I'm simply convinced on where I'm goin', I'm committed

I promise if I fly, or if I fail, I won't regret it

I'm workin' on my temper, tryna be more empathetic

'Cause Kyrie gave me years on the couch, I'm still indebted

I'm workin' on my money and my word and on my credit

But they think that I'm lazy what I'm readin' on my Reddit

Momma kidneys failin', and plus she pre-diabetic

Future lookin' shredded, drown you if you let it

Nigga, you are lookin' at a Chicago da Vinci

Came up from the gutter, where the chopper's complimentary

How'd I get this far, sometimes it's hard to put it simply

Things you'll only learn when you watch the documentary

I ain't never been a wrestler, I ain't been up under pressure

I ain't never felt the stretch at all

I ain't never playin' dress up

I ain't talkin' when they pull up to arrest us, nigga, that's the law, uh

I ain't never been a liar, I ain't never been no wire

I ain't never scared to fire y'all

I'm standin' here in the heart

I'm ready for a fuckin' war, uh

I ain't never been a taker

I ain't never scared of vapor

I ain't never did no niggas wrong

I ain't never been a liar

I ain't never play Mariah

I ain't never sang a different song

I ain't never been a ducker

I ain't never been a sucker

On the Bible or on the Quran, uh

See, I don't care if we don't get along

It's what I offer though…

Weston Wineries is committed to cellaring and bottling fun and exciting wines showcasing Wyoming and its Western Heritage. Weston Wineries new tasting room opened on historic Main Street in downtown Sheridan in August, 2016. The tasing room is located in a beautifully restored historic building that was at one time a bank; features include the teller's cage, a patio, and more.

Link:

www.westonwineries.com

Main Contact:

John Harrison

Weston Wineries

Owner

P: 307.751.9463

E: john@westonventuresinc.com

122 N Main St.

Sheridan, WY 82801

#SheridanNaturally

#VisitSheridan

#ThatsWY

Photographs © 2016 Flash Parker.

Video by Salvatore Brown.

Sheridan Travel & Tourism:

Welcome to the official Sheridan Travel & Tourism Locations flickr page. For media inquiries, photo requests, or travel information, please email megan@sheridanwyoming.org or call 1(307)673-7120.

All photographs © 2016 Sheridan Travel & Tourism, and may not be used, copied, transmitted or altered in any way without express written consent. This image archive is maintained for promotional, non-commercial use only.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Listing Information:

Listing Date: 11/29/16

Location Name: Weston Wineries

Listing Text By: Shawn Parker, Executive Director, Sheridan Travel & Tourism

St Baldricks Brevard at The Avenue Viera by commercial photographer Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo. Dedicated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation Events on the Space Coast of FL and raising awareness for Childhood Cancer. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

I committed a faux pas here I think. I was taking some shots through a gate when a large angry looking woman slammed the gate in my face and yelled "Go away!". Whoops.

View on black

View large on black

I've scoured the hillsides of Malibu Creek State Park, peeking under rocks n boulders for magic potions.... searching for Box turtles and lizards that might take me back to that magic place of my youth.... wandering thru power line swamp infested fields of muck.... ahhhh... memories of childhood paint my cortex in awww.... the diagonal lines behind this amazing tree struck me... and the puffy clouds that hung in its canvas sky.... frozen like cotton props dangling on wires from the heavens.... i recommend a hike, early in the morning if you wish to catch a glimpse of pixies and elves dancing in the marine layer mist. Bring your Peter Pan slippers, you may need them. All hail the almighty TREE! As intelligent as you are, perceptively speaking of course, this tree is no fool... u may even think for a second that you’re looking at it..... but just maybe it's looking at you, and laughing of course at your puny size and fumbling legs. Perhaps you may even ponder that your mobility is a luxury.... oh you poor soul you.... think again, have you ever seen such a thing, so stable, unmoving, so loyal and committed to its surroundings, so naked, so strong and so present. Open your fragile mind you selfish beast... we are not alone. Take a walk.

CP 64 track inspection car on the CP TEC train at Lake Forest, IL.

Areenee Jasiti, a store assistant manager.

“Coronavirus is a serious concern to customers.

In Thailand, convenience stores are such a lifeline. Despite the COVID-19, they are staying open and store staff is unavoidably committed to supporting their customers. Let’s learn how Areenee, Store assistant Manager is responding to the COVID-19 situation.”

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

Jan Anderson, a committed Detroiter and poet, graciously collaborated with us on a projection series where she recited her poetry about Detroit. Text of the recited poems follows:

WHEN THE PEOPLE LEAVE

When the people leave

The siege begins,

And the windows fall

And the halls are spooked

And the roof rots

And the lot vacates

And the placated defacate

Until the weeds stand tall

And the ghetto palms appear

And the tears depart

And the garden grows

In the people’s hardened hearts.

DEATH IN THE FAMILY

Detroit sits motionless

Like a daughter with her mother’s lifeless body.

The place is a chamber eerily apart from space and time

A ball of light hovering above a hole.

Two forms unable to inhale the next moment or

To cling together to fill the hollow.

Only in perfect still can the echo of being still be felt

So the daughter turns to stone like the mound of clay on the table before her.

The corpse must be returned to the soil

Before energy can again be found –

The heat between them forging iron to last

Until she too is a mound bereft of anything.

Detroit is still

Like a mountain blocking the sun.

A cavern is inside, precious metals in sum.

But our loss is its loss

Such is the formlessness of grief that it blankets all things

The nothingness before it is a vacuum

Into which vitality is slowly drawn –

Such is the black hole of tragedy that all material is reformed.

When our lifeless generation is duly mourned and returned to the ages,

New life will be formed

And there will no weeping, no striking out,

Only the duty of remembering in a city that is no longer an innocent child.

THE LAST PACKARD COMPANY MAN

As a lover he didn’t read minds or chart the heart’s inner terrain with his hands.

Those hands were working hands, greasy leathery tools.

Steel was the vessel of his spirit, and everything he touched became this sort of flesh.

The last Packard Company man lived to work,

Strove to be a cog in the great machine.

His shift was the prayer that sanctified him to his wife and children,

Made them believe in God.

The City’s Committee on Plant Closings asked him who he was

and he told them that he fought two great wars building the planes that brought death to the first and second global conflicts.

The heat that forges memory is the same that bends metal.

What does a soldier do after the war is lost?

Is honor found in the hands or in the heart?

Is faith the whole, or only part?

Do you believe because it’s in your head, or is belief an act of defiance instead?

After Compliments,

Dear Prospective Student,

Academy of Art & Design offers several professional courses in art, design and allied fields. We are committed to providing our students with quality & professional educational experience. Many opportunities to enhance your education are provided beyond the traditional classroom experience. You'll have the opportunity to participate in profession related organizations, specialized workshops, guest lectures, field trips, and study programs.

Selecting a career in ART & DESIGN can be the correct choice for you if you desire to be in a creative field that combines artistic abilities with technical knowledge and skills.

These are exhilarating times. Life moves fast and is ever-changing. Every day we are bombarded with information and images that stimulates and energizes our imagination. In this exciting climate, design professionals are being called upon to bring order to the environments that we experience daily-the places we live, work and play. Academy of Art & Design is devoted to preparing students and professionals to respond and compete in this expanding field. This is an exciting time.You are on the threshold of an important decision. Clearly one of the most important decisions that you'll ever have to make. Your "CAREER."

We have also started short-term professional courses, which may be of your interest. You can take admission in any of our professional course and avail the best education in the field. We recommend that you apply early no matter what course you are interested. Call on 0091 9987002023 / 2771 4343 to discuss getting started today or for further details, WhatsApp your name, course, location & email id on 00919987002023.

Our expert core faculties :

Ms. Shabnam Deshmukh, Director – Fashion Design & Technology –

Responsible for generating good clientele for our ever-growing business. She is a visiting faculty in many reputed colleges in Mumbai & Navi Mumbai.

Prof. Salam Khan, HOD - Interior Design & Space Management –

Responsible for achieving the set target and developing new designs & layouts. He is a visiting lecturer many reputed colleges in Mumbai & Navi Mumbai.

Kindly check our Academys details on :

www.designcareer.co.in

www.facebook.com/Institute.of.InteriorDesign.FashionDesign

Sincerely,

Ms. S. Deshmukh. – 9987002023

(Director - Academy of Art & Design )

Creative Educational & Charitable Trust (Govt. Regd.)

Academy of Art & Design - Institute of Interior Design & Fashion Design

C-212, 2nd Floor, Nerul Railway Station Complex,

Near Mahesh Tutorials, Nerul (E), Navi Mumbai – 400706.

Tel. : +91 22 27714343 Cell. : +91 9987002023

Email : academyenquiry@gmail.com

Website : www.designcareer.co.in

Facebook : www.facebook.com/Institute.of.InteriorDesign.FashionDesign

Office Timings : All 7 Days of the week from 10 am to 6:30 pm

We are committed to protecting & enhancing the environment through our service options. We partner with businesses, government, & communities in a collective effort to ensure a legacy of clean air, land, and water. From homeowners to municipal contracts, and small business to large business, we offer services for everyone statewide.

Here I am jumping into Heypop and Nana's swimming pool.

Events on the stage of Shonan area of Japan, aimed at the development of the Hawaiian culture. Dancers of about 1,000 people gathered from Kanagawa prefecture, I committed showcase technology of hula daily, polished.

Above all, she is beautiful, smile was a very nice lady at all times.

A disgraceful act of vandalism was committed last night in Taranto. The statue dedicated to the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama, by the sculptor Francesco Trani and placed on the sidewalk of Via Alto Adige has been irreparably destroyed.

The same sculptor of his ice cream shop opened this morning he found the damage. The incident is very serious in relation to the reputation of the work that had gone around the world as the artist had dedicated himself through the American Embassy in Italy to President Obama. Also appeared on many websites were notes and photos of the work as evidence of its value. The material with which it was made but was not a metal alloy, cement, which unfortunately has led to the corruption.

It now remains the bewilderment of many citizens who testified at the sculptures stunned their solidarity for this cowardly act, which penalizes anyone who appreciates art and decency.

Francesco Trani, however, does not give up and see you soon sure the statue of the 44th President back in place.

_____________________________

Un inqualificabile atto di vandalismo è stato compiuto la notte scorsa a Taranto. La statua dedicata al 44° Presidente degli Stati Uniti Barack Obama, realizzata dallo scultore tarantino Francesco Trani e posizionata sul marciapiede di Via Alto Adige è stata irrimediabilmente distrutta.

Lo stesso scultore stamane all'apertura del sua gelateria ne ha constatato il danneggiamento. L'episodio è molto grave anche in relazione alla notorietà dell'opera, che aveva fatto il giro del mondo in quanto l'artista l'aveva dedicata personalmente attraverso l'ambasciata americana in Italia al Presidente Obama. Inoltre su molti siti web erano comparse note e foto dell'opera a testimonianza del suo valore. Il materiale con cui era stata realizzata non era metallo ma una speciale lega cementizia, che ha favorito purtroppo il danneggiamento.

Resta ora lo sconcerto dei tanti cittadini, che sbigottiti hanno testimoniato allo sculture tutta la loro solidarietà per questo vile gesto, che penalizza tutti coloro che apprezzano l'arte e il vivere civile.

Francesco Trani comunque non demorde e sicuramente presto rivedremo la statua del 44° Presidente nuovamente al suo posto.

Some old photos that I'll give a B&W and vingetting treatment to. Any constructive comments welcome and appreciated.

I also did a Golden Ratio Crop here.

Minehead, Somerset, UK.

OF Todd Glaesmann

Midway HS

Waco, TX

Comitted to Texas A&M University

#108 pick in 2009 MLB Draft to the Tampa Bay Rays

SS Deven Marrero

American Heritage HS

Davie, FL

Committed to Arizona State University

Vermonters and friends from the region held the Second Annual Tar Sands Free Kingdom Walk. Walking the route of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline from North Troy to Irasburg, July 19-20 2013 we are committed to preventing the pipeline reversal for tar sands.

Photo Credit: Paula Schramm

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

My wife and I went to the first exhibition in Germany about Adof Hitler since the end of the war,needless to say its a touchy subject. The exhibit was located in the German national history museum and when you went inside the museum you would never know there was an exhibit about Hitler. I asked if i could take pictures and i was told i could without a flash but i managed to go in and snap a few pictures before i was told i was not allowed to,

The exhibit makes a strong point to explain the rise of Hitler,his impact on Germany,its people and crimes the crimes committed by this regime. The stories i read about it in English language German newspapers say they did not want the exhibition to be something Neo Nazis would not flock to.

The whole exhibition covers Hitler's rise from obscurity,the Nazis grab of power,life in Nazi Germany,Racial laws,the start of the war to the end and Hitler's legacy.

As well as the public's perception of Hitler from his time to present. I found it a bit strange to hear laughter during the exhibit but this came from scenes from Charlie Chaplin's parody of Hitler to videos from youtube with the meme of "Hitler's reaction to.." from the movie the Untergang. The youtube video "Hitler's reaction to Micheal Jacksons death" was on display which garned alot of laughs.

The whole exhibit had many relics from Nazi Germany. There were all sorts of uniforms from the 3rd reich like posters,children's books,painting,nazi street signs,Field Marshall baton's, strips of uncut yellow fabric the with star of David and "jude" written on it. Some of the artifacts were in such pritine condition they were down right errie looking.

The whole exhibit was really interesting but the disappointing part is that the main sections of the exhibit were described in English as well as German but alot of the individual artifacts and displays were only in German which gave me the impression that the exhibit was mainly for Germans.

Oh, the irony.

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama,[note 3] Shakyamuni,[note 4] or simply the Buddha, was a sage[3] on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.[web 2] He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in eastern India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.[4][note 5]

The word Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one". "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (Pali sammāsambuddha, Sanskrit samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age.[note 6] Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement[5] common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.[4][6]

Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later.Scholars are hesitant to make unqualified claims about the historical facts of the Buddha's life. Most accept that he lived, taught and founded a monastic order during the Mahajanapada era in India during the reign of Bimbisara, the ruler of the Magadha empire, and died during the early years of the reign of Ajatshatru who was the successor of Bimbisara, thus making him a younger contemporary of Mahavira, the Jain teacher.[7] Apart from the Vedic Brahmins, Buddha's lifetime coincided with the flourishing of other influential sramana schools of thoughts like Ājīvika, Cārvāka, Jain, and Ajñana. It was also the age of influential thinkers like Mahāvīra, Pūraṇa Kassapa , Makkhali Gosāla, Ajita Kesakambalī, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta, whose viewpoints Buddha most certainly must have been acquainted with and influenced by.[8][9][note 7] There is also evidence to suggest that the two masters, Alara Kalama and Udaka Ramaputta, were indeed historical figures and they most probably taught Buddha two different forms of meditative techniques.[10] While the most general outline of "birth, maturity, renunciation, search, awakening and liberation, teaching, death" must be true,[11] most scholars do not consistently accept all of the details contained in traditional biographies.[12][13]

The times of Gautama's birth and death are uncertain. Most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE.[1][14] More recently his death is dated later, between 411 and 400 BCE, while at a symposium on this question held in 1988, the majority of those who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death.[1][15][note 5] These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet been accepted by all historians.[20][21][note 9]

The evidence of the early texts suggests that Siddhārtha Gautama was born into the Shakya clan, a community that was on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the northeastern Indian subcontinent in the 5th century BCE.[23] It was either a small republic, in which case his father was an elected chieftain, or an oligarchy, in which case his father was an oligarch.[23] According to the Buddhist tradition, Gautama was born in Lumbini, nowadays in modern-day Nepal, and raised in Kapilavastu, which may either be in present day Tilaurakot, Nepal or Piprahwa, India.[note 1] He obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon in Sarnath, and died in Kushinagara.

No written records about Gautama have been found from his lifetime or some centuries thereafter. One edict of Emperor Ashoka, who reigned from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE, commemorates the Emperor's pilgrimage to the Buddha's birthplace in Lumbini. Another one of his edict mentions several Dhamma texts, establishing the existence of a written Buddhist tradition at least by the time of the Mauryan era and which may be the precursors of the Pāli Canon.[34][note 11] The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts are the Gandhāran Buddhist texts, reported to have been found in or around Haḍḍa near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and now preserved in the British Library. They are written in the Kharoṣṭhī script and the Gāndhārī language on twenty-seven birch bark scrolls, and they date from the first century BCE to the third century CE.[web 10]The sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different, and sometimes conflicting, traditional biographies. These include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā.[35] Of these, the Buddhacarita[36][37][38] is the earliest full biography, an epic poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa, and dating around the beginning of the 2nd century CE.[35] The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE.[39] The Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE.[39] The Dharmaguptaka biography of the Buddha is the most exhaustive, and is entitled the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra,[40] and various Chinese translations of this date between the 3rd and 6th century CE. Lastly, the Nidānakathā is from the Theravāda tradition in Sri Lanka and was composed in the 5th century CE by Buddhaghoṣa.[41]

From canonical sources, the Jātakas, the Mahapadana Sutta (DN 14), and the Achariyabhuta Sutta (MN 123) which include selective accounts that may be older, but are not full biographies. The Jātakas retell previous lives of Gautama as a bodhisattva, and the first collection of these can be dated among the earliest Buddhist texts.[42] The Mahāpadāna Sutta and Achariyabhuta Sutta both recount miraculous events surrounding Gautama's birth, such as the bodhisattva's descent from Tuṣita Heaven into his mother's womb.Traditional biographies of Gautama generally include numerous miracles, omens, and supernatural events. The character of the Buddha in these traditional biographies is often that of a fully transcendent (Skt. lokottara) and perfected being who is unencumbered by the mundane world. In the Mahāvastu, over the course of many lives, Gautama is said to have developed supramundane abilities including: a painless birth conceived without intercourse; no need for sleep, food, medicine, or bathing, although engaging in such "in conformity with the world"; omniscience, and the ability to "suppress karma".[43][44][45] Nevertheless, some of the more ordinary details of his life have been gathered from these traditional sources. In modern times there has been an attempt to form a secular understanding of Siddhārtha Gautama's life by omitting the traditional supernatural elements of his early biographies.

Andrew Skilton writes that the Buddha was never historically regarded by Buddhist traditions as being merely human:[46]

It is important to stress that, despite modern Theravada teachings to the contrary (often a sop to skeptical Western pupils), he was never seen as being merely human. For instance, he is often described as having the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks or signs of a mahāpuruṣa, "superman"; the Buddha himself denied that he was either a man or a god; and in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta he states that he could live for an aeon were he asked to do so.

The ancient Indians were generally unconcerned with chronologies, being more focused on philosophy. Buddhist texts reflect this tendency, providing a clearer picture of what Gautama may have taught than of the dates of the events in his life. These texts contain descriptions of the culture and daily life of ancient India which can be corroborated from the Jain scriptures, and make the Buddha's time the earliest period in Indian history for which significant accounts exist.[47] British author Karen Armstrong writes that although there is very little information that can be considered historically sound, we can be reasonably confident that Siddhārtha Gautama did exist as a historical figure.[48] Michael Carrithers goes a bit further by stating that the most general outline of "birth, maturity, renunciation, search, awakening and liberation, teaching, death" must be true.[11]The Buddhist tradition regards Lumbini, present-day Nepal, to be the birthplace of the Buddha.[49][note 1] He grew up in Kapilavastu.[note 1] The exact site of ancient Kapilavastu is unknown. It may have been either Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, present-day India,[32] or Tilaurakot, present-day Nepal.[50] Both places belonged to the Sakya territory, and are located only 15 miles apart from each other.[50]

Siddharta Gautama was born as a Kshatriya,[51][note 13] the son of Śuddhodana, "an elected chief of the Shakya clan",[4] whose capital was Kapilavastu, and who were later annexed by the growing Kingdom of Kosala during the Buddha's lifetime. Gautama was the family name. His mother, Queen Maha Maya (Māyādevī) and Suddhodana's wife, was a Koliyan princess. Legend has it that, on the night Siddhartha was conceived, Queen Maya dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right side,[53][54] and ten months later[55] Siddhartha was born. As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya became pregnant, she left Kapilvastu for her father's kingdom to give birth. However, her son is said to have been born on the way, at Lumbini, in a garden beneath a sal tree.

The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in Theravada countries as Vesak.[56] Buddha's birth anniversary holiday is called "Buddha Purnima" in Nepal and India as Buddha is believed to have been born on a full moon day. Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few days or seven days later. The infant was given the name Siddhartha (Pāli: Siddhattha), meaning "he who achieves his aim". During the birth celebrations, the hermit seer Asita journeyed from his mountain abode and announced that the child would either become a great king (chakravartin) or a great holy man.[57] By traditional account,[which?] this occurred after Siddhartha placed his feet in Asita's hair and Asita examined the birthmarks. Suddhodana held a naming ceremony on the fifth day, and invited eight Brahmin scholars to read the future. All gave a dual prediction that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man.[57] Kaundinya (Pali: Kondañña), the youngest, and later to be the first arahant other than the Buddha, was reputed to be the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha.[58]

While later tradition and legend characterized Śuddhodana as a hereditary monarch, the descendant of the Solar Dynasty of Ikṣvāku (Pāli: Okkāka), many scholars think that Śuddhodana was the elected chief of a tribal confederacy.

Early texts suggest that Gautama was not familiar with the dominant religious teachings of his time until he left on his religious quest, which is said to have been motivated by existential concern for the human condition.[59] The state of the Shakya clan was not a monarchy, and seems to have been structured either as an oligarchy, or as a form of republic.[60] The more egalitarian gana-sangha form of government, as a political alternative to the strongly hierarchical kingdoms, may have influenced the development of the Shramana-type Jain and Buddhist sanghas, where monarchies tended toward Vedic Brahmanism.[61]Siddhartha was brought up by his mother's younger sister, Maha Pajapati.[62] By tradition, he is said to have been destined by birth to the life of a prince, and had three palaces (for seasonal occupation) built for him. Although more recent scholarship doubts this status, his father, said to be King Śuddhodana, wishing for his son to be a great king, is said to have shielded him from religious teachings and from knowledge of human suffering.

When he reached the age of 16, his father reputedly arranged his marriage to a cousin of the same age named Yaśodharā (Pāli: Yasodharā). According to the traditional account,[which?] she gave birth to a son, named Rāhula. Siddhartha is said to have spent 29 years as a prince in Kapilavastu. Although his father ensured that Siddhartha was provided with everything he could want or need, Buddhist scriptures say that the future Buddha felt that material wealth was not life's ultimate goal.[62]According to the early Buddhist texts,[web 11] after realizing that meditative dhyana was the right path to awakening, but that extreme asceticism didn't work, Gautama discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way[web 11]—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, or the Noble Eightfold Path, as was identified and described by the Buddha in his first discourse, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.[web 11] In a famous incident, after becoming starved and weakened, he is said to have accepted milk and rice pudding from a village girl named Sujata.[web 12] Such was his emaciated appearance that she wrongly believed him to be a spirit that had granted her a wish.[web 12]

Following this incident, Gautama was famously seated under a pipal tree—now known as the Bodhi tree—in Bodh Gaya, India, when he vowed never to arise until he had found the truth.[70] Kaundinya and four other companions, believing that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined, left. After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to have attained Enlightenment.[70][web 13] According to some traditions, this occurred in approximately the fifth lunar month, while, according to others, it was in the twelfth month. From that time, Gautama was known to his followers as the Buddha or "Awakened One" ("Buddha" is also sometimes translated as "The Enlightened One").

According to Buddhism, at the time of his awakening he realized complete insight into the cause of suffering, and the steps necessary to eliminate it. These discoveries became known as the "Four Noble Truths",[web 13] which are at the heart of Buddhist teaching. Through mastery of these truths, a state of supreme liberation, or Nirvana, is believed to be possible for any being. The Buddha described Nirvāna as the perfect peace of a mind that's free from ignorance, greed, hatred and other afflictive states,[web 13] or "defilements" (kilesas). Nirvana is also regarded as the "end of the world", in that no personal identity or boundaries of the mind remain. In such a state, a being is said to possess the Ten Characteristics, belonging to every Buddha.

According to a story in the Āyācana Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya VI.1) — a scripture found in the Pāli and other canons — immediately after his awakening, the Buddha debated whether or not he should teach the Dharma to others. He was concerned that humans were so overpowered by ignorance, greed and hatred that they could never recognise the path, which is subtle, deep and hard to grasp. However, in the story, Brahmā Sahampati convinced him, arguing that at least some will understand it. The Buddha relented, and agreed to teach.After his awakening, the Buddha met Taphussa and Bhallika — two merchant brothers from the city of Balkh in what is currently Afghanistan — who became his first lay disciples. It is said that each was given hairs from his head, which are now claimed to be enshrined as relics in the Shwe Dagon Temple in Rangoon, Burma. The Buddha intended to visit Asita, and his former teachers, Alara Kalama and Udaka Ramaputta, to explain his findings, but they had already died.

He then travelled to the Deer Park near Varanasi (Benares) in northern India, where he set in motion what Buddhists call the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to the five companions with whom he had sought enlightenment. Together with him, they formed the first saṅgha: the company of Buddhist monks.

All five become arahants, and within the first two months, with the conversion of Yasa and fifty four of his friends, the number of such arahants is said to have grown to 60. The conversion of three brothers named Kassapa followed, with their reputed 200, 300 and 500 disciples, respectively. This swelled the sangha to more than 1,000.For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha is said to have traveled in the Gangetic Plain, in what is now Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and southern Nepal, teaching a diverse range of people: from nobles to servants, murderers such as Angulimala, and cannibals such as Alavaka. Although the Buddha's language remains unknown, it's likely that he taught in one or more of a variety of closely related Middle Indo-Aryan dialects, of which Pali may be a standardization.

The sangha traveled through the subcontinent, expounding the dharma. This continued throughout the year, except during the four months of the Vāsanā rainy season when ascetics of all religions rarely traveled. One reason was that it was more difficult to do so without causing harm to animal life. At this time of year, the sangha would retreat to monasteries, public parks or forests, where people would come to them.The first vassana was spent at Varanasi when the sangha was formed. After this, the Buddha kept a promise to travel to Rajagaha, capital of Magadha, to visit King Bimbisara. During this visit, Sariputta and Maudgalyayana were converted by Assaji, one of the first five disciples, after which they were to become the Buddha's two foremost followers. The Buddha spent the next three seasons at Veluvana Bamboo Grove monastery in Rajagaha, capital of Magadha.

Upon hearing of his son's awakening, Suddhodana sent, over a period, ten delegations to ask him to return to Kapilavastu. On the first nine occasions, the delegates failed to deliver the message, and instead joined the sangha to become arahants. The tenth delegation, led by Kaludayi, a childhood friend of Gautama's (who also became an arahant), however, delivered the message.

Now two years after his awakening, the Buddha agreed to return, and made a two-month journey by foot to Kapilavastu, teaching the dharma as he went. At his return, the royal palace prepared a midday meal, but the sangha was making an alms round in Kapilavastu. Hearing this, Suddhodana approached his son, the Buddha, saying:

"Ours is the warrior lineage of Mahamassata, and not a single warrior has gone seeking alms."

The Buddha is said to have replied:

"That is not the custom of your royal lineage. But it is the custom of my Buddha lineage. Several thousands of Buddhas have gone by seeking alms."

Buddhist texts say that Suddhodana invited the sangha into the palace for the meal, followed by a dharma talk. After this he is said to have become a sotapanna. During the visit, many members of the royal family joined the sangha. The Buddha's cousins Ananda and Anuruddha became two of his five chief disciples. At the age of seven, his son Rahula also joined, and became one of his ten chief disciples. His half-brother Nanda also joined and became an arahant.

Of the Buddha's disciples, Sariputta, Maudgalyayana, Mahakasyapa, Ananda and Anuruddha are believed to have been the five closest to him. His ten foremost disciples were reputedly completed by the quintet of Upali, Subhoti, Rahula, Mahakaccana and Punna.

In the fifth vassana, the Buddha was staying at Mahavana near Vesali when he heard news of the impending death of his father. He is said to have gone to Suddhodana and taught the dharma, after which his father became an arahant.

The king's death and cremation was to inspire the creation of an order of nuns. Buddhist texts record that the Buddha was reluctant to ordain women. His foster mother Maha Pajapati, for example, approached him, asking to join the sangha, but he refused. Maha Pajapati, however, was so intent on the path of awakening that she led a group of royal Sakyan and Koliyan ladies, which followed the sangha on a long journey to Rajagaha. In time, after Ananda championed their cause, the Buddha is said to have reconsidered and, five years after the formation of the sangha, agreed to the ordination of women as nuns. He reasoned that males and females had an equal capacity for awakening. But he gave women additional rules (Vinaya) to follow.Dhyana and insight[edit]

A core problem in the study of early Buddhism is the relation between dhyana and insight.[82][95][84] Schmithausen, in his often-cited article On some Aspects of Descriptions or Theories of 'Liberating Insight' and 'Enlightenment' in Early Buddhism notes that the mention of the four noble truths as constituting "liberating insight", which is attained after mastering the Rupa Jhanas, is a later addition to texts such as Majjhima Nikaya 36.[85][81][82]

Leading global companies and foundations committed millions in additional financing for gender equality at the Business and Philanthropy Leaders’ Forum organized by UN Women on 26 September 2016 and held at UN Women headquarters in New York.

Achieving gender equality is fundamental to realizing the transformative promise of the historic 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. But deep financing gaps for women and girls pose significant barriers to rapid progress.

Commitments at the Forum are aimed at closing these. They back a major global drive, championed by UN Women, to “Step It Up” for gender equality.

UN Women co-hosted the Forum with the Alibaba Group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Jack Yun Ma, Executive Chair of the Alibaba Group; Melinda Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee of the Gates Foundation; and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka opened the event.

Read More: www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2015/9/press-release-busi...

Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

I'm afraid i have committed a cardinal sin, and done something i would never normally do - i removed the lovely original amber hair from one of my bird trolls, as i wanted a dark haired one! That's so bad, but i do love the results! I only usually take off a trolls hair when it is completely rotton and needs to be replaced, but the birds are so rare, it is almost impossible to find just what you want, and when you do, there are so many people also after the same thing! :O( So, as i badly need some amber mohair for one of my new bald trolls, i carefully removed it from one of my birds. This has killed two birds with one stone - so to speak! LOL! Additionally, having experimented sorting out the slightly damaged air-brushing on my other bird i have enhanced the dark birds spots. His original spots didn't show up in photos, only in certain lighting. So, the newly dark guy has had a bit of a designer makeover! Terrible! I am chuffed though to now have two birds again, and they are now quite different! :O)

MSfit Opens For People Living with multiple sclerosis

Opening statement on landing page:

A young man’s vision and the collaboration between WSSU’s Department of Physical Therapy and the Gateway YWCA have come together to form MSfit, a free fitness and wellness program offered to people living with MS.

Read more …..

It was the brainchild of WSSU alumni and former WSSU employee Brian Murrill, whose mother Patsy Murrill is living with multiple sclerosis. She was diagnosed in 1995. She is a teacher at North Hills Elementary School.

"It's been a challenging yet rewarding experience seeing this program come together. I originally came up with this concept in January of 2013 to honor my mother. My original goal was to create a program that would directly address the physical and emotional needs of people living with MS,” said Brian. He said since then his organization has developed key partnerships with the Gateway YWCA, National MS Society, and the WSSU Department of Physical Therapy.

Here is his view of the future for the program. “Today we have three main objectives: the first one is to provide the MS community with a free fitness and wellness program that is designed to improve the quality of life of our participants and their families. The second one is to take the results from our program and share them with physicians to better understand the role fitness and wellness plays in managing MS. The last one is to create an opportunity for graduate level PT students to get hands on experience working with our participants. MS is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults in the U.S. It is our hope to grow this program and improve the overall quality of life of as many participants as we can. When you support MSfit, you are empowering people to move beyond their MS by giving them the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors, actively co-manage their disease and live their best lives through health and wellness," Brian said.

The MSFit clinic is a free clinic where screenings occur for multiple sclerosis patients, along with development of an exercise program, and education on the exercise protocol for the clients at the YWCA.

MSfit officially opened its doors to participants January 26th at the Gateway YWCA, in Winston-Salem, NC, from 1-5 p.m. Since MSfit announced the launch of the program in October, it has received an overwhelming response from potential participants.

Prior to beginning the program, participants are required to complete an initial fitness screening that will gauge their level of ability. The screenings were conducted by the Winston-Salem State University Department of Physical Therapy (PT).

Dr. Sara Migliarese, a physical therapy professor at WSSU, said, “The WSSU Department of Physical Therapy is excited about the partnership with MSfit. Our third-year students performed the fitness screenings and developed exercise programs for the clients with MS based on their abilities.”

“Under the supervision of DPT faculty, the students will educate each client on safe and effective exercise using the YWCA facilities, classes, and equipment. This service-learning opportunity will benefit the students, as well as the clients, and the WSSU PT Club is already involved in early fundraising activities to help support the MSfit Foundation and cover the cost of the YWCA memberships for the MS clients. WSSU is committed to the success and sustainability of this community service,” Migliarese continued.

As a part of their coursework, the WSSU Department of PT will return to the Gateway YWCA once a month to reevaluate participants and document their successes.

St Baldricks Brevard at The Avenue Viera by commercial photographer Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo. Dedicated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation Events on the Space Coast of FL and raising awareness for Childhood Cancer. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

Committed to safety at work

President Agius opens exhibition in Pula on crimes committed in Ahmići - Photo © Ajdin Kamber

St Baldricks Brevard at The Avenue Viera by commercial photographer Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo. Dedicated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation Events on the Space Coast of FL and raising awareness for Childhood Cancer. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

We visited Great falls National Park on a cloudless, cold, sunny day, when this guy showed up and did a few waterfall runs in prime view from the observation point. Pretty convenient.

Please view large by pressing 'L' or clicking the image.

Thanks for looking, and as always, your comments are appreciated.

An American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis - Washington State's bird) committed to seed extraction on a fluffy branch. Photographed at Union Bay Natural Area (aka Montlake Fill) in Seattle.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Lumix 100-300mm

Scott fully committed on-sighting The Brush Off (*** E4 5c) at Rivelin.

For me the crucifix is a constant reminder of God's unconditional love and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. I created a triptych as I wanted each image to focus on a different aspect of the crucifix but together tell a story.

Natural Light, Macro lens, f2.8, Canon 5DMkII, Lightroom for colour editing

Salviati, who committed suicide in his workshop, “came from a Venetian dynasty of glass-workers, and operated the Regent Street-based branch of the family firm, which was responsible for some of the mosaic work in St Paul's Cathedral, such as the figures of prophets in the spandrels of the dome.

Brookwood Cemetery, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey.

This memorial commemorates the massacre of 40 people inside the seminary which was committed by the Germans on 2nd August 1944 - the day after the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. The victims were herded into a small basement room and then killed with grenades and machine gun fire, after which their bodies were burned....

Tchorek plaques: stillunusual.tumblr.com/post/160904663281/tchorek-plaque

Committed Combine Day 2

St Baldricks Brevard at The Avenue Viera by commercial photographer Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo. Dedicated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation Events on the Space Coast of FL and raising awareness for Childhood Cancer. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

These Muslim woman were attempting to deliver a mandate to the United Nations proclaiming human rights abuses by the Indian Army during its continued occupation of Kashmir. They were barred from doing so and took to the streets in protest with chants of "Shame on the United Nations!"

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

We are committed to this project as our shop car. We are under the process of conducting the following:

-S52 engine swap

-body work (wrap/repaint, body kit, etc.)

-suspension (Lead Tech, Jason will be making one for this project)

-Tires/Rims

and we are open to suggestions, give us your feedback here or under the "Review" tab on our fan page www.facebook.com/brianjesselautohaus

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our launch party, and many exciting events.

Also a chance to vote and win prizes throughout the building process.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, stating that they are extremely committed to preventing irregular migration flows to Europe, "we will in this issue is absolutely full," he said. Tsipras, made in Turkey, hosted by the Prime Minister's office in Izmir Turkey-Greece High Level Cooperation Council meeting of 4 and then held a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Tsipras, the refugee crisis in the negotiations said also on the agenda, of any other country in a better drama they live in the Aegean Sea, the road to the immigrants to find life in terms of cultural values of both countries stressed that shame. "What one of us does not dictate how to solve. Solving extremely passionate about," said Tsipras, who organized to dry the sources of illegal immigration was underlined their commitment to take all necessary steps in.

A Sporting Knavesmire defender is committed to tackling an F1 Racing opponent flying down the left flank during a Premier Division derby in the Minster Engineering York Football League. Poppleton-based Sporting extended to three games their 100 per cent start to the season with a 2-1 victory at New Earswick Sports Club. Racing, pipped by a goal nine minutes from the end of normal time having struck the underside of the crossbar with a first-half penalty when the match was scoreless, have now lost four in a row after opening the campaign with a draw.

F1 Racing FC began life, in 1993, as a team for professional railwaymen. They were called Regional Railways North East FC. When, five years later, the train operating company changed, the club became Northern Spirit. In 2002, they opted for the F1 Racing name. They have rocketed up the York League, winning three successive championships. The 2016-17 season is their second as a Premier Division club.

Match statistics:

Admission: free. Programme: none. Attendance: 40. Goals: 0-1 (53mins); 1-1 (79mins); 1-2 (81mins). Bookings: Two (one apiece). Referee: James Unwin.