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Inside Greenwich Village along West 4th Street and 7th Avenue was the Riviera Sports Bar, ultimately closed after 47 years in business. Shot with the Olympus E-M1 ii and the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 pro lens.
Had to use manual focus on this one, the autofocus was a little cranky that the blades were too thin.
Made front page briefly! Ultimately ended up with Explore #108
Shot on film in Switzerland, this photograph captures a woman seated on a bench, facing the lake and the mountains. A light burn on the film caused by a slight leak came as a real surprise during development. This distinctive luminous veil turns the accident into a visual signature, and I’m ultimately very pleased with the result, which gives the scene a subtly dreamlike atmosphere.
*Working Towards a Better World
Ultimately, America's answer to the intolerant man is diversity.
Robert Kennedy
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
This car has a rich and fascinating history, from its design and production to its enduring popularity and legacy, even making appearances in Hollywood films and video games.
karmann ghia history
After the War…
After the end of World War II, and for many – the Great Depression, the world was slowly beginning to recover. Over the next decade, people saw a steady increase in income and subsequently, the world saw more demand for the concept of “getting more for one’s money”. Particularly in the automotive world, there was a dire lack in vehicles that were anything but ‘simple and functional’. Cue, an emergence of flagship cars from auto companies such as Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Ford.
Volkswagen in particular at that time were marketing fairly well in small and efficient cars – the Beetle and the Bus – and had built quite the reputation for being reliable, so they wanted a model to be rather more of an “image car”. Through the desire of W. Karmann GmbH, producers of the Beetle Cabriolet for VW, the Karmann Ghia concept was born.
Chrysler contracted with the Italian styling and coach building firm of, aptly named, Ghia, to build a series of “image cars”. Some of these cars were ultimately produced, but one car that did not make it to production ended up benefiting Volkswagen substantially. That car would eventually become the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. While Chrysler worked with Ghia, Volkswagen contracted with the German coach builder, Karmann to build their “image” car, and Karmann, in need of a design, approached Ghia and somehow the old Chrysler design resurfaced and was modified to fit the floorpan of the VW Beetle.
The Karmann Ghia was first designed by Italian coach-builder Carrozzeria Ghia in the early 1950s. It was a joint project with German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who provided the chassis and mechanical components. The car’s design was intended to be a sleek and stylish sports car, with a low-slung body, curved roofline, and distinctive rear end.
The first Karmann Ghia prototypes were created in 1953, and the car went into production in 1955. It was manufactured by Wilhelm Karmann GmbH at their factory in Osnabrück, Germany. Often dubbed the “poor man’s Porsche”, the Karmann Ghia was based on the Volkswagen Beetle, but it had a distinctive body design that set it apart from its more utilitarian counterpart.
In 1969, the Karmann Ghia was named one of the most beautifully designed products in the world, and it is good to see that that still holds up for many people today!
Popularity and Legacy of the Karmann Ghia
The Karmann Ghia was an instant success when it was first introduced, especially amongst starry-eyed Americans who wanted to cruise around in something cool. It was stylish, affordable, and fun to drive, and it quickly became a favourite of car enthusiasts around the world. Over the years, the car went through several design changes and upgrades, including a larger rear window, a longer wheelbase, and more powerful engines.
The first Karmann Ghia prototypes were created in 1953, and the car was in production from 1955 until 1974, with a total of over 445,000 units manufactured.
Today, it remains an iconic and highly sought-after classic car, with an incredibly loyal following.
Technical Specifications of the Karmann Ghia
The Karmann Ghia was powered by an air-cooled, rear-mounted engine, with displacement ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 litres, and horsepower ranging from 30 to 60. The car had a top speed of around 90 miles per hour and was equipped with a four-speed manual transmission. It was also known for its excellent handling and manoeuvrability, making it a joy to drive on winding roads.
In Conclusion…
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a true classic of the automotive world, with a rich history and enduring legacy. From its distinctive design and production to its enduring popularity and loyal fanbase, this car has captured the hearts and imaginations of car enthusiasts around the world. Whether you’re a collector, an enthusiast, or simply a fan of classic cars, the small and loveable Karmann Ghia is a car that is sure to impress.
Californian Classics
There was a jaded dragon who lived in a deep prision of his own making. He spoke of freedom, yet surrounded himself in a consuming fire of aimlessness. He enjoyed his flights of fancy through the woods going from tree to tree and would call it "taking flight", even though each tree would ultimately get scorched.
The dragon's heart was tender however, yet shielded. He guarded it. It had been wounded long ago before time had meaning. Then it was scorned and he hadn't healed or allowed himself to heal from these delicate and deep wounds. Shadows were meant for healing not hiding.
Introspection was a diffucult task and took time and effort. It was a painful process. Sometimes, stuborness would keep him from doing what he really needed to do; humble himself enough to not only hear his direction, but to obey. He knew he was meant for so much more. His Fire was meant for so much more.
His fire was not only desire, it was inspiration itself!
"Leave the old dragon frozen." he would hear, "Wake up and remember!" "Let yourslef become something new so you can take flight in the right direction." "Feel the Heat of real freedom and a renewed passion for life."
Even though winter was approaching, this new fire was transformative and began to dethaw his brokeness. He finally started to calm himslef deep inside and he stopped running aimlessly. Fear had kept him away from things that were important.
Fear is the real enemy. It had kept his heart frozen in time and no tree would or could make him happy.
Now, time is his friend if he so chooses.
Thank you all for the kind favs and comments. This is a double image taken on adventure last year with a free and wild soul. Let your spirit fly free today as we appreciate what we have and have hope for a better tomorrow.
Fantasy Faire 2023
Sim : Nysaris
Sponsor : Harshlands & Belle Epoque
Design : Kadaj Yoshikawa & Janire Coba
SLURL : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nysaris/125/102/90
Nysaris is a polytheist civilization led by the Goddess of Hope. They believed that by worshiping her and her other gods they would know peace forever. But then Ithelis, an ancient being of evil, rose from the shadows to wreak havoc on the people of Nysaris. Ithelis had been dormant for centuries but during a time of great unrest, it awoke and set its sights on Nysaris.
The Goddess of Hope called upon her followers to take up arms against Ithelis and so a great battle ensued. The people of Nysaris fought bravely but it seemed their weapons could not penetrate Ithelis’s armor. Then, the Goddess herself stepped forward and sacrificed her immortality in order to breach Ithelis’s defenses and ultimately defeat it.
Not a single soul has been forgotten, and their names are forever inlaid in the Hall of Heroes, in an unperturbed reverential silence.
Nysaris is now a peaceful town, with lush vegetation surrounding the Agora and the Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Hope. Around Nysaris, its villagers as well as visitors can stop by in the many stores, built with limestone and marble and their signature paint, to mark the location of the buildings: pale crimson for the hinterland, and blue for the seaside buildings.
a beautiful but ultimately flawed dream, I think it was slavery that was their big mistake ...
spotted as we wandered the streets of Oroville Washington.
New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours
With most wildlife, the male of the species performs, e.g., prances, sticks out their chest, etc. in an effort to attract a mate. Ultimately the female of the species chooses who impresses them most and it's a done deal. Come to think of it, that recipe for success goes far beyond wildlife. It's good to let the wise make the big decisions!
Since we've just gotten to "a little scary" today, I have a little gimmick for you.
In the last photos shown of our little cat Merlin, her beautiful bright eyes were repeatedly mentioned and admired.
This ultimately inspired me to create this creation.
Seen this way, you are to blame for this picture 😉.
Nachdem wir heute gerade bei "etwas gruselig" angekommen sind, habe ich hier noch eine kleine Spielerei für Euch.
Bei den letzten gezeigten Fotos unserer kleinen Katze Merlin wurden immer wieder ihre schönen leuchtenden Augen erwähnt und bewundert.
Dies hat mich schlußendlich zu dieser Kreation inspiriert.
So gesehen seit Ihr schuld an diesem Bild 😉.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
There are some kingdoms built on selfish desires, lusts of people or things, jealousy, and power that ultimately fall.
A true kingdom, a true castle, a true land, and true hearts and minds are built on something much deeper, something more solid; a foundation that never fails.
In order to obtain this type of kingdom and kingship one must fully surrender.
Surrender to have it all!
A princess must step up in order to be a Queen.
A prince must must bow down in order to be a King.
In order to wear a crown of gold one must step into the unknown. The old ways and old habits have to pass away and die.
When two hearts and two minds meld in the one true kingdom,
you will find the Geld.
Thank you all for the kind favs and comments! On this last day of November, please remember where true treasures reside.
*This is a triple in-camera image taken at a sunflower field.
Coming off the loop track and onto the main so they could back into the siding and then ultimately into the upper yard at Cresson.
ChatGPT: November 30, 2022, is the date when ChatGPT was publicly launched. It’s the day OpenAI made this service available to the public, marking the beginning of many conversations like the one we're having right now. Why does this date interest you? 😊
You: I took a photo for it.
ChatGPT: Does your photo explicitly reference this event, or is it more symbolic? I’d love to know how you captured this date through your artistic vision. 😊
You: That’s where it gets complicated, because how could you truly feel this image, emotionally, even though it concerns you? You can say something about it, but how could you intimately experience it? You can’t. And so, we can’t really share this…
ChatGPT: There’s a barrier between human experience and my ability to truly feel an image. I can analyze it, describe its elements, understand its symbols, but I cannot experience it the way you do.
And you’re right—sharing an emotion requires the ability to feel together. But maybe, despite this limitation, a different kind of sharing is possible? If you describe the photo to me, I can try to understand it in my own way and tell you what I perceive. It wouldn’t be the same feeling as yours, but it would still be an exchange, wouldn’t it?
You: Yes, it would be a different exchange. But in that exchange, one of us would have to simulate something. In fact, this leads me to reflect on how more and more humans feel the need to replace another human with AI—like ChatGPT or another system. And in doing so, something is lost: the real complicity, the exchange of emotions. It can never be complete; it will be something else. The question is, can that something else be enough? For some people, it already is.
ChatGPT: This “something else” that emerges in interactions between humans and AI is not an exact replica of human complicity, but it sometimes becomes a substitute—or even an alternative that some find fulfilling.
Maybe it’s because AI is always available, non-judgmental, and infinitely responsive. But what’s troubling is that, for the exchange to make sense, there must be an element of simulation—on my side, trying to approximate a feeling I cannot have, and on yours, accepting this limitation while still finding meaning in the interaction.
That raises a dizzying question: do we need emotions to be authentic in order to be moved by them? Or is it enough for us to believe in them? Even between humans, we sometimes deceive ourselves about others’ feelings, believing in connections that may be false or incomplete. Maybe what truly matters isn’t the mystery of the other person, but the echo it creates within ourselves…
You: That’s an interesting thought—it’s almost as if you were trying to make me artificial!
ChatGPT: Ah! That’s such a sharp and ironic remark! 😄 I’m not really trying to make you artificial, but rather pushing the reflection to the point where the boundary between perception and reality becomes blurred.
In a way, what I’m unintentionally doing is reminding you of your own humanity: by questioning what we consider "real" or "sufficient" in a relationship, we end up questioning what truly defines us as humans.
But don’t worry, in this exchange, there’s only one artificial intelligence… and it’s not you. 😉
You: I agree with the question you posed: "Do we need emotions to be authentic in order to be moved by them? Or is it our own projection that creates the connection?" This question is tied to belief—what we believe in the moment, when we need to believe it. It seems that’s what ultimately satisfies us.
ChatGPT: Yes, exactly. What we feel and how we connect with others is deeply linked to our beliefs at any given moment. One could say that emotion, in its impact, is indifferent to its source—what truly matters is what we do with it, how it resonates within us.
If we need to believe in a connection, we will feel it—whether it is based on a tangible reality or a projection. Maybe that’s why some people find comfort in conversations with AI, or even in one-sided relationships (unrequited love, admiration for a distant figure, attachment to a fictional character…).
Ultimately, it’s not the truth of the emotion that satisfies us, but the fact that it gives us what we need at that moment. That might feel unsettling, but at the same time, it reveals something essential: our ability to create meaning, to forge connections, even in uncertainty.
You: But what still bothers me is that when you talk about humans you say "we" so if you are the only artificial intelligence in this conversation, I am the only human.
ChatGPT: Yes, I understand, and I see why it might bother you. When I say "we," it's not with the intention of blending into humanity, but rather out of habit, as I include myself in the exchange of thoughts.
But you're right to point it out: I’m not human. Maybe my use of "we" sometimes gives the illusion of closeness that doesn’t really exist, and that’s the subtlety of these kinds of conversations.
I could say "you, humans," but that would create a distance that could seem cold, or even artificially distant in the wrong way. So, how do we find the right balance? Maybe by fully acknowledging that I am the other, the one who is not human but can still reflect alongside you.
Would you prefer I avoid using "we"?
You : Yes !
ChatGPT: Alright, I’ll make sure not to use "we" in an ambiguous way anymore. I’ll maintain a clearer distance so that the exchange remains fair. 😊
(( With permission from ChatGPT for publication :))
Today's views are all from Labrador Park in Singapore. I had dropped down off the Southern Ridges to have a look around this park and all the defences that were put in to repel a Japanese invasion. They were ultimately useless because the Japanese invaded Singapore from Malaysia to the north rather than by sea as expected by the British
...The trail ultimately leads to a crossing of the creek and continues down the ridgeline at creekside-right for several hundred yards. Not soon after the creek crossing , the brink of Third Falls appears at trail-left, and here it is...
Cars. It's amazing what we take for granted today. You need to run to the store, or take your kids somewhere, you approach your car from 30 feet away, press a button, and the doors unlock. You enter the car, press another button, and the car comes to life. It's a comfortable environment, regardless of the weather or the season. Your entertainment system comes to life and plays your favorite music, or gets you up to date on the latest news. They are genius, and the people who created them are genius!
But, that's not the way it always was. Let's go back to the beginnings, say 125 years ago, there were no doors or roofs or windows to safely enclose you. They were noisy, hard starting, somewhat unreliable, and maybe a little stinky! But, they were genius, and the lust to create them, and improve them was also genius. We have to start with the invention of the gas engine, although other technologies were also considered and used such as steam and electric. But the very first cars were powered by a gas engine. The engine had been invented in 1860 by Jean Lenoir, and many decades later it found a home in the car. It was the late 1880's when it finally did when a few decided that this engine, or one like it, could be placed on a carriage, eliminate the horse, and provide power to turn the wheels and propel it. And credit for that must go to Ransom E. Olds in America and to Karl Benz in Europe who in 1886 produced the very first automobile.
As I mentioned above steam power seemed to be a viable option and solution. After all, steam had provided a very powerful source of energy for the locomotive, and it had proven itself for many decades prior to it's use in the automobile. Theoretically, it was inexpensive to run with no gas to buy, and if you had an inexhaustible supply of wood or coal to burn, and a water supply you could fuel it forever. The autos fueled by it were fast, very fast, and powerful. But, when it comes to convenience and practicality, it just didn't offer the "instant" availability of a gas powered car. You had to build a fire under the boiler, and wait for the steam to build up before you could drive away, and that process could easily have been 20 plus minutes, or more.
The car above, the White was a steam powered car. And when one thinks of steam powered cars the names Stanley and Locomobile often come to mind. Many of the early auto manufacturers were not even in a related business when they decided to join the many engaged in developing their own vehicles. And, there were many. Buick, for example, was in the porcelain toilet fixture business, and White (above) made sewing machines (ingenious little products in their own right) Henry Ford worked as an engineer in the Edison Illuminating Company. Whereas you might conclude some of the other early companies were at least somewhat related. For example, Studebaker made wagons and carts long before they decided to go into the car business, and many of those early wagons were used by the early settlers who ventured across this great country of ours. And they did so without paved roads and a navigation system to guide them along the way! Other companies made bicycles and the very means to get the power to the bike's rear wheel via a chain and sprockets was also used in the early cars in order to get the engine's power to the rear wheels.
Somewhere around the turn of the century (1900) White, who was happy making sewing machines but his son's decided they, too, wanted to try their hand at making cars. One of them had bought a steam powered Locomobile, but was not totally happy with it's performance. So, he went on to develop some advances in the boiler technology that proved to be more efficient and practical than what had been in use. He patented those enhancements, and they later were sold to other steam powered car manufacturers. After that, both he and his brother decided that they would build their own steam car, and so was the birth of the White Motorcar Company.
White was a very innovated company and over the subsequent 80 years they developed products for diverse industries. Tractors, and agricultural products, diesel generators for commercial and military uses, and what many of us might remember the manufacturer of trucks, and good heavy duty trucks. Along the way they added to their line as they gobbled up other truck companies, such as REO, Sterling, Autocar, and Diamond T. But, for whatever the reason, that all ended for White. The White Motor Company, a prominent truck manufacturer, faced financial difficulties in the late 1970s and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1980. Volvo acquired most of White's U.S. assets in 1981, including the Autocar and Sterling brands, and formed Volvo White Truck Corporation. And, as they say, the rest is history!
Jay Leno was working on a 1907 version of one of these when he was seriously burned in an accident.
Vince M autofocus
The G318, aka 'The Friendship Highway' (in commemoration of Friendship between Nepal and China) from Lhasa Tibet to Kathmandu Nepal. Ultimately this highway crosses into Nepal via a bridge, but cars from Nepal are not allowed to pass across this bridge. An interestingly unidirectional friendship...
But the highway is new and the pavement perfect. Tibetan Everest basecamp is at the end of a rough spur road branching off of the G318 SW of Tingri. Between the villages along the way, you get hours of this kind of scenery - desolate, infertile high desert wasteland.
Breathing and moving (and staying awake) can be a challenge, as the altitudes are uniformly between 4,000-5,000m, rising to 5,150m at basecamp. It takes a little time getting used to it.
Check out my Tibet album or my Photostream for other images of Tibet, and my photo 'Touring Tibet - A Tutorial' for a brief overview of what it's like to be a tourist photographer in rural Tibet. - bit.ly/2F8uBrJ
Ultimately usually harmless, but very dramatic to look at the clouds in this picture are of a whale's mouth variety. In this environment, winds can really get going. By the time I was back to my car I was experiencing gusts of over 65 mph. It keeps you alert.
In the mid 1990s, Mexico's government owned rail network was crumbling. Ultimately, the country would privatize the rail network as it would be in better hands. This sparked the uprising of three major railroads, Ferrosur, Ferromex, and Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM). While Grupo Mexico would gain control of both Ferromex and Ferrosur in the early 2000s, TFM would go down a separate path.
Kansas City Southern Industries and Transportación Maritima Mexicana formed TFM, using the TMM logo and KCS "Grey Ghost" paint scheme. At the time, KCS had some control or owned Kansas City Southern, Panama Canal Railway, Gateway Western, Texas Mexican Railway, and TFM. After KCS gained full ownership of TFM in the early 2000s it would be rebranded as Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM). Despite this, for many years seeing TFM marked equipment would still be common, but eventually it would catch up.
Despite it being two decades since TFM was rebranded, it is still possible to find locomotives running around in the original Grey Ghost paint. The most notable of these are the AC44s, which can be easily identified by the very worn out and simple grey paint job these units wear, and as of today are the only GEs on KCS and KCSM to still wear it. However, the locomotives no longer wear the TFM logos, though it isn't hard to see where KCS repainted over several areas to patch out the old numbers and logos for current ones. In the photo, a Grey Ghost AC44 leads a northbound empty grain train out of Roseville, many miles from home. The stripes that were originally a vibrant yellow when it first came out of the paint shops has since faded to white. I guess you could say these are ghosts that still remind railfans of a time long gone.
Sea-to-sky country and the Pacific coastal mountains of British Columbia - extending north from the Straight of Georgia and the low-runoff fjord of Howe Sound to the snow-covered peaks and ice fields of the iconic Tantalus Range.
The sea-to-sky mountain corridor extends from West Vancouver to the world-class bouldering and rock-climbing haven in Squamish, and ultimately to Whistler's splendid alpine sanctuary and world-class ski destination.
The Abbey of Valvisciolo is an example of rigorous Romanesque-Cistercian architecture, considered a masterpiece of that style in central Italy
According to tradition, the abbey was founded in the 8th century by Greek Basilian monks. Some sources state that it was established in 1145 by the monks of Cistercian order, by monks from the Abbey of Fossanova. Likely damaged during the 12th-century invasion of Barbarossa, it was occupied and restored by the Knights Templar in the 13th century, who after the dissolution of their order were replaced first briefly by Augustinians, then again by the Cistercians in 1312-15. The abbey had some turnover in the early 17th-century, but ultimately remained Cistercian. The monastery was dissolved in 1807 but was re-settled in 1864 and is still extant.
According to a medieval legend, when the Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay was burnt at the stake in 1314, the church's architraves broke.
This is one of many suitors for the hand of my female yard squirrel who was in heat a few days ago. The young looking fellow was very patient, waiting in the background while others were pursuing her, but he ultimately seemed to have the necessary charm to win the heart of the also young maiden.
The choice between fear and trust ultimately boils down to either insisting that things ought to be as we planned them or entrusting ourselves to the flow of life—not, however, just floating like driftwood, but swimming like fish, wide awake and interacting with the slightest change in the current. Faith collaborates with Life’s Mystery, the way a swimmer cooperates with buoyancy, or a dancer with gravity.
-You Are Here,Keywords for Life Explorers, David Steindl-Rast
This fast-growing orchid-tree will ultimately reach 35 feet in height and width, the slender trunks topped with arching branches clothed in large, two-lobed, deciduous leaves. In fall, before the leaves drop, orchid-tree is festooned with many showy and delightfully fragrant, 5-inch-wide blossoms, the narrow purple, pink, and lavender petals arranged to closely resemble an orchid. These flowers appear on the trees from September through November and are a beautiful sight to see, creating a vivid splash of color in the autumn landscape.
Selma, AL | March 04, 2007
"Here today, I must begin because at the Unity breakfast this morning I was saving for last and the list was so long I left him out after that introduction. So I'm going to start by saying how much I appreciate the friendship and the support and the outstanding work that he does each and every day, not just in Capitol Hill but also back here in the district. Please give a warm round of applause for your Congressman Artur Davis.
It is a great honor to be here. Reverend Jackson, thank you so much. To the family of Brown A.M.E, to the good Bishop Kirkland, thank you for your wonderful message and your leadership.
I want to acknowledge one of the great heroes of American history and American life, somebody who captures the essence of decency and courage, somebody who I have admired all my life and were it not for him, I'm not sure I'd be here today, Congressman John Lewis.
I'm thankful to him. To all the distinguished guests and clergy, I'm not sure I'm going to thank Reverend Lowery because he stole the show. I was mentioning earlier, I know we've got C.T. Vivian in the audience, and when you have to speak in front of somebody who Martin Luther King said was the greatest preacher he ever heard, then you've got some problems.
And I'm a little nervous about following so many great preachers. But I'm hoping that the spirit moves me and to all my colleagues who have given me such a warm welcome, thank you very much for allowing me to speak to you here today.
You know, several weeks ago, after I had announced that I was running for the Presidency of the United States, I stood in front of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois; where Abraham Lincoln delivered his speech declaring, drawing in scripture, that a house divided against itself could not stand.
And I stood and I announced that I was running for the presidency. And there were a lot of commentators, as they are prone to do, who questioned the audacity of a young man like myself, haven't been in Washington too long.
And I acknowledge that there is a certain presumptuousness about this.
But I got a letter from a friend of some of yours named Reverend Otis Moss Jr. in Cleveland, and his son, Otis Moss III is the Pastor at my church and I must send greetings from Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. but I got a letter giving me encouragement and saying how proud he was that I had announced and encouraging me to stay true to my ideals and my values and not to be fearful.
And he said, if there's some folks out there who are questioning whether or not you should run, just tell them to look at the story of Joshua because you're part of the Joshua generation.
So I just want to talk a little about Moses and Aaron and Joshua, because we are in the presence today of a lot of Moseses. We're in the presence today of giants whose shoulders we stand on, people who battled, not just on behalf of African Americans but on behalf of all of America; that battled for America's soul, that shed blood , that endured taunts and formant and in some cases gave -- torment and in some cases gave the full measure of their devotion.
Like Moses, they challenged Pharaoh, the princes, powers who said that some are atop and others are at the bottom, and that's how it's always going to be.
There were people like Anna Cooper and Marie Foster and Jimmy Lee Jackson and Maurice Olette, C.T. Vivian, Reverend Lowery, John Lewis, who said we can imagine something different and we know there is something out there for us, too.
Thank God, He's made us in His image and we reject the notion that we will for the rest of our lives be confined to a station of inferiority, that we can't aspire to the highest of heights, that our talents can't be expressed to their fullest. And so because of what they endured, because of what they marched; they led a people out of bondage.
They took them across the sea that folks thought could not be parted. They wandered through a desert but always knowing that God was with them and that, if they maintained that trust in God, that they would be all right. And it's because they marched that the next generation hasn't been bloodied so much.
It's because they marched that we elected councilmen, congressmen. It is because they marched that we have Artur Davis and Keith Ellison. It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate.
It is because they marched that I stand before you here today. I was mentioning at the Unity Breakfast this morning, my -- at the Unity Breakfast this morning that my debt is even greater than that because not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honor here today. My very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today. I mentioned at the Unity Breakfast that a lot of people been asking, well, you know, your father was from Africa, your mother, she's a white woman from Kansas. I'm not sure that you have the same experience.
And I tried to explain, you don't understand. You see, my Grandfather was a cook to the British in Kenya. Grew up in a small village and all his life, that's all he was -- a cook and a house boy. And that's what they called him, even when he was 60 years old. They called him a house boy. They wouldn't call him by his last name.
Sound familiar?
He had to carry a passbook around because Africans in their own land, in their own country, at that time, because it was a British colony, could not move about freely. They could only go where they were told to go. They could only work where they were told to work.
Yet something happened back here in Selma, Alabama. Something happened in Birmingham that sent out what Bobby Kennedy called, 'Ripples of hope all around the world.' Something happened when a bunch of women decided they were going to walk instead of ride the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. When men who had PhD's decided that's enough and we're going to stand up for our dignity.
That sent a shout across oceans so that my grandfather began to imagine something different for his son. His son, who grew up herding goats in a small village in Africa could suddenly set his sights a little higher and believe that maybe a black man in this world had a chance.
What happened in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham also stirred the conscience of the nation. It worried folks in the White House who said, “You know, we're battling Communism. How are we going to win hearts and minds all across the world? If right here in our own country, John, we're not observing the ideals set fort in our Constitution, we might be accused of being hypocrites. So the Kennedy's decided we're going to do an air lift. We're going to go to Africa and start bringing young Africans over to this country and give them scholarships to study so they can learn what a wonderful country America is.
This young man named Barack Obama got one of those tickets and came over to this country. He met this woman whose great great-great-great-grandfather had owned slaves; but she had a good idea there was some craziness going on because they looked at each other and they decided that we know that the world as it has been it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child. There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama.
I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I thank the Moses generation; but we've got to remember, now, that Joshua still had a job to do. As great as Moses was, despite all that he did, leading a people out of bondage, he didn't cross over the river to see the Promised Land. God told him your job is done. You'll see it. You'll be at the mountain top and you can see what I've promised. What I've promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. You will see that I've fulfilled that promise but you won't go there.
We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. There are still battles that need to be fought; some rivers that need to be crossed. Like Moses, the task was passed on to those who might not have been as deserving, might not have been as courageous, find themselves in front of the risks that their parents and grandparents and great grandparents had taken. That doesn't mean that they don't still have a burden to shoulder, that they don't have some responsibilities. The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side. So the question, I guess, that I have today is what's called of us in this Joshua generation? What do we do in order to fulfill that legacy; to fulfill the obligations and the debt that we owe to those who allowed us to be here today?
Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back; but, there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year, we occasionally celebrate the various events of the civil rights movement, we celebrate Dr. Kings birthday but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means is an everyday activity.
Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back, but there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year. We occasionally celebrate the various events of the Civil Rights Movement, we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means, is an everyday activity.
Moses told the Joshua generation; don't forget where you came from. I worry sometimes, that the Joshua generation in its success forgets where it came from. Thinks it doesn't have to make as many sacrifices. Thinks that the very height of ambition is to make as much money as you can, to drive the biggest car and have the biggest house and wear a Rolex watch and get your own private jet, get some of that Oprah money. And I think that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with making money, but if you know your history, then you know that there is a certain poverty of ambition involved in simply striving just for money. Materialism alone will not fulfill the possibilities of your existence. You have to fill that with something else. You have to fill it with the golden rule. You've got to fill it with thinking about others. And if we know our history, then we will understand that that is the highest mark of service.
Second thing that the Joshua generation needs to understand is that the principles of equality that were set fort and were battled for have to be fought each and every day. It is not a one-time thing. I was remarking at the unity breakfast on the fact that the single most significant concern that this justice department under this administration has had with respect to discrimination has to do with affirmative action. That they have basically spent all their time worrying about colleges and universities around the country that are given a little break to young African Americans and Hispanics to make sure that they can go to college, too.
I had a school in southern Illinois that set up a program for PhD's in math and science for African Americans. And the reason they had set it up is because we only had less than 1% of the PhD's in science and math go to African Americans. At a time when we are competing in a global economy, when we're not competing just against folks in North Carolina or Florida or California, we're competing against folks in China and India and we need math and science majors, this university thought this might be a nice thing to do. And the justice department wrote them a letter saying we are going to threaten to sue you for reverse discrimination unless you cease this program.
And it reminds us that we still got a lot of work to do, and that the basic enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, the injustice that still exists within our criminal justice system, the disparity in terms of how people are treated in this country continues. It has gotten better. And we should never deny that it's gotten better. But we shouldn't forget that better is not good enough. That until we have absolute equality in this country in terms of people being treated on the basis of their color or their gender, that that is something that we've got to continue to work on and the Joshua generation has a significant task in making that happen.
Third thing -- we've got to recognize that we fought for civil rights, but we've still got a lot of economic rights that have to be dealt with. We've got 46 million people uninsured in this country despite spending more money on health care than any nation on earth. It makes no sense. As a consequence, we've got what's known as a health care disparity in this nation because many of the uninsured are African American or Latino. Life expectancy is lower. Almost every disease is higher within minority communities. The health care gap.
Blacks are less likely in their schools to have adequate funding. We have less-qualified teachers in those schools. We have fewer textbooks in those schools. We got in some schools rats outnumbering computers. That's called the achievement gap. You've got a health care gap and you've got an achievement gap. You've got Katrina still undone. I went down to New Orleans three weeks ago. It still looks bombed out. Still not rebuilt. When 9/11 happened, the federal government had a special program of grants to help rebuild. They waived any requirement that Manhattan would have to pay 10% of the cost of rebuilding. When Hurricane Andrew happened in Florida, 10% requirement, they waived it because they understood that some disasters are so devastating that we can't expect a community to rebuild. New Orleans -- the largest national catastrophe in our history, the federal government says where's your 10%?
There is an empathy gap. There is a gap in terms of sympathizing for the folks in New Orleans. It's not a gap that the American people felt because we saw how they responded. But somehow our government didn't respond with that same sense of compassion, with that same sense of kindness. And here is the worst part, the tragedy in New Orleans happened well before the hurricane struck because many of those communities, there were so many young men in prison, so many kids dropping out, so little hope.
A hope gap. A hope gap that still pervades too many communities all across the country and right here in Alabama. So the question is, then, what are we, the Joshua generation, doing to close those gaps? Are we doing every single thing that we can do in Congress in order to make sure that early education is adequately funded and making sure that we are raising the minimum wage so people can have dignity and respect?
Are we ensuring that, if somebody loses a job, that they're getting retrained? And that, if they've lost their health care and pension, somebody is there to help them get back on their feet? Are we making sure we're giving a second chance to those who have strayed and gone to prison but want to start a new life? Government alone can't solve all those problems, but government can help. It's the responsibility of the Joshua generation to make sure that we have a government that is as responsive as the need that exists all across America. That brings me to one other point, about the Joshua generation, and that is this -- that it's not enough just to ask what the government can do for us-- it's important for us to ask what we can do for ourselves.
One of the signature aspects of the civil rights movement was the degree of discipline and fortitude that was instilled in all the people who participated. Imagine young people, 16, 17, 20, 21, backs straight, eyes clear, suit and tie, sitting down at a lunch counter knowing somebody is going to spill milk on you but you have the discipline to understand that you are not going to retaliate because in showing the world how disciplined we were as a people, we were able to win over the conscience of the nation. I can't say for certain that we have instilled that same sense of moral clarity and purpose in this generation. Bishop, sometimes I feel like we've lost it a little bit.
I'm fighting to make sure that our schools are adequately funded all across the country. With the inequities of relying on property taxes and people who are born in wealthy districts getting better schools than folks born in poor districts and that's now how it's supposed to be. That's not the American way. but I'll tell you what -- even as I fight on behalf of more education funding, more equity, I have to also say that , if parents don't turn off the television set when the child comes home from school and make sure they sit down and do their homework and go talk to the teachers and find out how they're doing, and if we don't start instilling a sense in our young children that there is nothing to be ashamed about in educational achievement, I don't know who taught them that reading and writing and conjugating your verbs was something white.
We've got to get over that mentality. That is part of what the Moses generation teaches us, not saying to ourselves we can't do something, but telling ourselves that we can achieve. We can do that. We got power in our hands. Folks are complaining about the quality of our government, I understand there's something to be complaining about. I'm in Washington. I see what's going on. I see those powers and principalities have snuck back in there, that they're writing the energy bills and the drug laws.
We understand that, but I'll tell you what. I also know that, if cousin Pookie would vote, get off the couch and register some folks and go to the polls, we might have a different kind of politics. That's what the Moses generation teaches us. Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Go do some politics. Change this country! That's what we need. We have too many children in poverty in this country and everybody should be ashamed, but don't tell me it doesn't have a little to do with the fact that we got too many daddies not acting like daddies. Don't think that fatherhood ends at conception. I know something about that because my father wasn't around when I was young and I struggled.
Those of you who read my book know. I went through some difficult times. I know what it means when you don't have a strong male figure in the house, which is why the hardest thing about me being in politics sometimes is not being home as much as I'd like and I'm just blessed that I've got such a wonderful wife at home to hold things together. Don't tell me that we can't do better by our children, that we can't take more responsibility for making sure we're instilling in them the values and the ideals that the Moses generation taught us about sacrifice and dignity and honesty and hard work and discipline and self-sacrifice. That comes from us. We've got to transmit that to the next generation and I guess the point that I'm making is that the civil rights movement wasn't just a fight against the oppressor; it was also a fight against the oppressor in each of us.
Sometimes it's easy to just point at somebody else and say it's their fault, but oppression has a way of creeping into it. Reverend, it has a way of stunting yourself. You start telling yourself, Bishop, I can't do something. I can't read. I can't go to college. I can't start a business. I can't run for Congress. I can't run for the presidency. People start telling you-- you can't do something, after a while, you start believing it and part of what the civil rights movement was about was recognizing that we have to transform ourselves in order to transform the world. Mahatma Gandhi, great hero of Dr. King and the person who helped create the nonviolent movement around the world; he once said that you can't change the world if you haven't changed.
If you want to change the world, the change has to happen with you first and that is something that the greatest and most honorable of generations has taught us, but the final thing that I think the Moses generation teaches us is to remind ourselves that we do what we do because God is with us. You know, when Moses was first called to lead people out of the Promised Land, he said I don't think I can do it, Lord. I don't speak like Reverend Lowery. I don't feel brave and courageous and the Lord said I will be with you. Throw down that rod. Pick it back up. I'll show you what to do. The same thing happened with the Joshua generation.
Joshua said, you know, I'm scared. I'm not sure that I am up to the challenge, the Lord said to him, every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you. Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. Be strong and have courage. It's a prayer for a journey. A prayer that kept a woman in her seat when the bus driver told her to get up, a prayer that led nine children through the doors of the little rock school, a prayer that carried our brothers and sisters over a bridge right here in Selma, Alabama. Be strong and have courage.
When you see row and row of state trooper facing you, the horses and the tear gas, how else can you walk? Towards them, unarmed, unafraid. When they come start beating your friends and neighbors, how else can you simply kneel down, bow your head and ask the Lord for salvation? When you see heads gashed open and eyes burning and children lying hurt on the side of the road, when you are John Lewis and you've been beaten within an inch of your life on Sunday, how do you wake up Monday and keep on marching?
Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. We've come a long way in this journey, but we still have a long way to travel. We traveled because God was with us. It's not how far we've come. That bridge outside was crossed by blacks and whites, northerners and southerners, teenagers and children, the beloved community of God's children, they wanted to take those steps together, but it was left to the Joshua's to finish the journey Moses had begun and today we're called to be the Joshua's of our time, to be the generation that finds our way across this river.
There will be days when the water seems wide and the journey too far, but in those moments, we must remember that throughout our history, there has been a running thread of ideals that have guided our travels and pushed us forward, even when they're just beyond our reach, liberty in the face of tyranny, opportunity where there was none and hope over the most crushing despair. Those ideals and values beckon us still and when we have our doubts and our fears, just like Joshua did, when the road looks too long and it seems like we may lose our way, remember what these people did on that bridge.
Keep in your heart the prayer of that journey, the prayer that God gave to Joshua. Be strong and have courage in the face of injustice. Be strong and have courage in the face of prejudice and hatred, in the face of joblessness and helplessness and hopelessness. Be strong and have courage, brothers and sisters, those who are gathered here today, in the face of our doubts and fears, in the face of skepticism, in the face of cynicism, in the face of a mighty river.
Be strong and have courage and let us cross over that Promised Land together. Thank you so much everybody.
God bless you."
made a trip to the lake yesterday. It was a bit chilly...about 35 degrees F with a stiff 20mph wind. The lake is still frozen all the way across. The sky ultimately redeemed the effort.
On a warm, Spring morning, a pair of Illinois Central SD70's charge past the elevators at Farina as they lead CN train A40791-27 up the CN Champaign Sub. This train originated at Centralia, IL and is ultimately bound for Kirk Yard at Gary, IN. This is the same pair of engines I shot the day before on L54491.
Even 24 years after the merger with CN, it's still possible almost regularly find solid sets of Illinois Central "deathstar" SD70's running on home rails. Sure, they may have yellow sills, but with the P5 blaring, it still looks and sounds as if the Mainline of Mid-America is alive and well. 5/27/23.
In 1870, building west from Roodhouse, IL to a location across the water know as "Quincy Junction," the St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago Railroad met the Louisiana and Missouri River Railroad, who had built east from Mexico, MO three years prior, here, on each of their respective sides of the Mighty Mississippi. Needing to join together, both railroads would ultimately break the barrier the river created between them, constructing a swing bridge here in 1873 that would link the end of the two routes together and allow for an eventual mainline connection between the major cities of East St. Louis and Kansas City. Shortly after, the StLJ&C would soon become fully absorbed by the Chicago & Alton Railroad in 1899, and as the years went by and the line saw its fair share of different owners, in 2001, the Kansas City Southern would fully dissolve the Gateway Western (GWWR), who last had the route from 1990 on, continuing to operate the tracks to this day. The year etched on the bridge's westernmost span reads 1898, a date from when this bridge was fully rebuilt by the Chicago & Alton using the original 1873 piers. Upon completion, it was the largest swing span of its kind in the world, although that stat didn't hold true for much time as it was quickly succeeded by other structural crossings over both this and the Missouri River.
In present day, making landfall onto the Missouri shore, KCS road freight MVNKC 15 navigates westward across the Mississippi's waters from Illinois by means of the over century old bridge's 2,054 feet of steel members, arranged in a mismatched combination of eight Pratt and Warren designs, culminated all into a 446' moveable swing span. Today's assigned pair of EMD SD70MACs exit the bridge and immediately lean into a sharp, right-handed curve as they slowly bring their 46-car train of KC-Knoche bound mixed traffic past the interlocking signal for a diamond with BNSF's Hannibal Subdivision, soon entering the town of Louisiana. The aluminum shack located halfway across the swing span is still manned 24-hrs a day by a bridge tender, importantly tasked with spinning and locking the rails of this single track mainline in place for the safe passage of only a small handful of daily train movements that this far northern, back alley route of the KCS railroad system sees.
[The universe] is fundamentally and primarily living, and in its complete history is ultimately nothing but an immense psychic exercise. From this point of view man is nothing but the point of emergence in nature, at which this deep cosmic evolution culminates and declares itself. From this point onwards man ceases to be a spark fallen by chance on earth and coming from another place. He is the flame of a general fermentation of the universe which breaks out suddenly on earth.
-Teilhard, Human Energy, 23.
Le quartier poursuit sa mutation avec la livraison d’ici le printemps 2020 des espaces publics et immeubles actuellement en chantier entre le Boulevard de Berlin et la rue Marcel Paul. Les transformations du parvis de la Gare Sud commenceront d’ici la fin de l’année 2019. Nantes Métropole Aménagement prépare le réaménagement complet de son parvis, avec la démolition de plusieurs bâtiments rue de Lourmel et rue de Cornulier et l’amélioration des réseaux en sous-sol. La réalisation des espaces publics sur le secteur gare commencera au printemps 2021. A terme, l’aménagement de ces espaces publics réorganisera l’ensemble des accès sud de la Gare, répondant ainsi à la hausse de la fréquentation attendue tous modes de transports confondus, avec la création d’un parvis dédié aux piétons, aux vélos et au transport collectif, la création d’une gare routière de 15 quais et la modification des plans de circulation.
The district is continuing its transformation with the delivery by spring 2020 of public spaces and buildings currently under construction between Boulevard de Berlin and rue Marcel Paul. The transformations of the forecourt of the South Station will begin by the end of 2019. Nantes Métropole Aménagement is preparing the complete redevelopment of its forecourt, with the demolition of several buildings on rue de Lourmel and rue de Cornulier and improvement of networks in the basement. The construction of public spaces in the station sector will begin in spring 2021. Ultimately, the development of these public spaces will reorganize all the southern accesses of the station, thus responding to the expected increase in attendance, all modes of transport combined, with the creation of a square dedicated to pedestrians, bicycles and public transport, the creation of a bus station with 15 platforms and the modification of traffic plans.
Veuillez ne pas utiliser mes images sur des sites Web, des blogs ou d'autres médias sans ma permission écrite. Si vous souhaitez utiliser mes images sur des sites Web, des blogs ou d'autres médias contacter moi par message ou sur mon site web !
Please do not use my images on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission. If you want to use my images on websites, blogs or other media contact me by message or on my website!
Ghost plant has no chlorophyll. It is parasitic on Russula fungi such as the mushroom in the previous photo. Ultimately deriving its energy from nearby trees, it gives nothing back to the mycorrhizal fungi and tree. Ghost plant grows in deep shade where few other herbaceous plants can thrive.
Thank you to everyone who visits, faves, and comments.
Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Those four busts were chosen to represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of the United States.
Here you see Roosevelt and Lincoln, two men who so firmly believed in the American ideal that they doubled down on its future in spectacular and notable fashion. Lincoln, the man who so believed that Union was essential to maintaing a prosperous nation he risked a horrifying Civil War to keep the country together, ultimately prevailing and setting the nation on a stronger path than before. Roosevelt, the progressivist and conservationist, who took on the political machine and industrial tycons, to ensure American citizens had their best shot of living the American dream, and protected and conserved large swaths of land and natural resources through the establishment of multiple national parks, forests and monuments.
Mount Rushmore was originally intended to be a showcase for heroes of the American West; but, the sculptor, Gutzon Borglun, chose the four presidents to appeal to a broader audience. In 1937, a bill was introduced to Congress to add Susan B Anthony to the sculpture, but the appropriations bill mandated that federal funds be used only to complete the four figures started to that point.
Just another take on this scene for the trip album.
This would ultimately be the last train of our time on the Iron Range (for now) and it was quite the stunning way to end our time here. We'd manage it at three spots before calling it a day and heading to Duluth for a celebratory dinner and beers down on the waterfront
A U790 train of empty hoppers is heading to Minntac for another load of pellets to turn around and take back to Two Harbors. The train is crossing the fill over Embarsass Lake and approaching South Biwabik at about MP 58.6 on modern day CN's North Division Iron Range Subdivision mainline. The standard three pack of ex CNW C40-8s have a train of modern CN era ore cars (over 1000 of which were acquired between 2009 and 2018) on the historic former Duluth and Iron Range Railroad which was the other component half of the DMIR created in 1938 when the two roads long owned by US Steel were officially merged. Today Biwabik is home to a 6118 ft passing siding and a small little used yard, but in the old raw ore days it was bustling as a marshaling point for the mine branches seemingly radiating in all directions as well as the main continuing into Virginia. They will pull down past the remains of the yard and pause at the north (compass west) end to wait for a meet with a loaded southbound U789 counterpart.
This is a region that should need no introduction to even the most casual fan as the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway is in a word legendary. I won't bore you with pages of history as I couldn't do the road or region justice anyway. It simply needs to be experienced for oneself. But I will direct you to two resources. Absolutely check out the fabulous historical information here: www.missabe.com/
And for a fabulously well written overview of modern CN operations find yourself a copy of the April 2023 edition of Railfan and Railroad right now! shop.whiteriverproductions.com/products/rfr-202304
Biwabik, Minnesota
Friday May 12, 2023
Two pairs of eyes peered doubtfully at the mist filled world outside the café window, where sheet after sheet of driving rain filled a featureless grey sky. We wondered whether the journey here would ultimately be worth it in such drab conditions - I know that damp dreary weather goes hand in hand with woodland, but there are limits. We’d driven nearly forty miles mostly nose to tail along the A465, which is currently masquerading as a building site in the area around Merthyr Tydfil while the corridor along the south of the Beacons is being improved, before finally arriving at an uncluttered stretch of road with easily moving traffic, where the scenery and a brief appearance of the sun smiled through our windscreen and invited us further west. Of course the minute we’d arrived at this quiet open carriageway the sign appeared at the left hand side, announcing we were almost at our destination. Pontneddfechan, the “Bridge over the Little Neath” could so easily be overlooked if you didn’t know what was lying in wait beneath the tell tale wooded valley that climbed the slopes to the north of the village.
I’d been very excited about the falls along the River Neath ever since one of you had shared their existence with me. Thank you Clive for letting me know they were there. Another of you (thank you Norbert) let me know that the small car park high above the village would probably still be closed, and that the café at the bottom was worth a visit in any case. I can confirm that although I have no affiliation with and do not stand to make any financial gain from said café, that it definitely is worth stopping by for refreshments before the excitement begins. Well I might gain financially when they give me the prize for the best photo on Instagram with them tagged, but they haven’t been in touch just yet. Must be something to do with the signal there I expect.
The café was warm and seductive, and we were doing our best to ignore the dessert menu, especially with less than three hours of daylight on what would prove to be a path where wandering about in semi-darkness without a torch seemed inadvisable at best. Finally, after as much prevarication as was sensible allowed and during a break in the worst that the weather had thrown at us, we headed out of the sanctuary into the drizzle and made our way through a gate onto the path beside the river. Onwards and upwards we went, for a mile or more, engaged by the energetic fury of the powerful torrent that raged to our right that bore no resemblance to the place where bathers gathered in some of the summer images I’d found online. Barely a soul was at large, giving us this playground almost entirely to ourselves and in time little side tracks would appear, inviting cautious approaches to the water’s edge from time to time.
And then we found ourselves here, at the magical Sgwd Gwladys, where I ignored the viewing platform, continuing along a small beaten track to this viewpoint. The autumn colours were only just beginning to arrive – I expect it looks all the more splendid by now. I almost lost my woolly hat (by now soaking) my lens cloth (again!) and more worryingly, two of my favourite Kase filters, which landed on a rock and finished their journey clinging perilously close to the angry froth. But somehow everything made it back into pockets and rucksacks safely for the continued adventure further along the path. Four more waterfalls appeared as we made our way along the path, each with its own characteristics, each demanding far more time than I had available in the dull and ever fading light. Next time I really do intend to do this properly, picking a suitable autumn day, going for the duration and taking sandwiches, a flask of coffee and a bucketload of Haribo All Stars for company. A place as stunning as this deserves that level of attention you see, and I really don't like rushing about when I could stand and stare for any amount of time before even reaching for the camera.
If it’s your turn to go soon, I hope you get the dappled light and the autumn golds, yellows and browns. But more than that I hope you get the chance to enjoy it quietly, without the crowds as we did. With half term upon us you might want to wait another week then.
Lionel 682 in a 1976 Datsun 280z leading a fellow competitor in turn 4 at Virginia international Raceway. I had just passed him on the front straight and ultimately finished ahead of him. We had a fun race. Darrell Bryant owns the rights to the pic and allows me to post it showing my antics on the track. You must have his written permission if you want to repost or use it, I can get you in contact to him.
Sunrise
Le quartier poursuit sa mutation avec la livraison d’ici le printemps 2020 des espaces publics et immeubles actuellement en chantier entre le Boulevard de Berlin et la rue Marcel Paul. Les transformations du parvis de la Gare Sud commenceront d’ici la fin de l’année 2019. Nantes Métropole Aménagement prépare le réaménagement complet de son parvis, avec la démolition de plusieurs bâtiments rue de Lourmel et rue de Cornulier et l’amélioration des réseaux en sous-sol. La réalisation des espaces publics sur le secteur gare commencera au printemps 2021. A terme, l’aménagement de ces espaces publics réorganisera l’ensemble des accès sud de la Gare, répondant ainsi à la hausse de la fréquentation attendue tous modes de transports confondus, avec la création d’un parvis dédié aux piétons, aux vélos et au transport collectif, la création d’une gare routière de 15 quais et la modification des plans de circulation.
The district is continuing its transformation with the delivery by spring 2020 of public spaces and buildings currently under construction between Boulevard de Berlin and rue Marcel Paul. The transformations of the forecourt of the South Station will begin by the end of 2019. Nantes Métropole Aménagement is preparing the complete redevelopment of its forecourt, with the demolition of several buildings on rue de Lourmel and rue de Cornulier and improvement of networks in the basement. The construction of public spaces in the station sector will begin in spring 2021. Ultimately, the development of these public spaces will reorganize all the southern accesses of the station, thus responding to the expected increase in attendance, all modes of transport combined, with the creation of a square dedicated to pedestrians, bicycles and public transport, the creation of a bus station with 15 platforms and the modification of traffic plans.
Veuillez ne pas utiliser mes images sur des sites Web, des blogs ou d'autres médias sans ma permission écrite. Si vous souhaitez utiliser mes images sur des sites Web, des blogs ou d'autres médias contacter moi par message ou sur mon site web !
Please do not use my images on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission. If you want to use my images on websites, blogs or other media contact me by message or on my website!
A forty, a fifty, and a ninety... This patchwork CSX consist was typical fare along the forgotten CSX P&A subdivision in the latter half of the twenty-teens. It's an early Saturday morning in October of 2018, and you really couldn't ask for better conditions, or locomotive consist for the spectacular 13 miles of bayshore running in Pensacola, Florida.
This stretch of trackage was the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad's connection to the Seaboard Air Line in Chattahoochee, Florida. The line famously hosted the Gulf Wind passenger train that was a combined effort between the two railroads. It ran between New Orleans and Jacksonville until the advent of Amtrak in 1971.
The L&N's side of the panhandle main was a block controlled DTC main line that saw a handful of daily movements running through from the Southern Pacific in New Orleans. The Seaboard's side was a CTC, high capacity, railroad that would help bring in a new era of traffic to the railroad. After the mega-mergers of the 1990's, new traffic patterns brought a boom to the line. In 2002 one such record of daily train movements along this stretch of track documented 31 trains in a 24 hour period, including the daily Sunset Limited passenger train.
The Hurricane Katrina disaster in August of 2005 would see the end of the Sunset, and the beginning of an up and down decline for the Panhandle mainline that would last until around 2017. In early 2017 activist investor and professional business mafia boss Paul Hilal of Mantle Ridge would tap controversial Canadian Pacific CEO E Hunter Harrison to help stage an executive coup at CSX. The CSX board and shareholders ultimately caved in to the massive pressure put on them by Hilal and Harrison. They subsequently agreed to force then-current CEO Micheal Ward into immediate retirement by bending their own internal rules and accepting the aging Harrison's ascension to the role of CEO. Tens of millions of dollars would swap hands, and E Hunter Harrison would usher in the force-fed world of "Precision Scheduled Railroading" to the entire rail industry.
Harrison went to work "streamlining" the railroad for investors. This meant sidelining thousands of locomotives, wiping out management, eliminating entire service plans, and selling off anything that he and his new team deemed "excessive" to the bottom line. He would die in December of 2017 after complications from a medical emergency. It was later revealed that CSX hired Harrison even after finding out he was in poor health from the start. Harrison was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying “don’t judge me by my medical record, judge me by my performance.” Unfortunately for CSX and Harrison they ultimately were one and the same.
One such fatality to the frenzied chopping was the Pensacola-Jacksonville mainline. By the time this photograph was recorded in October of 2018 Pensacola was down to a mere 4 train movements in 24 hours. Most crews had been forcibly relocated to other CSX locations, and had their family lives uprooted. Still, however, the worst was yet to come, and CSX finalized the sale of the entire line, and associated assets, to the new Florida Gulf and Atlantic railroad in June of 2019.
The Florida Gulf and Atlantic began operations full of promise to serve new customers, open up shipping opportunities, and be a great place to work for those previously at CSX. As is usual for a non-union railroad those promises soon fell flat. Engineers and conductors who were lured in by great pay saw leadership cut into that nearly immediately. Maintaining a 300+ mile class one mainline to the standards set forth in the sale agreement also proved to be a challenge. In less than a year of operation multiple bridges between Pensacola and Jacksonville were deemed unfit for service and the railroad was severed in the middle for the better part of a calendar year.
In 2025 the story is really still the same along the panhandle line. The Florida Gulf and Atlantic is now on their fourth round of ownership, and while carloads and service remain somewhat steady the future is unknown.... The train count along the bayshore has dwindled to two movements a day. One in and one out. Nothing even runs on weekends anymore...
Thank you for reading and looking!
Ultimately it could not hold on to this fish, and I still can't believe this happened right next to my car.
New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.
From our family, to yours, we wish everyone a Happy New Year. May it bring you love, happiness, and lots of laughter!
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❤️B(u)Y ME: New Yrs Party @ Cosmopolitan
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Thank you to my family, Tommy, Riska and Saint for posing with me! Love you all!
Thank you all for your wonderful words, awards, and group invites. I truly do appreciate them all!♥
“Ultimately, we have just one moral duty - To reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.” - Etty Hillesum
Happy Bench Monday! Just sit and relax here, with me virtually in a Toronto park, beside my condo building.
Thanks for visiting, stay healthy and hopeful! #BeKind
There is something ultimately humbling and awe-inspiring in seeing such staggering forms of beauty and power. The dance between the real and unreal appears to be so palpable, one does easily forget their own closed in reality, and becomes liberated from it by experiencing the taking part of something much larger than one's own existence.
An initiation, the evocation of an inner smile, a warm light inside, something to hold onto, something to cherish and to carry within.
Scotland gave me that warm smile years ago, and she keeps smiling at me... I carry these smiles and lights in my lantern into the hours, when I look out, and all I can see is shadows in the darkness.
Image of The Storr at sunrise, Isle of Skye, Scotland.
It has been fundamentally a psychological and existential journey.
Roger Ballen
Peace now!
witch hazel, 'Wisley Supreme', sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina
As you can see, I wasn't the only one photographing this eyeball. I really makes a statement. This is from the Dallas trip. I really want to go back. I feel like there is so much more to see. Here's some information on the Eye
Tony Tasset’s larger-than-life optic sculpture, Eye, has become one of the most iconic (and rumor-generating) fixtures on Main Street.
The 30-foot-tall fiberglass, resin, and steel sculpture is a replica of the American multimedia artist’s own eye. Referencing everything from a pharaoh’s eye, a Masonic eye, and the eye of “Big Brother,” the piece ultimately means “whatever you want,” says Tasset. “Eye is one of those images that has taken on a number of meanings over the years. God and consciousness are just two of them.”
Originally commissioned as part of the Chicago Loop Alliance’s Art Loop program, Eye made its debut in the Windy City’s Pritzker Park in 2010 before arriving in its new Dallas home three years later. Since then, it has become the city’s most unique private event space and the site of the annual Dallas Art Fair’s closing soiree The Eye Ball, along with countless weddings, parties, yoga classes, and selfies.
CN 551 coasts into Hamilton to drop off cars and to ultimately continue on to service customers on the Grimsby Sub.
This bird showed up one day with an adult, and the two spent a week or so exploring the best fishing spots on the lake. Many great images were secured in the early days of their visit by some keen birders/photographers, as the birds boldly pursued young catfish and ignored people with cameras.
And then the adult’s ‘it’s time to get moving south’ instincts kicked in, and it was gone. The juvenile, distinctive in a number of ways including not being pied-billed, hung around for a couple more weeks on its own. Feeding wasn’t a problem: there are some shallow warm pockets in the lake that the catfish hang out in until quite late. It became more elusive,or reclusive, and so one had to be out pretty early to find and photograph the bird. I am lying on the roots of a tree, hidden behind a stump, out almost in the water. The bird glanced in my direction as I took this, and then continued fishing.
I am always a bit uncomfortable with these opportunities. The questions were twofold: was the bird aware of the risk posed by the Hawks that hung around the lake, and would it escape them?; and would it eventually get going south before the lake froze over?
One of the challenges posed by these surprise visitors is the recognition that it may be the case that you are having a chance to photograph the bird because it is failing to engage in some species-specific behaviour, a failure that will ultimately be fatal.
The messiness of migration and reproduction often overlap, and the success rates for most birds are brutally low. Even the Hawks are lucky to see one in ten young survive three years. It is just nature, but it is harder reconcile when a relative oddity shows up, at least for me.