I do not consider myself as hyphenated.

 

I am fully American, while I do recognize that my heritage derives from across the Pacific and not the Atlantic, including a small bit from Brazil.

 

While many of my generational peers avoided military service, I volunteered for the US Navy, possibly because I had watched too many "Victory at Sea" episodes.

 

"If I could just...." It's a dangerous beginning to a sentence. We always think we have the answers and that we know what needs fixing in our lives. Right now, I've been thinking, "If I could just drive myself, these last few days would have gone so much better and I would have gotten so much more done." But to tell the truth, I'm sure I could have found some way to mess things up with or without my own mode of transportation. Or I'll think "If I was already at Berklee, I wouldn't be so stressed about piano and how little composing I'm doing, and I'd be on track." As if college can manufacture a career or peace of mind.

 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says "Consider the lilies [or, in this case, roses], how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” And earlier in the passage Jesus says, “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?” So true…. It’s better to leave things in God’s hands rather than thinking if only I could just do something or other, because I’m incapable of God’s work.

 

Easier said than done, of course.

A Marina Bracuhy é hoje considerada a maior e mais bem equipada Marina do Brasil. Localizada dentro do complexo Porto Marina Bracuhy, possui atualmente 700 embarcações sob sua guarda. A estrutura náutica não poderia ser mais completa. Além da bacia de evolução (108.000m2) ser abrigada, seus cais construídos em ferro-cimento presos a estacas, proporcionam total segurança às embarcações ali atracadas. Há também em funcionamento um travel-lift com capacidade de 20 toneladas, carreira para barcos de até 150 toneladas, além da rampa propriamente dita. Além disso, a Marina conta com os serviços de um posto de abastecimento náutico, com gelo a vontade, assim como serviços de marinharia, reparos em fibra e madeira, mecânica, eletricistas, velerias, etc, além da Sala de Rádio que funciona durante 24 horas. A capacidade final da Marina será de 2.000 embarcações entre vagas secas e molhadas.

Please consider leaving a comment if you fave, it is lovely to hear from you! xx

 

Photos from the main event - we had a wallking float with banners promoting the Leeds First Friday event and the various venues where it takes place.

 

It was incredible, completely overwhelming walking through the streets lined with thousands of people, all cheering and waving and taking pictures. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and one I will never ever forget. Pride is exactly right - I felt very proud to be a part of this wonderful community!

 

Kinda glad I wore trainers for the walk, because some of the girls really struggled with high heels! But I think next year I might go with wedges, I think they would be ok. And much more girly! ;-)

Please consider joining my group

 

www.flickr.com/groups/artificial_art/

consider a donation for the free photos at lucid-motion-images.com

Consider this to be, "When Night Falls: Part Deux."

 

I kept the photo in color this time to help portray a mood change between the "quiet" foreground and busy background.

 

See part one, "When Night Falls...".

So why did I feel the need to post this?

 

That’s complex, but in short I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like I’ve felt horrible about so many things in the world. So much intolerance, so much greed, pain and death. So much inhumanity – laws, rules, society trends, and religious decree all going against being a loving, caring, normal humanly driven person.

 

I feel that the only way to sort the mess out we have, here and now, is to just be honest. To look at things as they really are – facts.

 

Being in America in 2011, I of course know and am friends with many religious people – almost all Christian. Around 78% of Americans say they are Christian. These people I’m friends with because I feel they are good and kind people – people that at least to some level pick to be and push to be good people on their own accord, or sometimes because they reference their religion as to why. Well, I’m in the minority in America at the moment, being among the 16% unaffiliated. I believe in people’s goodness, and that people are responsible for themselves being good humans.

 

Why else have I posted this?

 

I’ve seen good friends be hurt so much by religion. Some that I know are gay and told they are evil, some that are the ‘wrong’ religion to be in America, and of course, some that don’t have a religion being the most ‘wrong’. I’ve had our kids be told by who would otherwise be very good, happy, and smart friends that they will not ‘go to heaven’ or that they would ‘burn in hell’ because my children didn’t believe in the same religion that they happened to believe in. Yes….people tell my children this – right to them. ‘When will die you will be tortured forever’. I’ve had people turn away from me or my family not because of anything I did, but because I didn’t believe in that they did religiously. I’ve seen good people thrown into prisons because of 2000+ year old religious moral teachings condemning things like sexuality or nudity – by far hurting many people far worse with the punishment, then the supposed crimes. I’ve seen people have their religion thrown in their face harshly – ‘god telling’ one person why they couldn’t be with another person anymore as the reason why. I’ve been told by another that no matter what they did wrong, even stealing large sums of money, that ‘god forgave them’, and therefore it’s ok.

 

So to the complex part.

 

I was born into a family that believes in Christianity. I heard the Sunday sermons that selectively touch on, at least in part, some of the better stories and morals of the bible – both new and old testament. And there are good concepts in the bible. I was pushed to memorize the required lines from the bible and go up through confirmation. I was asked to read the bible from cover to cover.

 

And that’s where it struck me, everyone is being so selective. So much in the bible no one in their right mind here and now would ever enforce or live by or feel is right. I felt like the whole church was living a lie and selectively promoting some things in the bible, while quietly covering up others out of embarrassment. Of course at that point it hit me – the bible is like any other work of man – some things in it are good, some things not (or just were considered good at some point in the past). People that take the good out of the bible and of their religion are still good people and it has nothing to do with religion or the bible – it has to do with THAT PERSON – picking what they felt right. That human did it. The bible is just a reflection of humanity. I realized that people didn’t need the bible, or religion, to be good, helpful, loving human beings – and not only that, but that it kept people tied down to old ideas and morals that even the churches understood were outdated and shouldn’t be preached – just to hold onto the morals that were ‘good’. In effect the churches in America nowadays are really not churches of the bible at all anymore – for they cut out the parts that they didn’t want to be a part of them, and left in the parts they wanted the bibles’ apparent authority to proselytize still.

 

This meant several things to me.

 

First, that people that go to church in America, in spite of some of what some more militant atheist and agnostic people out there, are good people even if they believe. Sure, some say “pray” way to much when a crisis or problem comes up, and don’t act nearly enough to actually help or fix things. Sure some are misguided by some of the older, somewhat rejected passages of the bible, depending on what church they attend. These things, and some others, I hope are addressed in the future, and that those people, or their children, will come around to being humanistic. But, for the most part, most all people are good no matter if they are religious or not, and people choose on their own to ‘skip’ upholding the bad stuff with religion, and embrace the good stuff attending a church every week. Both an atheist and a Christian both would say, for the most part, that murder is wrong. That’s still wonderful thing, isn’t it?

 

Secondly, that people need very badly to see facts. They need to stop being told what to just believe and to think, and to look for themselves what is out there. I posted these selected biblical quotes to hopefully open up even one person’s mind as to what is in the bible what is normally not talked about, or related at their Sunday service. (Please feel free to look up these for yourself, these are the 2011 new international version). Also keep in mind these all relate to death penalties in the bible for the most part. I could have posted many other things like how the bible upholds slavery, and so on. James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."

 

Now…I know I’m walking up a steep hill here. I know what many are told in church and how minds are pre-loaded to shut out considering things. ‘Run away from people that would have you question, the devil runs them’ and so on. I know. And my friends have known me too….do you really feel I’m evil – not because of any of my actions – but because of what I feel is the truth?

 

So, please, just for a moment, think. Is your church being selective? And, do the good morals or ethics that you feel your religion or church teaches really things that can only be picked up in church or the bible…or are they just universal humanistic morals? Do you really need people to tell you what is right or wrong…or do you really already know what is right and wrong for yourself, as a sympathetic and compassionate human? Can you teach your children on your own your values and ethics without a church and bible being involved and with all the extra baggage and selectively written out parts?

 

My church that I grew up under would have taught me to condemn so many people for so many reasons, as well as do so many good things too. The bible tells me the same.

 

But, I choose to do what I know is rationally and humanist right.

 

APD

Here are some facts to consider before you form an opinion on Israel:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGUxzISr9Us

 

1. Israel became a state in 1312 BC, 2000 years before Islam.

2. Arab refugees started to identify themselves as Palestinians in 1967, two decades after the establishment of modern State Israel

3. After the conquest of the Land of Israel in biblical times, about 1272 BC, Jews controlled the land for over a millennium and had continues presence in it for 3300 years (to the present).

4. The only time Arabs had control over the Land of Israel was after the 635 AD conquest and it lasted for a mere 22 years.

5. Jerusalem is the Jewish holiest city and the capital of the Jewish people for over 3300 years. Jerusalem was never a capital of any Arab or Muslim entity.

6. There are over 700 mentions of Jerusalem in the Bible (Old Testament). It has none in the Koran.

7. Jerusalem was founded by King David. Mohammad never set foot in it.

8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem, Muslims face Mecca. If Muslims are between Jerusalem and Mecca they pray facing Mecca and turn their behinds to Jerusalem.

9. In 1948, the Arab leaders are the ones that urged the Arabs in Israel to flee. They also promised them to purge the land of the Jews, that’s way 68% of the Arab refugees left Israel without even seeing a single Israeli soldier.

10. Jewish refugees had to flee the Arab states due to violence, persecutions and pogroms by Arabs.

11. It is estimated that some 630,000 Arab left Israel in 1948 the same number of Jewish refugees from the Arab countries.

12. Deliberately the Arab refugees weren’t acclimatized in the Arab states despite their vast sizes. Out of the post WWII 100,000,000 world wide refugees the Arabs refugess are the only group that didn’t acclimatize in their native countries. Opposed to them, ALL of the Jewish refugees were acclimatized. Most of them in Israel.

13. The Arabs have 8 countries (excluding the so called Palestine). Jews have only one.

14. Although Israel handed over the Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank to autonomous Palestinian Authority control and supplied it with firearms, the PLO’s charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

15. During the Jordanian control of the West Bank, the Jewish holy sites there were plundered and access to them for Jews was denied.

16. Under Israeli control all Muslim and Christian holy sites are preserved and enjoy free access to all believers.

17. The UN kept silent when the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mt. of Olives was desecrated. It also kept silent when Jewish access was denied to the Western Wall.

 

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

 

The original post:

 

I've taken the liberty to translate another article written by Yair Lapid, again I hope he won't mind.

 

Zionism

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I believe that the Jewish people had risen in the Land of Israel* a wee late. Had it listened to the alarm clock, the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened and my dead grandfather - the one I’m named after – would have danced the last Waltz with my grandmother on the banks of the Yarkon.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I use the Hebrew language to thank the All Mighty and to utter roadside profanities. The bothersome person that calls me “bro” is really my bro. The Bible is more than my history, it’s also my geography: King Saul looked for the she-asses on highway 443, Jonas the Prophet boarded the boat in Jaffa not far for Margaret Tayar’s restaurant and an oligarch must have bought the porch from which King David gazed upon Bathsheba.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

My eyes watered the first time I saw my son dawn the IDF uniforms, I haven't missed a single Independence Day ceremonial torch lighting for over 20 years. My TV may be Korean but I taught it to cheer for the national soccer team.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I believe we have the right to this land. The people who suffered persecution throughout history have the right for a country of their own plus a free F-16 from the manufacturer. I'm victimized by any act of Anti-Semitism from London to Bombay, but at the bottom of my heart I think that Jews who choose to live overseas have a fundamental misunderstanding of the world. The State of Israel wasn’t established to eradicate Antisemitism, but rather so we can tell the Anti-Semitics to Fuck-Off.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I’ve been shoot at in Lebanon, a katyusha rocket missed me by several meters at Kiryat-Shmona. Scuds landed near my home during the Gulf War, I’ve been to Sderot during a “Red Color” alarm, terrorists blow up near my parents' home, and my children sat in a bomb shelter before they could even pronounce their own names, clinging to their grandmother who fled death in Poland. And despite all that, I always feel lucky that I live here, nowhere else do I really feel good.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I think that every person who lives here should serve in the military, pay taxes, vote and know at least one song of Shalom Hanoch by heart. I think that State of Israel is not only a place, it’s also an idea, and I believe with all my heart in the three extra commandments, referenced at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC: “Thou shall not be a perpetrator; thou shall not be a victim; and thou shall never be a bystander”.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I laid on my back it the Vatican to admire the ceiling of Sistine Chapel, I bought a postcard of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and was deeply impressed from a miniature Jade Buddha in the king’s temple in the Bangkok palace. But I still believe that Tel-Aviv is more entertaining, the Red Sea is greener and the Kotel Tunnels inspire a deeper spiritual experience. I’m not objective, that’s true, but I’m not objective when it comes to my wife and children either.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I’m the man of the future who also lives his past. My dynasty includes Mosses, Jesus, the Rambam, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, Woody Allen, Bobby Fischer, Bob Dylan, Franz Kafka, Hertzel and Ben-Gurion. I belong to a persecuted minority that influence the world more then any other people. While others invested their vigor in blood and fire, we had the sense to invest it in intellect.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

Zionism is natural to me as being a father, a husband and a son. I find the people who claim that they and only they represent the “True Zionism” to be ridiculous. My Zionism is not measured by the size of my yarmulke (scullcap), the neighborhood I live in or the party I vote for. It was born long before I did, while my father stood in a snowy Budapest ghetto, vainly trying to understand why the entire world is trying to kill him.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

Every time an innocent victim dies, I bow my head because once I was an innocent victim myself. I have no intent, or desire, to stoop down to the moral codes of my enemies. I do not live by the sword; I just keep it tacked under my pillow.

 

I’m a Zionist.

 

I have more than a birth right, I also have an obligation to my successors. The people who established this country lived and worked in far worse conditions than me, yet they didn’t merely settle for survival. They tried to establish a better, smarter, more humane and moral country. They were willing to die for that goal, I'm trying to live up to it.

  

*A pun. This is a literal translation of the first sentence from the Proclamation of Independence of the State of Israel meaning “The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people.”

  

אני ציוני.

 

אני מאמין שבארץ ישראל קם העם היהודי אבל קצת באיחור. אם הוא היה מקשיב לשעון המעורר לא היתה שואה והסבא המת שלי - זה שאני קרוי על שמו - היה מספיק לרקוד עם סבתא ואלס אחרון על גדת הירקון.

 

אני ציוני.

 

עברית היא השפה בה אני מודה לבורא עולם וגם מקלל ברמזור. הנודניק שקורא לי "אחי" הוא באמת אחי. התנ"ך אינו מכיל רק את ההיסטוריה שלי, אלא גם את הגיאוגרפיה: שאול המלך חיפש את האתונות בכביש 443, יונה הנביא עלה על האנייה ביפו לא רחוק מהמסעדה של מרגרט תייר, את המרפסת ממנה דוד הציץ לבת שבע בטח קנה איזה אוליגרך.

 

אני ציוני.

 

בפעם הראשונה שראיתי את בני לבוש במדי צה"ל פרצתי בבכי, לא החמצתי משוּאה כבר עשרים שנה, והטלוויזיה שלי אמנם קוריאנית, אבל לימדתי אותה להיות בעד הנבחרת.

 

אני ציוני.

 

אני מאמין בזכותנו על הארץ הזו. לאנשים שנרדפו במשך כל ההיסטוריה על לא עוול בכפם, יש זכות למדינה משלהם פלוס אפ-16 מתנה מהיצרן. אני כואב כל גילוי של אנטישמיות מלונדון עד מומבאיי, אבל בסתר ליבי חושב שיהודים שבוחרים לגור בחו"ל לא מבינים משהו בסיסי מאוד על העולם. מדינת ישראל לא הוקמה כדי שהאנטישמים ייעלמו, אלא כדי שנוכל להגיד להם שיקפצו לנו.

 

אני ציוני.

 

ירו עלי בלבנון, קטיושה החמיצה אותי בכמה מטרים בקרית-שמונה, טילים נחתו ליד ביתי במלחמת המפרץ, הייתי בשדרות כשנשמעה אזעקת "צבע אדום", מחבלים התפוצצו לא רחוק מבית הורי, הילדים שלי ישבו במקלט כשעוד לא ידעו לבטא את שמם, צמודים לסבתא שהגיעה הנה מפולין כדי להימלט מן המוות. ובכל זאת, תמיד הרגשתי בר מזל על שאני חי פה, ובשום מקום אחר לא באמת טוב לי.

 

אני ציוני.

 

אני חושב שכל אדם שגר כאן צריך לשרת בצבא, לשלם מיסים, להצביע בבחירות ולהכיר את המילים של שיר אחד לפחות של שלום חנוך. אני חושב שמדינת ישראל אינה רק מקום, אלא גם רעיון, ואני מאמין בכל ליבי בשלוש הדיברות הנוספות, החרותות על קיר מוזיאון השואה בוושינגטון: "לא תשתף פעולה עם הרוע, לא תעמוד מן הצד, לא תהיה קורבן".

 

אני ציוני.

 

שכבתי כבר על גבי בוותיקן כדי להתפעם מן הקפלה הסיסטינית, קניתי גלויה בקתדראלת נוטר-דאם בפאריז והתרשמתי עמוקות מבודהה האזמרגד הננסי במקדש וואט בבנגקוק. אבל אני עדיין מאמין שתל אביב משעשעת יותר, ים סוף ירוק יותר, ומנהרות הכותל מעניקות חוויה רוחנית חזקה בהרבה. נכון שאני לא אובייקטיבי, אבל אני לא אובייקטיבי גם לגבי אשתי וילדי.

 

אני ציוני.

 

אני איש המחר החי גם את עברו. בשושלת שלי נמצאים משה רבנו, ישו, הרמב"ם, זיגמונד פרויד, קרל מרקס, אלברט איינשטיין, וודי אלן, בובי פישר, בוב דילן, פרנץ קפקא, הרצל ובן גוריון. אני חלק ממיעוט קטנטן ונרדף, שהשפיע על העולם יותר מכל עם אחר. בזמן שהאחרים השקיעו את מרצם בדם ואש, לנו היה שכל להשקיע בשכל.

 

אני ציוני.

 

לעתים אני מסתכל סביבי ומתמלא בגאווה. מפני שאני חי טוב יותר ממיליארד הודים, מ-1.3 מיליארד סינים, מכל יבשת אפריקה גם יחד, מ-250 מיליון אינדונזים, מהתאילנדים, הפיליפינים, הרוסים, האוקראינים ומכל העולם המוסלמי חוץ מהסולטן מברוניי. אני חי במדינה במצור שאין לה שום משאבים טבעיים, ובכל זאת הרמזורים תמיד פועלים, המחשבים מחוברים לאינטרנט בפס רחב, ואם אשכחך ירושלים תשכח ימיני אבל תשכחו מלמצוא שם חניה.

 

אני ציוני.

 

הציונות טבעית לי כמו שטבעי לי להיות אב, ובעל, ובן. אנשים הטוענים שהם-ורק-הם מייצגים את "הציונות האמיתית" מגוחכים בעיני. הציונות שלי לא נמדדת בגודל הכיפה, בשכונה בה אני גר, או במפלגה עבורה אצביע. היא נולדה הרבה לפני, ברחוב מושלג בגטו בודפשט בו עמד אבי וניסה, לשווא, להבין למה העולם כולו מנסה להרוג אותו.

 

אני ציוני.

 

בכל פעם שמת קורבן חף-מפשע, אני מרכין את ראשי מפני שפעם הייתי קורבן חף-מפשע. אין לי שום רצון, או כוונה, לקבל עלי את הסטנדרטים המוסריים של אויבי. אני לא רוצה להיות דומה להם. איני חי על חרבי, רק מחזיק אותה מתחת לכרית.

 

אני ציוני.

 

אין לי רק זכות אבות, אלא גם את חובת הבנים. האנשים שהקימו את המדינה הזו חיו ופעלו בתנאים גרועים בהרבה ממני, ובכל זאת לא הסתפקו בהישרדות. הם ניסו גם להקים ארץ טובה יותר, חכמה, אנושית ומוסרית יותר. הם היו מוכנים למות למען המטרה הזו, אני משתדל לחיות למענה.

 

Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago

graveyards.com/IL/Cook/rosehill/

5800 N. Ravenswood

Chicago, IL

   

An article by Stephen Walker, Jewelry Designer

    

Celtic Cross History and Symbolism

 

By Stephen Walker, copyright 1996. All rights reserved.

 

What is the symbolism of the Celtic Cross? is a question I am often asked. As a craftsman and jewelry designer in the Celtic tradition I bring some very ancient symbols to a contemporary audience. The answer is not as straight foreword as one might hope. The history of this powerful symbol is ambiguous. There are many variations of interpretations and legends about the original meaning that are commonly repeated even today. The Presbyterian and Catholic are often startled to learn that the other considers this symbol their own. In our modern multicultural world the ringed cross is as much a symbol of ethnic heritage as it is of faith and it is often used as an emblem of ones Irish, Scottish or Welsh identity.

 

If you spend much time rooting around in the history of the Celtic lands you are sure to have many explanations and historical anecdotes offered to you in forms ranging from casual explanations from individuals to historical markers, tour guide banter, grandmother’s family lore and souvenir shop hang tags. This variety of sources of information is available on many topics of history, customs, superstition and when the subject is Celtic Art I have found that the popular and casual sources of information are very generous. Conversely the academic and scholarly sources of information are very cautious to the point of being truly a disappointment if your seek confirmation of the meaning of mysterious ancient symbols.

 

The Irish Catholic priest will have no hesitation telling you that the circle of the Celtic Cross is a symbol of eternity that emphasizes the endlessness of God’s love as shown through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. That is unless he says the circle is a halo. He may go on to explain that the crucifixion is important not just as an event at a certain point in time but, as the circle symbolizes, as the unending mystery of how through the crucifixion and resurrection Christ continues to offer the hope of salvation to the faithful throughout all time.

 

At the pub when the subject comes up you might just as likely hear the explanation that the great stone Celtic Crosses were carved from the standing stones of the Druids and were originally phallic symbols, just carved into crosses to disguise their original purpose. No proof of this theory is offered and the in-your-face delivery of this information will probably intimidate you from asking for any. The barroom iconographer will swear on the graves of all his ancestors that it is true. With the rise of interest in the occult and pagan ideas in recent years you are likely to read New Age interpretations about how the cross in the circle is a symbol of the Sun that was worshipped by the Druids and that this symbol was appropriated by the Christians. Look for these sorts of explanations on the cards that accompany jewelry and head shop bric-a-brac. Born Again Pagans are enthusiastic about Celtic designs and are successfully appropriating Christian symbols back to their supposed primal meaning. Just how much of this is fantasy and how much is based in historical fact is difficult to sort out since the academic keepers of the facts are so reluctant to discuss symbolic meaning.

 

There is a legend of how St. Patrick when preaching to some soon-to-be converted heathens was shown a sacred standing stone that was marked with a circle that was symbolic of the moon goddess. Patrick made the mark of a Latin cross through the circle and blessed the stone making the first Celtic Cross. This legend implies that the Saint was willing to make ideas and practices that were formerly Druid into Christian ideas and practices. This is consistent with the belief that he converted and ordained many Druids to lives as Christian priests.

 

These and many other stories and beliefs are the sort of folk lore history that cannot be substantiated by the academic convention of looking back into the written record for early citations or for iconographic precedence that contains enough supporting evidence of what the artist is really trying to say. What we have from the modern scholars and archeologists about Celtic art from early times are careful descriptions and comparisons. The questions the scholars attempt to answer are about dates and the migration of ideas. Which came first? Who was exposed to which prototypes? Figurative panels are often easier to interpret such as the scene of a Samson striking a Philistine with the jaw of an ass as depicted on the back of the Inchbraoch Stone. The knotwork, spirals and key patterns on the carved cross side of this 7th or 8th century Pictish monument are usually treated by scholars as a subject that can be described and classified but is rarely interpreted. When the meaning of the decorative elements are attempted the academic scholar tends to be very cautious and will often cite obscure references in ways that make their text difficult to understand.

 

George Bain, in 1951 in the preface his excellent book Celtic Art; the Methods of Construction wrote the following about meaning:

 

"After consultation with an eminent prehistorical Archaeologist, his advice to publish the meanings that the evidences suggest was accepted, with the qualification that if others could bring evidences to prove other meanings, agreement to such would benefit truth. In such a way, the art which was communicative and ornamental might regain its original communicative purpose."

 

That statement sounds sensible enough but it is neither followed nor preceded by more than the vaguest of hints of what the original communicative purpose might have been. Frustratingly this is just about all Bain has to say that even suggests that his subject even has any meaning. Bain’s book is a text book on how to construct Celtic Art. By following his instructions the student of Celtic Art learns a lot. By learning the creative process of construction one comes to feel a sense on knowing on a intuitive level what this is all about. In this way Bain succeeds brilliantly in communicating his message. What he writes is rather typical of the scholar who is concerned about being right in a way that can be defended with the proof of facts. If the reader expects a code book to interpret ancient symbols, Bain does not offer any convenient, quotable explanations.

 

It seems that most people who know about Celtic Art as part of their personal heritage have the sort of knowledge that the academic cannot cite as fact since the source is mainly oral tradition. This does not prevent common knowledge from being strongly, even passionately believed nor does it mean that it is not true. Where the scholar fears to venture writers who are more interested in satisfying fantasy views of history and mysticism have fewer qualms. The popularity of Celtic images and symbols has produced plenty of blurb cards that give the buyer of gift ware designs the sort of meaning they want to hear. The scholarship and authenticity of these statements ranges from very responsible to outright quackery. Right or wrong all this information adds to the modern folk lore of what Celtic Art means.

  

The Cross did not become a common symbol of Christianity until the 4th century. Images of the cross were in fact quite rare before the Golden Legend became popular and the "discovery" of the "True Cross" promoted fragments of the "True Cross" as powerful relics.

 

There are in Britain stone monuments that may be the ancestor of the Celtic Cross. The Chi-Rho symbol, the monogram of Christ was a commonly used symbol of Christianity in the 4th century Roman Empire. The Emperor Constantine who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire used as his emblem the Chi-Rho in a laurel wreath. Thus combined were a pagan Imperial symbol of Rome with a symbol of the new faith. The diagonal cross members of the Chi were eventually conventionalized to a single horizontal cross member that made its cross with the vertical stem of the Rho and the wreath was conventionalized into a simple circle. There are examples of this where the loop of the Rho is also conventionalized into a shepherd’s crook. One can easily see how the curved crook of the staff could disappear to leave just a cross in a circle as is common in many Welsh crosses of the early Celtic Christian period which followed the Roman withdrawal from Britain.

 

Constantine used the Chi-Rho as a military insignia and victory symbol as well. The cross symbolizes Christ's victory. Military use of the cross as a favorite element of heraldry descends from the shields and standards of the Roman Empire.

 

The early circled cross stone monument as it survives in Ireland and Scotland exists in two forms, the incised slab and the free standing cross. The slab form has a cross carved in relief where the free standing cross has the stone cut away so that the shape of the ringed cross is carved in the round. In both types there are examples that range from crude and primitive to the very ornately decorated. In many cases the most highly decorated have carving on all the surfaces, even the edges of the ring and ends of the arms.

 

The carvings fall into several categories, with several or all of these present on any example. Human figures representing Biblical stories or the crucifixion offer the most obvious meaning. Endless knotwork, spirals, meanders and "key patterns" and zoomorphic animal patterns make up the majority of early cross carving subjects. These are the same elements that are used in much the same way in metalwork and in Gospel illumination. The term insular is used to describe this style. There are many regional variations. The Iona group crosses are distinctive in their shape. Many of the Irish High crosses of the 10th century are capped with a pitched roof or "house cap" that are similar to reliquaries made to resemble a Celtic oratory.

 

The stone monuments can be attributed to specific places since they rarely were moved more than short distances. Metalwork and books were portable and their places of creation are therefore more difficult to know. The surviving manuscripts were carefully cared for over the centuries. Stones from this period are usually very weathered and the best preserved examples were often buried or sheltered for many of the years since their creation and thus were spared some of the damage an wear of the centuries. The metalwork that survives from those time was likewise buried and discovered in modern times. What may have been carved in wood, ivory or embroidered has been lost to us. Surviving work from earlier than the 10th century in those materials are extremely rare. St. Adomnán writing in the 7th century reports that there were several hundred wooden crosses on Iona, but none survive today. Materials and available craft skills influence design. Often design innovations that take advantage of one material’s nature are then transferred to another material. The hemispherical bosses carved on the more elaborate stone crosses were stylistically imitating the metalwork of the time. The semicircular arm pits that narrow at the center of many crosses are a graceful design innovation that may have evolved from notches carved in simpler wooden crosses that were lashed together at the center. These notches would be an impractical weak point in a free standing stone were it not for the structural support of the ring.

The term insular is used to take into account the possibility that an object found in Scotland may well have been made in Ireland. There was no political, religious or ethnic unity in the several centuries known as the Dark Ages, after the Romans withdrew from Britain. The artistic styles that emerged were the combined heritages and innovations of several cultures. The Angles and Saxons contributed the animal motifs to this mix and adopted many of the Celtic elements most notably in Northumbria where the Lindisfarne Gospels were most likely produced in the 9th century. Thus the style is also often called Hiberno-Saxon. The period from the 7th to the 9th century when this style reached its greatest development was a time when the Celtic Church was at its greatest influence. These styles were exported with missionaries to Northern Europe. The term insular is also a diplomatic term as it avoids the ethnic associations that are likely to offend national pride. The heritage of these motifs is part of the self image of the modern Scots, Irish and Welsh. Labeling a style as Celtic, Pictish, Irish or Hiberno-Saxon places credit for these styles and motifs where another group may feel their claim slighted. An English scholar arguing that Northumbrian prototypes influenced the Pictish or Iona schools of design risks claims that he is yet another Sassunsach that is unwilling to give the Celtic people full credit for their accomplishments. On the other hand the Celtic nationalists are going to want to see their people as the true geniuses. In it's day the insular style was an international style.

  

The monumental stone crosses by the nature of their size and material still stand in many cases where they were placed 12 centuries ago. These often served as prototypes for newer monuments down through the ages into modern times. Styles and decorative motifs changed with time. During the middle ages foliage designs, often referred to now as Tree of Life designs became increasingly common. In old Irish or Scottish church yards most of the stone crosses are relatively modern. Some of the stone crosses even back to some of the earliest ones have inscriptions that dedicate them to the memory of certain individuals. While many of these were not specifically grave markers, some quite likely were and in this way the purpose of the monumental stone Celtic Cross has remained constant since the beginning.

 

What these crosses mean to us today and what they meant when Christianity was new to Celtic Britain and Ireland are in some ways the same and in some ways different. The cross either vertical or diagonal with equal length arms is a universal mark. It is so primal that it exists in all cultures as does the circle. There are no human cultures that have no art or symbols and there are no systems of symbols that do not include circles and crosses. These marks are opposites. The circle contains and is unending while the cross both reaches out and marks a specific, finite point at the center. Contemplation of this yields many possibilities and in this way temps the designer or the viewer to find personal meanings besides the traditional ones. A plain circle is often a symbol for the moon and a circle with a cross within or the arms of a cross without are universal symbols for the sun. The swastika is a related sun symbol. The Druids did indeed worship the sun and moon. These were important symbols to them. The cross by itself relates to other ideas. The four directions or the four corners of the Earth, the vertical and the horizontal coming together imply the joining of forces such as Heaven and Earth. Just as since the swastika became associated with the Nazis and became a symbol for anti-Semitism and hate the strength of that association supersedes its older meaning. The cross likewise when it became the predominate symbol of Christianity is no longer thought of by most people as a symbol for anything else. The older meanings do not entirely vanish. They are waiting to be rediscovered.

 

It is my opinion that the story of St. Patrick making the cross over the circular pagan symbol is in itself symbolic of the way things really happened. Celtic Christianity used symbols and ideas that were familiar to the Druids to bring them to Christ. The Celtic monks of the early Church practiced a simple life, close to nature that found joy in the love of God’s creation. This was what the Druids already sought in their worship of nature so the missionaries were able to build on what they already had in common with the Druids to convert them to Christianity.

 

That the cross within a circle also evolved from the Chi-Rho coincides with the emergence of the cross as a symbol throughout Christendom at a time when the Gospel was being delivered to a sun worshipping culture presents just the kind of multiple choice mystery that is characteristic of Celtic history. Which of these three possibilities are true? They all are.

 

The Celtic Cross is visually a very appealing shape. Unlike the crucifixes of Southern Europe that display Christ’s suffering the Celtic Cross, be it plain or highly ornamental is made to be visually beautiful. When human figures appear on the cross they are usually quite simple in contrast to highly complex and sophisticated ornamental patterns that complete the design. When the body of Christ is depicted in crucifixion it is usually robed in colobium along the Byzantine model and the overall effect is less about pain than it is about beauty. The Roman model of the corpus semi-naked in only a loin cloth occurs also but less frequently on early crosses and even then it is usually part of a larger ornamental program. On several crosses, notably the Cross of Muiredach at Monasterboice and the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmanois, both in Ireland Christ is enthroned in Glory at the center of the cross.

 

If the Celtic Cross borrowed a pagan sun symbol, just as the Chi-Rho borrowed the pagan imperial laurel wreath, applying these to a Christian symbol were expressions of honor and reverence that should be seen in the context of the cultures that brought them forth. There are Christians who unfortunately see these vestiges of paganism as unholy. They ought to be regarded as the reverent tributes they were as these great cultures accepted the Gospels. The Celtic Crosses made at Iona and elsewhere from the 6th century onwards were made by Christians for the Glory of God. Like much of what they did and believed, their pagan heritage influenced their art. The early Christians certainly were erecting neither phallic symbols nor pagan monuments in their own minds when they carved these splendid creations.

 

The circle on the ringed crosses have been explained as a symbol of eternity as long as anyone can remember. It has meant that as long as the ringed cross has had meaning as a Celtic Christian symbol. But this is only the most common of several meanings.

 

(c) copyright Stephen Walker April 17, 1996 All rights reserved

 

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I consider this hybrid one of the perfect Achimenes.It's a 'First Class' Achimenes in my breeding evaluation.

Compact, self branching,very flowerer.

The blooms are 100% double Ivory.

and the petals are embossed .

A breathtaking one!!

I consider that place as much my home as I do this place in which I sit right now. When I did my family history, as far back as I could go, everyone was pretty much from "Citanò" or from within a short distance from it. I think I've said this before somewhere on my photo stream, but in one cemetery, I can find several generations of family from both sides.

 

These little marble pebbles are smooth to the touch, and the beach at the south end of town is covered in them. I actually prefer this beach to the sandy one farther up. Let's just say, it's easier to get a pebble out of your bathing suit (which, regrettably, must be worn here) than it is a thousand grains of sand.

 

Remember this one? "Sitting on a pebble by the river playing guitar..."

Julian Lennon "Valotte" www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4YHXnft1w

Consider other avenues and venture off the pavement. - David Solomons

Following complaints about my last cow shot.... Here's another :)

Inchworms, despite the name, are truthfully not worms at all. They are really caterpillars, which are moth larvae. When trying to identify a specific inchworm you need to consider worldwide the Geometridae moth species that some counts put as high as 35,000.

 

This image is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC).

 

best viewed LARGE:

www.flickr.com/photos/rundstedt/5022644594/sizes/l/

Historicamente, a Pateira deve ser considerada como um antigo braço marinho onde desaguavam, independentemente uns dos outros, os rios Cértima, Águeda e Vouga, antes da constituição da Ria de Aveiro. Aquele braço que os aluviões dos três rios fecharam originou um só curso de água - o rio Vouga - passando a foz a situar-se muito mais a noroeste, como actualmente (Almeida, 2006).

 

Pinho et al. (1988) cit Gomes Andrade escreve, em relação à Pateira, que o vale do Certoma, naquele ponte era dantes terreno firme, coberto de espessos arvoredos, por entre os quais o rio mansamente deslizava.

 

Também Morais em Sousa Batista (1945) cita um excerto de uma carta do almoxarife de Aveiro a D. Manuel em que fala da Mata de Perrães (eventualmente compreendida entre Perrães e a frente da freguesia de Fermentelos) dizendo que esta sempre fora coutada para nela se colherem porcos (provavelmente javalis) e veados, referindo ainda que era apaúlada.

 

Aliás, segundo Pinho et al, 1988, parece admissível supor que se trataria de uma zona bastante rica do ponto de vista faunístico e florístico, muito embora as referências à flora e fauna sejam escassas.

 

A Pateira ter-se-ia começado a formar em finais do século XV, provavelmente ainda na Idade Média, devido às sucessivas inundações dos rios Certoma e Águeda, e alagamento dos campos ribeirinhos.

 

Presentemente, a Pateira corresponde ao assoreamento e espraiamento do rio Cértima, perto do local onde desagua no rio Águeda.

 

A maior lagoa natural da Península Ibérica ocupa actualmente uma área de superfície e profundidade variáveis, de acordo com a estação do ano, que, no seu expoente máximo, atinge mais de 5 Km2. Estes, estendem-se, maioritariamente, pelo concelho de Águeda, abrangendo também o concelho de Aveiro e Oliveira do Bairro.

 

O termo “Pateira” encerra a especificidade da região do Vouga e afluentes designando, por si só, abundância de patos.

 

Em termos hidrográficos, a lagoa está compreendida na bacia hidrográfica do rio Cértima a qual, por sua vez, se insere na bacia hidrográfica do rio Águeda e esta, na bacia do rio Vouga.

 

A lagoa é alimentada pelo rio Cértima (a montante), pela ribeira do Pano (a poente), pontualmente por outras escorrências, e por água subterrânea (sistema aquífero Cretácico de Aveiro), sendo o rio Cértima o principal curso a condicionar a hidrologia.

 

No que diz respeito ao relevo, a zona envolvente da Pateira apresenta um relevo suave, a oeste, registando-se uma zona com altitude superior a 50 metros em Fermentelos (concelho de Águeda).

 

A este, na zona de Espinhel, ocorre uma elevação que atinge os 78 metros, revelando declives com relativo significado dadas as características da área envolvente. A noroeste, sensivelmente entre a Oliveirinha e Requeixo (concelho de Aveiro) destaca-se uma faixa com altitude entre os 50 e os 70 metros, com declive suave em direcção à Pateira.

 

A sudoeste, as áreas de cultivo, na margem esquerda do rio Cértima e de Perrães ladeiam a Pateira com relevos suaves de cotas mínimas.

  

Estatatuto de Protecção

 

A Pateira de Fermentelos apresenta características de um sistema semi-lêntico que integra a Zona de Protecção Especial da Ria de Aveiro (PTZPE0004) e, como tal, incluída na Rede Natura 2000.

   

Protegida pela Directiva Aves, está ainda classificada como “Zona Sensível” de acordo com o Decreto-lei n.º 152/97, de 19 de Julho, Anexo II, tratando-se de uma importante e extensa zona húmida (cit. ICN, 2006).

   

Por definição as Zonas Húmidas (ZH) são áreas de sapal, paul, turfeiras ou águas, naturais ou artificiais, permanentes ou temporárias, estáticas ou correntes, doces , salobras ou salgadas, incluindo extensões de água do mar, cuja profundidade na maré baixa não exceda os 6 metros e zonas costeiras e ribeirinhas (Convenção Ramsar).

   

Estas ZH, onde se inclui a Pateira, desempenham importantes funções nos ecossistemas como a regularização hídrica e climática, a purificação da água, contrariam o efeito de estufa, protegem a costa, alimentam reservatórios naturais subterrâneos, suportando uma elevada biodiversidade, entre outras.

   

As zonas húmidas são, aliás, áreas de grande produtividade primária da Terra (a par com as florestas tropicais), suportando assim uma fauna e flora riquíssimas.

   

Biodiversidade Faunística

No que diz respeito à diversidade faunística, a Pateira e zonas envolventes destacam-se, particularmente, pela importante componente ornitológica. Nestas áreas ocorrem espécies com estatutos de protecção a nível nacional e internacional — classificadas pela Directiva Aves (Directiva 79/409/CEE), Convenção de Bona, Convenção de Berna.

 

Surgem espécies de importância comunitária, como:

 

O Garçote (Ixobrychus minutus) frequenta normalmente zonas com abundante vegetação palustre, sendo difícil a sua observação. Não necessita de grandes áreas para nidificar, sendo uma espécie essencialmente solitária durante a reprodução. Os ninhos são construídos no meio do caniçal, acima da água. Alimenta-se essencialmente de insectos e por vezes de pequenos peixes, anfíbios, moluscos, crustáceos, ovos e crias de outras aves, entre outros.

 

A Garça-vermelha (Ardea purpurea) prefere zonas húmidas com áreas de vegetação densa de caniçais, procurando águas ricas em nutrientes (eutróficas), pouco profundas, paradas ou com pouca corrente. Os ninhos são construídos junto ou sobre a água, geralmente em caniçais inundados, não voltando a ocupar ninhos de anos anteriores. Alimenta-se principalmente de peixes e insectos (larvas e adultos). Segundo observações realizadas ao longo dos últimos anos, a população de Garça-vermelha tem aumentado na Pateira.

 

A Águia-sapeira (Circus aeruginosus) também designada como Tartaranhão-ruivo-dos-pauis, nidifica em zonas húmidas onde ocorra uma vegetação aquática emergente abundante, preferencialmente manchas de caniçal, onde são construídos os ninhos. Nestas áreas procura ainda alimento, bem como em águas pouco profundas e com vegetação aquática, caçando frequentemente em campos agrícolas nas imediações. Alimenta-se de animais de pequeno e médio porte, nomeadamente aves, mamíferos (roedores), e, em menor proporção, insectos, sapos, cobras e peixes.

 

O Milhafre-preto (Milvus migrans) frequenta um número diversificado de habitats embora apareça, principalmente, associado a massas de água. Nidifica nos pinhais e matas ripícolas associadas à lagoa, construindo o ninho nas árvores. Procura alimento em áreas abertas ou semi-abertas, alimentando-se de presas de pequeno porte, como roedores, lagomorfos, aves terrestres e ouriços-cacheiros, especialmente indivíduos jovens, doentes ou feridos mas também répteis, peixes, anfíbios e insectos.

 

Ocorrem ainda espécies como o Perna-longa (Himantopus himantopus), o Guarda-rios (Alcedo athis), a Petinha-dos-campos (Anthus campestris), a Garça-branca-pequena (Egretta garzetta), entre outras, incluídas no Anexo I da Directiva 79/409/CEE.

 

Estas e outras espécies, ocorrem na ZPE da Ria de Aveiro, fazendo a Pateira, assim, parte do sistema que “suporta, regularmente, mais de 1% da população biogeográfica de Alfaiate (Recurvirostra avosetta), de Negrola (Melanitta nigra), de Borrelho-grande-de-coleira (Charadrius hiaticula) e de Borrelho-de-coleira-interrompida (Charadrius alexandrinus)” (ICN, 2006).

 

Refere-se ainda a ocorrência de vários passeriformes migradores de matos e bosques, assim como passeriformes de caniçais e galerias ripícolas. A diversidade de biótopos é propícia à reprodução, refúgio e alimento de aves invernantes, nidificantes e migradoras, sendo a Pateira cada vez mais procurada pelos observadores de aves - Birdwatching - e amantes da natureza para a realização de actividades.

 

As condições biofísicas propiciam também a diversidade de peixes que se encontra na Pateira. Inserida na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Vouga, ocorrem, ou têm potencial para ocorrer, espécies como o Barbo-do-Norte (Barbus bocagei), a Boga (Chondrostoma polylepis), a Boga–portuguesa (Chondrostoma lusitanicum), o Ruivaco (Rutilus macrolepidotus ), o Bordalo (Rutilus alburnoides ) - com estatuto de protecção comunitário (pelo Anexo II e/ou V da Directiva Habitats).

 

Ocorrem ainda espécies como a Tainha (Chelon labrosus), a Carpa (Cyprinius carpio), o Escalo-do-norte (Leucistus carolitertii), o Lúcio (Esox lucius), a Enguia (Anguilla anguilla), a Pardelha (Cobitis calderoni), o Achigã (Micropterus salmoides ), etc.

 

Tratam-se de animais sobretudo nocturnos e que, alimentando-se de larvas de insectos, crustáceos e peixes mortos, podem atingir cerca de 1 metro.

 

A fauna piscícola encontra na Pateira e sistema hídrico adjacente as condições ecológicas que permitem a vitalidade e subsistência das diversas comunidades, condições que permitem o refúgio e a desova em tempo de reprodução. Surgem então na lagoa áreas que são identificadas, pelas gentes locais, como “verdadeiras maternidades” de peixe.

 

Entre as várias espécies de bivalves que se observam na Bacia Hidrográfica do Vouga, ocorre na lagoa um, cujas dimensões o transformam numa espécie emblemática - a Anodonta.

 

Este molusco bivalve de água doce, comummente designado como Mexilhão-do-rio, passa despercebido à maioria da população, devido aos seus hábitos ecológicos discretos, que privilegiam o substrato lodoso, onde se enterram.

 

É muito importante para o ecossistema, uma vez que se alimenta através da filtração de um grande volume de água (de que retira detritos e plâncton), sendo apontada como um indicador da qualidade da água. A degradação das condições ambientais afecta negativamente a população destes bivalves.

 

Associada aos habitats de zonas húmidas está também uma elevada diversidade de répteis e anfíbios, característicos destes sistemas e que se localizam sobretudo no interface terra-água e cuja ocorrência potencial se lista de seguida.

 

Ainda neste interface, bem como nas zonas mais secas adjacentes à lagoa, ocorrem diversas espécies de mamíferos. Destas, destaca-se a Lontra (Lutra lutra), emblemática pelos afectos (e desafectos) que provoca na população, mas também por se tratar de uma espécie protegida pelos anexos II e IV do Decreto-lei nº 49/2005 de 24 de Fevereiro.

 

A Lontra (Lutra lutra) procura de forma selectiva os locais de descanso e abrigo, sendo possível encontrar os seus refúgios nas margens mais tranquilas da lagoa e onde abunda vegetação. Esta espécie solitária alimenta-se sobretudo de fauna piscícola, embora possa alimentar-se também de anfíbios e crustáceos (como o lagostim-do-Louisiana). Pode reproduzir-se durante todo o ano, dependendo da disponibilidade de recursos alimentares, nascendo as crias (uma a quatro) ao fim de 61—63 dias em tocas dissimuladas na vegetação.

 

Surgem ainda espécies como o Ouriço-cacheiro (Erinaceus europaeus), a Raposa (Vulpes vulpes), o Coelho-bravo (Oryctolagus cuniculus), o Javali (Sus scrofa), vários roedores, entre outras, que encontram protecção no Direito Comunitário, e Nacional.

 

Assim, a diversidade de biótopos existentes na região (juncais, caniçais, arrozais, margens com vegetação ripícola, etc.) transforma esta região num complexo ecossistema e, por conseguinte, num importante refúgio para a vida animal..

 

Biodiversidade Florística

Na zona húmida, que engloba as águas livres e a vegetação alagada das margens e linhas, dominam habitats com povoamentos de Caniço (Phragmites communis), juntamente com a Tabúa (Typha sp.) e o Bunho (Scirpus lacustris). Ocorrem ainda comunidades (ou mosaicos de comunidades) de plantas vasculares com macrófitas flutuantes, enraizadas ou suspensas entre o fundo e a superfície: a Erva-pinheirinha (Myriophyllum sp.), os Nenúfares (Nymphaea sp., Nuphar luteo ) ou mesmo o Jacinto-de-água (Eichhornia crassipes).

 

Em algumas zonas marginais ao longo da Pateira, verifica-se a ocorrência de diversas espécies arbóreas e arbustivas como:

 

Salgueiros (Salix alba, Salix sp.), Choupos (Populus canescens, Populus nigra, Populus sp.), Amieiros (Alnus glutinosa), Amieiro-negro (Frangula alnus), Freixos (Fraxinus angustifolia), Pilriteiros (Crataegus monogyna), Sabugueiros (Sambucus nigra), Borrazeiras (Salix atrocinerea ), pontualmente Carvalhos (Quercus robur), Loureiros (Laurus nobilis ), Ulmeiros (Ulmus sp.) ...

 

Entre as espécies alóctones encontra-se o Eucalyptus globulus (predominante no coberto florestal das áreas adjacentes à lagoa), e outras árvores dos géneros Acacia e Hakea , estas com comportamento infestante e que se encontram disseminadas pelas imediações da lagoa.

 

Do grupo das herbáceas e sub-arbustivas refere-se apenas a presença do Lírio-amarelo-dos-pântanos (Íris pseudacorus), do Agrião (Nasturtium officinale), do Embude (Oenanthe crocata), da Erva-pessegueira (Polygonum persicaria), Hortelã-de-água (Mentha aquatica), entre tantas outras. Ocorrem espécies com estatuto de protecção como a Gilbardeira (Ruscus aculeatus ) pelo anexo V, e a Marsilea quadrifolia.

 

Peculiar, e pouco divulgado, é o facto de, em áreas adjacentes à lagoa, ocorrerem ainda espécies de plantas carnívoras como a Pinguicula lusitanica; potencialmente poderão ocorrer ainda outras espécies, embora sejam cada vez mais difíceis de encontrar.

 

Esta carnívora ocorre sobretudo em sítios húmidos, por vezes turfosos das margens da lagoa (e rios), florescendo entre Março e Maio. É nas folhas que é libertado o muco adesivo que aprisiona os insectos, que se aproximam atraídos pelo odor libertado. Assim que detectam a presa, as folhas começam a enrolar-se de forma a envolver a presa nas enzimas digestivas libertadas.

 

Um aspecto que se encontra ainda pouco desenvolvido diz respeito à diversidade micológica. Assim, a variedade de fungos que ocorre começa agora a ser inventariada e estudada de forma mais exaustiva, apresentando-se nas imagens laterais alguns exemplos.

 

Na breve resenha biológica apresentada, ainda que incompleta, fica patente a vasta diversidade biológica e potencial natural (e conservacionista) da Pateira, como é referido para as demais Zonas Húmidas. Não obstante, são alguns os problemas que afectam esta área, entre os quais a infestação com Jacinto-de-água.

 

Jacinto-de-água

O jacinto-de-água (Eichhornia crassipes) é uma espécie infestante originária da bacia do Amazonas (Brasil), encontrando-se actualmente disseminado nos cinco continentes. Alastra-se pelos sistemas aquáticos de climas tropicais e temperados, causando rapidamente a ruptura dos sistemas naturais infestados. É considerada por muitos autores como “uma das piores pragas de plantas aquáticas a nível global” (HOLM et al., 1977).

 

Como tal, a ocorrência e disseminação desta espécie exótica infestante na Pateira constitui um dos principais factores que contribui para a degradação das condições ecológicas, económicas e sociais desta zona húmida que urge recuperar e preservar.

 

A ceifeira-aquática

Dada a área em questão e a dimensão da infestação, as metodologias a adoptar e tecnologias de apoio foram seleccionadas de acordo com a avaliação do risco sobre a ZPE, do efeito ambiental das diferentes metodologias e a eficácia da remoção a curto, médio e longo prazo.

 

A gravidade do problema da infestação de sistemas aquáticos ao nível global levou ao desenvolvimento de tecnologia específica para a sua resolução e/ou controlo.

 

Assim sendo, recorreu-se à remoção mecânica, sendo a extracção feita com recurso a uma máquina – ceifeira-aquática – que começou a laborar na lagoa a 13 de Dezembro de 2006.

 

Com um tapete incorporado, e movido por um motor, extrai as massas de jacintos-de-água. Controlada por um operador, a ceifeira-aquática possui um sistema simples e eficaz: duas rodas de pás com um funcionamento hidráulico independente que garantem a grande manobrabilidade do equipamento.

 

Em apenas dois meses e meio, foi possível melhorar as condições ecológicas e hidrológicas do sistema aquático, recuperar o espelho de água, melhorar a capacidade para suportar actividades lúdicas e de lazer na área, bem como melhorar as condições para a prática das actividades tradicionais no espelho da lagoa.

 

Requalificação Ambiental e Paisagística da Pateira

A remoção do jacinto-de-água da lagoa foi apenas a 1ª fase de um vasto e complexo processo, que engloba várias outras medidas e acções que visam o desenvolvimento sustentável, a conservação e protecção da Natureza e, consequentemente, a Requalificação Ambiental e Paisagística da maior lagoa natural da Península Ibérica, a Pateira de Fermentelos.

 

Após o levantamento topo-hidrográfico realizado, concluiu-se que o leito da lagoa se encontra fortemente assoreado, em particular na zona mais a jusante da Pateira.

 

Desta forma, ficou patente a necessidade de, a curto prazo, se proceder à normalização do leito natural da Pateira, pela remoção (dragagem) do excesso de sedimentos entretanto acumulados, bem como à reconstrução do pequeno açude localizado na confluência da Pateira e rio Águeda.

 

Numa área classificada como a Pateira, englobada numa importante bacia hidrográfica (bacia hidrográfica do Rio Vouga), com valores paisagísticos e a nível da conservação da natureza, que se traduzem na elevada diversidade biológica, alguma com estatuto de protecção a nível nacional e internacional, é importante dotar o espaço com infra-estruturas adequadas que permitam a conservação, mas também a observação e a interpretação da natureza.

 

Neste âmbito, são desenvolvidas várias acções de educação ambiental, como a organização de palestras e acções de sensibilização ambiental, observação de aves, realização de percursos interpretativos, workshops para a construção de ninhos, entre outras actividades promovidas pela Autarquia ou por outras entidades como a SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves), a UA (Universidade de Aveiro), a QUERCUS (Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza).

 

A definição de percursos com temas e finalidades várias (educação ambiental, prática de desporto, observação de aves, etc.) está a ser estudada numa perspectiva intermunicipal.

 

A Pateira é, desta forma, vista como um todo, onde o objectivo é conduzir o visitante pelo espaço natural dando-lhe a conhecer os valores naturais da área (com descritores de paisagem, de espécies), bem como dotar estes percursos do mobiliário adequado (observatórios de aves, pontos de encontro e descanso, material de apoio à prática desportiva, etc) e que dê ao visitante o conforto, a segurança e o equilíbrio natural que procura neste local.

 

São várias as propostas de actividades que o visitante encontra ao seu dispor na lagoa ou nas áreas adjacentes e que o levam ao contacto quer com a natureza, quer com as dinâmicas culturais e tradições locais. Desde os momentos de descontracção que pode passar nos parques de lazer, a uma travessia nas tradicionais bateiras, a uma viagem nas bicicletas aquáticas, de um passeio a cavalo, de bicicleta ou a pé, a uma tarde de pesca, um dia desportivo, ou simplesmente um momento de pausa a vislumbrar a paisagem, só ou em família, são algumas das ideias já praticáveis na Pateira de Fermentelos.

 

Considerações finais

Numa época em que o ambiente se assume no contexto nacional e internacional como tema prioritário e se procura evitar a continuação da degradação dos recursos hídricos, surge a Directiva-Quadro da Água (DQA) – 2000/60/CE – transposta para a ordem jurídica nacional pela Lei nº 58/2005, de 29 de Dezembro. Esta vem estabelecer como objectivo a alcançar, até 2015, “o bom estado ecológico ou o bom potencial ecológico e químico de todas as massas de água”.

Como tal, “proteger e melhorar o estado dos ecossistemas aquáticos e também dos ecossistemas terrestres e zonas húmidas, directamente dependentes dos ecossistemas aquáticos”, constitui uma atribuição das entidades públicas e um dever dos particulares.

 

Não obstante, e tal como referido no início deste documento, além da dimensão ambiental, prevalece uma forte componente social, sendo incalculável a importância que a Pateira e ecossistemas associados representam para as populações limítrofes desta área.

 

Assim, torna-se premente assegurar a continuidade deste projecto, com o desenvolvimento e implementação das acções previstas para a requalificação ambiental e paisagística da Pateira. Pretende-se pois que a Pateira de Fermentelos volte a ser um ex libris natural da região, motivo de referência e orgulho nacional.

  

Texto retirado do livro

Pateira de Fermentelos: Paisagem a proteger

Célia Laranjeira (CMA) www.cm-agueda.pt/PageGen.aspx?WMCM_PaginaId=28901

Orden:Coraciiformes

Familia:Todidae

Género:Todus

Nombres comunes: Cartacuba, Barrancolí Cubano, Pedorrera

Nombre científico: Todus multicolor

Nombre Ingles: Cuban Tody

STATUS: ENDEMICA DE CUBA

Lugar de captura: Sierra de Najasa, Camaguey, Cuba

Por: Cimarron mayor Panta.

  

MI SEPTIMA ENDEMICA DE CUBA TENÍA QUE SER LA PERLA CUBANA, POR AQUELLO DE QUE EL No. 7 ES ELNUMERO DE LA SUERTE!!

 

LOS TÓDIDOS ENDÉMICOS DE LAS ANTILLAS ESTAN EN LA LISTA DE LAS 100 AVES QUE USTED DEBE VER ANTES DE MORIR!!

 

CADA ISLA TIENE SU PROPIO TÓDIDO ENDEMICO Y TODOS TIENEN DIFERENCIAS ENTRE ELLOS. LA HISPANIOLA FUE PRIVILEGIADA CON DOS TODIDOS ENDEMICOS DE LOS CINCO QUE EXISTEN EN EL CARIBE!!!

 

Cinco especies del genero Todus y todas confinadas al Caribe: Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico y dos en Republica Dominicana, no existiendo en ningun otro lugar del mundo.

Son realmente "perlas del Caribe" como lo definió Annabelle Stockton de Dod.

Se conocen cinco especies dentro del género Todus:

1-Todus multicolor - barrancolí cubano o cartacuba ( Cuba)

2-Todus subulatus - barrancolí de pico ancho (Rep. Dominicana)

3-Todus angustirostris - Chi-cui barrancolí de pico fino( Rep. Dominicana)

4-Todus todus - barrancolí jamaiquino ( Jamaica)

5-Todus Portoricensis - barrancolí puertorriqueño o sanpedrito de( Puerto Rico)

 

Su nombre de "Barrancolies" proviene de Barranca, es decir "Barranqueros" que son un grupo de 5 especies muy relacionadas a los "Momotos"del bosque Sudamericano y neotropicales, y mas lejanamente a otro barranquero que es el Martin pescador.

La familia esta confinada UNICAMENTE A LAS ANTILLAS MAYORES POR TANDO TIENEN UN DOBLE ENDEMISMO. ENDEMICOS DEL CARIBE Y ENDEMICOS DE CADA UNA DE LAS ISLAS QUE CONFORMAN LAS ANTILLAS MAYORES.Algunos fósiles indican que la familia anteriormente estaba expandida en parte en Norteamerica y Europa.

Los barranqueros se alimentan de manera oportunista y con un apetito voraz.Consumen un 40% de su peso en insectos al dia.

Estan considerados como los mejores padres del mundo y aunque se posan muy tranquilos en el bosque,son padres muy atentos y estan consideradas entre las aves insectivoras como uno de los mejores en alimentar a sus pichones. Hacen sus nidos en estrechas madrigueras en plena tierra en barrancas, que las aves excavan con sus picos y patas.

 

Es para mi un gran honor ( con el permiso de mi secretaria Perla) mostrar al Tódido endémico de Cuba.

 

En la primera foto como comentario hablaré de la especie mas específicamente!!

 

Un abrazo de cimarron mayor Panta.

  

ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA E RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA. Italy, looking to lift lockdown starting May 4, considers advice from scientists, economists and psychiatrists. THE WASHINGTON POST (23/04/2020). Foto: Children play football on the streets of Rome. Italy (04/2020).

 

ROME - Italy in the coming days is expected to map out the specifics of how it might emerge from the West's longest lockdown, and it is considering measures that would fundamentally alter how people commute, work, vacation and think about their privacy.

 

Though many countries across Europe are trying to gradually reopen for business, the path in Italy is particularly perilous. There is uncertainty, even now, about how widely the novel coronavirus has spread among the population. And while some nations averted the worst-case scenario, in Italy the virus arrived with the force of a historic crisis, leaving the country to contend not just with economic pain but also with a sharp sense of loss, mourning and fear.

 

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Italy’s emergence from lockdown — what he has called Phase II — is likely to begin May 4. Conte wrote in a Facebook post that although he wished he could just reopen “everything,” doing so would be irresponsible.

 

He called for a “serious, scientific program.”

 

The myriad task forces advising the government on Phase II include not just epidemiologists and health policy experts but also economists and psychiatrists.

 

“It’s not by chance that you use the same word, ‘depression,’ both economically and existentially,” said Fabrizio Starace, a psychiatrist on one task force. “We can expect an increase of conditions like anxiety, irritability, insomnia, relational problems. The fantasy everyone is entertaining is that of a return to normalcy. Clearly our gradual recovery won’t match normalcy.”

 

Experts advising the government, in interviews this week, described a society that will bear little resemblance to the one that existed before the outbreak, at least until there is a vaccine or reliable medical treatment.

 

“We need to rethink development, production, the speed of our lives, our lifestyles,” said Filomena Maggino, an adviser to Conte and a member of a Phase II task force.

 

Whereas Denmark, France and others in Europe are moving to reopen their schools first, advisers in Italy have recommended starting with businesses — only the ones least at risk. It remains unclear when schools or restaurants might reopen, or businesses that bring people close together, such as hairdressers and gyms.

 

Even a limited and tentative reopening of society will require dramatic changes, the advisers say. Mask-wearing will be encouraged until there is a vaccine or medical treatment. Once ordinary aspects of daily life, such as rush hour, must be reconsidered, they say, to reduce crowding on metros and buses.

 

“Companies may decide that shifts should be on a 12-hour basis. Or they start seven-day production time,” said Ranieri Guerra, a World Health Organization assistant director-general who is advising the Italian Health Ministry. “Public transport is obviously a potential source of infection.”

 

Though many of the details are still up for consideration, Italy’s workplace safety agency outlined its conditions for businesses to reopen and said companies would need to redraw factory floors to keep employees apart and ban face-to-face meetings. The document, published by the Corriere della Sera, also said companies should check the body temperature of anybody who enters.

 

Paolo Vineis, a Turin-based epidemiologist who is advising the government, said he was less worried about industries, which are “pretty well organized,” than he was about the general public.

 

For instance, he said, parents compelled to return to work may have limited options for child care while schools remain closed. Children may be left in the care of their grandparents — an especially vulnerable population — with parents risking infecting everyone when they return in the evenings.

 

In recent days, Italian media have carried stories theorizing how the months ahead could unfold. They’ve floated the idea of tighter restrictions on movement for the elderly and suggested ways in which Italians could carry on with summer beach vacations: with umbrellas spaced out and reservations required in advance. Newspapers have even run celebratory headlines mentioning the simple fact that, come May 4, outdoor walks will be allowed.

 

There will also be tighter surveillance, in the form of a contact-tracing app that uses Bluetooth technology. If people go to a museum, for instance, and come in contact with a person soon found to have the virus, they will receive a phone notification informing them that they might have been exposed.

 

Some Italians have voiced concern about privacy and security issues. Conte has emphasized the app is voluntary. But experts say 60 percent of people need to be using it for it to have much utility. A similar app in Austria has seen relatively limited uptake.

 

Even if the app is widely used in Italy, controlling future outbreaks will require an army of on-the-ground contact tracers to identify, test and isolate people who might have been exposed.

 

Pier Luigi Lopalco, an epidemiologist at the University of Pisa, said that in some regions, Italy doesn’t yet have the manpower.

 

“The app is not functioning alone,” Lopalco said. “You still need people to identify the case, make the control, to go to the home and do the testing.”

 

The greatest concern is that, as restrictions are eased, the virus could come roaring back — or that it could spread undetected if parts of the population aren’t being rigorously tested. That is what has happened in Singapore, where the cases spiked as the virus spread among migrant workers.

 

Experts said they could imagine a scenario in which future lockdowns in Italy are limited to one region or another, with thresholds set based on the risk to local hospitals. That would leave the poorer south with less leeway. On a per capita basis, some northern regions have four times the number of intensive care beds that Sicily does.

 

Italy ordered its nationwide lockdown six weeks ago, and the measures — which include closures and limits on people leaving their municipality — have succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus. This week, for the first time during the outbreak, Italy reported that the number of ongoing coronavirus cases was declining. Still, more than 25,000 people have died of the virus, the highest toll in Europe.

 

The virus has also taken a serious economic toll. Italy is likely to see its steepest recession since World War II.

 

For some, the thirst to return to normal is intense. This week, textile companies in Tuscany threatened to defy the government and reopen before the lockdown was lifted.

 

Roberto Rosati, 61, who owns one of those textile companies, said businesses were losing out on seasonal orders. His company was already stocked with face masks, gloves and scanners to measure employees’ temperatures, he said. Workers would be stationed at “astronomical” distances from one another. And yet, he said, bureaucratic hurdles were preventing the reopening — and threatening the future of his business.

 

“This will kill us,” he said of the stoppage. “We aren’t asking for money. We’ve been screaming since March to let us work.”

 

Fonte / source:

---THE WASHINGTON POST (23/04/2020).

www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-pha...

 

Foto / fonte / source:

--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: #NataleDiRoma #21Aprile Buon compleanno Roma! Oggi celebriamo i 2771 anni della fondazione della Città Eterna. Colombaie | FLICKR & VIRGINIA RAGGI | TWITTER (21-23/04/2018).

rometheimperialfora19952010.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/roma...

consider this a draft.. until I re-do it tomorrow at the right time of day when there is light :| i am silly.

This small offshore island (though allegedly Wales' fourth largest), 2¾×1 km wide with an area of 180 ha, lies 3.1 km off the tip of Llŷn, reaching 167 m asl at Mynydd Enlli with a low plain to the west.

The Welsh name, Ynys Enlli, 'island of the tides/in the currents' is apt, considering the powerful twice-daily circulation of water past the tip of the Peninsula. In English, Bardsey is fancifully said to mean 'Island of the Bards', but that's probably an over-romantic reference to druidism, poorly supported by documented history, and the name's more likely to be Norse: 'Barda-øy' would be 'Barda's Island'.

 

This is one of many claimants to be the legendary burial site of King Arthur, tenuously supported by the presence of a unique species of apple, Y Afal Enlli, growing on the sole surviving tree of a c.6th Century monastic orchard: modern Welsh 'Ynys Afalon', or 'Isle of Apples', could be easily identified as the Arthurian 'Avalon'. Not that Bardsey is actually called 'Ynys Afalon'; I tend to consider the Arthurian reference to be an understandably wishful response to the island's dramatic setting.

 

More verifiably, Bardsey has been a hugely important destination of christian pilgrimages since the foundation of St Mary's Abbey by the Celtic St Cadfan in 516. St Deiniol (founding bishop of Bangor) and St Dyfrig (aka Dubricius, who retired here), amongst many venerable early monks, were buried on the island, and in the mediæval era three pilgrimages to the 'island of 20,000 saints' (though consider the logistics of that many burials...) were considered as beneficial as one to Rome. The abbey, by then Augustinian, was demolished in the 1537 Dissolution, leaving only the 13th century bell tower, but pilgrims still make the journey.

 

The current settlement pattern of the island dates from the 1870s, when Lord Newborough built new houses (and a methodist chapel instead of a new harbour, at the residents' request) for his tenants. The population was 132 in 1881, but that dropped to ~100 by 1900 and a majority of residents moved ashore in 1925 for an easier life. Others moved in, but the 1961 census found only 17 residents remaining; by 2003, there were four.

 

Though the island's school closed in 1953, a bird observatory opened in the same year, an early indication of a shift in Bardsey's significance, from farming to nature conservation. Located on migration routes and undisturbed by modern agriculture, the island is a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of Glannau Aberdaron ac Ynys Enlli Special Protection Area. Alongside rare maritime bryophytes and lichens, 10-16,000 Manx shearwater breed on the island, as do ~200 grey seals, producing ~15 pups each year.

I was tagged by MyBareFeet, thank you!

If you want to join, please consider yourself tagged!

 

👉Simple question: How are you?

I'm doing great! The semester is almost over, and that makes me so happy! My birthday is very near, so I'm quite happy for that as well. Even if I just wish I could go to my home city, overall I'm doing good.

 

👉Meaning behind your Flickr name?

I used to be aarjhb which are the initials of my full name. Now I'm Rapunali17 because that was my nickname in High School. My friends came up with it based on my long hair, my obsession with Rapunzel, and my actual name. Rapunzel + Anali = Rapunali! Lol. And the 17 because I started collecting at that age😋.

 

👉Style?

I think I don't have a very defined style, but I can say I just dress casual and simple. I usually just wear clothes with solid colors and similar color schemes, keeping it simple.

 

👉Did doll collecting influence your life in any way?

I think Doll Collecting changed my life! It sounds super dramatic, but it is true! I've learned so much ever since I collect dolls, and joining this community has been amazing! It makes me feel less alone, and I've met very good friends who like the same things as I do, which is awesome! So yeah, doll collecting definitely has a great impact in my life!

 

👉What does your family think about you as a doll collector?

Luckily, I come from a collector family! My dad collects board games and my mom plates from around the world, so they have always supported me! At the beginning my dad was little hesitant about the whole idea, but after seeing the prices of the dolls at eBay, he suddenly changed his mind lol! So both my parents and my siblings have always supported me, and they even buy me dolls now and then!

 

👉Biggest fear?

I have a tremendous fear to every single reptile and amphibious, but the animals that I can't even see in a picture without paranoing, are snakes. I had a very bad experience when I was little, and ever since then, I have a terrible phobia!😫

Normally I consider boots under 13" sissy elf shoes & refuse to buy advertising billboards if I don't get a commission.

But in this case I have to make an exception: The kid went over our internet data limit for the 2nd month in a row. He had the $ for the boots, but hasn't coughed up anything for the bill yet.

I sure wish these things weren't so ugly and uncomfortable!

ENTREVISTA a fondo /shelita*

 

Valentina Beatriz Burgos Toledo;

Se considera ser una niña muy risueña, timida y muy olvidadiza, le encanta hacer bromas a sus amigos y en especial que le contesten sus bromas, tiene pocos amigos pero muy buenos; tiene 17 años; odia el colegio y le encanta salir de fiesta.

 

¿Como eres con tus amigos?

Creo que con mis amigos soy una mina natural odio fingir como soy, pero en este tiempo me e dado cuenta que con algunas personas soy muy distinta y muestro otra personalidad.

Los escucho cuando tienen problemas y trato de darles ánimos para que no se sientan mal y solos.

 

¿Y porque has estado ocultando tu personalidad con algunas personas?

Por vergüenza, siento que si soy como soy con ellos, van a cambiar su opinión sobre mi.

Y lo que piensan las personas sobre mi me importa y mucho.

 

¿Qué tipos de bromas haces?

De cualquier tipo, me encanta reírme con los demás, obvio que si hay personas que le hago broma y no les gusta que las moleste, trato de ser mas seria con ellos, por eso después de un tiempo conociéndolas bien y no me caen bien les soy indiferente.

 

¿Te consideras enojona?

No, para nada, de echo me cuesta enojarme con las personas, no me preocupo de las personas que me caen mal por eso mismo les soy indiferente.

Me puedo enojar poco pero cuando lo hago me enojo enserio, me cuesta pedir perdón con el corazón, soy muy orgullosa y siento que es un factor que me juega en contra.

Quizás no sea enojona pero soy muy vengativa, siempre me vengo psicológicamente.

 

¿Qué te cambiarias?

Lo celosa soy la mina mas celosa del mundo, pero no lo demuestro mucho me puedo estar muriendo de celos por dentro pero trato de no hacerlo notar, porque si lo demuestro empiezan los mal entendidos y provocan problemas. También me cambiaria lo poca expresiva que soy con las personas que amo y lo poca atenta que soy.

 

¿Te has sentido sola, triste o desesperada? ¿A quien recurres?

Si, muchas veces, odio tener problemas pero siento que eso tiene que pasar para ser más fuerte en la vida.

Odio que la gente me vea llorar, que me vean triste, que se preocupan por mi, siento que les estoy dando otro problema mas a ellos y eso no me gusta mucho por eso siempre trato de estar alegre y riéndome de todo, pero cuando no puedo aguantar mas necesito un abrazo fuerte y que me escuchen por eso siempre voy a donde mis amigas que sin ellas no soy nadie y si no están ellas hago una llamada a quien sea para desahogarme.

 

¿A quien(es) valoras, y porque?

A mis amigos y en especial a mi mama.

A mis amigos, porque ellos siempre están ahí cuando mas los necesito y se que ellos me van apoyar siempre en toda decisión que tome, siempre me van a dar consejos cuando este mal.

Y mi mama porque ella me da los consejos de la vida, ya que ella ha pasado por todo las experiencias, ella es la que me hace abrir los ojos y sus consejos los trato de poner en práctica para no pasar lo que ella paso. Pero pienso, que tengo que pasar por momentos difíciles para poder aprender de ellos.

 

Ya que esta de moda ser Pokemon, Pelo lais, Visual, Emo, Etc.

¿Cuál preferirías?

No prefiero ninguno. Aunque ya fui pokemona ahora me llama la atención los emo aunque ya fui, soy muy cambiante me aburre estar mucho rato en solo una cosa. Además pienso que cada uno debería tener su estilo propio.

 

¿Cómo te vez en el futuro?

Me veo feliz, con una familia en USA, siendo actriz de cine ese es mi sueño.

 

¿Eres feliz?

¡Si! .A pesar de todo lo que estoy pasando soy feliz, en verdad siempre estoy feliz me considero una mina alegre y feliz siempre riéndome de todo, porque siempre que estoy feliz o aburrida me gusta hacer bromas a los demás.

Quizás sea una mina feliz por la vida que me toco y por las personas que e conocido en el famoso Fotolog y por las personas que me rodean, siento que ese es un gran factor del porque soy feliz.

 

"Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross."

 

This is one of the silicon bronze Stations of the Cross by Andrew Bonnette in the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland.

 

Every day until Easter I'll be posting one Station of the Cross, each taken from a different location around the world.

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I consider this video evidence of an eagle being smarter than people. This is edited down from a longer clip. The eagle appears to be puzzled as to why two fishermen are in a restricted area. He can even be seen tilting his head at one point. Showed this to fishermen on the shore and they agreed the eagle clearly is smarter than the men in the boat.

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Photos taken over a couple of nights at home, once again in my signature pink dress. I've certainly had my money's worth out of it!

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Gemma came up to visit again this weekend, so we were out and about again having a great time as always!

+++ DISCLAIMER +++Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

In October 1933, Hermann Göring sent out a letter requesting aircraft companies consider the design of a "high speed courier aircraft" - a thinly veiled request for a new fighter. In May 1934, this was made official and the Technisches Amt sent out a request for a single-seat interceptor for the Rüstungsflugzeug IV role, this time under the guise of a "sports aircraft". The specification was first sent to the most experienced fighter designers, Heinkel, Arado, and Focke-Wulf.

 

Heinkel's design was created primarily by twin brothers Walter and Siegfried Günter, whose designs would dominate most of Heinkel's work. They started work on Projekt 1015 in late 1933 under the guise of the original courier aircraft, based around the BMW XV radial engine. Work was already under way when the official request went out on 2 May, and on 5 May the design was renamed the He 112.

 

The primary source of inspiration for the He 112 was their earlier He 70 Blitz ("Lightning") design. The Blitz was a single-engine, four-passenger aircraft originally designed for use by Lufthansa, and it in turn was inspired by the famous Lockheed Model 9 Orion mail plane. Like many civilian designs of the time, the aircraft was pressed into military service and was used as a two-seat bomber (although mostly for reconnaissance) and served in this role in Spain. The Blitz introduced a number of new construction techniques to the Heinkel company; it was their first low-wing monoplane, their first with retractable landing gear, their first all-metal monocoque design, and its elliptical, reverse-gull wing would be seen on a number of later projects. The Blitz could almost meet the new fighter requirements itself, so it is not surprising that the Günters would choose to work with the existing design as much as possible.

 

The original He 112 was basically a scaled down version of Heinkel’s aerodynamically highly refined He 70 and shared its all metal construction, inverted gull wings, and retractable landing gear. Like the He 70, the He 112 was constructed entirely of metal, using a two-spar wing and a monocoque fuselage with flush-head rivets. The landing gear retracted outward from the low point of the wing's gull-bend, which resulted in a fairly wide span track, giving the aircraft excellent ground handling. Its only features from an older era were its open cockpit and fuselage spine behind the headrest, which were kept in order to provide excellent vision and make the biplane-trained pilots feel more comfortable.

 

The He 112 V1 started in the head-to-head contest when it arrived at Travemünde on 8 February 1936. The other three competitors had all arrived by the beginning of March. Right away, the Focke-Wulf Fw 159 and Arado Ar 80 proved to be lacking in performance, and plagued with problems, and were eliminated from serious consideration. At this point, the He 112 was the favorite over the "unknown" Bf 109, but opinions changed when the Bf 109 V2 arrived on 21 March. All the competitor aircraft had initially been equipped with the Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, but the Bf 109 V2 had a Jumo 210. From that point on, it started to outperform the He 112 in almost every way, and even the arrival of the Jumo-engined He 112 V2 on 15 April did little to address this imbalance.

Eventually, the Bf 109 was chosen as the Luftwaffe’s new standard fighter, and Heinkel was left with an excellent but unwanted fighter. However, the He 112 was subsequently marketed to foreign customers, including Yugoslavia, The Netherlands, Finland, Romania and Hungary, and saw a mild export and license production success during WWII’s opening stages.

In the autumn 1937, a Japanese military delegation visited the Heinkel Flugzeugwerke's Marienehe plant. Impressed by the high performances and clean lines of the He 112 V9, an order for thirty similar He-112B-0s was placed, with options for a further 100 aircraft. The delegation returned to Japan, not only with the signed contract documents but with a demonstration aircraft, presumably the He 112 V5 (D-IIZO).

However, the Japanese Navy, at that time looking for a replacement for its A5M fighter was not impressed by the He 112 V5’s handling characteristics, and since it was unlikely that the He 112 could be modified for carrier operations, this option was not further pursued and eventually Mitsubishi's famous A6M fighter became Japan's standard fighter for naval operations.

 

Things changed quickly, though. The Japanese expansion to the Asian mainland in the Second Sino-Japanese War required a huge number of land-based aircraft, preferably with a long and the current types appreared obsolete. In order to bridge this gap until indigenous designs had entered full scale production, Japan once more turned to Germany and requested assistance in the form of aircraft deliveries or even license production.

 

Having been aware of the superior He 112 V9 and the resulting He 112 B-0 as production standard, a Japanese delegation visited Germany in summer 1940 and tested the more modern aircraft. The maneuverability of the Heinkel fighter was again found to be inferor to the Japanese A5M2, but the Imperial Japanese Navy purchased 12 Heinkel He 112B-0 fighters, which it designated both as the Heinkel A7He1 and as the "Navy Type He Air Defense Fighter", and secured rights for license production for the airframe as well as for German aircraft engines, namely the Daimler Benz 601Aa, which later became the Kawasaki Ha40.

 

The Japanese flew the A7He1 only briefly during the Second Sino-Japanese War, but phased it out of service before the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 in favor of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Allied Forces assigned the reporting name "Jerry" to the aircraft.

 

The A7He1 was disappointing, though, and as a result of the field tests the Kaigun Koku Gijyutsusho's (Testing Unit) issued a final report which concluded that the A7He1 was not the right choice as the main IJN fighter type, and cancellation of the options on additional aircraft was recommended. However, with the purchase of various production rights and tools it was decided to develop the aerodynamically highly sophisticated and sturdy A7He1 further, outfitted with a considerably more powerful Ha40 engine and other refinements and adaptations.

 

The resulting aircraft was the A7He2, but its development, as well as the integration of domestic parts and setting up serial production (also of the Ha40 engine), took until early 1943. The first Sentai (Air Group/Wing) fully equipped with the A7He2 were allocated to the Kwantung Army in Manchuoko, and additional deliveries were later made to units supporting Japan’s Fifteenth Army in Burma.

 

However, the machines were sent off of the production lines into a difficult theatre, where jungles and adverse weather conditions, coupled with a lack of spares, quickly undermined the efficiency of both men and aircraft. Because the A7He2 was totally new and the maintenance crews only used to more robust air-cooled radial engines, the type inevitably suffered from teething problems and the A7He2 tallied a disastrous series of failures and ongoing problems.

 

As a consequence, the pilots did not trust the new aircraft and morale was low. Beyond constant technical issues, the A7He2 was also unpopular due to its very different flight characteristics. Japanese pilots and aerial combat tactics had traditionally relied on agility, and the A7He2, with its focus on speed and superior rate of climb, was a totally different concept.

 

In fact, the A7He2 was not accepted as a classic fighter at all, and since the more "traditional" A6M had become available in ever growing numbers and updated variants, the A7He2 was soon relegated to ground attacks and CAS missions, in which its heavy gun armament, flight stability, endurance and the ability to take a lot of punishment (esp. hits from small caliber weapons) came in handy.

Occasionally, the A7He2 was deployed in interceptor missions against Allied bombers flying at high altitude, too, but direct dogfight confrontations with fighters were avoided and, if available, any other type was preferred by the IJN pilots.

In order to improve the situation, the A7He2 was modified in the field In the course of its limited career. Most notable changes were the addition of imported dust filters for the touchy engines, and some machines had their original pair of 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 aircraft machine guns with 500 rounds per gun on top of the engine replaced by two heavier 13mm Type 2 machine guns, for which a modified cowling with characteristic bulges had to be mounted. The machines retained their original designation, though.

 

Total A7He2 production reached roundabout 300 aircraft and ceased in 1944, when IJN officials recognized that the A7He2 was a dead end and the resources devoted to its production would be better spent in more capable aircraft. Anyway, due to material shortages, the "Jerry" remained in service, even though most machines were gradually replaced by A6M in frontline units until early 1945.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 9.22 m (30 ft 11 7/8 in)

Wingspan: 9.09 m (29 ft 9¾ in)

Height: 3.82 m (12 ft 6¾ in)

Wing area: 17 m² (183 ft²)

Empty weight: 1,617 kg (3,565 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,248 kg (4,957 lb)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph; 313 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

Range: 1.150 km (715 mi)

Service ceiling: 9,500 m (31,200 ft)

Rate of climb: 17.0 m/s (3,345 ft/min)

Wing loading: 132 kg/m² (27.1 lb/ft²)

 

Powerplant:

1× Kawasaki Ha40 inverted liquid-cooled V-12 piston engine, 864 kW (1,159 hp)

 

Armament:

2× 20 mm Type 99-1 cannon with 100 RPG in the outer wings

2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 aircraft machine guns with 500 RPG

or 13mm Type 2 heavy machine with 250 RPG guns on top of the engine

2× 120 kg (265 lb) bombs or 2× 200l drop tanks under the inner wings

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another converted Heller He 112 B-0/B-1 in disguise, and this time I spun the type's potential career in/with Japan further. In real life the story ended with the delivery of a dozen He 112 B-0s, which were relegated to training duties and not much liked at all.

However, I had a spare He 112 in the stash and also a surplus Ki-61 fuselage at hand, and wouldn't a combination of the sleek He 112 airframe with a better engine (even of German origin!) be a plausible evolution? Well, said and done...

 

The He 112 remained close to the original, I just swapped the front end and the propeller (taken completely from a Fine Molds Ki-61 II, which is actually the Hasegawa Ki-61 I with extra parts) and replaced the large OOB stabilizers with more delicate parts from a Hobby Boss A6M5 - IMHO an overall improvement concerning the aircraft's proportions.

 

Small additions are the protruding gun barrels (hollow steel needles) and the pair of small bombs under the inner wings, inside of the landing gear.

The radiator bath was also enlarged, reflecting the engine’s higher output level, but it basically remained in the original position.

  

Painting and markings:

A slightly more tricky part - choosing a unit and a scheme were not easy, and I eventually ended up with a mash of styles for a machine of the IJN’s Tainan Air Group based on Formosa.

In 1943, most Japanese aircraft wore toned-down camouflage, the days of an overall light grey livery with flashy unit markings were over. However, I wanted to incorporate some old-school elements and eventually ended up with a basically all-grey aircraft (all-over Tamiya XF-12), onto which green makeshift camouflage (thinned acrylic Revell 363) had been added later in the field, applied around the original hinomaru and tactical markings.

 

Another unique design element, somewhat lent from the A6M, is a black engine cowling that elegantly merges with an anti glare panel in front of the windscreen. It gives the aircraft almost a racy look, and it underlines the He 112’s elegant lines, too, even with the bigger engine grafted onto it.

 

Being an aircraft of Japanese manufacture, the cockpit was painted in greenish yellow (“Bamboo”) and the landing gear wells, as well as the flaps’ interior, became Aodake Iro, a home-made mix of acrylic Revell 99 (Aluminum) and a teal clear window painting color. The effect is pretty good.

 

The markings were improvised and gathered from several sources. The hinomaru originally belong to an Airfix Ki-46, the blue stripes were manually cut from generic blue decal sheet (TL Modellbau); the tacticla code on the fin is of uncertain origin - very old, decals which ,unfortunately, partly desintegrated in the course of the build and had to be repainted manually.

The grey coat received a black ink wash and some panel shading; once the decals and the green camouflage had been applied, the surface was wet-sanded carefully, revealing again some of the grey basic paint and the risen surface details of the Heller kit.

 

Finally, some soot and exhaust stains were created with grinded graphite, and the kit finally sealed with matt acrylic varnish; the lower part of the black cowling received a sheen finish, though.

  

The third and last iteration of the Heller He 112 kit, at least for the moment. The engine change is not highly visible, and the paint scheme makes you think that it's rather an A6M with an inline engine than anything else? The wing shape also suggests a beefed-up A5M, it's really weird how a paint scheme can play tricks with your expectations and perception. The whole thing looks very elegant, though, and for a moment I was even tempted to leave the green camouflage away, because in its all-grey livery and with the black engine, the A7He2 looked almost like a race aircraft - and also very German!

 

Happy New Year!

 

Consider joining Lake States this year! We are always looking for new members that share our passion for railroading.

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2024.015.CGW.033

Chicago Great Western 504 on a southbound passenger train in Rochester, MN on August 31,1948. Bill Brandt image.

  

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Full of concrete. We can consider ourselves as - still - living in the jungle. Jungle of concrete.

 

The movie titled "Predator" (starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger) was released in 1987. It is a science fiction action horror movie. The scenes of this movie is in the jungle, the real jungle.

 

Its sequel, the movie titled "Predator 2" (starring: Danny Glover and Gary Busey) released on 1990. The scenes is - guess what! - in the city!!... Jungle of concrete.

 

Picture location: The view from 16th level Grand President Serviced Apartment, Sukhumvit Soi 11, Bangkok. Taken with infra red filter, post-processed to dual-tone.

 

Please consider giving up your Starbuck's Latte today and donate $5.00 to help us give Hope the chance to walk again. With your support, we can give Hope a miracle.

 

We have raised just over $9k towards our $24,450 goal! Think we can make it to the halfway point today?

 

Visit www.rescuefromthehart.org to donate today.

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Another dress I have had for a long time but have never worn. I'll definitely be wearing it again though!

consider yourself tagged if you see this !!

 

Whats better than characters to describe who you are ?

 

for me it was rather easy. For those who know me, you all know i am a full time elle woods, From the pink to the law studies.

 

Thats probably why i have been called a cheerleader in the w forum.. lol i am positive and tend to keep things under a bright positive light !

 

i am also very much as charlotte from SATC. I dont show much nude pics of me, here or anywhere, I like when things keep being proper in general. Even with dolls. Dolls nudity kinda shocks me at time. I dont judge, but i dont do it myself.

In a lot of aspect of my life i am very much like charlotte indeed.

 

And then.. charlotte from princess and the frog, because i have some tendencies to be over excited for pink fluffy things.

 

what about you?

Although I may not consider this photo as one of my most compelling images but it was my first of firsts. It was one of my firsts out of the hundreds of frames I did when I was still starting out photography. Shot using a standard 18-135mm kit lens, it was my first successful manual exposure as far as basing with the histogram is concerned. This image inspired me to pursue my passion in photography---it’s something that I would treasure for it changed my perspective in this craft.

Chartwell is a country house near Westerham, Kent, in South East England. For over forty years, it was the home of Sir Winston Churchill. He bought the property in September 1922 and lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965. During the 1930s, when Churchill was out of political office, Chartwell became the centre of his world. At his dining table, he gathered those who could assist his campaign against German re-armament and the British government's response of appeasement; in his study, he composed speeches and wrote books; in his garden, he built walls, constructed lakes — both with his own hands — and painted. During the Second World War, Chartwell was largely unused, the Churchills returning after he lost the 1945 election. In 1953, when again prime minister, the house became Churchill's refuge when he suffered a debilitating stroke. In October 1964, he left for the last time, dying at his London home, 28 Hyde Park Gate, on 24 January 1965.

 

The origins of the estate reach back to the 14th century; in 1382, the property (then called Well-street) was owned by William-at-Well. It passed through various owners and was auctioned in 1836, as a substantial brick-built manor. In 1848, it was purchased by John Campbell Colquhoun, whose grandson sold it to Churchill. The Campbell Colquhouns greatly enlarged the house and the advertisement for its sale at the time of Churchill's purchase described it as an imposing mansion. Between 1922 and 1924, it was rebuilt and extended by the society architect Philip Tilden. From the garden front, the house has extensive views over the Weald of Kent, "the most beautiful and charming" Churchill had ever seen, and the determining factor in his decision to buy the house.

 

In 1946, when financial constraints forced Churchill to consider selling Chartwell, it was acquired by the National Trust with funds raised by a consortium of Churchill's friends (led by Lord Camrose), on condition that the Churchills retained a life-tenancy. After Churchill's death, Lady Churchill surrendered her rights to the house, and it was opened to the public by the Trust in 1966 as a historic house museum. A Grade I listed building, for its historical significance rather than its architectural merit, Chartwell has become among the Trust's most popular properties; 232,000 people visited the house in 2016, the fiftieth anniversary of its opening.

 

Churchill at Chartwell

1922 to 1939

 

Chartwell – Clementine Churchill's "magnificent aerial bower" to the left

Churchill first saw Chartwell in July 1921, shortly before the house and estate were to be auctioned.[11] He returned the same month with his wife Clementine, who was initially attracted to the property, although her enthusiasm cooled during subsequent visits.[12] In September 1922, when the house had failed to sell at auction, he was offered it for £5,500. He paid £5,000, after his first offer of £4,800, made because "the house will have to be very largely rebuilt, and the presence of dry rot is a very serious adverse factor", was rejected.[13] The seller was Captain Archibald John Campbell Colquhoun, who had inherited the house in June 1922 on the death of his brother.[14] Campbell Colquhoun had been a contemporary of Churchill's at Harrow School in the 1880s. On completion of the sale in September 1922, Churchill wrote to him, "I am very glad indeed to have become the possessor of "Chartwell".[1] I have been searching for two years for a home in the country and the site is the most beautiful and charming I have ever seen".[14] The sale was concluded on 11 November 1922.[15]

 

The previous 15 months had been personally and professionally calamitous. In June 1921, Churchill's mother had died, followed three months later by his youngest child, Marigold.[15] In late 1922, he fell ill with appendicitis and at the end of the year lost his Scottish parliamentary seat at Dundee.[16]

 

Philip Tilden, Churchill's architect, began work on the house in 1922 and the Churchills rented a farmhouse near Westerham, with Churchill frequently visiting the site to observe progress.[17] The two-year building programme, the ever-rising costs – which escalated from the initial estimate of £7,000 to over £18,000 – and a series of construction difficulties (particularly relating to damp) soured relations between architect and client;[18] by 1924, Churchill and Tilden were barely on speaking terms.[19][a][b] Legal arguments, conducted through their respective lawyers, continued until 1927.[22] Clementine's anxieties about the costs, both of building and subsequently living at Chartwell, also continued. In September 1923, Churchill wrote to her, "My beloved, I beg you not to worry about money, or to feel insecure. Chartwell is to be our home (and) we must endeavour to live there for many years."[23] Churchill finally moved into the house in April 1924; a letter dated 17 April to Clementine begins, "This is the first letter I have ever written from this place, and it is right that it should be to you".[24]

 

In February 1926, Churchill's political colleague Sir Samuel Hoare described a visit in a letter to the press baron Lord Beaverbrook; "I have never seen Winston before in the role of landed proprietor, ... the engineering works on which he is engaged consist of making a series of ponds in a valley and Winston appeared to be a great deal more interested in them than in anything else in the world".[25] As Hoare's presence indicated, Churchill's holidays were very rarely pure vacations. Roy Jenkins, in his study, The Chancellors, contrasted Churchill's approach to holidaying with that of his then boss, Stanley Baldwin. "Churchill went to Chartwell or elsewhere to lengthen the stride of his political work, but not greatly to reduce its quantity; far from shutting himself off, he persuaded as many as possible of his colleagues and henchmen to visit him, to receive his ever-generous hospitality."[26] In January 1928, James Lees-Milne stayed as a guest of Churchill's son Randolph. He described an evening after dinner; "We remained at that round table till after midnight. Mr Churchill spent a blissful two hours demonstrating with decanters and wine glasses how the Battle of Jutland was fought. He got worked up like a schoolboy, making barking noises in imitation of gunfire, and blowing cigar smoke across the battle scene in imitation of gun smoke".[27] On 26 September 1927, Churchill composed the first of his Chartwell Bulletins, which were lengthy letters to Clementine, written to her while she was abroad. In the bulletins, Churchill described in great detail the ongoing works on the house and the gardens, and aspects of his life there. The 26 September letter opens with a report of Churchill's deepening interest in painting; "Sickert arrived on Friday night and we worked very hard at various paintings ... I am really thrilled ... I see my way to paint far better pictures than I ever thought possible before".[28]

 

Churchill described his life at Chartwell during the later 1930s in the first volume of his history of the Second World War, The Gathering Storm. "I had much to amuse me. I built ... two cottages, ... and walls and made ... a large swimming pool which ... could be heated to supplement our fickle sunshine. Thus I ... dwelt at peace within my habitation".[29] Bill Deakin, one of Churchill's research assistants, recalled his working routine. "He would start the day at eight o'clock in bed, reading. Then he started with his mail. His lunchtime conversation was quite magnificent, ...absolutely free for all. After lunch, if he had guests he would take them round the garden. At seven he would bathe and change for dinner. At midnight, when the guests left, then he would start work ... to three or four in the morning. The secret was his phenomenal power to concentrate."[30][c] In his study of Churchill as author, the historian Peter Clarke described Chartwell as "Winston's word factory"

 

In the opinion of Robin Fedden, a diplomat, and later Deputy General Secretary of the National Trust and author of the Trust's first guidebook for Chartwell, the house became "the most important country house in Europe".[34] The historian Graham Stewart, in his study of Tory Party politics, Burying Caesar, described it as "a sort of Jacobite court of St Germain".[35][e] A stream of friends, colleagues, disgruntled civil servants, concerned military officers and foreign envoys came to the house to provide information to support Churchill's struggle against appeasement.[f] At Chartwell, he developed what Fedden calls, his own "little Foreign Office ... the hub of resistance".[38] The Chartwell visitors' book, meticulously maintained from 1922, records 780 house guests, not all of them friends, but all grist to Churchill's mill.[39] An example of the latter was Sir Maurice Hankey, Clerk of the Privy Council, who was Churchill's guest for dinner in April 1936. Hankey subsequently wrote, "I do not usually make a note of private conversations but some points arose which gave an indication of the line which Mr Churchill is likely to take in forthcoming debates (on munitions and supply) in Parliament".[40] A week later, Reginald Leeper, a senior Foreign Office official and confidant of Robert Vansittart, visited Churchill to convey their views on the need to use the League of Nations to counter German aggression. Vansittart wrote, "there is no time to lose. There is indeed a great danger that we shall be too late".[41]

 

Churchill also recorded visits to Chartwell by two more of his most important suppliers of confidential governmental information, Desmond Morton and Ralph Wigram, information which he used to "form and fortify my opinion about the Hitler Movement".[g][43] Their sharing of data on German rearmament was at some risk to their careers; the military historian Richard Holmes is clear that Morton's actions breached the Official Secrets Act.[44] Chartwell was also the scene of more direct attempts to prepare Britain for the coming conflict; in October 1939, when reappointed First Lord of the Admiralty on the outbreak of war, Churchill suggested an improvement for anti-aircraft shells; "Such shells could be filled with zinc ethyl which catches fire spontaneously ... A fraction of an ounce was demonstrated at Chartwell last summer".[45][h]

 

In 1938, Churchill, beset by financial concerns, again considered selling Chartwell,[47] at which time the house was advertised as containing five reception rooms, nineteen bed and dressing rooms, eight bathrooms, set in eighty acres with three cottages on the estate and a heated and floodlit swimming pool.[i] He withdrew the sale after the industrialist Henry Strakosch agreed to take over his share portfolio, which had been hit heavily by losses on Wall Street, for three years and pay off significant associated debts.[49] In September 1938, the Russian Ambassador, Ivan Maisky, made his first visit and recorded his impressions of Chartwell: "A wonderful place! A two-storey house, large and tastefully presented; the terrace affords a breathtaking view of Kent's hilly landscape; ponds with goldfish of varying size; a pavilion-cum-studio with dozens of paintings - his own creations - hanging on the walls; his pride and joy, a small brick cottage which he was building with his own hands".[j] His impression of his host was somewhat less favourable; asked what special occasion would lead Churchill to drink a bottle of wine dating from 1793 from his cellar, Churchill had replied - "We'll drink this together when Great Britain and Russia beat Hitler's Germany". Maisky's unspoken reaction was recorded in his diary, "Churchill's hatred of Berlin really has gone beyond all limits!" Wikipedia

St Ethelbert, Hessett, Suffolk

 

Hessett is a fairly ordinary kind of village to the east of Bury St Edmunds, but its church is one of the most important in East Anglia for a number of reasons, which will become obvious. Consider for one moment, if you will, the extent to which the beliefs and practices of a religious community affect the architecture of its buildings. Think of a mosque, for instance. Often square, expressing the democracy of Islam, but without any imagery of the human figure, for such things are proscribed. Think of a synagogue, focused towards the Holy Scriptures in the Ark, but designed to enable the proclaiming of the Word, and the way that early non-conformist chapels echo this architecture of Judaism - indeed, those who built the first free churches, like Ipswich's Unitarian Chapel, actually called them synagogues.

 

The shape of a church, then, is no accident. A typical Suffolk perpendicular church of the 15th century has wide aisles, to enable liturgical processions, a chancel for the celebration of Mass, places for other altars, niches for devotional statues, a focus towards the Blessed Sacrament in the east, a roof of angels to proclaim a hymn of praise, a large nave for devotional and social activities, and wall paintings of the Gospels and hagiographies of Saints, of the catechism and teachings of the Catholic Church. As Le Corbusier might have said if he'd been around at the time, a medieval church is a machine for making Catholicism happen.

 

No longer, of course. The radical and violent fracture in popular religion in the middle years of the 16th century gave birth to the Church of England, and the new church inherited buildings that were quite unsuitable for the new congregational protestant theology, a problem that the Church of England has never entirely solved.

 

Over the centuries, the problem has been addressed in different ways. The early reformers celebrated communion at a table in the nave, for example, and blocked off the chancel for other uses. Although this was challenged by the Laudian party in the early part of the 17th century, it was the way that many parishes reinvented their buildings, and most were to stay like that until the middle years of the 19th century. Some went further. A pulpit placed halfway down the nave, or even at the back of the church, meant that the seating could be arranged so that it no longer focused towards the east, thus breaking the link with Catholic (and Laudian) sacramentalism. For several centuries, Anglican churches focused on the pulpit rather than the altar.

 

With the coming to influence of the 19th century Oxford Movement, all this underwent another dramatic change, with the great majority of our medieval parish churches having their interiors restored to their medieval integrity, reinventing themselves as sacramental spaces. This is the condition in which we find most of them today, and some Anglican theologians are asking the question that the Catholic Church asked itself at Vatican II in the 1960s - is a 19th century liturgical space really appropriate for the Church of the 21st century?

 

So, let us hasten at once to Hessett. The church sits like a glowing jewel in its wide churchyard, right on the main road through the village. It is pretty well perfect if you are looking for a fine Suffolk exterior. An extensive 15th century rebuilding enwraps the earlier tower, which was crowned by the donor of the rebuilding, John Bacon.The nave and aisles are deliciously decorated, reminding one rather of the church at neighbouring Rougham, although this is a smaller church, and the aisles make it almost square. A dedicatory inscription on the two storey vestry in the north east corner bids us pray for the souls of John and Katherine Hoo, who donated the chancel and paid for the trimmings to the aisles. Their inscription has been damaged by protestant reformers, who obviously did not believe in the efficacy of prayers for the dead.

 

Although not comparable with that at Woolpit, the dressed stone porch is a grand affair, and a bold statement. You may find the south door locked, but if this is the case then the priest's door into the chancel is usually open. And in a way it is a good church to enter via the chancel, because in this way St Ethelbert unfolds its treasures slowly.You step into relative darkness - or, at least, it seems so in comparison with the nave beyond the rood screen. This is partly a result of the abundance of dark wood, and in truth the chancel seems rather overcrowded. The most striking objects in view are the return stalls, which fill the two westerly corners of the chancel. These are in the style of a college or school of priests, with their backs to the rood screen, but then 'returning' around the walls to the east. They are fine, and are certainly 15th or 16th century. But one of the stalls, that to the north, is different to the others, and seems slightly out of place. It is elaborately carved with faces, birds and foliage.

 

Mortlock thought that it might have been intended for a private house. The stall in front of it has heads on it that appear to be wearing 18th century wigs. The sanctuary is largely Victorianised, with a great east window depicting Saints. The south windows of the chancel depict a lovely Adoration scene by the O'Connors. The chancel is separated from the nave by the 15th century rood screen, which is elegantly painted and gilt on the west side, the beautifully tracery intricately carved above. The rood screen has been fitted with attractive iron gates, presumably evidence of Anglo-catholic enthusiasm here in the early 20th century, and you step down through them into the light. A first impression is that you are entering a much older space than the one you have left. There is an 18th century mustiness, enhanced by the box pews that line the aisles. And, beyond, on walls and in windows, are wonderful things.

 

The number of surviving wall paintings in England is a tiny fraction of those which existed before the 15th and 16th centuries. All churches had them, and in profusion. It isn't enough to say that they were a 'teaching aid' of a church of illiterate peasants. In the main, they were devotional, and that is why they were destroyed. However, it is more complicated than that. Research in recent years has indicated that many wall paintings were destroyed before the Reformation, perhaps a century before. In some churches, they have been punched through with Perpendicular windows, which are clearly pre-Reformation. In the decades after the Black Death, there seems to have been a sea change in the liturgical use of these buildings, a move away from an individualistic, devotional usage to a corporate liturgical one. There is a change of emphasis towards more education and exegesis. This is the time that pulpits and benches appear, long before protestantism was on the agenda. What seems to happen is that many buildings were intended now to be full of light, and devotional wall paintings were either whitewashed, or replaced with catechetical ones.

 

The decoration of the nave was the responsibility of the people of the parish, not of the Priest. The wall paintings of England can be divided into roughly three groups. Roughly speaking, the development of wall paintings over the later medieval period is in terms of these three overlapping emphases.

 

Firstly, the hagiographies - stories of the Saints. These might have had a local devotion, although some saints were popular over a wide area, and most churches seem to have supported a devotion to St Christopher right up until the Reformation.

 

Secondly came those which illustrate incidents in the life of Christ and his mother, the Blessed Virgin. Although partly pedagogical, they were also enabling tools, since private devotions often involved a contemplation upon them, and at Mass the larger part of those present would have been involved in private devotions. These scriptural stories were as likely to have been derived from apocryphal texts like the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew as from the actual Gospels themselves.

 

Lastly, there are catechetical wall paintings, illustrating the teachings of the Catholic church. It should not be assumed that these are dogmatic. Many are simply artistic representations of stories, and others are simplifications of theological ideas, as with the seven deadly sins and the seven cardinal virtues. Some warn against occasions of sin (gossiping, for example) and generally wall paintings provided a local site for discussion and exemplification.

 

To an extent, all the above is largely true of stained glass, as well, with the caveat that stained glass was more expensive, relied on local patronage, and often has this patronage as a subtext, hence the large number of heraldic devices and images of local worthies. But it was also devotional, and so it was also destroyed.

 

So - what survives at Hessett? The wall paintings first.

 

Starting in the south east corner of the nave, we have Suffolk's finest representation of St Barbara, presenting a tower. St Barbara was very popular in medieval times, because she was invoked against strikes by lightning and sudden fires. This resulted from her legend, for her father, on finding her to be a Christian, walled her up in a tower until she repented. As a result, he was struck by lightning, and reduced to ashes. She was also the patron saint of the powerful building trade, and as such her image graced their guild altars - perhaps that was the case here.

 

Above the south door is another figure, often identified as St Christopher, but I do not think that this can be the case. St Christopher is found nowhere else in Suffolk above a south door. The traditional iconography of this mythical saint is not in place here, and it is hard to see how this figure could ever have been interpreted as such. I suspect it is a result of an early account confusing the two images over the north and south doors, and the mistake being repeated in later accounts.

 

In fact, digital enhancement seems to suggest that there are two figures above the south door, overlapping each other slightly. The figure on the right is barefoot, that on the left is wearing a white gown. There appears to be water under their feet, and so I think this is an image of the Baptism of Christ. Perhaps it was once part of a sequence.

 

The wall painting opposite, above the north door, is St Christopher. Although it isn't as clear as himself at, say, nearby Bradfield Combust, he bestrides the river in the customary manner, staff in hand. The Christ child is difficult to discern, but you can see the fish in the water. Also in the water, and rather unusual, are two figures. They are rendered rather crudely, almost like gingerbread men. Could they be the donors of the north aisle, John and Katherine Hoo in person?

 

Moving along the north aisle, we come to the set of paintings for which Hessett is justifiably famous. They are set one above the other between two windows, at the point where might expect the now-vanished screen to a chapel to have been. The upper section was here first. It shows the seven deadly sins (described wrongly in some text books as a tree of Jesse, or ancestry of Christ). Two devils look on as, from the mouth of hell, a great tree sprouts, ending in seven images. Pride is at the top, and in pairs beneath are Gluttony and Anger, Vanity and Envy, Avarice and Lust. Mortlock suggests that some attempt has been made to erase the image for Lust, which may simply be mid-16th century puritan prurience on the part of some reformer here. This would suggest that this catechetical tool was here right up until the Reformation.

 

The idea of 'Seven Deadly Sins' was anathema to the reformers, because it is entirely unscriptural. Rather, as a catechetical tool, it is a way of drawing together a multitude of sins into a simplistic aide memoire. This could then be used in confession, taking each of them one at a time and examining ones conscience accordingly. It should not be seen simply as a 'warning' to ignorant peasants, for the evidence is that the ordinary rural people of late medieval England were theologically very articulate. Rather, it was a tool for use, in contemplation and preparation for the sacrament of reconciliation, which may well have ordinarily taken place in the chapel here.

 

The wall painting beneath the Sins is even more interesting. This is a very rare 'Christ of the Trades', and dates from the early 15th century, about a hundred years after the painting above. It is rather faded, and takes a while to discern, and not all of it is decodable. However, enough is there to be fascinating. The image of the 'Christ of the Trades' is known throughout Christendom, and contemporary versions with this can be found in other parts of Europe. It shows the risen Christ in the centre, and around him a vast array of the tools and symbols of various trades. One theory is that it depicts activities that should not take place on a Sunday, a holy day of obligation to refrain from work, and that these activities are wounding Christ anew.

 

Perhaps the most fascinating symbol, and the one that everyone notices, is the playing card. It shows the six of diamonds. Does it represent the makers of playing cards? If so, it might suggest a Flemish influence. Or could it be intended to represent something else? Whatever, it is one of the earliest representations of a playing card in England. Why is this here? It may very well be that there was a trades gild chantry chapel at the east end of the north aisle, and this painting was at its entrance.

 

At the east end of the north aisle now is the church's set of royal arms. Cautley saw it in the vestry in the 1930s, and identified it as a Queen Anne set. Now, with additions stripped away, it is revealed as a Charles II set from the 1660s, and a very fine one. It is fascinating to see it at such close range. Usually, they are set above the south door now, although they would originally have been placed above the chancel arch, in full view of the congregation, a gentle reminder of who was in charge.

 

And so to the glass, which on its own would be worth coming to Hessett to see. Few Suffolk churches have such an expanse, none have such a variety, or glass of such quality and interest. It consists essentially of two ranges, the life and Passion of Christ in the north aisle (although some glass has been reset across the church), and images and hagiographies of Saints in the south aisle.

 

In the north aisle, the scourging of Christ stands out, the wicked grins of the persecutors contrasting with the pained nobility of the Christ figure. In the next window, Christ rises from the dead, coming out of his tomb like the corpses in the doom paintings at Stanningfield, North Cove and Wenhaston. The Roman centurion sleeps soundly in the foreground.

 

The most famous image is in the east window of the south aisle. Apparently, it shows a bishop holding the chain to a bag, with four children playing at his feet. I say apparently, because there is rather more going on here than meets the eye. The reason that this image is so famous is that the small child in the foreground is holding what appears to be a golf club or hockey stick, and this would be the earliest representation of such an object in all Europe. The whole image has been said to represent St Nicholas, who was a Bishop, and whose legends include a bag of gold and a group of children.

 

Unfortunately, this is not the case. St Nicholas is never symbolised by a bag of gold, and there are three children in the St Nicholas legend, not four. In any case, the hand in the picture is not holding the chain to a bag at all, but a rosary, and the hockey stick is actually a fuller's club, used for dyeing clothes, and the symbol of St James the Less.

 

What has happened here is that the head of a Bishop has been grafted on to the body of a figure which is probably still in its original location. The three lights of this window contained a set of the Holy Kinship. The light to the north of the 'Bishop' contains two children playing with what ae apparently toys, but when you look closely you can see that one is holding a golden shell, and the other a poisoned chalice. They are the infant St James and St John, and the lost figure above them was their mother, Mary Salome.

 

This means that the figure with the Bishop's head is actually Mary Cleophas, mother of four children including St James the Less. The third light to the south, of course, would have depicted the Blessed Virgin and child, but she is lost to us.

 

Not only this, but Hessett has some very good 19th Century glass which complements and does not overly intrude. The best is beneath the tower, the west window in a fully 15th Century style of scenes by Clayton & Bell. The east window, depicting saints, is by William Warrington, and the chancel also has the O'Connor glass already mentioned.

 

If the windows and wall paintings were all there was, then Hessett would be remarkable enough. But there is something else, two things, actually, that elevate it above all other Suffolk churches, and all the churches of England. For St Ethelbert is the proud owner of two unique survivals. At the back of the church is a chest, no different from those you'll find in many a parish church. In common with those, it has three separate locks, the idea being that the Rector and two Churchwardens would have a key each, and it would be necessary for all three of them to be present for the chest to be opened. It was used for storing parish records and valuables.

 

At some point, one of the keys was lost. There is an old story about the iconoclast William Dowsing turning up here and demanding the chest be opened, but on account of the missing key it couldn't be. Unfortunately, this story isn't true, for Dowsing never recorded a visit Hessett. The chest was eventually opened in the 19th century. Inside were found two extraordinary pre-Reformation survivals. These are a pyx cloth and a burse. The pyx cloth was draped over the wooden canopy that enclosed the blessed sacrament (one of England's four surviving medieval pyxes is also in Suffolk, at Dennington) before it was raised above the high altar. The burse was used to contain the host before consecration at the Mass. They are England's only surviving examples, and they're both here. Or, more precisely they aren't, for both have been purloined by the British Museum, the kind of theft that no locked church can prevent.

 

But there are life-size photos of both either side of the tower arch. The burse is basically an envelope, and features the Veronica face of Christ on one side with the four evangelistic symbols in each corner. On the other is an Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. The survival of both is extraordinary. It is one thing to explore the furnishings of lost Catholic England, quite another to come face to face with articles that were actually used in the liturgy.

 

In front of the pictures stands the font, a relatively good one of the early 15th century, though rather less exciting than everything going on around it. The dedicatory inscription survives, to a pair of Hoos of an earlier generation than the ones on the vestry.Turning east again, the ranks of simple 15th century benches are all of a piece with their church. They have survived the violent transitions of the centuries, and have seated generation after generation of Hessett people. They were new here when this church was alive with coloured light, with the hundreds of candles flickering on the rood beam, the processions, the festivals, and the people's lives totally integrated with the liturgy of the seasons. For the people of Catholic England, their religion was as much a part of them as the air they breathed. They little knew how soon it would all come to an end.

 

And so, there it is - one of the most fascinating and satisfactory of all East Anglia's churches. And yet, not many people know about it. We are only three miles from the brown-signed honeypot of Woolpit, where a constant stream of visitors come and go. I've visited Hessett many times, and never once encountered another visitor. Still, there you are, I suppose. Perhaps some places are better kept secret. But come here if you can, for here is a medieval worship space with much surviving evidence of what it was actually meant to be, and meant to do.

"Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulchre with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew."

 

Station from Saint-Brieuc Cathedral Basilica in Brittany, France.

El castillo de Coca es una fortificación de la localidad de Coca (Segovia, Castilla y León); fue construido en el siglo XV y está considerado una de las mejores muestras del gótico-mudéjar español.Propiedad de la Casa de Alba, cedido al ministerio de Agricultura de España hasta el año 2055.

 

Situado a las afueras de la villa, se levanta sobre el meandro del río Voltoya, siendo una de las pocas fortalezas de España que no se asienta sobre un cerro. Rodea el edificio un ancho y profundo foso.

 

Su construcción, atribuida a los alarifes sevillanos, [cita requerida] se realizó en el siglo XV principalmente en ladrillo, utilizado no sólo como material de obra, sino también como elemento decorativo; la piedra caliza aparece en las aspilleras, las columnas del patio de armas y otros elementos decorativos.

 

Su sistema defensivo consta de tres partes: el foso y dos recintos amurallados con torreones. Además, dispone de un puente defensivo sobre el foso, que conduce al primer recinto amurallado; tras él, se registra una puerta rejada que lleva al patio de armas.

 

El recinto inferior es de planta cuadrada, y se encuentra flanqueado en sus esquinas por cuatro torres, siendo la de mayor tamaño la torre del homenaje, recorrida en su interior por una angosta escalera de caracol realizada en ladrillo que permite el acceso a diversas plantas destinadas a capilla, sala de armas y otras estancias. La Sala de armas posee una bóveda de nervaduras góticas con mosaicos decorados de motivos geométricos de varios colores. Desde lo alto de la torre se divisan los castillos de Cuéllar y de Íscar.

 

La torre de Pedro Mata sigue en tamaño a la del homenaje, seguramente porque junto a ella protege la puerta de acceso al patio de armas. Las dos restantes son la torre de la Muralla y la de los Peces. Dentro del recinto pueden encontrarse también otras salas con decoración de estuco y mural, así como una mazmorra.

 

La villa perteneció a la Corona de Castilla hasta que en 1439 fue cedida a Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana, y posteriormente pasó a manos de Alonso de Fonseca, obispo de Ávila y arzobispo de Sevilla, quien consiguió en 1453 el permiso real para edificar el castillo. Nombró por su sucesor a su sobrino Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo, quien mandó construir el castillo en 1473 y lo convirtió en residencia señorial, donde celebró grandes fiestas que eran frecuentadas por diferentes personalidades, entre las que destaca el cardenal francés Jean Jouffroi, que llegó a Castilla con la propuesta de matrimonio entre la infanta Isabel (después reina) con el duque de Berry de Guyena, hermano de Luis XI de Francia. También visitó el castillo Beatriz de Bobadilla, marquesa de Moya.

 

En 1504 pasó a ser propiedad de Antonio de Fonseca, que amplió los elementos defensivos del castillo, que más tarde tuvo que defenderse del infortunado ataque del marqués del Cenete, quien pretendía rescatar a su prometida, María de Fonseca, que estaba retenida por su tío. En 1521 fue atacado por las tropas comuneras en represalia por el incendio de Medina del Campo llevado a cabo por el propio Antonio de Fonseca; al no conseguir acceder al castillo, destruyeron la cercana fortaleza de Alaejos.

 

En el siglo XVII estuvo preso en el castillo Gaspar Pérez de Guzmán, duque de Medina-Sidonia, condenado tras ser acusado de proclamarse rey de Andalucía. La propiedad del edificio pasó de los Fonseca a la Casa de Alba, quien en el siglo XIX expolió parte de su riqueza a través de la venta. En 1931 fue declarado Monumento Histórico Nacional y en 1954 fue cedido al Ministerio de Agricultura por 100 años menos 1 día, siendo restaurado entre 1956 y 1958 para albergar la Escuela de Capacitación Forestal. En 1994 fue escenario de uno de los capítulos del concurso televisivo de TVE titulado La noche de los castillos.

 

Wikipedia.

Dog meat refers to the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including East and Southeast Asia, West Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas.

 

In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed in many parts of China, Korea and Vietnam, parts of Switzerland, as well as parts of Europe, Americas, the African continent, such as Cameroon, Ghana and Liberia.

 

Today, a number of cultures view the consumption of dog meat to be a part of their traditional and day-to-day cuisine, while others - such as Western culture - consider consumption of dog to be a taboo, although they have been consumed in times of war and/or other hardships or in rural areas where food is scarce. It was estimated in 2014 that worldwide, 25 million dogs are eaten each year by humans.

 

DOG BREEDS USED FOR MEAT

NUREONGI

The Nureongi is a yellowish landrace from Korea. Similar to other native Korean dog breeds, such as the Jindo, nureongi are medium-sized spitz-type dogs, but are larger, with greater musculature and a distinctive coat pattern. They are quite uniform in appearance, yellow hair and melanistic masks. Nureongi are most often used as a livestock dog, raised for its meat, and not commonly kept as pets.

 

HAWAIIAN POI

The Hawaiian Poi Dog or ʻīlio (ʻīlio mākuʻe for brown-furred Poi dogs) is an extinct breed of pariah dog from Hawaiʻi which was used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food.

 

XOLOITZCUINTLE (Mexican Hairless)

The Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolo for short, is a hairless breed of dog, found in toy, miniature and standard sizes. The Xolo also comes in a coated variety and all three sizes can be born to a single litter. It is also known as Mexican hairless dog in English speaking countries, is one of several breeds of hairless dog and has been used as a historical source of food for the Aztec Empire.

 

BY REGION

AFRICA

CAMEROON

The Mandara mountains people like dog meat. The Mayo-Plata (Mayo Sava district) market is well known for its dog meat outlets. Among the Vame people, domestic dogs are only eaten for specific rituals.

 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Despite tests showing 156 dogs were infected with Ebola, the consumption of dog meat is no longer taboo. Several families may chip in to purchase a whole large dog.

 

GHANA

The Tallensi, the Akyim's, the Kokis, and the Yaakuma, one of many cultures of Ghana, consider dog meat a delicacy. While the Mamprusi generally avoid dog meat, it is eaten in a "courtship stew" provided by a king to his royal lineage. Two Tribes in Ghana, Frafra and Dagaaba are particularly known to be "tribal playmates" and consumption of dog meat is the common bond between the two tribes. Every year around September, games are organised between these two tribes and the Dog Head is the trophy at stake for the winning tribe

 

LIBERIA

Liberians are said to lump the term dog meat and bushmeat together. A local animal welfare group. Anti Pet & Bush Meat Coalition, claimed 75% of Liberians consume dog meat. 75% of Liberians rely on bush and pet meat as a staple diet.

 

MOROCCO

Islamic law bans the eating of dog meat as does the government of Morocco, however the consumption of dog meat still occurs particularly in poorer regions, often being passed off as other meats as was the case in 2013 and 2009 cases

 

NIGERIA

Dogs are eaten by various groups in some states of Nigeria, including Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Plateau, Ondo, Kalaba, Taraba and Gombe of Nigeria. They are believed to have medicinal powers.

 

In late 2014, the fear of contracting the Ebola virus disease from bushmeat led at least one major Nigerian newspaper to imply that eating dog meat was a healthy alternative. That paper documented a thriving trade in dog meat and slow sales of even well smoked bushmeat.

 

AMERICAS

CANADA

It is legal to sell and serve dog meat, providing that it must be killed and gutted in front of federal inspectors. If a dog is killed out of the view of federal inspectors, the killing might involve cruelty, which would be a violation of the Criminal Code, and those convicted may be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.

 

ANCIENT MEXICO

In the time of the Aztec Empire in what is now central Mexico, Mexican Hairless Dogs were bred, among other purposes, for their meat. Hernán Cortés reported when he arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519, "small gelded dogs which they breed for eating" were among the goods sold in the city markets. These dogs, Xoloitzcuintles, were often depicted in pre-Columbian Mexican pottery. The breed was almost extinct in the 1940s, but the British Military Attaché in Mexico City, Norman Wright, developed a thriving breed from some of the dogs he found in remote villages.

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The term "dog" has been used as a synonym for sausage since 1884 and accusations that sausage makers used dog meat date to at least 1845. The belief that sausages contained dog meat was occasionally justified.

 

In the late 19th century, a cure for tuberculosis (then colloquially termed "consumption") using an exclusive diet of dog meat was tried. Reports of families eating dog meat out of choice, rather than necessity, were rare and newsworthy. Stories of families in Ohio and Newark, New Jersey who did so made it into editions of The New York Times in 1876 and 1885.

 

In the early 20th century, dog meat was consumed during times of meat shortage.

 

NATIVE AMERICANS

The traditional culture surrounding the consumption of dog meat varied from tribe to tribe among the original inhabitants of North America, with some tribes relishing it as a delicacy, and others (such as the Comanche) treating it as a forbidden food. Native peoples of the Great Plains, such as the Sioux and Cheyenne, consumed it, but there was a concurrent religious taboo against the meat of wild canines.

 

During their 1803–1806 expedition, Meriwether Lewis and the other members of the Corps of Discovery consumed dog meat, either from their own animals or supplied by Native American tribes, including the Paiutes and Wah-clel-lah Indians, a branch of the Watlatas, the Clatsop, the Teton Sioux (Lakota), the Nez Perce Indians, and the Hidatsas. Lewis and the members of the expedition ate dog meat, except William Clark, who reportedly could not bring himself to eat dogs.

 

The Kickapoo people include puppy meat in many of their traditional festivals. This practice has been well documented in the Works Progress Administration "Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma".

 

AUSTRALIA

It is legal to eat dogs in most States and Territories, except for South Australia. However, it is illegal to sell dog meat in any Australian State or Territory.

 

ARTIC AND ANTARTIC

Dogs have historically been emergency food sources for various peoples in Siberia, northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually maintained for pulling sleds, but occasionally are eaten when no other food is available.

 

British explorer Ernest Shackleton and his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition became trapped, and ultimately killed their sled dogs for food. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was known to have eaten sled dogs during his expedition to the South Pole. By eating some of the sled dogs, he required less human or dog food, thus lightening his load. When comparing sled dogs to ponies as draught animals he also notes:

 

"...there is the obvious advantage that dog can be fed on dog. One can reduce one's pack little by little, slaughtering the feebler ones and feeding the chosen with them. In this way they get fresh meat. Our dogs lived on dog's flesh and pemmican the whole way, and this enabled them to do splendid work. And if we ourselves wanted a piece of fresh meat we could cut off a delicate little fillet; it tasted to us as good as the best beef. The dogs do not object at all; as long as they get their share they do not mind what part of their comrade's carcass it comes from. All that was left after one of these canine meals was the teeth of the victim – and if it had been a really hard day, these also disappeared."

 

Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz were part of the Far Eastern Party, a three-man sledging team with Lieutenant B.E.S. Ninnis, to survey King George V Land, Antarctica. On 14 December 1912 Ninnis fell through a snow-covered crevasse along with most of the party's rations, and was never seen again. Mawson and Mertz turned back immediately. They had one and a half weeks' food for themselves and nothing at all for the dogs. Their meagre provisions forced them to eat their remaining sled dogs on their 507 km return journey. Their meat was tough, stringy and without a vestige of fat. Each animal yielded very little, and the major part was fed to the surviving dogs, which ate the meat, skin and bones until nothing remained. The men also ate the dog's brains and livers. Unfortunately eating the liver of sled dogs produces the condition hypervitaminosis A because canines have a much higher tolerance for vitamin A than humans do. Mertz suffered a quick deterioration. He developed stomach pains and became incapacitated and incoherent. On 7 January 1913, Mertz died. Mawson continued alone, eventually making it back to camp alive.

 

ASIA/PACIFIC

CHINA

Selling dog meat for consumption is legal in Mainland China and approximately 10 million dogs each year are slaughtered for consumption. The eating of dog meat in China dates back thousands of years. Dog meat (Chinese: 狗肉; pinyin: gǒu ròu) has been a source of food in some areas from around 500 BC and possibly even earlier. It has been suggested that wolves in southern China may have been domesticated as a source of meat. Mencius, the philosopher, talked about dog meat as being an edible, dietary meat. It is thought to have medicinal properties, and is especially popular in winter months in northern China, as it is believed to raise body temperature after consumption and promote warmth. Historical records have moreover shown how in times of food scarcities (as in war-time situations), dogs could also be eaten as an emergency food source.

 

Dog meat is sometimes called "fragrant meat" (香肉 xiāng ròu) or "mutton of the earth" (地羊 dì yáng) in Mandarin Chinese and "3–6 fragrant meat" (Chinese: 三六香肉; Cantonese Yale: sàam luhk hèung yuhk) in Cantonese (3 plus 6 is 9 and the words "nine" and "dog" have close pronunciation. In Mandarin, "nine" and "dog" are pronounced differently).

 

In modern times, the extent of dog consumption in China varies by region, most prevalent in Guangdong, Yunnan and Guangxi, as well as the northern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning. It is still common to find dog meat served in restaurants in Southern China, where dogs are specially raised on farms. However, there are instances of finding stolen pet meat on menus. Chinese netizens and the Chinese police intercepted trucks transporting caged dogs to be slaughtered in localities such as Chongqing and Kunming. In 2014, 11 people in the Hunan province were sentenced to prison for allegedly poisoning over 1,000 dogs and selling the poisonous meat to restaurants. Since 2009, Yulin, Guangxi has held an annual festival of eating dog meat. This purportedly celebrates the summer solstice, however, in 2014, the municipal government published a statement that the festival is not a cultural tradition, rather, a commercial event held by restaurants and the public. Various dog meat dishes (and more recently, cats) are eaten, washed down by lychees wine. The festival in 2011 spanned 10 days, during which 15,000 dogs were consumed. Estimates of the number of dogs eaten during the festival range between 10 and 15 thousand. Festival organisers say that only dogs bred specifically for consumption are used, however, there are claims that some of the dogs purchased for slaughter and consumption are strays or stolen pets, as evidenced by their wearing collars. Some of the dogs eaten at the festival are burnt or boiled alive and there are reports that the dogs are sometimes clubbed or beaten to death in the belief that the increased adrenalin circulating in the dog's body adds to the flavour of the meat. At the 2015 festival, there were long queues outside large (300-seat) eateries which sold the dog meat for around £4 (€5.60) per kilogram. Prior to the 2014 festival, eight dogs (and their two cages) sold for 1,150 yuan ($185) and six puppies for 1,200 yuan. Prior to the 2015 festival, a protester bought 100 dogs for 7,000 yuan ($1,100; £710). The animal rights NGO Best Volunteer Centre claims the city has more than 100 slaughterhouses, processing between 30 and 100 dogs a day. However, the Yulin Centre for Animal Disease Control and Prevention claims the city has only eight dog slaughterhouses selling approximately 200 dogs, although this increases to about 2,000 dogs during the Yulin festival. There are several campaigns to stop the festival; more than 3,000,000 people have signed petitions against it on Weibo (China’s version of Twitter) and a petition to stop the festival (addressed to the Chinese Minister of Agriculture, Chen Wu) reads "Do the humane thing by saying no to this festival and save the lives of countless dogs that will fall victim to this event - an event that will butcher, skin alive, beat to death etc. thousands of innocent dogs." Prior to the 2014 festival, doctors and nurses staff were ordered not to eat dog meat there, and local restaurants serving dog meat were ordered to cover the word "dog" on their signs and notices.

 

The movement against the consumption of cat and dog meat was given added impetus by the formation of the Chinese Companion Animal Protection Network (CCAPN). Expanded to more than 40 member societies, CCAPN in 2006 began organizing protests against eating dogs and cat, starting in Guangzhou and following up in more than ten other cities with a positive response from the public. Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, officials ordered dog meat to be taken off the menu at its 112 official Olympic restaurants to avoid offending visitors from various nations who might have been concerned by the offering of dog meat.

 

In 2010, draft legislation was proposed to prohibit the consumption of dog meat. The legislation, however, was not expected to be enforced, making the consumption of dog meat illegal if it passed. In 2010, the first draft proposal of the legislation was introduced, with the rationale to protect animals from maltreatment. The legislation includes a measure to jail people for up to 15 days for eating dog meat. However, certain cultural food festivals continue to promote the meat. For example, in 2014, 10,000 dogs were killed for the Yulin dog eating festival.

 

As of the early 21st century, dog meat consumption is declining or disappearing. In 2014, dog meat sales decreased by a third compared to 2013. It was reported that in 2015, one of the most popular restaurants in Guangzhou serving dog meat was closed after the local government tightened regulations; the restaurant had served dog meat dishes since 1963. Other restaurants that served dog and cat meat dishes in the Yuancun and Panyu districts also stopped serving these in 2015.

 

HONG KONG

In Hong Kong, the Dogs and Cats Ordinance was introduced by the British Hong Kong Government on 6 January 1950. It prohibits the slaughter of any dog or cat for use as food, whether for mankind or otherwise, on pain of fine and imprisonment. In February 1998, a Hong Konger was sentenced to one month imprisonment and a fine of two thousand HK dollars for hunting street dogs for food. Four local men were sentenced to 30 days imprisonment in December 2006 for having slaughtered two dogs.

 

TAIWAN

In 2001, the Taiwanese government imposed a ban on the sale of dog meat, due to both pressure from domestic animal welfare groups and a desire to improve international perceptions, although there were some protests. In 2007, another law was passed, significantly increasing the fines to sellers of dog meat. However, animal rights campaigners have accused the Taiwanese government of not prosecuting those who continue to slaughter and serve dog meat at restaurants. Although the slaughter and consumption of dog meat is illegal in Taiwan, there are reports that suggest the practice continues as of 2011. In Taiwan, dog meat is called "fragrant meat" (Chinese: 香肉; pinyin: xiāngròu). In 2007, legislators passed a law to fine sellers of dog meat NT$250,000 (US$7,730). Dog meat is believed to have health benefits, including improving circulation and raising body temperature.

 

INDIA

In India, dog meat is eaten by certain communities in the Northeast Indian border states of Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur where it is considered to be a delicacy. These states border Burma and may have been influenced by Chinese culture and traditions.

 

INDONESIA

Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, a faith which considers dog meat, along with pork to be "haraam" (ritually unclean) and therefore do not eat it. However, dog meat is eaten by several of Indonesia's non-Muslim minorities.

 

The consumption of dog meat is associated with the Minahasa culture of northern Sulawesi, Maluku culture, and the Bataks of northern Sumatra, where dog meat is considered a festive dish usually reserved for occasions such as weddings and Christmas.

 

Popular Indonesian dog-meat dishes are rica-rica, also called rintek wuuk or "RW", rica-rica waung, guk-guk, and "B1". On Java, there are several dishes made from dog meat, such as sengsu (tongseng asu), sate jamu, and kambing balap.

 

Dog consumption in Indonesia gained attention in United States where dog is a taboo food, during 2012 Presidential election when incumbent Barack Obama was pointed by his opponent to have eaten dog meat served by his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro during his stay in the country.

 

JAPAN

The consumption of dog meat is not a feature of modern Japanese culture because Japanese people believe that certain dogs have special powers in their religion of Shintoism and Buddhism. Dog meat was consumed in Japan until 675 AD, when Emperor Temmu decreed a prohibition on its consumption during the 4th–9th months of the year. Normally a dog accompanied the emperor for battle, so it was believed that eating a dog gave emperors bad luck. In Japanese shrines certain animals are worshipped, such as dogs as it is believed they will give people a good luck charm. Animals are described as good luck in scrolls and Kakemono during the Kofun period, Asuka period and Nara period. According to Meisan Shojiki Ōrai (名産諸色往来) published in 1760, the meat of wild dog was sold along with boar, deer, fox, wolf, bear, raccoon dog, otter, weasel and cat in some regions of Edo. Ōta Nampo recorded witnessing puppies being eaten in Satsuma Province in a dish called Enokoro Meshi (えのころ飯).

 

KOREA

Gaegogi (개고기) literally means "dog meat" in Korean. The term itself, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, which is actually called bosintang (보신탕; 補身湯, Body nourishing soup) (sometimes spelled "bo-shintang").

 

The consumption of dog meat in Korean culture can be traced through history. Dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. A wall painting in the Goguryeo Tombs complex in South Hwangghae Province, a World Heritage site which dates from the 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse. The Balhae people also enjoyed dog meat, and the modern-day tradition of canine cuisine seems to have come from that era.

 

Although their Mohe ancestors did not respect dogs, the Jurchen people began to respect dogs around the time of the Ming dynasty and passed this tradition on to the Manchu. It was prohibited in Jurchen culture to use dog skin, and forbidden for Jurchens to harm, kill, and eat dogs, as the Jurchens believed the "utmost evil" was the usage of dog skin by Koreans.

 

SOUTH KOREA

Dog meat is often consumed during the summer months and is either roasted or prepared in soups or stews. The most popular of these soups is bosintang and gaejang-guk, a spicy stew meant to balance the body's heat during the summer months. This is thought to ensure good health by balancing one's "Qi", the believed vital energy of the body. A 19th-century version of gaejang-guk explains the preparation of the dish by boiling dog meat with vegetables such as green onions and chili pepper powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots.

 

Over 100,000 tons of dog meat, or 2.5 million dogs, are consumed annually in South Korea. Although a fair number of South Koreans (approximately 42% to 60%) have eaten dog meat at least once in their lifetime, only a small percentage of the population is believed to eat it on a regular basis.

 

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recognizes any edible product other than drugs as food. South Korean Food Sanitary Law (식품위생법) does not include dog meat as a legal food ingredient. In the capital city of Seoul, the sale of dog meat was outlawed by regulation on February 21, 1984 by classifying dog meat as 'repugnant food' (혐오식품), but the regulation was not rigorously enforced except during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 2001, the Mayor of Seoul announced there would be no extra enforcement efforts to control the sale of dog meat during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was partially hosted in Seoul. In March 2008, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its plan to put forward a policy suggestion to the central government to legally classify slaughter dogs as livestock, reigniting debate on the issue.

 

The primary dog breed raised for meat, the Nureongi (누렁이), or Hwangu (황구); is a non-specific, mixed breed.

 

There is a large and vocal group of Koreans (consisting of a number of animal welfare groups) who are against the practice of eating dogs. Popular television shows like 'I Love Pet' have documented, in 2011 for instance, the continued illegal sale of dog meat and slaughtering of dogs in suburban areas. The program also televised illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, showing the unsanitary and horrific conditions of caged dogs, several of which were visibly sick with severe eye infections and malnutrition. However, despite this growing awareness, there remain some in Korea that do not eat or enjoy the meat, but do feel that it is the right of others to do so, along with a smaller but still vocal group of pro-dog cuisine people who want to popularize the consumption of dog in Korea and the rest of the world. A group of pro-dog meat individuals attempted to promote and publicize the consumption of dog meat worldwide during the run-up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, which prompted retaliation from animal rights campaigners and prominent figures such as Brigitte Bardot to denounce the practice. Opponents of dog meat consumption in South Korea are critical of the eating of dog meat, as some dogs are beaten, burnt or hanged to make their meat more tender.

 

The restaurants that sell dog meat, often exclusively, do so at the risk of losing their restaurant licenses. A case of a dog meat wholesaler, charged with selling dog meat, arose in 1997 where an appeals court acquitted the dog meat wholesaler, ruling that dogs were socially accepted as food. According to the National Assembly of South Korea, more than 20,000 restaurants, including the 6,484 registered restaurants, served soups made from dog meat in Korea in 1998. In 1999 the BBC reported that 8,500 tons of dog meat were consumed annually, with another 93,600 tons used to produce a medicinal tonic called gaesoju (개소주).

 

NORTH KOREA

Daily NK reported that the North Korean government included dog meat in its new list of one hundred fixed prices, setting a fixed price of 500 won per kilogram in early 2010.

 

NEW ZEALAND

Dog meat is rarely eaten in New Zealand but has been said to be becoming more popular as it is not illegal as long as the dog is humanely killed.

 

A Tongan man living in New Zealand caused public outrage when he was caught cooking his pet dog in his backyard; this event led to calls for change in the law.

 

PHILIPPINES

The “Malays”, a sea-faring population that is now scattered throughout South-East Asia, introduced the practice of domesticating dogs for meat consumption to the indigenous population of the Philippines.

 

In the capital city of Manila, Metro Manila Commission Ordinance 82-05 specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food. Generally however, the Philippine Animal Welfare Act 1998 prohibits the killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles, with exemptions for religious, cultural, research, public safety and/or animal health reasons. Nevertheless, the consumption of dog meat is not uncommon in the Philippines, reflected in the occasional coverage in Philippine newspapers,.

 

The Province of Benguet specifically allows cultural use of dog meat by indigenous people and acknowledges this might lead to limited commercial use.

 

Asocena is a dish primarily consisting of dog meat originating from the Philippines.

 

In the early 1980s, there was an international outcry about dog meat consumption in the Philippines after newspapers published photos of Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, with a dog carcass hanging beside her on a market stall. The British Government discussed withdrawing foreign aid and other countries, such as Australia, considered similar action. To avoid such action, the Filipino government banned the sale of dog meat, despite dog meat being the third most consumed meat, behind pork and goat. The ban eventually became totally disregarded, although it was reinstated by President Ramos in 1998 in the Animal Welfare Act (Republic Act 8485).

 

POLYNESIA

Dogs were historically eaten in Tahiti and other islands of Polynesia, including Hawaii at the time of first European contact. James Cook, when first visiting Tahiti in 1769, recorded in his journal, "few were there of us but what allow'd that a South Sea Dog was next to an English Lamb, one thing in their favour is that they live entirely upon Vegetables". Calwin Schwabe reported in 1979 that dog was widely eaten in Hawaii and considered to be of higher quality than pork or chicken. When Hawaiians first encountered early British and American explorers, they were at a loss to explain the visitors' attitudes about dog meat. The Hawaiians raised both dogs and pigs as pets and for food. They could not understand why their British and American visitors only found the pig suitable for consumption. This practice seems to have died out, along with the native Hawaiian breed of dog, the unique Hawaiian Poi Dog, which was primarily used for this purpose. The consumption of domestic dog meat is still commonplace in the Kingdom of Tonga, and has also been noted in expatriate Tongan communities in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

 

THAILAND

Unlike other countries where dog meat consumption has been shown to have historical precedents, Thailand does not have a mainstream culture of dog eating. However, in recent years, the consumption of dog meat in certain areas of the country, especially in certain northeastern provinces like Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom, notably Sakon Nakhon province's Tha Rae sub-district, which has been identified as the main center for the country's illegal, albeit lucrative, dog meat trade, has attracted widespread attention from the Thai population and local news media. This has led large groups of Thai citizens to become increasingly vocal against the consumption of dog meat and the selling of dogs that are transported through Laos to neighbouring Mekong countries, including Vietnam and China. According to news reports, a considerable number of these dogs continue to be stolen from people's homes by illegal carriers. This was also the case following the 2011 Thailand Floods. Dubbed as the country's 'Trade of Shame', Thai netizens, in particular, have now formed several informal animal welfare and rescue groups in an attempt to stop this illegal trade, with the collective attitude being that 'Dogs are not food'. Established not-for-profit animal charity organizations like the Soi Dog Foundation have also been active in raising awareness and working in conjunction with local Thai authorities to rehabilitate and relocate dogs rescued from trucks attempting to transport live dogs across the border to nearby countries. Significantly, this issue has strengthened the nation's animal rights movement, which continues to call on the Thai government to adopt a stricter and more comprehensive animal rights law to prevent the maltreatment of pets and cruelty against all animals.

 

TIMOR LESTE

Dog meat is a delicacy popular in East Timor.

 

UZBEKISTAN

Although not commonly eaten, dog meat is sometimes used in Uzbekistan in the belief that it has medicinal properties.

 

VIETNAM

Dog meat is consumed more commonly in the northern part of Vietnam than in the south, and can be found in special restaurants which specifically serve dog meat. Dog meat is believed to bring good fortune in Vietnamese culture. It is seen as being comparable in consumption to chicken or pork. In urban areas, there are sections that house a lot of dog meat restaurants. For example, on Nhat Tan Street, Tây Hồ District, Hanoi, many restaurants serve dog meat. Groups of customers, usually male, seated on mats, will spend their evenings sharing plates of dog meat and drinking alcohol. The consumption of dog meat can be part of a ritual usually occurring toward the end of the lunar month for reasons of astrology and luck. Restaurants which mainly exist to serve dog meat may only open for the last half of the lunar month. Dog meat is also believed to raise the libido in men. The Associated Press reported in October 2009 that a soaring economy has led to the booming of dog restaurants in Hanoi, and that this has led to a proliferation of dognappers. Reportedly, a 20 kilograms dog can sell for more than $100 — roughly the monthly salary of an average Vietnamese worker. The Vietnamese Catholic Church is a major consumer of dog meat during the Christmas holiday. There is a large smuggling trade from Thailand to export dogs to Vietnam for human consumption.In 2009, dog meat was found to be a main carrier of the Vibrio cholerae bacterium, which caused the summer epidemic of cholera in northern Vietnam. Prior to 2014, more than 5 million dogs were killed for meat every year in Vietnam according to the Asia Canine Protection Alliance. However, there are indications that the desire to eat dog meat in Vietnam is waning. Part of the decline is thought to be due to an increased number of Vietnamese people keeping dogs as pets, as their incomes have risen in the past few decades. “[People] used to raise dogs to guard the house, and when they needed the meat, they ate it. Now they keep dog as pets, imported from China, Japan, and other countries. One pet dog might cost hundreds of millions of dong [100 million dong is $4,677].”

 

EUROPE

BRITAIN & IRELAND

Eating dog meat is considered entirely taboo, as is common with most European societies, and has been taboo for many centuries outside of times of scarcity such as sieges or famines. However, early Brittonic and Irish texts which date from the early Christian period suggest that dog meat was sometimes consumed but possibly in ritual contexts such as Druidic ritual trance. Sacrificial dog bones are often recovered from archaeological sites however they were typically treated differently, as were horses, from other food animals. One of Ireland's mythological heroes Cuchulainn, had two geasa, or vows, one of which was to avoid the meat of dogs. The breaking of his geasa led to his death in the Irish mythology.

 

BELGIUM

A few meat shops sold dog meat during the German occupation of Belgium in World War I, when food was extremely scarce. According to The New York Times, in the 19th century the Council of the Veterinary School of Belgium occasionally recommended dog meat for human consumption after being properly inspected.

 

FRANCE

Although consumption of dog meat is uncommon in France, and is now considered taboo, dog meat has been consumed in the past by the Gauls. The earliest evidence of dog consumption in France was found at Gaulish archaeological sites, where butchered dog bones were discovered. French news sources from the late 19th century carried stories reporting lines of people buying dog meat, which was described as being "beautiful and light." During the Siege of Paris (1870–1871), there were lines at butcher's shops of people waiting to purchase dog meat. Dog meat was also reported as being sold by some butchers in Paris, 1910.

 

GERMANY

Dog meat has been eaten in every major German crisis since, at least, the time of Frederick the Great, and is commonly referred to as "blockade mutton". In the early 20th century, high meat prices led to widespread consumption of horse and dog meat in Germany.

 

The consumption of dog meat continued in the 1920s. In 1937, a meat inspection law targeted against trichinella was introduced for pigs, dogs, boars, foxes, badgers, and other carnivores. Dog meat has been prohibited in Germany since 1986.

 

SAXONY

In the latter part of World War I, dog meat was being eaten in Saxony by the poorer classes because of famine conditions.

 

THE NETHERLANDS

During severe meat shortages coinciding with the German occupation from 1940 to 1945, sausages found to have been made of dog meat were confiscated by authorities in the Netherlands.

 

POLAND

While dog meat is not eaten, some rural areas of Poland especially Lesser Poland, dog fat can be made into lard, which by tradition is believed to have medicinal properties — being good for the lungs, for instance. Since the 16th century, fat from various animals, including dogs, was used as part of folk medicine, and since the 18th century, dog fat has had a reputation as being beneficial for the lungs. It is worth noting that the consumption of such meat is considered taboo in Polish culture, also making lard out of dogs' fat is illegal. In 2009, a scandal erupted when a farm near Częstochowa was discovered rearing dogs to be rendered down into lard. According to Grazyna Zawada, from Gazeta Wyborcza, there were farms in Czestochowa, Klobuck, and in the Radom area, and in the decade from 2000 to 2010 six people producing dog lard were found guilty of breaching animal welfare laws (found guilty of killing dogs and animal cruelty) and sentenced to jail. As of 2014 there have been new cases prosecuted.

 

SWITZERLAND

Dogs, as well as cats, are eaten regularly by farmers in rural areas for personal consumption. While commercial slaughter and sale of dog meat is illegal, cultural attitudes toward slaughtering of animals for meat is traditionally liberal in Switzerland. The favorite type of meat comes from a dog related to the Rottweiler and consumed as 'mostbrockli' a form of marinated meat. Animals are slaughtered by butchers and either shot or bludgeoned.

 

In his 1979 book Unmentionable Cuisine, Calvin Schwabe described a Swiss dog meat recipe gedörrtes Hundefleisch served as paper-thin slices, as well as smoked dog ham, Hundeschinken, which is prepared by salting and drying raw dog meat.

 

It is illegal in Switzerland to commercially produce food made from dog meat, or to produce such food for commercial purposes.

 

WIKIPEDIA

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