And thus I bring you my favourite family car of all time, bar none, all things considered, king of the hill, lord of the manor, master of all it surveys, the Range Rover P38! :D

 

Why do I love this car so much when the original was a classic that changed the world of motoring? Because it combined an updated version of that original winning design with some of the perks and premiums of the 1990's. The Classic Range Rover is indeed a fantastic machine, and one of those rare instances where sense and logic perforated into the ranks of British Leyland. But by the time I was born in the early 90's the car was very much looking its age, a tired 60's design mixed with what was starting to become a comparatively under-equipped interior. The only way the Range Rover was going to survive the 90's was to shape up, and thus in 1990, Rover Group (the descendant of British Leyland) put together a plan to design a new car under the chassis codenumber P38A (or just P38 for short). Four years of development and £300 million later, the car was launched to a whirlwind of critical acclaim.

 

Launched in 1994, the Range Rover P38 was the last Land Rover machine to be designed by Rover, and included the very best in cutting-edge technology to mix the go-anywhere do-anything raunchiness of the Classic, with the luxury and majesty of an upmarket saloon car. The first major difference between the old and new was the option of engines. For those who didn't intend to take these cars to the mountains and go driving off cliffs, then there was the humble BMW 2.5L V8, but for those who wished to conquer Everest and still have enough time in the day to lacerate the rest of the Himalayas, there was the original 4.5 & 4.6L Rover V8 from the original. Another later addition to this fray of power units was what was later dubbed the 'Overfinch', which was powered by a 5.7L General Motors V8, for if you wanted that extra edge. Jeremy Clarkson once demonstrated the power of the Overfinch by having a drag race with a Ford Focus, whilst pulling a trailer upon which was another Ford Focus, to which the Range Rover won by an absolute mile!

 

However, what people were interested the most was on the inside. The interior of the Range Rover P38 was very much similar to that of the original, with 5 seats, good space in the boot, and various other trim options depending on your preference. However, the new Range Rover came with a more personal touch, this being dubbed the 'Autobiography' service. For a little extra, Land Rover would happily fill out your preference for any optional extras or personalising of your machine. Leather on the seats, wood veneer, paintwork, these were just some of the features that you could select, not to mention the number of gadgets you could insist on as well, including reclining seats, on-board engine management systems, SATNAV, remote control locking that also resets the seats to their original position, etc. The car is also incredibly safe too, a 6-foot, 3 ton block of steel hurtling through the countryside, and the high driving position meant that you could feel a sense of security and comfort as you looked down on lesser mortals in their normal cars.

 

So, to summarize, the Range Rover P38 is the best car in the world bar none because it is big, safe, comfortable, very well equipped, extremely reliable, powerful, beautifully designed and all around the best thing anyone could possibly drive...

 

...if they could afford it!

 

The problem with the P38 is that it is a very, very, very expensive car to both buy and run. At £40,000 it wasn't an easy car to get your hands on when new in 1994, especially after a massive recession, and if you went for the Long-Wheelbase 'Vogue' or SE (Special Equipment) versions, you'd be forking out more towards £50,000, and if you went for an 'Autobiography' job or an Overfinch if you were really edgy, you'd have to be an eccentric millionaire!

 

Next was actually running it. These days when you come across Range Rover P38's you'll find that most people have the 2.5L BMW engine because of the fact that it was less expensive in terms of fuel consumption. The Rover V8 and Overfinch versions on the other hand, you'd be very lucky to get yourself 9 Miles to the Gallon out of them! You'd be spending more time at Petrol Stations than anywhere else!

 

And then there's the image when owning a Range Rover. Today modern Range Rovers are very mundane cars in comparison to what they were back in 1994. If you owned a brand new P38 back in 1994, everyone would notice, and everyone would hate you! They'd hate you on a cellular level, on an atomic level even! If you were a person on the street, you'd think 'Egotist', if you were an environmentally minded person, you'd think 'Planet homicidal murderer', if you were any other motorist, you'd think 'Wideboy'. The fact that you had the audacity to go out and buy a gas guzzling luxury SUV which chewed up petrol at 9MPG, had an interior lined with 4 cows and half the New Forest, and was generally a bigger car than theirs in more ways than one, they would absolutely loathe you!

 

However, the seeds with the P38 were sown and the Range Rover found itself into the hands of a newer, wider ranging audience, this audience being the celebrities and superstars of the 1990's TV and Music scene. No person with a regular salary could possibly risk the Range Rover, but the new money lapped them up like warm milk. With this new demographic in mind, Land Rover very much changed their attitude on the Range Rover, moving it from being a practical ground-covering all terrain vehicle to an item of 'bling-bling'. In 2002 the P38 was replaced by the newer L322, and it was clear from the start that this new Range Rover was built not to climb mountains, but to climb over legions of fans as they huddled around the celebrities of Hollywood and Dubai. Chances are a modern L322 Range Rover and the later L405 have never seen a muddy puddle, and chances are they never will, but their comfortable lives in the spotlights of celebrities can all be owed to the endearing design of the original P38 that dominated the 1990's, and brought that original British Leyland dream of an international conquering car to reality...

 

...24 years late mind you but ho hum...

because of this www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-trump-russia-...

 

When I was drafted into the U.S. Army I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to protect it from all enemies foreign and domestic, an oath which I took seriously and have taken seriously throughout my career which has included running for public office, working for elected officials and working for the education of my fellow citizens. Because of my respect for our nation and its Constitution I can't help but feel that any public figure who calls on any foreign sovereign power to break our laws and undermine our social and electoral processes is at best unstable and irresponsible and at worst committing sedition. Photo of Frank by a fellow infantryman in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam.

A view over Chandler's Wharf at night.

 

Corey Templeton Photography | Portland Daily Photo | Facebook

 

Because of where it was parked I think this is an unmarked British Transport Police dog unit.

Pentax K1000 | SMC Pentax-M 1:2 50mm | Fujicolor C200

Because of the great fire wall of Chinese policy, it's so hard to cross the limit to visit flickr, so I could not reply my dear friends, I'm so sorry about that and please forgive me,thank you so much and hope my friends can still hit on me！由于中国网络原因，访问flickr很困难，速度很慢，所有暂时没有办法一一回应各位好友，请朋友们见谅！还请各位好友继续关注我！

  

My pro account is out of time，thank you my friends here for supporting me what a long time！！May I have a pleasure to receive a pro gift from you？我的pro账号到期了，感谢朋友们长期以来的热心支持！！有好心人能赞助一个pro账号给我吗，在此先表感谢！！

  

If you want to use or buy this image，please contact me. 版权所有，转载请联系本人。

 

 

Colosseum

Following, a text, in english, from the Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia:

The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD[1] under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus,[2] with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96).[3] The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,[1][4][5] the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.[6]

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, hence its original name, after the reign of Emperor Nero.[7] This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum; this name could have been strictly poetic.[8][9] This name was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).[10]

The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby.[3] (the statue of Nero itself being named after one of the original ancient wonders, the Colossus of Rhodes[citation needed]. This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.

In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world").[11] This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.

The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.[12]

The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).

Construction of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian[3] in around 70–72AD. The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills, through which a canalised stream ran. By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, following which Nero seized much of the area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandiose Domus Aurea on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existing Aqua Claudia aqueduct was extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero was set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea.[12]

Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, "the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general's share of the booty." This is thought to refer to the vast quantity of treasure seized by the Romans following their victory in the Great Jewish Revolt in 70AD. The Colosseum can be thus interpreted as a great triumphal monument built in the Roman tradition of celebrating great victories[12], placating the Roman people instead of returning soldiers. Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both literally and symbolically at the heart of Rome.

The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building inaugurated by his son, Titus, in 80.[3] Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian's younger son, the newly designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.

In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius[13]) which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–455), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484[14] and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435. Animal hunts continued until at least 523, when Anicius Maximus celebrated his consulship with some venationes, criticised by King Theodoric the Great for their high cost.

The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small church had been built into the structure of the amphitheatre, though this apparently did not confer any particular religious significance on the building as a whole. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.

Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvional terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime.[12] The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.

During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials sought a productive role for the vast derelict hulk of the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590) planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome's prostitutes, though this proposal fell through with his premature death.[15] In 1671 Cardinal Altieri authorized its use for bullfights; a public outcry caused the idea to be hastily abandoned.

In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed as official Church policy the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there (see Christians and the Colosseum). However there is no historical evidence to support Benedict's claim, nor is there even any evidence that anyone prior to the 16th century suggested this might be the case; the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that there are no historical grounds for the supposition. Later popes initiated various stabilization and restoration projects, removing the extensive vegetation which had overgrown the structure and threatened to damage it further. The façade was reinforced with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827, and the interior was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The arena substructure was partly excavated in 1810–1814 and 1874 and was fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.

The Colosseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration programme carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire ($19.3m / €20.6m at 2000 prices). In recent years it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released,[16] or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold when capital punishment was abolished in the American state of New Mexico in April 2009.

Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles (May 2002),[18] Paul McCartney (May 2003),[19] Elton John (September 2005),[20] and Billy Joel (July 2006).

Exterior

Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two Roman theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 6 acres (24,000 m2). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval 87 m (287 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5 m (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.

The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (131,000 cu yd) of travertine stone which were set without mortar held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.[12] However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.

The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Tuscan, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters.[21] Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.

Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable awning, known as the velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center.[3] It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at Misenum and housed in the nearby Castra Misenatium, were used to work the velarium.[22]

The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators.[3] Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) still survive.[12]

Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.

Interior

According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs. The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use.

The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebians) and was divided into two sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on. Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them. Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups.

Another level, the maenianum secundum in legneis, was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women. It would have been either standing room only, or would have had very steep wooden benches. Some groups were banned altogether from the Colosseum, notably gravediggers, actors and former gladiators.

Each tier was divided into sections (maeniana) by curved passages and low walls (praecinctiones or baltei), and were subdivided into cunei, or wedges, by the steps and aisles from the vomitoria. Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus, cuneus, and number.

The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet).[12] It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.[12]

The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the Colosseum. Animals and performers were brought through the tunnel from nearby stables, with the gladiators' barracks at the Ludus Magnus to the east also being connected by tunnels. Separate tunnels were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins to permit them to enter and exit the Colosseum without needing to pass through the crowds.[12]

Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanisms[12] and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct.

The Colosseum and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for gladiators. This was connected to the Colosseum by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the gladiators. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Roman spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where fighters of animals were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools.

Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded gladiators; and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead gladiators were stripped of their armor and disposed of.

Around the perimeter of the Colosseum, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the velarium or awning.

Right next to the Colosseum is also the Arch of Constantine.

he Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, caspian tigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days.

During the early days of the Colosseum, ancient writers recorded that the building was used for naumachiae (more properly known as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean (Corfiot) Greeks and the Corinthians. This has been the subject of some debate among historians; although providing the water would not have been a problem, it is unclear how the arena could have been waterproofed, nor would there have been enough space in the arena for the warships to move around. It has been suggested that the reports either have the location wrong, or that the Colosseum originally featured a wide floodable channel down its central axis (which would later have been replaced by the hypogeum).[12]

Sylvae or recreations of natural scenes were also held in the arena. Painters, technicians and architects would construct a simulation of a forest with real trees and bushes planted in the arena's floor. Animals would be introduced to populate the scene for the delight of the crowd. Such scenes might be used simply to display a natural environment for the urban population, or could otherwise be used as the backdrop for hunts or dramas depicting episodes from mythology. They were also occasionally used for executions in which the hero of the story — played by a condemned person — was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidised, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free.[24] There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored. Beneath the Colosseum, a network of subterranean passageways once used to transport wild animals and gladiators to the arena opened to the public in summer 2010.[25]

The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21st centuries. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI leads the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross (which calls for more meditation) at the Colosseum[26][27] on Good Fridays.

In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was clearly not regarded as a sacred site. Its use as a fortress and then a quarry demonstrates how little spiritual importance was attached to it, at a time when sites associated with martyrs were highly venerated. It was not included in the itineraries compiled for the use of pilgrims nor in works such as the 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae ("Marvels of the City of Rome"), which claims the Circus Flaminius — but not the Colosseum — as the site of martyrdoms. Part of the structure was inhabited by a Christian order, but apparently not for any particular religious reason.

It appears to have been only in the 16th and 17th centuries that the Colosseum came to be regarded as a Christian site. Pope Pius V (1566–1572) is said to have recommended that pilgrims gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum to serve as a relic, on the grounds that it was impregnated with the blood of martyrs. This seems to have been a minority view until it was popularised nearly a century later by Fioravante Martinelli, who listed the Colosseum at the head of a list of places sacred to the martyrs in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra.

Martinelli's book evidently had an effect on public opinion; in response to Cardinal Altieri's proposal some years later to turn the Colosseum into a bullring, Carlo Tomassi published a pamphlet in protest against what he regarded as an act of desecration. The ensuing controversy persuaded Pope Clement X to close the Colosseum's external arcades and declare it a sanctuary, though quarrying continued for some time.

At the instance of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758) forbade the quarrying of the Colosseum and erected Stations of the Cross around the arena, which remained until February 1874. St. Benedict Joseph Labre spent the later years of his life within the walls of the Colosseum, living on alms, prior to his death in 1783. Several 19th century popes funded repair and restoration work on the Colosseum, and it still retains a Christian connection today. Crosses stand in several points around the arena and every Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.

 

Coliseu (Colosseo)

A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre:

 

O Coliseu, também conhecido como Anfiteatro Flaviano, deve seu nome à expressão latina Colosseum (ou Coliseus, no latim tardio), devido à estátua colossal de Nero, que ficava perto a edificação. Localizado no centro de Roma, é uma excepção de entre os anfiteatros pelo seu volume e relevo arquitectónico. Originalmente capaz de albergar perto de 50 000 pessoas, e com 48 metros de altura, era usado para variados espetáculos. Foi construído a leste do fórum romano e demorou entre 8 a 10 anos a ser construído.

O Coliseu foi utilizado durante aproximadamente 500 anos, tendo sido o último registro efetuado no século VI da nossa era, bastante depois da queda de Roma em 476. O edifício deixou de ser usado para entretenimento no começo da era medieval, mas foi mais tarde usado como habitação, oficina, forte, pedreira, sede de ordens religiosas e templo cristão.

Embora esteja agora em ruínas devido a terremotos e pilhagens, o Coliseu sempre foi visto como símbolo do Império Romano, sendo um dos melhores exemplos da sua arquitectura. Actualmente é uma das maiores atrações turísticas em Roma e em 7 de julho de 2007 foi eleita umas das "Sete maravilhas do mundo moderno". Além disso, o Coliseu ainda tem ligações à igreja, com o Papa a liderar a procissão da Via Sacra até ao Coliseu todas as Sextas-feiras Santas.

O coliseu era um local onde seriam exibidos toda uma série de espectáculos, inseridos nos vários tipos de jogos realizados na urbe. Os combates entre gladiadores, chamados muneras, eram sempre pagos por pessoas individuais em busca de prestígio e poder em vez do estado. A arena (87,5 m por 55 m) possuía um piso de madeira, normalmente coberto de areia para absorver o sangue dos combates (certa vez foi colocada água na representação de uma batalha naval), sob o qual existia um nível subterrâneo com celas e jaulas que tinham acessos diretos para a arena; Alguns detalhes dessa construção, como a cobertura removível que poupava os espectadores do sol, são bastante interessantes, e mostram o refinamento atingido pelos construtores romanos. Formado por cinco anéis concêntricos de arcos e abóbadas, o Coliseu representa bem o avanço introduzido pelos romanos à engenharia de estruturas. Esses arcos são de concreto (de cimento natural) revestidos por alvenaria. Na verdade, a alvenaria era construída simultaneamente e já servia de forma para a concretagem. Outro tipo de espetáculos era a caça de animais, ou venatio, onde eram utilizados animais selvagens importados de África. Os animais mais utilizados eram os grandes felinos como leões, leopardos e panteras, mas animais como rinocerontes, hipopótamos, elefantes, girafas, crocodilos e avestruzes eram também utilizados. As caçadas, tal como as representações de batalhas famosas, eram efetuadas em elaborados cenários onde constavam árvores e edifícios amovíveis.

Estas últimas eram por vezes representadas numa escala gigante; Trajano celebrou a sua vitória em Dácia no ano 107 com concursos envolvendo 11 000 animais e 10 000 gladiadores no decorrer de 123 dias.

Segundo o documentário produzido pelo canal televisivo fechado, History Channel, o Coliseu também era utilizado para a realização de naumaquias, ou batalhas navais. O coliseu era inundado por dutos subterrâneos alimentados pelos aquedutos que traziam água de longe. Passada esta fase, foi construída uma estrutura, que é a que podemos ver hoje nas ruínas do Coliseu, com altura de um prédio de dois andares, onde no passado se concentravam os gladiadores, feras e todo o pessoal que organizava os duelos que ocorreriam na arena. A arena era como um grande palco, feito de madeira, e se chama arena, que em italiano significa areia, porque era jogada areia sob a estrutura de madeira para esconder as imperfeições. Os animais podiam ser inseridos nos duelos a qualquer momento por um esquema de elevadores que surgiam em alguns pontos da arena; o filme "Gladiador" retrata muito bem esta questão dos elevadores. Os estudiosos, há pouco tempo, descobriram uma rede de dutos inundados por baixo da arena do Coliseu. Acredita-se que o Coliseu foi construído onde, outrora, foi o lago do Palácio Dourado de Nero; O imperador Vespasiano escolheu o local da construção para que o mal causado por Nero fosse esquecido por uma construção gloriosa.

Sylvae, ou recreações de cenas naturais eram também realizadas no Coliseu. Pintores, técnicos e arquitectos construiriam simulações de florestas com árvores e arbustos reais plantados no chão da arena. Animais seriam então introduzidos para dar vida à simulação. Esses cenários podiam servir só para agrado do público ou como pano de fundo para caçadas ou dramas representando episódios da mitologia romana, tão autênticos quanto possível, ao ponto de pessoas condenadas fazerem o papel de heróis onde eram mortos de maneiras horríveis mas mitologicamente autênticas, como mutilados por animais ou queimados vivos.

Embora o Coliseu tenha funcionado até ao século VI da nossa Era, foram proibidos os jogos com mortes humanas desde 404, sendo apenas massacrados animais como elefantes, panteras ou leões.

O Coliseu era sobretudo um enorme instrumento de propaganda e difusão da filosofia de toda uma civilização, e tal como era já profetizado pelo monge e historiador inglês Beda na sua obra do século VII "De temporibus liber": "Enquanto o Coliseu se mantiver de pé, Roma permanecerá; quando o Coliseu ruir, Roma ruirá e quando Roma cair, o mundo cairá".

A construção do Coliseu foi iniciada por Vespasiano, nos anos 70 da nossa era. O edifício foi inaugurado por Tito, em 80, embora apenas tivesse sido finalizado poucos anos depois. Empresa colossal, este edifício, inicialmente, poderia sustentar no seu interior cerca de 50 000 espectadores, constando de três andares. Aquando do reinado de Alexandre Severo e Gordiano III, é ampliado com um quarto andar, podendo suster agora cerca de 90 000 espectadores. A grandiosidade deste monumento testemunha verdadeiramente o poder e esplendor de Roma na época dos Flávios.

Os jogos inaugurais do Coliseu tiveram lugar ano 80, sob o mandato de Tito, para celebrar a finalização da construção. Depois do curto reinado de Tito começar com vários meses de desastres, incluindo a erupção do Monte Vesúvio, um incêndio em Roma, e um surto de peste, o mesmo imperador inaugurou o edifício com uns jogos pródigos que duraram mais de cem dias, talvez para tentar apaziguar o público romano e os deuses. Nesses jogos de cem dias terão ocorrido combates de gladiadores, venationes (lutas de animais), execuções, batalhas navais, caçadas e outros divertimentos numa escala sem precedentes.

O Coliseu, como não se encontrava inserido numa zona de encosta, enterrado, tal como normalmente sucede com a generalidade dos teatros e anfiteatros romanos, possuía um “anel” artificial de rocha à sua volta, para garantir sustentação e, ao mesmo tempo, esta substrutura serve como ornamento ao edifício e como condicionador da entrada dos espectadores. Tal como foi referido anteriormente, possuía três pisos, sendo mais tarde adicionado um outro. É construído em mármore, pedra travertina, ladrilho e tufo (pedra calcária com grandes poros). A sua planta elíptica mede dois eixos que se estendem aproximadamente de 190 m por 155 m. A fachada compõe-se de arcadas decoradas com colunas dóricas, jónicas e coríntias, de acordo com o pavimento em que se encontravam. Esta subdivisão deve-se ao facto de ser uma construção essencialmente vertical, criando assim uma diversificação do espaço.

 

Os assentos eram em mármore e a cavea, escadaria ou arquibancada, dividia-se em três partes, correspondentes às diferentes classes sociais: o podium, para as classes altas; as maeniana, sector destinado à classe média; e os portici, ou pórticos, construídos em madeira, para a plebe e as mulheres. O pulvinar, a tribuna imperial, encontrava-se situada no podium e era balizada pelos assentos reservados aos senadores e magistrados. Rampas no interior do edifício facilitavam o acesso às várias zonas de onde podiam visualizar o espectáculo, sendo protegidos por uma barreira e por uma série de arqueiros posicionados numa passagem de madeira, para o caso de algum acidente. Por cima dos muros ainda são visíveis as mísulas, que sustentavam o velarium, enorme cobertura de lona destinada a proteger do sol os espectadores e, nos subterrâneos, ficavam as jaulas dos animais, bem como todas as celas e galerias necessárias aos serviços do anfiteatro.

O monumento permaneceu como sede principal dos espetáculos da urbe romana até ao período do imperador Honorius, no século V. Danificado por um terremoto no começo do mesmo século, foi alvo de uma extensiva restauração na época de Valentinianus III. Em meados do século XIII, a família Frangipani transformou-o em fortaleza e, ao longo dos séculos XV e XVI, foi por diversas vezes saqueado, perdendo grande parte dos materiais nobres com os quais tinha sido construído.

Os relatos romanos referem-se a cristãos sendo martirizados em locais de Roma descritos pouco pormenorizadamente (no anfiteatro, na arena...), quando Roma tinha numerosos anfiteatros e arenas. Apesar de muito provavelmente o Coliseu não ter sido utilizado para martírios, o Papa Bento XIV consagrou-o no século XVII à Paixão de Cristo e declarou-o lugar sagrado. Os trabalhos de consolidação e restauração parcial do monumento, já há muito em ruínas, foram feitos sobretudo pelos pontífices Gregório XVI e Pio IX, no século XIX.

Because I'm addicted to these pedal cars.

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family).

 

It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning "head" or "skull", from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.

 

The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of "water" and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk. The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut "flesh". When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. The coconut also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.

 

DESCRIPTION

PLANT

Cocos nucifera is a large palm, growing up to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m long, and pinnae 60–90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly, leaving the trunk smooth. Coconuts are generally classified into two general types: tall and dwarf. On fertile soil, a tall coconut palm tree can yield up to 75 fruits per year, but more often yields less than 30, mainly due to poor cultural practices. Given proper care and growing conditions, coconut palms produce their first fruit in six to ten years, taking 15 – 20 years to reach peak production.

 

FRUIT

Botanically, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut. Like other fruits, it has three layers: the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The exocarp and mesocarp make up the "husk" of the coconut. Coconuts sold in the shops of nontropical countries often have had the exocarp (outermost layer) removed. The mesocarp is composed of a fiber, called coir, which has many traditional and commercial uses. The shell has three germination pores (stoma) or "eyes" that are clearly visible on its outside surface once the husk is removed.

 

A full-sized coconut weighs about 1.44 kg. It takes around 6,000 full-grown coconuts to produce a tonne of copra.

 

ROOTS

Unlike some other plants, the palm tree has neither a tap root nor root hairs, but has a fibrous root system.

 

The coconut palm root system consists of an abundance of thin roots that grow outward from the plant near the surface. Only a few of the roots penetrate deep into the soil for stability. The type of root system is known as fibrous or adventitious, and is a characteristic of grass species. Other types of large trees produce a single downward-growing tap root with a number of feeder roots growing from it.

 

Coconut palms continue to produce roots from the base of the stem throughout its life. The number of roots produced depends on the age of the tree and the environment, with more than 3,600 roots possible on a tree that's 60 to 70 years old.

 

Roots are usually less than about 3 inches in diameter and uniformly thick from the tree trunk to the root tip.

Inflorescence

 

The palm produces both the female and male flowers on the same inflorescence; thus, the palm is monoecious. Other sources use the term polygamomonoecious. The female flower is much larger than the male flower. Flowering occurs continuously. Coconut palms are believed to be largely cross-pollinated, although some dwarf varieties are self-pollinating.

 

ETYMOLOGY

One of the earliest mentions of the coconut dates back to the One Thousand and One Nights story of Sinbad the Sailor; he is known to have bought and sold coconuts during his fifth voyage. Tenga, its Malayalam and Tamil name, was used in the detailed description of coconut found in Itinerario by Ludovico di Varthema published in 1510 and also in the later Hortus Indicus Malabaricus. Even earlier, it was called nux indica, a name used by Marco Polo in 1280 while in Sumatra, taken from the Arabs who called it جوز هندي jawz hindī. Both names translate to "Indian nut". In the earliest description of the coconut palm known, given by Cosmos of Alexandria in his Topographia Christiana written about 545 AD, there is a reference to the argell tree and its drupe.

 

Historical evidence favors the European origin of the name "coconut", for no name is similar in any of the languages of India, where the Portuguese first found the fruit; and indeed Barbosa, Barros, and Garcia, in mentioning the Tamil/Malayalam name tenga, and Canarese narle, expressly say, "we call these fruits quoquos", "our people have given it the name of coco", and "that which we call coco, and the Malabars temga".

 

The OED states: "Portuguese and Spanish authors of the 16th c. agree in identifying the word with Portuguese and Spanish coco "grinning face, grin, grimace", also "bugbear, scarecrow", cognate with cocar "to grin, make a grimace"; the name being said to refer to the face-like appearance of the base of the shell, with its three holes. According to Losada, the name came from Portuguese explorers, the sailors of Vasco da Gama in India, who first brought them to Europe. The coconut shell reminded them of a ghost or witch in Portuguese folklore called coco (also côca). The first known recorded usage of the term is 1555.

 

The specific name nucifera is Latin for "nut-bearing".

Origin, domestication, and dispersal

 

ORIGIN

The origin of the plant is the subject of debate. O.F. Cook was one of the earliest modern researchers to draw conclusions about the location of origin of Cocos nucifera based on its current-day worldwide distribution. He hypothesized that the coconut originated in the Americas, based on his belief that American coconut populations predated European contact and because he considered pan-tropical distribution by ocean currents improbable. Thor Heyerdahl later used this hypothesis of the American origin of the coconut to support his theory that the Pacific Islanders originated in South America. However, more evidence exists for an Indo-Pacific origin either around Melanesia and Malesia or the Indian Ocean. The oldest fossils known of the modern coconut dating from the Eocene period from around 37 to 55 million years ago were found in Australia and India. However, older palm fossils such as some of nipa fruit have been found in the Americas. Since 1978, the work on tracing the probable origin and dispersal of Cocos nucifera has only recently been augmented by a publication on the germination rate of the coconut seednut and another on the importance of the coral atoll ecosystem. Briefly, the coconut originated in the coral atoll ecosystem — without human intervention — and required a thick husk and slow germination to survive and disperse.

 

DOMESTICATION

Coconuts could not reach inland locations without human intervention (to carry seednuts, plant seedlings, etc.) and it was early germination on the palm (vivipary) that was important, rather than increasing the number or size of the edible parts of a fruit that was already large enough. Human cultivation of the coconut selected, not for larger size, but for thinner husks and increased volume of endosperm, the solid “meat” or liquid “water” that provides the fruit its food value. Although these modifications for domestication would reduce the fruit’s ability to float, this ability would be irrelevant to a cultivated population.

 

Among modern C. nucifera, two major types or variants: a thick-husked, angular fruit and a thin-husked, spherical fruit with a higher proportion of endosperm reflect a trend of cultivation in C. nucifera: the first coconuts were of the niu kafa type, with thick husks to protect the seed, an angular, highly ridged shape to promote buoyancy during ocean dispersal, and a pointed base that allowed fruits to dig into the sand, preventing them from being washed away during germination on a new island. As early human communities began to harvest coconuts for eating and planting, they (perhaps unintentionally) selected for a larger endosperm to husk ratio and a broader, spherical base, which rendered the fruit useful as a cup or bowl, thus creating the niu vai type. The decreased buoyancy and increased fragility of this spherical, thin-husked fruit would not matter for a species that had started to be dispersed by humans and grown in plantations. Harries’ adoption of the Polynesian terms niu kafa and niu vai has now passed into general scientific discourse, and his hypothesis is generally accepted.

 

Variants of C. nucifera are also categorized as Tall (var. typica) or Dwarf (var. nana). The two groups are genetically distinct, with the Dwarf variety showing a greater degree of artificial selection for ornamental traits and for early germination and fruiting. The Tall variety is outcrossing while Dwarf palms are incrossing, which has led to a much greater degree of genetic diversity within the Tall group. It is believed that the Dwarf subgroup mutated from the Tall group under human selection pressure.

 

DISPERSAL

It is often stated that coconuts can travel 110 days, or 4,800 km, by sea and still be able to germinate. This figure has been questioned based on the extremely small sample size that forms the basis of the paper that makes this claim. Thor Heyerdahl provides an alternative, and much shorter, estimate based on his first-hand experience crossing the Pacific Ocean on the raft Kon-Tiki: "The nuts we had in baskets on deck remained edible and capable of germinating the whole way to Polynesia. But we had laid about half among the special provisions below deck, with the waves washing around them. Every single one of these was ruined by the sea water. And no coconut can float over the sea faster than a balsa raft moves with the wind behind it." He also notes that several of the nuts began to germinate by the time they had been ten weeks at sea, precluding an unassisted journey of 100 days or more. However, it is more than likely that the coconut variety Heyerdahl chose for his long sea voyage was of the large, fleshy, spherical niu vai type, which Harries observed to have a significantly shorter germination type and worse buoyancy than the uncultivated niu kafa type. Therefore, Heyerdahl’s observations cannot be considered conclusive when it comes to determining the independent dispersal ability of the uncultivated coconut.

 

Drift models based on wind and ocean currents have shown that coconuts could not have drifted across the Pacific unaided. This provides some circumstantial evidence that Austronesian peoples carried coconuts across the ocean and that they could not have dispersed worldwide without human agency. More recently, genomic analysis of cultivated coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) has shed light on the movements of Austronesian peoples. By examining 10 microsatellite loci, researchers found two genetically distinct subpopulations of coconut - one originating in the Indian Ocean, the other in the Pacific Ocean. However, admixture, the transfer of genetic material, evidently occurred between the two populations. Given that coconuts are ideally suited for ocean dispersal, individuals from one population possibly could have floated to the other. However, the locations of the admixture events are limited to Madagascar and coastal east Africa, and exclude the Seychelles. This pattern coincides with the known trade routes of Austronesian sailors. Additionally, a genetically distinct subpopulation of coconut on the Pacific coast of Latin America has undergone a genetic bottleneck resulting from a founder effect; however, its ancestral population is the Pacific coconut. This, together with their use of the South American sweet potato, suggests that Austronesian peoples may have sailed as far east as the Americas.

 

DISTRIBUTION

The coconut has spread across much of the tropics, probably aided in many cases by seafaring people. Coconut fruit in the wild are light, buoyant and highly water resistant, and evolved to disperse significant distances via marine currents. Specimens have been collected from the sea as far north as Norway. In the Hawaiian Islands, the coconut is regarded as a Polynesian introduction, first brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers from their homelands in Oceania. They have been found in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coasts of Africa and South America for less than 500 years, but evidence of their presence on the Pacific coast of South America predates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. They are now almost ubiquitous between 26°N and 26°S except for the interiors of Africa and South America.

  

NATURAL HABITAT

The coconut palm thrives on sandy soils and is highly tolerant of salinity. It prefers areas with abundant sunlight and regular rainfall (1500 mm to 2500 mm annually), which makes colonizing shorelines of the tropics relatively straightforward. Coconuts also need high humidity (70–80%+) for optimum growth, which is why they are rarely seen in areas with low humidity. However, they can be found in humid areas with low annual precipitation such as in Karachi, Pakistan, which receives only about 250 mm of rainfall per year, but is consistently warm and humid.

 

Coconut palms require warm conditions for successful growth, and are intolerant of cold weather. Some seasonal variation is tolerated, with good growth where mean summer temperatures are between 28 and 37 °C, and survival as long as winter temperatures are above 4–12 °C; they will survive brief drops to 0 °C. Severe frost is usually fatal, although they have been known to recover from temperatures of −4 °C. They may grow but not fruit properly in areas with insufficient warmth, such as Bermuda.

 

The conditions required for coconut trees to grow without any care are:

 

- Mean daily temperature above 12–13 °C every day of the year

- Mean annual rainfall above 1000 mm

- No or very little overhead canopy, since even small trees require direct sun

 

The main limiting factor for most locations which satisfy the rainfall and temperature requirements is canopy growth, except those locations near coastlines, where the sandy soil and salt spray limit the growth of most other trees.

 

DISEASES

Coconuts are susceptible to the phytoplasma disease lethal yellowing. One recently selected cultivar, the Maypan, has been bred for resistance to this disease.

 

PESTS

The coconut palm is damaged by the larvae of many Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species which feed on it, including Batrachedra spp.: B. arenosella, B. atriloqua (feeds exclusively on C. nucifera), B. mathesoni (feeds exclusively on C. nucifera), and B. nuciferae.

 

Brontispa longissima (coconut leaf beetle) feeds on young leaves, and damages both seedlings and mature coconut palms. In 2007, the Philippines imposed a quarantine in Metro Manila and 26 provinces to stop the spread of the pest and protect the $800 million Philippine coconut industry.

 

The fruit may also be damaged by eriophyid coconut mites (Eriophyes guerreronis). This mite infests coconut plantations, and is devastating: it can destroy up to 90% of coconut production. The immature seeds are infested and desapped by larvae staying in the portion covered by the perianth of the immature seed; the seeds then drop off or survive deformed. Spraying with wettable sulfur 0.4% or with neem-based pesticides can give some relief, but is cumbersome and labor-intensive.

 

In Kerala (India), the main coconut pests are the coconut mite, the rhinoceros beetle, the red palm weevil and the coconut leaf caterpillar. Research into countermeasures to these pests has as of 2009 yielded no results; researchers from the Kerala Agricultural University and the Central Plantation Crop Research Institute, Kasaragode continue to work on countermeasures. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kannur under Kerala Agricultural University has developed an innovative extension approach called the compact area group approach (CAGA) to combat coconut mites.

 

PRODUCTION AND CULTIVATION

Coconut palms are grown in more than 90 countries of the world, with a total production of 62 million tonnes per year (table). Most of the world production is in tropical Asia, with Indonesia, the Philippines and India accounting collectively for 73% of the world total (table).

 

CULTIVATION

Coconut trees are hard to establish in dry climates, and cannot grow there without frequent irrigation; in drought conditions, the new leaves do not open well, and older leaves may become desiccated; fruit also tends to be shed.

 

The extent of cultivation in the tropics is threatening a number of habitats, such as mangroves; an example of such damage to an ecoregion is in the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatán.

 

HARVESTING

In some parts of the world (Thailand and Malaysia), trained pig-tailed macaques are used to harvest coconuts. Training schools for pig-tailed macaques still exist both in southern Thailand and in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. Competitions are held each year to find the fastest harvester.

 

INDIA

Traditional areas of coconut cultivation in India are the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar. As per 2013-14 statistics from Coconut Development Board of Government of India, four southern states combined account for almost 92% of the total production in the country: Tamil Nadu (31.93%), Kerala (27.54%), Karnataka (23.26%), and Andhra Pradesh (8.43%). Other states, such as Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, and those in the northeast (Tripura and Assam) account for the remaining productions. Though Kerala has the largest number of coconut trees, in terms of production per hectare, Tamil Nadu leads all other states. In Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore and Tirupur regions top the production list.

 

Various terms, such as copra and coir, are derived from the native Malayalam language. In Kerala, the coconut tree is called "Thengu" also termed as kalpa vriksham, which essentially means all parts of a coconut tree is useful some way or other. In Tamil Nadu, a coconut tree is called as "Thennai maram" and tender coconut is called as "Ilaneer" in the native language.

 

MALDIVES

The coconut is the national tree of the Maldives and is considered the most important plant in the country. A coconut tree is also included in the country's national emblem or coat of arms. Coconut trees are grown on all the islands. Before modern construction methods were introduced, coconut leaves were used as roofing material for many houses in the islands, while coconut timber was used to build houses and boats.

 

MIDDLE EAST

The main coconut-producing area in the Middle East is the Dhofar region of Oman, but they can be grown all along the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Red Sea coasts, because these seas are tropical and provide enough humidity (through seawater evaporation) for coconut trees to grow. The young coconut plants need to be nursed and irrigated with drip pipes until they are old enough (stem bulb development) to be irrigated with brackish water or seawater alone, after which they can be replanted on the beaches. In particular, the area around Salalah maintains large coconut plantations similar to those found across the Arabian Sea in Kerala. The reasons why coconut are cultivated only in Yemen's Al Mahrah and Hadramaut governorates and in the Sultanate of Oman, but not in other suitable areas in the Arabian Peninsula, may originate from the fact that Oman and Hadramaut had long dhow trade relations with Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Africa and Zanzibar, as well as southern India and China. Omani people needed the coir rope from the coconut fiber to stitch together their traditional high seas-going dhow vessels in which nails were never used. The 'know how' of coconut cultivation and necessary soil fixation and irrigation may have found its way into Omani, Hadrami and Al-Mahra culture by people who returned from those overseas areas.

 

The coconut cultivars grown in Oman are generally of the drought-resistant Indian "West Coast tall" (WC Tall) variety. Unlike the UAE, which grows mostly non-native dwarf or hybrid coconut cultivars imported from Florida for ornamental purposes, the slender, tall Omani coconut cultivars are relatively well-adapted to the Middle East's hot dry seasons, but need longer to reach maturity. The Middle East's hot, dry climate favors the development of coconut mites, which cause immature seed dropping and may cause brownish-gray discoloration on the coconut's outer green fiber.

 

The ancient coconut groves of Dhofar were mentioned by the medieval Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta in his writings, known as Al Rihla.[52] The annual rainy season known locally as Khareef or monsoon makes coconut cultivation easy on the Arabian east coast.

 

Coconut trees also are increasingly grown for decorative purposes along the coasts of the UAE and Saudi Arabia with the help of irrigation. The UAE has, however, imposed strict laws on mature coconut tree imports from other countries to reduce the spread of pests to other native palm trees, as the mixing of date and coconut trees poses a risk of cross-species palm pests, such as rhinoceros beetles and red palm weevils. The artificial landscaping adopted in Florida may have been the cause for lethal yellowing, a viral coconut palm disease that leads to the death of the tree. It is spread by host insects, that thrive on heavy turf grasses. Therefore, heavy turf grass environments (beach resorts and golf courses) also pose a major threat to local coconut trees. Traditionally, dessert banana plants and local wild beach flora such as Scaevola taccada and Ipomoea pes-caprae were used as humidity-supplying green undergrowth for coconut trees, mixed with sea almond and sea hibiscus. Due to growing sedentary life styles and heavy-handed landscaping, there has been a decline in these traditional farming and soil-fixing techniques.

 

SRI LANKA

An early mention of the planting of coconuts is found in the Mahavamsa during the reign of Agrabodhi II around 589 AD. Coconuts are common in the Sri Lankan diet and the main source of dietary fat.

 

UNITED STATES

In the United States coconut palms can be grown and reproduced outdoors without irrigation in Hawaii, southern and central Florida, and the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

 

In Florida, Coconut palms will grow from coastal Pinellas County and St. Petersburg southwards on Florida's west coast, and Melbourne southwards on Florida's east coast. The occasional coconut palm is seen north of these areas in favoured microclimates in Tampa and Clearwater, as well as around Cape Canaveral and Daytona Beach on the east coast. They reach fruiting maturity, but can be damaged or killed by the occasional winter freezes in these areas. In South Texas they may also be grown in favoured microclimates around the Rio Grande Valley near Brownsville, and as far north as Corpus Christi , however more severe cold snaps keep them from producing viable fruit.

 

AUSTRALIA

Coconuts are commonly grown around the northern coast of Australia, and in some warmer parts of New South Wales.

 

BERMUDA

Most of the tall mature coconut trees found in Bermuda were shipped to the island as seedlings on the decks of ships. In more recent years, the importation of coconuts was prohibited, therefore, a large proportion of the younger trees have been propagated from locally grown coconuts.

 

In the winter months, the growth rate of coconut trees declines due to cooler temperatures and people have commonly attributed this to the reduced yield of coconuts in comparison to tropical regions. However, whilst cooler winter temperatures may be a factor in reducing fruit production, the primary reason for the reduced yield is a lack of water. Bermuda's soil is generally very shallow (1.5 to 3 feet) and much of a coconut tree's root mass is found in the porous limestone underneath the soil. Due to the porosity of the limestone, Bermuda's coconut trees do not generally have a sufficient supply of water with which they are able to support a large number of fruit as rain water quickly drains down through the limestone layer to the water table which is far too deep for a coconut's roots to reach. This typically leads to a reduction in fruit yield (sometimes as little as one or two mature fruits) as well as a reduced milk content inside the coconut that often causes the fruit to be infertile.

 

Conversely, trees growing in close proximity to the sea almost universally yield a much greater volume of fruit as they are able to tap directly into the sea water which permeates the limestone in such areas. Not only do these trees produce a significantly higher yield, but also the fruit itself tends to be far more fertile due to the higher milk content. Trees found growing in Bermuda's marshy inland areas enjoy a similar degree of success as they are also able to tap directly into a constant supply of water.

 

EUROPE

As a tropical plant, coconut is not native to Europe, but grows in tropical territories of European countries, such as Martinique and Guadeloupe (France), the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal).

 

COOLER CLIMATES

In cooler climates (but not less than USDA Zone 9), a similar palm, the queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), is used in landscaping. Its fruits are very similar to the coconut, but much smaller. The queen palm was originally classified in the genus Cocos along with the coconut, but was later reclassified in Syagrus. A recently discovered palm, Beccariophoenix alfredii from Madagascar, is nearly identical to the coconut, more so than the queen palm and can also be grown in slightly cooler climates than the coconut palm. Coconuts can only be grown in temperatures above 18 °C and need a daily temperature above 22 °C to produce fruit.

 

USES

The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropics for decoration, as well as for its many culinary and nonculinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm can be used by humans in some manner and has significant economic value. Coconuts' versatility is sometimes noted in its naming. In Sanskrit, it is kalpa vriksha ("the tree which provides all the necessities of life"). In the Malay language, it is pokok seribu guna ("the tree of a thousand uses"). In the Philippines, the coconut is commonly called the "tree of life".

 

COOKING

The various parts of the coconut have a number of culinary uses. The seed provides oil for frying, cooking, and making margarine. The white, fleshy part of the seed, the coconut meat, is used fresh or dried in cooking, especially in confections and desserts such as macaroons. Desiccated coconut or coconut milk made from it is frequently added to curries and other savory dishes. Coconut flour has also been developed for use in baking, to combat malnutrition. Coconut chips have been sold in the tourist regions of Hawaii and the Caribbean. Coconut butter is often used to describe solidified coconut oil, but has also been adopted as a name by certain specialty products made of coconut milk solids or puréed coconut meat and oil. Dried coconut is also used as the filling for many chocolate bars. Some dried coconut is purely coconut but others are manufactured with other ingredients, such as sugar, propylene glycol, salt, and sodium metabisulfite. Some countries in South East Asia use special coconut mutant called Kopyor (in Indonesian) or macapuno (in Philippines) as a dessert drinks.

 

NUTRITION

Per 100 gram serving with 354 calories, raw coconut meat supplies a high amount of total fat (33 grams), especially saturated fat (89% of total fat) and carbohydrates (24 grams) (table). Micronutrients in significant content include the dietary minerals, manganese, iron, phosphorus and zinc (table).

 

COCONUT WATER

Coconut water serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during its nuclear phase of development. Later, the endosperm matures and deposits onto the coconut rind during the cellular phase. It is consumed throughout the humid tropics, and has been introduced into the retail market as a processed sports drink. Mature fruits have significantly less liquid than young, immature coconuts, barring spoilage. Coconut water can be fermented to produce coconut vinegar.

 

Per 100 gram (100 ml) serving, coconut water contains 19 calories and no significant content of essential nutrients.

 

COCONUT MILK

Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, is obtained primarily by extracting juice by pressing the grated coconut white kernel or by passing hot water or milk through grated coconut, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It has a total fat content of 24%, most of which (89%) is saturated fat, with lauric acid as a major fatty acid. When refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the milk. The milk can be used to produce virgin coconut oil by controlled heating and removal of the oil fraction.

 

A protein-rich powder can be processed from coconut milk following centrifugation, separation and spray drying.

 

COCONUT OIL

Another byproduct of the coconut is coconut oil. It is commonly used in cooking, especially for frying. It can be used in liquid form as would other vegetable oils, or in solid form as would butter or lard.

 

TODDY AND NECTAR

The sap derived from incising the flower clusters of the coconut is drunk as neera, also known as toddy or tuba (Philippines), tuak (Indonesia and Malaysia) or karewe (fresh and not fermented, collected twice a day, for breakfast and dinner) in Kiribati. When left to ferment on its own, it becomes palm wine. Palm wine is distilled to produce arrack. In the Philippines, this alcoholic drink is called lambanog or "coconut vodka".

 

The sap can be reduced by boiling to create a sweet syrup or candy such as te kamamai in Kiribati or dhiyaa hakuru and addu bondi in the Maldives. It can be reduced further to yield coconut sugar also referred to as palm sugar or jaggery. A young, well-maintained tree can produce around 300 liters of toddy per year, while a 40-year-old tree may yield around 400 liters.

 

HEART OF PALM AND COCONUT SPROUT

Apical buds of adult plants are edible, and are known as "palm cabbage" or heart of palm. They are considered a rare delicacy, as harvesting the buds kills the palms. Hearts of palm are eaten in salads, sometimes called "millionaire's salad". Newly germinated coconuts contain an edible fluff of marshmallow-like consistency called coconut sprout, produced as the endosperm nourishes the developing embryo.

 

INDONESIA

Coconut is an indispensable ingredient in Indonesian cooking. Coconut meat, coconut milk and coconut water are often used in main courses, desserts and soups throughout the archipelago. In the island of Sumatra, the famous Rendang, the traditional beef stew from West Sumatra, chunks of beef are cooked in coconut milk along with other spices for hours until thickened. In Jakarta, "Soto Babat" or beef tripe soup also uses coconut milk. In the island of Java, the sweet and savoury "Tempe Bacem" is made by cooking tempeh with coconut water, coconut sugar and other spices until thickened. "Klapertart" is the famous Dutch-influenced dessert from Manado, North Celebes, that uses young coconut meat and coconut milk. In 2010, Indonesia increased its coconut production. It is now the world's second largest producer of coconuts. The gross production was 15 million tonnes. A sprouting coconut seed is the logo for Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia, the Indonesian Scouting organization. It can be seen on all the scouting paraphernalia that elementary (SMA) school children wear as well as on the scouting pins and flags.

 

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is the world's largest producer of coconuts; the production of coconuts plays an important role in the economy. Coconuts in the Philippines are usually used in making main dishes, refreshments and desserts. Coconut juice is also a popular drink in the country. In the Philippines, particularly Cebu, rice is wrapped in coconut leaves for cooking and subsequent storage; these packets are called puso. Coconut milk, known as gata, and grated coconut flakes are used in the preparation of dishes such as laing, ginataan, bibingka, ube halaya, pitsi-pitsi, palitaw, buko and coconut pie. Coconut jam is made by mixing muscovado sugar with coconut milk. Coconut sport fruits are also harvested. One such variety of coconut is known as macapuno. Its meat is sweetened, cut into strands and sold in glass jars as coconut strings, sometimes labeled as "gelatinous mutant coconut". Coconut water can be fermented to make a different product - nata de coco (coconut gel).

 

VIETNAM

In Vietnam, coconut is grown abundantly across Central and Southern Vietnam, and especially in Bến Tre Province, often called the "land of the coconut". It is used to make coconut candy, caramel, and jelly. Coconut juice and coconut milk are used, especially in Vietnam's southern style of cooking, including kho, chè and curry (cà ri).

 

INDIA

In southern India, most common way of cooking vegetables is to add grated coconut and then steam them with spices fried in oil. People from southern India also make chutney, which involves grinding the coconut with salt, chillies, and whole spices. Uruttu chammanthi (granulated chutney) is eaten with rice or kanji (rice gruel). It is also invariably the main side dish served with idli, vadai, and dosai. Coconut ground with spices is also mixed in sambar and other various lunch dishes for extra taste. Dishes garnished with grated coconut are generally referred to as poduthol in North Malabar and thoran in rest of Kerala. Puttu is a culinary delicacy of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in which layers of coconut alternate with layers of powdered rice, all of which fit into a bamboo stalk. Recently, this has been replaced with a steel or aluminium tube, which is then steamed over a pot. Coconut (Tamil: தேங்காய்) is regularly broken in the middle-class families in Tamil Nadu for food. Coconut meat can be eaten as a snack sweetened with jaggery or molasses. In Karnataka sweets are prepared using coconut and dry coconut "copra"., Like Kaie Obattu, Kobri mitai etc.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Mercedes SL65 //AMG - Elkhart Lake, WI

Because the wind tunnel needs to be smooth on the inside, all the supporting structure in on the outside.

 

The upper tapered part feeds into the 40x80 Test Section, three stories off the ground. Air enters from the larger chamber on the left.

 

Entry photos below...

Because It's the Cup

 

Grand Rapids Griffins Brennan Evans (44), who scored the game winning goal, hoists the Calder Cup at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 after his team defeated the Syracuse Crunch in a Best-of-7 game series, 4 to 2.

 

Click here to view more from the Calder Cup presentation.

 

Update: Would like to thank the AHL Group for using this photo as their cover on 7/30/2013. Looking forward to another year of Crunch hockey!

for most of my experimental projects, i decided to at least do a print of my coke bottles. i mean, hey, i have like 50 bottles, might as well photograph and use them. lol =)

 

this is liquid emulsion. probably my favorite print from this process. on watercolor paper.

Because that the flower reminded me of potential album art, I cropped it to a square, and used a new light leak to make this one.

Because of … Passions

 

Last trip to Tokyo was really amazing, 6 days of stay filled with passions and friendships, imagery and life. Because of the love of Moleskine, I met again 2 Japanese friends whom I met 4 years ago and had some interesting intellectual discussions. Because of Traveler's Notebook's aesthetic, I explored the area of Nezu and found inspirations. Because of Mijonju's love of all things camera, I met auto half legend Ryu Itsuki san and his friend Nakamura san and explored the area of Isumi city. Because of my dream job at city'super, I got chances to roam in realms perhaps only a few can do.

 

A life without passions is a life not worth living for. So where is your passion? Don't be a shadow , don't be a machine, stay hungry, stay foolish.

 

More on Scription blog: scription.typepad.com/blog/2010/07/because-of-passions.html

Because you and me baby, this right here makes perfect sense...

 

Melina Nastazia Photography and her hubby!!!!

Because of the haze an extremely colorful sunset today.

 

This - unfortunately - dead tree works really well as foreground for sunsets!

 

See where this picture was taken. [?]

The Kitchen Cabinet Book, by Sunset Magazine (1931) has lots of really fun illustrations of the recipes being prepared. Illustrated by Ruth Taylor White.

deprezinha...

Because bluebells don't have to be blue. Taken with a Canon 180mm macro, 1/400 sec. at f7.1 and ISO 125

FORBES

May 10, 2012

 

Forget Lichtenstein's $45 Million Sale: Why You Should Buy Comic Book Art from Living Artists

Carol Pinchefsky

 

There’s nothing sadder than a poor artist on a streetcorner with a cup in his hand and a sign around his neck that reads, “Will pencil for food.” But that’s the fate of artists who are out of work—comic book artists among them. Had the late Roy Lichtenstein been alive today, he would never have that problem: After a recent Sotheby’s auction, Lichtenstein’s estate is richer to the tune of $44.8 million, thanks to the sale of his 1964 painting, “Sleeping Girl.”

 

Lichtenstein elevated comic book art into high art crossed with parody, and his use of Ben-Day dots is fun and funny. His success is deserved. But this sale has bothered me for one important reason: Lichtenstein passed away in 1997, and he isn’t around to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

 

Meanwhile, living, breathing, and hungry comic book artists are on the prowl for their next Corel Painter upgrade. I see them at comic book conventions, row after row of them sitting in an “artist’s alley,” like pound puppies hoping to be adopted. These artists are eager, nay, overjoyed to see their fans, even the surly artists who hate people. Because they know that making the fans happy makes their publishers happy, and that ultimately keeps them off the streets.

 

Yes, some comic artists aren’t as good as others, and only a few are as good as Lichtenstein. But many of them are extremely talented and equally underappreciated by the masses. Here’s why you should purchase art from comic book artists—either panels from a comic book or one-off commissions—and why they deserve patronage more than any deceased master.

 

You’re guaranteed art that will suit your personal taste.

 

Why hang a picture of fruit and flowers on your wall when you can instead hang a picture of a costumed crusader smacking down evil? Or even a costumed crusader smacking down a picture of fruit and flowers? Many artists are all too happy to create one-of-a-kind pieces for you. Even yourself in a superhero costume.

 

And as for non-commissioned pieces, owning art from a comic book you enjoy is a great way to relive your favorite fiction, especially if your favorite fiction fights crime.

 

Buying art from the artist guarantees that you won’t be purchasing a forgery.

 

There’s a reason that forgery is a time-honored tradition and a staple of heist movies: It’s a typically bloodless yet lucrative crime, and the victims aren’t the type to air their grievances on Judge Judy.

 

Why subject yourself to the ridicule of purchasing a forgery—like the time Hermann Göring bought a fake Vermeer. Oh, how we laughed—when you can buy a piece of art from the hand of the artist him/herself?

 

Comic book art has had only a few notable forgeries (here, here, and a few here). But do you really be want to knows as “the guy who bought that fake and is now a funny Internet meme.”

 

It’s an affordable investment.

 

As anyone who uses Google can tell you, Action Comics #1 famously sold for $2.16 million in November 2011. But there’s a secret to buying good comic book art on comic book store employee wages: buy panels, not issues. You can buy some extremely well-rendered, emotionally stirring art for as low as few hundred dollars.

 

Considering that an anonymous collector paid $448,000 for a panel by penciller Frank Miller and inker Klaus Janson, it’s a potentially good investment. And if it’s one thing I know about financial, um, stuff, it’s “buy low and sell high.”

 

It’s bucking the trend.

 

Think about what buying a master like Lichtenstein means to the rest of the world, besides “I’m secure in my financial success.” It means that you prefer art that’s popular and trendy. Your enemies will say that you have no taste of your own. And then they’d know you were $45 million dollars poorer. Seeing you lack resources, they can move in for the kill. In other words, buying a Lichtenstein makes you weaker.

 

You’re stimulating the economy.

 

That’s right. You’re not just submerging yourself in your fannish dreams by purchasing comic book art. You’re giving the artist money to live on. He/she in turn pays bills and college debt, buy more art supplies, and not have to eat cat food, or worse, take a 9-to-5 job. Purchasing art produced by a dead artist may fill the estate’s coffers, but it will never support them doing the job they love.

 

Another thing you’ll be stimulating: the artist’s ego.

 

Gary Land

 

Thank you for the exposure for Comic Art collecting Carol. One thing though, The widely accepted term is “Pages”. Panels are the individual boxes on pages. If anyone is interested in learning more about the hobby, either www.comicartfans.com or the yahoo group Comicart-L would be an excellent place to start.

 

Mitch Itkowitz

Except for the fact that Lichtenstein was not a comic book artist, and only achieved fame when he took individual panel from comic books of other comic book artists work.

Never mind copyright infringement, the artists from which he stole never received a penny, and Lichtenstein received the credit and fame.

It’s too bad the author never took the time to fully research his “article”, nor contact anyone in the comic art business.

 

Tim Townsend

“Yes, some comic artists aren’t as good as others, and only a few are as good as Lichtenstein.”

This is arguably one of the most profoundly ignorant statements I’ve ever read. I love that you’re bringing attention to this hobby but you do yourself, as a writer/journalist, and your readers a disservice by not adequately researching the topic.

 

Tony Maakies

This sentence made me laugh and laugh and laugh. Then I cried. I’d actually love to see a Lichtenstein comic book, it would be as big as a barn door. A huge barn door comic book filled with Tony Abruzzo comics.

 

Brian Peck

“Yes, some comic artists aren’t as good as others, and only a few are as good as Lichtenstein. ”

Carol has absolutely no idea what good artwork is. Lichtenstein a good artist? HA! He ripped off panels from other artists and his copies were inferior to the originals. Why this their is so celebrated I will never know. Buy comic art that you like either the artist or a something from a story you grew up reading, don’t buy it because you hope to make money. Try the stock market for that or Las Vegas.

 

princeminski

Well, as you’re seeing, this sets off quite a knee-jerk reaction among the comic book folk. Comics artists, even (or especially) the underground variety, have a real problem with the Fine Art niche (almost as inflated as the one shared among the cowboy illustrator/Kinkade crowd). Be that as it may, I can attest to the fact that you can own excellent examples of the work of Walt Kelly, Chester Gould and many other GIANTS of their profession for a minuscule fraction of what you would pay for a minor silkscreen from the studio of any of the Pop Art heavy hitters. Of course, the people I mentioned, and most of their contemporaries, saw themselves more as newspapermen and were very uncomfortable with sissy designations like “fine art.”

 

Jan Dumas

Better yet, find a great comic book artist and have them do a commission. It gives them the freedom the comic book might now allow them. It also give you the collector some thing extra special, that you might never want to sell.

 

Kris Fenol

If you want to be extra cool, you’d collect comic art commissions of heroes/villains you create yourself.

 

Brian Massa

“Yes, some comic artists aren’t as good as others, and only a few are as good as Lichtenstein.”

It should read “and only a few are as LUCKY as Lichtenstein” They are probably millions of people who are much better artists. It would be like saying “only a few are as good as Keith Haring”

 

GianCarlo Nardini

Thanks, Ms. Pinchefsky, for bringing even more attention to the artists who work on comic books. We’re lucky that more and more people are realizing what kind of great work has been done in this medium for many, many years.

It’s ironic that the Lichtenstein sale has attracted this kind of attention from unusual sources (Forbes, e.g.) since Lichtenstein never credited the artists whose work he took, and they have never earned any money from these copies, or “swipes.”

This is a well-worn path of an argument with many people set in their opinions. I am of the opinion that the saddest thing about this kind of auction hammer is that it is for art taken from another uncredited artist (a living contemporary, no less.) That artist, Tony Abruzzo, could have at least seen his name in lights if Lichtenstein had shown the class to credit him.

 

Carol Pinchefsky

GianCarlo,

I would love to follow up with Tony Abruzzo, the artist whose panel, “Sleeping Girl,” was turned into pop art by Lichtenstein. Do you know how to contact him?

 

J. Andrew World

First of all, thank you for telling your readers to buy comic art from real comic artists, with this being the main thrust of your article you almost get a pass for your mistake earlier.

I am a comic artist, and I live in the long tail by doing a webcomic about Wisconsin politics (right-about-now.com if you wish to check it out.) Instead of looking like a pound puppy, I spend my time in artist alley painting for all to see. We, artists of comics are not well respected inside the industry, and are paid as much as public school teachers if we are lucky. Not to say there are some people who’s talents and products have given them success. I am glad for any of us who has found success.

The problem I have with your article is the premise of Roy Lichtenstein as a good artist. Now, to be honest, I think it was quite clever to enlarge the printed comic the way he did. But one must remember, he painted the piece after he blew up the original and traced it. His work was also inferior to the original pieces, his lack of skill lost the subtle brush work of Jack Kirby and John Romita and their inkers. People in the comic business didn’t think his work was very good. In fact, the book “10 Cent Plague” an editor of Romance comics back in the day ripped apart Lichtenstein’s lack of skill. The thing that has angered me is that Lichtenstein’s success he never once helped the artists he traced. In 1978, the year Superman came out, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were living in poverty. Joe Shuster was legally blind and working at the post office (A terrible end for an artist) and Jerry Siegel was living in a flea infested apartment. (Men of Tomorrow, another great book, by the way)

I am not saying that you can’t enjoy Lichtenstein’s work, but what I am saying is remember him for what he was, a weak artist who made a ton of money of the poor and exploited artists with his one good idea.

 

jerry deli

“Yes, some comic artists aren’t as good as others, and only a few are as good as Lichtenstein.”

Just for clarity, a few artists as good as Lichtenstein are:

Joe Kubert

Mike Sekowsky

John Romita

Ross Andru

Russ Heath

Tony Abruzzo

Martin Branner

Myron Fass

George Tuska

William Overgard

Irv Novick

Jerry Grandenetti

 

These are the artists whose original work Lichtenstein plagiarized.

 

My apologies for the other fine artists (and writers) whose names I’ve left off this list.

 

Perhaps the best reason to buy original comic art is because it’s the original, even a $45M copy, is still just a copy.

 

Ricardo Venâncio

To the care of Carol Pinchesfky, this is a little research resource you should have used writing this oh so enlighting piece about the comic book medium:

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lichtenstein

 

Roy Lichtenstein never, in his life, worked in the comic book industry, and the only contact he had with the medium was taking panels (actual panels, not the panels you refer to which are actuallt pages) from actual comic book craftsmen and “elevating their comic book art into the high art”, as you so elegantly (and also condescendingly, I might add) put in your text.

 

Let me tell you, I was endeared with the reasons you laid out supporting the investment in original pieces bought directly from the professionals in the medium, especially the overall tone of “let’s give a few bucks to keep the poor bastards off the streets” which permeates your “article”. Being a budding professional in the field of comics, it just fills my eyes with grateful little tears knowing there’s so much respect for the craft I and a few million people grew up on and continue to support.

 

I had the naive impression that, to be able to write for a publishing house such as Forbes magazine, you’d actually had to know what the hell you’re talking about before commiting pen to paper, but I guess that notion was just blown out of the water. Unless, and kudos to your humor editing skills if it is, this is a joke piece.

 

Thanks for the laughs, either way.

 

Stefan Blitz

While some of the information might not be accurate, isn’t the message of the article, “support comic artists by purchasing their work” a valid enough argument?

 

The Pop-Art movement was full of artists “appropriating” the work of folks in the industry and attempting to make an ironic statement. Unfortunately, those same people who purchased a Lichtenstein or Warhol, don’t know or even understand the importance of artists like Kubert, Heath or Romita. And never will.

 

There’s no need to bash the author for her use of the word “panel”, when in fact the Dark Knight Returns piece was in fact, splash page.

 

Semantics are one thing and if art truly is in the eye of the beholder, who are any of us to judge.

 

That being said, I’d rather have a Kirby, Dick Sprang, Wayne Boring or Jack Cole original than a Lichtenstein any day of the week.

 

Carol Pinchefsky

One of my favorite comic book artists gets very little recognition. His name is Ernie Colón, and he never appears in lists of “best artists.” What a shame. He’s so talented.

 

David Barsalou

Carol… Tony Abruzzo passed away years ago.

Russ Heath, John Romita, and Joe Kubert are still alive.

 

My website : Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein has information

on all of the artists Roy Lichtenstein copied.

 

www.flickr.com/photos/deconstructing-roy-lichtenstein/

 

davidbarsalou.homestead.com/LICHTENSTEINPROJECT.html

 

Jesse Hamm

Ah, cartoonists. When a columnist for a respected magazine takes the time to send some business our way, listing several reasons why patrons should invest in our work, we can always be counted on to throw hissy fits and hotly rebuke her for some offhand remark. This, my friends, is why we were so popular in high school.

 

Dave Porta

Hahaha Jesse Hamm too funny!!!

 

Jesse Fuchs

A great place to buy art by current cartoonists is comicartcollective.com—lots of amazing stuff at reasonable prices, 100% of which goes to the artist. I bought an Ivan Brunetti page there for 300 bucks in 2001, and it’s probably the best investment I’ve ever made: I’ve been offered $1000 for it, and didn’t even think twice about selling it.

 

Carol Pinchefsky

Thanks for the head’s-up about ComicArtCollective. Great to know!

 

GianCarlo Nardini

Ivan’s stuff is fantastic!

 

www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2012/05/10/forget-li...

 

LICHTENSTEIN, BOUNDER AND CAD !

 

By Jack Knight

October 17, 2012

 

My latest project is taking me on an exciting mission to investigate the world of Roy Lichtenstein. I’m not compelled to do it in depth but for this commission I need to get a feel for his style and the work that he’s done. It was whilst doing this research I discovered a startling revelation, something which may have already been apparent to some of you but for me it’s news.

 

Roy Lichtenstein was a no good plagiarist! This is just terrible news. Not that I particularly hold any affection for the guy, although I am a huge fan of graphic novels and comic book art I’d always like the fact he’d championed their style…but wait, no he didn’t. That’s why it’s terrible news. In actual fact, what Lichtenstein did do was wholesale take art from comic books, copy them out again in with much less skill and then go on to make a mint off it whilst the original artist faded into obscurity. The high toned and fancy critics in the art world back then and to this day, continue to look down their noses at comic book art. When compelled to review comic books they usually take a longsuffering stance that begrudgingly admits that this particular comic book “isn’t for kids” and is therefore almost worthy of their notice.

 

But I digress Lichtenstein was popular. Critics were gushing and fawning at him over their chilled champagne and at the same time they were all still belittling comic book art. He could have said something, spoken up for them. Maybe he was too scared someone would look into it and out him as being the massive plagiarist that he was.

 

As far as I am aware, nobody outed him for being a bounder and a cad until relatively recently. A bloke called David Barsalou spent something like 25 years going through old comic books one panel at time, comparing them with Lichtenstein’s work until he managed to find all the pieces he’d ripped off. It’s a real life’s work, this guy obviously feels very strongly on the struggling comic book artists getting their credit where credit is due. Good for him. These artists could have been you or me, trying to earn a living doing what they loved, putting their heart and soul in getting the right pose, the right look and for what, for their names to be forgotten whilst Lichtenstein’s name is actually programmed into Spell check.

 

But what do you think? Has his work improved upon the originals by cleaning them up a bit? Is he in some way inspired? What’s your opinion?

 

www.knighttimecreations.com/#/latest-news/4561894876/Lich...

 

Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein © 2000 - 2013

~ The Original Source Catalogue Raisonné ~

 

Sleeping Girl 1964

 

January 4, 2012

From Paulson, Laura

 

To 'barsaloud@yahoo.com'

Dear David,

 

It was nice to speak with you and thank you for the information regarding "Oh...Alright"..

Thank you in advance, as well for the reference to Sleeping Girl 1964.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Laura

 

" lpaulson@christies.com"

 

My direct line is 212-636-****

 

From: DAVID BARSALOU [mailto: barsaloud@yahoo.com]

Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 05:36 PM

To: Paulson, Laura

Cc: David Barsalou

Subject: Re: Sleeping Girl 1964

 

Laura… My apologies - have been fighting a cold for over a week.

Thought you were referring to " I Can See The Whole Room... " which is from a

Steve Roper Sunday dated 8/6/61

 

"Oh...Alright".. and Sleeping Girl are comic book images.

The specific info is somewhere in my research archives-

~ Will find it for you tomorrow.

I have been working on this project since 1979.

 

Best regards,

David Barsalou

 

Re: Sleeping Girl 1964

FromPaulson, Laura

January 4, 2012

To barsaloud@yahoo.com'

 

David, no worries, I have been fighting, but lost to my cold..not at

all pleasant.

Many thanks again,

Laura

 

From DAVID BARSALOU January 5,2012

To Paulson, Laura

 

CC David Barsalou

Oh... Alright … 1964

DC Comics

*****

Sleeping Girl 1964

DC Comics

*****

 

Laura -

It took a really long time to find all the source imagery for DRL

~ Please acknowledge my research whenever possible.

Thanks and regards,

 

David Barsalou MFA

Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein © 2000

 

From Paulson, Laura to you January 7,2012

Re: Oh... Alright … + Sleeping Girl

 

David,

Thank you again, I did find Girls Romances, which is great .

How would you like to be credited/acknowledged should we use this in a Christie's publication?

Best,

Laura

 

Re: Oh... Alright … + Sleeping Girl

Show Details

From DAVID BARSALOU

To Paulson, Laura

CC David Barsalou

Laura… If you can't locate Oh… Alright...

I can E-Mail a scan without watermarks.

 

This acknowledgement would be fine -

 

Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein © 2000

David Barsalou MFA

 

Dear Carol... Sadly, Joe Kubert passed away on August 12, 2012 John Romita is in his 80's - and the last major artist alive

whom Lichtenstein swiped.

 

Thanks and regards,

David Barsalou

 

On Thursday, August 2, 2012 4:27 PM, DAVID BARSALOU wrote:

Carol -

~ Joe Kubert and Hy Eisman are at the Kubert School

~ Joe may also have the contact info for both Russ Heath and John Romita Sr.

www.kubertschool.edu/

 

The Kubert School

37 Myrtle Ave Dover, New Jersey 07801 Telephone: 973.361.1327

info@kubertschool.edu

 

~ Dr. Jeff McLauglin, one of my Facebook friends may have Russ's #

He buys a lot of Russ Heath's work.

www.facebook.com/jeff.mclaughlin.ca

 

~ John Romita Sr's information.

... Mike Burkey at Romitaman Original Art must definitely have it. He has been

buying and selling Romita images for many years.

romitaman.com/

 

Hope this was helpful -

Best regards,

 

David Barsalou MFA

Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein

davidbarsalou.homestead.com/LICHTENSTEINPROJECT.html

www.flickr.com/photos/deconstructing-roy-lichtenstein/

www.facebook.com/groups/230408213304/

 

From: Carol Pinchefsky

To: David Barsalou

Sent: Thursday, August 2, 2012 2:32 PM

Subject: Re: The artists Roy Lichtenstein copied / 1961- 1965

 

David,

 

Actually, that's a fantastic idea for an interview. I'm swamped with a few videogame pieces right now, but it's absolutely something to put on my ever-growing list of awesome topics.

 

You wouldn't happen to know their contact details, would you?

 

Carol Pinchefsky

blogs.forbes.com/carolpinchefsky

   

odd or because pics

NB! ***This is going to be long because this is really for me to remember her by. I don't want to forget what she said, or the things that made her laugh. I almost apologized for it being long but this is important to me and I hope to you as well... ***

  

I have been wanting to photograph this lady since I first began this project. She is a street person and I used to see her around alot of the time, then it was like one day she just disappeared. I had almost given up hope ever seeing her again. I have prayed for her often. Somehow she found a place in my heart.

 

Today I saw her in the park downtown. I actually drove home to get my camera in hopes that she'd still be there. She was.

 

When I approached she was washing up and putting on lotion. I smiled and said hi. She was very friendly with me. It was true joy for me to see that she was okay. She said she'd be around town. When I told her I was concerned because I hadn't seen her she laughed... an uncomfortable kind of laugh.

 

She was totally okay with me taking her picture. She said she had just done her eyes. Her makeup was very heavy but it suited her. I wanted to take another shot of her looking straight at me, but she said, No, one picture is enough. I guess she's right.

 

We had such a wonderful talk.

I asked her how long she had been living in Vernon she laughed and said, Oh decades!!! Wow I thought, that's a long time to be on the street. She told me that she used to be at the women's center but recently left there and told me she sleeps where ever she can. She told me the churches help her alot, they give her food, talk to her and give her things to read. I wish our church was closer to downtown because I would have loved to have seen her regularly.

 

When I told her I missed seeing her around she looked at me quizzically. I told her that it was strange to me even, but I felt true concern for her welfare and often I had prayed for her. At that point I couldn't hold back my tears, and they ran down my face. I told her I often saw her around town and I was impressed with how well she maintained herself, and kept herself together in a difficult situation. I told her that I admired her for that. She got tears in her eyes and shushed me. I stopped. Then she said, "I like your top. It's really pretty" I told her my sister picked it out for me, it was a little 'bright' for me as I usually dress alot simpler. I think we could have talked for hours.

 

She told me that she is always about 10 inches away from sheer terror. I told her I could relate because I lived in intense fear for years and years. Life can be hard. She told me that she regrets some of the choices in her life like having shock treatment at UBC in the early 80's. She said it was horrible and didn't help her. She hasn't been the same since. How sad.

 

The whole time I talked with her I felt like crying. I just wanted to take her home and maybe I should have.

 

I told her that I believe in Jesus and that often I had prayed for her, carrying her in my heart . She said "He messed up with one person" I said," I don't think He messed up at all, it is just that life is hard sometimes. He cared enough about you to sometimes even wake me up in the middle of the night to pray for you. That was how precious you are!" She said, Well say hi to Him from me, ok? I laughed! She was so delightful!

 

I asked if I could give her some money. Usually I don't give money (i'd buy food instead, but this time I felt compelled) I usually don't have cash on hand but I had 15 bucks. When I came back from my car and gave it to her she was so shocked and happy. She couldn't believe it, and said, I am going to go buy some perfume!!! Then she said, No I should buy something to eat. I told her to go and spend it on herself because she was worth it. I said, Laura you are so worth it!! You deserve this and much much more!! You are worth it! The more I said it the more she laughed. It was a true laugh. Maybe she was starting to believe it. I wish I could have got a picture of her laughing because it was incredibly beautiful..

She laughed and laughed and laughed. It was pure joy.

 

So why did I cry as I drove away? And why am I crying now??

 

I think my heart is touched by the simple beauty of humanity connecting in ways that matter. This was REAL. I hope I see her around more. I want to have lunch with her somewhere downtown before I leave town.

 

So Laura, thanks for letting me sit on your curb, and hear about a bit of your story and love a bit of your heart.

 

This is my 31th stranger in the 100 strangers project. You can check out others at www.100strangers.com

 

explored.. thanks everyone....

(yay.. explore has alot of heart! *s*)

Because with arms this short it's difficult to have a friendly game of cards!

 

. . . in a gallery, and on a plinth. I know my place.

 

Part of the graduation show at Sunderland University.

Because Im about to pounce!

The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-Hamra'» means Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba.

 

The Alhambra is located on a strategic point, with a view over the whole city and the meadow (la Vega), and this fact leads to believe that other buildings were already on that site before the Muslims arrived. The complex is surrounded by ramparts and has an irregular shape. It limits with the valley of the river Darro on its northern side, with the valley of al-Sabika on its southern side and with the street Cuesta del Rey Chico on the eastern side. The Cuesta del Rey Chico is also the border between the neighbourhood of the Albaicin and the gardens of the Generalife, located on top of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol).

 

The first historical documents known about the Alhambra date from the 9th century and they refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who, in the year 889, had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress, and had to repair it due to the civil fights that were destroying the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada then belonged. This site subsequently started to be extended and populated, although not yet as much as it would be later on, because the Ziri kings established their residence on the hill of the Albaicin.

 

The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century, which implied that the castle became a military fortress with a view over the whole city. In spite of this, it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar (Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra's most glorious period.

 

First of all, the old part of the Alcazaba was reinforced and the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela) and the Keep (Torre del Homenaje) were built. Water was canalised from the river Darro, warehouses and deposits were built and the palace and the ramparts were started. These two elements were carried on by Mohammed II (1273-1302) and Mohammed III (1302-1309), who apparently also built public baths and the Mosque (Mezquita), on the site of which the current Church of Saint Mary was later built.

 

Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V (1353-1391) are responsible for most of the constructions of the Alhambra that we can still admire today. From the improvements of the Alcazaba and the palaces, to the Patio of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) and its annexed rooms, including the extension of the area within the ramparts, the Justice Gate (Puerta de la Justicia), the extension and decoration of the towers, the building of the Baths (Baños), the Comares Room (Cuarto de Comares) and the Hall of the Boat (Sala de la Barca). Hardly anything remains from what the later Nasrid Kings did.

 

From the time of the Catholic Monarchs until today we must underline that Charles V ordered the demolition of a part of the complex in order to build the palace which bears his name. We must also remember the construction of the Emperor's Chambers (habitaciones del Emperador) and the Queen's Dressing Room (Peinador de la Reina) and that from the 18th century the Alhambra was abandoned. During the French domination part of the fortress was blown up and it was not until the 19th century that the process of repairing, restoring and preserving the complex started and is still maintained nowadays.

Because Puppy

Because of a track project on the northbound tracks in March 1995, a northbound Red Line train is crossed over to the southbound track as it passes the Wilson Avenue Shops. The shops were destroyed in a spectacular fire the following year.

Honda Integra R Custom Exhaust by Profusion Customs. A previous owner had a custom exhaust built during the car's existence but badly put it together. Because they didn't have access to the right silencers, what they installed couldn't handle the pressures of the gasses vacating, so the internal packaging did just the same. They vacate, leaving behind empty chambers which sound noisy and the drone is unbearable. The entire exhaust system was so poorly fitted that even the tailpipe was way behind the end on the bumper, causing more damage. You can see the amateur job just by looking at the welding.

 

We built the entire exhaust again, ensuring controlled sound levels. Our work resulted in a delighted customer.

 

He had heard many exhausts where some exhaust shops have removed all silencers and built a straight pipe exhaust, and all you get is harsh noise and not enjoyable sound. Fitting cheap silencers was not an option. We are probably the only company to have straight through exhaust silencers. With the fully welded and two-stage acoustic packaging, you get a beautiful deep, enjoyable tone while delivering maximum performance with no sound degradation.

 

We built him an excellent mandrel-bent manifold back exhaust system with a sound that complimented the car, as you can see in the pictures. Profusion Customs builds quality exhaust systems, not just removing silencers to gain attention.

 

He did a lot of research before deciding on us to carry out the work. All exhaust companies are not the same. Buy cheap-buy twice.

 

Visit our website for more information and a quick quote for a custom-built exhaust for your car.

Website: profusioncustoms.com

Online Shop: profusionexhausts.com

  

Phone: +44 (0) 1753 686 878

Email: info@profusioncustoms.com

 

{01.11.10}

sooc.

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

 

Happy November flickr! :)

I hate Mondays.

 

I'm tired, again.

I hate school.

I have a shit school, and it's expensive shit.

facebook page

 

if we jump high enough into

the

blueness

of

sky

our red balloons will take us to the sunset factory

to drink sunset martinis

(made with only the freshest ingredients)

and we will float through a rainbow river

under stars falling like cracker crumbs

and dive into a chocolate pond

and never return.

never ever.

 

but for now we drive the winding roads

because getting lost is the adventure

and we are young

young enough

to laugh until we are giddy

and insist that you can always tell a book by its cover

and turn our music too loud

and toss smiles back and forth

connecting.

the.

dots.

with laughter

 

and we are not foolish

but infinitely wise

 

yes

because we still believe in red balloons.

  

Olympus Trip35 | Fujicolor C200

Because we must not forget.

Because they don't like MEETS!

.......... because He loves us

Just because you're not a big toy, doesn't mean you don't deserve a good chair.

 

I got the toy version of this chair a long time ago. One day, a great friend told me they no longer had room for the grown up version in their home and that they would sell it to me for about 30% of its value because they knew I would love it.

 

I totally love it. Rich, you rule.

 

Strobist info: NEW (just got it - adore it) Westcott 26" mono light softbox with Nikon SB900 on 1/64 power pointed at the human sized chair about 3 ft back and 4 ft higher. Nikon SB600 on 1/16 power with grid spot about 2.5 ft slightly to the front and camera left of the toys.

 

Camera info: ISO 125, NEW 85mm (I spent all my food money on camera stuff), f/2.2, 1/200 sec

Photograph by: Ryan Nyenhuis

 

Sunday June 15th 2008, Fathers Day. Ryan and I woke with a plan. The plan being to sneak into the abandon R.L. Hearn Thermal Generation Power Plant which is located in the south east area of downtown Toronto. We wanted to photograph the beauty of decay.

 

We had made a trip over to the power plant a week prior to scout out the area, to see where guards were located and to find easy access inside.

 

Sneaking past the guard house located at the front of the property and making our way along the north west section of property towards the back of the plant where the barbed wire fence was weakest.

 

We then smoked three quarters of a joint together before working up the nerve to hop the fence. Ryan went first, watching him hop the fence and dart out into the yard and hiding behind scrap metal for cover then finally making it to the back of the building. Then it was my turn. What excitement that was, knowing your breaking the law to do something adventurous.

 

After getting onto the property we were standing at the back of the Hearn and looking for our way inside. To do so we had to hop up onto a metal fence post and from there had to reach up and grab a hold of plywood that covered up the tall entrance area. A good 15 foot climb up, over and in.

 

Once inside the first photo that was taken was the one of Ryan and I standing together, titled "final hours".

 

This place was like no other we had ever explored together. The shear size of it all was breathtaking and mind blowing at the same time. The beauty of destruction.

 

After the first photo was taken we started exploring the plant. Taking the necessary precautions we had come prepared with asbestos masks and flashlights.

 

We had made our way around on the ground floor, through locker rooms, showers, storage rooms. Then we started making our way up stairs to the 2nd and 3rd level offices, had the remainder of our joint together.

 

From the office levels we went back onto the factory area and started climbing the metal stairs up further still. Some photos show how high up we were in that building.

 

We then made ourselves up onto the roof. What a view from there looking out over the city core. Looking out over Lake Ontario we saw really dark storm clouds. Ryan pulled out a cigarette and had a smoke.

 

We were up on the roof for about a half hour before Ryan asked me "what do you want to do now man?". "Do you want to go home now or stay a bit longer and explore?". My camera battery had died at this point and being there any longer served no purpose for me. I was hesitant on a response because at the same time I wanted to keep exploring because the plan was to keep coming back weekend after weekend to explore and document the old structure.

 

I then agreed to keep exploring. We came in off the roof, coming down a level, walked through a doorway into a long looking dark room. All across the top level of The Hearn runs conveyor belts that run coal from one end to the other. Walking together along the metal grating flooring. Ryan was 2 feet in front of me.

 

I then ended up tripping over a small extruded piece of metal on the floor, and from that second on I pointed my flashlight directly onto the floor to see where I was walking.

 

Very shortly after this happens, in mid sentence Ryan just falls into blackness. All I see is from his waist up as he plunges into complete blackness and followed by about 4-5 seconds before hearing a sick crash far below.

 

I then look 2 feet in front of me and see there is no more floor. My imediant thought is that he is dead. Then my brain clicks "I have to get my best friend out of here".

 

I then tried my best to back track to get out of the building, taking a route that he and I had not taken to get to this point. All I knew is I had to get out of The Hearn and find someone that could help.

 

I don't even know how I got out of that place. When I did I came out on the back side of the building, ran around to the guard house screaming for help.

 

I screamed to the guard that my best friend just fell in there and is hurt really bad, he asked what we were doing in there and I told him we were just taking photos.

 

The guard then called like every paramedic, fire and police officer in the city. About 10 minutes after the call was made all I could hear were the sirens. Scared and relived at the same time I was.

 

Once they all showed up I told them Ryan was in there, that we were up high in the building and he fell. All the cops were telling me to retrace my steps, they wanted to see where we came in from. I screamed at them "we don't have time for that right now, my best friend is dying in there". I then started leading them to the front of the Hearn because I knew it was the closet way inside. We get to the front and all entrances were boarded up. One cops said to me "Ian there is no way in through this way, you have to show us where you came in from". I then demanded to the fire fighters that they bust this plywood down to get inside.

 

Once inside the cops started fucking with my mind, me being in total shock at the time they started asking me where we had explored, they wanted me to take them on what would have been a few hours of exploration, which we didn't have time for.

 

Then an officer finds his asbestos mask and glasses. My first thought is he was okay, that he somehow managed to crawl out under his own power. I was wrong. His mask and glasses had bounced off of objects on the fall and Ryan was nowhere to be found.

 

The police tried getting a hold of Rogers Communication to see if they could pin point his location with the cell phone he had on him. They ended up using thermal vision to locate him. He was trapped in a coal hopper located high up in the building.

 

I was escorted out at this point in time because I was too "hysterical" for the cops liking.

 

Two and a half hours went by, a fierce thunderstorm was passing through.

 

While they were working on getting Ryan out I was giving my statement to the police. Never gave one of those in my life. I told them everything that I am writing here right now, everything, even the joint smoking. I had Nothing to hide.

 

We went in undetected but I didn't care if the whole world was watching at this point, I was doing what any best friend would do. I was trying to save him. City Pulse News was there and I was trying to hide from them. I was scared that this is how his family would find out and how my family would find out, being Fathers days and all.

 

After two and a half hours of hell they finally got Ryan out. I watched them carry him out on a backboard and I yelled to him that I loved him.

 

Ryan was rushed to St. Micheal's Hospital, the best in all the city for trauma.

 

I followed about an hour after him, being escorted in a police car. On the drive one officer said to me "this is going to cost you and your buddy about a hundred thousand dollars for all that had to be done here today". What a jackass thing to say. I responded by saying "I don't give a fuck about money, take all I have from me I don't care, I'm loosing the most important person in my life right now".

 

We get to the hospital, I enter the trauma wing of St. Micheal's. They told me that I was going to be the one to call the home of the Nyenhuis'. I thought that was insane, and told them I could not make that call, that they would have to.

 

I then went into the waiting room, sat down. I remember the NBA finals were on the televisions in there and I ended up falling asleep somehow.

 

Waking to Stevie and Tammy's faces hours later (Stevie being Ryan's room mate and Tammy being Ryan's girlfriend).

 

Stevie told me that John and Cheryl were on their way and that we could go up stairs to the trauma ward to see Ryan.

 

The trauma centre, located on the 9th floor of St. Micheal's Hospital.

 

Hours passed by, as the night went on the news kept getting worse and worse about his condition.

 

I ended up leaving to come back to my apartment at 6am the following morning, I had to talk to my parents and try and shovel some food into my system. Still being in shock and never got treatment for shock when it happened.

 

I returned to the hospital at 3pm that day. Only to find nothing had changed with his condition.

 

Then came the worst words I ever had to hear, Ryan's father coming in the room and telling me it was time to say goodbye to Ryan.

 

We made our way into where he was being cared for. To see my best friend in the state he was in broke my heart. Blood coming out the back of his head, body black and blue bruised from head to toe, internal damage that could not be repaired, feeling his forehead and it being ice cold. He was laying there in front of us, dead. Machines were the only thing keeping him "alive".

 

I said my goodbyes to him, telling him that he can't leave me here, he can't leave the creation of Studies In Comfort behind, something that is so brilliant, that we were supposed to take over the world together and do all that was planned. I told him to haunt me.

 

I then looked at his eyes and saw tears. He may have been brain dead but I know he heard every word I said. Doctors did not give an explanation to what was coming out of his eyes.

 

If only I had said to Ryan "hey man watch your step" he might still be alive today. I have been told over and over again that I can not blame myself for what happened that day. I sometimes still do.

 

Ryan and I once had a conversation that if something ever happened to one of us that Studies In Comfort would stop, without a core creator there is no sense to continue it. Well I am going against those wishes. I can't lose what he and I created even before it took off the ground.

 

I now know my purpose in life. To carry on Studies In Comfort. I must continue on for him, finish off the 3 studio albums we had in the works and continue on with this art form.

 

Ryan died at the wheel and I have moved his lifeless body to the passengers seat and now a fucking insane madman is driving.

 

Ryan Nyenhuis, whos favourite artist was Nine Inch Nails, who lived on floor number 9, who wore a roman numeral 9 on his right arm, who died on the 9th floor at St. Micheal's Hospital, Toronto.

 

Thank you to 55 Division and all the paramedics and fire fighters who helped get Ryan out of that terrible dark place.

 

Ryan Nyenhuis is survived by his father, John, mother Cheryl, sisters, Jennifer and Leah, their beautiful children, myself and Studies In Comfort.

  

Ryan John Nyenhuis

July 28th 1981 - June 15th 2008

 

We love and miss you.

___________________________

 

All photographs were taken by Ryan Nyenhuis & Ian Levack with a Casio EX-Z1050 camera.

Because Batman obviously needs one of every type machine.

Because of the wind from the sea, this tree is growing into the direction the wind is blowing.