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U.S. Air Force basic military graduation is held Mar. 26, 2020, at the 331st Training Squadron’s Airman Training Complex on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Due to current world events, the graduation ceremonies will be closed to the public until further notice for safety and security of the newly accessioned Airmen and their family members due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
These are the two gorilla troops currently living in Dallas (TX), United States.
Juba and B’Wenzi - the zoo's bachelor group - arrived in November 2010 from Toledo. They live "next door" with silverback Patrick who had long been a behavior problem for Dallas Zoo officials, attributed to his upbringing by humans at the Bronx Zoo. Soon after he came to Dallas, he was partnered with another male gorilla, Jabari, who in 2003 famously escaped, attacked zoo visitors and was shot and killed by Dallas police. Since then, Patrick had been kept apart from other gorillas.
In November 2011, Madge and Shanta arrived from Cincinnati and were introduced to Patrick in February 2012. "As genetically over-represented females, Madge and Shanta are needed to help socialize Patrick," said Ron Evans, Primate Team Leader at the Cincinnati Zoo. "It is a primary goal of managing gorillas in captivity to not have solitary individuals. Madge and Shanta’s social skills make them a great match for Patrick’s personality. Having been alone for a number of years he will need experienced females to help him along in his socialization."
Color Key - Black: males, red: females, grey: non-residents (with their current location) or deceased.
Arrows - Pointing from parents to their offspring.
Please note: Kitani's parents are Tatu and Emily (Oklahoma City). Kwisha's parents are Samson II and Alpha (deceased).
This chart is based on the interactive online Gorilla Studbook by James R. Davis and the official International Studbook, published by Frankfurt Zoo.
Image of Patrick (c) deathspine, images of Madge and Shanta (c) Dave Jenike/Cincinnati Zoo, image of Juba (c) Stan Dorsett, image of B'Wenzi (c) Courtney Crawford.
Cited articles: Dallas News (1), Lubbock and Dallas News (2).
Stay Classy, Not Trashy show @ The Music House in Clermont, FL with Playing For Keeps, Aglacia, Conquer, Currents, Deviations, Wake Up Atlantic, Majesty,
Seven current meter platforms arrive by truck for the Miami Current Survey Project. The project originated in 2007 after requests for up-to-date current information were received from multiple navigational community and marine resource users. The current survey project supports navigation and the operation of deep draft vessels in the area and additionally benefits various state and federal agencies.
To learn about currents, visit:
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services
What are Currents? (Diving Deeper audio podcast)
(Original source: National Ocean Service Image Gallery)
Varosha - Maras is the southern quarter of the Famagusta, a de jure territory of Cyprus, currently under the control of Northern Cyprus. Varosha has a population of 226 in the 2011 Northern Cyprus census. The area of Varosha is 6.19 km2 (2.39 sq mi).
The name of Varosha derives from the Turkish word varoş (Ottoman Turkish: واروش, 'suburb'). The place where Varosha is located now was empty fields in which animals grazed.
In the early 1970s, Famagusta was the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus. To cater to the increasing number of tourists, many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed. During its heyday, Varosha was not only the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus, but between 1970 and 1974, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and was a favorite destination of such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot.
Before 1974, Varosha was the modern tourist area of the Famagusta city. Its Greek Cypriot inhabitants fled during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, when the city of Famagusta came under Turkish control, and it has remained abandoned ever since. In 1984 a U.N. resolution called for the handover of the city to UN control and said that only the original inhabitants, who were forced out, could resettle in the town.
Entry to part of Varosha was opened to civilians in 2017.
In August 1974, the Turkish Army advanced as far as the Green Line, a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, and controlled and fenced Varosha. Just hours before the Greek Cypriot and Turkish armies met in combat on the streets of Famagusta, the entire Greek Cypriot population fled to Paralimni, Dherynia, and Larnaca, fearing a massacre. The evacuation was aided and orchestrated by the nearby British military base. Paralimni has since become the modern-day capital of the Famagusta province of Greek Cypriot-led Cyprus.
The Turkish Army has allowed the entry of only Turkish military and United Nations personnel since 2017.
One such settlement plan was the Annan Plan to reunify the island that provided for the return of Varosha to the original residents. But this was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a 2004 referendum. The UN Security Council Resolution 550 states that it "considers attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the United Nations".
The European Court of Human Rights awarded between €100,000 and €8,000,000 to eight Greek Cypriots for being deprived of their homes and properties as a result of the 1974 invasion. The case was filed jointly by businessman Constantinos Lordos and others, with the principal judgement in the Lordos case dating back to November 2010. The court ruled that, in the case of eight of the applicants, Turkey had violated Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right of peaceful enjoyment of one's possessions, and in the case of seven of the applicants, Turkey had violated Article 8 on the right to respect for private and family life.
In the absence of human habitation and maintenance, buildings continue to decay. Over time, parts of the city have begun to be reclaimed by nature as metal corrodes, windows are broken, and plants work their roots into the walls and pavement and grow wild in old window boxes. In 2014, the BBC reported that sea turtles were observed nesting on the beaches in the city.
During the Cyprus Missile Crisis (1997–1998), the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş, threatened to take over Varosha if the Cypriot government did not back down.
The main features of Varosha included John F. Kennedy Avenue, a street which ran from close to the port of Famagusta, through Varosha and parallel to Glossa beach. Along JFK Avenue, there were many well known high rise hotels including the King George Hotel, The Asterias Hotel, The Grecian Hotel, The Florida Hotel, and The Argo Hotel which was the favourite hotel of Elizabeth Taylor. The Argo Hotel is located near the end of JFK Avenue, looking towards Protaras and Fig Tree Bay. Another major street in Varosha was Leonidas (Greek: Λεωνίδας), a major street that came off JFK Avenue and headed west towards Vienna Corner. Leonidas was a major shopping and leisure street in Varosha, consisting of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and a Toyota car dealership.
According to Greek Cypriots, 425 plots exist on the Varosha beach front, which extends from the Contandia hotel to the Golden Sands hotel. The complete number of plots in Varosha are 6082.
There are 281 cases of Greek Cypriots who filed to the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) of Northern Cyprus for compensation.
In 2020, Greek Cypriot Demetrios Hadjihambis filed a lawsuit seeking state compensation for financial losses.
The population of Varosha was 226 in the 2011 Northern Cyprus census.
In 2017, Varosha's beach was opened for the exclusive use of Turks (both Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals).
In 2019, the Government of Northern Cyprus announced it would open Varosha to settlement. On 14 November 2019, Ersin Tatar, the prime minister of Northern Cyprus, announced that Northern Cyprus aims to open Varosha by the end of 2020.
On 25 July 2019, Varosha Inventory Commission of Northern Cyprus started its inventory analysis on the buildings and other infrastructure in Varosha.
On 9 December 2019, Ibrahim Benter, the Director-General of the Turkish Cypriot EVKAF religious foundation's administration, declared all of Maraş/Varosha to be the property of EVKAF. Benter said "EVKAF can sign renting contracts with Greek Cypriots if they accept that the fenced-off town belongs to the Evkaf."
In 2019–20, inventory studies of buildings by the Government of Northern Cyprus were concluded. On 15 February 2020, the Turkish Bar Association organised a round table meeting at the Sandy Beach Hotel in Varosha, which was attended by Turkish officials (Vice President Fuat Oktay and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül), Turkish Cypriot officials, representatives of the Turkish Cypriot religious foundation Evkaf, and Turkish and Turkish Cypriot lawyers.
On 22 February 2020, Cyprus declared it would veto European Union funds to Turkish Cypriots if Varosha were opened to settlement.
On 6 October 2020, Ersin Tatar, the Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus, announced that the beach area of Varosha would reopen to the public on 8 October 2020. Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said Turkey fully supported the decision. The move came ahead of the 2020 Northern Cypriot presidential election, in which Tatar was a candidate. Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay, who had worked on the reopening previously, said that this was not a full reopening of the area, that this was just a unilateral election stunt by Tatar. His People's Party withdrew from the Tatar cabinet, leading to the collapse of the Turkish Cypriot government. The EU's diplomatic chief condemned the plan and described it as a "serious violation" of the U.N. ceasefire agreement. In addition, he asked Turkey to stop this activity. The U.N. Secretary-General expressed concern over Turkey's decision.
On 8 October 2020, some parts of Varosha were opened from the Officers' Club of Turkish and Turkish Cypriot Army to the Golden Sands Hotel.
In November 2020, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkey's ambassador to Nicosia, visited Varosha. In addition, the main avenue in Varosha has been renamed after Semih Sancar, Chief of the General Staff of Turkey from 1973 to 1978, a period including the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
The European Parliament on 27 November, asked Turkey to reverse its decision to re-open part of Varosha and resume negotiations aimed at resolving the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation and called on the European Union to impose sanctions against Turkey, if things do not change. Turkey rejected the resolution, adding that Turkey will continue to protect both its own rights and those of Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus presidency also condemned the resolution.
On 20 July 2021, Tatar, the president of Northern Cyprus announced the start of the 2nd phase of the opening of Varosha. He encouraged Greek Cypriots to apply Immovable Property Commission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to claim their properties back if they have any such rights.
Bilal Aga Mosque, constructed in 1821 and taken out of service in 1974, was re-opened on 23 July 2021.
In response to a decision by the government of Turkish Cyprus, the presidential statement of the United Nations Security Council dated on 23 July said that settling any part of the abandoned Cypriot suburb of Varosha, "by people other than its inhabitants, is 'inadmissible'." The same day, Turkey rejected the presidential statement of the UNSC on Maras (Varosha), and said that these statements were based on Greek-Greek Cypriot propaganda, were groundless and unfounded claims, and inconsistent with the realities on the Island. On 24 July 2021, the presidency of Northern Cyprus condemned the presidential statement of the UNSC dated on 23 July, and stated that "We see and condemn it as an attempt to create an obstacle for the property-rights-holders in Varosha to achieve their rights".
By 1 January 2022, nearly 400,000 people had visited Varosha since its opening to civilians on 6 October 2020.
On 19 May 2022, Northern Cyprus opened a 600m long X 400m wide stretch of beach on the Golden Sands beach (from the King George Hotel to the Oceania Building) in Varosha for commercial use. Sun beds and umbrellas were installed.
UNFICYP said it would raise the decision taken by Turkish Cypriot authorities to open that stretch of beach in Varosha with the Security Council, spokesperson for the peacekeeping force Aleem Siddique said on Friday. The UN announced its "position on Varosha is unchanged and we are monitoring the situation closely".
In October 2022, the Turkish Cypriots announced that public institutions will be opened in the city.
In April 2023, Cleo Hotel, the 7-floor Golden Seaside Hotel, and the 3-star Aegean Hotel were purchased by a Turkish Cypriot businessman (from their Greek Cypriot owners) who will operate them within 2025.
On 10 August 2023, the Government of Northern Cyprus decided to construct a marina and tourist facility in Varosha.
Varosha was analyzed by Alan Weisman in his book The World Without Us as an example of the unstoppable power of nature.
Filmmaker Greek Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis described the city and interviewed its exiled citizens in the film Attilas '74, produced in 1975.
In 2021, the Belarusian group Main-De-Gloire dedicated a song to this city that has become a ghostly place.
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus extends from the tip of the Karpass Peninsula in the northeast to Morphou Bay, Cape Kormakitis and its westernmost point, the Kokkina exclave in the west. Its southernmost point is the village of Louroujina. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital of both sides.
A coup d'état in 1974, performed as part of an attempt to annex the island to Greece, prompted the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. This resulted in the eviction of much of the north's Greek Cypriot population, the flight of Turkish Cypriots from the south, and the partitioning of the island, leading to a unilateral declaration of independence by the north in 1983. Due to its lack of recognition, Northern Cyprus is heavily dependent on Turkey for economic, political and military support.
Attempts to reach a solution to the Cyprus dispute have been unsuccessful. The Turkish Army maintains a large force in Northern Cyprus with the support and approval of the TRNC government, while the Republic of Cyprus, the European Union as a whole, and the international community regard it as an occupation force. This military presence has been denounced in several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Northern Cyprus is a semi-presidential, democratic republic with a cultural heritage incorporating various influences and an economy that is dominated by the services sector. The economy has seen growth through the 2000s and 2010s, with the GNP per capita more than tripling in the 2000s, but is held back by an international embargo due to the official closure of the ports in Northern Cyprus by the Republic of Cyprus. The official language is Turkish, with a distinct local dialect being spoken. The vast majority of the population consists of Sunni Muslims, while religious attitudes are mostly moderate and secular. Northern Cyprus is an observer state of ECO and OIC under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", PACE under the name "Turkish Cypriot Community", and Organization of Turkic States with its own name.
Several distinct periods of Cypriot intercommunal violence involving the two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, marked mid-20th century Cyprus. These included the Cyprus Emergency of 1955–59 during British rule, the post-independence Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, and the Cyprus crisis of 1967. Hostilities culminated in the 1974 de facto division of the island along the Green Line following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The region has been relatively peaceful since then, but the Cyprus dispute has continued, with various attempts to solve it diplomatically having been generally unsuccessful.
Cyprus, an island lying in the eastern Mediterranean, hosted a population of Greeks and Turks (four-fifths and one-fifth, respectively), who lived under British rule in the late nineteenth-century and the first half of the twentieth-century. Christian Orthodox Church of Cyprus played a prominent political role among the Greek Cypriot community, a privilege that it acquired during the Ottoman Empire with the employment of the millet system, which gave the archbishop an unofficial ethnarch status.
The repeated rejections by the British of Greek Cypriot demands for enosis, union with Greece, led to armed resistance, organised by the National Organization of Cypriot Struggle, or EOKA. EOKA, led by the Greek-Cypriot commander George Grivas, systematically targeted British colonial authorities. One of the effects of EOKA's campaign was to alter the Turkish position from demanding full reincorporation into Turkey to a demand for taksim (partition). EOKA's mission and activities caused a "Cretan syndrome" (see Turkish Resistance Organisation) within the Turkish Cypriot community, as its members feared that they would be forced to leave the island in such a case as had been the case with Cretan Turks. As such, they preferred the continuation of British colonial rule and then taksim, the division of the island. Due to the Turkish Cypriots' support for the British, EOKA's leader, Georgios Grivas, declared them to be enemies. The fact that the Turks were a minority was, according to Nihat Erim, to be addressed by the transfer of thousands of Turks from mainland Turkey so that Greek Cypriots would cease to be the majority. When Erim visited Cyprus as the Turkish representative, he was advised by Field Marshal Sir John Harding, the then Governor of Cyprus, that Turkey should send educated Turks to settle in Cyprus.
Turkey actively promoted the idea that on the island of Cyprus two distinctive communities existed, and sidestepped its former claim that "the people of Cyprus were all Turkish subjects". In doing so, Turkey's aim to have self-determination of two to-be equal communities in effect led to de jure partition of the island.[citation needed] This could be justified to the international community against the will of the majority Greek population of the island. Dr. Fazil Küçük in 1954 had already proposed Cyprus be divided in two at the 35° parallel.
Lindley Dan, from Notre Dame University, spotted the roots of intercommunal violence to different visions among the two communities of Cyprus (enosis for Greek Cypriots, taksim for Turkish Cypriots). Also, Lindlay wrote that "the merging of church, schools/education, and politics in divisive and nationalistic ways" had played a crucial role in creation of havoc in Cyprus' history. Attalides Michael also pointed to the opposing nationalisms as the cause of the Cyprus problem.
By the mid-1950's, the "Cyprus is Turkish" party, movement, and slogan gained force in both Cyprus and Turkey. In a 1954 editorial, Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazil Kuchuk expressed the sentiment that the Turkish youth had grown up with the idea that "as soon as Great Britain leaves the island, it will be taken over by the Turks", and that "Turkey cannot tolerate otherwise". This perspective contributed to the willingness of Turkish Cypriots to align themselves with the British, who started recruiting Turkish Cypriots into the police force that patrolled Cyprus to fight EOKA, a Greek Cypriot nationalist organisation that sought to rid the island of British rule.
EOKA targeted colonial authorities, including police, but Georgios Grivas, the leader of EOKA, did not initially wish to open up a new front by fighting Turkish Cypriots and reassured them that EOKA would not harm their people. In 1956, some Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence in the spring and summer, but these attacks on policemen were not motivated by the fact that they were Turkish Cypriots.
However, in January 1957, Grivas changed his policy as his forces in the mountains became increasingly pressured by the British Crown forces. In order to divert the attention of the Crown forces, EOKA members started to target Turkish Cypriot policemen intentionally in the towns, so that Turkish Cypriots would riot against the Greek Cypriots and the security forces would have to be diverted to the towns to restore order. The killing of a Turkish Cypriot policeman on 19 January, when a power station was bombed, and the injury of three others, provoked three days of intercommunal violence in Nicosia. The two communities targeted each other in reprisals, at least one Greek Cypriot was killed and the British Army was deployed in the streets. Greek Cypriot stores were burned and their neighbourhoods attacked. Following the events, the Greek Cypriot leadership spread the propaganda that the riots had merely been an act of Turkish Cypriot aggression. Such events created chaos and drove the communities apart both in Cyprus and in Turkey.
On 22 October 1957 Sir Hugh Mackintosh Foot replaced Sir John Harding as the British Governor of Cyprus. Foot suggested five to seven years of self-government before any final decision. His plan rejected both enosis and taksim. The Turkish Cypriot response to this plan was a series of anti-British demonstrations in Nicosia on 27 and 28 January 1958 rejecting the proposed plan because the plan did not include partition. The British then withdrew the plan.
In 1957, Black Gang, a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation, was formed to patrol a Turkish Cypriot enclave, the Tahtakale district of Nicosia, against activities of EOKA. The organisation later attempted to grow into a national scale, but failed to gain public support.
By 1958, signs of dissatisfaction with the British increased on both sides, with a group of Turkish Cypriots forming Volkan (later renamed to the Turkish Resistance Organisation) paramilitary group to promote partition and the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as dictated by the Menderes plan. Volkan initially consisted of roughly 100 members, with the stated aim of raising awareness in Turkey of the Cyprus issue and courting military training and support for Turkish Cypriot fighters from the Turkish government.
In June 1958, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, was expected to propose a plan to resolve the Cyprus issue. In light of the new development, the Turks rioted in Nicosia to promote the idea that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could not live together and therefore any plan that did not include partition would not be viable. This violence was soon followed by bombing, Greek Cypriot deaths and looting of Greek Cypriot-owned shops and houses. Greek and Turkish Cypriots started to flee mixed population villages where they were a minority in search of safety. This was effectively the beginning of the segregation of the two communities. On 7 June 1958, a bomb exploded at the entrance of the Turkish Embassy in Cyprus. Following the bombing, Turkish Cypriots looted Greek Cypriot properties. On 26 June 1984, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş, admitted on British channel ITV that the bomb was placed by the Turks themselves in order to create tension. On 9 January 1995, Rauf Denktaş repeated his claim to the famous Turkish newspaper Milliyet in Turkey.
The crisis reached a climax on 12 June 1958, when eight Greeks, out of an armed group of thirty five arrested by soldiers of the Royal Horse Guards on suspicion of preparing an attack on the Turkish quarter of Skylloura, were killed in a suspected attack by Turkish Cypriot locals, near the village of Geunyeli, having been ordered to walk back to their village of Kondemenos.
After the EOKA campaign had begun, the British government successfully began to turn the Cyprus issue from a British colonial problem into a Greek-Turkish issue. British diplomacy exerted backstage influence on the Adnan Menderes government, with the aim of making Turkey active in Cyprus. For the British, the attempt had a twofold objective. The EOKA campaign would be silenced as quickly as possible, and Turkish Cypriots would not side with Greek Cypriots against the British colonial claims over the island, which would thus remain under the British. The Turkish Cypriot leadership visited Menderes to discuss the Cyprus issue. When asked how the Turkish Cypriots should respond to the Greek Cypriot claim of enosis, Menderes replied: "You should go to the British foreign minister and request the status quo be prolonged, Cyprus to remain as a British colony". When the Turkish Cypriots visited the British Foreign Secretary and requested for Cyprus to remain a colony, he replied: "You should not be asking for colonialism at this day and age, you should be asking for Cyprus be returned to Turkey, its former owner".
As Turkish Cypriots began to look to Turkey for protection, Greek Cypriots soon understood that enosis was extremely unlikely. The Greek Cypriot leader, Archbishop Makarios III, now set independence for the island as his objective.
Britain resolved to solve the dispute by creating an independent Cyprus. In 1959, all involved parties signed the Zurich Agreements: Britain, Turkey, Greece, and the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Makarios and Dr. Fazil Kucuk, respectively. The new constitution drew heavily on the ethnic composition of the island. The President would be a Greek Cypriot, and the Vice-President a Turkish Cypriot with an equal veto. The contribution to the public service would be set at a ratio of 70:30, and the Supreme Court would consist of an equal number of judges from both communities as well as an independent judge who was not Greek, Turkish or British. The Zurich Agreements were supplemented by a number of treaties. The Treaty of Guarantee stated that secession or union with any state was forbidden, and that Greece, Turkey and Britain would be given guarantor status to intervene if that was violated. The Treaty of Alliance allowed for two small Greek and Turkish military contingents to be stationed on the island, and the Treaty of Establishment gave Britain sovereignty over two bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
On 15 August 1960, the Colony of Cyprus became fully independent as the Republic of Cyprus. The new republic remained within the Commonwealth of Nations.
The new constitution brought dissatisfaction to Greek Cypriots, who felt it to be highly unjust for them for historical, demographic and contributional reasons. Although 80% of the island's population were Greek Cypriots and these indigenous people had lived on the island for thousands of years and paid 94% of taxes, the new constitution was giving the 17% of the population that was Turkish Cypriots, who paid 6% of taxes, around 30% of government jobs and 40% of national security jobs.
Within three years tensions between the two communities in administrative affairs began to show. In particular disputes over separate municipalities and taxation created a deadlock in government. A constitutional court ruled in 1963 Makarios had failed to uphold article 173 of the constitution which called for the establishment of separate municipalities for Turkish Cypriots. Makarios subsequently declared his intention to ignore the judgement, resulting in the West German judge resigning from his position. Makarios proposed thirteen amendments to the constitution, which would have had the effect of resolving most of the issues in the Greek Cypriot favour. Under the proposals, the President and Vice-President would lose their veto, the separate municipalities as sought after by the Turkish Cypriots would be abandoned, the need for separate majorities by both communities in passing legislation would be discarded and the civil service contribution would be set at actual population ratios (82:18) instead of the slightly higher figure for Turkish Cypriots.
The intention behind the amendments has long been called into question. The Akritas plan, written in the height of the constitutional dispute by the Greek Cypriot interior minister Polycarpos Georkadjis, called for the removal of undesirable elements of the constitution so as to allow power-sharing to work. The plan envisaged a swift retaliatory attack on Turkish Cypriot strongholds should Turkish Cypriots resort to violence to resist the measures, stating "In the event of a planned or staged Turkish attack, it is imperative to overcome it by force in the shortest possible time, because if we succeed in gaining command of the situation (in one or two days), no outside, intervention would be either justified or possible." Whether Makarios's proposals were part of the Akritas plan is unclear, however it remains that sentiment towards enosis had not completely disappeared with independence. Makarios described independence as "a step on the road to enosis".[31] Preparations for conflict were not entirely absent from Turkish Cypriots either, with right wing elements still believing taksim (partition) the best safeguard against enosis.
Greek Cypriots however believe the amendments were a necessity stemming from a perceived attempt by Turkish Cypriots to frustrate the working of government. Turkish Cypriots saw it as a means to reduce their status within the state from one of co-founder to that of minority, seeing it as a first step towards enosis. The security situation deteriorated rapidly.
Main articles: Bloody Christmas (1963) and Battle of Tillyria
An armed conflict was triggered after December 21, 1963, a period remembered by Turkish Cypriots as Bloody Christmas, when a Greek Cypriot policemen that had been called to help deal with a taxi driver refusing officers already on the scene access to check the identification documents of his customers, took out his gun upon arrival and shot and killed the taxi driver and his partner. Eric Solsten summarised the events as follows: "a Greek Cypriot police patrol, ostensibly checking identification documents, stopped a Turkish Cypriot couple on the edge of the Turkish quarter. A hostile crowd gathered, shots were fired, and two Turkish Cypriots were killed."
In the morning after the shooting, crowds gathered in protest in Northern Nicosia, likely encouraged by the TMT, without incident. On the evening of the 22nd, gunfire broke out, communication lines to the Turkish neighbourhoods were cut, and the Greek Cypriot police occupied the nearby airport. On the 23rd, a ceasefire was negotiated, but did not hold. Fighting, including automatic weapons fire, between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and militias increased in Nicosia and Larnaca. A force of Greek Cypriot irregulars led by Nikos Sampson entered the Nicosia suburb of Omorphita and engaged in heavy firing on armed, as well as by some accounts unarmed, Turkish Cypriots. The Omorphita clash has been described by Turkish Cypriots as a massacre, while this view has generally not been acknowledged by Greek Cypriots.
Further ceasefires were arranged between the two sides, but also failed. By Christmas Eve, the 24th, Britain, Greece, and Turkey had joined talks, with all sides calling for a truce. On Christmas day, Turkish fighter jets overflew Nicosia in a show of support. Finally it was agreed to allow a force of 2,700 British soldiers to help enforce a ceasefire. In the next days, a "buffer zone" was created in Nicosia, and a British officer marked a line on a map with green ink, separating the two sides of the city, which was the beginning of the "Green Line". Fighting continued across the island for the next several weeks.
In total 364 Turkish Cypriots and 174 Greek Cypriots were killed during the violence. 25,000 Turkish Cypriots from 103-109 villages fled and were displaced into enclaves and thousands of Turkish Cypriot houses were ransacked or completely destroyed.
Contemporary newspapers also reported on the forceful exodus of the Turkish Cypriots from their homes. According to The Times in 1964, threats, shootings and attempts of arson were committed against the Turkish Cypriots to force them out of their homes. The Daily Express wrote that "25,000 Turks have already been forced to leave their homes". The Guardian reported a massacre of Turks at Limassol on 16 February 1964.
Turkey had by now readied its fleet and its fighter jets appeared over Nicosia. Turkey was dissuaded from direct involvement by the creation of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1964. Despite the negotiated ceasefire in Nicosia, attacks on the Turkish Cypriot persisted, particularly in Limassol. Concerned about the possibility of a Turkish invasion, Makarios undertook the creation of a Greek Cypriot conscript-based army called the "National Guard". A general from Greece took charge of the army, whilst a further 20,000 well-equipped officers and men were smuggled from Greece into Cyprus. Turkey threatened to intervene once more, but was prevented by a strongly worded letter from the American President Lyndon B. Johnson, anxious to avoid a conflict between NATO allies Greece and Turkey at the height of the Cold War.
Turkish Cypriots had by now established an important bridgehead at Kokkina, provided with arms, volunteers and materials from Turkey and abroad. Seeing this incursion of foreign weapons and troops as a major threat, the Cypriot government invited George Grivas to return from Greece as commander of the Greek troops on the island and launch a major attack on the bridgehead. Turkey retaliated by dispatching its fighter jets to bomb Greek positions, causing Makarios to threaten an attack on every Turkish Cypriot village on the island if the bombings did not cease. The conflict had now drawn in Greece and Turkey, with both countries amassing troops on their Thracian borders. Efforts at mediation by Dean Acheson, a former U.S. Secretary of State, and UN-appointed mediator Galo Plaza had failed, all the while the division of the two communities becoming more apparent. Greek Cypriot forces were estimated at some 30,000, including the National Guard and the large contingent from Greece. Defending the Turkish Cypriot enclaves was a force of approximately 5,000 irregulars, led by a Turkish colonel, but lacking the equipment and organisation of the Greek forces.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1964, U Thant, reported the damage during the conflicts:
UNFICYP carried out a detailed survey of all damage to properties throughout the island during the disturbances; it shows that in 109 villages, most of them Turkish-Cypriot or mixed villages, 527 houses have been destroyed while 2,000 others have suffered damage from looting.
The situation worsened in 1967, when a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government of Greece, and began applying pressure on Makarios to achieve enosis. Makarios, not wishing to become part of a military dictatorship or trigger a Turkish invasion, began to distance himself from the goal of enosis. This caused tensions with the junta in Greece as well as George Grivas in Cyprus. Grivas's control over the National Guard and Greek contingent was seen as a threat to Makarios's position, who now feared a possible coup.[citation needed] The National Guard and Cyprus Police began patrolling the Turkish Cypriot enclaves of Ayios Theodoros and Kophinou, and on November 15 engaged in heavy fighting with the Turkish Cypriots.
By the time of his withdrawal 26 Turkish Cypriots had been killed. Turkey replied with an ultimatum demanding that Grivas be removed from the island, that the troops smuggled from Greece in excess of the limits of the Treaty of Alliance be removed, and that the economic blockades on the Turkish Cypriot enclaves be lifted. Grivas was recalled by the Athens Junta and the 12,000 Greek troops were withdrawn. Makarios now attempted to consolidate his position by reducing the number of National Guard troops, and by creating a paramilitary force loyal to Cypriot independence. In 1968, acknowledging that enosis was now all but impossible, Makarios stated, "A solution by necessity must be sought within the limits of what is feasible which does not always coincide with the limits of what is desirable."
After 1967 tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots subsided. Instead, the main source of tension on the island came from factions within the Greek Cypriot community. Although Makarios had effectively abandoned enosis in favour of an 'attainable solution', many others continued to believe that the only legitimate political aspiration for Greek Cypriots was union with Greece.
On his arrival, Grivas began by establishing a nationalist paramilitary group known as the National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston B or EOKA-B), drawing comparisons with the EOKA struggle for enosis under the British colonial administration of the 1950s.
The military junta in Athens saw Makarios as an obstacle. Makarios's failure to disband the National Guard, whose officer class was dominated by mainland Greeks, had meant the junta had practical control over the Cypriot military establishment, leaving Makarios isolated and a vulnerable target.
During the first Turkish invasion, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus territory on 20 July 1974, invoking its rights under the Treaty of Guarantee. This expansion of Turkish-occupied zone violated International Law as well as the Charter of the United Nations. Turkish troops managed to capture 3% of the island which was accompanied by the burning of the Turkish Cypriot quarter, as well as the raping and killing of women and children. A temporary cease-fire followed which was mitigated by the UN Security Council. Subsequently, the Greek military Junta collapsed on July 23, 1974, and peace talks commenced in which a democratic government was installed. The Resolution 353 was broken after Turkey attacked a second time and managed to get a hold of 37% of Cyprus territory. The Island of Cyprus was appointed a Buffer Zone by the United Nations, which divided the island into two zones through the 'Green Line' and put an end to the Turkish invasion. Although Turkey announced that the occupied areas of Cyprus to be called the Federated Turkish State in 1975, it is not legitimised on a worldwide political scale. The United Nations called for the international recognition of independence for the Republic of Cyprus in the Security Council Resolution 367.
In the years after the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus one can observe a history of failed talks between the two parties. The 1983 declaration of the independent Turkish Republic of Cyprus resulted in a rise of inter-communal tensions and made it increasingly hard to find mutual understanding. With Cyprus' interest of a possible EU membership and a new UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1997 new hopes arose for a fresh start. International involvement from sides of the US and UK, wanting a solution to the Cyprus dispute prior to the EU accession led to political pressures for new talks. The believe that an accession without a solution would threaten Greek-Turkish relations and acknowledge the partition of the island would direct the coming negotiations.
Over the course of two years a concrete plan, the Annan plan was formulated. In 2004 the fifth version agreed upon from both sides and with the endorsement of Turkey, US, UK and EU then was presented to the public and was given a referendum in both Cypriot communities to assure the legitimisation of the resolution. The Turkish Cypriots voted with 65% for the plan, however the Greek Cypriots voted with a 76% majority against. The Annan plan contained multiple important topics. Firstly it established a confederation of two separate states called the United Cyprus Republic. Both communities would have autonomous states combined under one unified government. The members of parliament would be chosen according to the percentage in population numbers to ensure a just involvement from both communities. The paper proposed a demilitarisation of the island over the next years. Furthermore it agreed upon a number of 45000 Turkish settlers that could remain on the island. These settlers became a very important issue concerning peace talks. Originally the Turkish government encouraged Turks to settle in Cyprus providing transfer and property, to establish a counterpart to the Greek Cypriot population due to their 1 to 5 minority. With the economic situation many Turkish-Cypriot decided to leave the island, however their departure is made up by incoming Turkish settlers leaving the population ratio between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots stable. However all these points where criticised and as seen in the vote rejected mainly by the Greek Cypriots. These name the dissolution of the „Republic of Cyprus", economic consequences of a reunion and the remaining Turkish settlers as reason. Many claim that the plan was indeed drawing more from Turkish-Cypriot demands then Greek-Cypriot interests. Taking in consideration that the US wanted to keep Turkey as a strategic partner in future Middle Eastern conflicts.
A week after the failed referendum the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU. In multiple instances the EU tried to promote trade with Northern Cyprus but without internationally recognised ports this spiked a grand debate. Both side endure their intention of negotiations, however without the prospect of any new compromises or agreements the UN is unwilling to start the process again. Since 2004 negotiations took place in numbers but without any results, both sides are strongly holding on to their position without an agreeable solution in sight that would suit both parties.
Castle Clinton, along with more than a dozen other forts was built in anticipation of the War of 1812 to defend New York Harbor. The Southwest Battery was constructed on the rocks off the tip of Manhattan Island between 1808 and 1811. Although fully armed, the fort never had occasion to fire upon an enemy. In 1817, the fort was renamed Castle Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton, Mayor and later Governor of New York.
The army vacated the fort in 1821 and the structure was deeded to New York City. In the summer of 1824, a new restaurant and entertainment center opened at the site, then called Castle Garden. A roof was added in the 1840s and Castle Garden served as an opera house and theater until 1854. Many new inventions were demonstrated there to amazed audiences including the telegraph, Colts revolving rifles, steam powdered fire engines and underwater electronic explosives. The "Swedish Nightengale" Jenny Lind made her American debut here in 1850, brought to America by no other then P.T. Barnum.
By 1855, successive landfills had enlarged the Park to encompass Castle Garden and on August 3 the structure became America's first immigrant receiving center, welcoming 8.5 million people before it was closed in 1890 and succeeded by Ellis Island.
The building was altered once again and reopened as the New York City Aquarium on December 10, 1896. It was one of the city's most popular attractions, and one of America's first public aquariums until it closed in 1941.
Following its near-total demolition in 1941 and a major preservation battle, the original fort walls were declared a National Monument by an Act of Congress in 1946. Restored to its fortification appearance by the National Park Service in 1975, the Castle currently houses a small interpretive display and the ticket office for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry.
Castle Clinton was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965.
National Register #66000537
GAU-8 Avenger on a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II or Warthog..
GAU-8 Avenger Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger
Avenger on a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II or Warthog Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Thunderbolt_II
These are the gorillas currently living at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha (NE), United States.
The Hubbard Gorilla Valley is a gorilla exhibit named in honor of Dr. Theodore Hubbard, a longtime Omaha cardiologist. The exhibit is a three acre site that includes two acres of gorilla and visitor space. It opened on April 8, 2004. Prior to being expanded and rebuilt, the gorillas lived at the Owen Gorilla House.
Color Key - Colored frames: residents. - Black: males, red: females, grey: non-residents (with their current location) or deceased. Arrows - Pointing from parents to their offspring.
Please note: Mata Hari is called Rosie. Motuba is called Tubby. – N'Goma and Tambo are twins. – John and Samantha are also the parents of Jessica, Hatari is also the father of Kweli. – Timu had another babygirl with Baraka (*1992, Washington) named Baina (2005 - 2008), who died from a fall after being swatted by silverback Samson.
This chart is based on the interactive online Gorilla Studbook by James R. Davis and the official International Studbook, published by Frankfurt Zoo. – If you find a mistake, please let me know!
Here are the Henry Doorly Zoo's gorilla page and their article on Wikipedia.
windowsdownmag.com
DO NOT REMOVE CREDIT OR LOGO.
The Outsiders Tour
11/5/2014
Toad's Place
New Haven, CT
Introduction to Borders.
State/country borders are an artificial construct and meaningless on one level but they are legally important lines drawn on maps. During covid state lockdowns out borders were closed; during wars like the current one in the Ukraine borders are legally important and divide people, families and communities. The people who live along South Australia’s eastern border share resources and often have friends and families across the border. People live in Victoria and work in Sth Australia. Some families own properties which cross the border. Thus one family at Taplan during the state covid lockdowns had part of their property in SA and another part in Victoria and legally they could not walk from one paddock to another. What a crazy construct. Linkages across state borders are common. In the 19th century the Presbyterian Church had parishes that ranged from Portland Victoria to Naracoorte in SA. Some sporting teams played in cross border sporting districts. The major border issue in SA was the incorrect line of the state border between Victoria and SA which is why the border with NSW is two and a half miles east of the SA/Vic border at Murtho. They should be aligned perfectly but are not.
The 141st meridian was fixed as the boundary and a survey was completed in December 1850. In 1864 it was discovered that the true position of the dividing meridian was 2½ miles (or 3.6 kms) to the east of the line laid down by the survey. In November 1869 the Victorian government intended to lay out roads upon the disputed land. An impasse prevailed between the two states about financial compensation. By 1893 Victoria had sold 600 of the disputed 700 square miles of land! Agreements were discussed but never enacted. The matter was brought to a head when SA informed Victoria that it proposed to survey a portion of the disputed territory. The Victorian response was that it would treat SA surveyors as trespassers. Steps were taken to have the dispute settled by the High Court of Australia in 1909. The final adverse judgment of 1914 was based on three main points: (1) Messrs White and Wade (the original surveyors) had used the best surveying technology known in the 1840s. (2) Their survey was done in good faith and both parties had agreed upon the boundary. (3) Upon completion of the survey the border line had been used continually over ensuing decades. So SA gave up its claim to the disputed land and to monetary compensation for the loss of land.
The Undeveloped Murray Mallee – Ngarkat Conservation Park. Stops at the border.
Not all of the Murray Mallee lands were developed. The Ngarkat Aboriginal people roamed these lands before the pastoralists arrived. The Ngarkat people were attacked and murdered by the River Murray Aborigines during the 1840 to 1850 period and the Ngarkat were almost exterminated. Some of their women were taken as wives for the Riverland people. The closest links of the Ngarkat people were with the Ngarkat Aboriginal people in Victoria around Lake Hindmarsh. Evidence of their existence can be found in many of the sand dunes of the Ngarkat Park and around the two water soaks where stone scrapers and chipped stone flakes can be found – Peebinga and Scorpion Springs( 34 kms south of Pinnaroo). They were an extremely small group and little is known about them. The vegetation of Ngarkat Conservation Park varies according to the soil - from sand hills, clay flats and undulating sandy loam heathlands. In general terms Mallee eucalypts (several species) dominate the sand dunes, the sandy undulating country is dominated by heath vegetation (banksia, tea tree, swamp oak, and native pine etc) whilst the clay pans are dominated by dense scrub of Melaleuca and native broom. All provided a rich habitat for native animals from kangaroos, echidnas, dingoes, Dunnarts and various native mice, snakes and possums. Mallee fowl also inhabit some areas of the Park. Tracks lead into Victoria from Ngarkat Park.
Because of the poor soil and lack of surface water most of the Ngarkat Park was left undisturbed by pastoralism settlement. Most of the Park is out of Hundreds. To the north of the Park are the Hundreds of Quirke (declared 1969) and Day (declared 1929). They were declared but never surveyed but there were some pastoral leases in these hundreds including around Scorpion Springs water soak in the 1930s but they were never successful. Scorpion Springs water soak is now part of Ngarkat Park. To the south of Ngarkat Park are the hundreds of Fisk (declared 1969), Shaugh (declared 1939) and McCallum (declared 1939) where pastoralists fared slightly better. Ngarkat Park abuts equally large conservation parks in Victoria which total around two million acres of natural vegetation. This area is the largest tract of uncleared land in SA. In spring the native flowers and plants are a blaze of colour. Ngarkat Conservation Park which covers over 270,000 hectares (400,000 acres) was gazetted in 1979 and has had other smaller parks like that of Scorpion Springs added to it. One of the few ruins in the northern end of the Park is Pertendi Hut which has been restored as a visitor facility. It was linked to a pastoral leasehold based on Scorpion Springs taken out in 1936. It has a fine mural of the flora and fauna of the park. From here it is just 22 kms to the Victorian border via a very sand track.
The old Matelski house is pretty well emptied out, but here and there are remnants of Tommy's penchant for cutting things out and saving them. Wish that partial postmark had the date on it!
Note the striped effect in the hardwood floor...another example of the stunning details this place is full of, that they don't much bother with anymore.
This is part of a series showcasing not my photography (cuz I don't really know what I'm doing in this environment), but rather the house itself. I'm the lucky one with access--thanks again to the family and the realtor--and this place needs to be documented. For more images and information, see my set called "Old Tommy's Place."
Current setup includes these vinyl bags from France. They are wonderful and do the job well. Rear rack is for the little one's child seat. BB dynamo is a terrible idea. Automn color amazing at one of my recent projects.
5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc. is an outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island City, New York, considered to be the world’s premiere “graffiti Mecca,” where aerosol artists from around the globe paint colorful pieces on the walls of a 200,000-square-foot factory building.
The name 5Pointz signifies the five boroughs coming together as one but, because of its reputation as an epicenter of the graffiti scene, the industrial complex has actually united aerosol artists from across the world. Legendary writers from Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, and all over the United States have painted on the building walls, including Stay High 149, Tracy 168, Cope2, Part, and Tats Cru.
Over the past decade, the striking, graffiti-covered warehouse has attracted several hip-hop and R&B stars, including Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Kaz, Mobb Deep, Rahzel, DJ JS-1, Boot Camp Clik, Joan Jett, and Joss Stone.
On any given day, 5Pointz visitors can expect to find prominent artists, musicians, deejays, Emcees (rappers), and B-boys (break dancers) on site, in addition to filmmakers, photographers, and entire tour buses full of admirers soaking in the more than 350 Technicolor murals.
The gallery curator is graffiti veteran Jonathan Cohen, best known by his signature tag, “Meres One.” His goal is to convert the five-story, block-long industrial complex at Jackson Avenue and Davis Street, formerly the Phun Phactory, into a graffiti art museum.
Mission Statement
5Pointz gallery curator, Meres, plans to convert the five-story, block-long industrial complex at Jackson Avenue and Davis Street into a graffiti museum. He is currently seeking a 501(c)3 certification for 5Pointz to confer tax-exempt status and allow tax-deductible donations.
In addition, he plans to open a school for aspiring aerosol artists, complete with a formalized curriculum that imparts lessons in teamwork, art history, and entrepreneurship in addition to technique.
Curator
The founder of 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc. and curator of its outdoor gallery is graffiti veteran Jonathan Cohen, best known by his signature tag, “Meres One.” The Flushing native adopted his tag in his teenage years after determining that M, R, and E were his best calligraphic letters.
Meres took an interest in graffiti at the young age of 13 after seeing an aerosol-based painted Smurf on a wall and flipping through a few graffiti books, and started the The Deadly4Mula (TD4) crew five years later. By the mid-‘90s, Meres had studied art at the Fashion Institute of Technology, sold a few paintings, and was transitioning his craft from tagging and throw-ups to piecing. He produced hundreds of aerosol art murals throughout all five New York boroughs, along the East Coast, and even in Holland.
In 2001, Meres reopened the Phun Phactory in Long Island City, New York, which had been closed for about a year and nearly destroyed by vandals and, over the next five years, transformed the industrial, 5-story, block-long complex into an outdoor art exhibit space he called 5Pointz: “The Institute of Higher Burnin’.”
This is my second time to attend the annual Web Summit in the RDS [Dublin] and I really enjoyed myself.
Other than myself the most high-profile attendee was Elon Musk, who founded PayPal, electric car maker Tesla and space exploration company SpaceX. The IDA announced the creation of 335 new jobs in Ireland by nine US and European technology companies. Enda Kenny [PM of Ireland] and the NASDAQ’s executive vice president Bruce Aust opened the NASDAQ stock market live on stage at the summit.
The Web Summit, formerly Dublin Web Summit, is a technology conference held in the RDS [Dublin] since 2010.
The event is currently Europe's biggest tech conference. The topic of the conference was centred on the Internet and related technologies. The audience is always a mix of CEOs and founders of tech start-ups together with developers, designers and CTOs from established companies.
Attendance at the two day conference has grown from 500 in 2010 to more than 10,000 this year.
Currently Oberea fuscipennis (Chevrolat, 1852)
Type
Bowr. Chevr
63 47*
Isosceles fuscipennis
Chv R27w1852?
p 410-11
Shanghai
7130_A BMNH_Oberea_ fuscipennis_type
The third (pictured) and fourth European Service Modules are currently in production at Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany. They are a key element of the Orion spacecraft, the first to return humans to the Moon since the 1970s.
These modules provide the spacecraft with propulsion, power and thermal control, and will supply astronauts with water and oxygen. The Orion spacecraft is composed of a European Service Module, a Crew Module Adapter and a Crew Module. The latter two components are provided by NASA.
Powering flights to the Moon is a collaborative effort. The components and hardware used in the European Service Modules are built and supplied by more than twenty different companies from ten different countries in Europe.
When ready for launch, each module will have a total mass of 13500 kg, almost two-thirds of which is propellant (rocket fuel). More than 11 km of cables are needed to send commands and receive information from the many on-board sensors. As can be seen in the photo, tie-wraps (yellow) come in handy when it comes to keeping all these cables organised.
The first European Service Module is already attached to the Orion spacecraft and awaiting launch for Artemis I later this year. The second European Service Module has been formally transferred to NASA and is completing integration at the Operations and Checkout building at the Kennedy Space Center. It will be used on the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to fly all the way to the Moon in half a century.
By delivering six European Service Modules, ESA is ensuring NASA’s Artemis programme continues to develop a sustainable presence on and around the Moon in international partnership.
Learn more about Orion and Europe’s involvement here. Follow the latest updates via the Orion blog.
Credits: ESA–A. Conigli
DSC_9823proc
This is my current journal and it is also made with misc scraps of paper from around my house.
It is hand sewn and the cardboard cover is salvaged from work trash.
last page and back cover
Against The Current performs live at Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland.
November 22nd, 2016
Photo © Terry Dobbins 2016
**DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION*
(at least by the younger crowd) is to wear short shorts (or short skirts) knee boots (or knee socks) and sometimes tights. did i mention is was pretty cold? they didnt seem to mind. i snapped this outside the shinjuku train station.
Overlook from Discovery Park on a clear night. Summer is coming. Taken with the Mamiya RB67 Pro-SD. FujiChrome Provia 100 film.
May 29, 2023 - "The skyline of downtown Columbus has been transformed with this monumental artwork by internationally recognized sculptor Janet Echelman. "Current" is a stunning, ephemeral, sky-high sculpture that will inspire wonder and imagination in all who see it. As it dances gracefully in the wind, this awe-inspiring work of art will become an emblem of Columbus’ culture and innovation.
The design and installation of "Current" was funded by Jeff Edwards. He has graciously donated the work to the Museum. We will oversee the care and maintenance of the sculpture as part of our permanent collection." Previous description of "Current" from a Facebook post by the Columbus Museum of Art.
Article about "Current" including its mean can be found here: dispatch-oh.newsmemory.com/?publink=04d385aae_134abf4
TOKYO – When Army Maj. Gen. James F. Pasquarette assumed command of U.S. Army Japan (USARJ) July 8, 2015, he immediately took initiative to personally meet the troops under his command as well as key leaders from his host nation partners.
Pasquarette's tour of his area of responsibility began in earnest when he and members of his staff boarded a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter July 10 from Camp Zama, Japan. Flying hundreds of feet above the congested highways at sometimes at level with Japan's sea of skyscrapers, Pasquarette acquired a bird's eye view of the American and Japanese military installations scattered among the urban jungle.
“We overflew Sagami General Depot, Yokohama North Dock and Hardy Barracks, said Milton Jackson, garrison manager at Camp Zama. “Our new commander now has clearer picture of the facilities, equipment and watercraft managed by the Army, and he can better understand where and how these individual installations interact with one another.”
According to Jackson, the USARJ primary mission comprises the rapid deployment of troops and materiel from one theater to another. As the Army's largest logistical hub in Asia, the command must maintain a streamlined sustainment system capable of moving thousands of tons of supplies and equipment via land and sea.
“Sagami Depot has rolling stock and Yokohama North Dock has watercraft,” said Jackson. “We must overcome the challenges posed by Japan's dense population centers by developing methods that rapidly move and load stock onto our watercraft so that we may better project our presence in the Pacific. Fortunately, our Japanese allies are willing to support us if a major threat or disaster called for a sudden mass movement.”
After a brief stop at Yokota Air Base to meet with Air Force Gen. John L. Dolan, commanding general, U.S. Force Japan, Pasquarette touched down near the heart of Tokyo where members of America's staunchest allies welcomed him with the pomp and circumstance befitting a general.
“On behalf of the JGSDF (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force), welcome to Japan,” said Gen. Kiyofumi Iwata, chief of staff, JGSDF, to Pasquarette after the two commanders sat in a decorative conference room inside Japan's Ministry of Defense. “We look forward to continuing our dialog of bilateral coordination between our two countries as JGSDF pursues its transformation into a dynamic joint defense force.”
The dialog consisted of one-on-one conversations with not only Iwata but also Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of staff, Japan Self-Defense Force, and Hideshi Tokuchi, vice minister of international affairs, Japan Ministry of Defense. The four men discussed previous achievements, current operations and potential challenges facing their respective commands and presented ideas on how to strengthen interoperability among their forces through combined training exercises and expanded service member exchange programs.
“We currently have several dozen JSDF service members embedded with [U.S. military] units,” said Pasquarette. “I believe extending this program so that our Soldiers can work within the JGSDF will further enhance our partnership.”
Pasquarette also ensured his hosts that the United States Army remains committed to its allies in the Pacific despite looming force reductions and ongoing operations in Europe and the Middle East.
“The Army recently announced that it will cut the number of troops in the active component from 450,000 to about 410,000,” said Pasquarette. “This rebalance of the force has no effect on our strength and readiness in the Pacific. Our alliance is more important than ever. That's why we're keeping our best trained and best equipped Soldiers in Japan and Korea.”
After a two-hour visit that started with with a JSDF band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and ended with a warm exchange of plaques and handshakes, Pasquarette and his team boarded a helicopter bound for Camp Zama.
“I have worked extensively throughout the Pacific during my Army career,” said the former armor officer and chief of staff of U.S. Army Pacific. “The JSDF consists of some of the world's most capable and professional men and women in uniform. I look forward to building stronger relationships with them and become a valuable partner in its transformation."
U.S. Army photos by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, U.S. Army Japan
Just a collage of all my current dolls. Though Lily is a floating head currently...
First row left to right:
RS Ai/DF-A/Soom Beryl hybrid, DZ Chen, DragonDoll Cheng, Modded DZ Sheep/Daisy Dayes hybrid, DZ Shoyo, FL MNF Ryeon.
Second row left to right:
FL LTF Chiwoo Elf Girl, DZ Miss Kitty, Impdoll Aldrich/Soom Chrom hybrid, AoD AiAi/FL LTF hybrid, DZ Chinese Dragon Girl/DZ Miss Kitty hybrid.
The historic Bass Mansion at the University of St. Francis is currently undergoing a complete renovation to return it as much as possible to its former glory.
John Henry Bass, a key force in the growth of 19th century Fort Wayne, built Brookside as the centerpiece of his country estate on what is now Spring Street. After fire destroyed the first home, he rebuilt Brookside in 1903 as a steel-framed, sandstone-encased house. The founder of Bass Foundry decorated the mansion with intricate woodwork, fine artwork, valuable antiques and elegant furnishings.
The Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration bought the home and 65 acres south of Spring Street from the Bass family in 1944. They moved what was then Saint Francis College from Layfayette, Indiana to Fort Wayne. The mansion served as the college library until the university opened the Lee and Jim Vann Library in August 2006.
Fluorescing diamonds from Russia (probably Siberia). (crystals are ~0.7 to 0.9 millimeters in size)
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are about 5600 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
Elements are fundamental substances of matter - matter that is composed of the same types of atoms. At present, 118 elements are known. Of these, 98 occur naturally on Earth (hydrogen to californium). Most of these occur in rocks & minerals, although some occur in very small, trace amounts. Only some elements occur in their native elemental state as minerals.
To find a native element in nature, it must be relatively non-reactive and there must be some concentration process. Metallic, semimetallic (metalloid), and nonmetallic elements are known in their native state.
The element carbon occurs principally in its native state as graphite (C) and diamond (C). Graphite is the common & far less valuable polymorph of carbon. A scarce polymorph of carbon is diamond. The physical properties of diamond and graphite couldn’t be more different, considering they have the same chemistry. Diamond has a nonmetallic, adamantine luster, typically occurs in cubic or octahedral (double-pyramid) crystals, or subspherical to irregularly-shaped masses, and is extremely hard (H≡10). Diamonds can be almost any color, but are typically clearish, grayish, or yellowish. Many diamonds are noticeably fluorescent under black light (ultraviolet light), but the color and intensity of fluorescence varies. Some diamonds are phosphorescent - under certain conditions, they glow for a short interval on their own.
Very rarely, diamond is a rock-forming mineral (see diamondite - www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/14618393527).
The Russian diamonds shown above are clear/colorless under white light. This photo was taken under ultraviolet (UV) light - "black light", which makes the diamonds fluoresce various shades of blues and magentas and other colors.
Why do some minerals fluoresce under UV light? When short-wavelength UV radiation, long-wavelength UV radiation, or x-rays bombard atoms, electron excitation occurs. But the electrons do not remain in an energetically excited state. They quickly give off energy and resume their normal energy levels. If the electron energy release is in the visible spectrum of light, a mineral glows, or fluoresces.
1. Happy New Year!, 2. panda visits a tobacco barn, 3. study of a toy, 4. Wolf Moon, 5. Happy New Year!, 6. Advent Calendar, Day 11, 7. Lisianthus, 8. summer glory,
9. a morning in March, 10. misty morning, 11. freezing rain, 12. Orton effect?, 13. frozen memories, 14. Advent Calendar, Day 25, 15. Advent Calendar, Day 11, 16. all corn is Indian corn,
17. solar eclipse, old school viewing - 1, 18. red hot, 19. working with left-overs, 20. evening sun on the skyline, 21. in full bloom, 22. ♥ to all :-), 23. pleading with the sun, 24. A Dance to Autumn,
25. fall morning at the vineyard, 26. bright spot of the day, 27. guttation, 28. spring has sprung..., 29. Happy New Year!, 30. light my way home, 31. leap of faith ;-), 32. blue Yule,
33. 1st candle of Advent, 34. evening shadows, 35. a year on the road home..., 36. shining in the dark, 37. and so it begins, 38. Varsågod! Help yourself. :-), 39. winter at Mabry Mill, 40. nodding in the evening breeze,
41. facing the rising sun, 42. spacecraft approaching...., 43. The flower girls..., 44. the whisper of summer fades, 45. Light returns...., 46. Advent Star, 47. Ready to play?, 48. Mabry Mill...,
49. Success!, 50. emerald necklace, 51. flickr.com/photos/36684008@N00/224835738/, 52. Hmm...., 53. summer window, 54. Alice's entrance to the University Arts Department., 55. Map Making 4, 56. The luminous, short-lived beauty....,
57. Not a train, but clouds..., 58. Historical Red Sox players..., 59. Ophelia, 60. flickr.com/photos/36684008@N00/145295670/, 61. Untitled, 62. Indecent Floral Exposure, 63. The Electric Slide?, 64. Live Mannequin - no more...,
65. The mask..., 66. evening -- late winter, 67. winter on the Charles River, 68. Ocracoke Lighthouse, 69. dhow, 70. Uh-oh! Dinner in sight?, 71. a Swahili feast, 72. carved door
Created with fd's Flickr Toys
The current holder of the Duke of Cambridge title was gifted it by his grandmother, HM Queen Elizabeth II and as William, Prince of Wales, he is today the heir apparent to the British throne. A previous Duke of Cambridge was deemed worthy of an equestrian statue in Whitehall. This was Prince George William Frederick Charles (1819-1904), grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. As per the inscription on his statue, he was commander in chief of the British army between 1856 and 1895.
This Duke of Cambridge did not distinguish himself in that role. His appointment coincided with the shortcomings that were exposed by the Crimean War, above all in a quasi-amateur leadership that was drawn from the landowning aristocracy, from which second sons were typically drawn. Officer commissions were usually purchased rather than earned through merit.
The Duke of Cambridge, supported by Queen Victoria, resisted efforts to place the Army on a more professional footing. Poor army organisation was again starkly revealed during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902. One may add that the Duke’s personal life was a tangled business.
It is ironic that this statue stands outside the former War Office, whose creation was anathema to the Duke.