November 2nd, 2008 - Chicago, United States

I always thought one of the things that made Grant Wood's "American Gothic" the masterpiece it undoubtedly is was the way the couple portrayed look not straight out at us, but slightly to one side, their expression wary, distrustful, suspicious. The object of their distrust is not specific, but general - they are suspicious of everything they do not know.

America's greatness has been built on the coexistence of conservative and progressive spirits, and the often creative tensions between the two. Somehow, in the really big moments, the right one of these two tendencies has more often than not prevailed. I hope with all my heart that tomorrow, the progressive ideal will win out.

Update (Nov 21st 2008) : This photograph is referenced in an eloquent and witty blog post here, which reveals, amongst other things, that Barack Obama actually refers to this painting in his book Dreams From My Father. I quote from the blogpost :

"[Obama] writes that American Gothic effectively evoked the world in which his grandparents grew up: “…a place where decency and endurance and the pioneer spirit were joined at the hip with conformity and suspicion and the potential for unblinking cruelty.” [...] He’s talking about the people who accepted their daughter’s marriage to a Kenyan man (in 1960); they loved and later helped raise the grandchild born from that marriage. And [he] credits them for instilling many of his most admirable traits."

An interesting alternative twist is put on the possible interpretation of this photograph in a post on Obama's conservativism on the blog Asymptotic Life. Is this not a painting, but a mirror ?

Please click here to view on black.

I don't mind losing out on a sunset to an approaching storm as long as it has the decency to give me some lightning as compensation. This storm gave me nothing but raindrops on my lens and dust in my already irritated eye. However I still liked what I did get before the Sun was completely obscured (a common occurrence this week while shooting sunsets...) This is the Oquirrh Mountain Temple of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints in South Jordan, Utah. 9 brackets @1EV using the Promote Control.

Guild headquarters, London 1927:

‘I wonder what’s taking them so long?’ Faust said, flipping his pocket watch open in frustration. His eyes darted back and forth from his watch to the ornate grandfather clock nearby.

‘Patience is a virtue Hector’ Harriet said, slowly turning a page in her book ‘This meeting was organised within short notice, we can’t expect everyone to arrive on time’.

‘Indeed we can’t’ Rathbone chimed, his gazed focused on the city skyline outside. Bloated grey clouds began to move lazily above the collection of spires, towers and archways.

‘Well, it’s common decency to be punctual’ Faust retorted, still focused on his pocket watch.

‘Remind me, am I talking to Faust or the demon?’ Harriet said closing her book swiftly.

‘I, er. Apologies, he’s been getting restless of late’ Faust sighed heavily.

‘Well, there will be time to explore soon enough’ Rathbone said reassuringly.

‘Besides, we have a new recruit to the guild arriving tonight’ Harriet smiled, pulling out a small file and flipping through its pages.

‘So the B.I. were able to convince him then?’ Faust asked, adjusting his moustache.

‘Indeed they were’ Rathbone said ‘A curious character, but given time I believe he could be a great asset’.

The doors suddenly creaked open, a tall young man with a neatened beard stepped into the room.

‘Speak of the devil!’ Rathbone exclaimed, extending his arm to the young man ‘Welcome Mr. Gunn, I hope your journey wasn’t too hasty’.

‘Oh, not at all Professor’ the young man said, awkwardly shaking Professor Rathbone’s hand.

‘Please Arthur, don’t be nervous. We’ve all been looking forward to meeting you’ Harriet said, extending her hand.

‘Thank you, Miss Nightingale’ Arthur said, smiling slightly and shaking her hand.

‘So you’re the new recruit then?’ Faust piped up stepping forward with anticipation ‘We read your file, you used to travel with that daughter of the science Pirate didn’t you?’

‘Were it not for ‘N’ I would not be here today’ Arthur said fondly, shaking hands firmly with Faust.

‘We all have our pasts don’t we?’ Faust laughed.

‘Some more thrilling than others Doctor.’ A grated electronic voice exclaimed from the doorway.

The guild members turned to see a large figure enter the room, a tall late middle aged man with a powerful build, the lower portion of his face encased in a large metallic faceplate with a grated vent where the mouth should be. His right arm was entirely mechanical, reinforced with darkened armour plating. His right leg was also entirely mechanical. He dressed in a black formal suit with a long burgundy cape billowing behind him.

‘Baron Ravencroft, how lovely to see you’ Rathbone said extending his hand.

‘Save the pleasantries professor, I’m only interested in the hunt’ Ravencroft said, moving towards the table.

As he approached the table his eyes focused on Arthur, his eyes studying him intently.

‘Tell me, Professor’ The Baron said turning to Rathbone ‘Since when did the guild hire children?’

He turned his gaze towards Arthur, whose face had turned more stern.

‘Mr Gunn was recruited by the B.I. Baron’ Harriet retorted ‘He’s more than capable of joining our ranks’.

The Baron stepped over to Arthur, staring down at him ‘Maybe from your perspective woman, but I think differently’.

Arthur glared back at the Baron, the mechanical clicking of the Baron’s prosthesis echoing in the room.

‘Shall we focus on the meeting Baron? I believe the hunt is waiting’ Rathbone announced, gesturing to him to take a seat.

‘Is this all of us then?’ The Baron piqued ‘Where is Dr Grant? Or should I say Dr Thunder as he’s been called in the recent papers’.

‘Sadly he couldn’t make it’ Harriet said taking a seat ‘Mr. Carter needed his expertise on a tomb in Egypt’.

‘So he says’ Ravencroft snapped, placing his mechanical hand on the table.

Rathbone paced towards the head of the table.

‘All of us who could make it are here, we have a new task at hand. So let us begin…’

Strange Stormy Situation Surrounds Stunning Saturday Seaside Serenity Sunset Scene (SOOC) - IMRAN™

What a strange time it is. It feels as if 2020, like a mean, dangerous, psychotic, fatal attraction addicted ex-girlfriend, just won't let go of us to move into a better future. But, as I captured this SOOC (straight out of camera) unedited Nikon D300 photo of tonight's sunset at my blessed home on Tampa Bay, Florida, I thought to myself what a strange situation surrounds this stunning Saturday seaside serenity sunset scene.

Despite a red-hot sunset, a cold wind, seemingly coming from all sides in strong bursts but without notable gusts, invisibly symbolizes the national and global threats buffeting us in this new year, and new decade.

A global Coronavirus pandemic, now with a dangerous mutation, is still wreaking havoc, ... but vaccines are offering some hope. A cancer of wilful ignorance and cult-like embrace of fascist forces continues to threaten our democracy, ... but even a few (until-recently fascism-embracing tyrant-loving) politicians acting like they are finding their consciences is giving hope to a return to normalcy.

An actual insurrection against the government of the United States, incited by none other than the actual current occupant of the Oval Office, leading to Confederate & Nazi flags and symbols being proudly displayed inside the US Capitol for the first time in history shook the patriotic majority of the nation, ... but there is hope that it may have woken up enough sell-out members of his own party to realize they have to stand up to Drumpf. An actual agent of an enemy state and criminal President is talking about pardoning himself, his family, and others whom he clearly directed to commit crimes... but even Republicans are now asking for his removal from office, and wanting a return to the rule of law, from the streets to the highest office in the land.

All these cures are better late than never, ... but what a tragic waste of so much. Lives, jobs, civility, decency, stability, and unity, ... all losses caused by the acts foisted on us by corrupt, incompetent, undemocratic forces of a traitor in power in 2020.

The truth is simple. Facts are facts, no matter what conspiracy theory undereducated cultists embrace or what white-lies purely opportunistic sleazy politicians spread. Science is science, no matter how much some idiots believe the earth is flat, or that they would get injected with a microchip in an anti-viral vaccine.

It is time to make 2021 the start of the best years of our lives, as people, as nations, and as humankind. Join me as I bow my head in prayer at this sunset time for us all to be healed and at peace again.

© 2021 IMRAN™

#ApolloBeach, #CloudPorn, #cloudscape, #clouds, #cold, #commentary, #Coronavirus, #D300, #DonaldTrump, #fascism, #Florida, #humankind, #IMHO, #IMRAN, #ImranAnwar, #InMyHumbleOpinion, #insurrection, #Lifestyle, #Maghreb, #Nature, #Nikon, #NoEdit, #NoFilter, #pandemic, #politics, #prose, #Republicans, #Saturday, #science, #seaside, #SOOC, #Sunset, #Tampa, #TampaBay, #traitors, #tranquility, #treason, #vaccines, #weekend, #winter, #writing

I'm so f*cking tired of my hubby Editorial Clarity's Exes publishing poems or songs in their blogs and flickrs about him trying to get his attention. You have caused so much problems for us and that is why you are no longer part of our lives.

Don't want to be mean but have some dignity. Get over it and Move on.

Since I married Edi more than a year ago, I have dealt with people who have no decency and tried to break us apart every chance they get. They would spread lies everywhere and tried to poison our minds against each other. It was so damn hard but Edi and I managed to stay together. Honestly, If Edi wants to be with any of you, he will because no one can control him. And I have enough pride and dignity to not stay with someone who doesn't love me or want to be with me.

WE ARE STILL TOGETHER AND STRONG, SL and RL. We will be living together in RL summer 2013.

I don't care who the f*ck do you think you are but I will seriously kick your ass if you don't stop with your damn obsession. Leave us alone. Take your damn poems and songs and shove it where the sun don't shine.

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.

Bridal Veil Overlook, Columbia Gorge, Oregon

I went to one of my favorite places to catch a sunset in the gorge, and I'm glad I did. With it raining the majority of the time, the light and atmosphere was spectacular. There wasn't much wind so it wasn't a problem holding my big umbrella over my camera the whole time. I'm really loving the detail and range I'm able to pull out of the 6D. This is a blend of 2 exposures. The majority of the scene is of the sunset, but the car and train light trails is from a second (30 second) exposure taken 40 minutes later and blended into this scene using Photoshop CS6.

As always when I get a new camera or lens, the cats become test subjects. Skinny did not care about the new camera and did not even have the decency to look at it!

Niccolò Ciatti is an Italian 20-year-old boy on vacation in Barcelona.

Already a worker, he has his salary and his holidays. He goes to the disco, like all the guys. An offense for a push with another boy and start beating. In the middle of the disco, kick and punch at the head of three boys against poor Niccolo who dies. There are videos that for decency have not shown in full and I could not even look at it. Why do I want to write about this? ...... In the partial video they are all in circle to look at, NO ONE INTERVENES?, nor other guys, or the disco bouncer ..... and some movie with the phone ?????

I have a son of this age, to think that you go dancing and for a diversion you are massacred, it makes me shudder .....

Are not we a country of peace, What's in the head of these guys? Drugs? There have always been, but so much brutality I have never seen. And those who look? And those filming? ..... I think these guys are too much in a video game and they no longer recognize the reality.

Bring yours children out in the parks, play balls, ride bicycles, stop using the phone while you are with them, and above all, before answering a banal nonsense of wath's up, answer them.

My sincere condolences to the family

Radiohead - Man Of War

...a patriotic American.

…the descendent of immigrants.

...lucky that I was born and raised in this nation, and aware that I did nothing in the womb to be that lucky.

...a person with a moral compass, based on the values my Christian parents taught me and further tempered by my life experiences.

...proud of the many good things America does for us here at home and for the rest of the world in need.

...not afraid to criticize American policies that do harm to Americans and the rest of the world.

...a former Republican, driven away from the party by their abandonment of fiscal conservatism in favor of social conservatism.

…a proponent of listening to people who disagree with you and trying to reach a reasonable, rational agreement.

...hesitantly willing to accept the use of force if all other options have been exhausted.

...sickened by the fact that we let our fellow Americans die from treatable diseases because they don't have enough money to afford decent healthcare.

…worried that if we don’t start acting on it as a country, future generations will be dealing with the environmental problems we allowed to happen (or caused directly).

…concerned that our dependence on foreign sources of energy are a threat to our national security.

...appalled that working-class Americans are being squeezed by higher fuel prices (and higher food and utility prices as a result) while oil companies are swimming in record profits.

…not too proud to ask for help when I can’t do something alone.

…in favor of a woman’s right to choose, but want to make sure that comprehensive sex education, access to birth control, and other programs are in place to make sure as few women as possible have to make such a heartbreaking decision.

…fiscally conservative, and in favor of accountability and responsibility when it comes to government spending.

…angry that my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are inheriting a huge national debt as a result of this war in Iraq.

…angry that over 4,000 of my fellow countrymen will never see their children or grandchildren as a result of the same war.

…not afraid of electing a president with a skin color that is different than mine, or with a name that sounds foreign to me.

…not going to let my fear of terrorism override my sense of reason, decency, and morality any longer.

…in favor of letting two consenting adults who are in love with each other get married, despite their genders.

…confused why people think that creationism should be taught as science when it is a religious explanation for life and not a scientific theory.

…in favor of strengthening our border security, but dealing with people who are already here illegally with the compassion and dignity they deserve as human beings.

…upset that the current administration’s attitude towards business (i.e. that the government should not interfere with business, and that the free market will cause companies to operate ethically) has lead to things like the Enron scandal, the mortgage crisis, and job losses for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

…concerned that our educational system is broken, kids aren’t getting enough one-on-one attention, and teachers are underpaid.

…outraged at how our military veterans are treated when they get home (and how many of them are sent back to war again after they’ve done their duty).

…aware that no candidate is going to agree with my views 100% of the time.

…also aware that no president can singlehandedly accomplish everything they say they want to, and that the checks and balances of our government are there to ensure this.

…not going to stay quiet about my opinions because I’m afraid of offending people I like.

…totally supportive of your right to disagree with anything I’ve said here.

…voting for Barack Obama.

„This is Corellia Local Holo Net News. Today armed terrorists attacked a prisoners transport at Corellia central space port. The attackers claimed to be part of the Rebel Alliance and managed to momentarily free five of the prisoners. According to witnesses, they called our beloved Emperor a liar and a criminal. Other insults uttered by the terrorists will not be cited at this point, for reasons of decency. Imperial forces responded quickly to the attack and locked down the space port before the dissidents could flee. The incident caused casualties on both sides. Two of the attackers surrendered, the remaining four, as well as the prisoners, were eliminated by Imperial forces. Three Imperial operatives were injured, but could be treated on site by Imperial forces medical personnel. They are now being transferred to the Imperial Med Center. Governor Solem thanked the soldiers for their bravery. Shocked by the incident, he promised to reinforce space port security to end this ongoing series of terrorist attacks. Next week he will present a list of actions to be taken. This was Jenna Mizu for Corellia Local Holonet News.“

_________________________

A detail shot from my recent Star Wars vignette.

Trying for a degree of decency; the camera angle not affording much.

US politics have caught me in the spin of their intrigue and incredulity these last couple of weeks -thank heavens decency and a sense of normalcy may return very soon!

Sex sells

Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing.[1] The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations (such as a need for warmth or protection from the elements) and social considerations. In some situations the minimum amount of clothing (i.e. covering of a person's genitals) may be socially acceptable, while in others much more clothing is expected.

People, as individuals and in groups, have varying attitudes towards their own nudity. Some people are relaxed about appearing less than fully clothed in front of others, while others are uncomfortable or inhibited in that regard. People are nude in a variety of situations, and whether they are prepared to disrobe in front of others depends on the social context in which the issue arises. For example, people need to bathe without clothing, some people also sleep in the nude, some prefer to sunbathe in the nude or at least topless. Many people are prepared to disrobe for a medical examination, while others are nude in other situations. Some people adopt nudism as a lifestyle.

Though the wearing of clothes is the social norm in most cultures, some cultures, groups and individuals are more relaxed about nudity, though attitudes often depend on context. On the other hand, some people feel uncomfortable in the presence of any nudity, and the presence of a nude person in a public place can give rise to controversy, irrespective of the attitude of the person who is nude. Besides meeting social disapproval, in some places public nudity may constitute a crime of indecent exposure. Many people have strong views on nudity, which to them can involve issues and standards of modesty, decency and morality. Some people have a psychological aversion to nudity, called gymnophobia. Many people regard nudity to be inherently sexual and erotic.

Nudity (sex-related or not) is also to be found in visual arts (see also art nude, nude photography, nudity in film), also on the Internet, and in performing arts. It is a factor in adult entertainment of various types.

Catching up on some back shots from the beginning of the year

On a walk around the Addington Cemetery with a wonderful Flickr friend. February 13, 2016 Christchurch New Zealand.

There is so much damaged in the cemetery because of the earthquake we have had. It is such a pity as I don' think it will ever be fully repaired.

The Addington Cemetery was established in 1858 when the Scottish Presbyterians of St Andrew’s Church purchased land for a cemetery in Selwyn Street. Although not the first cemetery in Christchurch, Addington was in fact the first “public” cemetery, “being open to all persons of any religious community” and allowing the performance of any religious service “not contrary to public decency”.

The first burial took place on the 10th of November 1858. The cemetery has several persons of note buried within its grounds including activist Kate Sheppard, Christchurch Mayor Tommy Taylor and members of the pioneer family, the Deans.

For More Info:http://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/addington-cemetery/

“I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always ... so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.”

― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

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.

Face Rock Wayside, Bandon, Oregon

My brother and I went to Face Rock Wayside for sunset. I've been in Bandon this past week on vacation, visiting my Mom and brother as well as some cousins. This is the 1st night of my vacation where we went down to the beach for sunset and didn't have to deal with the foggy Marine Layer. It's been a much needed relaxing and enjoyable vacation. I captured quite a few different views and angles of a pretty spectacular sunset. Afterwards my wet feet were making those sloshy sounds.

I have no idea what the inspiration for this staircase was but it must have been something awesome. And guessing from the name of the building - Porthania at the Helsinki University - they have no lack of creativity by may be lacking decency. Search for the Greek meaning of the word Parthania (with an "a") and then use your imagination... Just saying...

Heros are not always what you'd expect them to be.

Can I just say this is not in any way an indication of my support for this kind of behaviour? These were just some Lego folks I happened upon during a clean up, which of course was much less interesting than playing with the toys themselves and taking pictures.

This Blonde hero (she-ro) is coming to the rescue of her friend against the forces of evil. I suppose it is a metaphor for things happening in the world today at the hands of forces of evil who claim to be acting on behalf of a deity. No thanks. I'll take human decency over that any day.

Queen "Save Me"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUyPyTn-IS4

Sony ILCE A7r : Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

A few weeks ago, while clearing out the attic, we came across a box of old newspaper clippings, probably the work of a long-departed aunt who was renowned for her hoarding habits. Among the yellowed pages was a dossier on the Lunar Landing in 1969, which provoked the usual "What were you doing when..." sort of discussion. Among other things, I recalled I'd just become the owner of a new-fangled Pentax Spotmatic, not new but a source of some pride. As it turns out, I still have the camera, and this is it, somewhat faded and worn but still functional; it was commandeered by one of my sons and disappeared for a decade or so, but he eventually fell in love with an EOS and had the decency to return the Spotmatic to his old man. I occasionally borrow it's lens to use on digital cameras, but it spends it's retirement on a shelf with several Pentax cousins.

At noon today in Washington, DC, Joe Biden takes the oath of office and the USA moves past the horrors of the past four years. Hopefully we will see a return to decency and a commitment to freedom and justice for all with extremism, violence and conflict extinguished as we set about the business of recovering from Covid and building a healthy society with good employment opportunities for all.

Took this photo in 2003 while demonstrating against the Bush war in Iraq.

Another first state.

Some traders have no decency, some of our deputy applauding in our National assemby for less of teachers in france have no decency..I'm sorry I just wanted to talk about simple pleasure. But it's always decency for the others..

On Black and large

– comedian W.C. Fields

This is a photo of a whiskey shelf, an expensive one, in an executive's office in the South.

Name: James Dawson

Arrested for: Indecent Exposure

Arrested at: North Shields Police Station

Arrested on; 9th June 1902

Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-3-James Dawson

These images are a selection from an album of photographs of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 in the collection of Tyne & Wear Archives (TWA ref DX1388/1).

Copyright) We're happy for you to share this digital image within the spirit of The Commons. Please cite 'Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums' when reusing. Certain restrictions on high quality reproductions and commercial use of the original physical version apply though; if you're unsure please email archives@twmuseums.org.uk.

It seemed to take me most of 2009 to track this down and get a half decent picture of it! By the time this was taken, the lower deck windows towards the rear had been replaced, leaving the figures bereft of their decency.

What an amazing place this is. It used to be a thermal bath house. It was built in the 19th century and what beautifully decorated. It will soon be converted into a posh hotel.

When we entered early morning we were the first explorers setting up our gear. Within an hour the place was crowded with explorers from all over Europe and it was hard to take a decent picture.

Apparently it is hard for other people to wait until others who were there earlier are done. I gave them a hard time by just standing in 'their' way while taking a shot. Have some decency people and be patient!

Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures and follow me on Facebook on www.facebook.com/Preciousdecay.urbex

One of the most popular pictures in my photostream, by far, is a mosaic that I created from 'S-Shields' from my collection of Superman action figures.

The picture has garnered lots of comments and faves (especially from the Middle East where the shield appears to be a powerful fashion icon) and I was very taken with the kind words people left form me.

But it always bugged me that a couple of the images were repeated. So I decided to recreate the pic and add in a few more toys that have joined the collection since.

I've tried to add as many different versions of the shield as possible, to represent not only the different versions of the character throughout the years and continuities but also high-light some folk who wore it who were not Superman himself.

I'd like to think that these aren't too obscure to the well-versed super-fan, but a few casual observers might be intrigued to ask more, please go ahead, I'll try to fill you in on the background of a particular 'S'.

Why Superman, you might ask?

As I said before, he may not be the coolest, but he was the first and I always loved what his character has stood for; decency, honour, honesty and kindness.

We could all do with sharing a bit more of that around...

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

[EXPLORE FRONT PAGE: 10-28-2009]

Okay...let me honestly admit that this was a rather gloomy decision on my part to go to a Sonu Niigaam concert instead of the one of Artcell. And I had to, partly because my parents wanted and partly cause I didn't want to waste the Premium ticket after being successfully unable to sell them! So I went. And HE came onto the stage: and thereby the story started for me!

You all know him better than me, I guess! Memorize all his songs by heart, read all his interviews and know all about his personal life...if I ain't wrong! But I started from the very scratch! Then I saw him standing there on the stage, moving the crowd by his eternal music, electrifying them by his decency, modesty and kindness when he accepted every request from the audience, talking with them, clapping for them and bowing for them. And I thought how can someone so big, can be so sober standing up there, ruling the crowd??? The answer was, he himself: Sonu Niigaam!

Okay, there were some technical (!) limitations of shooting in this particular concert!

1. None had any DSLR in the front seats except for 2 from the organizers side. They weren't allowing anyone to shoot even with mobile (though ppl did, yeah!). So I had to take all the shots sitting in my seat in the second row, which is the reason behind the same frames in each photo!

2. My only gear was 400D with the 18-55mm had to bear all my torture throughout!!

So here it goes.....

Today I thought it was time to again don the white Spandex Jumpsuit and frolic on the front lawn with the first bug I could find. After all, it’s only the first Saturday in Spring once a year. I just hope this was a girl bug and not a boy bug or the neighbours might start talking……

He may not be pretty, but portly balding chaps in Spandex can't be too picky!

Frolic performed to the refrains of the famous JPY Classic, (that’s John Paul Young to the ignorant), Love is in the Air. I thought it was apt.

“Love is in the air

Everywhere I look around

Love is in the air

Every sight and every sound

And I don't know if I'm being foolish

Don't know if I'm being wise

But it's something that I must believe in

And it's there when I look in your eyes…”

----JPY

Thanks to the local Constabulary for being so understanding and letting me off with a stern lecture about public decency…..

And yeah, I know the nail needs a clean!

Collage postcard with re-used solar etching print, rescued canary bird guide, rubber stamped letters.

How our standards of decency keep dropping....how LOW can they GO?

War is a toxin for the human psyche. It bombards the senses with relentless overstimulation fueled by the constant fear of death. In such an environment, one is forced into profound cognitive dissonance—committing acts of violence while believing that taking a life is inherently wrong, and yet clinging to the notion of personal decency that any observer would find hard to believe. Eventually, the body begins to manifest the inevitable toll of this relentless strain.

The final photograph I took during my recent trip. We arrived at Logan Airport just as the sun was setting. Had a little time to spare so I took a shot or two looking across in the direction of Boston. The tripod was packed so this was hand held.

This might well be the last time I take a photograph in the USA. We do unfortunately need to reduce the amount we spend on travel and three-week road trips are pretty expensive. I have enjoyed immensely the opportunity to tour parts of the USA over the past twenty years and driving over 30,000 miles in your incredibly beautiful country. The vast majority of the Americans I have met during these visits were so very warm and welcoming.

Thanks for following the route of my recent holiday. Obviously I have many other photographs to post from this last trip well over well over a hundred. They will appear randomly over the coming months or years, I still have shots in the archives from our trips to the US in 2014 and 2016 so lots more American images to come.

Sadly must end on a negative note. It’s almost beyond belief when a leader of another democratic country endorses the views of a criminal and extreme right wing group in my country. I do not use the word criminal hyperbolically; some of its members are in jail for racialist attacks. The deputy leader of this group “Britain First” Jayda Fransen is currently on bail charged with inciting racial hatred and other public order offences. She will appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Thursday 14 December. Imagine how furious Americans would feel if a British politician showed their support for the Ku Klux Klan

In case you feel I am being extreme in my reaction let me quote the British prime Minister Teresa May not someone on the whole I tend to agree with on any issue .10 Downing Street said and I quote

"British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents - decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the president to have done this."

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED AND SO MUCH MORE INTRESTING THAN JUST GIVING A FAVE

Below I found at

www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_faulkner.html

William Faulkner, American Novelist Quotes

Birth Day: Sept. 25, 1897; Death Day: July 6, 1962

A gentleman can live through anything.

A man's moral conscience is the curse he had to accept from the gods in order to gain from them the right to dream.

A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.

A writer must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid.

William Faulkner

All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.

Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.

An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn't know why they choose him and he's usually too busy to wonder why.

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.

Everything goes by the board: honor, pride, decency to get the book written.

__________________________

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus' Mother

Today is a Holyday of Obligation

For more information, please click here

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16

1 Corinthians 15:20-27

Luke 1:39-56

A priest friend of mine, now deceased, once remarked in a homily for this solemn feast that "The dogma of the Assumption was defined in 1950 at the beginning of a decade that saw the intensifying of the Cold War and the spread of nuclear threat, a time when many questioned how much of a future our world had." Thinking back to that period, there was a new prosperity emerging in America, yet military involvement continued in Europe and there was the Korean War. During that time and now, the dogma of "Mary's Assumption has a message of serenity in facing the future." *

A follower of Christ will learn from the fulfillment of Mary's faith through the Assumption, that the words of scripture spoken by Elizabeth are true: "Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled." A follower of Christ will learn to receive God's Word, its message, the Spirit's gifts, and in the fashion given to the baptized, the Body of Christ.

On earth, Mary manifested trust. It was irrepressible. The Magnificat sings of God's mercy, blessing and justice. Her patient endurance through the passion and death of Jesus gives witness to a love that would not fail.

And God did not fail her. The first act of new creation has begun for the woman who was the instrument of the Word of Life coming to dwell among us.

Do you find any evidence of wistful thinking on the part of Mary? I do not. Keep Mary in mind as you experience anxiety about the future. As much as we would like to control the future we cannot. We can, nevertheless, adopt the spirit of the chosen one and have confidence and joy based on the promises of faith and the evidence of God with us.

- Rev. Stephen H. Gratto | email: smartins@frontiernet.net

*(with thoughts from the late Rev. Edward J. Wright)

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EXPLORE 2008 # 179, # 225 on 08-16; # 439 on 08-15; # 245 on 08-18; # 258 on 08-19; # 335 on 08-21; # 427 on 08-28; # 446 on 08-31; # 498 on 09-15

As Nottingham's shops continue to close at an alarming rate, the face of the streets is changing dramatically, not always for the better. At least, on Bridlesmith Gate, they are trying to brighten things up a bit. Snapped with the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G phone cam and pushed, pulled and twisted about, way beyond the realms of common decency!

Italian postcard by Bromostampa, Milano, no. 380.

Voluptuous American actress Mamie Van Doren (1931) was a sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s. Van Doren starred in several exploitation films such as Untamed Youth (1957), loaded with rock 'n' roll and juvenile delinquency. Her onscreen wardrobe usually consisted of tight sweaters, low-cut blouses, form-fitting dresses, and daring swimsuits. Mamie and her colleague blonde bombshells Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were known as 'The Three M's.'

Mamie Van Doren was born Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, South Dakota, in 1931. She was the daughter of Warner Carl Olander and Lucille Harriet Bennett. In 1942 the family moved to Los Angeles. In early 1946, Van Doren began working as an usher at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The following year, she had a bit part on an early television show. She also sang with Ted Fio Rito's band and entered several beauty contests. She was married for a brief time at seventeen when Van Doren and her first husband, Jack Newman, eloped to Santa Barbara. The marriage was dissolved quickly, upon her discovery of his abusive nature. In the summer of 1949, at age 18, she won the titles Miss Eight Ball and Miss Palm Springs. Van Doren was discovered by producer Howard Hughes the night she was crowned Miss Palm Springs. The pair dated for five years. Hughes provided her with a bit role in Jet Pilot at RKO Radio Pictures. Her line of dialogue inconsisted of one word, "Look!". The following year, 1951, she posed for famous pin-up girl artist Alberto Vargas, the painter of the glamorous Vargas Girls. His painting of Van Doren was on the July 1951 cover of Esquire magazine. Van Doren did a few more bit parts in RKO films, including His Kind of Woman (John Farrow, 1951) starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Van Doren then began working on the stage. She was a showgirl in New York in Monte Proser's nightclub version of Billion Dollar Baby. Songwriter Jimmy McHugh discovered her for his musicals, then decided she was too good for the chorus line and should have dramatic training. She studied with Ben Bard and Bliss-Hayden. While appearing in the role of Marie in a showcase production of Come Back, Little Sheba, Van Doren was seen by Phil Benjamin, a casting director at Universal International. In 1953, Van Doren signed a contract with Universal Studios. They had big plans for her, hoping she would bring the same kind of success that 20th Century Fox had with Marilyn Monroe. Van Doren, whose signing day coincided with the inauguration of President Eisenhower, was given the first name Mamie for Ike's wife, Mamie Eisenhower. Universal first cast Van Doren in a minor role as a singer in Forbidden (Rudolph Maté, 1953), starring Tony Curtis. Interested in Van Doren's allure, Universal then cast her again opposite Curtis in The All American (Jesse Hibbs, 1953), playing her first major role as Susie Ward, a wayward girl who is the man-trap at a campus beer joint. In Yankee Pasha (Joseph Pevney, 1954), starring Jeff Chandler and Rhonda Fleming, she played a slave girl, Lilith. In 1955, she had a supporting role in the musical Ain't Misbehavin' (Edward Buzzell, 1955) and starred in the crime-drama Running Wild (Abner Biberman, 1955). Soon thereafter, Van Doren turned down a Broadway role in the play Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and was replaced by newcomer Jayne Mansfield. In 1956, Van Doren appeared in the Western Star in the Dust (Charles F. Haas, 1956). Though Van Doren garnered prominent billing alongside John Agar and Richard Boone, she appears rather briefly, as the daughter of a ranch owner. By this time, Van Doren had grown tired of Universal, which was only casting her in non-breakthrough roles. Therefore, Van Doren began accepting bigger roles in better movies from other studios, such as Teacher's Pet (George Seaton, 1958) with Doris Day and Clark Gable. She appeared in some of the first films to feature rock 'n' roll music, such as Untamed Youth (Howard W. Koch, 1957). The film was originally condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, but that only served to enhance the curiosity factor, resulting in it being a big moneymaker for the studio. Van Doren became identified with this rebellious style, and made some rock records. She went to star in several bad girl movies that later became cult films. These include Born Reckless (Howard W. Koch, 1958), High School Confidential (Jack Arnold, 1958), and The Beat Generation (Charles F. Haas, 1959). After Universal Studios chose not to renew her contract in 1959, Van Doren was now a free agent and had to struggle to find work.

Mamie Van Doren became known for her provocative roles. She was in prison for Girls Town (Charles F. Haas, 1959), which provoked censors with a shower scene where audiences could see Van Doren's naked back. As Eve in The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (Mickey Rooney, Albert Zugsmith, 1960) she wore only fig leaves, and in other films, like Vice Raid (Edward L. Cahn, 1960) audiences were clued in as to the nature of the films from the titles. Many of these productions were low-budget B-movies which sometimes gained a cult following for their high camp value. An example is Sex Kittens Go to College (Albert Zugsmith, 1960), which co-starred Tuesday Weld and Mijanou Bardot - Brigitte's sister. Mamie also appeared in foreign productions, such as the Italian crime comedy Le bellissime gambe di Sabrina/The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1959) with Antonio Cifariello, and the Argentine film Una americana en Buenos Aires/The Blonde from Buenos Aires (George Cahan, 1961) with Jean-Pierre Aumont. Van Doren took some time off from her career and came back to the screen in 1964. That year she played in the German Western musical Freddy und das Lied der Prärie/In the Wild West (Sobey Martin, 1964), starring Freddy Quinn and Rik Battaglia. Tommy Noonan convinced Van Doren to appear in 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (Tommy Noonan, 1964). Van Doren had turned down Noonan's previous offer to star in Promises! Promises!, in which she would have to do nude scenes. She was replaced by Jayne Mansfield. In 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt, Mamie did a beer-bath scene, but is not seen nude. She posed for Playboy to promote the film. Van Doren next appeared in The Las Vegas Hillbillys (Arthur C. Pierce, 1966) which co-starred Jayne Mansfield. It was the only time two of 'The Three M's' appeared together in a film. A sequel was titled Hillbillys in a Haunted House, but Van Doren turned this role down, and was replaced by Joi Lansing. She appeared in You've Got to Be Smart (Ellis Kadison, 1967), and the Sci-Fi film, Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968), directed by the young Peter Bogdanovich (as Derek Thomas). In this film astronauts land on Venus and encounter dangerous creatures and meet sexy Venusian women who like to sun-bathe in hip-hugging skin-tight pants and seashell brassieres. In 1968, she was offered the role of a murder victim in the independent horror film The Ice House as a replacement for Mansfield, who died the previous year. She turned the offer down, however, and was replaced by Sabrina. During the Vietnam War, she did tours for U.S. troops in Vietnam for three months in 1968, and again in 1970. Van Doren also developed a nightclub act and did live theatre. She performed in stage productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dames at Sea at the Drury Lane Theater, Chicago, and appeared in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and The Tender Trap at the Arlington Park Theater. In the 1970s, Van Doren performed a nightclub act in Las Vegas as well. Van Doren had a supporting role in the Western The Arizona Kid (Luciano B. Carlos, 1970). Since then, Van Doren has appeared only in cameo appearances in low-budgeted films. To this date Van Doren's last film appearance was a cameo role in the comedy Slackers (Dewey Nicks, 2002). Van Doren's guest appearances on television include Jukebox Jury, What's My Line, The Bob Cummings Show, The Jack Benny Show, Fantasy Island, Burke's Law, Vega$, and L.A. Law. She released her autobiography, Playing the Field, in 1987 which brought much new attention and proved to be her biggest media splash in over 25 years. Since the book's publication she has often been interviewed and profiled and has occasionally returned to acting. Van Doren has been married five times. Her first marriage was to sportswear manufacturer Jack Newman whom she married and divorced in 1950. Her second marriage was to bandleader, composer and actor Ray Anthony whom she married in 1955. They had one son, Perry Ray Anthony (1956). The couple later divorced in 1961. When Van Doren's early 1960s, highly publicized, on-again off-again engagement to baseball player Bo Belinsky ended in 1964, she married baseball player Lee Meyers in 1966. They were divorced in 1967. Her fourth marriage was to businessman Ross McClintock in 1972. They met while working on President Nixon's reelection campaign; the marriage was annulled in 1973. Since 1979 she has been married to Thomas Dixon, an actor and dentist.

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

(Tyrannus tyrannus) Jackson Woods, Anahuac, Tx.

"Really! You have no decency, sir! I'm right in the midst of ablutions!"

A golden end to a grey morning. At the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, ACT. The light was horrible all morning, and just before leaving I went around to the reeds on the west side of the swamp, to find quite a few golden-headed cisticolas flitting around. One had the decency to perch just 10 metres in front of me for a moment.

Haunted Alley is over and the results of the Harvest Bake Off have finally been revealed, and it's no surprise Stormtrooper Bruce made it into the top three. But he should have known something was up with the prizes when they weren't announced ahead of time.

TK-1110: It's just as we feared. Once again you're wallowing in your misery when you should be celebrating.

STB: Remind me again just exactly what I should be celebrating?

TK-432: Dude, you were robbed. You should've gotten 1st Place not 3rd. But then again, with those prizes what difference does it make?

TK-1110: Guess I'm the only voice of reason here. Yes the prizes suck like a Sith. Breakfast with the P, Lunch with the P, and Dinner with the P. But just be thankful third place was lunch!

TK-432: How is he supposed to be thankful about lunch with the P?

TK-1110: Think about it. He'd have to get up at the crack of dawn for breakfast, and dinner would drag on into the evening. But lunch is in the middle of the day - just a quick bite and it'll be over!

STB: Sure would like some of those Weasley's Puking Pastilles so I could take that orange half before hand.

TK-432: Well, at least they had the decency to return your cake. So, um... If you're done with your pity party think we could have a slice?

STB: Well, aside from a colossal hangover, guess I do feel a little better. Maybe lunch won't be so bad. Glad you guys stopped by. And yes, help yourselves to whatever you want. You'll pardon me if I don't get up just yet.

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Viewing Large is always fun. Just click on the image.

"ANZAC is not merely about loss. It is about courage, and endurance, and duty, and love of country, and mateship, and good humour and the survival of a sense of self worth, and decency in the face of dreadful odds." Sir William Deane, Govenor-General Of Australia, Anzac Day 1999.

This is a photo I did of the Ambulatory inside the Shrine of Remembrance. The Ambulatory, comprised of the side aisles surrounding the four sides of the central Sanctuary, contains the Books of Remembrance, National flags and ensigns.

The Books of Remembrance preserve the names of the 89,000 Victorians who were born or enlisted in Victoria and who served abroad in the First World War, or who died in camp prior to embarkation. There are 42 bronze caskets containing the books, they are listed alphabetically and without rank.

The books were meticulously inscribed and illuminated by a team of nine male and female calligraphers. Centrally located amongst the books is the King's Book - inscribed by His Majesty, King George V. The inscription reads: Let their names be forever held in proud remembrance.

The Shrine of Remembrance was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in remembrance of the 114,000 men and women of Victoria who served and those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918 - 89,100 of them served overseas and 19,000 did not return.

The people of Victoria felt that their debt to these volunteers, who had defended them at such great costs to themselves and their families, should be recognised by a worthy permanent monument of remembrance. Although the country was faced with frightful unemployment and financial difficulty in the late 1920s and the 1930s, so great was the gratitude of the people that the huge amount required to build the Shrine was raised or promised within six months from the opening of the appeal in 1928.

The design for the Shrine of Remembrance was selected by competition among Australian artists and architects. Eighty-three designs were submitted and the winning design was by two Melbourne returned-soldier architects, Philip Hudson and James Wardrop.The inspiration for the external outline came from one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the mausoleum at Harlicarnassus to Mausolus, King of Caria in South West Asia Minor.

Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester and son of King George V, officially opened the Shrine before a crowd of 300,000 people in November 1934.Since then, it has been a growing monument, with other memorials added to the site to mark the service of successive generations, such as the Second World War Forecourt and the Remembrance Garden – Post 1945 Memorial.

LEST WE FORGET

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Vintage postcard, no. O2. Photo: Sam Lévin.

French actress Brigitte Bardot (1934) died today, 28 December 2025, at the age of 91. In the 1950s, she was the sex kitten of the European film industry. BB starred in 48 films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded 80 songs. After her retirement in 1973, she established herself as an animal rights activist and made vegetarianism sexy.

Brigitte Bardot was born in Paris in 1934. Her father, Louis Bardot, had an engineering degree and worked with his father in the family business. Her mother, Ann-Marie Mucel, was 14 years younger than Brigitte's father, and they married in 1933. Brigitte's mother encouraged her daughter to take up music and dance. At the age of 13, she entered the Conservatoire Nationale de Danse to study ballet. By the time she was 15, Brigitte was trying a modelling career and found herself in May 1949 on the cover of the French magazine Elle. Her incredible beauty was readily apparent, and Brigitte was noticed by Roger Vadim, then an assistant to the film director Marc Allegrét. Vadim was infatuated with Bardot and encouraged her to start working as a film actress. BB was 18 when she debuted in the comedy Le Trou Normand / Crazy for Love (Jean Boyer, 1952). In the same year, she married Vadim. Brigitte wanted to marry him when she was 17, but her parents quashed any marriage plans until she turned 18. In April 1953, she attended the Cannes Film Festival, where she received massive media attention. She soon was every man's idea of the girl he'd like to meet in Paris. From 1952 to 1956, she appeared in seventeen films. Her films were generally lightweight romantic dramas in which she was cast as an ingénue or siren, often with an element of undress. In 1953, she made her first US production, Un acte d'amour / Act of Love (Anatole Litvak, 1953) with Kirk Douglas, but she continued to make films in France.

Roger Vadim was not content with the light fare his wife was offered. He felt Brigitte Bardot was being undersold. Looking for something more like an art film to push her as a serious actress, he showcased her in Et Dieu créa la femme / ...And God Created Woman (Roger Vadim, 1956). This film, about an immoral teenager in a respectable small-town setting, was a smash success on both sides of the Atlantic. Craig Butler at AllMovie: "It's easy enough to say that ...And God Created Woman is much more important for its historical significance than for its actual quality as a film, and that's true to an extent. The immense popularity, due to its willingness to directly embrace an exploration of sex as well as its willingness to show a degree of nudity that was remarkably daring for its day, demonstrated that audiences were willing to view subject matter that was considered too racy for the average moviegoer. This had both positive (freedom to explore, especially for the French filmmakers of the time) and negative (freedom to exploit) consequences, but its impact is undeniable. It's also true that Woman is not a great work of art, not with a story that is ultimately rather thin, some painful dialogue, and an attitude toward its characters and their sexuality that is unclear and inconsistent. Yet Woman is still fascinating, due in no small part to the presence of Brigitte Bardot in the role that made her an international star and sex symbol. She's not demonstrating great acting here, although her performance is actually good and much better than necessary, and her legendary mambo scene at the climax is nothing short of sensational." During the shooting of Et Dieu créa la femme / And God Created Woman (Roger Vadim, 1956), directed by her husband, Brigitte Bardot had an affair with her co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant, who at that time was married to French actress Stéphane Audran. Her divorce from Vadim followed, but they remained friends and collaborated in later work.

Et Dieu créa la femme / ...And God Created Woman (Roger Vadim, 1956) helped Brigitte Bardot's international status. The film took the USA by storm, her explosive sexuality being unlike anything seen in the States since the days of the 'flapper' in the 1920s. It gave rise to the phrase 'sex kitten', and fascination with her in America consisted of magazine photographs and dubbed over French films - good, bad or indifferent, her films drew audiences - mainly men - into theatres like lemmings. BB appeared in light comedies like Doctor at Large (Ralph Thomas, 1957) - the third of the British 'Doctor' series starring Dirk Bogarde - and Une Parisienne / La Parisienne (Michel Boisrond, 1957), which suited her acting skills best. However, she was a sensation in the crime drama En cas de malheur / Love is My Profession (Claude Autant-Lara, 1958). Hal Erickson at AllMovie: "This Brigitte Bardot vehicle ran into stiff opposition from the Catholic Legion of Decency, severely limiting its U.S. distribution. Bardot plays a nubile small-time thief named Yvette, who becomes the mistress of influential defence attorney Andre (Jean Gabin). Though Andre can shower Yvette with jewels and furs, he cannot "buy" her heart, and thus it is that it belongs to handsome young student Mazzetti (Franco Interlenghi). Alas, Yvette is no judge of human nature: attractive though Mazzetti can be, he has a dangerous and deadly side. En Cas de Malheur contains a nude scene that has since been reprinted in freeze-frame form innumerable times by both film-history books and girlie magazines." Photographer Sam Lévin's photos contributed considerably to her image of sensuality and slight immorality. One of Lévin's pictures shows Brigitte, dressed in a white corset. It is said that around 1960, postcards with this photograph outsold in Paris those of the Eiffel Tower.

Brigitte Bardot divorced Vadim in 195,7 and in 1959 she married actor Jacques Charrier, with whom she starred in Babette s'en va-t-en guerre / Babette Goes to War (Christian-Jaque, 1959). The paparazzi preyed upon her marriage, while she and her husband clashed over the direction of her career

Her films became more substantial, but this brought a heavy pressure of dual celebrity as she sought critical acclaim while remaining a glamour model for most of the world. Vie privée / Private Life (1962), directed by Louis Malle, has more than an element of autobiography in it. James Travers at French Films: "Brigitte Bardot hadn’t quite reached the high point of her career when she agreed to make this film with high-profile New Wave film director Louis Malle. Even so, the pressure of being a living icon was obviously beginning to get to France’s sex goddess, and Vie privée is as much an attempt by Bardot to come to terms with her celebrity as anything else. Malle is clearly fascinated by Bardot, and the documentary approach he adopts for this film reinforces the impression that it is more a biography of the actress than a work of fiction. Of course, it’s not entirely biographical, but the story is remarkably close to Bardot’s own life and comes pretty close to predicting how her career would end." The scene in which, returning to her apartment, Bardot's character is harangued in the elevator by a middle-aged cleaning lady calling her offensive names was based on an actual incident, and is a resonant image of celebrity in the mid-20th century. Soon afterwards, Bardot withdrew to the seclusion of Southern France.

Brigitte Bardot's other husbands were German millionaire Playboy Gunter Sachs and right-wing politician Bernard d'Ormale. She is reputed to have had relationships with many other men, including Samy Frey, her co-star in La Vérité / The Truth (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1960), and musicians Serge Gainsbourg and Sacha Distel. In 1963, Brigitte Bardot starred in Jean-Luc Godard's critically acclaimed film Le Mépris / Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963) opposite Michel Piccoli. She was also featured along with such notable actors as Alain Delon in Amours célèbres / Famous Love Affairs (Michel Boisrond, 1961) and Histoires extraordinaires /Tales of Mystery (Louis Malle, 1968), Jeanne Moreau in Viva Maria! (Louis Malle, 1965), Sean Connery in Shalako (Edward Dmytryk, 1968), and Claudia Cardinale in Les Pétroleuses / Petroleum Girls (Christian-Jaque, 1971). She participated in various musical shows and recorded many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s, mostly in collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg, Bob Zagury and Sacha Distel, including 'Harley Davidson', 'Le Soleil De Ma Vie' (the cover of Stevie Wonder's 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life') and the notorious 'Je t'aime... moi non plus'.

Brigitte Bardot’s film career showed a steady decline in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1973, just before her fortieth birthday, she announced her retirement. She chose to use her fame to promote animal rights. In 1976, she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals. She became a vegetarian and raised three million French francs to fund the foundation by auctioning off jewellery and many personal belongings. For this work, she was awarded the Légion d’honneur in 1984. During the 1990s, she was also outspoken in her criticism of immigration, interracial relationships, Islam in France and homosexuality. Her husband Bernard d'Ormal was a former adviser of the far-right Front National party. Bardot has been convicted five times for 'inciting racial hatred'. More fun is that Bardot is recognised for popularising bikini swimwear, in such early films as Manina / Woman without a Veil (Willy Rozier, 1952), in her appearances at Cannes and in many photo shoots. Bardot also brought into fashion the 'choucroute' ('Sauerkraut') hairstyle (a sort of beehive hairstyle) and gingham clothes after wearing a checkered pink dress, designed by Jacques Esterel, at her wedding to Charrier. The fashions of the 1960s looked effortlessly right and spontaneous on her. Time Magazine: "She is the princess of pout, the countess of come hither. Brigitte Bardot exuded a carefree, naïve sexuality that brought a whole new audience to French films."

Sources: Denny Jackson (IMDb), Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Craig Butler (AllMovie), James Travers (French Films), French Films, Wikipedia and IMDb.

And please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Un Sikh Amritdhari (initié dans l’ordre du Khalsa) doit garder sur lui en permanence cinq articles de foi.

1 Kesh: les cheveux et poils non coupés ni taillés (les cheveux sont attachés en chignon et couverts d’un Keski (Turban).

2 Kangha : Le peigne sikh,en bois, gardé en permanence dans les cheveux en tant que symbole de propreté.

3 Kacchera : un short sikh utilisé comme sous-vêtement et habillement minimum. II symbolise la décence et la chasteté.

4 Kara: un bracelet de fer porté au poignet droit (ou gauche pour les gauchers) qui protège le poignet et symbolise la retenue dans les actes.

5 Kirpan: une épée portée en bandoulière dans son fourreau par une bande de tissu (Gatra), souvent de la taille d’un poignard avec une lame de 12 cm minimum.

A Sikh Amritdhari (initiated into the order of Khalsa) must keep him permanently five articles of faith.

1 Kesh: Hair and hair uncut or cut (the hair is tied in a bun and covered with a Keski (Turban).

Kangha 2: The Sikh comb, wooden, kept permanently in the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.

3 Kacchera: Sikh shorts used as underwear and clothing minimum. It symbolizes decency and chastity.

4 Kara: a iron bracelet worn on the right wrist (or left for lefties) that protects the wrist and symbolizes restraint in action.

5 Kirpan: a sword carried slung in its sheath by a band of tissue (Gatra), often the size of a dagger with a blade of 12 cm minimum.

On the building site opposite us, it has been quite an exciting morning. A huge concrete mixer and pouring device creating the base for the first two houses. It must be quite difficult for the builders as they have no access from the front of the houses, and are having to work down the site, house by house. Now, to top it all, the people who own the lane are putting up a 6 ft fence right in front of where the front doors will be.... oh the joys of living around people who like to bend the rules - both the rules of law and the rules of decency!!

For 365:2019. Day 79

52 in 2019. 48 outfit

It is good to be able to introduce an image of pure filth onto this site, as a good old fashioned dirty photo is often appreciated and pushes up the viewing figures!. However, the only knee tremble with this scene is the thought that somebody has got to clean off the dirt at some point. The reality is that after the conclusion of this season's rail head treatment train duties, GBRf Class 66/7 No. 66704 'Colchester Power Signalbox' looks as though it was not the first choice motive power for 6S94 0512 Wembley European Freight Operations Centre - Irvine Caledonian Paper Mill on 13th December 2017; the fact that the train at this point, as it passes Lichfield Trent Valley, is a cool 343 minutes late perhaps indicates a motive power problem at Wembley. At least some kind soul had the decency to clean the area around the number, and the bit which says if belongs to GB Railfreight, although GBRf would perhaps have preferred that bit stayed covered under the multi-layers of filth until a full deep clean is undertaken. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved

This young man displays his dedication to fashion, risking public humiliation in an effort to wear his pants at the very limit of public decency laws.

Callie is known locally as 'black jesus' - he is kind, a deep thinker, ridiculously easy company.

Six days a week, his long gangly legs and endless ropey arms make their way around the island by bicycle, (often balancing a variety of fruits and coconuts on his handlebars to sell), easily traversing 20km-30km a day.

On this day, he told me that he had recently had a stroke and that he had some paralysis down his right side. The doctor told Callie that it was a good thing that he took one of his epic bicycle rides shortly after the stroke had hit, because doing so had minimised the lasting affect of the heart-event on his limbs.

Before the portraits, I showed Callie the images I had taken of his sister Anna - he got emotional: there she is...there she is'...

Callie, and ordinary men and women like him, make you feel part of something that matters. That a world of decency, respect, hard work, honesty and self-sufficiency, can and does still exist.

Whenever I speak to Callie or see one of his enormous hands lift from a handlebar to waive as I pass him, his give-everything smile beaming, I realise that 'god is one of us' and that our blessings are too many to count.

Un Sikh Amritdhari (initié dans l’ordre du Khalsa) doit garder sur lui en permanence cinq articles de foi.

1 Kesh: les cheveux et poils non coupés ni taillés (les cheveux sont attachés en chignon et couverts d’un Keski (Turban).

2 Kangha : Le peigne sikh,en bois, gardé en permanence dans les cheveux en tant que symbole de propreté.

3 Kacchera : un short sikh utilisé comme sous-vêtement et habillement minimum. II symbolise la décence et la chasteté.

4 Kara: un bracelet de fer porté au poignet droit (ou gauche pour les gauchers) qui protège le poignet et symbolise la retenue dans les actes.

5 Kirpan: une épée portée en bandoulière dans son fourreau par une bande de tissu (Gatra), souvent de la taille d’un poignard avec une lame de 12 cm minimum.

A Sikh Amritdhari (initiated into the order of Khalsa) must keep him permanently five articles of faith.

1 Kesh: Hair and hair uncut or cut (the hair is tied in a bun and covered with a Keski (Turban).

Kangha 2: The Sikh comb, wooden, kept permanently in the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.

3 Kacchera: Sikh shorts used as underwear and clothing minimum. It symbolizes decency and chastity.

4 Kara: a iron bracelet worn on the right wrist (or left for lefties) that protects the wrist and symbolizes restraint in action.

5 Kirpan: a sword carried slung in its sheath by a band of tissue (Gatra), often the size of a dagger with a blade of 12 cm minimum.

[Fiction] Oh yes, you see, there was a major gust of wind coming up from the fireplace and it was all I could do to hold my dress at a resonable level of decency. Gosh! I hope that never happens again. Don't you?