What3Woprds

///surveyors.decency.tougher

... of you who voted for this guy, for a narcissistic clown lacking decency, scratching the nation's nationalist itch, and soiling everything he touches?

Shot as JPEG (Acros Red film simulation).

Holy Cross Church

sobory.ru/article/?object=01850

 

Camera: Nikon F 80;

Lens: Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG (OC)* HS I AF;

Film: KODAK_VISION2_500T/5218;

Filter: No filter;

Exposure: as ISO 125;

Scanned: Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 by VueScan

Церковь Воздвижения Честного Креста Господня в Дарне (Крестовоздвиженский храм) — православный храм Истринского благочиния Московской епархии, расположенный в деревне Дарна Истринского района Московской области

 

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna (Holy Cross Church) is an Orthodox church of the Istra decency of the Moscow Diocese, located in the village of Darna in the Istrinsky district of the Moscow region.

The temple was founded in 1686, built (in its current form) in 1895-1900

I must have changed my mind at least four times on the subject of where I was heading for once the van had finally decided to start. For a while I wasn’t going anywhere at all, because while she turned over, the ignition wouldn’t do its thing and even though a new bonnet release cable had been installed in recent times, it wasn’t working properly. One final desperate yank and I managed to get to the battery and get her started at last. Usually, even though she drinks at roughly twice the rate of my car, I try to take the van for a run at least once during the week, but this was her first outing in a fortnight and she wasn’t happy with me. I resolved to do a longer run soon and put a bit more charge in that battery. See you on Dartmoor!

 

Now that I was underway, where was I going? I’d been thinking about Land’s End or Botallack - I’ve not been that way since before Christmas, and there was also Gurnard’s Head, a location that might just work at this time of year although I’ve never photographed it before. In my mind I dithered between the two. But then I decided to go to the usual spot. Just three weeks left of free parking here before the local council starts the usual exorbitant summer charging regime in time for Easter. Between November and March, we come here almost every week, but after that it’s back to the National Trust car park on the opposite side, near the lighthouse. Not that it's an enormous hardship of course. But there are some shots I keep meaning to take from over here by the Towans in summer that never quite seem to happen.

 

It was a tolerably warm day with more than a hint of spring in the air, but the forecast made it clear that temperatures would drop like a stone tomorrow and stay firmly in single figures for the rest of the week as a bank of high pressure arrived from the east. Clear but cold, as it still is almost a week later while I’m writing this. And for once, it seemed I’d timed the visit well. High tide just before three would mean that some of the small clusters of rocks on the long stretch of sand would begin to be revealed during the golden hour. Usually the beach here is covered in footprints, be they human, canine or avian, and getting a clean shot is a non-starter unless you want to spend the evening as a slave to your clone tool in post. But with a sky that promised much, this was an opportunity to photograph a pristine beach, washed to perfection by an outgoing tide. Isolate a rock or two, take a long exposure and capture this early moment of spring in all its glory. And the lovely thing about these rocks on the sand is that they’re often surrounded by small pools, a magnet for toddlers in summer, and for us togs during the rest of the year. And dogs at every passing opportunity, whatever the season.

 

So bearing that in mind I’d have to work fast. It’s a dog walker’s paradise here and there was no doubting that it was only a matter of time before the virgin sand was trashed by a passing hound or three. A couple walked towards me from the east and I hoped they’d have the decency to stay behind the camera without me having to ask. They did - a passing quip from the cheerful young man about there being nothing to see here. I joined in with the joke. “Yep, nothing doing here.” They moved on and left me to it. Fifteen minutes later, two ladies approached from the same direction in the company of a bouncing spaniel and I knew that time was about to be called on this particular shot. Sure enough the dog wandered happily across the foreground, leaving a line of prints in the sand. You just have to learn to accept this sort of thing I’m afraid. The owner took one look at me with my camera mounted on the tripod and said, “You look as if you know what you’re doing. I’ll have that one myself!” She whipped out her phone and took the shot. “We’re so lucky aren’t we?” she went on. I agreed, wondering whether to feel flattered or violated that she’d so openly plagiarised my shot. She’s probably got ten thousand Instagram hits by now. Sometimes I have to remind myself how fortunate we are to have this place on our doorsteps and come and go as we please.

 

Although the dog had done the damage, and it would surely not be long before more came to charge about all over the scene leaving trails of canine joy behind them, I was happy enough. I’d got my shots and it was simply a case of advancing to the next rock that had been revealed by the retreating tide. There was still plenty of time, and the light seemed to be getting better and better. In fact it would turn into one of the more colourful sunsets I’ve photographed from this side of the beach as gold darkened to orange before the pinks of the blue hour settled in and glowed over the western headland. As long as the van started when it was time to go home, everything was going to be just fine.

Wishing all tranquility, peace, patience, humanity, humbleness, understanding, decency, love, equality, good health and dignity in our troubled times.

 

Thank you everyone for your comments and favs!

 

and in all my bad ones I always maintain that my camera was in front of me :-)

Arturo Macias Uceda

 

HFF! Decency Matters! Resist the Despicable Convicted Sexual Felon and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!

 

narcissus, daffodils, 'Golden Echo', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

.

I'm not one to speak much about my beliefs.

But it seems worthwhile to keep some things in mind.

Respect.

Decency.

Love.

Peace.

Humans have only survived by working together as a community.

If faith brings us together, it is a good thing.

If faith divides us, it is not.

as an extension of your heart, you become one with your subject :-)

Anonymous

 

Decency Matters! Resist the Convicted Sexual Abuser and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

 

tall bearded iris, 'Golden Panther', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

If we all put our hearts and minds together in collaboration, working towards a better world, everyone, and I mean everyone, will be better off for sure!

 

In today's world, where some forget their children's needs, I want to emphasize the importance of being there for our children, whatever their needs may be. We cannot dictate, we must accompany and help in every way!!!!! It is not easy!

 

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, stay safe, and laugh often! ❤️❤️❤️

With heartfelt thanks for your kind visit. Have a wonderful day, stay healthy, stay alert, appreciate the beauty around you, enjoy being creative, stay safe, 😊😊😍

Sympathy

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

When his wing is bruised

and his bosom sore, _

When he beats his bars and

he would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee.

But a prayer that he sends

from his heart's deep core,

But a plea, that upward to

Heaven, he flings_

I know why the caged bird

sings!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

 

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, and stay safe! ❤️❤️❤️

 

Selma, AL | March 04, 2007

 

"Here today, I must begin because at the Unity breakfast this morning I was saving for last and the list was so long I left him out after that introduction. So I'm going to start by saying how much I appreciate the friendship and the support and the outstanding work that he does each and every day, not just in Capitol Hill but also back here in the district. Please give a warm round of applause for your Congressman Artur Davis.

 

It is a great honor to be here. Reverend Jackson, thank you so much. To the family of Brown A.M.E, to the good Bishop Kirkland, thank you for your wonderful message and your leadership.

 

I want to acknowledge one of the great heroes of American history and American life, somebody who captures the essence of decency and courage, somebody who I have admired all my life and were it not for him, I'm not sure I'd be here today, Congressman John Lewis.

 

I'm thankful to him. To all the distinguished guests and clergy, I'm not sure I'm going to thank Reverend Lowery because he stole the show. I was mentioning earlier, I know we've got C.T. Vivian in the audience, and when you have to speak in front of somebody who Martin Luther King said was the greatest preacher he ever heard, then you've got some problems.

 

And I'm a little nervous about following so many great preachers. But I'm hoping that the spirit moves me and to all my colleagues who have given me such a warm welcome, thank you very much for allowing me to speak to you here today.

 

You know, several weeks ago, after I had announced that I was running for the Presidency of the United States, I stood in front of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois; where Abraham Lincoln delivered his speech declaring, drawing in scripture, that a house divided against itself could not stand.

 

And I stood and I announced that I was running for the presidency. And there were a lot of commentators, as they are prone to do, who questioned the audacity of a young man like myself, haven't been in Washington too long.

 

And I acknowledge that there is a certain presumptuousness about this.

 

But I got a letter from a friend of some of yours named Reverend Otis Moss Jr. in Cleveland, and his son, Otis Moss III is the Pastor at my church and I must send greetings from Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. but I got a letter giving me encouragement and saying how proud he was that I had announced and encouraging me to stay true to my ideals and my values and not to be fearful.

 

And he said, if there's some folks out there who are questioning whether or not you should run, just tell them to look at the story of Joshua because you're part of the Joshua generation.

 

So I just want to talk a little about Moses and Aaron and Joshua, because we are in the presence today of a lot of Moseses. We're in the presence today of giants whose shoulders we stand on, people who battled, not just on behalf of African Americans but on behalf of all of America; that battled for America's soul, that shed blood , that endured taunts and formant and in some cases gave -- torment and in some cases gave the full measure of their devotion.

 

Like Moses, they challenged Pharaoh, the princes, powers who said that some are atop and others are at the bottom, and that's how it's always going to be.

 

There were people like Anna Cooper and Marie Foster and Jimmy Lee Jackson and Maurice Olette, C.T. Vivian, Reverend Lowery, John Lewis, who said we can imagine something different and we know there is something out there for us, too.

 

Thank God, He's made us in His image and we reject the notion that we will for the rest of our lives be confined to a station of inferiority, that we can't aspire to the highest of heights, that our talents can't be expressed to their fullest. And so because of what they endured, because of what they marched; they led a people out of bondage.

 

They took them across the sea that folks thought could not be parted. They wandered through a desert but always knowing that God was with them and that, if they maintained that trust in God, that they would be all right. And it's because they marched that the next generation hasn't been bloodied so much.

 

It's because they marched that we elected councilmen, congressmen. It is because they marched that we have Artur Davis and Keith Ellison. It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate.

 

It is because they marched that I stand before you here today. I was mentioning at the Unity Breakfast this morning, my -- at the Unity Breakfast this morning that my debt is even greater than that because not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honor here today. My very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today. I mentioned at the Unity Breakfast that a lot of people been asking, well, you know, your father was from Africa, your mother, she's a white woman from Kansas. I'm not sure that you have the same experience.

 

And I tried to explain, you don't understand. You see, my Grandfather was a cook to the British in Kenya. Grew up in a small village and all his life, that's all he was -- a cook and a house boy. And that's what they called him, even when he was 60 years old. They called him a house boy. They wouldn't call him by his last name.

 

Sound familiar?

 

He had to carry a passbook around because Africans in their own land, in their own country, at that time, because it was a British colony, could not move about freely. They could only go where they were told to go. They could only work where they were told to work.

 

Yet something happened back here in Selma, Alabama. Something happened in Birmingham that sent out what Bobby Kennedy called, 'Ripples of hope all around the world.' Something happened when a bunch of women decided they were going to walk instead of ride the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. When men who had PhD's decided that's enough and we're going to stand up for our dignity.

 

That sent a shout across oceans so that my grandfather began to imagine something different for his son. His son, who grew up herding goats in a small village in Africa could suddenly set his sights a little higher and believe that maybe a black man in this world had a chance.

 

What happened in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham also stirred the conscience of the nation. It worried folks in the White House who said, “You know, we're battling Communism. How are we going to win hearts and minds all across the world? If right here in our own country, John, we're not observing the ideals set fort in our Constitution, we might be accused of being hypocrites. So the Kennedy's decided we're going to do an air lift. We're going to go to Africa and start bringing young Africans over to this country and give them scholarships to study so they can learn what a wonderful country America is.

 

This young man named Barack Obama got one of those tickets and came over to this country. He met this woman whose great great-great-great-grandfather had owned slaves; but she had a good idea there was some craziness going on because they looked at each other and they decided that we know that the world as it has been it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child. There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama.

 

I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I thank the Moses generation; but we've got to remember, now, that Joshua still had a job to do. As great as Moses was, despite all that he did, leading a people out of bondage, he didn't cross over the river to see the Promised Land. God told him your job is done. You'll see it. You'll be at the mountain top and you can see what I've promised. What I've promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. You will see that I've fulfilled that promise but you won't go there.

 

We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. There are still battles that need to be fought; some rivers that need to be crossed. Like Moses, the task was passed on to those who might not have been as deserving, might not have been as courageous, find themselves in front of the risks that their parents and grandparents and great grandparents had taken. That doesn't mean that they don't still have a burden to shoulder, that they don't have some responsibilities. The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side. So the question, I guess, that I have today is what's called of us in this Joshua generation? What do we do in order to fulfill that legacy; to fulfill the obligations and the debt that we owe to those who allowed us to be here today?

 

Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back; but, there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year, we occasionally celebrate the various events of the civil rights movement, we celebrate Dr. Kings birthday but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means is an everyday activity.

 

Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back, but there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year. We occasionally celebrate the various events of the Civil Rights Movement, we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means, is an everyday activity.

 

Moses told the Joshua generation; don't forget where you came from. I worry sometimes, that the Joshua generation in its success forgets where it came from. Thinks it doesn't have to make as many sacrifices. Thinks that the very height of ambition is to make as much money as you can, to drive the biggest car and have the biggest house and wear a Rolex watch and get your own private jet, get some of that Oprah money. And I think that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with making money, but if you know your history, then you know that there is a certain poverty of ambition involved in simply striving just for money. Materialism alone will not fulfill the possibilities of your existence. You have to fill that with something else. You have to fill it with the golden rule. You've got to fill it with thinking about others. And if we know our history, then we will understand that that is the highest mark of service.

 

Second thing that the Joshua generation needs to understand is that the principles of equality that were set fort and were battled for have to be fought each and every day. It is not a one-time thing. I was remarking at the unity breakfast on the fact that the single most significant concern that this justice department under this administration has had with respect to discrimination has to do with affirmative action. That they have basically spent all their time worrying about colleges and universities around the country that are given a little break to young African Americans and Hispanics to make sure that they can go to college, too.

 

I had a school in southern Illinois that set up a program for PhD's in math and science for African Americans. And the reason they had set it up is because we only had less than 1% of the PhD's in science and math go to African Americans. At a time when we are competing in a global economy, when we're not competing just against folks in North Carolina or Florida or California, we're competing against folks in China and India and we need math and science majors, this university thought this might be a nice thing to do. And the justice department wrote them a letter saying we are going to threaten to sue you for reverse discrimination unless you cease this program.

 

And it reminds us that we still got a lot of work to do, and that the basic enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, the injustice that still exists within our criminal justice system, the disparity in terms of how people are treated in this country continues. It has gotten better. And we should never deny that it's gotten better. But we shouldn't forget that better is not good enough. That until we have absolute equality in this country in terms of people being treated on the basis of their color or their gender, that that is something that we've got to continue to work on and the Joshua generation has a significant task in making that happen.

 

Third thing -- we've got to recognize that we fought for civil rights, but we've still got a lot of economic rights that have to be dealt with. We've got 46 million people uninsured in this country despite spending more money on health care than any nation on earth. It makes no sense. As a consequence, we've got what's known as a health care disparity in this nation because many of the uninsured are African American or Latino. Life expectancy is lower. Almost every disease is higher within minority communities. The health care gap.

 

Blacks are less likely in their schools to have adequate funding. We have less-qualified teachers in those schools. We have fewer textbooks in those schools. We got in some schools rats outnumbering computers. That's called the achievement gap. You've got a health care gap and you've got an achievement gap. You've got Katrina still undone. I went down to New Orleans three weeks ago. It still looks bombed out. Still not rebuilt. When 9/11 happened, the federal government had a special program of grants to help rebuild. They waived any requirement that Manhattan would have to pay 10% of the cost of rebuilding. When Hurricane Andrew happened in Florida, 10% requirement, they waived it because they understood that some disasters are so devastating that we can't expect a community to rebuild. New Orleans -- the largest national catastrophe in our history, the federal government says where's your 10%?

 

There is an empathy gap. There is a gap in terms of sympathizing for the folks in New Orleans. It's not a gap that the American people felt because we saw how they responded. But somehow our government didn't respond with that same sense of compassion, with that same sense of kindness. And here is the worst part, the tragedy in New Orleans happened well before the hurricane struck because many of those communities, there were so many young men in prison, so many kids dropping out, so little hope.

  

A hope gap. A hope gap that still pervades too many communities all across the country and right here in Alabama. So the question is, then, what are we, the Joshua generation, doing to close those gaps? Are we doing every single thing that we can do in Congress in order to make sure that early education is adequately funded and making sure that we are raising the minimum wage so people can have dignity and respect?

 

Are we ensuring that, if somebody loses a job, that they're getting retrained? And that, if they've lost their health care and pension, somebody is there to help them get back on their feet? Are we making sure we're giving a second chance to those who have strayed and gone to prison but want to start a new life? Government alone can't solve all those problems, but government can help. It's the responsibility of the Joshua generation to make sure that we have a government that is as responsive as the need that exists all across America. That brings me to one other point, about the Joshua generation, and that is this -- that it's not enough just to ask what the government can do for us-- it's important for us to ask what we can do for ourselves.

 

One of the signature aspects of the civil rights movement was the degree of discipline and fortitude that was instilled in all the people who participated. Imagine young people, 16, 17, 20, 21, backs straight, eyes clear, suit and tie, sitting down at a lunch counter knowing somebody is going to spill milk on you but you have the discipline to understand that you are not going to retaliate because in showing the world how disciplined we were as a people, we were able to win over the conscience of the nation. I can't say for certain that we have instilled that same sense of moral clarity and purpose in this generation. Bishop, sometimes I feel like we've lost it a little bit.

 

I'm fighting to make sure that our schools are adequately funded all across the country. With the inequities of relying on property taxes and people who are born in wealthy districts getting better schools than folks born in poor districts and that's now how it's supposed to be. That's not the American way. but I'll tell you what -- even as I fight on behalf of more education funding, more equity, I have to also say that , if parents don't turn off the television set when the child comes home from school and make sure they sit down and do their homework and go talk to the teachers and find out how they're doing, and if we don't start instilling a sense in our young children that there is nothing to be ashamed about in educational achievement, I don't know who taught them that reading and writing and conjugating your verbs was something white.

 

We've got to get over that mentality. That is part of what the Moses generation teaches us, not saying to ourselves we can't do something, but telling ourselves that we can achieve. We can do that. We got power in our hands. Folks are complaining about the quality of our government, I understand there's something to be complaining about. I'm in Washington. I see what's going on. I see those powers and principalities have snuck back in there, that they're writing the energy bills and the drug laws.

 

We understand that, but I'll tell you what. I also know that, if cousin Pookie would vote, get off the couch and register some folks and go to the polls, we might have a different kind of politics. That's what the Moses generation teaches us. Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Go do some politics. Change this country! That's what we need. We have too many children in poverty in this country and everybody should be ashamed, but don't tell me it doesn't have a little to do with the fact that we got too many daddies not acting like daddies. Don't think that fatherhood ends at conception. I know something about that because my father wasn't around when I was young and I struggled.

 

Those of you who read my book know. I went through some difficult times. I know what it means when you don't have a strong male figure in the house, which is why the hardest thing about me being in politics sometimes is not being home as much as I'd like and I'm just blessed that I've got such a wonderful wife at home to hold things together. Don't tell me that we can't do better by our children, that we can't take more responsibility for making sure we're instilling in them the values and the ideals that the Moses generation taught us about sacrifice and dignity and honesty and hard work and discipline and self-sacrifice. That comes from us. We've got to transmit that to the next generation and I guess the point that I'm making is that the civil rights movement wasn't just a fight against the oppressor; it was also a fight against the oppressor in each of us.

 

Sometimes it's easy to just point at somebody else and say it's their fault, but oppression has a way of creeping into it. Reverend, it has a way of stunting yourself. You start telling yourself, Bishop, I can't do something. I can't read. I can't go to college. I can't start a business. I can't run for Congress. I can't run for the presidency. People start telling you-- you can't do something, after a while, you start believing it and part of what the civil rights movement was about was recognizing that we have to transform ourselves in order to transform the world. Mahatma Gandhi, great hero of Dr. King and the person who helped create the nonviolent movement around the world; he once said that you can't change the world if you haven't changed.

 

If you want to change the world, the change has to happen with you first and that is something that the greatest and most honorable of generations has taught us, but the final thing that I think the Moses generation teaches us is to remind ourselves that we do what we do because God is with us. You know, when Moses was first called to lead people out of the Promised Land, he said I don't think I can do it, Lord. I don't speak like Reverend Lowery. I don't feel brave and courageous and the Lord said I will be with you. Throw down that rod. Pick it back up. I'll show you what to do. The same thing happened with the Joshua generation.

 

Joshua said, you know, I'm scared. I'm not sure that I am up to the challenge, the Lord said to him, every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you. Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. Be strong and have courage. It's a prayer for a journey. A prayer that kept a woman in her seat when the bus driver told her to get up, a prayer that led nine children through the doors of the little rock school, a prayer that carried our brothers and sisters over a bridge right here in Selma, Alabama. Be strong and have courage.

 

When you see row and row of state trooper facing you, the horses and the tear gas, how else can you walk? Towards them, unarmed, unafraid. When they come start beating your friends and neighbors, how else can you simply kneel down, bow your head and ask the Lord for salvation? When you see heads gashed open and eyes burning and children lying hurt on the side of the road, when you are John Lewis and you've been beaten within an inch of your life on Sunday, how do you wake up Monday and keep on marching?

 

Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. We've come a long way in this journey, but we still have a long way to travel. We traveled because God was with us. It's not how far we've come. That bridge outside was crossed by blacks and whites, northerners and southerners, teenagers and children, the beloved community of God's children, they wanted to take those steps together, but it was left to the Joshua's to finish the journey Moses had begun and today we're called to be the Joshua's of our time, to be the generation that finds our way across this river.

 

There will be days when the water seems wide and the journey too far, but in those moments, we must remember that throughout our history, there has been a running thread of ideals that have guided our travels and pushed us forward, even when they're just beyond our reach, liberty in the face of tyranny, opportunity where there was none and hope over the most crushing despair. Those ideals and values beckon us still and when we have our doubts and our fears, just like Joshua did, when the road looks too long and it seems like we may lose our way, remember what these people did on that bridge.

 

Keep in your heart the prayer of that journey, the prayer that God gave to Joshua. Be strong and have courage in the face of injustice. Be strong and have courage in the face of prejudice and hatred, in the face of joblessness and helplessness and hopelessness. Be strong and have courage, brothers and sisters, those who are gathered here today, in the face of our doubts and fears, in the face of skepticism, in the face of cynicism, in the face of a mighty river.

 

Be strong and have courage and let us cross over that Promised Land together. Thank you so much everybody.

  

God bless you."

 

 

If you are stuck behind the camera and would rather stop taking pictures and play; go play :-)

Anonymous

 

HBW!! Decency Matters! Resist the Convicted Sexual Abuser and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!

 

Piedmont Prairie, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

 

gardens.duke.edu/gardens/piedmont-prairie/

Respect is not a privilege—it’s a standard. Let us remember: strength lies not in dominance, but in decency. Manners maketh man, and respect maketh us human.

  

The two images were done with the Fuji X-E3 and the Helios 44M-7. In this case, the flower is backlit and the lens wide open. This is a more 'dreamy' image and, in my view, it is the more interesting one. This image shows, in my view again, more respect than the other one. In my description of the other image I am talking of 'decency'.

Holy Cross Church - february 2020

sobory.ru/article/?object=01850

 

Camera: Nikon F 80;

Lens: Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG (OC)* HS I AF;

Film: KODAK_VISION2_500T/5218;

Filter: No filter;

Exposure: as ISO 125;

Scanned: Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 by VueScan

 

Церковь Воздвижения Честного Креста Господня в Дарне (Крестовоздвиженский храм - год постройки 1895) — православный храм Истринского благочиния Московской епархии, расположенный в деревне Дарна Истринского района Московской области.

 

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna (Holy Cross Church - Year Built: 1895) is an Orthodox church of the Istra decency of the Moscow Diocese, located in the village of Darna in the Istrinsky district of the Moscow region.

Today is the 11th day of Valentine's month of February, and I wanted to share my love of curiosity, travel, and research. Of course, picking up the camera has enhanced my curiosity and made me even more aware of my surroundings. Art, too, has enabled me to share my feelings more deeply than by word, which is not one of my strengths

 

THE JOURNEY | LEA SALONGA | LYRIC VIDEO

Lorna Yumul Santos

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNjJlevOWG8

 

If by Rudyard Kipling

 

To learn while still a child

What this life is meant to be.

To know it goes beyond myself,

It’s so much more than me.

To overcome the tragedies,

To survive the hardest times.

To face those moments filled with pain,

And still, manage to be kind.

To fight for those who can’t themselves,

To always share my light.

With those who wander in the dark,

To love with all my might.

To still stand up with courage,

Though standing on my own.

To still get up and face each day,

Even when I feel alone.

To try to understand the ones

That no one cares to know.

And make them feel some value.

When the world has let them go.

To be an anchor, strong and true,

That person loyal to the end.

To be a constant source of hope

To my family and my friends.

To live a life of decency,

To share my heart and soul.

To always say I’m sorry

When I’ve harmed both friend and foe.

To be proud of whom I’ve tried to be,

And this life I chose to live.

To make the most of every day

By giving all I have to give.

To me, that’s what this life should be,

To me, that’s what it’s for.

To take what God has given me

And make it so much more

To live a life that matters,

To be someone of great worth.

To love and be loved in return

And make my mark on Earth..

 

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.

Zora Neale Hurston

 

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.

Wernher von Braun

 

Research means that you don’t know, but are willing to find out.

Charles F. Kettering

 

Research is something that everyone can do, and everyone ought to do. It is simply collecting information and thinking systematically about it.

Raewyn Connell

 

Bad news sells papers. It also sells market research.

Byron Sharp

 

A person susceptible to ‘wanderlust’ is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.

Pico Iyer

 

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

Sainte Augustine

 

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he comes to see.”

Gilbert K Chesterton

 

Traveling solo does not always mean you’re alone. Most often, you meet marvelous people along the way and make connections that last a lifetime.

Jacqueline Boone

 

An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.

Sir David Attenborough

 

Oh, the places you will go.

Dr. Seuss

 

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Louis Armstrong

 

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, stay safe, and laugh often! ❤️❤️❤️

Loretta Lizzio’s silo art in Brunswick depicts NZ Prime Minister hugging a Muslim woman following the massacre of 51 people at two Christchurch mosques in March. The artist has said she hopes that the work will send a message of peace and acceptance to the community. It is a wonderful work of art, depicting the impeccable grace and humanity shown by Jacinda Adern during her handling of the aftermath of the horrific incident. I wish we had a politician amongst the Australian ranks with the same amount of decency and integrity shown by the NZ Prime Minister.

Holy Cross Church

sobory.ru/article/?object=01850

 

Camera: Olympus OM-1n

Lens: Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/ 2.8

Film: Agfa Vista Plus 400

Filter: No filter

Scanned by Minolta Dimage ScanElite 5400 by VueScan

 

Церковь Воздвижения Честного Креста Господня в Дарне (Крестовоздвиженский храм) — православный храм Истринского благочиния Московской епархии, расположенный в деревне Дарна Истринского района Московской области

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna (Holy Cross Church) is an Orthodox church of the Istra decency of the Moscow Diocese, located in the village of Darna in the Istrinsky district of the Moscow region

 

watch what they photograph :-)

Anonymous

 

HGGT! HFF! Decency Matters! Resist the Convicted Sexual Abuser and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

 

narcissus, daffodil, 'Pappy George', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

.

 

الأول التـالي مـعك ,

! بالروحـه و الجيـه

 

حــتى الطـفل يقــطر ~ قطــ♥ــر

يوم(ن) يهجيهــا ,

 

///

 

: آخر الكلام

!.. "حـبـج ~ بقلوبنـا " غير

... مفـضـوح في بـــوحـه :)

   

.

To Prologue of the Story "The Doors"

 

♫♫Ed Sheeran - Perfect♫♫

 

Free from the suffocating conformity of her past world, she marveled at the liberated realm she had discovered. The societal norms that had once bound her like chains now dissolved into mere wisps of vapor, revealing a vibrant and eccentric world where individuality flourished without judgment. Questions that had haunted her previously now seemed trivial, like echoes from a distant dream.

 

In this new reality, she reveled in the absence of societal expectations and the freedom to explore her own desires and beliefs. The constant bombardment of opinions and judgments from the masses, which had once plagued her thoughts, vanished into oblivion. Instead, she found solace in the profound connection she forged with her own inner voice.

 

The constructs that had once defined her every move — the endless rules, the bizarre limitations, and the arbitrary boundaries —seemed like relics of an oppressive regime now a distant memory. She marveled at how people had blindly accepted these artificial constraints, allowing them to dictate their thoughts and actions.

 

The weight of others' opinions, which had once weighed heavily upon her shoulders, now lifted as though they had been carried away by the ethereal winds. The suffocating pressure to conform to an ill-defined and ever-changing social norm was gone, replaced by a sense of liberation and self-discovery.

 

Amidst the mesmerizing symphony of strings and cascading melodies, her senses soared to unimaginable heights. As she immersed herself in the graceful movements of the stranger’s body, a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues and ethereal impressions exploded before her eyes. The boundaries between the known and unknown blurred, giving way to an unrestricted exploration of a world where questions and limitations ceased to exist.

 

Within this newfound realm, the music consumed her, dissolving the trivial distractions that once cluttered her mind. The beauty and perfection of This Enigma, in its celestial dance, became the focal point of her being, eclipsing all preconceived notions and social norms. The age-old debate of human decency, plastic surgery, and societal expectations melted away, leaving only an unbridled appreciation for the perfection of form.

 

With each passing chord, the enchantment grew stronger. Time seemed to stand still as she reveled in the harmony of movement and sound, oblivious to the outside world. Questions of identity, purpose, and morality faded into insignificance, replaced by an overwhelming sense of tranquility and fulfillment.

 

In this realm of boundless beauty and peace, she discovered a freedom that transcended all earthly constraints. The body became a canvas upon which the universe painted its masterpiece, a testament to the infinite creativity and wonder of existence. And in the embrace of this celestial symphony, she found solace and liberation, a sanctuary where the superficiality and trivialities of the mundane world held no sway.

 

Devoted to my Ronnie, a talented and amazing musician who touched my heart deeply with Love ღ

Temperance. Prudence. Courage. Justice.

 

The classic virtues are embodied by those who have earned the distinction to watch over the most sacred place in our country. In times of uncertainty, in times of war, in times of peace and prosperity, these young men and women remain ever vigilant, determined to achieve perfection in their duty.

 

None of them know who is entombed here. It is impossible to know if the unknown soldiers lived in a manner consistent with the honor bestowed upon them - it is unimportant. The tomb symbolizes the great sacrifice ordinary citizens have paid in order to secure the Blessings of our Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

 

Unfortunately, in an age of increased jingoism espoused by demagogues, this symbolism often becomes distorted. Our nation thrives not because good men and women paid the ultimate measure of devotion to its cause. That sacrifice can never be repaid, nor should it be the goal to which our youth are called to aspire.

 

Constitutional scholar and Professor of Law at Duke University, H. Jefferson Powell finished an essay (published in The Summer 2006 edition of The Green Bag) entitled 'Constitutional Virtues' with the following: "The Constitution requires of us that we achieve decency and humanity. In that demand it achieves authority over us, not because we the People made it, but because it makes of us a People that we ought to be."

 

What matters more than the symbolism of the Tomb of the Unknowns is the fact that, in every generation, principled young men and women aspire to uphold these virtues above any circumstance or outside influence surrounding them. It is in the dedication of the Sentinel, who guards the honored unknown, that the power of their sacrifice is best represented. How powerful it would be if more Americans would routinely take 21-seconds to pause, vigilantly reflect, and aspire to be more humane and decent...in other words, more perfect in our duty as citizens.

I am sickened by today's terrorist attack on decency, sanity and civilization. I stand with those who love peace and freedom.

Need some free booty? Fab Free will show you all the best gifts on the grid! Today I've got loads of gifts from We ♥ Roleplay to show you!

  

Fab Free: fabfree.wordpress.com/2025/05/08/a-professional-pirate/

  

"A Professional Pirate" by Tim Curry

Hey ho ho!

It's one for all for one

And we'll share and share alike with you

And love you like a son

We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're bound to be

And when you're a professional pirate-

You'll be honest, brave, and free!

The soul of decency!

You'll be loyal and fair and on the square

But most importantly

When you're a professional pirate

You are always in the best of company!

a person with a passion sees the picture before it's taken :-)

Anonymous

 

HPPT! HBW!! Decency Matters! Resist the Convicted Sexual Abuser in Chief and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

 

hybrid tea rose, 'Secret', little theater rose garden, raleigh, north carolina

Holy Cross Church

sobory.ru/article/?object=01850

 

Camera: Nikon F 80;

Lens: Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG (OC)* HS I AF;

Film: KODAK_VISION2_500T/5218;

Filter: No filter;

Exposure: as ISO 125;

Scanned: Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 by VueScan

  

Церковь Воздвижения Честного Креста Господня в Дарне (Крестовоздвиженский храм) — православный храм Истринского благочиния Московской епархии, расположенный в деревне Дарна Истринского района Московской области

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna (Holy Cross Church) is an Orthodox church of the Istra decency of the Moscow Diocese, located in the village of Darna in the Istrinsky district of the Moscow region

Our prayers for the injured, the dead and their families.

 

Will we live to see the return of sanity and decency to mankind in this world?

Remember early last year when Storm Freya paid an energetic visit to our shores one feisty weekend at the beginning of March? Possibly not; after all the storms seem to roll in one after another towards the end of the winter around here. This year it was the same, with Ciara, Dennis and Jorge arriving from the west to enliven February. Apparently the last one was due to be named Ellen in keeping with the alphabetical sequencing theme, but our friends in Spain saw it first and gave it a more continental flavour. We do get a lot of storms along the west coast of the British Isles. At least they had the decency to arrive at the weekends to bring a bit of drama to our photographic adventures.

 

Freya was also a weekend visitor, and it seemed rude not to head five miles down the road to Portreath to watch the action, elbow to elbow with a generous number of fellow camera wielding visitors as is always the case when the weather gets a bit exciting here. Eventually I managed to entrench myself in my favorite corner of the few square yards that provide this vantage point. In this chosen spot you can watch incoming rollers that race towards the inner harbour drench the unsuspecting viewers on the edge of the quay below as you wonder whether you should have warned them (although I suspect they're aware and they do it for fun). Occasionally one of the bigger waves will carry enough force to even reach our lofty position so you have to be ready to spin through one hundred and eighty degrees and crouch down rapidly to protect your precious camera equipment. It doesn't matter how weatherproof the camera is. Sea waterproof it is not.

 

On this visit I didn't bother with a tripod - a rare thing - and I set the camera in burst mode. This resulted in sifting through almost 700 RAW files later in the day, from which I picked a few. Sometimes I feel that the more fun I have actually taking the shots, the less pleasure it brings when I have to decide which of the fruits of my labour I'm going to work with. Until recently I'd left the folder full of images untouched, but just a few days ago I decided I needed to clear some space on the laptop. 700 files became a still confusing 28, which made this morning's happy little spell of absent minded pottering about in Lightroom slightly easier than it otherwise would have been. It's still challenging, because every image I've kept has a different aspect that catches my eye. What I liked about this one was the curtain of water cascading from the harbour wall.

 

The are probably still one or two more I might share from this session. Once I've furrowed my brow at the remaining 27 shots in confusion that is.

 

Happy Sunday Flickr friends.

I love America. Simple as that. But every time I come back home from a trip, I remember how lucky I am to live in her current best State.

 

So, I read this cool NY Times article in Travel Section, nyti.ms/2yIVTRh?smid=nytcore-ios-share in one of my flights.

 

It is about sweet Colorado, but as I looked at one of the photos, though the mountains’ depiction is realistic, the deers’ wasn’t. They were overexposed in that photo.

 

I remembered that I have a better photo of them and because I love Colorado with all her wilderness, genuine decency, and non-tawdriness, I thought I’d post that deer photo in RMNP.

 

Funny, isn’t it, what we do for pure love.

This makes it possible for photography to be an art, for photographers to achieve a personal style - and for the camera to lie :-)

Arthur Goldsmith

 

HSS!! Decency Matters! Resist the Convicted Sexual Abuser and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

 

rose, 'Double Delight', little theater rose garden, raleigh, north carolina

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

 

So were different colours

And were different creeds

And different people

Have different needs

It's obvious you hate me

Though I've done nothing wrong

I've never even met you

So what could I have done

I can't understand

What makes a man

Hate another man

Help me understand

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

Help me understand

Help me understand

 

Now you're punching

And you're kicking

And you're shouting at me

And I'm relying on your common decency

So far it hasn't surfaced

But I'm sure it exists

It just takes a while to travel

From your head to your fist (head to your fists)

I can't understand what makes a man

Hate another man

Help me understand

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

People are people

So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

 

I can't understand

What makes a man

Hate another man

Help me understand

I can't understand

What makes a man

Hate another man

Help me understand

I can't understand

What makes a man

Hate another man

I can't understand (people are people)

What makes a man (why should it be)

Hate another man

Help me understand...

 

Depeche Mode * People are People (Live)

World feels absolutely crazy right now...we need love and compassion more than ever, to treat one another with decency and kindness. 🙏

The beauty of love is that in giving it away, you are left with more than you had before.

David Simon

 

Ultimately, you just have one life. You never know unless you try. And you never get anywhere unless you ask.

Kate Winslet

 

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

Zig Ziglar

 

I care about decency and humanity and kindness. Kindness today is an act of rebellion.

Pink

 

Waking up in truth is so much better than living in a lie.

Idris Elba

 

Don't aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.

Denzel Washington

 

The world can be better if there's love, tolerance and humility.

Irena Sendler

 

Only eyes washed by tears can see clearly.

Louis Mann

 

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

A. A. Milne

 

Be passionate and bold. Always keep learning. You stop doing useful things if you don't learn.

Satya Nadella

 

Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.

W. E. B. Du Bois

 

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, and stay safe! ❤️❤️❤️

Portrait of a good friend from Texas wearing his arch-American belt (cowboys etc.) where it fits best. And he is not happy. What? You didn't know? You didn't know that Copenhagen has suggested to annex the territory of the USA as its hinterland or, as the news has it, its "Danish Periphery". The rationale given was that what formerly were US citizens now, as Danish citizens, would be given a proper education. First come good table manners and then matters such as civility and general decency. The Danish Prime Minister also said that Copenhagen would deal responsibly with the natural and human resources of that territory as Denmark has done for centuries in Greenland, the Caribbean, West Africa and Tamil Nadu (India). In the end, it is hoped, my friend from Texas will see things in a more positive light for the Danish are the most lenient kind of masters. Fuji X-Pro3.

Holy Cross Church

 

Camera: Olympus OM-1n

Lens: Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/ 2.8

Film: Agfa Vista Plus 400

Filter: No filter

Scanned by Minolta Dimage ScanElite 5400 by VueScan

 

Церковь Воздвижения Честного Креста Господня в Дарне (Крестовоздвиженский храм) — православный храм Истринского благочиния Московской епархии, расположенный в деревне Дарна Истринского района Московской области

 

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna (Holy Cross Church) is an Orthodox church of the Istra decency of the Moscow Diocese, located in the village of Darna in the Istrinsky district of the Moscow region

A perfectly nice and rather coy though but earnest lady trying hard to make ends meet. The level of her earnestness reveals how bad life had become and likewise her coyness and decency accentuated how undeserving her plight was. The tablecloth did change hands and I still keep it even though I seldom use it. But I don't think it help much. And of course, in comparison to what had happened to Ukraine, this was a peanut. And it's irksome to contemplate that Belarus has fallen into the same pit ... but wouldn't things naturally go that way after the so-called "Shock Therapy" ?

 

Edelweiss, where the oboeist and the concert master are so impressive

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp6oknThRWw

 

Edelweiss by the Little Singers of Armenia

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JMHXbxZYf4

 

Maria Callas' Opera Arias remastered

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1CZWEzQDA

Thank you, Mr. President.

30 December 2024.

 

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

▶ Thank you for:

☞ Your stewardship of America following the tumult of the Vietnam War and Richard Nixon's perfidy;

☞ Your efforts toward peace in the Middle East;

☞ Your creation of FEMA, and the Departments of Education and Energy;

☞ Your post-presidential heroics for humanity worldwide;

☞ Your decency and personal example of a purposeful life.

 

▶ And, thank you, Mr. President —in a nation once awash in tasteless industrial light lagers— for taking one of the first steps toward establishing the American 'craft' beer movement in 1978!

 

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

▶ Image via Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

▶ Uploaded by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.

▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).

— Follow on Facebook: YoursForGoodFermentables.

— Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.

▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.

This Bald Eagle found that an impertinent, rude and cheeky Red-shouldered Hawk was perched on it’s personal telephone pole. Of all the nerve! The eagle would have none of it but at least had the decency to call out a warning before landing talons first on the pole. Here he is yelling “Leave or die!” You don’t mess around with eagles. (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) (Sony a1, 400mm with a 1.4 teleconverter for 560mm, f/4.5, 1/3200 second, ISO 640)

This one actually has the decency to sport a black head!

If I see someone with a tripod and camera, generally I'd expect that they're at least a hobbyist photographer and would show some decency and common sense, but, sadly, that isn't always the case.

 

This is a beautiful spot in Itoshima in Southern Japan. It's popular for a view of the sun setting behind some rocks and a shrine gate, right by the water. And there was a crowd gathering for it.

 

But there was also a chap with a tripod and camera, quite happy to make his way ahead of the rest of the crowd and to stand right in the middle of everyone else's shot, just so he could get his.

This image is copyright, all rights reserved, and not part of the public domain. Any use, linking to, or posting of this image is prohibited without my consent. If you want to use this image in any fashion, please have the common courtesy and decency to ask.

 

Red Barn, Hood River Valley, Oregon

 

I caught a ride with a couple of peeps to make our way out to the pear orchard for sunrise. This is the 3rd year I've tried to capture that red barn but have missed the peak blooms until this year. I finally hit it at the right time this year. It was a fun morning spent with a couple of good peeps.

Following a gentle walk around my local nature reserve in the glorious Autumn sunshine yesterday afternoon without really seeing too much, this Hover Fly duly obliged and kept me entertained for a few minutes.

 

I was equipped only with my 300mm lens (effectively 480mm on a Canon cropped sensor) so this was shot at the minimum focusing distance of 1.5 metres. Quite a tricky shot but I persisted on manual focus and managed to pick up some Autumn colours as a bonus.

 

Thanks in advance for any comments or favourites you may wish to make.

________________________

 

* Do not use my images without my explicit permission. They are Copyright protected and it is quite frankly rude. I have noticed use of some of my images on Twitter and Pinterest without my approval. If you like an image why not have the decency to contact the photographer and promote them at the same time instead of glorifying yourself.

________________________

 

Rant over!

and that is why "I must return to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky..." John Masefield

 

I would say that there exists a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else, and that our dignity and our chances are one. The farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family; and there is no decency or sense in honoring one thing, or a few things, and then closing the list. The pine tree, the leopard, the Platte River, and ourselves — we are at risk together, or we are on our way to a sustainable world together, we are each other's destiny. Mary Oliver...

 

and my friend and I, who share destinies, will sit here - and there - and talk about Mary Oliver's passing and the ocean's language and the deep silence of shared destinies...

filters, meters, et cetera, rattling around in a soft bag with a compliment of refuse and dust. Sometimes the professional is the worst offender!

Ansel Adams

 

HFF! Decency Matters! Resist the Despicable Convicted Sexual Abuser and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

 

rose, little theater rose garden, raleigh, north carolina