, running towards him. Forming an x with my arms over my face, only to break it seconds later to Canary Cry once again. He barely manages to dive behind a tree in time to avoid it.

 

I just hope the girl's okay. I alerted the authorities before I got here, so hopefully just a few more minutes.

 

Using my Canary Cry, I propel myself up into the air, gliding for a few seconds, before releasing it right when I'm directly above him. He throws many more throwing stars at me, as I fall towards him. But, in a matter of seconds, I crash into him, feet first, kicking him square in the mask. Sure enough, there's a loud crack, the mask almost breaking upon impact. He crashes backwards onto the ground, with me now standing over him

 

"Shit!!! " He curses, in between groans, gasping for air as he coughs up blood. He tries to get up, but is met with a punch to the face.

 

"Try that again, I dare you." I say, just waiting for an excuse to punch this murderer. He grabs a throwing star from his satchel, and tries to stab me with it, but with a palm strike, I'm able to quickly disarm him. One more punch to the face, and he's out like a light. He isn't much of a fighter, which means this fight was over the second it began.

  

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

Thankfully, the ambulance made it in time, and girl managed to make a full recovery. As it turns out, the Throwing Star Killer is none other than Stanley Dover II. The son of the Star City Slayer, Stanley Dover I. The first Stanley Dover was a serial killer back in the 80s. That is, until the original Black Canary, my mom, took him down. He'd later be killed in prison, from another inmate, months after being locked up. It seems only fitting that I was the one to take down his son, making Star City a somewhat safer place to live. At least, until the next scumbag decides to rear their ugly head. But until then, I'll appreciate knowing that son of a bitch won't be able to harm any other girls. Happy Halloween to me.

Best viewed in large size.

 

Often thought of as weeds because of the tendency of some species to spread uncontrollably with long, messy foliage, the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae) contains a number of very attractive plants. Spiderworts (Tradescantia sp.) and dayflowers (Commelina sp.) are closely related but the latter tends to have fewer blossoms at a time and longer stems. Their flowers also look like little faces and only two petals are prominent. In contrast, the spiderworts sometimes have large clusters of flowers, which are more symmetrically shaped with three equal petals. The colors of the blossoms range from very light blue to pink to purple or deep blue as above.

 

Spiderworts can be compared to daylilies where as each blossom lasts only one day. The common name refers to the many glistening hairs on the sepals and the buds as they resemble a spider's nest of webs, especially when covered with dew. "Wort" is an old English word for plant.

 

ISO200, aperture f/5.8, exposure .006 seconds (1/180) focal length 300mm

 

Mirit Ben-Nun’s art exists within and beyond reality. She moves away from reality with aggressive and dense colorfulness which reveals an inner testimony of a threatened existence of women. The lines, points and shapes do not reproduce facts but emphasize the special charge of emotional coping.

 

Mirit Ben-Nun shows a rebellious spirit and tries to reach out to things not through wholeness but via searching for their expression and manifestation.

 

She explores personal identity and through it tries to define a complementary art, thereby illustrating the world and the nature of human culture. She focuses on the expressive dimension because of the exposure afforded by the uncontrollable moment that so much affects life in a rapidly changing global world.

The discourse between the inner world and the emerging reality is hyperactive and generates in Ben - Nun an endless sequence of works.

 

From the depths of feelings, dreams, anxieties and expressions arise rigid and exciting meanings of existence whose essence expresses adaptation difficulties and restlessness.

   

Dora Woda

To my - untutored - eyes, this looks like some sort of Messerschmitt in a desert colour scheme, but it isn't. It isn't even German.

 

According to the National Air & Space Museum's notes on the aircraft, it is virtually unknown outside its home country of Italy. The C.202 Folgore was apparently the best fighter aeroplane fielded in significant numbers by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force or RA) during World War II. It demonstrated that Italy could design and build fighter aircraft to world-class standards.

 

Aeronautica Macchi SpA designed and built the Folgore (Lightning), which was based on an earlier Macchi design powered by a radial engine, the C.200 Saeta (Thunderbolt). To create it, Macchi's chief of design, Mario Castoldi, adapted the Saeta airframe to the German Daimler-Benz DB 601 liquid-cooled engine.

 

Italy's once-leading aviation industry was beginning to lag by the end of the 1930s, particularly in engine development. No indigenous, in-line powerplant of sufficient power was available when the war started so early in 1940 Macchi had to import the German engine as a private venture. The results were impressive. Flat out, the Folgore was almost 60 mph faster than the Saeta's speed of 312 mph.

 

The first C.202 flew in August 1940 and the RA initially deployed the aircraft during the summer of 1941 to the 1° Stormo C.T. for conversion training. By November, this unit had transferred to Libya and engaged British forces shortly before the British blockaded Tobruk. Although it was available too late to affect the outcome in North Africa, it proved clearly superior to both the Curtiss P-40 and the Hawker Hurricane. Pilots flying the Italian fighter outperformed all opponents except Supermarine Spitfires and North American P-51 Mustangs. Folgore pilots lauded the fighter's finger-light handling and superb agility.

 

When supplies of DB 601 engines ran out, Alfa Romeo began building a copy, under license, called the RA 1000 RC41 Monsonie (Monsoon) but initial production was slow. The need for airplanes was urgent so for a time, Macchi built the outdated C.200 alongside the C.202 but by late 1942, Folgores outnumbered all other fighter airplanes in the Regia Aeronautica. Folgore production totalled about 1,500, built from 1941 to 1943. Macchi built fewer than 400 but the Breda and SAI Ambrosini firms manufactured the balance.

 

Chief designer Castoldi employed a unique method of counteracting the torque and P-factor (propeller factor) generated by the engine. These aerodynamic phenomena often cause airplanes to swing on take-off, sometimes uncontrollably. Castoldi made the left wing 21cm longer than the right wing. The larger wing created more lift which tended to roll the fighter right, opposing and thereby counteracting the torque and P-factor.

 

The Germans operated the C.202 in limited numbers and after 1943 it appeared in the small Allied Co-Belligerent Air Force that operated continuously against the Axis from the Italian Armistice to VE Day. Post-war Folgores, modified to accept the more powerful DB 605 engine and redesignated C.205 Veltros, last served in the Egyptian Air Force in 1949.

 

The example seen above is one of only two remaining in the world. The early history of this one is obscure, but it was among many Axis aircraft taken to the US for evaluation at the US Army's Air Technical Service Command at Wright Field, OH., and Freeman Field, IN. After evaluation, it remained in storage for years.

 

In 1975 National Air and Space Museum technicians completely restored the fighter to exhibit condition. Positive identification of the C.202 model series is still unknown, but it rests somewhere between the late production block Series VI and IX. For marking purposes, curators selected the arbitrary serial number MM 9476 from Series IX. No record is known of the original markings but curators chose to copy aircraft 90-4 of the 4º Stormo (Wing), 10º Gruppo (Squadron), and 90º Squadriglia (Flight) that operated in Libya during the summer of 1942. The 4º Stormo is a famous Italian fighter wing that fought during the Axis advance in North Africa and claimed 500 victories from 1940 to the end of the war.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki

  

Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, often referred to internationally as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace.[3][4] Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital",[5] and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.[6]

 

According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240,[1] while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824.[1] Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,104,460 inhabitants.[1]

 

Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe;[7] its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland.[7] The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general,[8] and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital.[8] Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.[9] Thessaloniki is the 2014 European Youth Capital.[10]

 

Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessaloniki's history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.[11]

 

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party city worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.[12] For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide,[13] while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.

  

Etymology

  

All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη (from Θεσσαλός, Thessalos, and Νίκη, Nike), literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great, so named because of her birth on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (353/352 BCE).[16]

 

The alternative name Salonica (or Salonika) derives from the variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in popular Greek speech, and has given rise to the form of the city's name in several languages. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Солѹнь (Solun) in Old Church Slavonic, סלוניקה (Salonika) in Ladino, Selanik (also Selânik) in Turkish (سلانیك in Ottoman Turkish), Solun (also written as Солун) in the local and neighboring South Slavic languages, Салоники (Saloníki) in Russian, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark and deep L characteristic of Macedonian Greek accent.[17][18]

 

The name often appears in writing in the abbreviated form Θεσ/νίκη

  

History

  

From antiquity to the Roman Empire

  

The city was founded around 315 BC by the King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and 26 other local villages.[20] He named it after his wife Thessalonike,[21] a half-sister of Alexander the Great and princess of Macedon as daughter of Philip II. Under the kingdom of Macedon the city retained its own autonomy and parliament[22] and evolved to become the most important city in Macedon.[21]

 

After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, Thessalonica became a free city of the Roman Republic under Mark Antony in 41 BC.[21][23] It grew to be an important trade-hub located on the Via Egnatia,[24] the road connecting Dyrrhachium with Byzantium,[25] which facilitated trade between Thessaloniki and great centers of commerce such as Rome and Byzantium.[26] Thessaloniki also lay at the southern end of the main north-south route through the Balkans along the valleys of the Morava and Axios river valleys, thereby linking the Balkans with the rest of Greece.[27] The city later became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.[24] Later it became the capital of all the Greek provinces of the Roman Empire due to the city's importance in the Balkan peninsula. When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, Thessaloniki became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar,[28][29] where Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.[29][30][31]

 

In 379 when the Roman Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.[24] In 390 Gothic troops under the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the inhabitants of Thessalonica, who had risen in revolt against the Germanic soldiers. With the Fall of Rome in 476, Thessaloniki became the second-largest city of the Eastern Roman Empire.[26] Around the time of the Roman Empire Thessaloniki was also an important center for the spread of Christianity; some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians written by Paul the Apostle is the first written book of the New Testament.

  

Byzantine era and Middle Ages

  

From the first years of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki was considered the second city in the Empire after Constantinople,[33][34][35] both in terms of wealth and size.[33] with an population of 150,000 in the mid 1100s.[36] The city held this status until it was transferred to Venice in 1423. In the 14th century the city's population exceeded 100,000 to 150,000,[37][38][39] making it larger than London at the time.[40]

 

During the 6th and 7th centuries the area around Thessaloniki was invaded by Avars and Slavs, who unsuccessfully laid siege to the city several times.[41] Traditional historiography stipulates that many Slavs settled in the hinterland of Thessaloniki,[42] however, this migration was allegedly on a much smaller scale than previously thought.[42][42][43] In the 9th century, the Byzantine Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius, both natives of the city, created the first literary language of the Slavs, the Glagolic alphabet, most likely based on the Slavic dialect used in the hinterland of their hometown.[44][45][46][47][48]

 

An Arab naval attack in 904 resulted in the sack of the city.[49] The economic expansion of the city continued through the 12th century as the rule of the Komnenoi emperors expanded Byzantine control to the north. Thessaloniki passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204,[50] when Constantinople was captured by the forces of the Fourth Crusade and incorporated the city and its surrounding territories in the Kingdom of Thessalonica[51] — which then became the largest vassal of the Latin Empire. In 1224, the Kingdom of Thessalonica was overrun by the Despotate of Epirus, a remnant of the former Byzantine Empire, under Theodore Komnenos Doukas who crowned himself Emperor,[52] and the city became the Despotat's capital.[52][53] This era of the Despotate of Epirus is also known as the Empire of Thessalonica.[52][54][55] Following his defeat at Klokotnitsa however in 1230,[52][54] the Empire of Thessalonica became a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire until it was recovered again in 1246, this time by the Nicaean Empire.[52] In 1342,[56] the city saw the rise of the Commune of the Zealots, an anti-aristocratic party formed of sailors and the poor,[57] which is nowadays described as social-revolutionary.[56] The city was practically independent of the rest of the Empire,[56][57][58] as it had its own government, a form of republic.[56] The zealot movement was overthrown in 1350 and the city was reunited with the rest of the Empire.[56]

 

In 1423, Despot Andronicus, who was in charge of the city, ceded it to the Republic of Venice with the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans who were besieging the city (there is no evidence to support the oft-repeated story that he sold the city to them). The Venetians held Thessaloniki until it was captured by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430.

  

Ottoman period

  

When Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki and sacked it in 1430, contemporary reports estimated that about one-fifth of the city's population was enslaved.[60] Upon the conquest of Thessaloniki, some of its inhabitants escaped,[61] including intellectuals such as Theodorus Gaza "Thessalonicensis" and Andronicus Callistus.[62] However, the change of sovereignty from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman one did not affect the city's prestige as a major imperial city and trading hub.[63][64] Thessaloniki and Smyrna, although smaller in size than Constantinople, were the Ottoman Empire's most important trading hubs.[63] Thessaloniki's importance was mostly in the field of shipping,[63] but also in manufacturing,[64] while most of the city's trade was controlled by ethnic Greeks.[63]

 

During the Ottoman period, the city's population of mainly Greek Jews and Ottoman Muslims (including those of Turkish and Albanian, as well as Bulgarian Muslim and Greek Muslim convert origin) grew substantially. By 1478 Selânik (سلانیك), as the city came to be known in Ottoman Turkish, had a population of 4,320 Muslims, 6,094 Greek Orthodox and some Catholics, but no Jews. Soon after the turn of the 15th to 16th century, nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews had immigrated to Greece from Spain following their expulsion by the 1492 Alhambra Decree.[65] By c. 1500, the numbers had grown to 7,986 Greeks, 8,575 Muslims, and 3,770 Jews. By 1519, Sephardic Jews numbered 15,715, 54% of the city's population. Some historians consider the Ottoman regime's invitation to Jewish settlement was a strategy to prevent the ethnic Greek population (Eastern Orthodox Christians) from dominating the city.[38]

 

Thessaloniki was the capital of the Sanjak of Selanik within the wider Rumeli Eyalet (Balkans)[66] until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Eyalet (after 1867, the Selanik Vilayet).[67][68] This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serres and Drama between 1826 and 1912.[69] Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826, regular Ottoman soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary base in Thessaloniki while also killing over 10,000 Janissaries, an event known as The Auspicious Incident in Ottoman history.[70] From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.[71]

 

The last few decades of Ottoman control over the city were an era of revival, particularly in terms of the city's infrastructure. It was at that time that the Ottoman administration of the city acquired an "official" face with the creation of the Command Post[72] while a number of new public buildings were built in the eclectic style in order to project the European face both of Thessaloniki and the Ottoman Empire.[72][73] The city walls were torn down between 1869 and 1889,[74] efforts for a planned expansion of the city are evident as early as 1879,[75] the first tram service started in 1888[76] and the city streets were illuminated with electric lamp posts in 1908.[77] In 1888 Thessaloniki was connected to Central Europe via rail through Belgrade, Monastir in 1893 and Constantinople in 1896.

  

Since the 20th century

  

In the early 20th century, Thessaloniki was in the center of radical activities by various groups; the Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, founded in 1897,[78] and the Greek Macedonian Committee, founded in 1903.[79] In 1903 an anarchist group known as the Boatmen of Thessaloniki planted bombs in several buildings in Thessaloniki, including the Ottoman Bank, with some assistance from the IMRO. The Greek consulate in Ottoman Thessaloniki (now the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle) served as the center of operations for the Greek guerillas. In 1908 the Young Turks movement broke out in the city, sparking the Young Turk Revolution.[80]

The Ottoman Feth-i Bülend being sunk in Thessaloniki in 1912 by a Greek ship during the First Balkan War.

Constantine I of Greece with George I of Greece and the Greek army enter the city.

 

As the First Balkan War broke out, Greece declared war on the Ottoman Empire and expanded its borders. When Eleftherios Venizelos, Prime Minister at the time, was asked if the Greek army should move towards Thessaloniki or Monastir (now Bitola, Republic of Macedonia), Venizelos replied "Salonique à tout prix!" (Thessaloniki, at all costs!).[81] As both Greece and Bulgaria wanted Thessaloniki, the Ottoman garrison of the city entered negotiations with both armies.[82] On 8 November 1912 (26 October Old Style), the feast day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the Greek Army accepted the surrender of the Ottoman garrison at Thessaloniki.[83] The Bulgarian army arrived one day after the surrender of the city to Greece and Tahsin Pasha, ruler of the city, told the Bulgarian officials that "I have only one Thessaloniki, which I have surrendered".[82] After the Second Balkan War, Thessaloniki and the rest of the Greek portion of Macedonia were officially annexed to Greece by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.[84] On 18 March 1913 George I of Greece was assassinated in the city by Alexandros Schinas.[85]

 

In 1915, during World War I, a large Allied expeditionary force established a base at Thessaloniki for operations against pro-German Bulgaria.[86] This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian Front, also known as the Salonika Front.[87][88] In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers and civilians, with the support of the Allies, launched an uprising,[89] creating a pro-Allied[90] temporary government by the name of the "Provisional Government of National Defence"[89][91] that controlled the "New Lands" (lands that were gained by Greece in the Balkan Wars, most of Northern Greece including Greek Macedonia, the North Aegean as well as the island of Crete);[89][91] the official government of the King in Athens, the "State of Athens",[89] controlled "Old Greece"[89][91] which were traditionally monarchist. The State of Thessaloniki was disestablished with the unification of the two opposing Greek governments under Venizelos, following the abdication of King Constantine in 1917.[86][91]

The 1st Battalion of the National Defence army marches on its way to the front.

Aerial picture of the Great Fire of 1917.

 

Most of the old center of the city was destroyed by the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, which started accidentally by an unattended kitchen fire on 18 August 1917.[92] The fire swept through the centre of the city, leaving 72,000 people homeless; according to the Pallis Report, most of them were Jewish (50,000). Many businesses were destroyed, as a result, 70% of the population were unemployed.[92] Also a number of religious structures of the three major faiths were lost. Nearly one-quarter of the total population of approximately 271,157 became homeless.[92] Following the fire the government prohibited quick rebuilding, so it could implement the new redesign of the city according to the European-style urban plan[6] prepared by a group of architects, including the Briton Thomas Mawson, and headed by French architect Ernest Hébrard.[92] Property values fell from 6.5 million Greek drachmas to 750,000.[93]

 

After the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War and during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, a population exchange took place between Greece and Turkey.[90] Over 160,000 ethnic Greeks deported from the former Ottoman Empire were resettled in the city,[90] changing its demographics. Additionally many of the city's Muslims were deported to Turkey, ranging at about 20,000 people.[94]

 

During World War II Thessaloniki was heavily bombarded by Fascist Italy (with 232 people dead, 871 wounded and over 800 buildings damaged or destroyed in November 1940 alone),[95] and, the Italians having failed to succeed in their invasion of Greece, it fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on 8 April 1941[96] and remained under German occupation until 30 October 1944 when it was liberated by the Greek People's Liberation Army.[97] The Nazis soon forced the Jewish residents into a ghetto near the railroads and on 15 March 1943 began the deportation process of the city's 56,000 Jews to its concentration camps.[98][99] They deported over 43,000 of the city's Jews in concentration camps,[98] where most were killed in the gas chambers. The Germans also deported 11,000 Jews to forced labor camps, where most perished.[100] Only 1,200 Jews live in the city today.

Part of Eleftherias Square during the Axis occupation.

 

The importance of Thessaloniki to Nazi Germany can be demonstrated by the fact that, initially, Hitler had planned to incorporate it directly in the Third Reich[101] (that is, make it part of Germany) and not have it controlled by a puppet state such as the Hellenic State or an ally of Germany (Thessaloniki had been promised to Yugoslavia as a reward for joining the Axis on 25 March 1941).[102] Having been the first major city in Greece to fall to the occupying forces just two days after the German invasion, it was in Thessaloniki that the first Greek resistance group was formed (under the name «Ελευθερία», Eleftheria, "Freedom")[103] as well as the first anti-Nazi newspaper in an occupied territory anywhere in Europe,[104] also by the name Eleftheria. Thessaloniki was also home to a military camp-converted-concentration camp, known in German as "Konzentrationslager Pavlo Mela" (Pavlos Melas Concentration Camp),[105] where members of the resistance and other non-favourable people towards the German occupation from all over Greece[105] were held either to be killed or sent to concentration camps elsewhere in Europe.[105] In the 1946 monarchy referendum, the majority of the locals voted in favour of a republic, contrary to the rest of Greece.[106]

 

After the war, Thessaloniki was rebuilt with large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Many of its architectural treasures still remain, adding value to the city as a tourist destination, while several early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988.[107] In 1997, Thessaloniki was celebrated as the European Capital of Culture,[108] sponsoring events across the city and the region. Agency established to oversee the cultural activities of that year 1997 was still in existence by 2010.[109] In 2004 the city hosted a number of the football events as part of the 2004 Summer Olympics.[110]

 

Today Thessaloniki has become one of the most important trade and business hubs in Southeastern Europe, with its port, the Port of Thessaloniki being one of the largest in the Aegean and facilitating trade throughout the Balkan hinterland.[7] On 26 October 2012 the city celebrated its centennial since its incorporation into Greece.[111] The city also forms one of the largest student centres in Southeastern Europe, is host to the largest student population in Greece and will be the European Youth Capital in 2014

  

Geography

  

Geology

  

Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. Its proximity to imposing mountain ranges, hills and fault lines, especially towards its southeast have historically made the city prone to geological changes.

 

Since medieval times, Thessaloniki was hit by strong earthquakes, notably in 1759, 1902, 1978 and 1995.[113] On 19–20 June 1978, the city suffered a series of powerful earthquakes, registering 5.5 and 6.5 on the Richter scale.[114][115] The tremors caused considerable damage to a number of buildings and ancient monuments,[114] but the city withstood the catastrophe without any major problems.[115] One apartment building in central Thessaloniki collapsed during the second earthquake, killing many, raising the final death toll to 51.[114][115]

Climate

  

Thessaloniki's climate is directly affected by the sea it is situated on.[116] The city lies in a transitional climatic zone, so its climate displays characteristics of several climates. According to the Köppen climate classification, it is a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) that borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk), with annual average precipitation of 450 millimetres (18 in) due to the Pindus rain shadow drying the westerly winds. However, the city has a summer precipitation between 20 to 30 millimetres (0.79 to 1.18 in), which borders it close to a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa).

 

Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Snowfalls are sporadic, but οccur more or less every winter, but the snow cover does not last for more than a few days. Fog is common, with an average of 193 foggy days in a year.[117] During the coldest winters, temperatures can drop to −10 °C (14 °F).[117] The record minimum temperature in Thessaloniki was −14 °C (7 °F).[118] On average, Thessaloniki experiences frost (sub-zero temperature) 32 days a year.[117] The coldest month of the year in the city is January, with an average 24-hour temperature of 6 °C (43 °F).[119] Wind is also usual in the winter months, with December and January having an average wind speed of 26 km/h (16 mph).[117]

 

Thessaloniki's summers are hot with rather humid nights.[117] Maximum temperatures usually rise above 30 °C (86 °F),[117] but rarely go over 40 °C (104 °F);[117] the average number of days the temperature is above 32 °C (90 °F) is 32.[117] The maximum recorded temperature in the city was 42 °C (108 °F).[117][118] Rain seldom falls in summer, mainly during thunderstorms. In the summer months Thessaloniki also experiences strong heat waves.[120] The hottest month of the year in the city is July, with an average 24-hour temperature of 26 °C (79 °F).[119] The average wind speed for June and July in Thessaloniki is 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph)

  

Government

  

According to the Kallikratis reform, as of 1 January 2011 the Thessaloniki Urban Area (Greek: Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Θεσσαλονίκης) which makes up the "City of Thessaloniki", is made up of six self-governing municipalities (Greek: Δήμοι) and one municipal unit (Greek: Δημοτική ενότητα). The municipalities that are included in the Thessaloniki Urban Area are those of Thessaloniki (the city center and largest in population size), Kalamaria, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Kordelio-Evosmos, Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, and the municipal unit of Pylaia, part of the municipality of Pylaia-Chortiatis. Prior to the Kallikratis reform, the Thessaloniki Urban Area was made up of twice as many municipalities, considerably smaller in size, which created bureaucratic problems.[123]

  

Thessaloniki Municipality

  

The municipality of Thessaloniki (Greek: Δήμος Θεσαλονίκης) is the second most populous in Greece, after Athens, with a population of 322,240[1] people (in 2011) and an area of 17.832 km2 (7 sq mi). The municipality forms the core of the Thessaloniki Urban Area, with its central district (the city center), referred to as the Kentro, meaning 'center' or 'downtown'.

 

The institution of mayor of Thessaloniki was inaugurated under the Ottoman Empire, in 1912. The first mayor of Thessaloniki was Osman Sait Bey, while the current mayor of the municipality of Thessaloniki is Yiannis Boutaris. In 2011, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a budget of €464.33 million[124] while the budget of 2012 stands at €409.00 million.[125]

 

According to an article in The New York Times, the way in which the present mayor of Thessaloniki is treating the city's debt and oversized administration problems could be used as an example by Greece's central government for a successful strategy in dealing with these problems.[126]

  

Other

  

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. It is an influential city for the northern parts of the country and is the capital of the region of Central Macedonia and the Thessaloniki regional unit. The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is also based in Thessaloniki, being that the city is the de facto capital of the Greek region of Macedonia.

 

It is customary every year for the Prime Minister of Greece to announce his administration's policies on a number of issues, such as the economy, at the opening night of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. In 2010, during the first months of the 2010 Greek debt crisis, the entire cabinet of Greece met in Thessaloniki to discuss the country's future.[127]

 

In the Hellenic Parliament, the Thessaloniki urban area constitutes a 16-seat constituency. As of the national elections of 17 June 2012 the largest party in Thessaloniki is New Democracy with 27.8%, followed by the Coalition of the Radical Left (27.0%) and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (10.2%).[128] The table below summarizes the results of the latest elections.

  

Cityscape

  

Architecture

  

Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the Balkans. Aside from its commercial importance, Thessaloniki was also for many centuries the military and administrative hub of the region, and beyond this the transportation link between Europe and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel / Palestine). Merchants, traders and refugees from all over Europe settled in the city. The need for commercial and public buildings in this new era of prosperity led to the construction of large edifices in the city center. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories. Architects who designed some of the most notable buildings of the city, in the late 19th and early 20th century, include Vitaliano Poselli, Pietro Arrigoni, Xenophon Paionidis, Eli Modiano, Moshé Jacques, Jean Joseph Pleyber, Frederic Charnot, Ernst Ziller, Roubens Max, Levi Ernst, Angelos Siagas and others, using mainly the styles of Eclecticism and Art Nouveau.

 

The city layout changed after 1870, when the seaside fortifications gave way to extensive piers, and many of the oldest walls of the city were demolished, including those surrounding the White Tower, which today stands as the main landmark of the city. As parts of the early Byzantine walls were demolished, this allowed the city to expand east and west along the coast.[129]

 

The expansion of Eleftherias Square towards the sea completed the new commercial hub of the city and at the time was considered one of the most vibrant squares of the city. As the city grew, workers moved to the western districts, due to their proximity to factories and industrial activities; while the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-center to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably for 32 hours.[71] It destroyed the city's historic center and a large part of its architectural heritage, but paved the way for modern development and allowed Thessaloniki the development of a proper European city center, featuring wider diagonal avenues and monumental squares; which the city initially lacked – much of what was considered to be 'essential' in European architecture.

  

City Center

  

After the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, a team of architects and urban planners including Thomas Mawson and Ernest Hebrard, a French architect, chose the Byzantine era as the basis of their (re)building designs for Thessaloniki's city center. The new city plan included axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares, with a street grid that would channel traffic smoothly. The plan of 1917 included provisions for future population expansions and a street and road network that would be, and still is sufficient today.[71] It contained sites for public buildings and provided for the restoration of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.

The Metropolitan Church of Saint Gregory Palamas, designed by Ernst Ziller.

 

Today the city center of Thessaloniki includes the features designed as part of the plan and forms the point in the city where most of the public buildings, historical sites, entertainment venues and stores are located. The center is characterized by its many historical buildings, arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which can be seen on many of its buildings.

 

Also called the historic center, it is divided into several districts, of which include Ladadika (where many entertainment venues and tavernas are located), Kapani (were the city's central city market is located), Diagonios, Navarinou, Rotonta, Agia Sofia and Ippodromio (white tower), which are all located around Thessaloniki's most central point, Aristotelous Square.

 

The west point of the city center is home to Thessaloniki's law courts, its central international railway station and the port, while on its eastern side stands the city's two universities, the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center, the city's main stadium, its archaeological and Byzantine museums, the new city hall and its central parklands and gardens, namely those of the ΧΑΝΘ/Palios Zoologikos Kipos and Pedio tou Areos. The central road arteries that pass through the city center, designed in the Ernest Hebrard plan, include those of Tsimiski, Egnatia, Nikis, Mitropoleos, Venizelou and St. Demetrius avenues.

  

Ano Poli

  

Ano Poli (also called Old Town and literally the Upper Town) is the heritage listed district north of Thessaloniki's city center that was not engulfed by the great fire of 1917 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by ministerial actions of Melina Merkouri, during the 1980s. It consists of Thessaloniki's most traditional part of the city, still featuring small stone paved streets, old squares and homes featuring old Greek and Ottoman architecture.

 

Ano Poli also, is the highest point in Thessaloniki and as such, is the location of the city's acropolis, its Byzantine fort, the Heptapyrgion, a large portion of the city's remaining walls, and with many of its additional Ottoman and Byzantine structures still standing. The area provides access to the Seich Sou Forest National Park[131] and features amphitheatric views of the whole city and the Thermaic Gulf. On clear days Mount Olympus, at about 100 km (62 mi) away across the gulf, can also be seen towering the horizon.

  

Southeastern Thessaloniki up until the 1920s was home to the city's most affluent residents and formed the outermost suburbs of the city at the time, with the area close to the Thermaic Gulf coast called Exoches, from the 19th century holiday villas which defined the area. Today southeastern Thessaloniki has in some way become a natural extension of the city center, with the avenues of Megalou Alexandrou, Georgiou Papandreou (Antheon), Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Delfon, Konstantinou Karamanli (Nea Egnatia) and Papanastasiou passing through it, enclosing an area traditionally called Dépôt (Ντεπώ), from the name of the old tram station, owned by a French company. The area extends to Kalamaria and Pylaia, about 9 km (5.59 mi) from the White Tower in the city centre.

 

Some of the most notable mansions and villas of the old-era of the city remain along Vasilissis Olgas Avenue. Built for the most wealthy residents and designed by well known architects they are used today as museums, art galleries or remain as private properties. Some of them include Villa Bianca, Villa Ahmet Kapanci, Villa Modiano, Villa Mordoch, Villa Mehmet Kapanci, Hatzilazarou Mansion, Chateau Mon Bonheur (often called red tower) and others.

 

Most of southeastern Thessaloniki is characterized by its modern architecture and apartment buildings, home to the middle-class and more than half of the municipality of Thessaloniki population. Today this area of the city is also home to 3 of the city's main football stadiums, the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Posidonio aquatic and athletic complex, the Naval Command post of Northern Greece and the old royal palace (called Palataki), located on the most westerly point of Karabournaki cape. The municipality of Kalamaria is also located in southeastern Thessaloniki and has become this part of the city's most sought after areas, with many open spaces and home to high end bars, cafés and entertainment venues, most notably on Plastira street, along the coast

 

Northwestern Thessaloniki had always been associated with industry and the working class because as the city grew during the 1920s, many workers had moved there, due to its proximity near factories and industrial activities. Today many factories and industries have been moved further out west and the area is experiencing rapid growth as does the southeast. Many factories in this area have been converted to cultural centres, while past military grounds that are being surrounded by densely built neighborhoods are awaiting transformation into parklands.

 

Northwest Thessaloniki forms the main entry point into the city of Thessaloniki with the avenues of Monastiriou, Lagkada and 26is Octovriou passing through it, as well as the extension of the A1 motorway, feeding into Thessaloniki's city center. The area is home to the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal (KTEL), the Zeitenlik Allied memorial military cemetery and to large entertainment venues of the city, such as Milos, Fix, Vilka (which are housed in converted old factories). Northwestern Thessaloniki is also home to Moni Lazariston, located in Stavroupoli, which today forms one of the most important cultural centers for the city.

  

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments (UNESCO)

  

The church of Saint Demetrius, patron saint of the city, built in the 4th century, is said to be the largest basilica in Greece and is one of the city's most prominent Paleochristian monuments.

Panagia Chalkeon church in Thessaloniki (1028 AD); one of 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city.

 

Due to Thessaloniki's importance during the early Christian and Byzantine periods, the city is host to several paleochristian monuments that have significantly contributed to the development of Byzantine art and architecture throughout the Byzantine Empire as well as Serbia.[107] The evolution of Imperial Byzantine architecture and the prosperity of Thessaloniki go hand in hand, especially during the first years of the Empire,[107] when the city continued to flourish. It was at that time that the Complex of Roman emperor Galerius was built, as well as the first church of Hagios Demetrios.[107]

 

By the 8th century, the city had become an important administrative center of the Byzantine Empire, and handled much of the Empire's Balkan affairs.[133] During that time, the city saw the creation of more notable Christian churches that are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki, the Church of the Acheiropoietos, the Church of Panagia Chalkeon.[107] When the Ottoman Empire took control of Thessaloniki in 1430, most of the city's churches were converted into mosques,[107] but have survived to this day. Travelers such as Paul Lucas and Abdul Mecid[disambiguation needed][107] document the city's wealth in Christian monuments during the years of the Ottoman control of the city.

 

The church of Hagios Demetrios was burnt down during the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, as did many other of the city's monuments, but it was rebuilt. During the Second World War, the city was extensively bombed and as such many of Thessaloniki's paleochristian and Byzantine monuments were heavily damaged.[133] Some of the sites were not restored until the 1980s. Thessaloniki has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites listed than any other city in Greece, a total of 15 monuments.[107] They have been listed since 1988.[107]

  

In regards to the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Thessaloniki into Greece, during 1912, the government announced a large-scale redevelopment program for the city of Thessaloniki, which aims in addressing the current environmental and spatial problems[134] that the city faces. More specifically, the program will drastically change the physiognomy of the city[134] by relocating the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center and grounds of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair outside the city centre and turning the current location into a large metropolitan park,[135] redeveloping the coastal front of the city,[135] relocating the city's numerous military camps and using the grounds and facilities to create large parklands and cultural centers;[135] and the complete redevelopment of the harbor and the Lachanokipoi and Dendropotamos districts (behind and near the Port of Thessaloniki) into a commercial business district,[135] with possible highrise developments.[136]

 

The plan also envisions the creation of new wide avenues in the outskirts of the city[135] and the creation of pedestrian-only zones in the city center.[135] Furthermore, the program includes plans to expand the jurisdiction of Seich Sou Forest National Park[134] and the improvement of accessibility to and from the Old Town.[134] The ministry has said that the project will take an estimated 15 years to be completed, in 2025.[135]

 

Part of the plan has been implemented with extensive pedestrianization's within the city center by the municipality of Thessaloniki and the revitalization the eastern urban waterfront/promenade, Nea Paralia (Greek: Νέα Παραλία, literally new beach), with a modern and vibrant design. Its first section opened in 2008, having been awarded as the best public project in Greece of the last five years by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture.[137]

 

The municipality of Thessaloniki's budget for the reconstruction of important areas of the city and the completion of the waterfront, opened in January 2014, was estimated at around €28.2 million (US$39.9 million) for the year 2011 alone.[138]

  

Economy of Thessaloniki

  

GDP of Thessaloniki.svg

GDP of the Thessaloniki regional unit 2000–2011

Rank 2nd in Greece

 

Statistics

 

GDP €19.851 billion (PPP, 2011)[2]

 

GDP growth

-7.8% (2011)[2]

 

GDP per capita

€17,200 (PPP, 2011)[2]

 

Labour force

534,800 (2010)[139]

 

Unemployment 15.4% (2009)[140]

 

Thessaloniki rose to economic prominence as a major economic hub in the Balkans during the years of the Roman Empire. The Pax Romana and the city's strategic position allowed for the facilitation of trade between Rome and Byzantium (later Constantinople and now Istanbul) through Thessaloniki by means of the Via Egnatia.[141] The Via Egnatia also functioned as an important line of communication between the Roman Empire and the nations of Asia,[141] particularly in relation to the Silk Road. With the partition of the Roman Emp. into East(Byzantine) and West, Thessaloniki became the second-largest city of the Eastern Roman Empire after New Rome (Constantinople) in terms of economic might.[33][141] Under the Empire, Thessaloniki was the largest port in the Balkans.[142] As the city passed from Byzantium to the Republic of Venice in 1423, it was subsequently conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Under Ottoman rule the city retained its position as the most important trading hub in the Balkans.[63] Manufacturing, shipping and trade were the most important components of the city's economy during the Ottoman period,[63] and the majority of the city's trade at the time was controlled by ethnic Greeks.[63]

 

A terrible plague known as "The Doll Effect" is quickly spreading throughout the indigenous population. Symptoms include loss of articulation, lengthening of limbs, and an uncontrollable attraction to pretty colors.

 

Keep your distance and do NOT accept any Friendly requests!

 

All species are affected, people and animals alike! Infected lifeforms are being gathered and placed into Quarantine until such time as a cure can be developed.

   

“When you explore your fears then you set yourself free.”

― Stephen Richards, Releasing You from Fear

 

Agoraphobia (from Greek αγορά, "gathering place"; and φόβος/φοβία, -phobia) is an anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety in situations where the sufferer perceives certain environments as dangerous or uncomfortable, often due to the environment's vast openness or crowdedness. These situations include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, as well as uncontrollable social situations such as the possibility of being met in shopping malls, airports, and on bridges. Agoraphobia is defined within the DSM-IV TR as a subset of panic disorder, involving the fear of incurring a panic attack in those environments.[1] In the DSM-5, however, Agoraphobia is classified as being separate to panic disorder.[2] The sufferer may go to great lengths to avoid those situations, in severe cases becoming unable to leave their home or safe haven.

  

The school that I attended in Omaha, 1955-56.

 

When I attended school here, the kids seemed much bigger -- and the school building was enormous.

 

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

 

Some of the photos in this album are “originals” from the year that my family spent in Omaha in 1955-56. But the final 10 color photos were taken nearly 40 years later, as part of some research that I was doing for a novel called Do-Overs, the beginning of which can be found here on my website

 

www.yourdon.com/personal/fiction/doovers/index.html

 

and the relevant chapter (concerning Omaha) can be found here:

 

www.yourdon.com/personal/fiction/doovers/chapters/ch9.html

 

Before I get into the details, let me make a strong request — if you’re looking at these photos, and if you are getting any enjoyment at all of this brief look at some mundane Americana from 60+ years ago: find a similar episode in your own life, and write it down. Gather the pictures, clean them up, and upload them somewhere on the Internet where they can be found. Trust me: there will come a day when the only person on the planet who actually experienced those events is you. Your own memories may be fuzzy and incomplete; but they will be invaluable to your friends and family members, and to many generations of your descendants.

 

So, what do I remember about the year that I spent in Omaha? Not much at the moment, though I’m sure more details will occur to me in the days to come — and I’ll add them to these notes, along with additional photos that I’m tweaking and editing now.

 

For now, here is a random list of things I remember:

 

1. I attended the last couple months of 6th grade, and all of 7th grade, in one school. My parents moved from Omaha to Long Island, NY in the spring of my 7th grade school year; but unlike previous years, they made arrangements for me to stay with a neighbor’s family, so that I could finish the school year before joining them in New York.

 

2. Our dog, Blackie, traveled with us from our previous home in Riverside, and was with us until my parents left Omaha for New York; at that point, they gave him to some other family. For some reason, this had almost no impact on me. It was a case of “out of sight, out of mind” — when Blackie was gone, I spent my final three months in Omaha without ever thinking about him again.

 

3. Most days, I rode my bike to school; but Omaha was the place where one of my sisters first started attending first grade — in the same school where I was attending 6th grade. I remember walking her to school along Bellevue Avenue on the first morning, which seemed to take forever: it was about a mile away.

 

4. As noted in a previous Flickr album about my year in Riverside, I was a year younger than my classmates; but I was tall for my age, and thus looked “normal” at a quick glance. But because I was a year younger, I was incredibly shy and awkward in the presence of girls. Omaha was certainly not “sin city,” but by 6th grade and 7th grade, puberty was beginning to hit, and the girls had grown to the point where they were occasionally interested in boys. The school tried to accommodate this social development by teaching us the square dance (and forbidding the playing of songs by Elvis Presley, whose music was just beginning to be heard on the radio). I was an awful dancer, and even more of a shy misfit than my classmates; I continue to be an awful dancer today.

 

5. My bike ride to school was uneventful most days; but the final part of the ride was a steep downhill stretch on Avery Road, lasting three or four blocks. My friends and I usually raced downhill as fast as we could; but one day, my front bicycle wheel began to wobble on the downhill run, and my bike drifted uncontrollably to the side of the road and then off into a ditch. I got banged up pretty badly.

 

6. But this accident was nothing compared to my worst mishap: a neighborhood friend and I enjoyed playing “cowboys and Indians” in the woods near his home (and his younger brother usually tagged along). I had a bow and a few arrows for our adventure, and we often shot at trees a hundred feet away. Unfortunately, the arrows often disappeared into the underbrush (because we were lousy shots) and were difficult to find. Consequently, one of us came up with the clever idea of standing behind the “target” tree, so that we could see where the randomly-shot arrows landed. Through a series of miscommunications, I poked my head out from behind the tree just as my friend shot one of the arrows … and it skipped off the side of the tree and into my face, impaling itself into my cheek bone about an inch below my eye. An inch higher, and I would not be typing these words … (meanwhile, my friend's younger brother grew up to be an officer in the U.S. Air Force, and he tracked me down on the Internet, decades later).

 

7. In the summer of 1956, my parents decided to spend their summer vacation prospecting for uranium (seriously!) in the remote hills of eastern Utah, where my dad had grown up on the Utah-Colorado border. This entailed a long, long drive from Omaha; and it involved leaving me and my two sisters with my grandparents near Vernal, UT. My grandparents lived in a very small mining village outside of Vernal; and while they had electricity and various other modern conveniences, they also had an outhouse in the back yard. Trips to the “bathroom” in the middle of the night were quite an adventure. On the way back to Omaha at the end of this vacation trip (with no uranium ore having been found), we stopped for a couple of days of camping somewhere in the mountains of Colorado; you’ll see a couple of photos from that camping trip in this album.

 

8. There were no lizards in Omaha, and thus no opportunity for lizard-hunting with my slingshot—which had been a significant hobby in my previous homes in Riverside and Roswell. Indeed, there was almost nothing to shoot at … and I couldn’t find anyone with whom I could play (and hopefully win) marbles, to use as slingshot ammunition. But for reasons I never questioned or investigated (but about which I’m very curious now), there was a small vineyard in the field behind our house, and I was able to climb over the fence and retrieve dozens of small, hard, green grapes. They turned out to be excellent ammunition … but I never did find any lizards.

 

9. A few months before my parents left for New York, I told them about the latest craze sweeping the neighborhood: “English bikes,” with three speeds, thin tires, and hand-brakes. I desperately wanted one, but Dad said it was far too expensive for him to buy as a frivolous gift for me: at the time, English bikes had an outrageous price tag of $25. I was told that I would have to earn the money myself if I wanted one … and the going rate for young, scrawny kids who shoveled sidewalks, pulled weeds from gardens, and did babysitting chores, was 25 cents per hour. That works out to 100 hours of work … but I did it, over the course of the next few months, and when I got to New York, the first thing I did was buy my English bike.

 

10. Toward the end of my 7th-grade school year, everyone in my class was subjected to a vision test: we were lined up in alphabetical order, and one-by-one read off a series of letters that we could barely see on a large placard taped onto the classroom blackboard. Because my surname starts with a “Y,” I was usually near the end of the line … and by the time I got to the front, I had usually memorized the letters (because they never bothered to change them, from one student to the next) without even realizing it consciously. But on this particular occasion in 7th grade, for some reason, they decided to line us up in reverse alphabetical order … and I was the first in line. For the first time in my life, I realized that I could not see anything of the letters, and that I was woefully near-sighted. When I got to New York, my parents took me to an optometrist to get my first set of glasses (and, yes, all of the neighborhood kids did begin taunting me immediately: “Four eyes! Four eyes!”) … and I’ve worn glasses ever since.

 

11. Three years after I arrived in New York, the glasses saved my vision when a home-brewed mix of gunpowder and powdered aluminum blew up in my face in the school chemistry lab (where I had an after-school volunteer job as a “lab assistant”). I suffered 2nd-degree burns on my face from the explosion, but the glasses protected my eyes. That, however, is a different story for a different time.

The Watchman

 

Description: These birds do not showcase sexual dimorphism. Some individuals of Vanellus chilensis display leucism, a recessive gene that confers the bird's plumage a white coloring. They feed on small aquatic invertebrates, small fishes, terrestrial arthropods and mollusks. They lay up to 4 eggs on the soil per brooding which normally occurs during Spring. Males are extremely aggressive and protective of their nest; in uncontrollable situations, they might fake a wound to ward off predators. The offspring blend very well with the scenery, being ground-colored, a camouflage defensive mechanism. They are extremely territorial and will alert the others of intruders with a loud scream. They are predated by Geranoaetus albicaudatus, Heterospizias meridionalis, Milvago chimango, Caracara plancus and Circus buffoni; I'm unaware if there are others. The offspring are born already knowing how to hunt, they are not beak-fed by the adults. Both the male and female incubate the eggs.

 

Four subspecies of Vanellus chilensis are described:

 

Vanellus chilensis cayennensis (Gmelin, 1789): Inhabits the North of Brazil, the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Northwest Ecuador and Panama (observed in Costa Rica and Nicaragua);

 

Vanellus chilensis lampronotus (Wagler, 1827): Inhabits cuenca del Plata, in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Southeast Bolivia and Central and Southern Brazil;

 

Vanellus chilensis chilensis (Molina, 1782): Inhabits Chile and the West and South of Argentina;

 

Vanellus chilensis fretensis (Brodkorb, 1934): Inhabits the South of Argentina and Chile.

 

Feeding type: Predator of small fishes, aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial arthropods and mollusks.

 

PROJECT NOAH (Português): www.projectnoah.org/spottings/456095873

Operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment since 6/81. was w/off 8/8/91 having entered a uncontrollable turn whilst on detachment at Camp de Canjeurs airbase Provence France for anti tank weapon trails.

Yay I'm 20 today! No longer a teen. I've always wanted to do a self portrait but I'm so shy bout my uglyness :) I even bought contact lens and all for this shot but not much can be done.

 

01. My paternal granny is of Sikh heritage while my grandpa hails from Bombay. My maternal grandma has Javanese blood while my granddad descended from Ceylon (Old Sri Lanka)Hence, technically I am ¾ Indian.

 

02. I have partial colour deficiency

 

03. I am delusional, thinking I have a gifted natural, raw singing voice but in reality, it’s a bizarre, cringe worthy, unusually high pitch sound. But I still hold my lifelong wish to touch lives with my music- someday. =D I’m not giving up.

 

04.I am an uncontrollably shy and passive lone ranger, almost antisocial. This links well to my low self-esteem. It’s so ironic though I was a hyper attention-whore during my preteens. I guess changes do happen.

 

05. I have a crush on Alyssa Milano, Lacey Schwimmer and Chelsie Hightower <3

 

Textures courtesy of Skeletalmess

 

Explored | May 27, 2009 #421

 

© Copyright Iskandar 2009| All rights reserved.

Do not use, copy or edit any of my materials without my written permission.

Would appreciate not having large/animated multi invite codes

Fill the car with helium and off you go. Not sure where though because every time you try to tell the Cab Driver where you want to go, you open your mouth and a high squeaky voice comes out which makes you giggle. Then the Cab Driver starts giggling in a high squeaky voice and the next thing you know, you're Cab Driver is giggling so hard, he's driving down the sidewalk with the windows rolled down to let some of the helium out and a bunch of pedestrians are yelling at you ... in high squeaky voices ... which makes you giggle even more.

 

PS.

If you are over 50 years old, please remember, uncontrollable giggling can lead to an accidental audible fart.

 

View inhaling helium from a balloon

 

for

Sliders Sunday HSS

The ODUS-4 has missile launchers in the bulky armor bits of its shoulder. The pilot although known to be reckless and somewhat uncontrollable in his fighting style will often deploy missiles before he comes in closer to his enemy to strike.

 

Side notes: I like the little splash of pink with the orange and white. and I often like the grey bits being joints and other misc. things besides armor. Also completely purist build as are all my builds, to me it is just funner that way.

LC Verse Spider-Girl

Issue #15 "Passenger"

 

The screaming and gunfire gets louder as I swing my way towards the chaos, a mech about six foot tall is wielding an oversized machine gun firing his rounds wildly into the buildings nearby. I notice he's not shooting at the civilians and no police have arrived at the scene, perhaps they have a late response time? Landing behind the mech I get a better look at its thick plated armour on top of that is a large shield strapped to it's hand for overkill. I clear my throat then speak, "All that armour won't protect you." The mech swivels around alarmingly fast despite its size, glaring down at me through its visor. "Well it's about time you showed your face, murderer!" The mechs voice booms whilst it charges at me with its shield leaning forward I see its pointed metallic horn in the shape of a Rhinos. I flip high over the Rhino mech seeing it crash into a parked car which crumples upon impact. "I didn't mean to kill, The Lizard it was an accident." I protest seeing Rhino turn around blasting his turret, bullets riddle into the street near me whilst I sprint quickly behind a nearby car. The car is shredded by the bullets like it was made out of paper and I grimace combat rolling away. "His wife said you broke his neck with one punch, doesn't seem like an accident!" Rhino roars raising his shield upwards charging at me, he's faster than I expected and slams hard into my chest sending me flying across the road. Quickly getting to my feet quickly I grit my teeth angrily, "I don't have to justify my actions to you, scumbag!" Rhino lets out a deep growl lumbering towards me and I run at him drawing back a fist. My suit fuels the power which gushes through my veins whilst Rhino tanks his way towards me aiming his horn downward but I skid across the ground under his shield spraying my webbing at his visor. He comes to a halt dropping his gun and shield trying to pry my webbing from his face with his oversized fingers, he turns to me crying out in frustration. "Let me help you with that!" I say running towards him slamming my fist against his visor, I don't notice the force of my punch as my fist travels through his visor smashing through his face coming out the back of Rhinos head.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I gasp in horror yanking back my fist staring at the gaping whole in the armour, peering inside squeamishly I notice there's no pilot. Electricity sparks violently from within the armour gathering in the air, it manifests into a transparent figure radiating bright blue energy. "Agh my suit!" A distorted tone hisses angrily, my eyes widen seeing the electric form hover in the air, It raises its hands and sparks fly from its fingertips crackling. "S.H.I.E.L.D gave me that armour, you're going to pay for it!" He cackles blasting volts of lightning at me, the electricity strikes my body sending needles all over it. I shriek in pain collapsing to the ground withering in pain until he stops. He laughs looking down at me twitch uncontrollably, my suit seems to pulsate off my body, tentacles lashing out in pain from my back like its screaming. I breathe heavily slowly getting to my feet only to feel another blast of electricity course through my body, I begin to convulse screaming in agony shutting my eyes tightly waiting for it to stop. The torture abruptly comes to a halt then I hear him speak, "Electro to Nick Fury, package is secure the suit is off." My body feels soaked in warm liquid and I begin to think it's blood then open my eyes, a black puddle of my suit surrounds me, gently rippling as the remainder of it drips down from my fingertips. Looking down at the leftover droplets of my suit trickle down I hear footsteps approach, a firm tone breaks the silence, "Good work, Electro. We have her now it's time for S.H.I.E.L.D to take her in."

the gentle breeze brushed her face,

as the dance began this day.

 

she smiled and spun freely

with uncontrollable excitement

for this leaf was created for dancing

 

as the melody played louder,

the breeze twirled her 'round and 'round,

the leaf danced like she had never danced before.

 

spinning, floating. flying.

 

until she landed

quietly, without a sound,

on the cold concrete below.

 

october had arrived

Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, often referred to internationally as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace.[3][4] Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital",[5] and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.[6]

 

According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240,[1] while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824.[1] Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,104,460 inhabitants.[1]

 

Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe;[7] its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland.[7] The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general,[8] and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital.[8] Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.[9] Thessaloniki is the 2014 European Youth Capital.[10]

 

Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessaloniki's history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.[11]

 

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party city worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.[12] For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide,[13] while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.

  

Etymology

  

All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη (from Θεσσαλός, Thessalos, and Νίκη, Nike), literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great, so named because of her birth on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (353/352 BCE).[16]

 

The alternative name Salonica (or Salonika) derives from the variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in popular Greek speech, and has given rise to the form of the city's name in several languages. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Солѹнь (Solun) in Old Church Slavonic, סלוניקה (Salonika) in Ladino, Selanik (also Selânik) in Turkish (سلانیك in Ottoman Turkish), Solun (also written as Солун) in the local and neighboring South Slavic languages, Салоники (Saloníki) in Russian, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark and deep L characteristic of Macedonian Greek accent.[17][18]

 

The name often appears in writing in the abbreviated form Θεσ/νίκη

  

History

  

From antiquity to the Roman Empire

  

The city was founded around 315 BC by the King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and 26 other local villages.[20] He named it after his wife Thessalonike,[21] a half-sister of Alexander the Great and princess of Macedon as daughter of Philip II. Under the kingdom of Macedon the city retained its own autonomy and parliament[22] and evolved to become the most important city in Macedon.[21]

 

After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, Thessalonica became a free city of the Roman Republic under Mark Antony in 41 BC.[21][23] It grew to be an important trade-hub located on the Via Egnatia,[24] the road connecting Dyrrhachium with Byzantium,[25] which facilitated trade between Thessaloniki and great centers of commerce such as Rome and Byzantium.[26] Thessaloniki also lay at the southern end of the main north-south route through the Balkans along the valleys of the Morava and Axios river valleys, thereby linking the Balkans with the rest of Greece.[27] The city later became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.[24] Later it became the capital of all the Greek provinces of the Roman Empire due to the city's importance in the Balkan peninsula. When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, Thessaloniki became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar,[28][29] where Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.[29][30][31]

 

In 379 when the Roman Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.[24] In 390 Gothic troops under the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the inhabitants of Thessalonica, who had risen in revolt against the Germanic soldiers. With the Fall of Rome in 476, Thessaloniki became the second-largest city of the Eastern Roman Empire.[26] Around the time of the Roman Empire Thessaloniki was also an important center for the spread of Christianity; some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians written by Paul the Apostle is the first written book of the New Testament.

  

Byzantine era and Middle Ages

  

From the first years of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki was considered the second city in the Empire after Constantinople,[33][34][35] both in terms of wealth and size.[33] with an population of 150,000 in the mid 1100s.[36] The city held this status until it was transferred to Venice in 1423. In the 14th century the city's population exceeded 100,000 to 150,000,[37][38][39] making it larger than London at the time.[40]

 

During the 6th and 7th centuries the area around Thessaloniki was invaded by Avars and Slavs, who unsuccessfully laid siege to the city several times.[41] Traditional historiography stipulates that many Slavs settled in the hinterland of Thessaloniki,[42] however, this migration was allegedly on a much smaller scale than previously thought.[42][42][43] In the 9th century, the Byzantine Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius, both natives of the city, created the first literary language of the Slavs, the Glagolic alphabet, most likely based on the Slavic dialect used in the hinterland of their hometown.[44][45][46][47][48]

 

An Arab naval attack in 904 resulted in the sack of the city.[49] The economic expansion of the city continued through the 12th century as the rule of the Komnenoi emperors expanded Byzantine control to the north. Thessaloniki passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204,[50] when Constantinople was captured by the forces of the Fourth Crusade and incorporated the city and its surrounding territories in the Kingdom of Thessalonica[51] — which then became the largest vassal of the Latin Empire. In 1224, the Kingdom of Thessalonica was overrun by the Despotate of Epirus, a remnant of the former Byzantine Empire, under Theodore Komnenos Doukas who crowned himself Emperor,[52] and the city became the Despotat's capital.[52][53] This era of the Despotate of Epirus is also known as the Empire of Thessalonica.[52][54][55] Following his defeat at Klokotnitsa however in 1230,[52][54] the Empire of Thessalonica became a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire until it was recovered again in 1246, this time by the Nicaean Empire.[52] In 1342,[56] the city saw the rise of the Commune of the Zealots, an anti-aristocratic party formed of sailors and the poor,[57] which is nowadays described as social-revolutionary.[56] The city was practically independent of the rest of the Empire,[56][57][58] as it had its own government, a form of republic.[56] The zealot movement was overthrown in 1350 and the city was reunited with the rest of the Empire.[56]

 

In 1423, Despot Andronicus, who was in charge of the city, ceded it to the Republic of Venice with the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans who were besieging the city (there is no evidence to support the oft-repeated story that he sold the city to them). The Venetians held Thessaloniki until it was captured by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430.

  

Ottoman period

  

When Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki and sacked it in 1430, contemporary reports estimated that about one-fifth of the city's population was enslaved.[60] Upon the conquest of Thessaloniki, some of its inhabitants escaped,[61] including intellectuals such as Theodorus Gaza "Thessalonicensis" and Andronicus Callistus.[62] However, the change of sovereignty from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman one did not affect the city's prestige as a major imperial city and trading hub.[63][64] Thessaloniki and Smyrna, although smaller in size than Constantinople, were the Ottoman Empire's most important trading hubs.[63] Thessaloniki's importance was mostly in the field of shipping,[63] but also in manufacturing,[64] while most of the city's trade was controlled by ethnic Greeks.[63]

 

During the Ottoman period, the city's population of mainly Greek Jews and Ottoman Muslims (including those of Turkish and Albanian, as well as Bulgarian Muslim and Greek Muslim convert origin) grew substantially. By 1478 Selânik (سلانیك), as the city came to be known in Ottoman Turkish, had a population of 4,320 Muslims, 6,094 Greek Orthodox and some Catholics, but no Jews. Soon after the turn of the 15th to 16th century, nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews had immigrated to Greece from Spain following their expulsion by the 1492 Alhambra Decree.[65] By c. 1500, the numbers had grown to 7,986 Greeks, 8,575 Muslims, and 3,770 Jews. By 1519, Sephardic Jews numbered 15,715, 54% of the city's population. Some historians consider the Ottoman regime's invitation to Jewish settlement was a strategy to prevent the ethnic Greek population (Eastern Orthodox Christians) from dominating the city.[38]

 

Thessaloniki was the capital of the Sanjak of Selanik within the wider Rumeli Eyalet (Balkans)[66] until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Eyalet (after 1867, the Selanik Vilayet).[67][68] This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serres and Drama between 1826 and 1912.[69] Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826, regular Ottoman soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary base in Thessaloniki while also killing over 10,000 Janissaries, an event known as The Auspicious Incident in Ottoman history.[70] From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.[71]

 

The last few decades of Ottoman control over the city were an era of revival, particularly in terms of the city's infrastructure. It was at that time that the Ottoman administration of the city acquired an "official" face with the creation of the Command Post[72] while a number of new public buildings were built in the eclectic style in order to project the European face both of Thessaloniki and the Ottoman Empire.[72][73] The city walls were torn down between 1869 and 1889,[74] efforts for a planned expansion of the city are evident as early as 1879,[75] the first tram service started in 1888[76] and the city streets were illuminated with electric lamp posts in 1908.[77] In 1888 Thessaloniki was connected to Central Europe via rail through Belgrade, Monastir in 1893 and Constantinople in 1896.

  

Since the 20th century

  

In the early 20th century, Thessaloniki was in the center of radical activities by various groups; the Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, founded in 1897,[78] and the Greek Macedonian Committee, founded in 1903.[79] In 1903 an anarchist group known as the Boatmen of Thessaloniki planted bombs in several buildings in Thessaloniki, including the Ottoman Bank, with some assistance from the IMRO. The Greek consulate in Ottoman Thessaloniki (now the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle) served as the center of operations for the Greek guerillas. In 1908 the Young Turks movement broke out in the city, sparking the Young Turk Revolution.[80]

The Ottoman Feth-i Bülend being sunk in Thessaloniki in 1912 by a Greek ship during the First Balkan War.

Constantine I of Greece with George I of Greece and the Greek army enter the city.

 

As the First Balkan War broke out, Greece declared war on the Ottoman Empire and expanded its borders. When Eleftherios Venizelos, Prime Minister at the time, was asked if the Greek army should move towards Thessaloniki or Monastir (now Bitola, Republic of Macedonia), Venizelos replied "Salonique à tout prix!" (Thessaloniki, at all costs!).[81] As both Greece and Bulgaria wanted Thessaloniki, the Ottoman garrison of the city entered negotiations with both armies.[82] On 8 November 1912 (26 October Old Style), the feast day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the Greek Army accepted the surrender of the Ottoman garrison at Thessaloniki.[83] The Bulgarian army arrived one day after the surrender of the city to Greece and Tahsin Pasha, ruler of the city, told the Bulgarian officials that "I have only one Thessaloniki, which I have surrendered".[82] After the Second Balkan War, Thessaloniki and the rest of the Greek portion of Macedonia were officially annexed to Greece by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.[84] On 18 March 1913 George I of Greece was assassinated in the city by Alexandros Schinas.[85]

 

In 1915, during World War I, a large Allied expeditionary force established a base at Thessaloniki for operations against pro-German Bulgaria.[86] This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian Front, also known as the Salonika Front.[87][88] In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers and civilians, with the support of the Allies, launched an uprising,[89] creating a pro-Allied[90] temporary government by the name of the "Provisional Government of National Defence"[89][91] that controlled the "New Lands" (lands that were gained by Greece in the Balkan Wars, most of Northern Greece including Greek Macedonia, the North Aegean as well as the island of Crete);[89][91] the official government of the King in Athens, the "State of Athens",[89] controlled "Old Greece"[89][91] which were traditionally monarchist. The State of Thessaloniki was disestablished with the unification of the two opposing Greek governments under Venizelos, following the abdication of King Constantine in 1917.[86][91]

The 1st Battalion of the National Defence army marches on its way to the front.

Aerial picture of the Great Fire of 1917.

 

Most of the old center of the city was destroyed by the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, which started accidentally by an unattended kitchen fire on 18 August 1917.[92] The fire swept through the centre of the city, leaving 72,000 people homeless; according to the Pallis Report, most of them were Jewish (50,000). Many businesses were destroyed, as a result, 70% of the population were unemployed.[92] Also a number of religious structures of the three major faiths were lost. Nearly one-quarter of the total population of approximately 271,157 became homeless.[92] Following the fire the government prohibited quick rebuilding, so it could implement the new redesign of the city according to the European-style urban plan[6] prepared by a group of architects, including the Briton Thomas Mawson, and headed by French architect Ernest Hébrard.[92] Property values fell from 6.5 million Greek drachmas to 750,000.[93]

 

After the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War and during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, a population exchange took place between Greece and Turkey.[90] Over 160,000 ethnic Greeks deported from the former Ottoman Empire were resettled in the city,[90] changing its demographics. Additionally many of the city's Muslims were deported to Turkey, ranging at about 20,000 people.[94]

 

During World War II Thessaloniki was heavily bombarded by Fascist Italy (with 232 people dead, 871 wounded and over 800 buildings damaged or destroyed in November 1940 alone),[95] and, the Italians having failed to succeed in their invasion of Greece, it fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on 8 April 1941[96] and remained under German occupation until 30 October 1944 when it was liberated by the Greek People's Liberation Army.[97] The Nazis soon forced the Jewish residents into a ghetto near the railroads and on 15 March 1943 began the deportation process of the city's 56,000 Jews to its concentration camps.[98][99] They deported over 43,000 of the city's Jews in concentration camps,[98] where most were killed in the gas chambers. The Germans also deported 11,000 Jews to forced labor camps, where most perished.[100] Only 1,200 Jews live in the city today.

Part of Eleftherias Square during the Axis occupation.

 

The importance of Thessaloniki to Nazi Germany can be demonstrated by the fact that, initially, Hitler had planned to incorporate it directly in the Third Reich[101] (that is, make it part of Germany) and not have it controlled by a puppet state such as the Hellenic State or an ally of Germany (Thessaloniki had been promised to Yugoslavia as a reward for joining the Axis on 25 March 1941).[102] Having been the first major city in Greece to fall to the occupying forces just two days after the German invasion, it was in Thessaloniki that the first Greek resistance group was formed (under the name «Ελευθερία», Eleftheria, "Freedom")[103] as well as the first anti-Nazi newspaper in an occupied territory anywhere in Europe,[104] also by the name Eleftheria. Thessaloniki was also home to a military camp-converted-concentration camp, known in German as "Konzentrationslager Pavlo Mela" (Pavlos Melas Concentration Camp),[105] where members of the resistance and other non-favourable people towards the German occupation from all over Greece[105] were held either to be killed or sent to concentration camps elsewhere in Europe.[105] In the 1946 monarchy referendum, the majority of the locals voted in favour of a republic, contrary to the rest of Greece.[106]

 

After the war, Thessaloniki was rebuilt with large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Many of its architectural treasures still remain, adding value to the city as a tourist destination, while several early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988.[107] In 1997, Thessaloniki was celebrated as the European Capital of Culture,[108] sponsoring events across the city and the region. Agency established to oversee the cultural activities of that year 1997 was still in existence by 2010.[109] In 2004 the city hosted a number of the football events as part of the 2004 Summer Olympics.[110]

 

Today Thessaloniki has become one of the most important trade and business hubs in Southeastern Europe, with its port, the Port of Thessaloniki being one of the largest in the Aegean and facilitating trade throughout the Balkan hinterland.[7] On 26 October 2012 the city celebrated its centennial since its incorporation into Greece.[111] The city also forms one of the largest student centres in Southeastern Europe, is host to the largest student population in Greece and will be the European Youth Capital in 2014

  

Geography

  

Geology

  

Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. Its proximity to imposing mountain ranges, hills and fault lines, especially towards its southeast have historically made the city prone to geological changes.

 

Since medieval times, Thessaloniki was hit by strong earthquakes, notably in 1759, 1902, 1978 and 1995.[113] On 19–20 June 1978, the city suffered a series of powerful earthquakes, registering 5.5 and 6.5 on the Richter scale.[114][115] The tremors caused considerable damage to a number of buildings and ancient monuments,[114] but the city withstood the catastrophe without any major problems.[115] One apartment building in central Thessaloniki collapsed during the second earthquake, killing many, raising the final death toll to 51.[114][115]

Climate

  

Thessaloniki's climate is directly affected by the sea it is situated on.[116] The city lies in a transitional climatic zone, so its climate displays characteristics of several climates. According to the Köppen climate classification, it is a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) that borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk), with annual average precipitation of 450 millimetres (18 in) due to the Pindus rain shadow drying the westerly winds. However, the city has a summer precipitation between 20 to 30 millimetres (0.79 to 1.18 in), which borders it close to a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa).

 

Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Snowfalls are sporadic, but οccur more or less every winter, but the snow cover does not last for more than a few days. Fog is common, with an average of 193 foggy days in a year.[117] During the coldest winters, temperatures can drop to −10 °C (14 °F).[117] The record minimum temperature in Thessaloniki was −14 °C (7 °F).[118] On average, Thessaloniki experiences frost (sub-zero temperature) 32 days a year.[117] The coldest month of the year in the city is January, with an average 24-hour temperature of 6 °C (43 °F).[119] Wind is also usual in the winter months, with December and January having an average wind speed of 26 km/h (16 mph).[117]

 

Thessaloniki's summers are hot with rather humid nights.[117] Maximum temperatures usually rise above 30 °C (86 °F),[117] but rarely go over 40 °C (104 °F);[117] the average number of days the temperature is above 32 °C (90 °F) is 32.[117] The maximum recorded temperature in the city was 42 °C (108 °F).[117][118] Rain seldom falls in summer, mainly during thunderstorms. In the summer months Thessaloniki also experiences strong heat waves.[120] The hottest month of the year in the city is July, with an average 24-hour temperature of 26 °C (79 °F).[119] The average wind speed for June and July in Thessaloniki is 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph)

  

Government

  

According to the Kallikratis reform, as of 1 January 2011 the Thessaloniki Urban Area (Greek: Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Θεσσαλονίκης) which makes up the "City of Thessaloniki", is made up of six self-governing municipalities (Greek: Δήμοι) and one municipal unit (Greek: Δημοτική ενότητα). The municipalities that are included in the Thessaloniki Urban Area are those of Thessaloniki (the city center and largest in population size), Kalamaria, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Kordelio-Evosmos, Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, and the municipal unit of Pylaia, part of the municipality of Pylaia-Chortiatis. Prior to the Kallikratis reform, the Thessaloniki Urban Area was made up of twice as many municipalities, considerably smaller in size, which created bureaucratic problems.[123]

  

Thessaloniki Municipality

  

The municipality of Thessaloniki (Greek: Δήμος Θεσαλονίκης) is the second most populous in Greece, after Athens, with a population of 322,240[1] people (in 2011) and an area of 17.832 km2 (7 sq mi). The municipality forms the core of the Thessaloniki Urban Area, with its central district (the city center), referred to as the Kentro, meaning 'center' or 'downtown'.

 

The institution of mayor of Thessaloniki was inaugurated under the Ottoman Empire, in 1912. The first mayor of Thessaloniki was Osman Sait Bey, while the current mayor of the municipality of Thessaloniki is Yiannis Boutaris. In 2011, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a budget of €464.33 million[124] while the budget of 2012 stands at €409.00 million.[125]

 

According to an article in The New York Times, the way in which the present mayor of Thessaloniki is treating the city's debt and oversized administration problems could be used as an example by Greece's central government for a successful strategy in dealing with these problems.[126]

  

Other

  

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. It is an influential city for the northern parts of the country and is the capital of the region of Central Macedonia and the Thessaloniki regional unit. The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is also based in Thessaloniki, being that the city is the de facto capital of the Greek region of Macedonia.

 

It is customary every year for the Prime Minister of Greece to announce his administration's policies on a number of issues, such as the economy, at the opening night of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. In 2010, during the first months of the 2010 Greek debt crisis, the entire cabinet of Greece met in Thessaloniki to discuss the country's future.[127]

 

In the Hellenic Parliament, the Thessaloniki urban area constitutes a 16-seat constituency. As of the national elections of 17 June 2012 the largest party in Thessaloniki is New Democracy with 27.8%, followed by the Coalition of the Radical Left (27.0%) and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (10.2%).[128] The table below summarizes the results of the latest elections.

  

Cityscape

  

Architecture

  

Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the Balkans. Aside from its commercial importance, Thessaloniki was also for many centuries the military and administrative hub of the region, and beyond this the transportation link between Europe and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel / Palestine). Merchants, traders and refugees from all over Europe settled in the city. The need for commercial and public buildings in this new era of prosperity led to the construction of large edifices in the city center. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories. Architects who designed some of the most notable buildings of the city, in the late 19th and early 20th century, include Vitaliano Poselli, Pietro Arrigoni, Xenophon Paionidis, Eli Modiano, Moshé Jacques, Jean Joseph Pleyber, Frederic Charnot, Ernst Ziller, Roubens Max, Levi Ernst, Angelos Siagas and others, using mainly the styles of Eclecticism and Art Nouveau.

 

The city layout changed after 1870, when the seaside fortifications gave way to extensive piers, and many of the oldest walls of the city were demolished, including those surrounding the White Tower, which today stands as the main landmark of the city. As parts of the early Byzantine walls were demolished, this allowed the city to expand east and west along the coast.[129]

 

The expansion of Eleftherias Square towards the sea completed the new commercial hub of the city and at the time was considered one of the most vibrant squares of the city. As the city grew, workers moved to the western districts, due to their proximity to factories and industrial activities; while the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-center to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably for 32 hours.[71] It destroyed the city's historic center and a large part of its architectural heritage, but paved the way for modern development and allowed Thessaloniki the development of a proper European city center, featuring wider diagonal avenues and monumental squares; which the city initially lacked – much of what was considered to be 'essential' in European architecture.

  

City Center

  

After the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, a team of architects and urban planners including Thomas Mawson and Ernest Hebrard, a French architect, chose the Byzantine era as the basis of their (re)building designs for Thessaloniki's city center. The new city plan included axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares, with a street grid that would channel traffic smoothly. The plan of 1917 included provisions for future population expansions and a street and road network that would be, and still is sufficient today.[71] It contained sites for public buildings and provided for the restoration of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.

The Metropolitan Church of Saint Gregory Palamas, designed by Ernst Ziller.

 

Today the city center of Thessaloniki includes the features designed as part of the plan and forms the point in the city where most of the public buildings, historical sites, entertainment venues and stores are located. The center is characterized by its many historical buildings, arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which can be seen on many of its buildings.

 

Also called the historic center, it is divided into several districts, of which include Ladadika (where many entertainment venues and tavernas are located), Kapani (were the city's central city market is located), Diagonios, Navarinou, Rotonta, Agia Sofia and Ippodromio (white tower), which are all located around Thessaloniki's most central point, Aristotelous Square.

 

The west point of the city center is home to Thessaloniki's law courts, its central international railway station and the port, while on its eastern side stands the city's two universities, the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center, the city's main stadium, its archaeological and Byzantine museums, the new city hall and its central parklands and gardens, namely those of the ΧΑΝΘ/Palios Zoologikos Kipos and Pedio tou Areos. The central road arteries that pass through the city center, designed in the Ernest Hebrard plan, include those of Tsimiski, Egnatia, Nikis, Mitropoleos, Venizelou and St. Demetrius avenues.

  

Ano Poli

  

Ano Poli (also called Old Town and literally the Upper Town) is the heritage listed district north of Thessaloniki's city center that was not engulfed by the great fire of 1917 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by ministerial actions of Melina Merkouri, during the 1980s. It consists of Thessaloniki's most traditional part of the city, still featuring small stone paved streets, old squares and homes featuring old Greek and Ottoman architecture.

 

Ano Poli also, is the highest point in Thessaloniki and as such, is the location of the city's acropolis, its Byzantine fort, the Heptapyrgion, a large portion of the city's remaining walls, and with many of its additional Ottoman and Byzantine structures still standing. The area provides access to the Seich Sou Forest National Park[131] and features amphitheatric views of the whole city and the Thermaic Gulf. On clear days Mount Olympus, at about 100 km (62 mi) away across the gulf, can also be seen towering the horizon.

  

Southeastern Thessaloniki up until the 1920s was home to the city's most affluent residents and formed the outermost suburbs of the city at the time, with the area close to the Thermaic Gulf coast called Exoches, from the 19th century holiday villas which defined the area. Today southeastern Thessaloniki has in some way become a natural extension of the city center, with the avenues of Megalou Alexandrou, Georgiou Papandreou (Antheon), Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Delfon, Konstantinou Karamanli (Nea Egnatia) and Papanastasiou passing through it, enclosing an area traditionally called Dépôt (Ντεπώ), from the name of the old tram station, owned by a French company. The area extends to Kalamaria and Pylaia, about 9 km (5.59 mi) from the White Tower in the city centre.

 

Some of the most notable mansions and villas of the old-era of the city remain along Vasilissis Olgas Avenue. Built for the most wealthy residents and designed by well known architects they are used today as museums, art galleries or remain as private properties. Some of them include Villa Bianca, Villa Ahmet Kapanci, Villa Modiano, Villa Mordoch, Villa Mehmet Kapanci, Hatzilazarou Mansion, Chateau Mon Bonheur (often called red tower) and others.

 

Most of southeastern Thessaloniki is characterized by its modern architecture and apartment buildings, home to the middle-class and more than half of the municipality of Thessaloniki population. Today this area of the city is also home to 3 of the city's main football stadiums, the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Posidonio aquatic and athletic complex, the Naval Command post of Northern Greece and the old royal palace (called Palataki), located on the most westerly point of Karabournaki cape. The municipality of Kalamaria is also located in southeastern Thessaloniki and has become this part of the city's most sought after areas, with many open spaces and home to high end bars, cafés and entertainment venues, most notably on Plastira street, along the coast

 

Northwestern Thessaloniki had always been associated with industry and the working class because as the city grew during the 1920s, many workers had moved there, due to its proximity near factories and industrial activities. Today many factories and industries have been moved further out west and the area is experiencing rapid growth as does the southeast. Many factories in this area have been converted to cultural centres, while past military grounds that are being surrounded by densely built neighborhoods are awaiting transformation into parklands.

 

Northwest Thessaloniki forms the main entry point into the city of Thessaloniki with the avenues of Monastiriou, Lagkada and 26is Octovriou passing through it, as well as the extension of the A1 motorway, feeding into Thessaloniki's city center. The area is home to the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal (KTEL), the Zeitenlik Allied memorial military cemetery and to large entertainment venues of the city, such as Milos, Fix, Vilka (which are housed in converted old factories). Northwestern Thessaloniki is also home to Moni Lazariston, located in Stavroupoli, which today forms one of the most important cultural centers for the city.

 

To read more please click :-

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki

life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly,

kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably,

and never regret anything that made you smile. ~ anonymous

 

HWEVS !!

This isn't one of my Mom's best photographs, with the focus a bit off, but as they say, "sharpness is bourgeois concept". Today would be my maternal grandmother's 114th birthday. She is on the right side of this photograph, looking at me. With her are two of her daughters, my aunties, Leora (holding me) and Marcia in the back (with such a beautiful pose). Her third daughter, my Mom (Marilyn) was taking the photograph.

 

I had my special names for all of these ladies who would influence my life. My grandmother was "Mamaw Hanners"; my Aunt Leora was "Aunt Orie"; and my Aunt Marcia was "Aunt Tata". After the untimely death of my Mom when I was only 9 years old, these three all played a huge part in my life. Only my Aunt Tata and me are left on this earth now.

 

Mamaw Hanners was unique to say the least. She never learned to drive a car. She didn't care much about socializing with others. She didn't laugh a lot, but when she did get tickled, usually watching Red Skelton or Jackie Gleason, her cackle was contagious and uncontrollable. The morning my Mom was shot to death, my Papaw Hanners picked me up from elementary school and took me to their home. When I walked in the door, Mamaw Hanners was sitting in a chair next to the door, with my small sister and brother on her lap. All three of them were wailing loudly, the unmistakable cry of deep mourning and shock, the kind that only comes from something like a shooting death out of the blue. I just stood and looked at them. Ever the fixer of things, even at age 9, I said "it will be okay Mamaw". She looked at me and blurted out "how am I going to take care of you three kids"? That hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked into the living room and stared blankly out of the window into the cold, November morning. My Dad was in an ambulance being rushed north to Indianapolis, after having been shot as well, and I was told bluntly he probably was not going to make it. I walked up to my Papaw Hanners and asked "am I going to be an orphan"?

 

Looking back, I think that moment changed my Mamaw Hanners life forever. In a flash her daughter was shot to death and three young grandkids were dumped in her lap. In the following years she spent a lot of time sitting quietly on her porch swing just rocking. She didn't have a lot to say.

 

But one thing that did elicit words was politics. She was a staunch Democrat, and every time Richard Nixon or Richard Lugar would appear on the TV screen, she would start swearing like a sailor. It happened so predictably that whenever Nixon or Lugar would appear on TV I'd get ready for the swearing. I can't help but smile thinking about it now. In later years, I became good friends with Senator Lugar and told him about my Mamaw Hanners. The story tickled him, and he laughed, which says a lot about the great man that Richard Lugar was. (Sorry Mamaw).

 

I can only imagine my Mamaw Hanners being alive in the Trump Era. Perhaps hell hath no fury that would surpass that of my Mamaw seeing Donald J. Trump on TV.

 

So, happy 114th birthday, Mamaw. And remember, in less than a month, a Democrat will be President again.

  

“As she neared her new plot of land, she passed a grimy and weathered old man on the road. He was audibly mumbling and talking to himself, hands gesturing every couple of seconds. Upon seeing her, he barked loudly about a cursed farmstead, insisting she turn around. Independent and strong her entire life, she brushed off his ramblings and traveled the final mile to her new home.

  

She worked hard with her son, sowing seeds and tending to the livestock. When the time came to harvest, nearly half the crops were ruined with plague. Beneath the rotting fruits and vegetables were pitch black feathers, hundreds of them in all, littering the fields and fluttering with the wind. In the barn, several pigs were also dead, their bodies surrounded by the same jet black feathers. Concerned but not broken, they used what they could and tried to persevere.

  

Weeks later while cooking breakfast, she heard her son begin to cough uncontrollably. She rushed to his bedroom to find his mouth and throat full of feathers wet from his saliva and bile. She frantically tried to pull them out but there was no end, as if in his stomach was an entire crow. He fell to the ground after a final jerk, lifeless and still. She wailed with misery and exasperation, collapsing onto him and clutching him tightly. She may have stayed there for hours had she not smelled something burning in the kitchen. It did not smell like food, however; the smell was much more like burning hair. She stumbled to the oven and opened it in horror, finding not ham but only the same black feathers, charred and smoking in front of her.” -M.D.Walter

 

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A rebooted version of flic.kr/p/HgGW1B

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Arthur Newton was a prodigy in the field of alchemy, coming from a long line of alchemists spanning back far into the Middle Ages. In his youth, he was reckless, touting himself as a powerful wielder of the power of alchemy. This recklessness and abandon for authority ended with him joining a group of renegade alchemists known as the Order of the Key, a group hellbent on using alchemy to destroy all magic.

 

At first, Arthur was fully on-board with the mission of the group, but then he had a daughter. Hannah was a bundle of joy, and Arthur realized that his life with the Order would be a terrible influence on his daughter. He defected from the Order, moving as far away from their workings as humanly possible, and settling down in the suburbs with his wife and daughter, ready to be a family man.

 

When Hannah turned 13, she began to show evidence of having magical abilities, which Arthur was quick to attempt to hide away, knowing that the Order was still out there and still kept tabs on him. This urging for Hannah to hide it away caused her to become afraid of her powers, and had the added consequence of letting her magic become unstable and uncontrollable.

 

When Hannah turned 18, the Order finally tracked down the Newtons, ready to tie up loose ends and prepared to kill Hannah and Arthur as an example to what happens to those who deny their righteous mission.

 

Arthur’s wife was killed by the Order, something Hannah witnessed. This caused her to unleash a wave of deadly magical energies, destroying the assassins sent for her and her father, as well as the house around them.

 

Since then, Arthur and Hannah have been on the run from the Order, with Arthur struggling to teach Hannah how to use her magical abilities as well as alchemy despite her apprehensions, leaning more toward using traditional weaponry and allowing her magic to fester and grow more and more unstable.

 

The both of them have become somewhat of a vigilante duo, stopping crimes and Order-sponsored plans during their sporadic life on the run.

Even heroes will get mad sometimes...

 

This is Laxus' alternate form when he gets serious in battle. He discards his lightning powers for plasma and becomes an even greater force to be reckon with! However, his uncontrollable temper during this form may lead regretful decisions and unthinkable consequences later on when he reverts back to normal.

 

I've found myself some free time and decided to moc a bit. I have this idea of an alt form for Laxus for quite some time and wanted to try it out. Turns out, it's pretty good. I'm grateful that I bought breakout Nex now :P

 

As always, thanks for stopping by and C&C is always appreciated! :D

Poor Miku. Floating in a vacuum – the crushing, frozen wasteland of space.

A solar-powered android, Miku contemplates the vastness of her inevitable future; an infinity of drifting endlessly and uncontrollably through gas clouds and nothingness... and, more importantly, over a million miles from the nearest leek.

 

After many delays, I finally got my Nendoroid Hachune Miku from GSC! She's so much more fun than I 'd expected! I'm so pleased to have her!

I made the background with a bit of black and white patterned paper and added the colours of the nebula with Photoshop.

 

N.B. After several weeks of drifting, Miku was picked up by a KFC meat delivery ship and returned to Earth.

Phedora. - "Constance" Boots Available at The Warehouse Sale ♂️

Whether you're storming the castle, attending a wizard duel, or just trying to out-walk NPCs, these lace-up beauties have got you covered. Crafted with +35 color customization,Rigged for Anatomy, EBody Reborn,Legacy F & M(Athletic), Maitreya & LaraX,they’re perfect for rogues, necromancers, & slightly unhinged Victorian poets. Warning: Wearing these may cause spontaneous villain monologues and an uncontrollable urge to challenge someone to a duel.

❥ LM : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rotten/121/111/23

❥Wear your group tag for 10% off!

❥Join our group inworld for 10% discount: Phedora Updates

❥ALWAYS TRY DEMO FIRST

 

USEFUL LINKS

 

Phedora. Discord

Phedora. Mainstore

Phedora. Flickr

Phedora. Linktree

Phedora. Flickr Group

Phedora. Primfeed Mainstore

Phedora. Primfeed

Phedora. Facebook

Phedora. Instagram

Phedora. Marketplace

Phedora. Twitter

Phedora. Blue Sky Social

 

#phedorasl #sl #secondlife #second_life #phedora #shoes #boots #Virtualshoes #fashion #event #larax #maitreya #legacy #ebody #ebodyreborn #heels #legacymale #anatomy #bellezajake #warehouse #warehousesale

i'm coming apart

 

a mechanism

of little wheels

and squeeking

springs

 

suddenly breaking down

 

each part running

out of sync with others

uncontrollable

 

i fly to pieces

 

©Agonysmuse

History:

Dante Peterson was always a hothead with a short temper. An uncontrollable youth became an uncontainable adult and his path led him deeper and deeper into trouble. His angry demeanor always put him on the wrong side of the law and made him a loner. It is believed that his powers were gained by some sort of trigger to his genetic code that enabled him with these abilities. His skin turns to a red and he is able to transform his body into a pillar of flame while retaining a human shape. He is resistant to heat and flame as well as having the capability to fly. His strength increases and he has the ability to control fire. This ability allows him to absorb heat, shoot missiles of fire, create a fire shield, and generate a heat sphere that can melt metal objects and even bullets. He also uses a heat mirage to make himself appear to be on fire when he is not. The media has dubbed him Fornax and the name has stuck with him. He is quick to remind people that he is not an arsonist, and that and damage he causes is their fault. He wears a suit that helps him control his powers, since it appears that his anger is what sets off his abilities. The creator of the suit is a mystery that even Dante may not know. He is actually careful with his powers because while he is resistant to the damage fire can do; he is not immune from its smoke. This fact does not stop him from being a major threat to the citizens of New Blok. Fornax is feared because of his ability to manipulate fire, but his fiery rage is just as dangerous.

 

Built for the League of Lego Heroes

www.flickr.com/groups/llh/

On a journey of discovery to who knows where it may end……… my destination changes like the wind but it always includes a level of who I am on the inside and sometimes on the outside as well. It all depends on the intensity of my GD which is currently hitting an unbearable and uncontrollable high to say the least.

When we last left Mark of Falworth he was facing off against a horde of loathsome Outlaws!

 

The first warriors who came within reach of Mark's sword were speedily cut down. Mark charged furiously into the great mass of men!

Mark slashed and chopped and parried and stabbed in an uncontrollable surge of adrenaline and rage!

After a dozen had fallen before his sword, the Outlaws paused in sheer disbelief. Fighting 12 opponents at a time, he still drove them back and held his own!

The respite was momentary, as the Outlaws were burning for vengeance against years of disastrous crusades (Some instigated by Mark). More and more fell, and Mark was thought to have fallen dead more then once, but then he would erupt from a pile of struggling bandits and rain down his deadly blows faster then ever!

For 7 long hours the carnage raged, and nigh a hundred Outlaws had died trying to bring down the knight of the everlasting smile and perfect hair (which still remained perfect despite the intense action).

 

But even the bravest cannot fight beyond his own strength, and each wave of opponents was getting harder and harder for Mark to drive back...

The Outlaws gathered together shoulder to shoulder for a final rush towards their target. Their war-cries grew stronger as Mark's strength faded.

 

But just before they could deliver the death blows, a tremendous, eardrum-bursting roar shook the entire battlefield!

 

Every warrior stopped and looked to the heavens from whence the rumble came.

 

Lo and behold, a colossal black creature descended on the mass of men. Fangs glistening, enormous wings spreading forth in terrible glory. It was none other then the fearsome dragon Cyricus the Mighty!

 

The great host of Outlaws fled like mice before a lion.

 

The Dragon landed with immense impact, feet away from the exhausted Mark.

 

He had no energy left to run, or even to raise his weapon. His voice had long since dissipated.

 

He looked straight into the jaws of death, and smiled. At last his time had come.

 

The massive claws and teeth shrieked towards him as he fell senseless to the ground...

 

To be Continued...

NEXT YEAR!! :D

 

_____________________

   

Jason crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway but found that it looked strikingly different than when he had last seen it. Instead of the inside of Jay Greene’s lavish mansion, it was a steel-enforced wall adorned with dents and other marks. The effects of the drug Greene had given him were making it increasingly difficult to stand, so Jason placed his hand on the wall and used it to guide himself to the end of the hall. Once there, he heard a scream from the other end of the hallway. It was a female scream.

  

“Scarlet…?” Jason called back drowsily as he turned to face the other way. In reply, Scarlet’s familiar voice cried out,

  

“Somebody save me please!!” Clenching his free fist, Jason began stumbling back down the hallway, all the while yelling back,

  

“I’m coming Scarlet…it’s going to be ok…hold on…!!” The temperature of the room began to drop dramatically as he reached the origin of the cries for help, evident by Jason being able to see his own breath. Shivering for a moment, Jason looked down. Upon looking back up, the hallway had changed. He now stood in a very familiar room, one with ice caking the walls along with various bloodstains. Looking around, he yelled out, “Scarlet! Scarlet where are you! I’m here to save you…I promise I will-” Jason’s speech was cut off by a sudden loud human produced ‘oink’ followed by sickening laughter. He raised his taser gun and began firing off several shots but to his surprise the gun had turned into his old pistol. The bullets collided with the walls and although they were made of steel they all began to bleed where shot. Looking down at his gun, Jason then realized he was no longer in his faux-Batman suit but instead in another familiar suit: his first Red Hood suit, the one he had created from Ra’s al Ghul’s leftover robes and armor. Feeling his face, he even found his old domino mask. After a moment of this, Jason closed his eyes, saying, “It’s just a hallucination…this isn’t real…this isn’t real…”

  

“I’m afraid we’re very real kiddo.” The sound of this voice particularly made Jason freeze in his place. He slowly opened his eyes to see that several new figures now stood around him. The Flamingo held someone in Jason’s current Red Hood suit down as Black Mask beat them with a pair of iron knuckles. But the source of the phrase just uttered stood several feet in front of Jason: the Joker. The former shook his head, saying,

  

“No…you’re in my head…this is just because of that stuff Greene hit me with…”

  

“Of course you know that,” Joker said, playing with the knife in his hand, “But we’re all very real. That’s no joke I’m afraid, birdboy,” The Joker began to walk around Jason, who seemed to be unable to move, as he continued, “Let’s face it Mr. ‘Artist-Formerly-Known-As-A-Killer’, you’re a dropout of the Batman school of flying lunatics! You don’t belong on his crusade, you already know what happens to everyone who follows him firsthand. Remember? Or will I have to reintroduce you to Mrs. Crowbar?” As Joker passed, Jason watched as the beating of the man in his current Red Hood uniform intensified. His mask was beginning to break, to which Black Mask laughed,

  

“We should’ve done this years ago Flamingo, this whole team-up.” Flamingo replied,

  

“As long as we can have equal distribution of his limbs later you can call me up any time Sionis.” Shooting Flamingo a strange look, Black Mask said,

  

“‘the hell’s wrong with you?” Joker grabbed Jason’s face and forced him to look at where the former had been standing at this point, causing the latter to gasp. Scarlet was stuck on the same operating table he had met her on years earlier, but with no Pyg around he began to understand why he was there.

  

“Ah…there it is. You’re getting the bigger picture now,” Joker laughed as he tapped Jason lightly on the cheek and walked to Scarlet’s side, “Here’s the deal: either you kill her or I do. Afraid there’s no way out of this one even if it is all in your head!” The Joker was laughing uncontrollably now as Jason unconsciously felt the arm that held his gun rise to Scarlet’s head. She deliberately fought against her restraints as Jason said,

  

“No…I won’t do it…Never…” Joker shook his head,

  

“Oh no no no no no no no, my dear boy, don’t you see? You’ve already made the choice. You won’t be able to blame us at all! This is glorious! It’s the nature of you people to kill the ones you love and you don’t even realize you’re doing it!” Relaxing for a moment while Jason grit his teeth in an attempt to take control of his arm, Joker sighed and said, “It’s one killer joke, right?” From behind Jason the sound of a blade piercing skin suddenly caught his attention. Turning, he watched Flamingo fall to the ground while Ra’s al Ghul stood behind him, cleaning his blade while nodding to Jason. In the momentary confusion, Joker asked,

  

“Now how the hell are you here? You’re the one person we definitely didn’t invite to this rendez-vous!” Feeling control in his arm returning as he watched Ra’s stab Black Mask through the throat, Jason managed to turn his gun to the Joker while saying,

  

“Joker!” The clown turned to him as Jason fired off several shots into the former’s body, “I never found you funny.” With the hallucinations of Joker, Black Mask, and Flamingo dead, Jason found himself alone with Ra’s, the man dressed in the newest Red Hood suit, and Scarlet. After a moment, Scarlet disappeared, leaving Jason to ask,

  

“What now?” Ra’s pointed to the door he had entered, saying,

  

“I’ll keep you safe for now, but only until the effects of Greene’s drug wear off.” Now the man in the Red Hood suit disappeared as Jason continued,

  

“Before we go…what are you? What is all this? What did it mean?” Ra’s turned to Jason in the doorway to reply,

  

“Jason. I’m a part of your mind. I know you know the answer.”

 

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

 

ISSUE 100! I never thought I'd reach 100 with any of the stories I wrote but here we are and I'm very proud of my Red Hood run. On that note, I will be continuing Robin shortly (I tried to get out up to Red Hood #100 before I left for college), and on the note of college I leave Tuesday and already have plans that I will discuss in a picture Monday or Tuesday morning. I hope you enjoyed and, as always, thanks for reading!

A symptom of mania in which the individual experiences rapidly changing and uncontrollable ideas.

  

As you might know I like taking architectural pictures. Well, I had a field day in Sheffield :o)

 

"The Information Commons (also known as the IC) is a library and computing building in Sheffield, England, and is part of the University of Sheffield. The architects were the Edinburgh-based RMJM. The IC is located on Leavygreave Road, close to the University tram stop.

 

It opened on 10 April 2007 to staff and students of the University, although it was officially opened on 26 September 2007 by Harsh Srivastav, a graduate of the University and former President of the Students Union. The project was conceived and is jointly operated by the University Library and the Corporate Information and Computing Services (CiCS). Soon after opening, satirical British magazine, Private Eye questioned the appropriateness of the building's name as a "commons", pointing out that ordinary residents of Sheffield, temporary staff and visiting researchers from other universities are forbidden access.

 

The IC has over 1,300 study spaces, 500 computers, and carries 100,000 texts. There is an information desk and a café on the ground floor, toilets and water fountains on all levels and shower facilities on the first level. The building is open to University of Sheffield staff and students 24 hours a day.

 

In Autumn 2009 the building suffered an uncontrollable increase in temperature when more than 3000 students attempted to access its facilities at the same time." Wikipedia

 

The comment pictures are clickable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ab und an mache ich ja Fotos von Gebäuden. Die nenne ich dann "Architekturfotos" obwohl ich nicht weiß, ob das nicht eventuell zu hochtrabend ist. Egal, jedenfalls mache ich das gerne und in Sheffield gibt es einige Bauten, die zu fotografieren sich lohnt. Hab' ich auch gemacht.

Das wird euch also die nächsten Tage erwarten.

Die Kommentarbilder sind wieder mal anklickbar.

The painting is Fragonard's most famous works, and one of the most emblematic images of eighteenth-century art. Its genesis is reported by the writer Charles Collé. According to his journals and memoirs for 1767, the history painter Gabriel-François Doyen was commissioned by an unnamed ‘gentleman of the Court’ late in 1767 to paint his young mistress on a swing, pushed by a bishop with himself admiring her legs from below.

 

Doyen, who had just had a major success at the Salon as a religious history poainter refused and suggested Fragonard. Fragonard was at that time about to completely change his career from a history painter with important royal commissions to a painter of small and highly sophisticated cabinet pictures. This was at least in part a reaction to his problems with payments from the royal arts administration. The commission might have in part triggered that change or might simply have come at the right moment.The painting marks the re-launch of Fragonard's career with paintings for a small, well-informed circle. Those could either be highly erotic works, like P430, or works that required an advanced knowledge of art history and old master painting. Fragonard's move was highly successful.

 

Compared with the original brief, in the finished painting, the older man is no longer a priest, a barking dog has been added, and Falconet's sculpture of 'L'amour menaçant (Menacing Love)' comments on the story. Fragonard answers the libertine bintentions of his patron by picking a rococo style. Fragonard was often employing different styles or languages at the same time, and he seems to have seen a Rococo idiom as particularly apt for an erotic scene. This move has fundamentally shaped perceptions of Rococo art. With Fragonard's famous work, the style changed its associations. Fragonard combines a backward-looking Rococo element with a pre-Romantic rendering of a forceful and uncontrollable, often obscene nature.

 

The name of the work derives from an engraving by Nicolas de Launay after the painting that was published in 1782. It has been used as a template for countless caricatures and is increasingly popular with contemporary artists and designers.

needed to play a little this morning before I go out to work in this intense forecasted cold and chill effects - so used an image of a profile horse head, shot overexposed and high key, then added Jai's textures, uncontrollable 7 and uncontrollable 37 and thick paint 15, all flattened and then auto contrast, and then added frame and signature - hope you like it - thanks Jai Johnson

(+3 In Comments)

+++++++++

Please ^^^

 

I never used to cry, I absolutely hated it. I hated feeling weak, I hated feeling vulnerable and I hated letting my guard down. I hated showing that I was sensitive, that things upset me. I hated crying about myself really. A book, a movie, anything that wasn’t me, I could cry you oceans with all of the emotions and feelings that they would stir up in the pit of my stomach, but when it came to me, I was a rock. Bottling it up and hiding it on a back shelf was a skill that I had painfully mastered. I hated that I always felt stupid for letting something bother me, that I should be stronger than that. Lately though, I’ve come to accept crying as a part of my life, as depressing as that sounds. I finally just stopped caring, and let that wall down and completely broke down and cried and cried until there was nothing left. I poured my heart out to her and she held me and didn’t say a thing, because she knew she didn’t need to. That night was one of the first nights I had ever really sobbed uncontrollably in front of someone, and it felt so liberating. I’ve embraced the fact that we need to cry. It’s therapeutic, and it helps us move on, and put a sort of closure on parts of our lives sometimes. I still struggle with it everyday, and sometimes I hold so much in and I can feel it in my throat and I know if I don’t let it all go, then I’m just going to explode. And that’s when I remember that it’s okay. It’s all okay

 

~EXPLORED #333 FEBRUARY 9, 2010 <3

I know it's not even that high of a number, but its 333 so I am happy.

/ocd

SUPPLIES

-Bowl

-Wide tooth comb

-Fine tooth comb (optional)

-Bottle of diluted gel (2 squirts of gel diluted in full bottle of water)

-Conditioner

-Shampoo (optional)

 

STEPS

#1: Assess the hair type of your doll. This technique only works on saran or nylon haired dolls with very kinky curls. Kanekalon hair responds differently to heat (see notes below for basic hair type info).

 

#2: If your doll is secondhand, I recommend washing his/her body first, to prevent any product from getting into their clean hair.

 

#3: Shampoo your doll's hair (optional if your dolly is already clean). Make sure your doll is thoroughly rinsed, so there is no leftover product.

 

#4: Apply a generous amount of conditioner to your doll's hair. Very curly hair can be difficult to detangle, so the more conditioner you use, the better.

 

#5: Start with a wide tooth comb at the base of the doll's hair. Gently brush out the tangles until you reach the top of his/her scalp. It might be best to work in smaller sections since this hair type is so tricky to work with. For nylon haired dolls, I do not recommend using a fine tooth comb afterwards, as this hair types stretches and frizzes too much. However for saran haired dolls, using a fine tooth comb at the end yields better results.

 

#6: Heat up your bowl of water until it is bubbling. You'll want this water to be very hot.

 

#7: Dunk your doll's head into the water like you would for a regular boil wash. Take the doll out periodically and comb the hair with a wide tooth comb (for saran haired dolls, also use a fine tooth comb).

 

#8: Let the doll sit in the hot water for several minutes.

 

#9: Rinse the doll in very cold water. As you are rinsing, scrunch her hair up using your hands. This will help shape the curls more.

 

#10: Once his/her hair is cooled off, generously apply the diluted gel mixture all over the front and back of the doll's hair. I find that the more gel you use, the shinier the curls look at the end. But make sure the mixture has mostly water, or you'll end up with a sticky mess.

 

#11: Let your doll air dry, or place him/her in front of a fan to quicken the process. Never use a blow dryer on your doll's hair, as it will burn their hair permanently. This hair type dries rather quickly. Voila, your dolly's curls should now be shiny and defined!

 

***IMPORTANT NOTES***

*Basic knowledge of hair types is necessary for this technique as kanekalon hair will go completely straight in the hot water. Here is a very basic explanation of the three main doll hair types:

-Saran: Densest of all hair types (dolls typically have further spaced hair plugs). Hair is very shiny and almost waxy feeling. This hair tangles rather easily. Commonly seen on 80s-2010s Barbies and early Bratz/2015 era ones. This hair type is more heat resistant and requires hotter water and longer soaks. One dunk in hot water will not remove the doll's original hair style. When this hair is very damaged, it will have lots of "split ends" and will need more boil washes to fix.

 

-Nylon: Generally considered the worst hair type due to its low quality. While nylon does come in grades, most of the time it is very frizzy and dry. This hair type has little response to a boil wash (unless it is very kinky hair like Madison's above). It tends to stretch, and if the hair is not flat ironed, dry brushing will cause the hair to double in volume and become uncontrollably frizzy (kids love to cut this type of hair for this reason). Commonly seen on 2008-2013 era Bratz, Moxie Girlz, Disney Store dolls, off brand celebrity dolls, and some of the newest Mattel dolls.

 

-Kanekalon: This hair type is the most ideal for creating your own hair styles. It responds the easiest to heat, meaning it can be straightened or curled time and time again, succumbing to your will. However, sometimes a simple washing can remove the style, or bangs will go straight in the boil wash when you don't want them to. This hair type is seen on the late 80s-early 2010s Barbies, as well as certain Bratz lines (like most of the Wintertime Wonderland dolls). American Girls also use a different grade of kanekalon hair that responds to heat in much the same way (thus why you can curl their hair by just wetting it and rolling it in curlers). Kanekalon hair feels very fluffy and sheds the most out of any hair type. It tends to dread and lose it's color with age.

 

*This technique may need to be repeated several times depending on the condition of your doll's hair. Madison, shown above, had very nice hair considering she was purchased secondhand. Thus it only took one treatment to fix her hair. For older dolls, like the very curly haired Island Fun Barbie line dolls, they may need additional treatments.

 

*You may need to trim off any stretched bits of hair once the treatment is done, to give the doll a more polished look. I skimmed the edges of Madison's hair, only removing the longer bits.

 

*If you put too much gel into your bottle, the doll's hair will dry very sticky. Do not worry, as a simple hair wash will remove the gel. This is why it is important to only put two tiny squirts into the bottle (I like to use a color bottle, but a spray bottle would work too).

 

*Your doll's hair parting might get a little messed up from being brushed or played with. Before adding the gel, make sure to correct this by using your fingers to separate the hair.

 

*After this treatment, do NOT brush or comb your doll's hair, as it will make the hair frizzy (much like if you brushed or combed human curly hair). If the hair gets matted or messy looking, simply repeat this process in the future.

 

*Use caution when brushing out nylon haired dolls with extreme curls. They tend to shed hair very quickly, and if you aren't careful, they can bald, since they are rooted with less hair (as their hair is more voluminous in the first place).

 

*If your doll has kanekalon hair, and you want to curl it, you will need to roll their hair in curlers, and then boil wash to form the curls. Sometimes it is recommended to boil wash the doll's hair first, if it is very frizzy and tangled (this yields a smoother, more polished finished product).

 

Video tutorial:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfGyBjSZlRo&feature=youtu.be

Squalus' (SS-192) bow comes to the surface as personnel based on Falcon (ASR-2) struggle to refloat the sunken submarine, off the New Hampshire coast during the Summer of 1939. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which Squalus' bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the salvage pontoons nearby would include both bow line pontoons, plus the two upper pontoons on the stern lifting line. The ship's hull number 192 is painted on her bow.

The abortive surfacing wrecked 13,600 feet of air hoses running from the salvage ship to the pontoons to the ballast tanks of the submarine.

+1 in comments.

 

Just throwing this one up there... I should wait for my film images, but, eh... it's always hard to stop thinking about how beautiful Proxy Falls is.

 

In this case, it was also very wet. I had an out-of-town friend visit this weekend, and I took him to some familiar places: the food carts, Powell's, Voodoo Doughnuts, Broder's, etc. There was also an educational walk down Hawthorne that included a game that I like to call "Identify the Hipster". We only had a day to really "get out", and it was Saturday... so instead of the Gorge (too crowded for my tastes on the weekend), we made the drive down to Proxy.

 

And, wow. Did we ever get drenched. And hailed on! Even taking umbrellas didn't help a whole lot (don't get on my case too much for the umbrellas... I was trying to protect the gear in some small way). I waded up to my knees across the bottom of the falls, to reach this almost spray-free area on the right, where I perched for the better part of an hour. By the time I came down, I couldn't feel my fingers. And when I reached my friend again (he had waited patiently at the base), I found him shivering uncontrollably.

 

And yet, he says the experience did not dissuade him from considering a move out here. Heh.

 

Anyway. It's been a great weekend, and I hope you all enjoyed yours!

Paige was starting to go all goofballs, that's how I knew it was time to wrap it up.

 

Tip: when the model gets punchy, shut it down.

 

Gave me some of my favorite shots right before she did, I tell you what. Right before she went all uncontrollable giggles and muppet faces, she was throwing nothing but strikes.

 

Other circumstances, I might've been less than entirely happy to realize the shoot was ending because of reasons other than my own satisfaction, but hell, I WAS satisfied. I was just getting greedy at this point, I'd gotten the shots I wanted, had the shoot I'd wanted. At this point I was just giving the wash cloth a final wringing out, making sure there was nothing left.

 

Leave it all on the field, I say.

 

Though, when "All" means "Paige's sanity", maybe we can dial it back a smidge.

It was a strange kind of shock I found myself in, our entire shoot. I was elated, things were so new, so unexpected, but I was also filled with a deep grief, because that which I had loved so much as an artist was now gone.

 

We'd headed down to Malibu to visit the bamboo caves, a place I'd spent way too much time investigating back in 2009-2010. I'd shot there a good dozen times, braving traffic, freeways, strange weather, uncommunicative models.

 

I'd even staged a photo-get-together there, brought a good dozen people out for fun, photos, and wine.

 

I hadn't been in awhile, figured it'd be a fun thing to show Whitney, as she was still new-ish to LA. Some models I like to Wow with a great location.

 

Right from the start, though, I knew something was off. The opening to the park was far wilder than I'd remembered. We walked deeper in, and that opinion was only strengthened.

 

And then we came to the caves. Or

 

WHERE THE CAVES had BEEN.

 

Instead it was just flattened, wide piles of bamboo laid low. Everywhere. The big caves, the small caves next to them. Gone.

 

Around them, the park had gone wild. Feral, growing without any organization or reason.

 

And it was fantastic. Like Star Trek III, where Genesis has worked Too Well, sent the planet into uncontrollable evolution.

 

A place I knew quite well was now utterly strange to me.

 

Which meant I could explore it all over again, like it was the first time.

 

So we did, and the exploring only proved out the theory, the park had gone rogue. Everything had shifted, grown, moved.

 

And it was fantastic. Waves of nostalgia overwhelmed me, this used to be here, we shot those photos there, this used to be a pathway.

 

I'll miss what's gone, but I can't wait to use what's there now.

Batman: Damned (2018-) # 2

As Batman’s descent into the madness of Gotham City’s decadent underbelly continues, he must try to exorcise some of his demons…and who better to help than the Demon, Etrigan himself. And where there’s demons, there’s also a Deadman, a Spectre, an Enchantress and a host of other supernatural friends and foes—it’s a veritable Grand Guignol!

 

Saban's Go Go Power Rangers # 15

Trini is the new Red Ranger and Jason is the new Yellow Ranger. And…there might be some other complications too.

 

Spawn Kills Everyone Too # 2

IF YOU THOUGHT ISSUE ONE HAD A LOT OF BLOOD AND GUTS... WAIT 'TIL YOU SEE ISSUE TWO!!

 

MORE CUTENESS, AND EVEN MORE KILLING THAN BEFORE!

 

The Batman Who Laughs (2018-) # 1

“A Batman who laughs is a Batman who always wins.”

 

Left rattled by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, Bruce Wayne must come face to face with the nightmares spawned from the Dark Multiverse. But even though evil devoured evil in the collapse of Challengers Mountain, the Dark Knight still has his doubts. He discovers that the Batman Who Laughs not only survived the fight with The Joker at the end of METAL, but now he is enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse—something both terrifying and oddly familiar. But when Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman won’t break…the same rule that created this insatiable villain—the Batman Who Laughs!

 

Vampirella vs. Reanimator # 1

It’s the big question of 2018: How could Vampirella and the Reanimator not have met before now?!!?! Herbert West--the Reanimator--has long sought the secret to perfecting his reagent and break death’s hold on mankind once and for all. The key to his success lies in only one place--the forbidden tomb of the Aztec god of death! But disturbing sleeping gods is as troubling (to put it mildly) as raising the uncontrollable, murderous dead... especially when this deity is an ancient enemy of Vampirella of Drakulon! It's vampire versus mad scientist in a battle that threatens to tear the gates of the underworld asunder!

 

Spider-Force (2018) # 3 (of 3)

A SPIDER-GEDDON TIE-IN! Spider-Force is falling, one member at a time. The Inheritor Verna will stop at nothing to get the Solus Crystal to bring her father back to life—and killing all of Spider-Force would be icing on the cake. Will Jessica sacrifice everything to save the Multiverse?

 

Uncanny X-Men (2018-) # 5

Psylocke vs. Angel?!

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018-) # 1

Balancing his normal life, school, parents, etc…and super-heroing has never been easy, but when the Rhino and a cadre of mysterious criminals start plaguing Brooklyn, things take a dark turn. And Miles doesn’t even know the half of it yet. Eisner Award-winner Saladin Ahmed (BLACK BOLT) and Young Gun Javier Garrón (ANT-MAN & THE WASP) bring you the latest incarnation of the coolest character in the Marvel Universe!

 

X-23 (2018-) # 7

AN ALL-NEW ARC BEGINS! A series of gruesome murders. A killer who disappears without a trace. Laura and Gabby are on the hunt. But when Laura comes face-to-face with the mysterious X-Assassin, nothing is as it seems…

 

True Believers: Fantastic Four - Super-Skrull (2018) # 1

Published:

December 12, 2018

Reprinting Fantastic Four (1961) #18!