I noticed how the Arbiter from Halo Wars (Ripa 'Moramee) Is alot bigger and alot bulkier than normal elites, so i decided to make him look like that since he is my second favorite Halo Character. He is completely my design i think (Correct me if i forgot someone).

 

The Energy sword is based of the McFarlane toy one you get with the action figure of Ripa.

 

Check out the other picture of him and tell me which one you like the most.

I was waiting to post this figure until the official release, however, with everything that has happened with Hazel, I doubt that the official release will ever happen!

 

Pedro was very kind, several months ago, and sent me this armor set, as I had mentioned that I really was excited for this armor set. Although several really great customizers have done this figure, I wanted to offer one of my design as well. I'm really happy with how he turned out. He is armed with a BrickArms combat knife and a BrickArms prototype M3 Grease Gun

ONLY IN HALO HISPANO

 

SOLO EN HALO HISPANO

 

www.flickr.com/groups/halohispano/

...

When Bellator, Roatrius, and the handful of other Toa in their group eventually made it to the ruins of the Mata Nui Robot's Codrex core, they found there a barely running stasis pod containing a maskless figure.

Design documents found in other Great Being sites eventually revealed that this was Kromastus, a prototype stored about the MNR as one of a number of backup systems. The intention of the Great beings had been to have a judge-like figure, or arbiter, to resolve civil crises that might have emerged in Matoran society. Unfinished, he was stored aboard the Robot with no release condition, and he was ultimately forgotten. His intended weapon and mask were stored in the Codrex, but were lost when the Robot was destroyed.

The Toa and Glatorian took him from the MNR and gave him a replacement Kanohi.

He is capable of hurling small energy bolts as projectiles, and has a limited ability to regenerate his armour, though this causes him physical stress. He is also protected by a shield similar to that projected by a Kanohi Hau, however it is of limited strength, and will collapse under strain.

 

I figured I'd take some proper photos of Reaper/Kromastus at this point

ive been doing a lot of thinking about the US constitution and the freedom of the press, especially as it relates to the citizenry as the media. should blogging be given the same protections as commercial mainstream journalism? ive read many articles from the journalism camp that point to the unwashed and untutored masses in the blogosphere as unworthy of the mantle of Press and vaunt their own dedication to veracity and impartiality. That argument seems trite to me - the modern media has very little credibility as an independent and accountable arbiter of facts. Big Media has become a power center of its own and is driven by the same expediencies as any business. consider this: thomas paine who penned On Common Sense, was a blogger - in those days they were called pamphleteers - played a greater historical role in shaping the public discourse against British colonial rule than any partisan rag of its time. can a blog be part of the press? the constitution specifies no organizational or commercial requirements for the definition of the press. in fact, it first protects the right of the free speech by the citizenry, and then extends that coverage to the press as a necessary adjunct because speech without communication is specious and worthless. the protection of the press is derived from the right of citizen to speak and share their views and information without improper government restriction.

 

what are your thoughts?

Image taken and processed using Camera+ on Ft Lauderdale Beach.

 

Whilst flattered to be explored I'm a little surprised at the low quality non-outdoors shots making explore these days. What on earth is going on at the once mighty Flickr??

 

If some of the explored pics are anything to go by quality control is non-existent and the Algorithm that picks the Explore image seems no better than Instagram's POP page. Newspaper cuttings? Breakfast plates? Xmas greetings cards? Double Decker bus snapshots?? Are you kidding me???

 

Come on Flickr. We still consider you the arbiter of photographic quality. Don't fall asleep at the wheel guys...

 

(I'm probably banned by the Explore Police now. "You don't even use a proper camera...")

Beneath the imperious heights of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, the Park Pass Glacier sprawls like a breath held in time, its frosted expanse draped across the rugged shoulders of the earth. It is midsummer, yet the glacier endures—its pallor luminous, resisting the sun’s relentless touch. In the hush of early evening, as shadows grow bold, the landscape breathes a timeless solitude, every detail sharpened by the fading light.

 

The glacier yields reluctantly to the jagged terrain, spilling into pools of glacial melt that gleam with unworldly brilliance. These lakes, impossibly blue, glisten like fragments of the sky poured onto stone. The largest of them, expansive and serene, holds a surface so polished it appears less water than a portal into the heavens. Smaller basins gather nearby, more reserved in their presence, their edges stitched with delicate streaks of snow—a whisper of the glacier’s icy provenance.

 

The mountains loom like solemn arbiters of the sky, their ridges serrated and severe, as if sculpted by a primal force. Worn cliffs, stripped bare by time, rise against the horizon, where clouds billow and churn with restless grandeur. These clouds, thick with texture, shift and unfurl as if carrying the weight of distant storms, their undersides stained with the melancholy hues of twilight. The atmosphere vibrates with an unspoken tension, a feeling of something both ancient and eternal at play.

 

Yet it is in the minutiae that this vast wilderness truly speaks. Rivulets of meltwater snake across the stone, their winding paths glinting in the waning light. Patches of lichen cling with quiet resilience to crumbling rock faces, their soft green hues a startling contrast to the stern monochrome around them. Even the faint shadow of a solitary bird, cast fleetingly across the still lake, feels profound—an echo of life traversing this world of ice and silence.

 

This is Park Pass Glacier—a convergence of the boundless and the intimate, where immensity resides alongside fragility. In this hallowed expanse of snow, stone, and glacial pools, one cannot help but feel an unraveling—a moment of surrender to the wild poetry of the earth. The heart is both stilled and awakened, a mere flicker in a realm carved by eternity.

 

***

If this image stirs something within you—a sense of wonder, a pull toward the wild unknown—I invite you to explore more of these moments through my lens and words. Each journey holds its own quiet revelations, its own untold stories carved into the landscapes of our world. You can discover more of my work and thoughts by visiting my website - www.coronaviking.com, where the spirit of places like Park Pass Glacier continues to live and breathe.

NOTE: You can see these minifigures in much greater detail via my showcase video on YouTube! :)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1bQIynK6V0

 

*Queues Gungnir Mix*

 

When Microsoft announced the Xbox One last year, I had no reason to move onto next-gen consoles. Then almost a year later, 343 Industries announces Halo: The Master Chief Collection exclusively for the One at E3, and then there was no doubt about it. I immediately knew which figures I’d be making just before the holidays, and when I’d be finally packing away my Xbox 360 after almost five years. However, I also knew that there would be a heavy amount of sculpting involved if I attempted the figures you see above, because originally I only planned for Chief and Sgt Johnson. So after re-watching Halo 2’s original cutscenes, I knew it’d be stupid of me to not at least try to make The Arbiter. Miranda Keyes and Lord Hood just somehow ended up being piled on top that, and here we are!

 

Master Chief in his Mark VI armor was probably the most forgiving out of these five to paint, it was very straightforward. Take a set of BrickForge armor, a pair of blank arms & legs, and just paint everything I could to make the most out of it. That included a ton of outlining, weathering, and a bit of sculpting work for his kneepads. Overall a pretty seamless process, then being able to paint and equip him with the new Rocket Launcher prototype by BrickArms made it really come together.

 

The Arbiter quite quickly became my most ambitious figure in terms of sculpting to date, not to mention the intricate painting on his arms. Sculpting his head in so many sections was a decent challenge by itself, but throw the front and back of his torso on top of that, and then it became very time consuming. Painting a minifigure who has an entire set of silver armor, but a black under suit can definitely be tedious. The best way I can describe it is getting glitter on your hands that doesn’t come off, it just shines and sparkles a bit as you move around, so I did my best to prevent that from happening. I painted as many blue lines as I could see based on the 30+ reference pictures I was using, and to achieve a vibrant looking dark blue on top of pure black forced to me to paint with two different shades of blue, sand blue first, and then the dark blue color. Initially, some people disagreed with my idea to use Toy Story parts, but when painted I knew it’d look much better then what they might have been imagining. I really wanted to see a good-looking Elite in minifigure form, which is something I personally hadn’t seen done before. Thel Vadam here is also wielding a Plasma Rifle by X39 Brick Customs and was painted by myself!

 

While making Sgt Johnson, I kept asking myself why I hadn’t made him sooner because of how great of a character he is. I suppose it was simply because I didn’t really start making custom Halo figures until Halo Reach. Anyway, the biggest challenge when finally making Sgt Johnson was easily his iconic hat. AMA had a similar hat a few years back, but no longer being able to get my hands on one I had to improvise. Using a collectible minifigures painter’s hat as a base, sculpting onto the top until it was flat, and a lot of sanding later, I think I managed to pull it off! Sculpting and painting his shoulder pads weren’t nearly as bad, but gluing on six of Tiny Tactical’s fairly expensive pouches was pretty tedious. Aside from all of that, painting Sgt Johnson really started to become a waiting game. Around the time of starting on him, 343 Industries had barely shown Blur Studio’s new rendition of his armor. So I painted what I could, and just kept putting off the rest hoping they’d eventually show the rest in a cinematic. Thankfully, we got a look at his back just under a week ago, but his legs were completely up to me. Sgt Johnson is wielding a BrickArms Battle Rifle painted by myself, and a custom cigar that unfortunately didn’t show up too well in this photo (this is why I do showcase videos lol).

 

Miranda Keyes however, was probably the most challenging minifigure here, simply because of the hairpiece. As I said in my vlog and the actual showcase, it took me more attempts to sculpt her hairpiece then it did for me to sculpt The Arbiter and Sgt Johnson’s hat combined. It’s just that it’s something I don’t do very often, and therefore I had to try and bunch of different techniques before it finally worked. Painting the details of her new outfit in Halo 2 Anniversary was also pretty straight-forward; I could pretty clearly make out what needed to be painted. However just like Sgt Johnson’s legs, I had no idea what to paint onto her back and therefore just had to add a few small details. Miranda Keye’s is wielding a pair of BrickArms SMGs, inspired by the scene where her and Sgt Johnson attempt to retrieve the index.

 

Lord Hood was pretty damn close to not even happening, though I did always have the intention of trying to squeeze him in last minute. Just a few days before recording the showcase video, I realized I was going to need him anyway for a few secret parts of the video, so I ended up making him anyway! Using another hat from a collectible minifigure series, and modifying BrickForge’s silenced version of the M6C magnum, he came together pretty well. While painting his face and the details on his hat were pretty fun, I’m pretty proud of the military decorations on the upper right corner of his torso. They, along with the rest of the ribbons beneath them turned out great despite how small they are. Going back to the BrickForge M6C, all I had to do was cut the flashlight off underneath the barrel, and the little what-ever-the-hell-it-is on top of it. With a little bit of paint to smooth those areas over, I had myself the standard M6C for Lord Hood rather than the silenced version that the ODSTs used.

 

So there you have it! Thanks for reading through that if you did, as you might have noticed I discussed a lot of things on these figures that you can’t even see in this photo. So be sure to check out the full showcase video!

 

This was the first time I’ve Halo figures in well over a year, so if you favorite drop a comment below and let me know what you think! :)

 

Now out to GameStop so I can play this and Assassin’s Creed Unity on my new Xbox One for the next few months.

Though this would be a weird enough title for a fence shot.

So here's a recap of my this week in photography.

1. Found this hilarious guy on Youtube who talks about cameras with the biggest afro you've ever seen called FroKnowsPhotography www.youtube.com/user/JaredPolin you'll definitely get a laugh and might even learn something.

2. Had an interview in Photography Office where I talk about what kind of beer I like to drink when I develop images. www.photographyoffice.com/2012/03/fine-art-black-and-whit...

3. Had a blast making a bunch of ICM images on a nicely cloudy day Wednesday and blogged about playing with the camera. Wicked good times that! nateparkerphotography.com/blog/2012/3/shooting-for-fun

4. Tried again to get my frozen adapter ring off my 24mm f/3.5 TS-e by putting it near the hot glass furnace and using a strap wrench to loosen it- To No Avail!!! ARGH!

Right then. Minus the adaptor ring I wish I could have a week like that on a regular basis. Have a good one guys- Nate.

Video giving a better view of my new Arbiter, since the pictures don't quite do it justice.

Finally, after almost two and a half years in the making, the collaborative Halo 5: Guardians minifigures are finished. Back in 2013, at BrickFair VA, Andrew from BrickAffliction was kind enough to give me one of his Legendary Master Chief sets that he had sculpted and put into production that year. Master Chief is his genius sculpt, and the figure would not have been possible without him. Fast forward to February of last year, I met Josiah (BrickzAlive/The Brick Barracks) at BrickUniverse, another brilliant sculptor whose work was just as incredible. He had already been working on a Locke sculpt at the time, but that’s when I showed him the Arbiter’s unbelievably complicated new armor in Halo 5 and pitched the idea of possibly making it happen in Lego. Fast forward one last time to late August, and that’s when two more brilliant sculptors/customizers of this community, Sander and Billy (billbobful), agreed to help put together a Spartan Locke set when Josiah’s didn’t work out.

 

Here are links to all of their streams, their work is some of the best this community has to offer:

Brickzalive: www.flickr.com/photos/63557773@N08/

Sander: www.flickr.com/photos/thesandingblock/

billbobful: www.flickr.com/photos/44590462@N05/

BrickAffliction: www.flickr.com/photos/pescovamsbricks/

TRLegosfan: www.flickr.com/photos/trlegosfan/

 

They all pulled it off, and none of these figures, would have been possible without their generosity and amazing talent. The only role I played this time, was being the one who had the privilege to paint all three of them, and I absolutely cannot thank them enough for all of the work they put into these. God only knows how much time Andrew put into the Master Chief sculpt back in 2013, Josiah spent at least six months of on and off work with his absolutely breathtaking Arbiter sculpt, and Sander must have spent at least a month of on and off work on his amazing Locke sculpt himself. I also have to thank Billy (billbobful) and Sean (TRLegosfan), because these figures would not have been complete without the support they lent to this as well. Locke wouldn’t have shoulders if it weren’t for Billy, and Josiah’s Arbiter wouldn’t have had the right color energy sword if it weren’t for Sean!

 

Alright, so here we go:

 

Master Chief:

I hung onto this incredible sculpt for so long just waiting for Halo 5, and I was so relieved and glad when I finally had the opportunity to paint it this past October. It wasn’t until I started staring at reference pictures of John’s MJOLNIR armor that I realized just how accurate Andrew’s sculpt is too. As I kept painting it, I found myself more and more blown away by the accuracy he was able to achieve on such a small scale. I did my best to highlight every part of it, and I even went as far as to add the “117” brail on his chest. At one point though, the original belt piece I had for this figure broke in half, and thankfully I had a spare that I had also been hanging onto since 2013 so I was able to replace it very quickly. This was also my first time ever priming anything, because usually I was able to work around having to use it, but I knew all three of these absolutely needed it for a durable base color of black; acrylic paints do not hold up as well as spray primer does when it comes to that. The majority of the painting process was all of the green, metallic gray, and black colors, but the visor was definitely a bit challenging to get right; a lot of mixing was involved. Fully painting a classic BrickArms assault rifle to match it’s new appearance in Halo 5 was a fun afternoon project too, because what would the Master Chief be without his iconic weapon?

 

Spartan Locke:

You know, there came a point last year when both Sander and I started to think his amazing Locke sculpt was lost in the mail much like the Mark V he had made for Sean (TRLegosfan) just prior to it. Thankfully, after three weeks of uncertainty, his awesome take on Locke’s MJOLNIR Hunter armor finally showed up and we were back in business lol. Regardless of how bad the shipping went, and regardless of not being able to make our initial October deadline, I was absolutely thrilled to have Sander on board to sculpt Locke, but I was at a total loss for words seeing the final product. He really did a fantastic job, the helmet, torso armor, and leg armor he made are all such high quality pieces; especially the helmet. The same can be said for the shoulders Billy sculpted to top the whole thing off! When painting the finished set, I not only focused on the color palette (which was metallic gunmetal gray, pavement gray, a very dull mixed turquoise color, and black of course), but also on adding detail wherever I could to make up for the thinner approach to the figure. You’ll definitely see all of that in the video, but you can see part of it on his toes and arms in this shot. My favorite of those details though, are the blue bits for the lights on his armor (including the visor), the signature weathered yellow marking on the top of his helmet, and the ONI symbol that I somehow managed to paint onto his chest. It was also great having the chance to paint a BrickArms Battle Rifle again; this one features a much different color scheme with a much different set of details when compared to the Halo 4 variant. The most challenging part of that though, was slicing off the original scope and recreating the new sights they feature in the game by cutting out the top of a Tiny Tactical holographic sight before gluing it on and painting detail. It almost broke, but I managed to strengthen/reinforce the whole piece and secure it onto the BR without it falling apart lol.

 

The Arbiter:

Man, where do I begin? Josiah crafted an absolute masterpiece of a sculpt to portray this iconic Elite. In February of 2015, I honestly didn’t think it would work, but all of the time and effort he put into this over the span of several months to achieve what you see above is something I am beyond thankful for. Never in my time in this community have I ever had someone like Josiah, who went above and beyond what I ever could have expected anyone to do for me. It was truly an honor to apply my painting skills to what he created, and do it justice to the very best of my ability. The amount of detail in this sculpt is something no one picture can represent, and that’s why I seriously recommend checking out the showcase when it goes up so that you can see this incredible sculpt in its entirety. I also have to say, the individual spikes on the back of the armor might be the best part, they’re so spot on, and he even individually glued a bunch of them in. Before painting it though, I reinforced every fragile part of it by securing those areas with very thin layers of glue to ensure their protection. The list of colors that I painted onto this work of art includes primarily gold of course, with dark brown acting as the secondary, a wooden brown color mixed with dark gray for the Sangheili skin tone, and a faded dark red for the stripes you see in different spots. Also, the eyes and teeth were something I knew I had to get right in order to bring out the personality in the sculpt. To wrap all of this up, Sean (TRLegosfan) was kind enough to send me a trans-orange BrickArms Energy Sword to make sure Arby didn’t go without his signature Prophet’s Bane :)

(Oh and side note: Josiah even carved out a curve in the back of each Toy Story leg before sculpting onto them!)

 

Again, massive thanks to everyone involved with this collab, and another massive thanks to you in particular for reading all of that lol.

Josiah, Sander, Billy, Sean, and I would all love to hear your thoughts! So if you drop this a favorite, definitely be sure to let us hear your opinion(s) in the comments!

 

Yep...making the Arbiter.

 

Credit to Billy for the idea for the "Chicken Legs".

 

What do you guys think of using the armor as a base?

 

Keep in mind that an ass ton of sculpting will have to be done on this guy. This is just the frame.

This looks much better in real life as the White is more weathered in real life to match the concept art and trailer. The photography has bleached it. (Hazel, you will see that when it gets to you ;-)) I will probably do some work on the gun.

HIT!

 

Women as the guardians of children possess a great power. They are the moulders of their children's personalities and the arbiters of their development.

 

- Ann Oakley

  

My custom mount for the new Brickarms M1919 mounted machine gun. It is fully functional, rotates 360 degrees and is removable. Also features my custom M1919. As you can see from this photo and one of my Project Arbiter figure, I drilled out the holes in the barrel for a little added reailsm and threw on a quick weathering paint job.

Now that The Force Awakens is finally over; I’m getting back to work on the Halo 5: Guardians collaborative minifigures that Sander, Brickzalive, billbobful, and I have all had a hand in making!

 

I’m hoping to have all three of the sculpted minifigures painted and ready to go before the end of the month, and of course this wouldn’t have been possible without the work pecovam did in this community, because I’ve been saving his Legendary Master Chief set for two years now just for this.

 

Also, just so you know what to expect and who made what:

As I said, the Master Chief armor set is a cast from BrickAffliction (pecovam) that was made back in 2013, Brickzalive spent six months sculpting The Arbiter’s incredibly complicated armor, and Sander sculpted almost everything on Locke aside from the shoulders. Billy was kind enough to make those and save Sander a bit of work :)

 

So massive thanks to all of them, and I can’t wait for you guys to see the three figures finished!

 

Hey guys! I just wanted to show you what I'm currently working on. I haven't built a Warthog yet, so I decided to finally take a crack at it. Let me know what you guys think of it so far. I'm planning on adding several details to the front of the hog, but need to get some specialty pieces first. Also, the reason the back portion of the hog is out of focus is simply because it isn't done yet and there isn't much to see yet. Leave me your feedback below! Thanks!

PADDY: “Oh Rosie!” *Claps paws.* “How lovely your camellia flower hat is!”

 

ROSIE: “Oh thank you, Paddy!” *Blushes red beneath pink woollen fur.* “I’m so glad you like it!”

 

PADDY: “Do you think mijn beste vriend Peter will like my camellia flower hat, Paddy?”

 

PADDY: “Oh I’m sure he will, Scout.”

 

ROSIE: “Oh I do hope Peter likes my hat, too.”

 

PADDY: “Oh I’m sure he will, Rosie!”

 

SCOUT: “He will love it, Rosie! I just know he will!” *Claps paws.*

 

ROSIE: “I do hope so.” *Giggles and blushes more.*

 

BOGART: “Do you like my hat, Jago?”

 

JAGO: “Oh I do! It suits you perfectly, Bogart.”

 

BOGART: “Do you think it compliments my white plush fur and red bow?”

 

JAGO: “Oh I do, Bogart!”

 

BOGART: “Gosh! Thank you, Jago!” *Blushes red beneath white plush fur.*

 

FREDDY: “I think you all look beautiful!”

 

SCOUT, ROSIE and BOGART: “Thank you Freddy.”

 

PADDY: “Look! Here comes Daddy! You should do a fashion parade for him!”

 

BOGART: “What a good idea!”

 

DADDY: “Hullo Paddy, Scout, Jago, Bogart, Rosie and Freddy!”

 

PADDY, SCOUT JAGO, BOGART, ROSIE and FREDDY: “Hullo Daddy!”

 

DADDY: “Goodness! What are you doing with those flowers on your heads?”

 

SCOUT: “These are our new hats, Daddy!”

 

ROSIE: “And we’re going to do a fashion parade for you, to show them off, Daddy.”

 

BOGART: “Do you think they suit us, Daddy?”

 

DADDY: “Oh yes! They all look so wonderful, and all so different!” *Claps hands.*

 

SCOUT, BOGART and ROSIE: “Oh thank you, Daddy!”

 

DADDY: “You are very welcome, everybear!”

 

FREDDY: “Who do you think is the most beautiful, Daddy?”

 

JAGO: “Yes, Daddy. You are an arbiter of fashion.”

 

DADDY: “Goodness! Thank you, Jago. Hhhhmmm…” *Watches Scout, Bogart and Rosie parade.* “I think you are all winners, Scout, Bogart and Jago!”

 

PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, BOGART, ROSIE and FREDDY: “Hoorah!” *Jump up and down with joy.*

 

SCOUT: “What do we win, Daddy?”

 

DADDY: “I think we should all go home and have a tea party in the garden. It’s such a beautiful day! Lets go!”

 

PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, BOGART, ROSIE and FREDDY: “Hoorah!” *Jump up and down and start to walk towards home.*

 

Now that Scout’s cousin Rosie has arrived, and brought with her the spring sunshine after a great many grey, wet and wintery days, Paddy, Scout, Bogart, Jago, and Freddy are showing her around the neighbourhood. Being born bear explorers, Paddy and Scout are always taking the opportunity to wander through people's gardens, taking Bogart, Jago and Freddy with them, that is if they aren’t being led by Rosie, who is by her own admission, quite a tenacious bear. They are also very good at creating an impromptu fashion parade with some fallen camellia blooms!

 

My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.

 

He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.

 

Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.

 

Rosie is Scout's cousin, because like Scout, she is a free trade knitted bear from Africa. She was made in Kenya by one of the Kenana Knitters, Martha Wanjira. She is made from home spun and dyed wool. She was a gift to me from two very dear friends, includng the one who gave Scout to Paddy.

 

Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.

 

Jago was a gift from a dear friend in England. He is made of English mohair with suede paw pads and glass eyes. He is a gentle bear, kind and patient who carries an air of calm about him. He is already fitting in with everyone else very nicely.

 

Freddy Fox is made by Merrythought in England. I bought him, of all places, from a men’s accessory shop in Melbourne’s Block Arcade, called Mr. Wares. Freddy Fox is made of English Mohair with felt paws and glass bead eyes. He has so much charm and charisma that already he is winning hearts with anyone whom he meets, and he is kind and sweet, which makes him an ideal member of our family.

Our Daystar, the sun, the ultimate arbiter of life on this beautiful world, shines faintly through a thick pall of forest fire smoke, above Kluane Lake, Yukon, late in the evening. Most of the Yukon and Alaska were thus blanketed for about a month this past summer, as Jove's thunderbolts torched thousands of square miles of of Spruce trees. This is a normal part of life during a warm summer at subarctic latitudes, an essential component of nature's cycles of renewal, of birth and death, and I love it... especially the aroma of smoldering spruce forests.

After three consecutively cooler than normal summers with none of the normal fire activity, it was a pleasure to experience this again.

( When I stopped to take this photo, my best friend, my Black Lab, was killed by a passing truck, with the result that I gave up photography for the last couple months... In fact I didn't even feel like talking to anybody for a couple weeks ..This, for those of you who might have wondered what on earth happened to me ... Hello Again ! )

Created by the three orders of sorcery in Chicago to police the growing population of magic users, the Arbiters are oftentimes referred to as the ‘Magic Cops’. They specialize in investigating magical events and aiding the police in crimes that involve a magical or supernatural presence. Arbiters are always spell casters themselves and are fiercely loyal to the orders.

 

The Arbiters base of operations is the Tower of Sorcery in Old Town and they often work closely with one another despite their particular Order they may originate from. Arbiters often receive training in standard police tactics and investigation techniques to assist them in their duties and they are supported by their own branch of dispatch for Chicago emergency services. Unlike many police officers however, it is extremely difficult to find a corrupt member of the Arbiters as they are nearly fanatical in their devotion to their order and duties.

 

Location: Another Earth: Chicago Chronicles RP Sim

The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven justices—one of whom serves as Chief Justice. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and one is selected at large.

 

The justices are appointed by the governor to set terms, which do not exceed six years. Immediately after appointment, the initial term is three years or less because the justices must appear on the ballot in the next general election that occurs more than one year after their appointment. Afterward, they serve six-year terms and remain in office if retained in the general election near the end of each term. Citizens vote on whether or not they want to retain each justice in office.

 

Chief justices are elected by the members of the Court to two-year terms that end in every even-numbered year. Chief justices may succeed themselves in office if they are re-elected by the other justices. The chief justice also can appoint judges to temporary duty on the Court if at least one of the justices is unable to hear a case for any reason. The temporary justices are called "associate justices" and are usually chosen on a rotating basis from presiding judges of Florida's district courts of appeal. They usually sit only for a single case. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the term "associate justice" is never used to describe the sitting Florida justices.

 

The Court is the final arbiter of state law of Florida, and its decisions are binding authority for all other Florida state courts, as well as for federal courts when they apply Florida law. In most instances, the only appeal from the Florida Supreme Court is to the U.S. Supreme Court on questions of federal law.

 

Established upon statehood in 1845, the Florida Supreme Court is headquartered across Duval Street from the state capitol in Tallahassee. Throughout the court's history, it has undergone many reorganizations as Florida's population has grown.

 

As of October 2020, each justice of the Florida Supreme Court receives a salary of $227,218.

 

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

supremecourt.flcourts.gov/

search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136252741805

 

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

  

For what will most likely be my last big wave of figures for the year, The Master Chief Collection definitely had to be it. I’ve been working on these four since the start of the month, and hope to finish them before the release of the collection! So far this lineup of figures has easily been the most sculpting I’ve ever had to do at once. On top of these four, I’m hoping to possibly squeeze in a quick Lord Hood, but that’ll only be if I can finish these a little early.

 

By the way, The Arbiter is using Toy Story arms and legs just like Groot, because there was no way I was going to let him be shorter than Miranda Keyes lol.

 

I’m also about to finish Arno from Assassin’s Creed Unity ;)

 

If you drop this a favorite, let me know what you think so far in the comments!

An Arbiter serves as both investigator and Law Enforcement for one of the three Towers of Sorcery in Chicago. Each of the Towers teaches and monitors the use of one of the three Schools of Magic.

 

The Green Tower focuses on the natural world, nature, life, the elements, and other pursuits.

 

The White Tower focuses on Mysticism. Including the healing arts, enlightenment, knowledge, the control of energies and other like interests.

 

The Black Tower focuses on technomagic, the blending of magic and technology through the use of devices, augmented science, cybernetic implants and other technologies.

 

Arbiter Chloe Amberfire, a puca fae folk, made for a strange practitioner of technomagic considering the puca fae's normal bond with the natural world and animals, but she had proven herself a skilled and reliable member of the tower and had been elevated to Arbiter status several years ago.

 

Contacted recently with a new assignment Chloe had studied the file that had been sent by the Archmage Tribunal. It had been woefully short on any solid details, only vague reports of a magic user in Old Towne, near the pillar Spire. No registered magic users of the skill level of reported sightings lived in that area. She would be the fourth Arbiter assigned to track the rogue caster down, three had already failed.

 

She took a few moments to prepare, meditating in one of the nexus chambers of the Black Tower, located in the upper levels of the megacity, far above the crowded, dirty streets of Old Towne below.

At Pastor Charles Calvin's house, there is much preparation for the Thanksgiving meal. One of his twin daughters, Betsy Calvin, is working with the grinder.

 

"There you go, Pa, I think you've fixed it!"

 

"Let's test it, Betsy. I know you want your measurements to be precise."

 

"It always reminds me, all of creation works on God's order, Pa. We're able to know and work with such accuracy because of how He designed it."

 

"Well, said, Betsy. God's truth defines reality. All we do every day, how we operate, from the smallest things to the most grand, all obey the truth of God's design."

 

•────────────────•°•❀•°•────────────────•

 

Ask anyone today, "What is truth?" and you’re sure to start an interesting conversation. Try it on a university campus and you’re likely to receive laughter, scorn, and derision. The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times, and the consequences of rejecting it are ravaging human society. So let’s go back to the starting point and answer the question: What is truth?

 

One of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible was posed by an unbeliever. Pilate—the man who handed Jesus over to be crucified—turned to Jesus in His final hour, and asked, “What is truth?” It was a rhetorical question, a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”

 

Two thousand years later, the whole world breathes Pilate’s cynicism. Some say truth is a power play, a metanarrative constructed by the elite for the purpose of controlling the ignorant masses. To some, truth is subjective, the individual world of preference and opinion. Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether.

 

So, what is truth?

 

Here’s a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. Even more to the point: Truth is the self-expression of God. That is the biblical meaning of truth. Because the definition of truth flows from God, truth is theological.

 

Truth is also ontological—which is a fancy way of saying it is the way things really are. Reality is what it is because God declared it so and made it so. Therefore God is the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultimate standard, and final judge of all truth.

 

The Old Testament refers to the Almighty as the “God of truth”.

 

"Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth." Psalm 31:5

 

When Jesus said of Himself, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6), He was thereby making a profound claim about His own deity. He was also making it clear that all truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God and His eternal glory. After all, Jesus is “And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [The Father's] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3

 

Jesus is truth incarnate—the perfect expression of God and therefore the absolute embodiment of all that is true.

 

Jesus also said that the written Word of God is truth. It does not merely contain nuggets of truth; it is pure, unchangeable, and inviolable truth that according to Jesus, “cannot be broken”. (John 10:35)

 

Praying to His heavenly Father on behalf of His disciples, He said this: "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17

 

Moreover, the Word of God is eternal truth “which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23).

 

Of course, there cannot be any discord or difference of opinion between the written Word of God (Scripture) and the incarnate Word of God (Jesus). In the first place, truth by definition cannot contradict itself. Second, Scripture is called “the word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16). It is His message, His self-expression. In other words, the truth of Christ and the truth of the Bible are of the very same character. They are in perfect agreement in every respect. Both are equally true. God has revealed Himself to humanity through Scripture and through His Son. Both perfectly embody the essence of what truth is.

 

Remember, Scripture also says God reveals basic truth about Himself in nature. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1). His other invisible attributes (such as His wisdom, power, and beauty) are on constant display in what He has created (Romans 1:20). Knowledge of Him is inborn in the human heart (Romans 1:19), and a sense of the moral character and loftiness of His law is implicit in every human conscience (Romans 2:15).

 

Those things are universally self-evident truths. According to Romans 1:20, denial of the spiritual truths we know innately always involves a deliberate and culpable unbelief. And for those who wonder whether basic truths about God and His moral standards really are stamped on the human heart, ample proof can be found in the long history of human law and religion. To suppress this truth is to dishonor God, displace His glory, and incur His wrath.

 

"18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20

 

Still, the only infallible interpreter of what we see in nature or know innately in our own consciences is the explicit revelation of Scripture. Since Scripture is also the one place where we are given the way of salvation, entrance into the kingdom of God, and an infallible account of Christ, the Bible is the touchstone to which all truth claims should be brought and by which all other truth must finally be measured.

 

An obvious corollary of what I am saying is that truth means nothing apart from God. Truth cannot be adequately explained, recognized, understood, or defined without God as the source. Since He alone is eternal and self-existent and He alone is the Creator of all else, He is the fountain of all truth.

 

If you don’t believe that, try defining truth without reference to God, and see how quickly all such definitions fail. The moment you begin to ponder the essence of truth, you are brought face to face with the requirement of a universal absolute—the eternal reality of God. Conversely, the whole concept of truth instantly becomes nonsense (and every imagination of the human heart therefore turns to sheer foolishness) as soon as people attempt to remove the thought of God from their minds.

 

That, of course, is precisely how the apostle Paul traced the relentless decline of human ideas in Romans 1:21-22: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

 

There are serious moral implications too, whenever someone tries to dissociate truth from the knowledge of God. Paul went on to write, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

 

Abandon a biblical definition of truth, and unrighteousness is the inescapable result. We see it happening before our eyes in every corner of contemporary society. In fact, the widespread acceptance of all forms of iniquity that we see in our society today is a verbatim fulfillment of what Romans 1 says always happens when a society denies and suppresses the essential connection between God and truth.

 

If you reflect on the subject with any degree of sobriety, you will soon see that even the most fundamental moral distinctions—good and evil, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, or honor and dishonor—cannot possibly have any true or constant meaning apart from God. That is because truth and knowledge themselves simply have no coherent significance apart from a fixed source, namely, God. How could they? God embodies the very definition of truth. Every truth claim apart from Him is preposterous.

 

Elaborate epistemologies have been proposed and methodically debunked one after another—like a long chain in which every previous link is broken. After thousands of years, the very best of human philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Marx, James, and others) have all utterly failed to account for truth and the origin of human knowledge apart from God.

 

In fact, the one most valuable lesson humanity ought to have learned from philosophy is that it is impossible to make sense of truth without acknowledging God as the necessary starting point.

 

Truth is not subjective, it is not a consensual cultural construct, and it is not an invalid, outdated, irrelevant concept. Truth is the self-expression of God. Truth is thus theological; it is the reality God has created and defined, and over which He rules. Truth is therefore a moral issue for every human being.

 

How each person responds to the truth God has revealed is an issue of eternal significance. To reject and rebel against the truth of God results in darkness, folly, sin, judgment, and the never-ending wrath of God. To accept and submit to the truth of God is to see clearly, to know with certainty, and to find life everlasting.

 

-Excerpt from 'What Is Truth?'

John MacArthur, Grace To You, 2008

 

•────────────────•°•❀•°•────────────────•

Happy Thanksgiving 2022 as we at Paprihaven celebrate gratitude through God through the Psalms!

 

Previous Thanksgivings from Paprihaven:

 

2015

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/23317280855/

 

2016

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/31221411415/

 

2017

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/38546538356/

 

2018

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/45192078954/

 

2019

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49118690462/

 

2020

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50625872238/

 

2021

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51691706150/

 

The battle quickly spilled out onto the crowded streets of Old Towne, the Arbiter's quickness and agility managing to keep her just out of claw's reach as the zoanthropes gave chase.

 

People on the streets panicked almost immediately as blaster fire and beastial roars filled the air, causing them to flee in whatever direction they could find to distance themselves from the on going fight.

 

Chloe managed to separate the two wolves, leaping and sliding across the windshield of a nearby taxi, emptying the energy clips of her blasters into the face and chest of the zoanthrope moving to cut her off there.

 

As the beast toppled over backwards she knew it wouldn't stay down long, she could already see the blaster wounds and singed flesh starting to heal. The other wolf was still in pursuit and the Arbiter ducked down one of the garbage filled alleys, searching for higher ground as she darted up one of the nearby walkway stairs.

Der preußische König Friedrich der Große pölante persönlich 1746 die Gestaltung dieses Rondells. Aufgestellt wurden Büsten eines römischen Kaisers, eines Philosophen und vier afrikanischer Personen in antiken Gewändern. Die Bildnisse Scharzer Menschen stehen hier wohl für ein nobels, aber auch naives Afrika, das angeblich erst durch Europäer zivilisiert wurde. Das Zusammenspiel der Figuren weist auf das Selbstversändnis des Königs hin: Er sah sich in der Nachfolge antiker Herrscher als rechtmäßiger Gestalter der menschlichen Ordnung. Im 20. Jahrhunder etablierete sich der Name "Mohrenrondell". Die Bezeichnungen "Mohr /Mohrin" können aber Menschen verletzten und abwerten. Deshalb erhielt der Platz 2020 einen seiner früheren Namen, "Erstes Rondell, zurück.

 

Hinweistafel am Rondell

 

Prussia's King Frederick the Great personally planned the design of this park rondel in 1746. Busts of a Roman emperor, a philosopher, and four Africans dressed in ancient garb were arranged in the circle. At the time they were installed on the grounds, these four portraitsof people of colour presumably stood for a noble but naive African continent, which alledgedly had first been civilized by Europeans.

The interplay of the figures makes allusions to the king's self-image: He saw himself as following in the succession of ancient rulers, and as a rightful arbiter of human order. The name "Mohrenrondell" (Moors' Rondel) established itself in the 2oth century. However, the labels "Moor / blackamoor"

are generally considered to be offensive and disparaging terms. For this reason, in 2o2o, the site took back one of its former names, "Erstes Rondell" (First Rondel). The arrangement also touches on current debates dealing with racism, enslavement, and a colonial past. The Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Garten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg Foundation) is taking part

in these discussions and critically examines the history oft he palaces and gardens. Objects in the collection, their presentation, and historical names are also examined with regard to their colonial connections.

 

Information board at the rondel

  

Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.

 

Today we have not strayed far from Cavendish Mews and are still in Mayfair, but are far enough away in her mind that Lettice has chosen to take a taxi, hailed for her by her maid Edith from the nearby square, to Bond Street where the premises of the Portland Gallery stand. She is sharing the taxi with her friend Minnie Palmerston, a banker’s wife whom she met at the Embassy Club, which is also on Bond Street. Minnie decided to attempt to redecorate her own dining room with disastrous results, so she has enlisted the assistance of Lettice, who has already established a colour palette and has ordered wall hangings and fabric for new dining chairs, to repair the damage she has done. As the taxi pulls up to the kerb, Lettice and Minnie both peer through the window at the impressive three storey Victorian building with Portland stone facings, which is where the gallery takes its name from. The ground floor part of the façade has been modernised in more recent times, and now sports magnificent plate glass windows through which passers by may look at the beautiful objets d’art artfully presented in them. Currently one window is full of brilliantly painted pottery which reminds Lettice of her Aunt Eglantine’s works, whilst the other has a single modernist statue of white marble set up against a rich black velvet curtain, bathed in light from a spotlight, giving it a very dramatic look.

 

“That’ll be four and six, mum.” the taxi driver says through the glass divider between the driver’s compartment and the passenger carriage as he leans back in his seat. Stretching his arm across the seat he tips his cap in deference to the well dressed ladies swathed in fox furs and stylish hats in the black leather back seat.

 

After paying the taxi fare for them both, Minnie encourages Lettice to alight from the taxi first. As they spill from its door, they are both mid laugh over an amusing story about a mutual acquaintance that Minnie shared with Lettice.

 

Minnie remarks excitedly as the taxi chugs away belching out fumes, “And thinking of gossip, I read in the newspapers that your friend Elizabeth* is going to be the Princess of Wales**.”

 

“You’re such a gossip, Minnie darling.” Lettice chides her friend mildly as she guides them both across the busy footpath and towards the door. “You’d be the last person I’d share Elizabeth’s confidences with.”

 

“So she has…”

 

“If she had shared any with me!” Lettice quickly extinguishes Minnie’s burrowing for gossip with a definite statement in serious and well modulated tones. “As it is, I haven’t seen her since she went to spend Christmas at St Paul’s, Walden Bury. Now come along. We are here to pick objets d’art for your dining room, not prattle about idle gossip.”

 

“You’re such a spoil sport!” Minnie sulks.

 

“I’m not when it comes to interior design.” Lettice assures her. “Now let’s find something to go with those wonderful paintings of your husband’s.”

 

Lettice ushers Minnie through the full length plate glass doors on which the Portland Galleries’ name is written in elegant gilt font along with the words ‘by appointment only’ printed underneath in the same hand. As the door closes behind them, shutting out the sound of noisy automobiles and chugging busses and the clatter of footsteps on the pavement and the chatter of shoppers, the air about them changes. In the crisp and cool silence of the gallery the ladies’ heels click across the black and white marble floor.

 

“Now, I’ve ordered wall hangings from Jeffrey and Company*** to deck out the dining room. It’s metallic and red dioxide in colour,” Lettice enthuses, suddenly aware of how her well modulated tones bounce off the hard surfaces and objects on display in the gallery. “It’s so striking, I know you’re just going to love it.”

 

“Hhhmmm,” Minnie muses in a non-committal fashion as her eye flits around the red painted gallery hung with paintings and populated with tables, cabinets and pillars upon which stand different sculptures and other artistic pieces.

 

“The wallpaper, Minnie,” Lettice sighs in exasperation, misunderstanding Minnie. “I’ve ordered it. Goodness, I do wish you’d concentrate for more than five minutes for a change.”

 

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that, Lettice darling.”

 

“About what?”

 

“About the wall hangings Lettice darling.” Minnie purrs. “I’m wondering whether we shouldn’t reconsider how the dining room is to be furbished.”

 

“Reconsider, Minnie?” Lettice looks with shocked and wide eyes at her friend. “What on earth do you mean, reconsider?”

 

“Well, I was just wondering whether it mightn’t be better to have gold wallpaper instead.”

 

“Gold wallpaper?”

 

“You know darling, to represent the golden sands of Egypt.” Minnie says with a dramatic air, raising her right hand to her forehead, her eyes drifting upwards in the affected stance of a silent film star. “Everyone I know is going positively wild over anything Egyptian after the discovery of that boy king’s tomb****. Simply mad for it, darling! All of Charles’ frightfully boring banking friends can talk of nothing else, and nor can their wives.” She giggles. “They’ve finally got something interesting to talk about.”

 

“But we’re here today, Minnie darling, to pick ornaments to decorate the room with. The papers are already ordered at great expense.” Lettice looks with concern at her friend. “You can’t go and change your mind now.”

 

“Of course I can, Lettice darling!” Minnie scoffs with a wave of her maroon coloured leather glove clad hand. “Charles is footing the bill. He’ll pay for whatever you ask, carte blanche.” She cocks one of her well manicured eyebrows over her glittering eye. “He’s convinced that anything you choose will be a patch on anything I’ve done thus far, which in reality probably isn’t too far from the truth.”

 

“Exactly!” Lettice retorts. “And I’ve chosen red dioxide as the colour for the dining room, not gold.”

 

“But gold would be so fashionable, Lettice darling!” Minnie insists. “So now!”

 

“And it might just as quickly be yesterday, tomorrow.” Lettice retorts, irritated at little by the fickle nature of her friend. “I’m trying to help you come up with a dining room that won’t need redecorating for a while.”

 

“But I…”

 

Lettice silences Minnie by holding up her navy glove clad hands in protestation. “I promise that it will be modern and fashionable, and yet timeless too.” She plays her trump card knowingly. “Don’t you trust me, Minnie darling?” She gazes at her friend with dewy eyes. “After all, you did ask me to redecorate the room for you. Don’t you trust my judgement any more?”

 

“Oh… oh no!” Minnie stutters in reply. “No! Of course I do. Your taste is excellent. Of course, you’re right.”

 

“Then metallic red dioxide wallpaper it will be.” Lettice says with a satisfied sigh.

 

“Well, I’ll settle for some rather exotic looking Egyptian statues then,” Minnie says. “Like that one you have on your mantle.”

 

“My ‘Theban Dancer’***** do you mean?”

 

“Yes, yes! She’s the one!” Minnie enthuses. “Or that daringly modern one you have on your dining room sideboard.”

 

“Well, they both came from the Portland Gallery, so I’m sure we can find some beautiful examples to suit you here.” Lettice assures her as she entwines her arm with her friend. “Come on, let’s see what there is.”

 

“Ah! Miss Chetwynd!” a mature frock coated man greets Lettice with a broad smile. Taking her hand, he kisses it affectionately, yet with respect. “How do you do.”

 

“Mr. Chilvers!” Lettice greets the smartly dressed man with a warm smile and the familiarity of the regular client that she is. “How do you do.”

 

“And to what do we owe this great pleasure of your visit today, Miss Chetwynd?” Mr. Chilvers asks obsequiously, releasing Lettice’s fingers and clasping his hands together in front of him.

 

Born Grand Duke Pytor Chikvilazde in the Russian seaside resort town of Odessa, the patrician gallery owner with the beautifully manicured and curled handlebar moustache fled Russia after the Revolution, escaping aboard the battleship HMS Marlborough****** from Yalta in 1919 along with the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and other members of the former, deposed Russian Imperial Family. Arriving a in London later that year after going via Constantinople and Genoa, the Russian emigree was far more fortunate than others around him on the London docks, possessing valuable jewels smuggled out of Russia in the lining of his coat. Changing his name to the more palatable Peter Chilvers, he sold most of the jewels he had, shunned his Russian heritage, honed his English accent and manners, to reinvent himself as the very British owner of an art gallery in Bond Street, thus enabling him to continue what he enjoyed most about being Grand Duke Pytor Chikvilazde and enjoy a thriving arts scene. As one of his more high profile customers, Mr. Chilvers happily fawns over Lettice, delighted that she chooses to patronise his very exclusive gallery for pieces to decorate the interiors of her clients’ homes with.

 

“Mr. Chilvers, this is my friend Minnie Palmerston. I’m redecorating her St John’s Wood dining room. Minnie, this is Mr Chilvers. He owns and runs the Portland Gallery.”

 

“Charmed, I’m sure.” Mr. Chilvers raises Minnie’s hand to his lips and kisses it, all the while admiring the beautiful redhead with striking green eyes, swathed in maroon and draped in red fox furs.

 

“Minnie’s taken rather a shine to my ‘Theban Dancer’ and my ‘Modern Woman’, Mr. Chilvers,” Lettice explains. “Perhaps you can show us something of a similar vein?”

 

“It would be my pleasure, Miss Chetwynd, Miss Palmerston,” Mr. Chilvers croons. “Right this way. I think I might have just the thing.”

 

“He’s the gallery owner,” Lettice whispers to her friend behind her hand. “He always thinks he has something.” She pauses. “Although to be fair, this is an amazing gallery and he often does.”

 

Minnie looks at Lettice with a hopeful smile.

 

Indicating for them to follow him with an open palm gesture, Mr. Chilvers leads the ladies through the gallery.

 

The rich red walls are hung with all kinds of modern paintings, many not dissimilar to those that grace the walls of Minnie and Charles’ dining room. Lettice’s own drawing room paintings come from the gallery. Dour street scenes and vibrant abstract still lives hang alongside dynamic portraits. Most of the furnishings are black japanned wood and made in a very stark, yet stylish way, so as not to distract from the artworks that sit upon their surfaces. Hand painted pottery in bright colours and ornate spun glass pieces sit upon tables and buffets and inside mirrored cabinets whilst statues stand proudly on pillars and stands. The air is rich with the fragrance of ornate floral arrangements strategically set about the gallery as colourful foils to compliment various artworks. Everywhere there is colour and interest.

 

“What kind of display are you looking for, ladies?” Mr. Chilvers asks as Lettice and Minnie follow in his sweetly spiced eau de cologne wake.

 

Minnie looks alarmingly at Lettice, who quickly answers for them both, “I have two rather tall pillars that will stand either side of an existing new tile fireplace. I also have a simple black japanned sideboard.”

 

“Is there a mantle on the fireplace?” the gallery owner asks as they walk.

 

“A small central recess only, Mr. Chilvers.” Lettice says knowledgably, much to Minnie’s surprise, for even as the owner of the fireplace she has never so much as considered whether it has a mantle or not.

 

“And the specifics of the room?” Mr. Chilvers asks, running his index finger along the edge of a display table as he does, rubbing his clean thumb and forefinger together and releasing a satisfied sigh as he does.

 

“It’s my dining room.” Minnie begins. “I tried to do the redecoration myself but…”

 

Lettice quickly places a forbidding arm across Minnie’s chest, silencing her. Minnie glances at her friend whose eyes widen as she shakes her head to indicate that the gallery owner doesn’t need to know about Minnie’s decorative disasters.

 

“The room,” Lettice says smoothly over the top of her friend. “Is in an early Victorian townhouse, so it has high ceilings and is tall rather than wide. I have metallic red dioxide papers embossed with leaves and flowers on order from Jeffrey and Company. Mr. and Mrs. Palmerston are devotees of modern art, Mr. Chilvers, so the paper, whilst striking, is really there to support their paintings already chosen for the room.”

 

“Always the arbiter of smart and select taste, Miss Chetwynd.” Mr. Chilvers replies with a smile as he glances back at the two ladies and tweaks his moustache. “So, something tall, perhaps, with some gilding?”

 

“Quite so, Mr. Chilvers.” Lettice agrees.

 

“And nothing too ornate, of course.” he adds.

 

“Indeed no, Mr. Chilvers.” Lettice concurs.

 

“You are very fortunate in your choice of interior designer, Mrs. Palmerston.” He turns back and keeps walking. “Too many women with too much time on their hands take it upon themselves to redecorate rooms, creating a disastrous and gauche pale imitation of what they have seen elsewhere, which simply doesn’t suit their homes.”

 

Minnie’s eyes grow wide as she glances at Lettice in alarm. Lettice silently raises he finger to her lips to indicate that she hasn’t said anything about Minnie’s attempt to redecorate her dining room herself, which makes Minnie sigh with relief.

 

“Rather like creating a Maida Vale dining room in St John’s Wood, would you say, Mr. Chilvers?” Minnie asks a little nervously.

 

“Quite so, Mrs. Palmerston. Well said.” he agrees as his pace slows. “I do so dislike bored ladies like that. I have no time for artless women who dabble in art, and I won’t have them in my gallery.”

 

“Oh!” Minnie bluffs with false joviality. “Oh, my husband and I quite agree with you. There is nothing worse than a poorly decorated room, Mr. Chilvers, full of tasteless tatt.” She is so grateful that the imposing gallery owner has his back to her so that he cannot see the colour of her face betraying the truth of Minnie’s experience.

 

“Indeed, Mrs. Palmerston,” he agrees. “But that is something you won’t have to suffer under the skilled artistic eye and adept hands of Miss Chetwynd. She has found the profession that suits and showcases her skills admirably.”

 

“Yes,” Minnie says, blushing deeper and smiling coyly. “I’ve seen the work she has done to the home of friends of ours.”

 

“Ah,” Mr. Chilvers purrs as they reach a corner of the gallery. He stops in front of a beautiful, and unusually, round flame wood cabinet on a large pedestal. “I think, ladies, you might find something to your liking in here.” He opens up the doors and turns to the two ladies. “A selection of modern sculpture and some of my finest Venetian glass*******. There are also some rather fetching sculptures to either side.” he adds with a wave of his elegant hand. “Well, I’ll leave you to discuss your choices with your client, Miss Chetwynd. I do hope, Mrs. Palmerston, that you will find something to please you.”

 

The two ladies watch him sweep away before turning to the cabinet.

 

“Thank you for not telling Mr. Chilvers about my… you know.” Minnie starts gesticulating wildly.

 

“You nearly gave the game up yourself, Minnie.” Lettice chides her friend kindly in a conspiratorial whisper. “Mr. Chilvers is a frightful snob. It’s almost like he comes from the highest echelons of some European aristocracy, and yet even with Leslie’s help I’ve been unable to trace him prior to opening this gallery in 1920. He’s quite the mystery! And,” she adds. “He doesn’t let just anyone shop here, even by appointment.”

 

“Which would explain why Charles and I have never been here.” Minnie replies.

 

“Indeed. Well, I think Mr. Chilvers would refuse Charles automatically on face value. Being a banker, I think he would consider him far too gauche and newly minted for his establishment.”

 

“Oh.” Minnie casts her eyes downwards.

 

“Don’t do that, Minnie darling!” Lettice puts a comforting arm around her friend. “You are a good person, and so is Charles.” She rubs Minnie’s arm. “Don’t worry about Mr. Chilvers snobbery. I can already tell that he likes you. I knew he would admire you for your striking fiery red tresses and stunning green eyes. He finds you intriguing.”

 

“He does?”

 

“Yes. He didn’t even acknowledge poor Margot on the one occasion I brought her here.”

 

“But she’s richer and better connected than I am.”

 

“Sshhh!” Lettice shushes her friend with a finger to her lips. “He obviously doesn’t think so.”

 

“It’s a funny way to run a business, I must say.” Minnie says as she picks up a beautiful glass comport of aqua blue and toys with it in her hands, feeling the cool material between her fingers.

 

“Mr. Chilvers seems to rise above all that, which is why I think he is from a very aristocratic European family. Italian perhaps?” She picks up a tall Venetian glass vase with amber decoration around its base, holding it up as if it serves as proof as to Mr. Chilver’s lineage.

 

“With a name like Chilvers, he can hardly be Italian, Lettice darling!” Minnie replaces the comport on the shelf.

 

“Oh, you can be so dense sometimes, Minnie darling!” Lettice giggles. “You don’t imagine that Chilvers is his real name, do you?”

 

“Well…” Minnie gulps.

 

“Of course it’s not! If he’s an Italian prince, or count, he probably has a real family name of Chiavaroli or Chiodini.” Lettice giggles girlishly as the syllables roll around like a foreign language in her mouth. “Anyway, going back to what I was saying before, if through being connected with me, you receive a foray into the joys of exclusive shopping here, I know you will find many a fine piece to ornament your home with. Once Mr. Chilvers knows you have taste.”

 

“He hasn’t seen the disaster I made of my dining room.” Minnie blurts out, interrupting her friend.

 

“And he doesn’t have to know about it.” Lettice soothes quietly. “Just keep mum.”

 

“Yes!” Minnie sighs. “Me and my big mouth. One day you won’t be around, and I’ll get myself into real trouble.”

 

“Well, luckily I was here, Minnie darling.” Lettice says with a smile. “Anyway, once Mr. Chilvers knows you, he’ll forgive you if you bring Charles: especially if Charles brings an open chequebook.”

 

“Do you think he might be Russian?” Minnie asks quietly, looking discreetly over her shoulder to Mr. Chilvers as he sits at his black japanned desk in the middle of the gallery, scribbling notes into a ledger.

 

“Who?” Lettice asks, wide eyed as she removes the copy of the ‘Theban Dancer’ from the middle shelf of the cabinet and considers whether it will fit onto the recess of Minnie’s dining room fireplace.

 

“Mr. Chilvers, of course, Lettice darling! Now who’s being dense?”

 

“Good heavens no!” Lettice scoffs. “He’s English is far too good and his manners too impeccable to be a Russian emigree. Have you ever met any? They can be quite horrible and so terribly haughty, even if they are now all as poor as church mice.” She too looks over to Mr. Chilvers, who either doesn’t know he is being scrutinised, or is far too polite to acknowledge it. “No, he’s Italian, I’m sure of it.” She sighs as she admires his dark hair, pale skin, and sharp cheekbones. “Now, this isn’t helping us pick any pieces for your dining room, Minnie darling. I was thinking that the ‘Theban Dancer’ you like might just fit on the small recess on your fireplace. Do you really like her enough to want her? Is she exotic enough for your current tastes?”

 

The two women begin to look earnestly at the objects around them to select pieces for Minnie’s dining room, and all the while, Mr. Chilvers writes in his ledger, the nib of his fountain pen scratching across the surface of the page, his ears ever alert to every whisper of conversation in his gallery, but his eyes remaining downcast out of deference for Lettice, one of his favourite customers.

 

*Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, as she was known at the beginning of 1923 when this story is set, went on to become Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions from 1936 to 1952 as the wife of King George VI. Whilst still Duke of York, Prince Albert initially proposed to Elizabeth in 1921, but she turned him down, being "afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to". He proposed again in 1922 after Elizabeth was part of his sister, Mary the Princess Royal’s, wedding party, but she refused him again. On Saturday, January 13th, 1923, Prince Albert went for a walk with Elizabeth at the Bowes-Lyon home at St Paul’s, Walden Bury and proposed for a third and final time. This time she said yes. The wedding took place on April 26, 1923 at Westminster Abbey.

 

**In early January 1923 a newspaper ran a gossip item that Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was soon to be engaged to Prince Albert the Duke of York’s elder brother, the Prince of Wales – a story that reportedly annoyed her. Rumour has it that part of Elizabeth’s hesitance to marry Albert was due to her being in love with David – the loftier “catch” – however, these stories are highly unlikely and probably have more to do with trying to explain her later hatred for Wallis Simpson. More likely, she knew that the story meant more pressure for her to make up her mind about Albert and she knew the rumour would wound him

 

***Jeffrey and Company was an English producer of fine wallpapers that operated between 1836 and the mid 1930s. Based at 64 Essex Road in London, the firm worked with a variety of designers who were active in the aesthetic and arts and crafts movements, such as E.W. Godwin, William Morris, and Walter Crane. Jeffrey and Company’s success is often credited to Metford Warner, who became the company’s chief proprietor in 1871. Under his direction the firm became one of the most lucrative and influential wallpaper manufacturers in Europe. The company clarified that wallpaper should not be reserved for use solely in mansions, but should be available for rooms in the homes of the emerging upper-middle class.

 

****On the 4th of November 1922, English archaeologist Howard Carter and his men discovered the entrance to the boy king, Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, sparking a worldwide interest in all things Egyptian. The craze he started became known as Tutmania, and it inspired everything from the architecture of public building and private houses alike to interior design and fashion. Famously at the time, socialite Dolores Denis Denison applied one of the earliest examples of getting the media of the day to pay attention to her because of her dress by arriving at the prestigious private view of the King Tut Exhibition in London, dressed as an Egyptian mummy complete in a golden sarcophagus and had to be carried inside by her driver and a hired man. Although it started before the discovery of the tomb, the Art Deco movement was greatly influenced by Egyptian style. Many of the iconic decorative symbols we associate with the movement today came about because of Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

 

*****The exquisite sculpture “Theban Dancer” was cast by the esteemed Belgian-French sculptor Claire Jeanne Roberte Colinet, and is one of the most recognised figures representing the exoticism and frenetic energy and movement of the 1920s. Cast in the 1920s, the “Theban Dancer” is gilt and enamelled bronze, usually sitting upon a marble plinth.

 

******In 1919, King George V sent the HMS Marlborough to rescue his Aunt the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna after the urging of his mother Queen Dowager Alexandra. On the 5th of April 1919, the HMS Marlborough arrived in Sevastopol before proceeding to Yalta the following day. The ship took Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and other members of the former, deposed Russian Imperial Family including Grand Duke Nicholas and Prince Felix Yusupov aboard in Yalta on the evening of the 7th. The Empress refused to leave unless the British also evacuated wounded and sick soldiers, along with any civilians that also wanted to escape the advancing Bolsheviks. The Russian entourage aboard Marlborough numbered some 80 people, including forty four members of the Royal Family and nobility, with a number of governesses, nurses, maids and manservants, plus several hundred cases of luggage

 

*******Venetian glass is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techniques, as well as gilding, enamel, or engraving. Production has been concentrated on the Venetian island of Murano since the Thirteenth Century. Today Murano is known for its art glass, but it has a long history of innovations in glassmaking in addition to its artistic fame - and was Europe's major centre for luxury glass from the High Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance. During the Fifteenth Century, Murano glassmakers created cristallo—which was almost transparent and considered the finest glass in the world. Murano glassmakers also developed a white-coloured glass (milk glass called lattimo) that looked like porcelain. They later became Europe's finest makers of mirrors.

 

Whilst this up-market London gallery interior complete with artisan pieces may appear real to you, it is in fact made up completely with pieces from my 1:12 miniatures collection, including pieces I have had since I was a teenager.

 

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

 

On the top shelf of the round Art Deco display cabinet are a selection of 1:12 artisan glass pieces. Each one is made from real blown glass and is decorated with spun glass patterning in a different colour. They all come from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering.

 

On the middle shelf is a miniature artisan hand painted Art Deco statue on a “marble” plinth. Made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality of the detail in their pieces, it is a 1:12 copy of the “Theban Dancer” sculpture created by Claire-Jeanne-Roberte Colinet in 1925. She is flanked by two hand coloured spun glass comports. These I have had since I was a teenager. I acquired them from a high street shop that specialised in dolls and doll house miniatures.

 

The New Woman Art Deco statue on the bottom shelf of the cabinet is a hand painted 1:12 artisan pewter miniature also from Warwick Miniatures Ireland. She is named “Christianne”, and she also comes in a more risqué form as a nude.

 

The very striking round mirror backed mahogany Art Deco cabinet is made by high end miniature furniture maker, Bespaq. It comes from their Swanson range. The two pedestals either side of it were also made by Bespaq.

 

The two statues on the pedestals are 1:12 artisan miniatures also from Warwick Miniatures Ireland, however they have been had painted by me.

 

The black console table and the table in the foreground were made by Town Hall Miniatures.

 

The two porcelain vases on the console table have been hand painted and came from an online miniatures specialist on E-Bay. The glass comport is a 1:12 artisan glass piece made from real blown glass and is hand tinted. It comes from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering.

 

The paintings on the wall come from Amber’s Miniatures in the United States.

 

The vase of flowers in the foreground is beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium.

 

The Clarice Cliff style Art Deco tea set and tray on the table in the foreground have been hand painted and came from an online miniatures specialist on E-Bay.

Made this brick-built Arbiter after scrapping my Durge build. It's kinda oversized (The energy sword looks TINY in Arby's hand lol) but I wanted to add more details around the head area, and a larger scale helped accomplish that.

 

The head was pretty darn tricky to get right, especially the neck . I think using curved tiles for the neck works really well; it captures the Elite neck shape really well imo. I'm not entirely satisfied with the head though, there's a gap in the center/face section, and I'm not sure how to fill it. I do like using minifig-hands as mandibles though :)

 

The Master Chief uses Brickforge parts with a bit of battle damage, and the Arbiter behind him is from Minimates. I really like this Arbiter figure--it's kinda bulky, but that also makes it fit well with Lego minifigures, which are generally pretty chonky too.

 

What do you guys think? Comments are, as always, very much appreciated! :D

A much needed remake of this photo: www.flickr.com/photos/99717434@N04/23233060181/in/photost...

 

This photo featured my terrible Hlao 4 master Chief and the worst version of my Arbiter. Both of these wrongs have since been righted.

 

I posted my completely new Chief yesterday, and I spent today updating my Arbiter. Before the update, the Arbiter looked like this: www.flickr.com/photos/99717434@N04/22986688009/in/photost...

 

I completely re-did the arms, and pretty much the entire paint job. Also changed the back, which you cannot see in this picture.

 

Anyways, what do you think?

Couldn't stand how shit my Arbiter head was, so I modified it. Waiting for it to dry, then sand and paint.

 

Does it look better?

Built to counter the encroaching Vaygr threat and protect the Mothership, the Battlecruiser was the largest combat vessel produced by the Hiigaran navy. The primary weapons of the Battlecruiser are Heavy Ion Cannon turrets mounted on the dorsal and ventral sides of the hull. These cannons are capable of vaporizing frigate sized vessels in a single blast. Additional armaments include Arbiter Kinetic Burst Cannons capable of taking down corvettes and heavily damaging most Capital Ships. These cannons are mounted on the sides and the forward section of the Battlecruiser, allowing it to aim at several targets at a time.

 

Source: Encyclopedia Hiigara – The Homeworld Wiki

 

Armaments:

2 Dual Heavy Ion Cannon Turrets

4 Arbiter Kinetic Burst Cannon Turrets

4 Pulsar Beams

 

SHIPtember info:

Length: 105 Studs

3rd SHIP constructed

Light-up pulsing engines using the “Effects Lighting Starter Kit” from www.brickstuff.com

Custom printed stickers provided by my buddy ZKaiser

This gloomy scene is inspired by the last mission of Halo 3 where you have to fight your way to the control room. (Before you fight 343 Guilty Spark).

The sandcastle was built by persons unknown. My wife & I came across it while walking on the beach & it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.

PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.

 

I just like the columns.

 

The Court of Appeal has been in existence since 1849 and is the highest court in Quebec. In the vast majority of cases, the Court of Appeal is the final arbiter of the matters brought before it. Through its commitment to judicial independence and impartiality, and its efforts to ensure access to justice, it stands today as one of the primary bastions of the rule of law in Quebec.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA!!!!!!!

www.flickr.com/photos/31343451@N00/

and to all my friends................a happy weekend!

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

The Dark, Blue Sea

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar:

I love not man the less, but nature more,

From these our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the universe, and feel

What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.-

 

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean-roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;

Man marks the earth with ruin-his control

Stops with the shore;-upon the watery plain

The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain

A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,

When for a moment, like a drop of rain,

He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,

Without a grave, unknell'd, uncoffin'd, and unknown.

 

His steps are not upon thy paths-thy fields

Are not a spoil for him-thou dost arise

And shake him from thee; the vile strength he wields

For earth's destruction thou dost all despise,

Spurning him from thy bosom to the skies,

And send'st him, shivering in thy playful spray,

And howling, to his gods, where haply lies

His petty hope in some near port or bay,

And dashest him again to earth: there let him lay.

 

The armaments which thunderstrike the walls

Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,

And monarchs tremble in their capitals,

The oak leviathans, whose huge ribs make

Their clay creator the vain title take

Of lord of thee, and arbiter of war;

These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,

They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar

Alike the armada's pride, or spoils of Trafalgar.

 

Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee-

Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?

Thy waters washed them power while they were free,

And many a tyrant since: their shores obey

The stranger, slave or savage; their decay

Has dried up realms to deserts:-not so thou,

Unchangeable, save to thy wild waves' play-

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow-

Such as creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now.

 

Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form

Glasses itself in tempests; in all time

Calm or convulsed-in breeze, or gale, or storm,

Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime

Dark-heaving; boundless, endless and sublime-

The image of eternity-the throne

Of the invisible; even from out thy slime

The monsters of the deep are made; each zone

Obeys thee; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, alone.

 

And I have loved thee, ocean! And my joy

Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be

Borne, like thy bubbles, onward: from a boy

I wanton'd with thy breakers-they to me

Were a delight; and if the freshening sea

Made them a terror-'twas a pleasing fear,

For I was as it were a child of thee,

And trusted to thy billows far and near,

And laid my hand upon thy mane - as I do here.

[ Byron]

Arbiter Of Reality.

 

Propostas contrárias assuntos universais em relação à ininteligibilidade queixas queixas particulares entendimentos ultrajantes e injustificados encargos filosóficos,

Korrekturen Haltung vu Prévisiounsmethoden falsch denken spekulative Meenungsverschiddenheeten nët respektéiert Formen fir d'assoziéiert Suggestiounen ze bestëmmen,

illusztrálva a dialektikus kiállásokat vitató átmeneteket spekulatív filozófiai okokból, amelyek a javaslatokat kifejtették az edifíziós tanulmányok eredményeit,

σύνθετο κριτήριο επικρατούσες πληροφορίες αφηρημένη φιλοσοφία ρητορική παραγωγή πεζογραφίας ποίηση αυθαίρετη αμελητέα φαντασία διαισθητική ιδιοφυΐα,

végső lelkiismeret szervezett érzékek előzetes előfeltételek alapvető filozófiai elvek felülvizsgálata a tudományos mélység végtelen értékelések,

le temps méprisant correspondant les idées éduquées l'universalité l'exactitude le réveil des audiences des assurances progressives justifiant des vues,

特定の法律が消えていること生き残ることの本質的な意味絶対的な意味の差異吸収の暗黙的な意味の定義ここで暗黙的に横断された意味定義が異なる.

Steve.D.Hammond.

This is my tribute to the great Nate 'nnenn' Nielsen. It doesnt take the form of a starfighter because his microfleets and capital ships were the thing that amazed me most and in fact ended my Dark age.

 

Inspired by nnenn's Divine Intervention ,especially the missile pods on the sides.

 

This is a Sobani Dreadnaught. I missed the tan and dark red colorscheme, im gonna build more Sobani stuff i think :)

 

Main Picture. It has a giant arbiter turret, and deadly citaldel torpedo launchers. A few squads of fighters and scouts can be docked inside.

 

Available December 18th.

 

9 Weapons from the Offensive Combat in-browser video game by U4iA Games:

• Ferret

• Badger

• Auger

• Libertine

• Arbiter

• Combat Knife

• Battle Axe

• Furrberg

• Peregrine

Built to counter the encroaching Vaygr threat and protect the Mothership, the Battlecruiser was the largest combat vessel produced by the Hiigaran navy. The primary weapons of the Battlecruiser are Heavy Ion Cannon turrets mounted on the dorsal and ventral sides of the hull. These cannons are capable of vaporizing frigate sized vessels in a single blast. Additional armaments include Arbiter Kinetic Burst Cannons capable of taking down corvettes and heavily damaging most Capital Ships. These cannons are mounted on the sides and the forward section of the Battlecruiser, allowing it to aim at several targets at a time.

 

Source: Encyclopedia Hiigara – The Homeworld Wiki

 

Armaments:

2 Dual Heavy Ion Cannon Turrets

4 Arbiter Kinetic Burst Cannon Turrets

4 Pulsar Beams

 

SHIPtember info:

Length: 105 Studs

3rd SHIP constructed

Light-up pulsing engines using the “Effects Lighting Starter Kit” from www.brickstuff.com

Custom printed stickers provided by my buddy ZKaiser

I really should stop being lazy and actually upload the pictures I have...

 

Anyway the only credit I can take for these are the weapons (the needler at least). The figures are 100% BrickTechStudios design.

 

His tutorial:

youtu.be/ACIWfIng1Ro

Mid-October and already the weather was shorning the trees of their leaves.

 

I have studied this image to try to determine why I think it works and hence worthy of being published and my thoughts are below to those of interest.

 

Wanring: As long a ramble as the actual walk on the morning of this image! ;-)

 

I recently commented on a SImon Burns vlog about the lack of published self-analysis photographers provide with their images, and how I have so enjoyed Charlie Waite's new book in which he provides great insights into each image as he saw it and took it at the time and in processing.

 

In my comment to Simon, I said I think there is great value for us all to seek to understand our own compositions, in our own words, to narrow down why we like it, what works, and what does not work.

 

We can take that library of thought processes forward into future compositions on different days.

 

I also stated I thought we can objectively assess what appears to be a subjective art form, assessing the subject, the composition, the light and the technical aspects. This comes from the vlog of Josh Cripps where he critiqued images on these aspects. A fifth aspect to assess is the developing/post-processing skill.

 

Each photographer is taking images for themselves, not for likes by others, or fame and fortune and it is important I think to understand if you are happy with the images you are taking, in order to identify weaknesses you need to improve on.

 

The above all said, critiquing others images on a similar framework is not something we should pursue, unless invited to do so.

 

The sole arbiter of your images must be yourself. And if just one person likes that image, or 1000 people, the number itself is irrelevant.

 

This is why I would agree with the removal of likes on social media as it may encourage more thoughtful comments compared to the superficial insta-like measures which can be erroneously mood-changing.

 

If you like your own image, that is the most important and sole "like" you should given credence too, based on your abilities and knowledge at that point in time.

 

Background story of the image:

 

This was the very last shot of a three hour wander on a new path at a now regularly visited local woodland that was an enjoyable due to the changing scenery.

 

A mix of streams, fallen leaves on pathwats, mossy stone walls, coupled with higher ground vista views over the valley amongst browning ferns, with views across to autumnal looking hillsides.

 

But, I had struggled to find strong compositions despite the leisurely pace.

 

My thoughts on this image:

 

The immediate eye-catcher here for me were the three strong trunks, with equal spacing, and the golden colour of the background ferm.

 

Then the finer details stood out, in particular I liked the left trunk with the ivy (?) hugging it, and I also liked the rugged texture of the bark of the middle silver birch.

 

The right sided trunk was less interesting as a subject, but provided a strong frame, helped by the soft focus background birch to its right.

 

On the right side of the composition I thiink that background tree was essential to be included for interest. Its lightness and being out of focus, and so not causing a distraction, brings a subtle interest to completing that side of the frame.

 

On the left side, the background is more subtle with spot-lit leaves,

but this allows the interest to be focused on the ivy hugged tree itself, without which, the composition would not warrant this trunk's inclusion in the shot, it being quite unremarkable. Here, the trunks darkness contrasts nicely with the green leaves hugging it.

 

On the left corner, the thin trunk helps keep the eye from falling out of the frame, and actually brings the eye back up to the extended branch.

 

Essential to the composition for me are the horizontal branches of each trunk. Each branch connects the whole image together, linking as they do from side to side across the full width of the frame.

 

They also alternate from high to low to high again from left to right, providing a symmetrical balance.

 

Overall, what initially looks like a complex image, was technically simplified by a shallow depth of field at f/6.3.

 

And finally, in terms of colour, the saturation is kept in check to ensure the eye is not distracted to a hot-spot.

 

The right-side mass of yellow fern is small enough not to spoil the harmony, and is balanced by some of the discrete green & yellow leafage on the left side.

 

And finally, I liked the neural network of twigs, with a density light enough to be not distracting, but noticeable enough to provide structure in front of the soft background.

 

/The End

 

If you have read this far, then thank you and I welcome your thoughts on any aspect of the above ramble.

 

Until next time and thanks for the views.

I thought I'd show you guys my current Halo WIPs, as you can see I have alot :p left to right they are a Jackal, The Arbiter(Halo 5), Master Chief(Halo 5), Heavy Marine (Halo 4), ODST, and in the back a Hunter.

 

My main priorities are the Jackal and Arbiter, but I want to get the Marine and ODST finished. Time will tell which comes first.

 

Hope you guys like them so far! Comments and faves appreciated!

All I have to say about this is that the Arbiter looks like a hoss with that SPNKr.

X unknown Lombard painter of the 15th century - Ludovico il Moro in bed invokes the Madonna and Child (c. 1490) - tempera on panel - 50 x 56.8 cm. - Poldi Pezzoli Museum, Milan

 

L’opera appartiene a un genere artistico particolare, quello degli ex voto, ed è per questo assai rara: pochissimi sono gli esemplari noti di quest’epoca e di tale qualità. Il dipinto ha subito in passato diversi danni e cadute di colore superficiali, tanto che il suo stato di conservazione non ottimale ne compromette il pieno apprezzamento. La coperta, in particolare, è fortemente abrasa, al punto che si percepiscono chiaramente le linee nere del disegno sottostante. La tavola raffigura Ludovico Sforza, detto il Moro, che governò Milano dal 1480 al 1500, anno in cui dovette fuggire dalla città a causa dell’invasione delle truppe francesi. Il duca è rappresentato a letto, mentre, con le mani giunte, invoca la Madonna e il Bambino Gesù, che appaiono miracolosamente nel cielo oltre un’ampia finestra. Il dipinto venne commissionato da Ludovico per la sua guarigione da una malattia che lo colpì nel 1487-1488, talmente grave da far circolare addirittura la voce della sua morte. Il duca, che pare sollevarsi di colpo dai cuscini, è visibile di profilo oltre le cortine scostate del baldacchino, ed è ritratto in modo realistico, con il naso leggermente ingobbito e il doppio mento che lo caratterizzano anche in altri dipinti. Sul muro sono affissi il motto “Merito et tempore” (con il merito e con il tempo) e la scopetta, che alludeva all’intenzione del Moro di “nettare d’ogni bruttura” le città italiane, ovvero di esserne arbitro e signore. L’andamento orizzontale della parete di fondo è ritmato da tre colonne con capitello, che guidano lo sguardo dell’osservatore verso la finestra. Al di là di essa si stende il paesaggio, sopra il quale, emergendo da una nuvola, si stagliano la Madonna e il Bambino. Nonostante le figure siano un po’ rigide ed inespressive, l’anonimo autore si dimostra all’avanguardia nel rispondere al gusto rinascimentale, che Ludovico aveva portato a Milano chiamando a corte Leonardo e Bramante. Il pittore, infatti, sceglie capitelli classicheggianti e imposta lo scorcio delle piastrelle del pavimento secondo una rigorosa prospettiva. Anche il paesaggio azzurrino, che si perde all’orizzonte, ha un sapore leonardesco.

 

The work belongs to a particular artistic genre, that of the ex-voto, and for this reason it is very rare: there are very few known examples of this period and of such quality. The painting has undergone in the past several damages and superficial color falls, so that its not optimal state of conservation compromises its full appreciation. The cover, in particular, is strongly abraded, to the point that the black lines of the underlying drawing are clearly visible. The panel depicts Ludovico Sforza, known as the Moor, who ruled Milan from 1480 to 1500, the year in which he had to flee the city because of the invasion of French troops. The Duke is represented in bed, while, with joined hands, he invokes the Madonna and the Baby Jesus, who miraculously appear in the sky beyond a large window. The painting was commissioned by Ludovico for his recovery from an illness that struck him in 1487-1488, so serious as to circulate even the rumor of his death. The duke, who seems to rise suddenly from the cushions, is visible in profile beyond the curtains of the canopy, and is portrayed in a realistic way, with the slightly hunched nose and double chin that characterize him in other paintings. On the wall are affixed the motto "Merito et tempore" (with merit and with time) and the broomstick, which alluded to the Moor's intention to "nectar Italian cities of every ugliness", that is, to be their arbiter and lord. The horizontal course of the back wall is marked by three columns with capitals, which guide the observer's gaze towards the window. Beyond it lies the landscape, above which, emerging from a cloud, stand the Madonna and Child. Although the figures are a bit stiff and inexpressive, the anonymous author shows himself to be in the vanguard in responding to the Renaissance taste, which Ludovico had brought to Milan by calling Leonardo and Bramante to court. The painter, in fact, chooses classical capitals and sets the foreshortening of the floor tiles according to a rigorous perspective. Even the blue landscape, which is lost on the horizon, has a Leonardo-like flavor.

Hey guys! Here's a look at my redesigned Warthog from Halo 3! It features individual wheel suspension and engine detail underneath the hood that can be revealed for simulated battle damage. It also features center console and dashboard details.

 

Also, please consider checking out my Instagram account @bricktechstudios where I've been posting all of my new Halo designs. So far, I've posted 18 new designs! I'd love to chat with you all, so send me a message over on Instagram or leave a comment! Thanks!

 

www.instagram.com/bricktechstudios/

I have tweaked this guy many a time.

 

This newest version features a re-sculpted head, teeth, exposed mandibles, more pointed toes and heel armor, sculpted arm armor, and a completely redone paint job.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Sgt. Johnson made by Brickophilia