View allAll Photos Tagged gratification
One would assume that staying on the 11th floor of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Ottawa would afford at least a decent view of something. And one couldn't be any more wrong. This bunker-ish building from I'd guess the 50's is what dominates the view from your room. Taken as the sun was dipping below the horizon - I just held the shutter on bulb for approx. 2 - 3 seconds. All shot handheld, with the camera lens pressed hard up against the window to steady.
Diana F+ with Instax Back, Fuji Instax film.
I have heard photographers say that their most favorite photo is the one they will be taking tomorrow. For me, this photo of Carmela, at 97 years of age, taken just over a week ago, on March 23, 2015, with a Nikon F4s using Kodak Portra 400 film, is undoubtedly my most favorite one.
Not because this image reflects any photographic skills (or lack thereof) -- in fact, I have not used a 35mm film camera in over 20 years -- but because of the subject in the image. Carmela is perhaps the most graceful and fascinating person I have met and it was a treat to capture her beautiful face and deep glance on film. Seeing this image today for the first time (there is no immediate gratification with film) brought tears to my eyes, something that no digital image has managed to do thus far.
I had been looking forward to traveling to the Dominican Republic and visiting Carmela for several months and I had already made plans to bring my D610 to take a few digital images of her during my visit. Shooting film was the last thing on my mind until I happened to browse through a few film images on Flickr and the sense of nostalgia was so overwhelming that I felt compelled to go out and buy an old film camera to use with my existing Nikkor lenses. I lost my F3 while dining at a restaurant on City Island in New York and the F4s, though heavy and a bit bulky, seemed like a perfect fit.
I bought a pack of lesser quality film to play around with but, to photograph Carmela, I made sure that I brought along some professional rolls of film. I was pleasantly surprised. Although I had never used an F4, my new 20-year-old camera performed with excellence and the results of the Kodak Portra 400 film did not disappoint me.
I had a wonderful time at Carmela's home on the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic, along the Yuna river, and I was treated to some of her favorite foods with flavors as compelling as the colors and appearance on film images. At 97, she is still witty and has an impressive ability to remember. I am humbled by her ability to recall the names of the members of her extensive family and friends. I truly believe that God has blessed her with a long life and health as a result of her selfless love and kindness. She remains the matriarch of her family and, despite her lack of any formal education and inability to read or write, she was able to raise seven children with love, character, and integrity, under the most humble of circumstances; to care for most of her grandchildren as four of her sons and daughters moved to the United States to pursue the American dream; and to touch and continue to influence the lives of her great grandchildren.
During our conversation, she acknowledged with strength and some degree of sadness that she had run a long race that will soon be over. But she was confident and reassured by the fact that she had so many children, grand children, and great grandchildren who love her and are committed to her care and well being.
Finland turns out to be one of the best places in the world for finding wild foods and foraging them in the beauty of the wilderness. As spring transforms into the summer season, the forests around the country produce new vegetation. With new vegetation, the sweet aroma of newly harvested berries fills the air. Whether you wish to experience the unique Finnish culture or simply get a taste of wonderfully delicious organic berries from the forest, rest assured that this tour in the wilderness of Finland will be one of the most memorable moments of your life.
If you are fond of nature and love foraging mushrooms or berries, the forests in Finland are a real treasure. Picking berries in the forested wilderness is a highly relaxing and fun-filled activity. In Finland, the northern climate and pristine nature along with long sunny summer days come together to create a delicious flavor to the forests’ berries. It is not just the aroma that attracts. These clean and natural superfoods also feature abundant nutrients and vitamins to fulfill your health requirements.
The locomotive driver waves to Grandma happily and I love to move around in nature in a leather outfit..
Originally, jodhpurs were snug-fitting from just below the knee to the ankle, and were flared at the hip to allow ease for sitting in the saddle. Modern jodhpurs are made with stretch fabric and are tight-fitting throughout. They are supportive and flexible.
Kullivaara, Suomussalmi
N=7188932.515, E=592148.552
(ETRS-TM35FIN)
Bismarck & Hiss unlike Harrison in the previous shot, spends his time with some mates on the street in Accra - Ghana, working car drivers for money. They are despite their suffering from Polio, very mobile diving around among the cars.
This shot made me fall in love with large format Polaroid and l took some advice from Don McCullin to get a Mamiya Universal camera on E-Bay. The new camera was a snip and the sharpness and clarity stunning. Harrison is an example of this - www.flickr.com/photos/11954252@N00/9506187331/in/photostr...
There is some weird form of real gratification getting an instant print in your hand after you take a shot. And a lot of hassle trying to keep it!!!
Magic Photo Series - No2
The boys are hard workers. Like any of us, they expect some form of recompense. They don't wait until payday, though. They expect immediate gratification. The good news is that once they understand a job, they no longer ask for payment. Now that's a sweet deal for me.
Griffen usually finds food to be the ultimate reinforcer. He loves clicker training and he is a joy to shape (they all are, really). I can capture behavior instantly with Griffen. He is not very forgiving about bad clicks and clicking once on the wrong behavior can sometimes be an immediate set-back. He is never hesitant to offer behavior to get things going.
What can I say about the other three? It's all about the balls. Nothing - dogs, cats, deer - nothing will lure them away from the chance to chase the ball. A strange dog could be sniffing their butts and they won't even acknowledge it if I have a ball in hand. There's something to be said for that kind of dedication.
Ham, Briggs, Griff, Fritz
Daily Dog Challenge 104: Just Desserts - our dogs all like to get rewarded in some way, what is your dog's idea of what his or her "just desserts" are?
Explore 2/14/12 Highest Position 190
In a continued test of my fondness for immediate gratification, I shot 35mm film for the early (Tuesday) morning rocket launch, and I received the scan last night.
So, may I present the #HISPASAT30W-6 #Falcon9 launch by #SpaceX, captured on Kodak Ektar 100 35mm print film using a 40-year-old Canon A1 (thank you, Wayne Seeley).
The exposure time I used will be a guess, as I may or may not have forgotten about this camera. I triggered the shutter at 12:32 am, one minute before the launch, and then I didn't remember it until after I had processed images from my DSLRs and posted them to Twitter. After doing so, the always cool Chris G asked me if I was running a time-lapse (he thought I might have caught one of the burns during the first stage landing sequence), and it was only then that I remembered this shutter was still open. I posted the photos to Twitter at 12:45 am, so I'd estimate this exposure to be in the neighborhood of 13 minutes at f18.
Other than dealing with film's reciprocity failure (if I want anything other than the streak to be exposed correctly, I need a much longer exposure), the other issue is focal length: 24mm is too much. Especially for these shots from the media area on the ITL Causeway, under 3 miles away from the pad, I need a wider-angle lens. This shot does work pretty well framed vertically, but I'd like more of the down-range streak in the frame.
Thanks to The Darkroom for the quick and high-quality processing and scanning of this image. From the time of receipt, it took them only one day to get this image to me. The real delay was with the USPS, who took three days to deliver to The Darkroom the Priority Mail Express (overnight delivery, guaranteed!) package containing the film.
We hosted an absolutely wonderful event in our bookshop recently, with storyteller Mara Menzies, who had adapted her own storytelling performance into a novel, Blood and Gold, which draws on her Kenyan and Scottish roots, history and mythology, exploring family, history, colonialism and more through various lenses.
Mara treated us to some of her live storytelling, which was just a delight to experience. Much as I am forever in love with the written word, I'm always aware the roots of the modern books (and plays and films and other media) run back millennia to oral storytelling.
Long, long before even the most ancient stories we have written down, such as Gilgamesh, there were storytellers talking, acting and singing and dancing these tales, each putting their own spin on them. Some would have been professional storytellers like Mara, others just the person in a village or small, wandering tribe, who had the gift and knowledge, and would spin them around a flickering camp fire at night to their small groups.
We have aways told stories, it's part of the spiritual element of our DNA as humans, and it's something that is still wonderful and thrilling and magical to experience, even in an age of instant digital gratification or giant screen entertainment or shelves full of books on every subject.
Mara's book Blood and Gold is published by Birlinn, and you can follow her on Twitter twitter.com/marastoryteller She may be bringing her performance back to the Edinburgh Fringe next year, if she does I highly recommend catching it.
The Hymn of God's word "All Men Live in God’s Light"
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-all-men-live-in-god-...
The joyous exaltation in men’s hearts (woo …) fills every place on the face of the earth (woo …), the air is brisk and fresh (woo …), dense fogs no longer blanket the ground (woo …), and the sun shines resplendent, the sun shines resplendent.
On this jubilant occasion, at this moment of exultation, God’s righteousness and His holiness (hoy), have gone abroad throughout the universe (woo …), and all mankind extols them without surcease, and all mankind extols them without surcease. (Ah … ha….) The cities of heaven are laughing with joy, and the kingdoms of earth are dancing with joy. Who at this moment is not rejoicing? And who at this moment is not weeping? (Yee yeah.) Earth in its primordial state belongs to heaven, and heaven is united with earth. (Hoy.) Man is the cord uniting heaven and earth (ha), and thanks to his sanctity, thanks to his renewal, heaven is no longer concealed from earth, and earth is no longer silent toward heaven. The faces of humanity are wreathed in smiles of gratification, wreathed in smiles of gratification, and secreted (secreted) in their hearts, is a sweetness that knows no bounds (sweetness that knows no bounds). Man does not quarrel with man, nor do men come to blows with one another. Are there any who, in God’s light, do not live peacefully with others? Are there any who, in His days, disgrace His name? (Yee ya.) Earth in its primordial state belongs to heaven, and heaven is united with earth. (Ha.) Man is the cord uniting heaven and earth (ha), and thanks to his sanctity, thanks to his renewal, heaven is no longer concealed from earth, and earth is no longer silent toward heaven. The faces of humanity are wreathed in smiles of gratification, wreathed in smiles of gratification.
The joyous exaltation in men’s hearts (woo …) fills every place on the face of the earth (woo …), the air is brisk and fresh (woo …), dense fogs no longer blanket the ground (woo …), and the sun shines resplendent, the sun shines resplendent. The joyous exaltation in men’s hearts fills every place on the face of the earth, the air is brisk and fresh, dense fogs no longer blanket the ground, and the sun shines resplendent, the sun shines resplendent. And the sun shines resplendent, the sun shines resplendent.
from “The Eighteenth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh
location: N=7113942.270, E=606909.850
(ETRS-TM35FIN)
64.135360,29.196716
Island name Mulkkusaaret or [(cock island) Finland]
Finland is a land of thousands of Lakes
After hitting a few of the good picking areas I go Lakeside to the campfire site to have a Finnish-style lunch cooked over a fire ! While lunch is being prepared, I will have free time to explore the area, take photos, or find your own peaceful place to enjoy the forest.
Several tasty and healthy wild berries ripen during the nightless nights of Finland – cloudberries, lingonberries, blueberries, crowberries and cranberries. Same goes for the mushrooms since delicacies such as porcini and matsutake can be found from the pure arctic forests. Anyone can freely pick wild berries and forest mushrooms in Lapland and elsewhere in Finland thanks to the Everyman’s Right.
Fun, educational and also cultural activity during the summer is to .berry picking and it is as Finnish as it gets when you look at summertime pastimes and is an essential part of Finn’s love of nature and way of living of the land. On top of gathering healthy vitamins and flavonoids, on a foraging excursion, you will also learn more of the arctic nature, its flora and fauna, and work on your nature connection. Truly healthy in many ways !
Leather pants provide effective protection against mosquito bites and are therefore practical for outdoor use. However, there exists a small mosquito species ( Culiseta ) that torment people. Nevertheless, the actual mosquito season in the north does not start until the mid June with an annual slide of week or two depending on the weather conditions of the spring. Only the female mosquitoes suck blood because they need the nutrients of blood for their efficient egg laying.
When fetishwear resurged for its second peak a century later, between 1970 and 2000, leather was the material of choice. On the gay scene, an infatuation with leather was alive and well as early as the 1950s. Today, leather fetishwear is worn by leather tgirl like Me in sex clubs, parties, Pride parades and hook-ups, but some incorporate leather into their everyday lives, too. Common clothes and accessories include leather trousers, boots, jackets, gloves, ties and caps, with harnesses, masks and jockstraps more often worn during sexual encounters.
…. how leather became a symbol of masculinity and sexuality ?
This is the interior of St.Mary's church at Holmbury St.Mary, which overlooks the village from the heavily wooded backdrop of Holmbury Hill.
Holmbury St.Mary is a small village near Abinger in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England located within the Hurtwood, the largest area of common land in Surrey. Nearby to the south is Holmbury Hill, which at 857 feet (261 m) is the fourth highest point in Surrey. The village itself is named after the hill and the large Victorian church at its heart. St Mary's church, which overlooks the village green, was built in 1879 by George Edmund Street who had built himself a large house in the village between 1873-76 known as Holmdale. Holmdale later became home to Thomas Catto, the Governor of the Bank of England from 1944 to 1949.
Holmbury St. Mary has its own annual bonfire and fireworks night in the Glade, made possible by local village men (The Bonfire Boys) who gather wood from the Hurtwood and put on a fireworks show on the weekend following Halloween. I'm one of the Bonfire Boys myself and it's always a great time of year when you invite your friends round for a traditional bonfire and a dinner at the house afterwards. Happy days. This is a very popular event in the village with thousands attending, and all profits are donated to charity. Holmbury St. Mary is believed to be the basis for the fictional village of Summer Street in 'A Room With A View'. Its author E.M. Forster was a longstanding resident in neighbouring Abinger Hammer.
The shot itself was taken with the Pentax 10-17mm fisheye, hence the distortion here and there which I've done my best to correct. Although this is perfectly ok as a postcard shot, I'll probably redo this at some time in the future for my own gratification to capture the stained glass windows a little better. Using this lens is a pleasure but I'm after a rectilinear one to use for future shots like this - pop me a mail if you're interested in selling one =).
I have also uploaded a photo of the outside of holmbury st mary church
The Tree Planted by the Waters
George Everard, 1884
The servant of God is often described in Scripture under the image of a tree bearing good fruit. And under this figure we have his verdure and fruitfulness connected with the River of God's grace. We find it both in Psalm 1, and also in Jeremiah 17.
Before dwelling upon this description, let us take something of a contrast. Hugh Macmillan tells of a remarkable plant that grows in the South American forests. It is a sort of club moss, and in dry seasons becomes somewhat of a traveler. When every particle of moisture is extracted from the soil, it will detach itself from the earth where it has been growing, and curl itself up into a ball. It is then carried away for miles by any strong wind, and remains coiled up until it reaches some marshy land or pool of water. It will then begin slowly to unfold itself, taking root and assuming its former appearance. It may grow long enough to cast its seed on the air, and when its new home becomes dry, as the previous one — it will take to its former unsettled habits, and like a pilgrim go forth to seek the water that it loves.
Truly does the author, who gives this account, compare this plant to a child of the world. Such a one has no fixedness or stability. He goes from scene to scene, from one object to another, seeking for a little passing gratification. Unsettled in spirit, tossed hither and thither by temptation, by the world's allurements, or by every breath changing opinion — finding no permanent spring of hope or consolation, at length he passes away without having ever discovered the secret of true peace and satisfaction.
The prophet Jeremiah uses somewhat of a different image. "This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." Jeremiah 17:5-6
But not so is it with the godly man. He leans on a Divine arm. His heart draws near to a Father in Heaven. His spirit cleaves steadfastly unto God. The name of Jesus is his stay and resting-place. In the darkest night of trouble he makes the Lord his hope, and encourages himself in His faithful care. And how rich is the blessing he inherits! There is no curse for him. He is not like the heath in the desert, or the rolling plant of the forest. He inhabits no parched places or desolate wilds. The very reverse of all this is his portion. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
What a variety of blessedness is promised here! All around may be parched and dry. Sin and worldliness and unbelief may wither up all true joy — but he still retains his comfort in God, and grace to confess the Name he loves. He casts his roots deeper and deeper, in stronger faith, in more frequent meditation — and thus drinks in perpetually from the ever-flowing streams of living water. He flourishes as the cedar in Lebanon. He grows rapidly like the palm-tree. His bough is laden with precious fruit. Even in the year of drought — in times of deepest trouble or distress — he is freed from perplexing carefulness, and still honors God by his joyful patience and holy submission to the will of God.
In the life of the patriarch Joseph, we have a forcible illustration of the promise here given. He was ever a man of faith, deriving all his strength from nearness to God. He was "a fruitful bough by a well" (Genesis 49:22). Like a well-rooted tree, he was ever steadfast, rejecting with abhorrence the sin proposed to him, and manfully performing his duty and bearing the fruits of righteousness . . .
in the house of Potiphar,
in the prison, and
in his high position in Egypt.
"His branches ran over the wall." He was a blessing wherever he went. He brought down a blessing on his heathen master, then on Egypt, and then on all his father's house. Never, never did his leaf fade, nor were his branches found without their appropriate fruit.
But how may this blessing be yours? How may you, too, be a tree of righteousness, ever growing, ever bearing fruit through the power of divine grace?
Be sure, the River of Life is near at hand, the waters are flowing on in rich abundance, and if you will follow the directions which the Master gives, you cannot fail of the promised blessing.
Come near, and keep near, to the secret source of all life and fruitfulness.
From first to last, it is a matter of humble trustfulness. The heart of the ungodly man departs from the Lord — the heart of the godly man flees to Him. He runs, he walks, or he creeps, which ever it is — at least, he comes and draws near. Thus must you do. Set your face toward God. Remember His promises and rely upon them. Remember the precious name of
Jesus, and let this give you sure confidence. Remember God's exceeding loving-kindness. Remember His faithfulness and truth. Remembering all this, trust the Lord continually. Trust Him for all that concerns this life. Put every care and sorrow and burden into His hand. Leave all with Him, however gloomy, or painful, or threatening, the prospect may be. Trust Him with all that concerns your spiritual welfare. Trust Him when the heart feels cold and dead, that He will revive and quicken you. Trust Him when you can scarcely utter a word of prayer, believing that His Spirit will again stir up your heart in this as in every other grace. Trust Him always and trust Him forever. So will you keep close to the River, and your soul will be refreshed and comforted.
Be careful about the little things in a Christian life. No one can tell the immense difference that will be made by the use or the neglect of little opportunities — or in the matter of little duties. Remember it is the little fibers of the roots of a tree which drink in the moisture and receive nourishment from the soil, and thus promote its growth and fruitfulness.
Be very careful about these little fibers. Watch over your thoughts. Let them ever cleave to Jesus. Let them be sanctified by the remembrance of all that He is, and of all that He does for His people. Let them be filled with the sweet promises and precepts of Holy Scripture. Ever cherish heavenly aspirations, longing desires, and frequent upliftings of the heart in prayer and praise. Your highest attainments in grace and holiness will be closely connected with every secret prayer which arises to God. Just as the topmost branches of the tree are dependent upon the thin, hair-like roots that the eye can scarcely discern — so all spiritual advancement will depend on the secret walk before our Father in Heaven.
The figure of the tree shows also the importance of firmness and steadfastness in the Christian life. You must seek to be rooted and grounded in the faith, and so established that nothing can move you. Hold fast the faithful Word. Beware of new views and new opinions which are perpetually springing up around you. Stand firm and strong when persecution or reproach comes to try you. Rather suffer loss or exile or death — than dishonor or forsake your Savior.
Only lately I heard of an example of this steadfast spirit which it will be well for us to follow.
The son of a very rich man in Calcutta came to England to educate and qualify himself to practice at the bar in India. Brought up as a strict Hindu, he had no thought of becoming a Christian, though he had some knowledge of the truths of the Gospel. On his way to England a storm arose, and for three days the ship was in imminent danger. During the storm he felt how insecure was his own position; he thought of Christ, and sought Him in earnest prayer. He found spiritual peace and hope; and during his stay in London his convictions were deepened, and he was baptized.
As soon as his father heard of his baptism, he cut off his supplies — and the young man would have been utterly destitute but for a few Christian friends whom God raised up to help him.
After finishing his course he went back to Calcutta, and to his surprise his father received him with open arms. He received from his father every possible kindness, and for a time he thought his father had forgiven him. But it was only a device to draw him back to Hinduism. After about a week his father spoke to him on the subject. He told him that if he would give up Christianity, he would at once make over to him all his property. He need not practice at the bar, but might live in every possible comfort and luxury.
But the young man was not to be moved. Neither persuasions nor promises could turn him from his purpose. So he said to his father, "Not for all you have done for me, or for all you have now promised me, nor for your love, which I value most of all — dare I deny the Savior who has loved me."
Then said the father, "If this be so, you are no longer my son, nor am I your father. Begone! and never let me see your face again!"
So, without a shilling of his own, he had to go to another city and seek his living, having given up all for Christ's sake.
Another word of guidance I would give you: Endeavor to make progress. Cultivate growth in every direction. Aim at increase in every Christian virtue.
In dependence on God's grace, let there be the downward growth — the roots going deeper into the soil. Be clothed with humility. Follow Him who was meek and lowly in heart. Keep near the Savior's footstool. Strive to grow in the knowledge of your sin and unworthiness. The sense of sin ever deepens with growth in holiness, because God's light shines in more brightly, and thus discovers the evil that is in us.
Then also grow in steadfastness. As the roots of a tree go deeper into the soil, it becomes more firmly fixed, so that the winds and storms can the less move it. Thus be firm and immovable, rooted and grounded in the truth as it is in Jesus. Do not be swayed by the current of human opinion. Do not take your views from the Newspaper, or the last Magazine. Rather, hold fast by the faithful Word, being assured that not one thing has failed or will fail of all that the Lord has spoken.
Let there also be the upward growth. Like the tree shooting higher and higher, ever tending upward, so let it be with your heart. Set your affection on things above. Get nearer and closer in true fellowship with the Father and the Son. Tend evermore in true holiness toward the light of the Sun of Righteousness. Let your whole life be filled with joy and praise and thankfulness to Him.
Let there also be growth in the breadth and circumference of the tree. I mean, let the Christian grow in largeness of heart, in wide-spreading sympathies, in holy charity, in efforts to spread everywhere the savor of Christ's name. Wherever God opens to you a door of usefulness, by which you can enter without neglect of other duties — don't hold back. By intercessory prayer, by free-handed gifts, by a book given to someone going into a foreign land — your influence for good may spread far and wide, and perhaps hereafter the most precious jewels in your crown will have been won in lands you have never seen.
Above all, let your growth and fruitfulness never cease. Cleave to the Lord, and He will never fail you. He will give "more grace," and thus you shall bear more fruit. "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:3
Oh fill me with Your fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart overflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Your love to tell, Your praise to show.
Oh use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as You will, and when and where,
Until Your blessed face I see,
Your rest, Your joy, Your glory share.
Havergal
This morning I hijacked Ricky's digital camera to document a bit of the everyday. A sunday morning of hot cocoa and pancake making with the girls and ever present Hassy. It was nice to casually fire off shots and not think about exposure and getting focus just right.
I've posted part 1 and 2 of this morning on the tumblr all ready. Yay for instant digital gratification.
Part 1: diyosa.tumblr.com/post/84044415574/sunday-morning-april-2...
Part 2: diyosa.tumblr.com/post/84045510973/sunday-morning-april-2...
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-all-men-live-in-god-...
Introduction
The joyous exaltation in men’s hearts (woo …) fills every place on the face of the earth (woo …), the air is brisk and fresh (woo …), dense fogs no longer blanket the ground (woo …), and the sun shines resplendent, the sun shines resplendent.
On this jubilant occasion, at this moment of exultation, God’s righteousness and His holiness (hoy), have gone abroad throughout the universe (woo …), and all mankind extols them without surcease, and all mankind extols them without surcease. (Ah … ha….) The cities of heaven are laughing with joy, and the kingdoms of earth are dancing with joy. Who at this moment is not rejoicing? And who at this moment is not weeping? (Yee yeah.) Earth in its primordial state belongs to heaven, and heaven is united with earth. (Hoy.) Man is the cord uniting heaven and earth (ha), and thanks to his sanctity, thanks to his renewal, heaven is no longer concealed from earth, and earth is no longer silent toward heaven. The faces of humanity are wreathed in smiles of gratification, wreathed in smiles of gratification, and secreted (secreted) in their hearts, is a sweetness that knows no bounds (sweetness that knows no bounds). Man does not quarrel with man, nor do men come to blows with one another. Are there any who, in God’s light, do not live peacefully with others? Are there any who, in His days, disgrace His name? (Yee ya.) Earth in its primordial state belongs to heaven, and heaven is united with earth. (Ha.) Man is the cord uniting heaven and earth (ha), and thanks to his sanctity, thanks to his renewal, heaven is no longer concealed from earth, and earth is no longer silent toward heaven. The faces of humanity are wreathed in smiles of gratification, wreathed in smiles of gratification.
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From left:
Temblor - Robert Coleman was a supervillain for hire who used a pair of gauntlets to generate shockwaves. From small blasts that knocked pursuers off their feet to block-levelling tremors, Temblor seemed to be a formidable mercenary until a building he had been hired to destroy collapsed on top of him. Rescued by Batgirl, Coleman hung up the gloves for good and became little more than a footnote in supercriminal history, although he was briefly blamed for the Cataclysm that rendered Gotham a no-man's land.
Anarky - Lonnie Machin was originally a teenage hacker under the alias Money_Spider, stealing millions of dollars from multinational corporations. Once caught, Lonnie refused to lend his talents to the NSA unlike his co-conspirator Hadrian "The General" Armstrong, and wound up incarcerated in a brutal home for young offenders. These horrific conditions radicalized Lonnie against the capitalist system, and he used money squirreled away from his past cyber heists to start giving to the poor and to begin his new career as the vigilante Anarky. Pursued by Armstrong (now a government agent), Lonnie's benevolent intentions won him enough favor with Batman to briefly be considered a candidate for the next Robin. His staunch rejection of Batman's methods, however, put the two at deeply personal odds.
Gearhead - Nathan Finch was gravely injured in a street race. Left for dead by his peers, Finch was rescued by a back alley doctor who grafted his body to a mobile life support machine with modular cybernetic attachments. Unwilling to die, yet appalled that the doctor had simply experimented on him for his own gratification, Finch escaped and began a campaign of revenge against those he blamed for his loss of humanity. Years later, when the Justice League's own Cyborg went rogue due to the Grid virus, Gearhead himself succumbed to Grid and joined many other infected technological villains as part of the Crime Syndicate's invasion army.
Copperhead - The anonymous assassin Copperhead used a mechanical tail to suffocate her victims. She took contracts all over the globe, pitting her against many of the world's heroes and often finding herself hired as muscle in a variety of other supervillains' schemes.
Nicodemus - Thomas Hart was a corrupt councillor in an equally corrupt City Hall. Taking the biblical name Nicodemus, he sought to divert attention from his own crimes coming to light by instead amplifying those of his coworkers. Nicodemus held live broadcasts of the "trials" he put on for his kidnapped colleagues, which invariably ended with Hart burning them to death. Faking his own murder at the hands of Nicodemus was not enough to fool Batman, however, and Hart perished for good in a fire he intended for the Dark Knight.
Cornelius Stirk - A metahuman with the ability to alter his appearance through psychic means, Cornelius Stirk is unfortunately more well known for a series of canniballistic murders. A long-time resident of the Arkham Institute, Stirk seems to have reformed and is occasionally allowed to indulge his more benign culinary pursuits in the facility's mess hall. Yet he still remains on a very short leash - "kiss the cook" is not a risk any of the staff or other inmates want to take.
Arnold Astin - You... Fetishist
Documentary Classics 513 , 1969
Cover Artist: unknown
"A strange journey into the frantic libidinous realm of the fetishist. ... Graphic details of exploitation, punishment, gratification; of the restricting leather, rubber, etc."
"By the particularly perceptive insight Miss Astin portrays, YOU, the reader, not only learn about those needs, their origins, gratifications and penalties... you actually experience them!"
Arnold Astin is possibly a pseudonym of Paul Hugo Little.
You have saved the best until now!
(J.R. Miller, "Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ" 1890)
"Everyone brings out the choice wine first . . . But you have saved the best until now!" John 2:10
The world gives its best first--and the worst comes afterwards!
It is so in all sinful pleasures: first exhilaration--and then bitter remorse.
It is so in the chase for wealth, power, and fame: gratification first--and then painful disappointment. At first money brings gladness--a sort of satisfaction. But as time rolls on and wealth increases--cares multiply, anxieties thicken, burdens grow heavier, and at last--the rich man finds that in all his riches, he has less satisfaction than he had in the days when he was just a poor boy!
It is so in all mere worldly ambitions: the first cups of fame are sweet--but soon they pall upon the taste.
This truth holds especially in the sinful life: we need not deny that at the beginning, sin is sweet--but bitterness is found at the bottom of the cup!
In grace, however, this is reversed--the good wine is kept to the last! Christ Himself first had humiliation, darkness, and the shame of the cross--and then exaltation, power, glory!
In the Christian life, the same law holds:
First there comes bitterness--but out of the bitterness, sweetness flows.
There is first the deep sorrow of penitence--but this gives way to the blessed joy of forgiveness.
First comes self-denial and cross-bearing--but out of these experiences comes a holy peace which fills all the heart.
Sorrows are to be endured--but the good wine of comfort is poured into the emptied cup.
There is also a constant progression in the blessings of the divine life. We never get to the end of them! Indeed, we never get to the best! There is always something better yet to come. Christ keeps the really best wine until the very last--in Heaven! As sweet as Christ's peace now is to the Christian--he will never know the fullness of the love of God, until he gets home to the Father's house!
Teammates scramble during a beach volleyball match.
Unhappily, this photo (along with almost all of my photo stream) may only remain up for about 24 hours. I have received a notice from Flickr saying I was in violation of their voyeur photography rule. For their purposes, Flickr defines voyeur photos as those taken secretly of men, women, and children, and posted on Flickr for purposes of sexual gratification. And all this time I thought I was just openly sitting courtside taking photos of volleyball matches.
Anyway, my billing date is coming up soon. While I have sent an appeal letter to Flickr, I certainly don't intend to renew my paid subscription at this time. I will most likely delete any photos containing a human (probably 90% of my images) and drop down to a free account.
Edit 10-3-21: With the exception of this photo, I have removed all of my images which contained a person. I left this photo up (at least temporarily) as the message and comments describe what happened to my photos. As mentioned earlier, I will have to decide what to do with my account after this point.
Update: 5-6-22: With mixed feelings, today I renewed my Pro account for 3 months. I think I've made it fairly clear that I'm not very happy with Flickr right now. Still, the ads on a free account are a very noticeable distraction, and I will have to see if Flickr repeats its "voyeur policy" nonsense with my account. Time will tell.
I promise this is the last of the iphonography for a while. But some of the apps are blowing my mind. Talk about instant gratification. With the aid of a few pointers one can go a long way with that little phone. To this end I've put together a little post on my blog, with a low down of which apps I've been using and their effects. Even if you've no interest in the images, you might like to check it out for the 'toon...enjoy...and thanks for taking the time x
The Road to Reality
(from K. P. Yohannan's book, "The Road to Reality")
All too often, we are willing to be 'students of Christianity', rather than disciples of Christ. The fact is that most are substituting 'learning' and 'information' for practical obedience. Never in history has there been a society with so much 'information' about God, but so little real knowledge of the Holy One. Right doctrine without right living is worthless in the sight of God.
Obviously, the gap between Biblical Christianity and the way we live today is a very big one. The amount of time the average believer spends before a television, reading worldly novels, and in recreation, is amazing.
We are content to sit in our comfortable pews week after week sucking on our 'spiritual baby bottles', so long as the 'religious entertainment' does not interfere with lunch or the ball game. This is 'convenience store' Christianity. The pastor's main job is to find ways to sugarcoat the Gospel message, making sure that he preaches a gospel that offends no one, and runs a church that meets every imaginable mental and physical need.
How 'the flesh' twists and turns to refuse the work of the cross! Where are the believers who will make a deliberate calculation to accept sacrifice and suffering for the sake of following Christ? Real Christians accept suffering as a normal part of following Christ. Unless we choose the 'way of the cross' we will always find ourselves automatically falling into that pattern of 'extravagance' and 'waste' that has become the norm of this culture.
We don't accept 'the nail' because it would mean death to our 'self.' We demand instead the pleasure our desires for self gratification. And we have found 'shepherds' and Bible teachers who will give us a 'feel good theology' to match and justify our lives of sinful rebellion. Much of this 'Santa Claus religion' is centered around a horrible distortion of Bibledoctrine. It denies the demands of the Gospel and says, "You can have the good life NOW, and heaven besides!" It tickles our ears to hear this religion taught. It promises us the services of a god who exists to solve all our problems; making us happy, healthy, popular, successful and rich. This sounds like the false promises of Baal or the idol gods of paganism.
It is obvious that Jesus will have no one among His followers who is wanting to put comfort, family ties or security in this world, ahead of His kingdom. Jesus is saying in effect, "I offer you what I have; hardship, hunger; labor, loneliness rejection, sweat, tears and death. I'm a stranger and pilgrim in this world, and if you follow Me you will have to break away from the clinging attachments of this present life." There is no place in His band for those who are not willing to accept inconvenience, sufferings, and uncertainty. This is still the price of following Christ today, just as it was then.
How many of us need to confess our adulterous love affair with the world? I fear for the nation and people whose Christian churches have forsaken holiness, and separation from sin and the world. The 'spiritual thermometer' of most churches is so low, that a new believer has to become a backslider to feel at home. When the Lord calls you away from this mess of lukewarm, half hearted, plastic Christianity, you can be sure that many will say you are an idiot.
"Dear Lord, we acknowledge that our commitment to You is so shallow. We say we love You, but our actions betray us. Open our eyes so that we see time and eternity as You see them. Forgive us for forgetting we are only strangers and pilgrims on this earth. How foolish we are, O Lord, to store up treasures on this earth and fight to save our lives and preserve them, when You tell us we will lose our lives if we try to do that. We ask You, dear Lord, to forgive us and help us to walk in Your footsteps; forsaking all, denying ourselves, carrying our crosses daily and loving You supremely so Your causes might be furthered in this dark and dying world. In Jesus' name, Amen."
We hosted an absolutely wonderful event in our bookshop recently, with storyteller Mara Menzies, who had adapted her own storytelling performance into a novel, Blood and Gold, which draws on her Kenyan and Scottish roots, history and mythology, exploring family, history, colonialism and more through various lenses.
Mara treated us to some of her live storytelling, which was just a delight to experience. Much as I am forever in love with the written word, I'm always aware the roots of the modern books (and plays and films and other media) run back millennia to oral storytelling.
Long, long before even the most ancient stories we have written down, such as Gilgamesh, there were storytellers talking, acting and singing and dancing these tales, each putting their own spin on them. Some would have been professional storytellers like Mara, others just the person in a village or small, wandering tribe, who had the gift and knowledge, and would spin them around a flickering camp fire at night to their small groups.
We have aways told stories, it's part of the spiritual element of our DNA as humans, and it's something that is still wonderful and thrilling and magical to experience, even in an age of instant digital gratification or giant screen entertainment or shelves full of books on every subject.
Mara's book Blood and Gold is published by Birlinn, and you can follow her on Twitter twitter.com/marastoryteller She may be bringing her performance back to the Edinburgh Fringe next year, if she does I highly recommend catching it.
A while back I read that multiple surveys concluded that the median avg a person spends looking at a particular painting is around 17s. The Mona Lisa, 15s. Makes me think how ADD our society has become due to the need of instant gratification from our multimedia devices that those figures above must be much lower now. Maybe I should market new picture frames that display facebook, twitter, and IG feeds whenever you come within proximity to the artwork to generate more interest ;)
After months of going without a fresh subject, the 8x10 Polaroid Portrait project has been completely reinvigorated! If you haven't seen the outstanding news, check it out here:
shop.the-impossible-project.com/shop/film/8x10inch/fi_8x1...
Since these are portraits of individuals that directly influence my style, many of them happen to be fellow photographers. For anyone that's typically behind the camera, it can be quite a chore to stand in front of one for a change.
Today's 8x10 Polaroid Portraits is a very special one, indeed. Jeff is the one who has fostered my photographic development since I first stepped into his digital photography class nearly four years ago! The trusty Hasselblad that he's holding inspired me to seek out film photography. The massive stock of expired color negative film that I shot "The 52 Project" on was given to me by him. The darkroom that I use even to this day is his. Without Jeff, there wouldn't be 99.9% of the work you see coming from me today. So thank you so much for these opportunities, Jeff, hopefully this portrait of you is but a small homage to the many things you've given me. ^__^
Eastman Commercial B 8x10
Fujinon W 210mm f/5.6
1/125th @ f/11.5 + back tilt, front rise
Polaroid 809, shot @ ASA 64
Calumet hand-crank processor
Strobist Info: 1/2 power Balcar strobe into 30x40 soft box camera right
1/4 power Balcar strobe, bare into camera left
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Who is the smartest, greediest, and most (actually, only) corrupted species on this planet?
Humans. The self-absorbed group of homo sapiens that think we are entitled to every fucking atoms proton and electron this world is composed of to serve us. From the cows we eat to the dirt we walk on to the water we drink. We pretend this place is here to serve us and we do nothing but mutilate all of it.
We have and will continue to destroy any and all elements that the Earth provides to feed our fat faces. We must live comfortable because we are entitled to, right? NO! We will do whatever it takes to give us the most gratification with the least amount of work. And let me stress the words "whatever it takes".
Until of course the air becomes unbreathable, the water undrinkable, and the food full of diseases. The sun will become the enemy rather than our ally. The entire planet we so rapidly are desecrating is going to be the Milky Way galaxy equivalent of what Detroit currently is to North America: a wasteland with nothing left but junkies and artists.
Our individual cultures separating us by town, city, country, and continent are slowly unifying. Soon we will only speak one language, have the same accent and mannerisms, wear the same clothes... spot a common theme here? "Culture" will mostly be an ancient term except for a few tribes deep in the forests and deserts.
Oh, here's a doozy,
E
V
E
R
Y
T
H
I
N
G
will be accounted for.
No longer will you need a library card from your country library to get books just at that branch, a separate drivers license to drive a car in your state, and separate debit card to buy some merchandise. This will all be centralized in one gigantic mega database that will basically account for your entire self-worth.
Accessed by the unknown, but probably not by you, except for what they want you to see.
Would that concern you?
"So fuck, that’s not much to look forward to pimp. It sounds like it sucks your cock man. Any good news?"
Well yeah. Whether living in a hut or a spaceship, humans have been humans and will continue to humans until we are wiped out. We're rather predictable, just look at history and the cycles of life.
We are a young species here on Earth. We have been doing this culture thing for about 10,000 years. About 1500 years ago we entered what is known as the "Dark Ages" which roughly occurred when the Roman Empire fell. This period was ruled by hundreds of years of organized religion bestowing the fear of god into everyone. Think of these days as the opposite of free-thinking.
So what led us away from that?
Art.
Music.
Exploration.
Thought.
Mind.
Whenever you have these elements going on in ANY society, good things are happening. We actually do retain most of these elements in our current society. Although like I said above I think we’re heading in the wrong direction.
One element we are completely lacking though is “exploration”. No more "New World", no more "Wild West" and crazy adventures across oceans with pirates and buried treasures. Everything is easily accessible by anyone with a lousy iPhone.
So, when life here becomes so fucking unbearable, we'll reach beyond Earth. And if there was ever a term that seemed more appropriate than "endless possibilities", I can't think of one.
Too bad I'll be dead. Oh well. I guess I'll just sit here and write my pimp chronicles. These will of course sell for billions of dollars after my death to an alien race in another galaxy. I so cool.
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A couple of days ago I did a shooting with model Valentina. We took more than 800 images with the 5D Mark II and more than 20 with the Fuji Instax 210 and the Instax 50s.
Those Fuji cameras are so much fun. I love to shoot with them and the images have a unique look.
A little anatomy lesson for your edification & gratification!
This snug fitting strapless wet look lycra spandex blue & silver minidress came from coquetryclothing.com. I've matched it up with my Hanes Alive Barely There pantyhose and my 5" silver pumps.
To see more pix of me in other tight, sexy and revealing outfits click this link:www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/
DSC_2784-22
Have a happy friendly Flickr New Year to all!!! ~lancelonie ©2010 ♪♫
lancelonie photography
© All Rights Reserved. DO NOT COPY.
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At last, I've decided to give in to these popular daily photo projects - 365 Days, Project 365, 365 Days Project and 365. I have been contemplating about them. I know it is difficult but I want to take the challenge. I most likely will get the discipline I want by being able to meet "personal" deadlines. There will also be self-gratification, of course... Continue reading...
The Hollywood Fashion eXaminer | theFlickrite.com | lancelonie.com | Twitter | Facebook
1/365
~ Alfred North Whitehead
Hawaii has hundreds of hotels/resorts catering to thousands of visitors/tourists at the same time. These hotels need to satisfy those customers looking for great locations for cheaper prices. Such places provide instant gratification for millions of people who now have a chance to enjoy various destinations (for example Hawaii in this case) without making a hole in their pockets.
The desire to cater to thousands of tourists at the same time gives rise to the need for such mega structures where repetition is a way of providing answers to that desire. It may look too urban or ugly to some folks who can burn the buck, but this is art too in a different sense.
This is a different hotel with a different kind of pattern. Do you see this as urban art or urban decay? What do you think?
December 31 2009, Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. This art/urban decay from here.
Very from the top of the mountain looking back the way we came. We still had to climb a rock to the actual summit, which we did.
This was taken with my very first digital camera, a tiny little point and shoot which generated much craving for the instant gratification of seeing my pictures right away instead of waiting for them to be developed.