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(Left to Right) Paiju Peak (Trango II?), The Trango Monk, Trango Nameless Tower (6,239 m), and the mass of the Great Trango (6,286 m) on the northern lateral moraine of the Baltoro Glacier in the Baltoro Muztagh Range.
Nameless Tower is the world's steepest granite face. Some daredevil tried basejumping off it a couple of years ago. The summits have been so few, that even the elevation data is uncertain!
Climbing up the Namless Tower for example, can involve 90 pitches (of tents). The tent flowers open and you sleep essentially hanging down next to the Nameless' vertical walls!
K2 Basecamp Trek
Baltoro Glacier
Pakistan
Late July 2006
Antelope Canyon
Pareidolia (/pærᵻˈdoʊliə/ parr-i-doh-lee-ə) is a psychological phenomenon involving a stimulus (an image or a sound) wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists.( source wikipedia)
Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, the man in the moon, the moon rabbit, and hidden messages within recorded music played in reverse or at higher- or lower-than-normal speeds.
©Srinivasa RK Punnamraju 2015 All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer
View all my photos flickr.com/photos/dublinphotography
Damselfly reproduction involves a unique mating ritual followed by egg-laying near or in water. The male damselfly grasps the female behind her head with claspers on his abdomen, forming a "heart" or "wheel" shape. The female then deposits her eggs, often in or near aquatic plants.
I'm really excited I finally got to do this. I've been planning a milk bath shoot for a few weeks now. I've always loved milk baths, and have done some photographs involving them in the past. I recently bought a kiddie pool with the intention of using it as a giant bath tub outside (for shooting). Winnie volunteered to shoot in it, so we bought some powdered milk and played around in the pool. It was really fun and made shooting on such a hot day a lot more pleasant.
Model: Winnie Angelo
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Russian involvement in Trump's affairs seems to be more widespread than previously thought. We now know that Trump appeared in several soft porn movies sponsored by playboy magazine. Stay tuned.
Chester's birthday is coming up this month, haven't entirely decided on what to do for his special day as yet ... but it will involve some time with me without the younguns ;-)
So this is the photo I used for a recent assignment. We had to put a visual representative to a Native American quote (title). There was about a 5 minute lapse between the picture showing up in my mind, to the time it was a reality. I love when that happens :)
Please critique and comment helpfully and truthfully!
In 1882, another architectural contest was held, involving 189 architects. This time the winner, the architect of Frankfurt, Paul Wallot, would be able to execute his project. On June 9, 1884, the first stone was finally laid by William I. Before the construction was completed, in 1894, William died (1888, the year of the three emperors), and his successor, William II of Germany, Questioning the parliamentary institute. The original building was acclaimed especially for the construction of an original glass and steel dome, a masterpiece of the technique of the era.
The current German parliament is called the Bundestag. In today's use, the German word Reichstag is therefore mainly related to the building.
In 1992 Sir Norman Foster won another architectural contest for the reconstruction of the building. His winning project appeared very different from what was then executed. Before the start of the reconstruction, the Reichstag was "packed" by the Bulgarian-US artist Christo in 1995, in an event attracting millions of visitors.
During the reconstruction, the palace was completely emptied, removing everything except the exterior walls, including all the changes made by Baumgarten's work of the sixties. The parliamentary seats were transferred to the Reichstag in April 1999. Reconstruction is widely regarded as a success and has become a tourist attraction because the Reichstag, and especially the large glass dome that was erected on the roof in memory of the original Of 1894, provide one of the most attractive panoramas for Berlin visitors, giving a remarkable view of the city, especially at night. The dome is open to the public under reservation.
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Nel 1882, si tenne un altro concorso architettonico, cui parteciparono 189 architetti. Questa volta il vincitore, l'architetto di Francoforte, Paul Wallot, sarebbe riuscito ad eseguire il suo progetto. Il 9 giugno 1884, la prima pietra fu finalmente posata da Guglielmo I. Prima che la costruzione venisse completata, nel 1894, Guglielmo I morì (1888, l'anno dei tre imperatori), e il suo successore, Guglielmo II di Germania, mise in discussione l'istituto del parlamento. L'edificio originale fu acclamato soprattutto per la costruzione di una originale cupola di vetro e acciaio, un capolavoro della tecnica dell'epoca.
L'attuale parlamento tedesco si chiama Bundestag. Nell'uso odierno, il termine tedesco Reichstag si riferisce quindi principalmente all'edificio.
Nel 1992 sir Norman Foster vinse un altro concorso architettonico per la ricostruzione dell'edificio. Il suo progetto vincente appariva molto diverso da quello che fu poi eseguito. Prima dell'inizio della ricostruzione, il Reichstag, nel 1995, fu "imballato" dall'artista bulgaro-statunitense Christo, in un evento che attrasse milioni di visitatori.
Durante la ricostruzione, il palazzo fu completamente svuotato, togliendo tutto ad eccezione dei muri esterni, compresi tutti i cambiamenti fatti dal lavoro di Baumgarten degli anni sessanta. I seggi del parlamento furono trasferiti al Reichstag nell'aprile 1999. La ricostruzione viene ampiamente considerata un successo ed è diventata un'attrazione turistica anche perché il Reichstag, e soprattutto la grande cupola di vetro che è stata eretta sul tetto in memoria dell'originale del 1894, forniscono una delle panoramiche più attraenti per i visitatori di Berlino, dando una vista notevole della città, specialmente di notte. La cupola è aperta al pubblico sotto prenotazione
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster
The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York. It is run by a dean and chapter, under the Dean of York. The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and serves now as an honorific title.[1] Services in the minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church or Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum.[2]
The minster has a very wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic Quire and east end and Early English North and South transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338, and over the Lady Chapel in the east end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 52 feet (16 m) high.[citation needed] The south transept contains a rose window, while the West Window contains a heart-shaped design colloquially known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'.
History
York has had a verifiable Christian presence from the 4th century. However, there is circumstantial evidence pointing to much earlier Christian involvement. According to Bede, missionaries were sent from Rome by Eleutherius at the request of the chieftain Lucius of Britain in AD 180 to settle controverted points of differences as to Eastern and Western ceremonials which were disturbing the church. Tradition speaks of 28 British bishops, one for each of the greater British cities, over whom presided the Archbishops of London, York and Caerleon-on-Usk.
The first recorded church on the site was a wooden structure built hurriedly in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. Moves toward a more substantial building began in the decade of the 630s. A stone structure was completed in 637 by Oswald and was dedicated to Saint Peter. The church soon fell into disrepair and was dilapidated by 670 when Saint Wilfrid ascended to the See of York. He repaired and renewed the structure. The attached school and library were established and by the 8th century were some of the most substantial in Northern Europe.[citation needed][3]
In 741 the church was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt as a more impressive structure containing thirty altars. The church and the entire area then passed through the hands of numerous invaders, and its history is obscure until the 10th century. There was a series of Benedictine archbishops, including Saint Oswald of Worcester, Wulfstan and Ealdred, who travelled to Westminster to crown William in 1066. Ealdred died in 1069 and was buried in the church.[4]
The church was damaged in 1069 during William the Conqueror's harrying of the North, but the first Norman archbishop, Thomas of Bayeux, arriving in 1070, organised repairs. The Danes destroyed the church in 1075, but it was again rebuilt from 1080. Built in the Norman style, it was 111 m (364.173 ft) long and rendered in white and red lines. The new structure was damaged by fire in 1137 but was soon repaired. The choir and crypt were remodelled in 1154, and a new chapel was built, all in the Norman style.
The Gothic style in cathedrals had arrived in the mid 12th century. Walter de Gray was made archbishop in 1215 and ordered the construction of a Gothic structure to compare to Canterbury; building began in 1220. The north and south transepts were the first new structures; completed in the 1250s, both were built in the Early English Gothic style but had markedly different wall elevations. A substantial central tower was also completed, with a wooden spire. Building continued into the 15th century.
The Chapter House was begun in the 1260s and was completed before 1296. The wide nave was constructed from the 1280s on the Norman foundations. The outer roof was completed in the 1330s, but the vaulting was not finished until 1360. Construction then moved on to the eastern arm and chapels, with the last Norman structure, the choir, being demolished in the 1390s. Work here finished around 1405. In 1407 the central tower collapsed; the piers were then reinforced, and a new tower was built from 1420. The western towers were added between 1433 and 1472. The cathedral was declared complete and consecrated in 1472.[5]
The nave of York Minster
The English Reformation led to the looting of much of the cathedral's treasures and the loss of much of the church lands. Under Elizabeth I there was a concerted effort to remove all traces of Roman Catholicism from the cathedral; there was much destruction of tombs, windows and altars. In the English Civil War the city was besieged and fell to the forces of Cromwell in 1644, but Thomas Fairfax prevented any further damage to the cathedral.
Following the easing of religious tensions there was some work to restore the cathedral. From 1730 to 1736 the whole floor of the minster was relaid in patterned marble and from 1802 there was a major restoration. However, on 2 February 1829, an arson attack by a non-conformist, Jonathan Martin,[6] inflicted heavy damage on the east arm. An accidental fire in 1840 left the nave, south west tower and south aisle roofless and blackened shells. The cathedral slumped deeply into debt and in the 1850s services were suspended. From 1858 Augustus Duncombe worked successfully to revive the cathedral.
During the 20th century there was more concerted preservation work, especially following a 1967 survey that revealed the building, in particular the central tower, was close to collapse. £2,000,000 was raised and spent by 1972 to reinforce and strengthen the building foundations and roof. During the excavations that were carried out, remains of the north corner of the Roman Principia (headquarters of the Roman fort, Eboracum) were found under the south transept. This area, as well as remains of the Norman cathedral, re-opened to the public in spring 2013 as part of the new exhibition exploring the history of the building of York Minster.[7]
On 9 July 1984, a fire believed to have been caused by a lightning strike[8] destroyed the roof in the south transept, and around £2.5 million was spent on repairs. The fire was photographed from just south of the minster in the early hours by Bettison photographers. This picture was subsequently published showing the South transept alight with a list of North Yorkshire firefighters attending. The stations attending ranged from Scarborough to Harrogate. Huge amounts of water were needed to provide jets at great height to hit the roof timbers and protect the Rose Window. Most of the water was pumped from the Ouse nearby because the water supplies around the minster were inadequate. Fire crews from the main York fire station in Clifford Street worked hard to protect the Rose Window and stop the fire spreading into the tower and organ. Many crews worked for hours and some were on high levels of the minster at the time when the South transept roof fell in. Luckily, those few firefighters inside when the roof crashed down were not directly beneath. But what they saw after the ventilation released the smoke, was a pile of timber covering the whole of the south transept floor to a height of at least six feet. When daylight came the whole scene was occupied by media. At about 8am an officer was approached by two ladies looking for information. "Have you an account for The Times"? They said. The officer replied, "Actually, I spoke to the London and New York Times at about four thirty" The ladies then announced that they were from the Church Times. Reports of the fire travelled across both hemispheres. The Restoration work was completed in 1988, and included new roof bosses to designs which had won a competition organised by BBC Television's Blue Peter programme. In 2007 renovation began on the east front, including the Great East Window, at an estimated cost of £23 million.[9][10]
In 2000, the Dean and Chapter allowed the York Mystery Plays to be performed for the first time inside the Minster, directed by Greg Doran.[11]
Architecture of the present building
York Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral of Northern Europe and clearly charts the development of English Gothic architecture from Early English through to the Perpendicular Period. The present building was begun in about 1230 and completed in 1472. It has a cruciform plan with an octagonal chapter house attached to the north transept, a central tower and two towers at the west front. The stone used for the building is magnesian limestone, a creamy-white coloured rock that was quarried in nearby Tadcaster. The Minster is 173 yards (158 m) long[citation needed] and the central tower has a height of 230 feet (70 m) high.[citation needed] The choir has an interior height of 102 feet (31 m).[citation needed]
The north and south transepts were the first parts of the new church to be built. They have simple lancet windows, including the Five Sisters in the north transept. These are five lancets, each 52 feet (16 m) high[citation needed] and glazed with grey (grisaille) glass, rather than narrative scenes or symbolic motifs that are usually seen in medieval stained glass windows. In the south transept is a rose window whose glass dates from about 1500 and commemorates the union of the royal houses of York and Lancaster. The roofs of the transepts are of wood, that of the south transept was burnt in the fire of 1984 and was replaced in the restoration work which was completed in 1988. New designs were used for the bosses, five of which were designed by winners of a competition organised by the BBC's Blue Peter television programme.
The chapter house.
Work began on the chapter house and its vestibule that links it to the north transept after the transepts were completed. The style of the chapter house is of the early Decorated Period where geometric patterns were used in the tracery of the windows, which were wider than those of early styles. However, the work was completed before the appearance of the ogee curve, an S-shaped double curve which was extensively used at the end of this period. The windows cover almost all of the upper wall space, filling the chapter house with light. The chapter house is octagonal, as is the case in many cathedrals, but is notable in that it has no central column supporting the roof. The wooden roof, which was of an innovative design, is light enough to be able to be supported by the buttressed walls. The chapter house has many sculptured heads above the canopies, representing some of the finest Gothic sculpture in the country. There are human heads, no two alike, and some pulling faces; angels; animals and grotesques. Unique to the transepts and chapter house is the use of Purbeck marble to adorn the piers, adding to the richness of decoration.
The Kings Screen and organ.
The nave was built between 1291 and c. 1350 and is also in the decorated Gothic style. It is the widest Gothic nave in England and has a wooden roof (painted so as to appear like stone) and the aisles have vaulted stone roofs. At its west end is the Great West Window, known as the 'Heart of Yorkshire' which features flowing tracery of the later decorated gothic period.
The east end of the Minster was built between 1361 and 1405 in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Despite the change in style, noticeable in details such as the tracery and capitals, the eastern arm preserves the pattern of the nave. The east end contains a four bay choir; a second set of transepts, projecting only above half-height; and the Lady Chapel. The transepts are in line with the high altar and serve to throw light onto it. Behind the high altar is the Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world, which is currently undergoing a massive conservation project, due to be completed in 2015–16. Below the Great East Window currently sits the Orb, a stainless steel dome which opened at the end of October 2012, containing five of the conserved panels from the window, one of which is changed each month. The Orb enables visitors to see the work of renowned medieval artist, John Thornton, up close, revealing the remarkable detail in each panel.
The sparsely decorated Central Tower was built between 1407 and 1472 and is also in the Perpendicular style. Below this, separating the choir from the crossing and nave is the striking 15th century choir screen. It contains sculptures of the kings of England from William the Conqueror to Henry VI with stone and gilded canopies set against a red background. Above the screen is the organ, which dates from 1832. The West Towers, in contrast with the Central Tower, are heavily decorated and are topped with battlements and eight pinnacles each, again in the Perpendicular style.
English Heritage has recently made publicly available a monograph[12] on the architectural history of York Minster. The book charts the construction and development of the minster based on the architectural recording of the building from the 1970s. The full report can be downloaded from the Archaeology Data Service website.
Stained glass
York as a whole, and particularly the minster, have a long tradition of creating beautiful stained glass. Some of the stained glass in York Minster dates back to the 12th century. The Minster's records show that much of the glass (white or coloured) came from Germany.[13] Upon arrival at York, it was intricately painted, fired, then glazed together with lead strips into the windows. The 76-foot (23 m)[citation needed] tall Great East Window, created by John Thornton in the early 15th century, is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. Other windows in the minster include an ornate rose window and the 50-foot (15 m)[citation needed] tall Five Sisters window. Because of the extended time periods during which the glass was installed, different types of glazing and painting techniques which evolved over hundreds of years are visible in the different windows. Approximately two million individual pieces of glass make up the cathedral's 128 stained glass windows. Much of the glass was removed before and pieced back together after the First and Second World Wars, and the windows are constantly being cleaned and conserved to keep their beauty intact.
In 2008 a major conservation project of the Great East Window commenced, involving the removal, repainting and re-leading of each individual panel.[14] While the window was in storage in the minster's stonemasons' yard, a fire broke out in some adjoining offices, due to an electrical fault, on 30 December 2009.[15] The window's 311 panes, stored in a neighbouring room, were undamaged and were successfully moved to safety.[16][17] In September 2015 Phase One of the renovation project of the East Front of the Minster was completed.[18]
Towers and bells
The two west towers of the minster hold bells, clock chimes and a concert carillon. The north-west tower contains Great Peter (216 cwt or 10.8 tons) and the six clock bells (the largest weighing just over 60 cwt or 3 tons). The south-west tower holds 14 bells (tenor 59 cwt or 3 tons) hung and rung for change ringing and 22 carillon bells (tenor 23 cwt or 1.2 tons) which are played from a baton keyboard in the ringing chamber (all together 35 bells.)
The clock bells ring every quarter of an hour during the daytime and Great Peter strikes the hour. The change ringing bells are rung regularly on Sundays before church services and at other occasions, the ringers practise on Tuesday evenings. York Minster became the first cathedral in England to have a carillon of bells with the arrival of a further twenty-four small bells on 4 April 2008. These are added to the existing "Nelson Chime" which is chimed to announce Evensong around 5.00 pm each day, giving a carillon of 35 bells in total (three chromatic octaves). The new bells were cast at the Loughborough Bell Foundry of Taylors, Eayre & Smith, where all of the existing minster bells were cast. The new carillon is a gift to the minster. It will be the first new carillon in the British Isles for 40 years and first hand played carillon in an English cathedral. Before Evensong each evening, hymn tunes are played on a baton keyboard connected with the bells, but occasionally anything from Beethoven to the Beatles may be heard.[19]
Shrines
When Thomas Becket was murdered and subsequently enshrined at Canterbury, York found itself with a rival major draw for pilgrims. More specifically, pilgrims spent money and would leave gifts for the support of the cathedral. Hence Walter de Gray, supported by the King, petitioned the Pope. On 18 March 1226, Pope Honorius issued a letter to the effect that the name of William (Fitzherbert), formerly Archbishop of York, was "inscribed in the catalogue of the Saints of the Church Militant." Thus there was now St William of York (whose name is perhaps more often associated with the adjacent St William's College). York had its saint but it took until 1279, when William de Wickwane (William de Wykewayne) was elected archbishop, for the remains of the canonised William to be transferred to a shrine prepared for them behind the high altar.[20] This was placed on a platform raised upon the arches of the crypt removed to this position for that purpose. On 29 December King Edward I himself, together with the bishops who were present, carried on their shoulder the chest or feretory containing the relics to their new resting-place and Anthony Beck, consecrated the same day as Bishop of Durham, paid all the expenses.
The tomb of Walter de Gray was erected in the south transept. His remains were interred on "the vigil of Pentecost, 1255"[20] under his effigy "in full canonicals" carved in Purbeck marble under a canopy resting on ten light pillars. It was subsequently somewhat hidden behind a screen of ironwork erected by Archbishop William Markham in the early 19th century.
Organ
The choir
The fire of 1829 destroyed the organ and the basis of the present organ dates from 1832, when Elliot and Hill constructed a new instrument. This organ was reconstructed in 1859 by William Hill and Sons. The case remained intact, but the organ was mechanically new, retaining the largest pipes of the former instrument.
In 1903, J.W. Walker and Sons built a new instrument in the same case. They retained several registers from the previous instrument.
Some work was undertaken in 1918 by Harrison & Harrison when the Tuba Mirabilis was added and the Great chorus revised. The same firm rebuilt this Walker-Harrison instrument in 1931 when a new console and electro-pneumatic action were added together with four new stops. The smaller solo tubas were enclosed in the solo box. In 1960, J.W. Walker & Sons restored the actions, lowered wind pressures and introduced mutations and higher chorus work in the spirit of the neo-classical movement. They cleaned the organ in 1982.
The fire of 1984 affected the organ but not irreparably; the damage hastened the time for a major restoration, which was begun in 1991 and finished two years later by Principal Pipe Organs of York, under the direction of their founder, Geoffrey Coffin, who had at one time been assistant organist at the Minster.[21]
Organists
The organists of York Minster have had several official titles, the job description roughly equates to that of Organist and Master of the Choristers. The current Organist and Director of Music of the minster is Robert Sharpe. There is also an assistant director of music, David Pipe, and an organ scholar.
Among the notable organists of York Minster are four members of the Camidge family, who served as the cathedral's organists for over 100 years, and a number of composers including John Naylor, T. Tertius Noble, Edward Bairstow, Francis Jackson, and Philip Moore.
Dean and chapter
Dean: The Very Revd Vivienne Faull (since 1 December 2012 installation[22])
Precentor: The Revd Canon Peter Moger (since 12 September 2010 installation[23])
Pastor: The Reverend Michael Smith
Chancellor: The Reverend Canon Christopher Collingwood
Archdeacon: The Reverend Canon David Butterfield
Burials
Bosa of York, Bishop of York and Saint (died c. 705)
Eanbald I, Archbishop (780–796)
Osbald, King of Northumbria (died 799)
Ealdred (archbishop of York) (1061–1069)
Thomas of Bayeux, Archbishop (1070–1100)
Gerard, Archbishop (1100–1108)
Thomas II of York, Archbishop (1108–1114)
William of York, Archbishop (1141–1147, 1153–1154)
Henry Murdac, Archbishop (1147–1153)
Roger de Pont L'Eveque, Archbishop {1154–1181}
Walter de Gray, Archbishop (1216–1255)
Sewal de Bovil, Dean and Archbishop (1256–1258)
Godfrey Ludham, Archbishop (1258–1265)
William Langton, Archbishop (1265)
Walter Giffard, Archbishop (1266–1279)
John le Romeyn, Archbishop (1286–1296)
Henry of Newark, Archbishop (1296–1299)
William Greenfield, Archbishop (1306–1315)
Prince William of Hatfield, Infant son of Edward III (1337)
William Melton, Archbishop (1317–1340)
William Zouche, Archbishop (1342–1352)
Henry Percy, soldier (1364–1403)
Richard le Scrope, Archbishop (1398–1405)
Henry Bowet, Archbishop (1407–1423)
Thomas Savage, Archbishop (1501–1507)
Hugh Ashton, Archdeacon of York (died 1522)
John Piers, Archbishop (1589–1594)
George Meriton, Dean of York (1579–1624)
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, (1730-1782)
John Farr Abbott, barrister (1756–1794)
Astronomical clock
The astronomical clock was installed in the North Transept of York Minster in 1955. The clock is a memorial to the airmen operating from bases in Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland who were killed in action during the Second World War.[24]
Illuminations
In November 2002, York Minster was illuminated in colour, devised by York-born Mark Brayshaw, for the first time in its history. The occasion was televised live on the BBC1 Look North programme. Similar illuminations have been projected over the Christmas period in subsequent years.
York Minster was also artistically illuminated on 5 November 2005, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the foiling of York-born Guy Fawkes' gunpowder plot. This was done by Patrice Warrener using his unique "chromolithe" technique with which he 'paints' with light, picking out sculpted architectural details.
In October 2010, York Minster's south transept was selected for "Rose", a son et lumiere created by international artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid which lit up the entire exterior of the south transept of the minster and illuminated the Rose Window. There were also satellite illuminate events in Dean's Park.
In the class wars Mist is definitely 'Upper Class' and looks down on all other 4 legged beings that bark whilst AuntieElk is 'Middle Class' . Mist looks down on Elk, Elk grudgingly looks up to Mist (she holds a grudge for a long time!) But Elk looks down on Paddy. Paddy is the Lowest Class .. and looks up to everyone (unless it involves 'his' food!)
Brady likes to make up games. This one involves David dragging Brady around the floor using a stuffie. More fun for Brady than for David.
My daily routine always seems to involve the river in some way, much like the city of London itself. Whether I'm crossing it on the river boat (captured above in the light trails) to get to work, or running along the Thames path at the weekend, the river somehow manages to find a way impact my day to day life.
Dahlia has a rich symbolism: the flower stands for wealth and elegance, and also for love and involvement. For the Aztecs, Dahlia was a religious symbol.
"The Church of St John the Baptist is a well-preserved example of timber Gothic Revival architecture, built during the latter stages of Church Missionary Society (CMS) involvement in New Zealand.
"Erected in 1870-1871, the church sits within one of New Zealand's earliest churchyards, and is associated with two previous churches built on the site in 1831 and 1839.
The churchyard and those earlier chapels formed an integral part of the CMS station at Te Waimate which had been established in 1830 as the first inland mission in New Zealand.
The station was important for conveying new ideas on farming, education and religion to Maori in the Far North, and subsequently witnessed an early signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on the 10th February 1840." ***
However...
It should be noted that whilst the hopes and dreams of the Rev'd Samuel Marsden and the London-based CMS might have been good, the cold hard 'crunch' is that as European settlement of New Zealand picked up speed, disease, greed, cheating and lies led to major breakdowns and ultimately bloody wars between Settlers and Maori.
The Treaty Of Waitangi might have promised much for Maori, but there were two versions of the document - one in English, the other in Maori - and they differed quite considerably...!
There isn't the time or the space to detail what went so wrong, but some of the wrongs are still being settled with financial grants to affected Tribes to this day...!
*** Taken from www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/64
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for taking the time and trouble to leave a Comment. It's always nice to hear from you...!
Photoshoots involving props have always been at lightning speed.
Then over and done with in 2 minutes.
Reckon the girls are left wondering, "Did that really happen…?"
Did a belated Halloween shoot yesterday arvie.
A day late, but that's how my life/mind plods at present.
With scary get ups sold out the day after Halloween night, and next to no pumpkins available, we made do with kiddies' fairy stuff.
MW was surprisingly not bothered putting on the wings, and after I put the tiara back on for the third time, she even that stay.
Did buy two different ones from the cheapie shop, but in the hurry, got them mixed up, so the girls both posed in the same one.
A total of 3 clicks, and she's nekkid again.
The purple blossoms from the Jacaranda trees are now falling, making lovely carpets of colour in lots of places.
Wanted to use it for a background and so parked under one of these trees outside the local primary school, to do a really quick impromptu photo session.
Being a Sunday, I expected the place to be deserted.
But maybe they do weekend classes for something there now, as two tiny preschool-age munchkins flew excitedly out of the nearest door and down to the fence, delighted to see these fairy doggies appear from nowhere, with purple blossoms falling all around them…LoL…
Their mums called them back inside very quickly, but I think we put a little magic in their day..
sooc..
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For November 12Months for Dogs challenge:
"Imitation and Inspiration"..
1.i have date night every friday night, even if no one else is here to share it.
date night involves me taking a bath and lighting about 50 candles in the living room.
i put on some groovy tunes and something satiny and drink something alcoholic and cuddle up to the softest
blanket ever and yeah, that is about it.
2.i have another date night every saturday night, with my best friend jessica.
it usually involves kung pao tofo and peppers and some crappy romantic comedy
and a crafty creative project.
3.i have 2 bathrooms in my place. one of them has doorknob issues. everyone who
has ever used it freaks out because they think they can't open the door. actually,
you just have to turn the knob the other direction ( to the left ) ... but trust me on this
... almost every doorknob is supposed to turn to the right.
4.i don't watch that much tv anymore but i have noticed that my favorite shows over the
years are ones that involve major sexual tension between the main characters ( i.e. moonlighting,
who's the boss, x files etc.)
5.i have temperature issues in bed.
i am usually naked or in a slip at night.
if i am really cold, i love tons of warm blankets
and if i am really warm, i love one super cold sheet wrapped around me.
6.i have a fascination with Starbucks Iced tea Lemonade concoction.
i have yet to find a barista make it the same way twice and i know they have
directions for all their drinks.
i finally found a man who made it perfectly
it used to be my favorite drink there
...
he quit and now no one makes it good anymore.
7.i have serious light bulb issues in this apartment.
with all my ceiling lights, bathroom lights, kitchen lights, bedroom lights, etc.
i probably manage to kill 2 light bulbs a week.
even on a step stool i can't reach them, so i have to wait until saturday night date night
to have my tall best friend change my bulbs.
i spoke to her earlier tonight and told her she needs to come over tomorrow
because if i wait any longer, i am going to be sitting here in the dark.
8.i've been thinking about quitting my job and moving.
something very unlike me but i really feel as if i need a change.
i don't know where i'd go. i have ideas, but not really.
all my friends and family are here.
i have a good job at a company i have been with now starting 8 years.
i just need something different somewhere else.
9.one of my favorite ice creams is Nestle's King Size Drumstick ice cream cones.
my friend just came by and i made him drive me to 7-11 to get one and i gobbled that fucker right up.
yum!
10.i've been really poopy all year.
i am not used to this feeling of gloom.
i find myself crying far too much and it kind of sucks.
i don't really have it in me to go on more about that, so pffft.
11.i have a magnetic dart board on the back of my front door.
i suck at it.
with practice i am sure i could get better.
these magnetic darts are what suck, not me.
12.which reminds me, i used to love to shoot pool.
i grew up with a pool table ( my parents own one)
and i used to frequent a coffee house in high school that had one.
sadly, the coffee shop table had this horrid tilt and i had to learn the tricks and secrets
of how to play on that table..but when new comers would play, i managed to kick and ass
or two.
13.i collect wrapping paper, but not in a Dyxie way :P
i have this tall clear glass vase with rolls of beautifully printed wrapping
paper sticking out of it. i use it as art or something.
once in a while, if i am feeling crafty, i cover a coffee can in it, or frame it, or cover
my refrigerator in it, or wrap a pringles can in it for my ttv contraption.
....
if you want more random things about me,
click here and
read more.
thanks for listening.
carry on with your bad selves.
xoxox
Highest position: 85 on Monday, December 31, 2007
If one were to live in Portland in late May and early June, and they were to go downtown they would discover that the annual Rose Festival celebration would be in full swing. A portion of that celebration involves the "Fun Center", which may or may not actually be a euphemism for "overpriced stuffed Disney and Comic Book character knockoffs". Now in the middle of this "Fun Center" there is a generally a Ferris Wheel.
The Ferris Wheel was first built by an innovative chap named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who must have decided early on that with a name like that he was destined to do something spectacular. His Ferris wheel was over 260 feet tall (which I figure to be about 26 stories tall) and was built for the centerpiece of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892/1893, held to honor the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus. See where all this is going? That's ok, I don't either.
A few years before the Chicago Columbian Exposition, Paris had held an exposition of their own in 1889. It was at that expo that the Eiffel Tower was unveiled. Chicago wanted to out-Eiffel Eiffel, so they sent out a call for submissions around the world for some engineering marvel. Ferris of course submitted, never having actually built a wheel of that size, and quite predictably his design was dismissed. It was not believed to be possible. The whole structure he wanted to build weighed too much for the slender frame he claimed would support it.
So he submitted again. And was rejected again. I believe he actually submitted a third and a fourth time too, and finally on the fourth try he managed to convince the judges that this thing might actually be feasible. It is interesting to note that Eiffel himself submitted a proposal for what would have been a larger Eiffel tower. Obviously his design was not chosen.
Ferris' first wheel took about 20-30 minutes to make two revolutions, and instead of small cars to hold passengers, there were massive cabins that could hold 60 people each, including one cabin that held an entire marching band which played whenever the wheel was turning. There is actually a great story about a fellow who rode it for the first time, only to discover as the wheel started up that he had a latent fear of heights. He went uncontrollably crazy with fear, and tried to kick the solid metal door out of its hinge to escape the cab. It took several, with emphasis on several as the man's fear gave him almost superhuman strength, other passengers to hold him down until the wheel completed its circuit. As it started the descent the fellow progressively calmed down until they were able to let him up. Unfortunately they forgot that the wheel made two trips, so much to the fellow's horror, the cabin didn't stop at the bottom and instead went right on by and back up, and the whole scene was repeated near exactly.
Anyway, a year after the expo ended the White City, as it was called, burnt down and Ferris' wheel was moved to a new location. It was later seen again at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis before being demolished. Which was ok with Ferris. He had proved that the rotation of the structure constantly shifted the weight of the entire structure, allowing it to be much heavier than the frame should have been able to support. Think about that the next time you are riding on it, hearing it creak and groan. :-p
So, if you did manage to get down to the Rose Festival and found your way up on to the Morrison Bridge, this would be the view you would be rewarded with. I recommend enjoying this spot about dusk. The lovely blue twilight complements the light of the wheel wonderfully.
Of course, you could not have done so tonight. The Festival was closed and all the rides off. The reason I heard given was something about restocking and getting new animals.
I don't know what happened to the old animals.
Oh and if my brief history lesson piqued your interest on the Columbian Exposition or the Ferris Wheel, or heck, both of them, I highly recommend reading The Devil in the White City. Really really good read. It even has a sociopathic killer, but trust me, the best parts all deal with the building of the Ferris Wheel and the White City itself.
A typical Saturday involves taking our husky, Yuki, to the coffee shop. We have coffee while he sometimes gets a serve of bacon. The trip there is usually quite fast, but the trip back, well...., not so fast.
The font is not as Kodak have used, as this personal Dream Project is not anything official of Kodak apart from the promotional case, the cute case as I think of it, being manufactured for Kodak is the beginning and an end of Kodak involvement here. The cute case is a great inspiration that has lead me to my digital dream being projected upon Cibachrome panels in my illusion of emulsion. This has been a Pipe Dream that is longing for the past and for potential that has passed. Ektachrome continues, the other side of the aforementioned promotional cute case is red and yellow advertisement of the discontinued Kodachrome. Cibachrome is still emerging from old sheets and fresh made chemical processes I believe, but I only have memories to hand in what sometimes are slide show like interactions within my make believe visionary castles of imagination.
These Pipe Dreams on past photographic productions now unavailable has me making my memories of them wishing to invoke René Magritte and La Trahison des images, The Treachery of Images, which is often evoked with Ceci n'est pas une pipe translated as This is not a pipe. The painted representation of the pipe from 1929 cannot be stuffed said Magritte and it certainly cannot perform as does the pipe it resembles. With such dreams of images and reality, with lost production processes and notions that the Camera Never Lies I have my dreams some real, others surreal, a few definitely beyond reality and further those resting in imagination and with vision of a remembrance towards a former reality accomplished now here held in pixels that have been embraced in loving edits.
The snappy title belies the convoluted memory to digital process from a 4x5 SINAR set up out of Switzerland following formulas from there that fill my photographic contemplations. Images of images and images to last against the ravages of time are bound in my mind with Kodachrome, Cibachrome and the varying P 3 / P 3X / P 30P / P 30 P 3.5 processes. In reflection and rumination through editing I have lost and found time, thought of reality and enjoyed illusion, fantasy and fiction. This is one picture brightly produced in varying considerations, cogitations and cognations created these digital inklings that presume to be potential for a project.
I would like to add, this as much I do is Production Incarnate Preinduction Illustrate. A progress in work Inspiration for the next creation.
As the above is my usual text slide to conclude the films I release on YouTube and Flickr I will add this below so as not to use the regular ending. I feel completely engaged and absolutely ready for each next link and flow in the chain and the continuation that interlock and mind and body shock me out of, into and all around these moments. The personal interaction here in picture taking and editing has taken me to moments in history and projected me to places far beyond mystery.
© PHH Sykes 2025
phhsykes@gmail.com
I should list a set of links in this space that could take you to that past factual information of the photographic processes here mentioned and pondered upon, but the journey awaits you whether you are new, or well along the ways of these defunct and still adored pictorial wonders that fuel current projects and enlighten dreams with fantastic rendition and fabulous colour.
Urban Search and Rescue involves finding and rescuing people trapped when a structure collapses, for example if a single building collapses or as a result of a major landslide or earthquake.
In New Zealand USAR comes under the umbrella of the New Zealand Fire Service.
It was Five years today September 4, 2015 that Canterbury was first shaken by a major quake, the people of Christchurch gathered on New Brighton beach this morning to mark the anniversary. I went with a friend but she didn't want to get up so early so we missed part of it. New Brighton Christchurch New Zealand at dawn.
There was a person from Radio News interviewing people there about their experiences of the earthquake five years ago and I was on the Radio News and also in a article.
This the link to me on the News www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/20...
And this is the article: www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/283264/christchurch-marks...
REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS
MECONOPSIS BETONICIFOLIA
Himalayan flower imported by Elsie Reford in the early 1930s that has since become the floral emblem of the Gardens.
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
From Wikipedia:
Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.
Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.
Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.
She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.
In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.
During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.
In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.
Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.
To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.
Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.
In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)
Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford
LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS
Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.
Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives. Originally known as Boulder Dam from 1933, it was officially renamed Hoover Dam, for President Herbert Hoover, by a joint resolution of Congress in 1947. Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water and produce hydroelectric power. In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium called Six Companies, Inc., which began construction on the dam in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned the dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule. Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States by volume (when it is full). The dam is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction; nearly a million people tour the dam each year. The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened. As the United States developed the Southwest, the Colorado River was seen as a potential source of irrigation water. An initial attempt at diverting the river for irrigation purposes occurred in the late 1890s, when land speculator William Beatty built the Alamo Canal just north of the Mexican border; the canal dipped into Mexico before running to a desolate area Beatty named the Imperial Valley. Though water from the Imperial Canal allowed for the widespread settlement of the valley, the canal proved expensive to maintain. After a catastrophic breach that caused the Colorado River to fill the Salton Sea, the Southern Pacific Railroad spent $3 million in 1906–07 to stabilize the waterway, an amount it hoped in vain would be reimbursed by the Federal Government. Even after the waterway was stabilized, it proved unsatisfactory because of constant disputes with landowners on the Mexican side of the border. As the technology of electric power transmission improved, the Lower Colorado was considered for its hydroelectric-power potential. In 1902, the Edison Electric Company of Los Angeles surveyed the river in the hope of building a 40-foot (12 m) rock dam which could generate 10,000 horsepower (7,500 kW). However, at the time, the limit of transmission of electric power was 80 miles (130 km), and there were few customers (mostly mines) within that limit. Edison allowed land options it held on the river to lapse—including an option for what became the site of Hoover Dam. In the following years, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), known as the Reclamation Service at the time, also considered the Lower Colorado as the site for a dam. Service chief Arthur Powell Davis proposed using dynamite to collapse the walls of Boulder Canyon, 20 miles (32 km) north of the eventual dam site, into the river. The river would carry off the smaller pieces of debris, and a dam would be built incorporating the remaining rubble. In 1922, after considering it for several years, the Reclamation Service finally rejected the proposal, citing doubts about the unproven technique and questions as to whether it would in fact save money.
but my guess is it would involve me wrapping my pretty painted pink lips around your cock and giving you a Blow Job?
Blow Job cocktail 🍸 recipe:
1/4 oz. Bailey’s Irish cream
1/2 oz. Amaretto almond liqueur
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour liqueurs into a shot glass and top with whipped cream.
2. Have Felicia place her hands behind her back, then; pick up the filled shot glass with her mouth, tilt her head back, and drink.
3. I promise to swallow every last drop 🍆💦💦💦💋
Have the loveliest weekend everyone!! 🍸💋❤️🌞❤️💋🍸
Working with the Fuji G617 is such a deliberate process. Usually it involves really evaluating the scene, thinking over if it warrants one of four exposures you will get on a roll and if it will fit the 6x17 aspect ratio. This is a fairly decent bar to clear, in fact. Then if it the idea has this much merit there is the setting up of the tripod, the setting of shutter and aperture, checking the focus to make sure it is at infinity and hasn't gotten maladjusted in the bag, making sure the shutter preview lever is closed before removing the lens cap, calculating exposure and then compensating exposure for the center spot ND filter. Threading in the cable release, arming the shutter, firing and advancing. Often I pair this camera with strong ND filters for really long exposures so that requires additional calculations and a few more steps. Suffice it to say that usually each image requires enough time and thought that I have a pretty good memory of each of them, even by the time I get home, have the film developed and then scanned - a process that can take days or weeks. Having said all that, I don't remember making this image at all. It makes me chuckle because I really like this image and I am glad I made it but this one escapes my memory. I don't remember this scene in general, which doesn't surprise me much since we spent a lot of time amongst various rolling, green hills. But including Angela in the scene, right where she is, caught me by surprise. The Fuji G617 viewfinder is not 100% accurate. Far from it, in fact. So it is possible I did not see her there when I was framing. And I did do more work on this trip with the camera handheld since I had enough light and fast enough film and wasn't going for super long exposures. So maybe I handheld this, intending to get the road leading into the hills and didn't notice her down there. But the framing strikes me as too deliberate to be coincidental. So apparently I made this and then plain forgot about it. That is a bit unlike me but also not unheard of either. Then again, I was so often completely enraptured by the landscape that I had a lot on my mind at any given moment, so I can give myself a bit of a pass if I don't remember every photo I made on this past trip to the Palouse.
Fuji G617
Fuji Pro 160C
By December of 1941, Fort Morgan was once again active for military service. As a proactive preparation for U.S. involvement in World War II, the U.S. Navy reactivated the post and began using it as an ordnance depot for incoming and departing ships. Armament of the post was upgraded when Battery F, 50th Coast Artillery arrived with their 155mm GPF guns. These sat on Panama Mounts like seen here. A circular concrete gun mount that facilitated the mounting and rotation of the 155mm gun so that it could be fired across a wider area that was to be protected. What is left of these mounts is seen above...
Fort Morgan holds a couple of distinctions as a piece of American history...it was placed on the National Historic Landmarks register on December 12, 1960 and included on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. All of the information above was taken from either the original documents submitted to the NRHP for listing consideration or the Fort Morgan website through the Alabama Historical Commission:
npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail/6442f2c2-41f7-4c82-893...
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Created for Digitalmania group
Digitalmania is a challenge group the members of which participate and learn from challenges. These involve taking inspiration and learning from the work of artists in many styles and, from time to time, creating collages and art journal pages. All artwork submitted is required to refer to the weekly challenges.
This task is to create an artwork inspired by Jacub Gagnon
His amazing work can be seen here
With thanks to…
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Like me @ [ Facebook ] [ Web ] [ Deviant Art ] [ Blog ] [ Twitter] [ Pinterest ]
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(Please do not use my images on Facebook, Blogs, Web Sites, etc without my explicit permission, thank you)
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The new intake involves Gemini 3s which were used temporarily on London Sovereign route H12 before transferring down to Hounslow Heath (HH) garage. This is made apparent by the London Sovereign logos on this bus which haven't been updated just yet.
One of the new intake is seen at Osterley.
Of course...
Gotham News reports multiples homicides, all involving bite marks and scratches on an Arkham Asylum security guard and multiple other citizens, and Manbat's cell just so happens to be in pieces and empty.
I knew it wouldn't be long until he broke out, but i expected it to be longer than a week. Oh well, that's Arkham. No time, for that right now, though. Alfred says i need to get out of the house. Says people are starting to worry that something's happened to me. He's not wrong. It has been a while since I've been in public. Alot longer than the usual amount of time that people mourn a death. But i haven't been mourning...I've been seeking vengeance. Joker's going to pay for his crimes against Gotham, and against me. Oh right, gotta smile for the cameras.
When i get outside, the flashes are almost blinding. So many of them all at once. Alfred holds them back to the best of his ability as i walk to the Black Bentley that's waiting in the driveway. The chauffeur starts driving once i get situated.
After a couple minutes, when we are driving through a wooded area, the car slows down to a stop and three guys get in the car.
"What are you you doing?! Who are you guys?"
"Shut up," one guy says.
And before i know it, i get sprayed with something...crap...it's c-it's chloro--chlorof.....
________________________________
I wake up in complete darkness, when a bright screen lights up in front of my face, about 20 feet or so away. I can now see that I'm in a giant concrete box, sitting in a metal chair, with my hands locked to the arms by metal cuffs. And then i realize that I'm in an electric chair.
On the screen, i see a man in a white smiley face mask with spiked shoulder plates and tech body armor. I can only see that far down. And then i notice the symbol on his chest. A cracked red skull. Anarky.
//"Hello Mr. Grayson. Or should say Nightwing?"//
"What do you want Anarky? I don't have time for this."
//"Aw, no time for me? That hurt my feelings. You need to be taught a lesson about manners!"// Suddenly i begin to feel extreme volts of electricity shocking me. The pain is unbearable.
"AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!"
//"Now, have we learned some manners?"//
"..."
//"HAVE WE learned some manners, Mr. Grayson?"//
"Yes, sir."
//"Good. Now I'm going to tell you where you need to go, and you-"//
"If you think I'm going to listen to a word you say, then-"
//"I WAS TALKING!"//
There's that shock again. "AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
//"As i was saying, I am going to tell you where i want you to go and you will go there."//
"And why the heck would i do that?"
//"Because i left you a little...present there. *chuckles* The location of your gift is Gotham Bank. You better get there fast because there isnt much time before someone else gets it!"//
*Video turns to static*
Suddenly, the cuffs unlock and I can get up from the chair. Just then, a piece of the floor opens up in the far left corner of the room and a metal latter rises to the ceiling, leading to a manhole cover. I climb out of the room and find myself in the middle of a street. The bank is two blocks away. Great. So, i run the whole two blocks to Gotham Bank.
When i walk up to the doors, i start hearing screaming. Not just one person, lots of people. But then i hear a sound that's out of the ordinary. Almost like a giant...bat. Then i realize, someone else got my present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for reading guys! im so glad that i am able to write this, and that i came up wuth this idea, because its already so much fun. If you'd like me to tag you guys when issues are released, then comment poopydoo below! Yes, poopydoo.
~FANTXTIK
The Blue Lake is a large, monomictic, crater lake located in a dormant volcanic maar associated with the Mount Gambier maar complex. The lake is situated near Mount Gambier in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, and is one of four crater lakes on Mount Gambier maar. Of the four lakes, only two remain, as the other two (Leg of Mutton and Brown) have dried up over the past 30 to 40 years as the water table has dropped.
Conflicting dates have been estimated for its last eruption, of 4,300 years ago,of 28,000 years ago, and most recently, a little before 6,000 years ago. If the youngest date is correct, this could be the most recent volcanic eruption on the Australian mainland.
Blue Lake is thought to be of an average depth of 72 m (236 ft), but in places reaches 75 m (246 ft) deep (but some unconfirmed values mention a 204 m (669 ft) maximum depth due to a natural cave section). The crater rim measures 1,200 by 824 m (3,937 by 2,703 ft), but the lake itself measures 1,087 by 657 m (3,566 by 2,156 ft). The surface of the lake is 17 m (56 ft) below the level of the main street of the nearby town. The Blue Lake supplies the town with drinking water.
During December to March, the lake turns to a vibrant cobalt blue colour, returning to a colder steel grey colour for April to November. The exact cause of this phenomenon is still a matter of conjecture, but likely it involves the warming of the surface layers of the lake during the summer to around 20 °C (68 °F), causing calcium carbonate to precipitate out of the solution and enabling microcrystallites of calcium carbonate to form. This results in scatter of the blue wavelengths of sunlight. During winter, the lake becomes well mixed, and recent research indicates that during this phase of the colour cycle, the lake is somewhat murkier due to the redistribution of tannins and calcium carbonate particles throughout the lake. Solar elevation has also been found to influence the perceived colour of the lake. The movement of planktonic life forms within the lake during the seasons and during the day may additionally play a part in the colour change.
Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.
All rights reserved, no use without license
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hong kong)
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Imperial China
2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45
2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status
3 Governance
3.1 Structure of government
3.2 Electoral and political reforms
3.3 Legal system and judiciary
3.4 Foreign relations
3.5 Human rights
3.6 Regions and districts
3.7 Military
4 Geography and climate
5 Economy
5.1 Financial centre
5.2 International trading
5.3 Tourism and expatriation
5.4 Policy
5.5 Infrastructure
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
6.3 Personal income
6.4 Education
6.5 Health
7 Culture
7.1 Sports
7.2 Architecture
7.3 Cityscape
7.4 Symbols
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
10.1 Citations
10.2 Sources
11 Further reading
12 External links
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong
Transfer of sovereignty
Golden Bauhinia Square
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]
Disclaimer: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter involving of death of family and the PTSD that comes with it and may be triggering to some individuals.
...
Vincent lifted his gaze from the picture and leaned his head back against the pillow propped up behind him and closed his eyes. Right now, he was very grateful to his cousin and her bhang concoctions. If not for that, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get through this today. Honestly he was still uncertain if he still actually could do this.
But as Vincent settled in, a slight smile drew upon his lips as he began to speak as he let him go back four years ago. And as he did, Aiden relaxed more beside him and listened to his story.
"I suppose this story began with my promotion to Captaincy. My uncle is very much a generous man as much as he is proud. He threw a ball to celebrate me. After all, I was the son he never had and it was expected of us. I was to greet and receive endless congratulations by many Captains and their wives, several Lords and Ladies and the worst ones of all." There was a dramatic pause. "Marriage-minded mothers and their daughters."
Vincent actually shuddered which made Aiden laugh softly. But at the same time, it put Vincent in a somewhat new perspective for him: Vincent was not just any ship's captain. He came from a wealthy family; perhaps even possibly related to a Lord or Lady! He supposed he should have realized that last week when Vincent mentioned being required to attend a huge event such as the coming masquerade ball.
"So a couple of hours into my endless parade of greetings and congratulations I happened upon a conversation of a small group discussing horror novels."
"Sounds like something you could get into."
"Indeed. Shh."
"Sorry."
"As I approached, the main speaker turned out to be a woman elaborating about a book she'd read. It turned out to be by the same author who wrote the book you gave me. Her audience had been quite shocked as she spun the summarized tale of how a scorned witch took bloody revenge on all those who'd wronged her. And trust me, it was absolutely tame compared to the novel itself. No one seemed to know what to say. And so when I announced that I knew the novel she was speaking of and that I'd enjoyed it, myself, she'd turned in excitement with such a brilliant smile. She promptly took my arm and, I quote, 'Now HERE'S someone worth talking to! Hello, good Sir, my name is Miss Emily Fenton. It's a pleasure to meet you. Shall we grab some lemonade together?' And as I escorted her away she mentioned the party had been dull until I arrived and that I was right on time."
Both men chuckled softly and Aiden thought to himself that Vincent's wife must have been a very interesting woman. He was very amused that Vincent imitated an enthusiastic young woman's voice quite well.
"She really turned my world upside down. I remember thinking to myself, how did I not notice her before? As it turned out, she was a visiting cousin of an acquaintance of the family. I remember the details of her eyes, those little flecks of green that encircled her iris. How she smelled of lilies which happened to be her favorite flower. She had this sly smile which was so full of mischief and had the most twisted sense of humor which I adored. But you'd never know the depth of her by looking at her. Oh, she would smile and act as a lady should be in public. Well....mostly. She was sharp, witty, and very well-read. She was a scholar and loved to delve into book after book. But her mind and the things that would come out of her mouth! And she'd do it with a straight face too! And you'd never see it coming!"
And Vincent was laughing! Aiden grinned and he listened, painting this picture in his head of the eventual Mrs. Emily Dubois. She seemed quite the character! She sounded like someone Vincent could easily get along with and clearly did.
Vincent's laughter quickly settled and he licked his lips before reaching for the cup of bhang tea beside him and drained the rest of it. He knew by the end of this, he was going to need it in his system. It had been a couple of years since he'd really talked about any of this. The last time had been to Damien and it hadn't given him as much closure as he'd have liked. Of course, Damien had been there to witness the majority of it all and hadn't needed explanations. He'd simply been there as a shoulder for Vincent to lean on. Sure, talking to Damien HAD helped and eventually he was able to get through each day again but...something about this time was different. He was able to let it flow differently this time as he got to tell the actual whole story to someone for the first time. It felt good to finally talk about it.
"You have to know something about me. Well, about who I was. I was married to my career. I loved everything about my life in the sky and had everything I wanted. I had no need for marriage at the time. I was young; only twenty-three. I wasn't expected to look for a wife for several years and even so I didn't have to. I was a captain! I could live my life completely in the air if I wanted to! And it was what I did want. My thirst for knowledge paired beautifully with my love of travel and I could chart any course and go anywhere and learn anything I wanted when I wanted. I knew what my life would be. That was until I met Emily.
"I hadn't realized how much sharing the joys of sharing one's life with another person could be until I found myself in her presence nearly every day. She was a fascinating woman and very knowledgeable and well read. She was always happy to hear about places and things I've seen. In turn, I was happy to listen to her talk about her novels and things she'd learned in her studies and we shared deep, intellectual conversations. We became fast friends, but I knew it was more than that. I found myself waking every day with her in my thoughts. She had quickly become someone I had to keep in my life and she seemed to fit perfectly somehow. I felt alive in a new, different way.
"Of course it was perfectly possible for me to have a wife and live my life too. After all, I had grown up watching the love between my uncle and aunt and they had married young as well. My uncle was gone most of the time; home during Summers and occasionally throughout the year for important holidays and still does it to this day. And every time they are together, you can see the love and happiness they share together. It's as clear as day. And they are more in love than the day they married. And even then, I knew it. So I knew I could make it work with Emily if she were willing. Of course, fate would have it that I found out that Emily was due to return home and would be leaving the capitol the following week. It would be a long time before we would see each other in person. After all, she didn't live in a major port and I was due to start my first trip as captain soon. I was expecting to subject myself to written correspondence with her. But when I saw that forlorn look in her eyes and how she admitted that she'd miss seeing my face? Well, what else could I do but ask her to marry me?"
Vincent blinked and tears slid down his cheeks in memory of Emily as he saw her in her bridal gown and how she'd glowed that day. "We were happy. I knew my life would be perfect. Emily understood me and the expectations of my life. No, we wouldn't be together every day but we'd see each other more often than if she was going back to her hometown. She was happy and eager to get our lives started together. She'd made friends with my cousins and had her own cousin in town as well. She'd have a happy life here and once we had children, her days would be more joyful. She was looking forward to becoming a mother one day."
How wonderful Vincent made it seem! Of course, Aiden knew how this story would end. But it was important, he realized, for Vincent to talk about this...about her and their life. Something told him he'd not told this story before. Not like this. Aiden felt his heart go out to Vincent and he continued to listen to Vincent's story.
"As you can imagine, it was a very short engagement and a small wedding. I'd gotten us a place big enough for us and a little one for when we were ready. With all the excitement of a ball held in my honor, wooing my lady, and becoming a husband, I'd taken time off from work for quite some time. But it was time for me to get back into the swing of life and provide for my wife and our home together. So the day finally came where Damien and I were to set off for our first cargo trip on Leon's Claw. And that's when she gave me this."
Vincent leaned over and reached for the compass and brought it to his lap and opened it up. He held it along with the picture frame and just stared for a long moment. Aiden gazed at the compass over Vincent's shoulder with new appreciation. He'd noticed the slight smoothness of the spots where Vincent's fingers had rubbed it when he'd repaired it a few months ago. It was a well loved piece to have so much wear in such a short amount of time. And he'd certainly not forgotten Vincent's distraught expression when it had broken.
"'Though pleas`d to see the dolphins play, I mind my compass and my way,'" * Vincent recited the inscription inside the compass. "She said that it was to help me remember to stay my course; to seek to enjoy life and all it has to offer and to always help me find my way home. She was worried I'd find it silly and corny but I loved her for it."
"It was a thoughtful gift."
"It really is. I was touched."
Vincent closed the compass and held it tight in his hand for a long moment. He licked his lips and then glanced up at Aiden who gave him a small encouraging smile. But Vincent saw that something was off about Aiden and how he was smiling. A small part of him wanted to turn and reassure Aiden...but what was there to reassure him about? He wasn't sure what was wrong but he just seemed a little...despondent. Perhaps it was because he knew it was a sad story? Or was there something else bothering him?
"So what happened next?" Aiden inquired softly, not realizing that Vincent was reading him so well. Vincent gazed at him for another long moment, blinking a couple of times as he allowed himself to tuck this mental inquiry about Aiden away to think about later.
"What happened next? Well, I started my new life as Captain. I felt like I was living my best life! I was having a grand time with one of my best friends and got to live my dream every day. It was everything I hoped it would be. Though, I admit that for somewhat selfish reasons, we didn't stray too far from home." Vincent chuckled slightly to himself which drew a small smirk from Aiden. "Damien was pretty annoyed with me, I think. I had made him wait and wait while I courted my wife and then we were only gone not even a full two months before we came home again. And that's when I found out that I was to become a father." Aiden could see the joy through the sadness and tears that were forming in Vincent's eyes.
"Six months or so later my daughter was born: Lily. She...she had my eyes and hair and her mother's nose and mouth. Lily was so small but she was healthy and perfect. She was my pride and joy." The tears spilled down Vincent's face as he let out a soft sob and yet he still managed a bittersweet smile as he gazed up at Aiden. "I wish I could show you...she was so beautiful and sweet. She never cried and loved being held. I never realized that I could be that happy. And then...then much too soon it was time for me to go."
And here Vincent's smile faded and he drew his knees up a little and his shoulders sunk. His gaze returned to the photograph. Aiden knew what was going to happen next. This was where Vincent's world would be ripped from him.
"There had been talk of illness in neighboring countries with major air and sea ports. In my line of work, I was at risk but it wasn't like I could stop with a family to provide for. And we lived in a city of massive commerce. She was scared of never seeing me again but I still chose to go."
Beside him, Aiden felt his heart suddenly clench even worse. He remembered all too well when that happened just over three years ago. There had been rumors and people were scared. But it never seemed to come and people began to wonder if maybe it was just a hoax. Then suddenly it hit with ferocity everywhere that had air and sea ports, rumored to have come thanks to commerce and the critters that resided on the ships. Aiden's hometown was a city of commerce and sure enough it had claimed many lives there including that of his own mother who was prone to illness more easily than others.
"It was the hardest farewell I'd ever had to make," Vincent continued painfully. "I kissed my wife and baby and went on my way." Vincent inhaled deeply and let it out sharply before swallowing hard and gave a small nod. Aiden had a feeling he was having to push himself to keep talking at this point.
"Then 'this,'" Vincent grumbled and gestured aggressively towards his blind and damaged eye, "happened." He inhaled slowly and deeply through his nostrils as fresh tears began to pool in his eyes. "While Damien and I were recovering, news came that the capitol had been ravaged by the illness; especially in the poorer parts of town. I prayed that my family would be safe, all of them. But then that's when I got the letter from Emily. Our little Lily was sick, but it had been dated a couple of weeks earlier! I wanted to get home right away but no one was flying or sailing out; especially to the capitol. And, of course, mail was not getting out nearly as quickly anymore.
"We weren't far from here but it wasn't close at all if you traveled on land. And, of course, Leon's Claw needed repairs and Damien had suffered a severe trauma with losing his arm saving me. I was stuck! It took a week to get the proper repairs done so I could fly home myself. Thankfully Damien was fitted for his arm and I could get home to my wife and daughter! I prayed to whatever powers may be that Lily would be okay. I STILL hadn't heard from anyone even though I'd sent letters! Not Emily, my cousins, nor my aunt. Nothing. All I knew was my baby was sick! And when we arrived at the capitol, my cousin Abigail was waiting for me. I knew it the moment I saw it was her waiting there for me; not Emily. I was too late!"
At this point, Vincent was just letting it all out. Now that he was talking and crying, he just couldn't seem to stop! Aiden felt like he couldn't breathe as his heart kept breaking more and more for Vincent.
"It wasn't only my little Lily that I'd lost! I'd lost Emily, too! Emily died the day before I arrived home and Lily three days before! It's not fair! I lost them BOTH!!! Lily and Emily died ALONE while I was stuck two cities away! I wasn't there with them! She asked me to stay but I didn't! What kind of a man am I?! I should have stayed!"
Aiden cried silently beside Vincent as he gazed at the distraught man. What could he say? What could he do? What could possibly console Vincent with something as heartbreaking as this?
So this was why Vincent had spoken to him the way he had when they had met, Aiden realized. He was remembering as he repaired the compass Vincent had spoken to him about Aiden's convictions and determination to leave home. Vincent had tried to convince him that it would be better to stay home with his family. But Aiden had been determined that he wanted this. The feelings and reasonings that Aiden had come back with that had apparently convinced Vincent to hire him seemed like they would be something the late Emily would have encouraged. And quite possibly, it seemed, Vincent had seen a bit of himself in Aiden at the time.
Aiden swallowed hard as the realizations hit him. It took him a minute but he finally got his thoughts together before he spoke softly.
"But at least you have that final memory of them. Of kissing them goodbye and-"
"NO! I DON'T! Just...don't even! You have NO idea!"
Aiden had jumped at Vincent's strangled, sudden outburst! Then Vincent suddenly gave a wrenched sob as he pressed his hands to his face and sobbed even harsher than Aiden had heard thus far. Seconds later, he wrapped his arms around his knees and pulled them quite painfully towards his chest. In his agonized state of being, as well as the intoxication from the bhang, Vincent didn't care about the physical pain flaring to life in his abdomen! Aiden wanted to stop him but right now he didn't dare say or do anything as he stared wide eyed at Vincent.
"You just don't know, Aiden!" Lifting his gaze, he stared up into Aiden's eyes desperately. Aiden had the impression that Vincent was almost pleading with him to understand.
"I wanted to remember them forever like that. Of my wife's smile and my daughter looking so perfect in her arms as I kissed them farewell. I would have that memory and all our happy memories to sustain me. I felt like I was in a daze as I made my way home. Then that's...that's when..."
Vincent closed his eyes and tears slid down his cheeks as the memory came back so painful and fresh as if it happened just yesterday. When he opened them, he was gazing back at Aiden and continued, this time his voice more calm but every bit as heart-wrenching as he said in a near whisper, "I came home as their bodies were being carried out of the building and tossed onto the cart with the other corpses. And the workers they...they just were talking so casually about them and the way they tossed their bodies onto the pile I- I just-"
And he cut himself off and buried his face in his knees and sobbed. He found that he just couldn't stop. Beside him, Aiden sat in shock as all this unfolded. Vincent was inconsolable, but he needed this. Who knew how long he'd kept this torment inside? Surely, he'd never broken down like this before! This seemed too fresh. Aiden wasn't sure what to say to any of that. What could someone say to that?
"And every time I sleep, the dreams always end the same way! I kiss them goodbye and then I see their corpses like that! EVERY! TIME! And I know how alone she was! How miserable and scared she must have been! I should have been there with them! What did I do to deserve this?! I don't want to do this anymore, Aiden! I should have died with them! I don't want to be here anymore! I want to die but I'm too much of a coward to end it all myself!"
And suddenly Vincent was wrapped in the warmth of Aiden's strong embrace before he was gently but firmly held close.
"Shh...shh..."
"Let go!"
At first Vincent started to push him off, but as he felt Aiden's hand come to cup the back of his head, he felt all his walls break down as he allowed himself to lean against Aiden's chest and actually clung to his shirt. The sobs came all over again, but this time they just did not stop coming. Aiden simply held him and pressed his nose and lips to the top of Vincent's head and closed his eyes. He didn't know what else to do but let him get it all out.
Some time had passed. Neither man had paid attention to the time, but eventually Vincent's sobs quieted and he hiccupped as he just leaned against Aiden in a quiet daze as he came down from all that. Aiden gently slid his hand down and rubbed Vincent's back. He wasn't in a hurry to let Vincent out of his arms right now. Once Vincent's breathing was back to normal, Aiden lifted his head and pressed his chin gently atop his head.
"I'm glad you're here, Vincent," he told him softly. "I'd miss you terribly if you were gone."
"Bet you wouldn't miss days like this."
"I'd not be anywhere else."
"You can't really mean that."
"Look at me."
And Vincent did. He sniffed and lifted his head from Aiden's chest and gazed up into his eyes. In a slightly bold move, Aiden reached up and gently brushed away Vincent's tears before stating calmly, "I'd not be anywhere else but here. I will always be here no matter what; whether that be a shoulder to lean on or-... or if you need a poking to lighten up and laugh once in a while. You are important to me, Vincent. You're my best friend."
Vincent's eyes widened and he felt his stomach flutter to life with butterflies. Aiden must truly feel strongly about their bond! Of course, Vincent knew of friendships like this. He had a small group of people he trusted and he was so thankful that Aiden was part of that circle now. And he had to admit that he loved that Aiden could speak his thoughts so freely with him and threw caution and vulnerability to the wind. And Vincent felt like he could as well and it felt liberating each and every time. He felt more free to do so around Aiden than...well, he couldn't even remember!
"You're one of my closest friends too. I'm lucky to have you in my corner, Aiden. I don't know what I did to deserve you. but thank you."
"Of course. I'll always have your back. Always."
Aiden wanted to tell Vincent the truth of his romantic feelings. He truly did. However, he knew that right now was not the time for it; especially not after Vincent's awful breakdown over his dearly missed wife. And as for Aiden, when he'd asked Vincent to talk about Emily, he hadn't expected to compare himself to her the way he unintentionally had. It was hard not to feel a touch of doubt considering he wanted to win Vincent's heart, himself. Aiden and Emily were quite different people. Would Vincent even want him, a man? Would he be open to finding love again to begin with?
Aiden still had every intention of wooing Vincent and telling him the truth one day. He just needed to go about things differently now that he understood how deeply Vincent was hurting.
However, Vincent still needed him as his friend, so romance was not an option right now, but perhaps one day, Aiden thought. He'd just have to be part of his life and hopefully one day things would work out so that Vincent would come to feel he needed Aiden the same way that Aiden needed him.
A very short time later once Vincent was more settled, Aiden released him from his arms and they moved back into the positions they had been in before Bernadette's departure. Vincent was grateful for Aiden's help shifting around before the young man settled in, himself. Vincent had wrenched his body around during his breakdown and now his ribs ached badly. Though thankfully soon after, he wasn't even paying attention to anything else but his new book as his body settled down from all the excitement and the pain became more bearable again.
When Bernadette returned from her errands, she found the men where she'd left them: content and happy beside each other with Vincent nose-deep into his book and Aiden scribbling in his notebook. And she thought silently to herself with a smile, 'Is it just me or are they sitting closer than before?'
At one point very soon after, Vincent needed a moment of privacy to use the bedpan. But as soon as he was done and the bedpan cleaned? Well Aiden was back on the bed beside his best friend and enjoying his company. But what really gave Aiden a reason to smile was when Vincent actually refrained from opening his book and turned to ask Aiden what he was doing in his notebook.
"I'm designing upgrades for Pete!"
"Pete?"
"Pete the Spider Lantern! You met him already."
"Wait. Are you talking about that lantern that came with you to find me?"
"That's the one!"
And that was when Aiden launched into an explanation about Pete and showed him the sketches he'd made of Pete with little added parts to enhance him. Vincent had almost forgotten about the lantern that had come to the tower with Aiden. He remembered now that Aiden had come back from one of his shopping trips a while back with the lantern and declared that he had a project he wanted to work on with it. That was the last Vincent had seen or heard of it until last week when Aiden came to rescue him with it as at his side.
A couple of minutes later there was a knock at the front door to which Bernadette went to answer it. She wasn't expecting anyone else today so who could it be? Surely, not Damien. It was Aiden's turn this evening to babysit Vincent with her tonight. However, it DID turn out to be Damien after all and in his arms were two bags of groceries!
"Damien! We weren't expecting you but thank you! You're spoiling us." She grinned up at him and closed the door behind him.
"You're welcome. And what do you mean? I'm helping out with dressings tonight, remember?"
"Oh!" She paused as she reached to help with the groceries as she thought about it, arms outstretched. "Wait...are you sure?"
At that second, there was a burst of laughter from the other room that belonged to Aiden. Damien glanced towards the room then looked back at Bernadette with a slight smirk and handed her both bags and replied, "Of course I am! You must be tired. Don't worry, Bernie. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up on rest soon." Damien patted her on the shoulder and turned to head towards the bedroom to see what was going on in there.
Bernadette blinked and stood there with the bags of groceries as she stared at his departing backside. She opened her mouth then closed it before looking at the weighty bags in her arms. Feeling a bit confused and a touch irritated, she turned and made her way towards the kitchen and grumbled, "Asshole."
Then a moment later...
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Aiden jumped and blinked as he looked up and around to see who shouted. It was Damien at the door and he looked pretty upset! Why was Damien here anyway? Today was his day off, wasn't it? Aiden opened his mouth but beside him, Vincent was faster to respond with a slightly stern tone, "What's the problem?"
Damien kept his eyes on Aiden and elaborated, "You shouldn't be on the bed! What if Vincent gets hurt worse because of your jostling!"
"Damien, I'm fine!" Vincent cut in before Aiden could even respond and rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Relax! Here, have some bhang tea."
"I don't want tea!"
Damien scowled and folded his arms over his chest as he glared at the two of them. Vincent narrowed his eyes at Damien and sat up a bit straighter and gave him an even stare. Beside him, Aiden shrank where he sat. He wasn't going to get in the middle of this.
"What's really the problem?"
"I already told you!"
"No, you didn't but fine. Do you trust me?"
"Vincent-"
"Do. You. Trust. Me?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then trust me when I say I am fine! I'm not fragile! And in case you haven't noticed, Damien, I can handle a little bit of jostling." Vincent sarcastically gestured towards his beaten body. Then after a moment his gaze softened and he smiled a bit as he gestured towards Aiden's notebook. "Besides, Aiden is showing me his sketches! And he brought me a present! See?"
Instead of looking at whatever Vincent was holding up, Damien's gaze shifted towards Aiden who went a deep shade of red and brought his hand up to run through his hair with a shy chuckle and smile. Damien stared at him for a long moment before turning to look at what Vincent was holding out to him impatiently. Upon seeing what it was, Damien scoffed and chuckled, "Another book. Heh. Well, isn't that nice of him?"
Aiden blinked and made a slight face as he was feeling a little offended. And honestly? A little surprised. 'Another book?' he wanted to ask. Did he not know his own supposed best friend enough to know how much he loved and valued books? Surely, he had to! But even Aiden (who didn't enjoy novels the way Vincent did either) understood and appreciated what it meant to the man. And thankfully, it seemed, Vincent was of the same mind and jumped in his defense!
"It is, in fact! Look at it! Look! See who it's by?!" Vincent exclaimed eagerly with a grin. "It just released today!" In his excitement, Vincent had already brushed aside the intensity of Damien's arrival. He was used to Damien's worrywart personality by now and wanted to show off his present!
Aiden however, hadn't brushed it off yet. He knew he'd get over it, but right now he was still feeling a little sour towards Damien. 'What's with this guy?' he wondered silently as he watched Damien approach and ruin their alone time.
Damien finally took a seat on the chair beside Vincent. Even though he was looking at Vincent and listening to what he was saying, his mind was processing what he'd happened upon and the realizations that came with it.
So, Vincent had a brand new book and he hadn't shoved Aiden out the door? Not only that, he wasn't nose deep into it like Damien was used to him doing. His experiences had always taught him that Vincent liked to be left alone while reading, especially with a new book. So, why the Hell was Aiden allowed to be here? Damien certainly wasn't allowed to be! And wasn't this the second time Aiden had brought him a gift?
...was there something else going on between them that he didn't know about?
* "Though pleas`d to see the dolphins play, I mind my compass and my way." - Matthew Green
Inscription on the 'Madpea Compass' by MadPea which you can find on Marketplace!
---
Shout out to Stephen King and his book 'Carrie' for inspiring the book that Emily and Vincent were discussing during their meet-cute!
...
NEXT PART:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52441785152/in/datepo...
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
And a special thank you to our guest star: Khetas Nova as our spunky Emily Dubois!
DISCORD SERVER:
That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
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... this time involving not one, but two motor scooters. --> see here
Seen near the university library, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
Konica IIIa with Hexanon 1:1.8 / 50 mm
Kodak Ektar 100 professional grade colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
This involves analysis, watching yourself and seeing where real deep bliss is -- not the quick little excitement , but the real deep, life-filling bliss.
Joseph Campbell
The imposing two-tone blue totally-restored vehicle, which was discovered in derelict state in Indonesia in the 1980s, was designed to revive Mercedes-Benz’s image as a luxury carmaker following the devastation of its German factories in World War II.
The car was actually a prototype model of a luxury coupe and never went into production because of Germany's involvement in World War II, which has led to the devastation of the company's factories and other industrial facilities in the country. With the evolution of a much more advanced powertrain components like the single overhead camshaft engine, the platform of the 1948 Mercedes-Benz W142 A320 prototype was no longer used and the car was sold to a Dutch businessman and brought the car to Indonesia.
The car remained there for almost 40 years before being discovered by chance by an Australian rare car antiques seeker and transported to Melbourne in the late 1980s. At that time it was in a very bad condition, badly painted red and in an absolutely unusable condition. After an expert assessment by specially invited director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Max-Gerritt von Pein, the car's authentic status was confirmed and this gave impetus to its complete restoration. Payne is amazed not only that the vehicle has survived, but that it has been preserved in its original form. The work to return the convertible to its original factory design involved complete disassembly, which revealed traces of the original two-tone blue paint under the door hinges, and after removing the vinyl trim, the original two-tone leather upholstery was also revealed. With the help of specialists from Melbourne, the one-of-a-kind was fully restored in early 2006 to bring it as close as possible to its original specification.
The Mercedes-Benz W142 A320 cabrio measures about 5.5 meters (18.04 feet) and has 142-inch long wheelbase. Outside, the rare Mercedes-Benz cabriolet features a sleek two-tone blue exterior color and a soft top roof. On the inside, the restored leather seats remains in tack. The car is equipped with a 59kW side-valve engine under its hood.
Although the car went through a complete restoration, it looks like the original Mercedes-Benz W142 A320 prototype model developed in 1948, according to Max-Gerritt von Pein, the head of Mercedes-Benz Museum who inspected the car.
The 1948 W142 therefore remained a one-off prototype and eventually escaped into private hands, surviving today as a unique example of what might have been.
Sources: newatlas.com ; shannons.com.au ; Techno Classica Essen 2012
i've been busy working on a project involving photography, so the last thing i want to do lately is take pictures. sorry, flickr friends!
© all rights reserved
Please take your time... and enjoy it large on black
Champasak lies on the western bank of the Mekong river - Southern Laos, while the main route to the south - route 13 is on the eastern side. Getting to and from Champasak will involve a crossing of the Mekong as the town sits on the West bank. Our tuk-tuk will join our crossing. The ferry, which carries vehicles, even buses and people is more like a group of canoes tied together to make a large raft. A wooden platform mounted across three separate hulls; the height of marine technology. We decided to wait outside the tuk-tuk in case an emergency exit was needed. The ferry was driven by an old truck engine. We had to wait till the ferry was fully loaded. Crossing takes about 15 minutes, but loading and unloading takes a lot longer since there is no regular landing-stage just the river bank. Basically Laos is not the best place in the world to be if you are impatient or in a hurry. It took us about 1.5 hour to cross the mighty Mekong river. The ferry point is a quite busy place, actually a small market. There are eateries on the river bank but we decided to eat later and cross the river first. But women selling also food on the ferry. A vendor had just delivered a soup. I enjoy the river scenes of people having food on the raft and smaller rafts, just fit enough to ferry a couple of bikes making their way across as well. It's quite a happening. Half the fun of traveling here is in the travel itself.
Photo of the ferry crossing the mighty Mekong river to Champasak - Southern Laos. Such beautiful sinister scene where you can see it's raining in the mountains. For us dark clouds are luckily moving away from the ferry. From our experience we can say even if you travel in the wildest rainy season you experience maybe much more about Laos than others in December crushing out with only other foreigners and learning and seeing maybe less...I guess its finally up to you which season you choose to visit Laos.
Onze tuktuk reed ons van Houay Sae - route13 naar de ferry alwaar wij de Mekong rivier overstaken richting Champasak. De veerpont is niet meer dan twee aan elkaar gebonden sloepen met een platform van planken. Eigenlijk een groot vlot op drijvers dat door een oude vrachtwagenmotor wordt voortbewogen. De overtocht is op zich al een belevenis. Er gaan zoveel auto’s op tot er geen één meer bij kan. Zodra we erop zijn gaat de ferry uiteraard nog niet varen, we moeten wachten tot deze vol is... wat ook nog even duurt. De overtocht opzich duurt niet lang maar het aanmeren wel aangezien er geen steiger is alleen de ruige oever van de Mekong rivier. Er wordt gemanoevreerd naar een goeie plek alwaar de autobussen "veilig" via twee planken op de kant kunnen komen. Het is behoorlijk druk op en rond de veerboot. Eigenlijk een kleine markt zowel aan de oever als op de veerboot. Op de ferry worden verschillende dingen verkocht, lemon-juice wat vers wordt gemaakt, diverse gegrilde stukken vlees op spies etc etc. Een delicatesse hier is kip-embryo, dus een gekookt kuiken in een ei. Onze tuktuk ging mee naar de overkant. Champasak ligt eigenlijk nog 2km zuiderlijker. Onze tuktuk chauffeur was zelf ook nog nooit in Champasak geweest waardoor we eigenlijk Champasak in eerste instantie voorbij reden. We hadden zelfs het idee dat Champasak een groot stadje was, maar was niet meer dan wat huizen aan één weg. Uiteindelijk toch bij plaats van bestemming gekomen en accommodatie gevonden.
"involvement in these other things means that she is not so exposed to fear. But occasionally she wonders if she is being irresponsible because she is ‘not in touch with reality’. But immediately she has questioned herself over this, she is clear about her response: ‘I don’t think so … To me the greatest reality is still the sun on the hyacinths, the rabbit, the chocolate pudding, Beethoven, the grey hair at his temple..."
-Etty Hillesum: A Life Transformed by Patrick Woodhouse
photo rights reserved by B℮n
I would like to thank you very much for every visit you have made over the past year. Your presence and involvement have made my journey through the digital Flickr landscape all the more valuable. Thank you for all your complimentary, sweet and nice comments on my photos on Flickr. Always nice to read personal responses. I appreciate every comment, invite and fave ★. Thank you for a year of passion for photography and shared interests. It was fun and inspiring. As we close out the old year, I look forward to more moments together in the coming year. The rise of advanced cameras in mobile phones and the integration of AI have transformed the world of photography. Anyone can now easily take photos, increasing access to photography. Owning advanced equipment is no longer the sole determining factor for a good photo. At the same time, the integration of AI in photography opens new doors to creativity. While technologies improve image quality, the core of effective photography remains the story the photo tells and the context in which it was taken. In short, the photography world is now more dynamic and diverse than ever before, with new opportunities in the new year for everyone to express their creativity even more. My best wishes for 2024, make it a great photographic year シ
Photo of the mechanical movement STP1-11. This automatic timepiece is produced by the company Swiss Technology Production. With a height of 4.6 mm, it is a relatively thin timepiece. The fact that it has 26 jewels indicates that the timepiece uses jewels as bearings to reduce friction and increase durability. The jewels in this watch are synthetic rubies with a pinkish color. The pinkish jewel of the balance wheel is clearly visible on the front of the dial on this Armani watch. The STP1-11 is based on the ETA 2824-2 and Sellita SW200-1 movements, both common and reliable Swiss automatic movements with a vibration frequency of 28,800 BPH (Beats Per Hour). This means that the balance wheel moves back and forth 28,800 times in one hour. To calculate the vibrations per second, we divide the BPH by 3600 (the number of seconds in an hour). So, a timepiece with a vibration frequency of 28,800 BPH has 8 vibrations per second. This means that the balance wheel moves back and forth eight times in one second. A higher vibration frequency contributes to smoother movement of the second hand and possibly more accurate timekeeping. This macro photo was taken with a SIGMA 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro with Canon EF 25mm II Extension Tube.
Ik wil jullie van harte bedanken voor elk bezoek dat jullie hebben gebracht het afgelopen jaar. Jullie aanwezigheid en betrokkenheid hebben mijn reis door het digitale Flickr-landschap des te waardevoller gemaakt. Bedankt voor al jullie complimenteuze, lieve en leuke reacties op mijn foto's op Flickr. Altijd leuk om persoonlijke reacties te lezen. Ik waardeer elke reactie, uitnodiging en fave ★. Bedankt voor een jaar van passie voor fotografie en gedeelde interesses. Het was leuk en inspirerend. Terwijl we het oude jaar afsluiten, kijk ik uit naar meer momenten samen in het komende jaar. De opkomst van geavanceerde camera's in mobiele telefoons en de integratie van AI hebben de fotografiewereld getransformeerd. Iedereen kan nu eenvoudig foto's maken, waardoor de toegang tot fotografie is vergroot. Het bezitten van geavanceerde apparatuur is niet langer de enige bepalende factor voor een goede foto. Tegelijkertijd opent de integratie van AI in fotografie nieuwe deuren naar creativiteit. Terwijl technologieën de beeldkwaliteit verbeteren, blijft de kern van effectieve fotografie liggen in het verhaal dat de foto vertelt en de context waarin deze is genomen. Kortom, de fotografiewereld is nu dynamischer en diverser dan ooit tevoren, met nieuwe kansen in het nieuwe jaar voor iedereen om hun creativiteit nog meer tot uiting te brengen. Mijn beste wensen voor 2024, maak er een geweldig fotografisch jaar van シ
Belgium.
National Botanic Garden.
www.br.fgov.be/PUBLIC/GENERAL/index.php
The azure damselfly (Coenagrion puella) is a species of damselfly found in most of Europe. It is notable for its distinctive black and blue colouring. They are commonly found around ponds and lakesides during the summer.
Mating in damselflies, as in dragonflies, is a complex, precisely choreographed process involving both indirect insemination and delayed fertilisation. First, the male has to attract a female to his territory, continually driving off rival males. When he is ready to mate, he transfers a packet of sperm from his primary genital opening on segment 9, near the end of his abdomen, to his secondary genitalia on segments 2–3, near the base of his abdomen. The male then grasps the female by the head with the claspers at the end of his abdomen; the structure of the claspers varies between species, and may help to prevent interspecific mating. The pair fly in tandem with the male in front, typically perching on a twig or plant stem. The female then curls her abdomen downwards and forwards under her body to pick up the sperm from the male's secondary genitalia, while the male uses his "tail" claspers to grip the female behind the head: this distinctive posture is called the "heart" or "wheel"; the pair may also be described as being "in cop".