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At the Burgring
One must not believe that the blue-yellow flag on the right in the picture is a Ukraine flag! Rather, it is a flag of Lower Austria, the Federal State that surrounds the Federal State of Vienna. The white-blue-red flag to the left of the centre, however, is very much a Russian flag.
After Russia's criminal invasion of Ukraine and the heinous atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in that war, holding up the Russian flag at a demonstration shows the inane mindset of the demonstrators. In times of tougher anti-corona measures, they demonstrated Saturday after Saturday against these measures, and insulted and threatened health workers. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, they have also opposed solidarity with Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
The organisers of this first covidiots' demonstration after a summer break called it a funeral march for vaccination victims, who are allegedly very numerous. Among others, Indentitarian leader Martin Sellner had called to take part in this demo.
Had some fun spinning burning steel wool the other night inside the old rail road tunnel behind the Historic Sibley House in Mendota, Minnesota. A big tanks to my brave light painting associates;
Cousin Greg who burned the hair off his forearms and Telly who ruined her Mom's umbrella :O
Get a lesson on light painting with burning wool from da master Evan Sharboneau at Photo Extremist
On November 30, the Russian government recognized the LGBTQ+ community as terrorists and extremists.
[www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/local/2023/11/13/central-b...]
One last F.U. to the teachers, students, and taxpayers before the lame duck, ousted, extremist, moms of liberty school board slithers into hell.
Matthew 13:30 “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
“UK Government Fast-Tracking Bill to Monitor Bank Accounts, Revoke Licenses, and Search Homes”
reclaimthenet.org/uk-public-authorities-bill-mass-surveil...
“Critics warn the bill could turn the welfare system into a government-run financial surveillance network.”
Just think! When they introduce Universal Welfare (Universal Basic Income [UBI]), they will be able to monitor your bank account, revoke your license, and search your home.
“The alternative to not having UBI is the rising likelihood of social unrest, conflict, unmanageable mass migration, and the proliferation of extremist groups that capitalize and ferment on social disappointment. It is against this background that we seriously need to consider implementing a well-designed UBI, so shocks may hit, but they won’t destroy.” – United Nations
They are building the foundations of world governance and the Beast system.
Revelation 13:16 “He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.”
I have watched the convulsion of violence and extremist views from afar for most of my life. Cocooned in the relative safety of living down under to a "normal" family in a world where working hard, saving ones wages and looking after one's family in a familiar environment was rewarded with safety and security.
But that's not the world that we live in now. Violence, hate, inequality, massive power imbalances and the natural world wreaking vengeance is occurring regularly. Where we are all going, I have no idea.
But I will hold onto watching the beauty of the natural world and joy of friends and family for as long as I can.
In Favoriten, Vienna's 10th district
The listed building was erected in 1931 according to plans by Josef Hofbauer and Wilhelm Baumgarten as a school for children of Slovaks and Czechs in Vienna. It is one of the oldest reinforced concrete buildings in Vienna.
In 1945 the building became the property of the Austrian Communist Party. In 1990, the house, which was already largely empty at the time, was occupied by activists of the autonomous scene. It was renamed Ernst-Kirchweger-Haus after the communist and anti-fascist resistance fighter Ernst Kirchweger, who had been killed by a right-wing extremist counter-demonstrator during an anti-fascist demonstration in 1965.
In 1991, the squatters managed to obtain a lease from the Communist Party. At the end of October 2004, the KPÖ sold the Ernst Kirchweger House to a real estate company whose managing director was accused of contacts with the far-right scene and former membership in the neo-Nazi Aktion Neue Rechte (ANR). This action triggered massive protests and was justified primarily by the financial plight of the KPÖ, which, following a court ruling, had to repay GDR funds that had flowed to it illegally to the Federal Republic of Germany. After numerous initiatives and individuals, such as the Nobel Prize winner for literature Elfriede Jelinek, spoke out in favor of a continued autonomous Ernst Kirchweger House, the City of Vienna acquired the property in 2007; in 2008, the occupation officially ended and the City of Vienna concluded usage agreements with the residents.*
"2020 disturbances
In June 2020, a feminist demonstration protesting the treatment of women [and especially femicides] in Austria and Turkey, organised by a Kurdish women’s organisation based at EKH, was attacked by the Turkish far-right group the Grey Wolves. In response, anti-fascists organised a counter-demonstration the next day and this resulted in 200-300 neo-fascists attacking the EKH building, throwing stones, bottles and firebombs. The situation then created [days of turmoil in this part of the district and ]a diplomatic war of words between Austria and Turkey, with the Turkish ambassador being invited to the Foreign Ministry [of Austria and the Austrian ambassador being invited to the Turkish Foreign Ministry]." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst-Kirchweger-Haus www.derstandard.at/story/2000118375943/demos-in-favoriten...
* de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst-Kirchweger-Haus
www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Ernst-Kirchweger-Haus
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_denkmalgesch%C3%BCtzten_O...
The draconian ruling of the Polish Constitutional Court which bans pregnancy terminations even in instances where a foetus is diagnosed with a serious and irreversible birth defect, has brought thousands of people to the streets. Protesting during the COVID pandemic is bit weird, but if a government full of cowards tries to use the pandemic to push an extremist agenda, people will react. So Poland says enough: Women's rights are human rights.
Here are some online petitions supporting women's rights in Poland:
secure.avaaz.org/campaign/pl/solidarity_with_polish_women...
www.change.org/p/polish-government-legalise-abortions-in-...
Qiling Pagoda seen at Daming Temple, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
The amazing wood pagoda was built some time in 600 A.D. which was used to enshrine Buddhist relics. Daming Temple is most famous for the Yangzhou monk Jianzhen, who studied the sutras and initiated people into monkhood in 742 A.D. before leaving to spread the Buddhist faith and Chinese medicine and culture in Japan.
During World War II China implored its American ally not to bomb Kyoto or Nara in Japan because of Jianzhen’s missionary work there. Neither city was touched.
During China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, Red Guard extremists attempted to destroy Daming Temple but were prevented from doing so by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, who forcefully argued that harming the temple would provoke an international incident with Japan.
Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated Thursday in Rawalpindi, was the first female prime minister of Pakistan and of any Islamic nation. She led Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996.
Benazir Bhutto died Thursday after a suicide bombing at a political rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Bhutto, 54, spent eight years in self-imposed exile in Great Britain and Dubai after President Farooq Leghari dismissed her second administration amid accusations of corruption, intimidation of the judiciary, a breakdown of law and order, and undermining the justice system.
She was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. The conviction was later overturned but she remained in exile until this year.
She returned to Pakistan in October after President Pervez Musharraf signed an amnesty lifting corruption charges. Watch political history of Bhutto »
"Bhutto was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former president and prime minister of Pakistan, who was hanged in 1979 for the murder of a political opponent two years after he was ousted as prime minister in a military coup. Benazir Bhutto was the de facto leader of her father's Pakistan People's Party.
Her brother, Murtaza, was killed along with six others in a 1996 shootout with police at his home. Another brother, Shahnawaz, died mysteriously in France in 1985.
"I know the past is tragic, but I'm an optimist by nature," Bhutto told Blitzer in September. "I put my faith in the people of Pakistan, I put my faith in God. I feel that what I am doing is for a good cause, for a right cause -- to save Pakistan from extremists and militants and to build regional security.
"I know the danger is out there, but I'm prepared to take those risks."
Benazir Bhutto earned degrees from Radcliffe College and Oxford University and received an honorary degree from Harvard University in 1989.
She leaves her husband of 20 years, Asif Ali Zardari, two daughters and a son.
Bhutto's husband issued a statement Thursday from his home in Dubai saying, "All I can say is we're devastated, it's a total shock."
(excerpts from cnn)
1099 - 1st Crusaders capture, plunder Jerusalem
1205 - Pope Innocent III states Jews are doomed to perpetual servitude and subjugation due to crucifixion of Jesus
1207 - John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton.
1240 - A Novgorodian army led by Alexander Nevsky defeats the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva.
1307 - Duke Henrik van Karinthi chosen king of Bohemia
1381 - John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of Richard II of England.
1410 - Battle of Tannenburg-Teutonic Knights vs King Ladislas II of Poland
1500 - Duke Albrecht of Saxon beats Friese rebellion
1500 - "Blood Wedding" of Astorre Baglione & Lavinia Colonna in Perugia family Baglione massacre
1501 - Explorer Pedro Cabral back in Lisbon
1524 - Emperor Karel I bans German national synode
1538 - Peace talks between Karel & King Francois I
1662 - King Charles II charters Royal Society in London
1741 - Alexei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.
1755 - French ambassador recalled from London
1779 - US troops under Gen A Wayne conquer Ft Stony Point, NY
1783 - 1st steamboat, Pyroscaphe, 1st run in France
1787 - Parliament of Paris banished to Troyes
1789 - Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, is named by acclamation colonel-general of the new National Guard of Paris.
1795 - "Marseillaise" becomes French national anthem
1799 - The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign. The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences between them), it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs.
1806 - Zebulon Pike began his journey to explore the Southwest
1808 - French marshal Joachim Murat becomes king of Naples
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders at Rochefort & is later exiled on St Helena
1815 - 1st flat horse race held on Nottingham Hill at Cheltenham, England (day and month TBC)
1823 - A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
1830 - 3 Indian tribes, Sioux, Sauk & Fox, signs a treaty giving the US most of Minnesota, Iowa & Missouri
1840 - England, Russia, Austria & Prussia signs Quadruple Alliance
1850 - John Wisden bowls all 10 South batsmen, North v South at Lord's
1856 - Natal forms as a British colony separate from Cape Colony
1862 - CSS Arkansas vs USS Cardondelet & Queen of the West engage at Yazoo R
1863 - Pres Davis orders service duty for confederate army
1864 - Troop train loaded with Confederate prisoners collided with a coal train killing 65 & injuring 109 of 955 aboard
1867 - SF Merchant's Exchange opens
1869 - Margarine is patented by Hippolye Méga-Mouriès for use by French Navy
1870 - Georgia becomes last confederate to be readmitted to US
1870 - Manitoba becomes 5th Canadian province & NW Territories created
1870 - Hudson's Bay & Northwest Territories transferred to Canada
1876 - Baseball's 1st no-hitter, St Louis' George W Bradley no-hits Hartford
1888 - Bandai volcano (Japan) erupts for 1st time in 1,000 years
1893 - Commodore Perry arrives in Japan
1900 - President Steyn/General De Law escape Brandwater Basin
1901 - NY Giant Christy Mathewson no-hits St Louis, 5-0
1902 - Ranjitsinhji scores 180 before lunch, for Sussex v Surrey
1904 - 1st Buddhist temple in US forms, Los Angeles
1906 - Republic museum opens Rembrandt hall in Amsterdam
1909 - Ty Cobb hits 2 inside-the-park HRs
1911 - 46" of rain (begining 7/14) falls in Baguio, Philippines
1912 - British National Health Insurance Act goes into effect
1914 - Mexican president Huerta flees with 2 million pesos to Europe
1916 - 22.22" (56.4 cm) of rain falls in Altapass NC (state record)
1916 - Boeing Co (Pacific Aero) formed by William Boeing in Seattle Wash
1918 - 2nd Battle of Marne began during WW I
1920 - Ruth ties his record of 29 HRs in a season
1922 - 1st duck-billed platypus publicly exhibited in US, at NY zoo
1922 - 26th US Golf Open: Gene Sarazen shoots a 288 at Skokie CC in Ill
1923 - 27th US Golf Open: Bobby Jones shoots a 296 at Inwood CC in NY
1923 - Italian parliament accepts new constitution
1926 - VPRO (Free thinking Protestant Radio Broadcast) forms
1927 - 62nd British Golf Open: Bobby Jones shoots a 285 at St Andrews
1927 - Massacre of July 15, 1927: 89 protesters are killed by the Austrian police in Vienna.
1929 - 1st airport hotel opens-Oakland Ca
1932 - President Hoover cuts own salary 15%
1933 - Wiley Post began 1st solo flight around world
1934 - Continental Airlines commences operations.
1936 - Dutch 2nd Chamber agree to temporarily increase defense budget
1937 - Buchenwald Concentration Camp opens
1937 - Japanese attack Marco Polo Bridge, invade China
1938 - Arthur Fagg completes 244 & 202 in the same cricket game for Kent
1939 - Clara Adams (NYC) is 1st woman to complete round world flight
1940 - 1st betatron placed in operation, Urbana, Il
1940 - Nazi occupiers seize library of IISG Amsterdam
1941 - Florey & Heatley present freeze dried mold cultures (Penicillin)
1942 - 1st deportation camp at Westerbork, Jews sent to Auschwitz
1942 - Dutch Jews invoked for "Labor camps"
1944 - Greenwich Observatory damaged by WW II flying bomb
1945 - 27th PGA Championship: Byron Nelson at Morraine CC Dayton Ohio
1946 - British North Borneo Co transfers rights to British crown
1948 - Alcoholic Anonymous founded in Britain
1948 - Pres Truman nominated for another term (Phila)
1949 - "Miss Liberty" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 308 performances
1949 - Czech tennis stars Jaroslav Drobny & Vladimir Cernik, defect to US
1949 - WBTV TV channel 3 in Charlotte, NC (CBS) begins broadcasting
1952 - 1st transatlantic helicopter flight begins
1952 - Gerald D Lascelles (under English princess Mary) weds Angela Dowding
1954 - 110°F (43°C) at Balcony Falls, Virginia (state record)
1954 - 1st coml jet transport plane built in US tested (Boeing 707)
1954 - KOCO TV channel 5 in Oklahoma City, OK (ABC) begins broadcasting
1954 - WBOC TV channel 16 in Salisbury, MD (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
1955 - WNDU TV channel 16 in South Bend, IN (NBC) begins broadcasting
1955 - Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others.
1956 - Beverly Hanson/Kathy Cornelius wins LPGA Hot Springs Golf Invitational
1956 - Iharos runs world record 10k (28:42.8)
1957 - Dutch Super Constellation crashes near New Guinea, 56 die
1957 - US performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site
1958 - Pres Eisenhower sends US troops to Lebanon; they stay 3 months
1958 - US marines deployed in Lebanon
1959 - The steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history.
1960 - Balt Orioles' Brooks Robinson goes 5 for 5 including the cycle
1961 - "Donnybrook!" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 68 performances
1961 - 90th British Golf Open: Arnold Palmer shoots a 284 at Royal Birkdale
1961 - Spain accept equal rights for men & women
1962 - Algeria becomes member of Arab League
1962 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Milwaukee Golf Open
1962 - Neth & Indonesia accord over New-Guinea
1963 - KAIT TV channel 8 in Jonesboro, AR (ABC) begins broadcasting
1963 - Paul McCartney is fined £17 for speeding
1964 - Barry M Goldwater (Sen-R-Az) nominated for president by Republicans
1965 - "Mariner IV" sends back 1st pictures of Mars
1965 - Athanassiades Novas succeeds Papandreo as premier of Greece
1967 - "Sweet Charity" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 608 performances
1967 - LA Wolves beat Wash Whips 6-5 in OT to be United Soccer Ass champs
1967 - Roberto DeVicenzo of Argentina wins golf's British Open
1967 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1968 - "One Life to Live" premieres on TV
1968 - Commercial air travel begins between US & USSR
1968 - France performs nuclear Test at Muruora Island
1968 - NJ Americans moved to Comack & become NY Nets (ABA)
1968 - Soap opera "One Life To Live" premieres
1969 - Cincinnati Red Lee May hits 4 HRs in a doubleheader
1969 - Rod Carew ties record with his 7th steal of home in a season
1970 - Denmark beats Italy 2-0 in 1st world female soccer championship
1971 - Pres Nixon announces he would visit People's Rep of China
1972 - 101st British Golf Open: Lee Trevino shoots 278 at Muirfield Gullane
1972 - Sandra Palmer/Jane Blalock wins Angelo's Four-Ball Golf Championship
1973 - Calif Angel Nolan Ryan 2nd no-hitter beats Detroit Tigers, 6-0
1973 - Carole Jo Skala wins LPGA George Washington Golf Classic
1973 - Paul Getty III kidnapped
1973 - Ray Davies, announces retirement from Kinks then attempts suicide
1973 - Willie McCovey becomes 15th to hit 400 HRs
1974 - Military coup on Cyprus: archbishop/president Makarios flees
1975 - 46th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 6-3 at County Stadium, Milwaukee
1975 - All star MVP: Bill Madlock (Pitts Pirates) & John Matlock (NY Mets)
1975 - Apollo 18 launched (will rendezvous with Soyuz)
1975 - Soyuz 19 & Apollo 18 launched; rendezvous 2 days later
1976 - 36-hr kidnap of 26 school children & their bus driver in Calif
1978 - 107th British Golf Open: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 281 at St Andrews
1979 - 34th US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Jerilyn Britz
1979 - Morarji Desai resigns as premier of India
1980 - Johnny Bench hits his 314th HR as a catcher breaks Yogi Berra's record
1982 - Body of Wendy Caulfield, 1st Green River victim, found near Seattle
1982 - Columbia flies to Kennedy Space Center via Dyess AFB, Texas
1982 - Senate confirms George Shultz as 60th sec of state by vote of 97-0
1983 - 8 killed, 54 wounded, by Armenian extremists bomb at Orly, France
1983 - Linda Ronstadt debuts as Mabel in "Pirates of Penzance"
1984 - 39th US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Hollis Stacy
1984 - John Lennon releases "I'm Stepping Out"
1985 - Deborah Carthy-Deu, of Puerto Rico, crowned 34th Miss Universe
1986 - 57th All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 3-2 at Astrodome, Houston
1986 - All star MVP: Roger Clemens (Boston Red Sox)
1987 - Boy George barred from British TV show, he may be a bad influence
1987 - John Poindexter testifies at Iran-Contra hearings
1987 - State of siege ends in Taiwan
1990 - 45th US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Betsy King
1991 - France performs nuclear Test at Muruora Island
1991 - US troops leave northern Iraq
1991 - Sandhi Ortiz-DelValle is 1st woman to officiate a men's pro basketball (USBL) game, game between New Haven Skyhawks & Phila Spirit
1992 - Pope John Paul II hospitalized for 3 weeks to have tumor removed
1994 - Gyula Horn sworn in as premier of Hungary
1994 - Israel & Jordan agree to talks in Wash DC on July 25th
1994 - NJ Nets Derrek Coleman accused of rape in Detroit
1994 - Sonia O'Sullivan runs 3K (8:21.64)
1995 - Birmingham Barracudas 1st CFL home game (vs Hamilton)
1995 - Jews take Jerusalem
1995 - Northern Virginia begins using new area code 540
1996 - After 2,216 consecutive games at shortstop, Cal Ripkin goes to 3rd
1996 - MSNBC begins Microsoft internet-NBC TV
1996 - Prince Charles & Princess Di sign divorce papers
1996 - Southern Mexico hit with 6.5 earthquake
1996 - A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport.
1999 - The inaugural game at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field was held in Seattle, Washington.
2002 - "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and to possession of explosives during the commission of a felony.
2002 - Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan hands down the death sentence to British born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and life terms to three others suspected of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
2003 - AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape Communications Corporation. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.
2009 - A 7.9 Magnitude earthquake registers 160km west of Invercargill, New Zealand, creating a small tsunami.
Peaceful Pakistan
In the recent years Pakistan has become more and more famous for its unstable political and disastrous economical situation, for terrorism, inequality or discrimination i.e. against minorities. Nevertheless Pakistan is still one of the most beautiful and underestimated countries I have ever visited. I can ensure that not everyone in Pakistan is a terrorist or extremist nor is the country full of extremism or hatespeeches – as media illustrates or simplifies sometimes. The average Pakistani is a friendly person with whom you would like to talk and maybe drink a cup of Chai. The people I met were open minded and gave me always the opportunity to speak about problems and their daily life experiences. Pakistan has a lot of potential to grew, develop and prosper but there are still many problems to face, especially corruption or greedy politicians who do not care about their own nation but their moneybags.
I had a great time visiting the natural diversities of Pakistans landscape although I could not visit the Northern Areas of Pakistan like Karakoram or the Himalaya nor Balochistan in the West at the Irianian boarder. InshAllah the future will allow me to do so ;-)
Hereby some peaceful and personal impressions from my latest Pakistan trip in winter 2014/2015
The community board meeting took place in order to discuss the proposed mosque to be built next to ground zero. While the project is usually referred to as the “mosque at ground zero”, the project’s official name is the Cordoba Initiative. The Imam and the developers were in attendance to present the project, and many politicians (or rather their representatives) were on hand, along with many of those in favor or opposed.
First spoke the elected officials, who—in the typical New York political elitist fashion— slandered and insulted their opposition. Councilwoman Margaret Chin spoke before a single opponent of the mosque ever came up to the microphone to state their position, but that didn’t stop her from accusing those against it of “bigotry”.
And while Margaret Chin chose to offend the opposition to the mosque (most of whom present were families of 9-11 victims and first responders) in person, other local figures sent their cronies. A representative of Scott Stringer, President of the Borough of Manhattan, handed out a letter to everyone prior to the meeting in which he refers to the mosque as a “multi-faith community and cultural center” and claims that this “center has been the subject of bigoted attacks that contain a strain of religious and racial hatred more extreme than anything we have seen in NYC for some time.” I guess an attempt to kill hundreds of New Yorkers and tourists at Times Square by an Islamist Faisal Shahzad less than a month prior was not extreme enough for Stringer and, instead of jihadism, Stringer seems to have identified the enemy as a TEA Party leader whom he rips apart throughout this unsolicited letter. While the TEA Party’s opposition is referred to as a “bigoted agenda”, the mosque itself is referred to as a “vibrant and world-class facility in NYC which will promote tolerance and pluralism”. Of course he fails to provide any example of mosques in NYC or in the world that have EVER promoted tolerance or pluralism, but perhaps he didn’t think that any attendee would dare question his superior judgment in the matter. Please be sure to read his disgusting letter
After the political cronies spoke, Feisal Abdul Rauf', the Imam in charge of this “community center” was given time to present his proposal. He started his speech with “for many years I’ve had a dream…” (I wonder what Dr. King would have thought of a ‘grand wizard’ proposing to build a “community center” at the site of the bombed 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama). The Imam also claimed that this “community center” would promote multi-culturalism; he was so sure of it that his speech was sprinkled throughout with that deceiving phrase. But his presentation brought with it an unexpected turning point. Not because of anything he planned to share with us in his carefully prepared PC jargoned speech, but because of a question by one of the board members who wanted to know if the proposed “community center” would hold prayer. The Imam said “yes”, to which the board member replied, “then it is a house of worship, not a community center”.
Without any objection to that by the Imam or speakers that followed, the term “community center” began to very gradually disappear. But don’t think that anyone’s opinion actually changed as a result. The supporters of the project “formerly” known as a “community center” still believed that it was somehow related to diversity and that it would in no way be an insult to those who died due to Islamist ideology, nor would it serve as a monument of jihadist victory.
But neither the councilwoman nor the Imam were the most offensive or distasteful of the proponents of the mosque. Daisy Khan of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, who also happens to be Imam’s wife, blew their insults and lies out of the water. (I don’t recall her being introduced as Rauf’s wife at the meeting, but I can’t be sure.) She lectured and she yelled – yes, yelled – at the families of victims, the first responders, and her fellow New Yorkers. She yelled that she is “tired of bearing the cross [and will do so] no longer” because apparently she and the Muslim community were the real victims of the 9-11 attacks—not the families who lost their loved ones, not the cities that lost their monuments, and not the country that lost its feeling of security.
Without a single mosque destroyed and with very few anti-Muslim incidents, hearing from this woman about her supposed victimization in that auditorium was absolutely sickening. It didn’t help when for weeks after (and prior) she dominated the time on television appearing calm and together and claiming among other nonsense – I kid you not – that the reason they chose the ground zero site to build a mosque is to provide a “blow to the extremists”. I’m sure radical Muslims would just hate it if New York built a mosque on the ground where American buildings were destroyed and thousands of Americans were murdered by jihadists … right? READ HER RIDICULOUS QUOTE AGAIN. Now listen to it for yourself from the horse’s mouth because I wouldn’t have believed it either. (starts at 1:10) www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7WbTv_gsx4&playnext_from=TL&...
Other supporters of the mosque included two priests and a rabbi (no, it isn’t a start to a joke – although I wish it was) of the leftist “co-exist” variety all of whom supported the mosque. And while there were some clergy present that (judging by applause and reactions) opposed the mosque, they did not come up to the microphone. The supporting clergy seemed to have gone to the same rhetoric school as the Imam, using terms like “multi-culturalism”, “tolerance”, “community relations and understanding”, and other jargon that had no actual relevance to the topic.
There was also a Caucasian woman with a baby who introduced herself as someone who had converted to Islam … in 2006, if I’m not mistaken. She lied about how difficult it is to find information and resources on Islam in NY. I say she lied not only because there are hundreds of mosques in the 5 boroughs, but also because as a recent convert she is a prime example of someone who was able to find and act on this information. Of course, she didn’t specify why ground zero is a better location than any other for this apparently “valuable to the city” information about the religion all 911 hijackers belonged to.
Now that I have gone on and on about the supporters of the mosque (aka “community center”) and the temple’s money changers, let me talk about the opponents of a mosque being build at ground zero ... Not a single one of them opposed a mosque being built; the prevailing request was simply “build it somewhere else”.
First opponent to speak was the celebrated publisher, editor, and columnist Pamela Geller. She was the one to point out what Cordoba means to the Muslim world. Cordoba is a city in Spain that was the first major city to fall to Muslim conquerors and become an Islamic caliphate and a symbol of Islamic conquest of the West. She also called the mosque “a shrine to the very ideology that inspired 9-11”. Sure seems a lot more plausible than Daisy’s explanation for why the mosque has to overlook ground zero.
A gentleman who lost his brother in WTC and represents the largest ‘families of victims of 9-11’ groups introduced some of those present who lost loved ones at ground zero. He protested the lectures and the labels that were bestowed on these families for their “legitimate, legal opposition to this Muslim ‘multi-cultural center’”. He pointed out that while there is proposed building of this mosque at ground zero, the committees have refused to allow monuments to the tragedy of 9-11, including the WTC sphere which was heavily damaged during the terrorist attack and has become an iconic symbol of the tragedy. At this time the sphere is temporarily housed at Battery Park. “If we should honor multi-culturalism and diversity at ground zero, we should honor and remember victims of 9-11,” he concluded.
Tim Brown, a former NYC firefighter who lost dozens of his friends and colleagues, fellow first responders, to the jihadist terrorist attack, has been a tireless voice for memories of victims and their loved ones. He questioned where the money for the mosque was coming from. He had received “5 different answers on 5 different occasions from them”, which included my favorite “we don’t have to tell you, talk to our lawyers”, as well as “three different organizations, but [the Imam] refused to name them” and “from American taxpayers”. Mr. Brown also pointed out that Cordoba Initiative has been very deceiving in other ways, such as removing the word “mosque” from their web site despite the fact that they explicitly wrote initially that there will be a mosque at the top of the building (overlooking ground zero).
Questions were also raised about the Imam Rauf, his public statements, and his pro-Sharia stance as described in his publications and interviews. His travels to countries that openly support terrorism and forced Islamization of the West were also questioned and may indicate where funding from the mosque could be coming from.
Follow up note: Listening to the Imam Rauf speak to various news organizations in the days following the meeting, he offered even more non-specific answers to where the money comes from, such as it comes from people who “want to see peace between Muslims and non-Muslims”. Again, nice politically savvy keywords… but no actual answer to a rather direct question he obviously knows the answer to. Trying to hide something, Faisal Abdul?
One of the many victim’s families present was a woman with a photo of her son who was murdered by the Islamic terrorists. She didn’t yell like Daisy, the Imam’s wife, and she did not dish out insults like Congresswoman Chin. Her voice trembled as she mentioned her son’s name and held his photo towards the committee, “this is my son”, she said, “this is firefighter George Kane.” She held back tears as she spoke. She said that “the location [of the mosque] is insensitive to families. It is also insensitive to the voiceless victims the possibility that anyone who supports Islamic extremism could walk on graves of the victims … [it is] an outrage.”
Another woman spoke with a similar shaking voice about her 23-year-old son who “was murdered on September 11th”. She also wasn’t a bigot, but wanted to know “why are you suggesting that it be two blocks from ground zero?”
Mrs. Kane and the others who spoke through tears and with photos of their murdered children in their trembling hands, made me think of what they were being asked to do. Nine years later, they were being asked to “move on” or “heal”, as mosque supporters were suggesting. I can’t even begin to imagine what that ignorant request could do to an eternally grieving mother.
A sweet elderly couple’s last conversation with their son was via cell phone while he was on a hijacked plane… just before he was murdered. They mentioned that there were 20 mosques that located around the area where they lived, and that they would be ok with another one being built close to them, but they also asked for “understanding and sensitivity” when it comes to building one near ground zero.
Yet from the comments of NYC politicians and supporters of the mosque, we know that understanding and sensitivity will not be shown to the victims’ families nor reflect the wishes of voting New Yorkers. They will instead be shown to others who are apparently deemed more – not even equally but more – crucial to the future of NYC and the memories of those who perished in the terrorist attacks.
Here are a few youtube links on regarding this meeting:
Pamela Geller's full 2 minute speech from the meeting
a firefighter and first responder Tim Brown speaks A MUST SEE
The "tea party" movement, which roiled American politics in 2010, is a diverse mix of traditional "Christian conservatives," advocates of smaller government, and right-wing paranoid extremists.
Usable with attribution and link to: www.futureatlas.com
für meine Silke die beim entstehen mitgeholfen hat
Der Spiegel
Zweiundvierzig Jahre lang war die Zentrale des SPIEGEL in einem schlichten Hochhaus untergebracht, einem Skelettbau aus Glas und Stahlbeton, gerade mal 8226 Quadratmeter groß.
In den ersten Jahren war in diesem Haus noch Platz für ein Schwimmbad, um das die schönsten Legenden kreisen. Die Kantine, die der dänische Designer Verner Panton extremistisch bunt gestaltet hatte, machte das Haus berühmt. Immer wieder wurde die Kantine von Filmfirmen als Drehort genutzt, zum Beispiel, wenn eine zwielichtige Kulisse für einen Nachtclub gesucht wurde.
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Doch schon in den achtziger Jahren wurde es zu eng. SPIEGEL TV musste 1988 in das nahe gelegene Chilehaus ziehen, und 1995 wurde ein zusätzliches Hochhaus angemietet. Das Unternehmen expandierte - im Jahr 2000 zog auch SPIEGEL ONLINE in ein eigenes Haus. Und das Schwimmbad verwandelte sich in ein Archiv, um das sich keinerlei Legenden bildeten.
WERBUNG
2007 lud die Geschäftsführung des SPIEGEL-Verlags gemeinsam mit der Robert Vogel GmbH - dem Investor und Vermieter - 14 Architekturbüros zu einem Wettbewerb ein. Aufgabe: ein gemeinsames Zuhause für alle Redaktionen der SPIEGEL-Gruppe.
Jetzt ist das Haus fertig, am vergangenen Wochenende ist der SPIEGEL eingezogen. Das neue Haus liegt an der Ostspitze der HafenCity, nur fünf Minuten zu Fuß entfernt vom alten.
Mit 30.000 Quadratmetern ist das neue SPIEGEL-Haus eines der größten der Stadt. Geplant wurde das 61 Meter hohe Gebäude vom dänischen Architekturbüro Henning Larsen, das auch die Kopenhagener Oper entworfen hat. 13 Stockwerke, verglast, die Fenster in weißes Metall eingefasst. Die Fassaden wirken rasterartig streng, zum Norden aber öffnet sich das Haus. Die Architekten nennen es "Fenster zur Stadt".
Im Inneren: ein haushohes Atrium, umspannt von Galerien und durchzogen von neun Treppen und vier Brücken. Auch hier wollten die Architekten ein Bild schaffen: Vernetzung, Transparenz, Kommunikation.
Die Redaktion von SPIEGEL ONLINE ist ins oberste Stockwerk gezogen, in ein Großraumbüro. Die Redakteure des Print-SPIEGEL, des manager magazins, von manager magazin Online und die Kollegen von SPIEGEL TV sitzen in den Stockwerken darunter.
Reminiszenzen an frühere Zeiten
In der fünften Etage befindet sich eine Snackbar, in der Stilelemente der alten Kantine wiederaufgenommen sind: bunte Wandleuchten, violette Stoffprismen und Pendellampen in Orange und Lila. Wegen der Reminiszenzen an frühere Zeiten ist dies der geeignete Ort, um Jungredakteure mit den Sagen und Mythen der SPIEGEL-Historie vertraut zu machen.
Im Erdgeschoss, mit einer Terrasse zum Wasser, liegt die neue Kantine. Die Stuttgarter Designer Peter Ippolito und Gunter Fleitz hatten den Wettbewerb für die Ausstattung gewonnen, sie wollten einen hellen Raum, ließen einen weißen Terrazzoboden gießen und entwarfen eine Akustikdecke mit 4300 kleinen Aluminiumtellern, die das Licht matt reflektieren.
Ericusspitze 1, das ist die neue Adresse. Benannt ist dieser Ort nach dem Hamburger Senator Erich Soltau, der sich um des besseren Klanges willen Ericus Soltow genannt hat und von 1548 bis 1632 lebte.
In seiner Amtszeit brach der Dreißigjährige Krieg aus. Hamburg ließ am Wasser Festungsanlagen bauen, und die Bastion, die am weitesten im Südosten lag, hieß dann Ericus-Bastion. Noch heute ist die Ericusspitze auf zwei Seiten von Wasser umgeben.
Sie gehört zur HafenCity, einem der größten Stadtentwicklungsprojekte Europas. Wie in Barcelona und London soll auch die Hamburger Innenstadt näher ans Wasser rücken.
An den Ufern der Elbe entsteht ein neues Innenstadtviertel mit Büros, Läden und Wohnungen und mit der Elbphilharmonie an seiner Westspitze. Die Stadtplaner wollen in der HafenCity das Leitbild der verdichteten Innenstadt umsetzen, in der alles auf engem Raum beieinanderliegt.
Renaissance der Innenstädte
Im Jahr 2007 hatten die für Stadtentwicklung zuständigen EU-Minister die Charta von Leipzig verabschiedet, in der sie die Renaissance der Innenstädte zum zentralen Ziel erklärten und damit endgültig mit dem Leitbild der funktionalen Stadt abschlossen, das der Architekt Le Corbusier 1933 in der Charta von Athen formuliert hatte.
Le Corbusier wollte das Wohnen, Arbeiten und Einkaufen voneinander trennen und luftige Stadträume schaffen. Doch es stellte sich heraus, dass die dezentrale Stadt Dreck und Stress erzeugt, im Wesentlichen durch den Autoverkehr: Die Bewohner pendeln - vom Industrieviertel zum Wohnquartier und dann wieder zu den Einkaufsmeilen der Innenstadt.
Die verdichtete Stadt gilt als umweltfreundlicher. Und in der a
fenCity sollen auch die Gebäude nach ökologischen Maßstäben errichtet werden. Das SPIEGEL-Haus ist, wie es im schönsten Behördendeutsch heißt, für das Umweltabzeichen in Gold "vorzertifiziert".
Es kommt ohne konventionelle Heizung und Klimaanlage aus. Die Fenster sind dreifach verglast, das Gebäude wird über Geothermie gekühlt und gewärmt, 70 Erdsonden in bis zu hundert Meter Tiefe regulieren die Temperatur. Photovoltaikanlagen liefern einen Teil des Energiebedarfs.
Am Montag der vergangenen Woche erklärte Ferdinand Räthling, beim SPIEGEL für die Immobilien zuständig, den versammelten Redakteuren die Technik des noch unvertrauten Gebäudes. Die Redakteure erfuhren, dass die Beleuchtung ihrer Büros abhängig sein wird von den Lichtverhältnissen draußen und auch abhängig davon, ob sie sich im Raum befinden: "Sollten Sie sich eine Weile nicht bewegen, schaltet sich das Licht von selber aus."
Wenn Journalisten sich nicht bewegen, geht das Licht aus. Es war wohl richtig, umzuziehen.
What has fallen asleep in Europe is the taste for the effort of thinking, and the courage of acting. And what is happening today in Ukraine, which passes through Europe like an intense pain passing through a weakened sleepy body, is our impotence to think about the articulation between history and the present, to unmask the extremist imposture that rewrites history to justify the murders of the present, and it is our impotence to think about the articulation between our values, the courage of the present action while facing death. In France, where an increasingly revisionist and violent extreme right-wing is unfolding at the same time as the tragic events in Eastern Europe, we are experiencing a tension at the limit of what is bearable.
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Picture from the exhibition Paroxysm at The carbone Studio
Teleport to The Carbone Studio
Milena Carbone's art studio
Novels - art photography - dance performance
More informations about this exhibition :
Although ten balloons were scheduled to fly this evening, only James and this other out-of-towner balloon decided to fly. (The decision to fly or not is a personal decision that each pilot makes on his own.)
The others, including myself all cancelled on the launch site. It's never an easy decision because there are a lot of people involved and a lot of money. The wind speed and direction were just not looking right at all. It's only about 5% of the time that we might cancel on the launch site due to unfavorable weather conditions (wind speed or direction, clouds, POP/ probability of precipitation, visibility/haze/fog)
Although we may be able to have a perfectly safe flight, increasing pressures from landowners and other controlling agencies (like an unreasonable, out-of-control-extremist park ranger) means we need to err on the side of caution when targeting landing areas.
James and the other guy ended up having a beautiful flight to 'The Postage Stamp' A few of the pilots who cancelled, including me, were there to greet him and conditions were perfect for this twilight shot. I think his new balloon has one of the most beautiful color patterns I've seen in a long time.
(James: You do not have permission to use this photo for any kind of commercial use. You made some remark to me about posting it on Flickr, so I just wanted to clarify that. But talk to me and we can work something out to spruce up your web site which is looking a little drab lately, hehehehe)
(c) Elisabeth de Ru
I added this quote to one of my Paris photos to make a Facebook header I thought was appropriate under the circumstances since the horrible terrorist attacks last Friday night in Paris.
I am not a religious person but I respect all people who live by their religion in a meaningful and 'healthy' way. And as long as they don't hurt other people in the proces.
I have nothing against Islam, or any other religion, for that matter. But I do see that religion is mis-used for reasons that sicken me and the world. Since religion is the basis for extremist views of a lot of terrorists, and certainly in this case, I am making this statement. If you are not one of the terrorists, this is NOT aimed at you, Muslim or otherwise.
PEACE
What we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.
I attended a photo exhibition with my colleague as a break from a photo session in the city Norrköping. The title was "Sweden and the Holocaust", and it contained mainly portraits with notes about ideas and ideals from the 1930s and the time of WW II. The basic idea for the exhibition was that even if we (Sweden) only turned away one jew from the border and sent her back to Germany, then we have contributed to the Holocaust. We did that more than once, and who can say how many times? Portraits also contained notes such as "mixed Swede of working class" or "criminal jew", or longer texts on the theme "racial geneology will be a science of growing importance in the future" and more and more...
All in all it was quite a disturbing and thought-provoking exhibition. Why? Because, aside from the fact of the Holocaust being disturbing in and of itself, Sweden has always prided itself on its neutrality, its open mindedness, and tolerance. But some people have not forgotten and were ready to dust the skeletons off out of the closet. And the fact of the matter is, we were never as neutral as we'd like to believe.
It's an important exhibition and an even more important message. Don't forget. Don't forget our past mistakes, don't forget what we have learned. Don't forget it happened. And also: look to the extremists we have at home. Racists and neo nazis are on the rise. Be aware what can happen if we turn a blind eye.
The photo displayed in the image above depicts a Swedish army general awarding Adolf Hitler with a medal. It was the photo that got to me the most from the exhibition. Not only the subject, but the fact that it was framed by the Swedish flag on one side, and on the other, that of Nazi Germany. I arranged my shot carefully so that it would be as inconspicuous as possible without losing its meaning. I hope it doesn't offend. But above all, I hope the message is clear.
Don't forget.
Thank you for taking the time to read.
(photo completely unedited and in max size)
♫ Ed Sheeran – Rest in Peace, Charlie Kirk ♫
♫ How Dare they for Charlie Kirk by Diesel ♫
Christians flood a Liberty University to honor Charlie Kirk
No racist here:
No LGBTQ hate here:
Charlie Kirk takes down anti-gay extremist.
Charlie Kirk, “HATEFUL & HOMOPHOBIC”?
Good Days
Charlie's Most Controversial Video Short of All Time:
Husband and Father
Charlie and Erika: A Love Written by God
Charlie and Erika First Podcast
There is so much tragedy around us. But in our darkest hours, and when those we love are taken from us, we should always remember this:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Who is Worthy? Christ is.
Click here to view original.
I was inspired to create this after reading a newspaper article during the week about a man who had lost his ears and his nose, all because he chose to exercise his right of free speech.....
40-year old Lal Mohammad was attacked by Taliban extremists on his way to the voting poles during this week's elections in Afghanistan. The illiterate farmer, who knew little about who was running for the upcoming election, but who was nonetheless excited for his opportunity to have his say by casting his vote for a new president, was ambushed on his way by the Taliban extremists, who savagely beat him with the butt of an assault rifle before cutting off his ears and nose. (MX News, 12)
Other Afghani citizens who were already at the voting booths were also attacked by Taliban militants, having their "ink-stained" fingers taken away from the polling booths and having them chopped off.(MX News, 12).
The Taliban extremists had previously threatened Afgani citizens before the election day that such things would happen, if they chose to go to the voting booths (MX News, 12).
The saddest part of the story for me was when Mr Mohammad told reporters after the incident, "I regret very much getting the card and going to vote." (MX News, 12).
I am very grateful and lucky to be living in a country where I have the right to have an opnion, and that I can share it openly, without feeling pressured by other people to think differently. People may not agree with what I say, but I have the freedom to say it without the fear of having someone threaten me with a knife or a gun to change my opinion and conform with what he/she wants me to believe. At the same time though, I am saddened to hear of many people all over the world, who do not share the same freedom I do, whose right to an opinion has been taken away from them by those who wish to oppress them.
I wanted to do this project to raise awareness of this issue, that there are people out there who are unable to enjoy the privilege of exercising free speech. I deliberately covered my nose for this photo, so that the viewer can be reminded of the kind of sacrifices people like Lal Mohammed have had to make, in order to fight for their right to exercise free speech. My hands are turned upwards, as if in prayer, hoping for a brighter future to those who are still living under oppression from corrupt militant leaders.
I hope that those who are reading this can gain a better appreciation of the freedoms we do have, and to pray for those who do not as of yet enjoy those freedoms.....
Reference List:
"Farmer loses nose for daring to vote." MX News, Tuesday, September 1 2009.
My neighbourhood in Favorten is burning. I spent ten days in my home town Augsburg, but read the news about what was going on in my neighbourhood in Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna.
On Wednesday there was a demonstration of Kurdish women and supporters against feminicides in Turkey and Austria. It was attacked by a Grey-Wolves-lead Erdogan-supporting mob.
On Thursday and this Friday, when I came back from Germany, there were demonstrations against this fascist violence with lots of police, some of them with wicked dogs, preventing the Erdogan mob from attacking the demonstrators. There were several groups trying to do so. This is one of them.
www.diepresse.com/5831567/wieder-unruhen-bei-demo-in-wien...
In 2135, an advanced police team investigates another killing by anti-augmentation extremists, with an ominous sign...
brickstudios is holding a 3K celebration contest on Instagram, and the last category for me to enter is "sci-fi." These figures are actually ones that I've had together for probably over a year, waiting to be photographed. They were definitely inspired by Chris' work in the first place, so I figured it'd be a great time to put something together and post these. I tried to put the build together in his style as well, so hopefully that comes across.
Let me know what you think!
Located inside the Grand Mosque in Madinha, Saudi Arabia, the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) is buried under the middle green sign.
The grave on the far right third green sign is empty and is said to been reserved for Prophet Isha (Jesus) whom Muslims believe will return to earth for the final battle with Satan on the last day of earths existence and immediately before the day of Judgement.
This is frustratingly not known by many Christians, that Muslims are fully devoted to Prophet Jesus, honour his status and love him as a prophet with the utmost respect.
Extremists from both Christianity and Islam conveniently forget this fact and so much blood has been spilt and so many lives lost since the middle ages and the days of the Christian crusades all the way to the modern day.
I find it incredibly frustrating, sad and tragic that Judaism, Christianity and Islam have 99% in common, but its the 1% difference that has caused so much unnecessary pain and conflict through the centuries.
I am sorry but i can and will not remain silent anymore.
The silent majority in the middle of things need to speak up more, as the populists and extremists with easy 'solutions' for complex issues and their urge to build walls instead of bridges are increasing their power.
Averroes is the latinization by which he is known, his real name being Abu I-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Rushd. He was born in Córdoba in 1126 and died in Marrakech in 1198, expelled by the Almohad extremists for defending the Aristotelian theory. His studies and work will be related to fields as disparate as philosophy, law, medicine, mathematics or astronomy.
The sculpture was made by Pablo Yusti Conejo in 1967.
Averroes es la latinización por la que se le conoce siendo su nombre real Abu I-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Rushd. El nació en Córdoba en 1126 y falleció en Marrakech en 1198, expulsado por los extremistas almohades por defender la teoría aristotélica. Sus estudios y trabajos estarán relacionados con campos tan dispares como la filosofía, las leyes, la medicina, las matemáticas o la astronomía.
La escultura fue realizada por Pablo Yusti Conejo en 1967.
Córdoba (Andalucía/ Spain).
As ISIS insurgents make last-ditch efforts to recapture the city of Mosul, US special forces assist a wounded soldier about to be overtaken by an extremist. (June 26th, 2017)
While this may be fictional, I wanted to re-experiment with forced perspective methods as well as a new method of mine to make more textured walls (seen near the operator with the M249).
I know it's been quite a while since I posted, but I've been much busier than I anticipated this summer, and my basement just flooded, which is where all of my Lego bricks are kept. Disastrous.
Comment with your input!
The skies for the most part are overcast and I love them!
The industrial feel you get when visiting around the waterfront and docks are a photographers dream.
The Pike's Market Place and back alley shops are unique in every sense of the word. Travel, yes I do, all around Seattle.
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All rights reserved © LouisRuthPhotography.com
**Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007)**
Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani political leader and the first woman to head a Muslim-majority country. Born in Karachi to a prominent political family, she was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a former Prime Minister executed after a military coup. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, Benazir became a symbol of courage, democracy, and women’s empowerment in a deeply patriarchal society.
After years of exile and imprisonment, she returned to Pakistan to continue her fight against corruption, dictatorship, and the alliance between politics and religious extremism. Her goal was to restore democracy and justice to her country.
On December 27, 2007, during a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in an attack involving both gunfire and a suicide bomb. Her death was not an accident — it was the silencing of a woman who challenged the system and exposed the dangerous ties between power, military forces, and extremist groups.
Benazir Bhutto remains a symbol of moral resistance and sacrifice — a reminder that truth and freedom often demand the highest price.
The *Characters* series was created to awaken consciousness and remind people — especially younger generations — that history is also made of voices silenced by power.
Each photograph is an act of memory and resistance, a tribute to those who paid with their lives for truth, courage, and integrity.
These portraits seek to inform, to move, and to raise awareness.
They are small lessons of history, sociology, and above all, humanity.
Because remembering is not just a duty — it is a form of rebellion against indifference.
I don't get political on here often. But after the events of January 6, 2021, I cannot be silent. Both liberty and justice came under attack when Right Wing Extremists stormed our Capitol Hill in an apparent insurgency. Violence is should never be a method to quell political discourse.
Violence, insurrections, and hostility are the absolute last resort and cannot be condoned or tolerated at any level or for any reason short of an absolute willingness to see it through to a predetermined and clearly defined end. For instance, in the event of a personal attack (mugging, robbery, home invasion, etc.) violence may be necessary and acceptable to repel, subdue, detain, escape or end the situation. Politically, violence is war. When violence is enacted as a political voice, as a supposed means of change, it is absolutely and unequivocally an act or war or terrorism. I want to be clear, I am considering the act of insurgency, mob like hostility, civil interruptions (blocking roads and highways, shutting down sections of towns and cities) or any other action that endangers the well being of innocent by standers or the public at large. By what has been outlined so far, one might think my position is clear, however, I want to be crystal clear. From the insurgency at Capitol to the riots and insurgencies of US Cities throughout 2020. It is all disgusting and should be rejected by all. Blind eyes toward the extreme that most aligns with our own thinking must end! I do no condone, promote, accept, align with, or any way affirm the actions of the zealots and political terrorists in any political party or movement. A revolt, rebellion or revolution may very well be inevitable, however all other avenues must be exhausted, not just attempted but completely exhausted before such extreme measures are taken. Neither of the movements that saw the declination of civil discourse erode into a pathetic attempt to force a revolution are a representation of the country as a whole.
Flashbang! Members of the 707th Special Mission Battalion prepares an entry in a local restaurant occupied by extremists.
Yes, there is fear of the pres. every promise broken, no transparancy, and change that can spin your head. Look out! AND no Hope in sight!
Black Lives Matter march to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King. King's words and actions continue to inspire us in our struggle for justice, equality and humanity. In his words:
"We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade. Indeed, even today we have not permitted ourselves to reject or to feel remorse for this shameful episode. Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it...It was upon this massive base of racism that the prejudice toward the nonwhite was readily built, and found rapid growth. This long-standing racist ideology has corrupted and diminished our democratic ideals. It is this tangled web of prejudice from which many Americans now seek to liberate themselves, without realizing how deeply it has been woven into their consciousness."
"We are now experiencing the coming to the surface of a triple prong sickness that has been lurking within our body politic from its very beginning. That is the sickness of racism, excessive materialism and militarism." -
'So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? …Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."
"A riot is the language of the unheard.”
“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
Here for the sake of completeness rather than due to architectural admiration... (BTW - the original 1924 City Hall on Bialik Square is a peach!)
Tel Aviv City Hall was designed in the 1950s by architect Menachem Cohen in the Brutalist style. It was completed in 1966.
The large plaza at the foot of the building was first named Kings of Israel Square and renamed to Rabin Square in 1995 after the eponymous Prime Minister's assassination by a far-right Jewish extremist at this spot. It was designed as a central area for public events and ceremonies, and so it often is.
The religious tension in Myanamar between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims is linked to religious extremist group led by monks. They claim to be the defenders of the Burmese race. A law from 1982 denied the Rohingya people of their Burmese citizenship, thereby removing their freedom of movement, and access to education. It also allows the arbitrary confiscation of their property and lands.The UN has described the Rohingya as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
© Eric Lafforgue
I do like the circles created by Pixel Bender with the sliders way to the right. Extremist Edition.
Happy Fence Friday - HFF!
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Data Log No. 353
CT-7732 ("Sevs")
Kuat Drive Yards (KDY)
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We've just cleared out the main corridor of the rebel filth, totaling around twenty of their men dead so far; we have yet to lose any stormtroopers. Sounds like they've already got the plans for the Super Star Destroyer; what a pain they are! They've been a tough one to predict though; the rebels are indeed a smart group to reckon with. We thought they broke in on the western side of KDY, but it turns out that was a diversion they set up, hacking our alarm systems to send us to the wrong direction. But we're always prepared, and now we're right on their tails. How funny it is, though; this is Kuat Drive Yards, one the most secure and armed areas in the galaxy, and a regiment of not more than a hundred rebels are able to sneak in. It will be a miracle if someone isn't punished for letting them slip through the cracks.
And yet here we are behind a blast door, waiting, or rather hesitating, to move forward. It's been rumored one of the Alliance's best, some jock arms dealer named Daren Hul, is with the rebels this round. Apparently, he's turned into some sort of extremist, having around 370 kills, and he would behead every imperial he would get his hands on. He even has a collection of his "most prized possessions," whatever that means. Hopefully we can put an end to this terrorist, and make an example out of him to the rest of the galaxy. After all, there's a bounty on his head for 10,000 credits. I surely wouldn't mind buying myself some better armor after this, 'cause mine definitely isn't gonna make it through this one.
I've joined up with the 12th division of the KDY security to take down these scum. These guys are supposed to be the best of the best, even taking out some of the most skilled Jedi during Order 66. Let's just hope this will be more than enough.
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END
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This is definitely one of my better builds, though it did take a while tof igure out, with the tubes and wires and whatnot. Just enjoy this while it lasts, because I doubt my future builds will be anything like this XD
I also hope everyone had a Happy Easter Sunday today!
Male protestor with a rainbow flag at the Peli poikki - Rikotaan hiljaisuus demonstration against racism and right wing extremist violence at Senate Square in downtown Helsinki, Finland on 24 September 2016.
Two years he walks the earth.
No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Though shall not return, 'cause the West is the best'. And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.
Alexander Supertramp, May 1992
(Into the Wild)