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(more information and pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Stone penitentiary
Object ID: 32444 Steiner Landstrasse 4
The building of the prison was built in 1839-1843 as Redemptoristinnenkloster (Congregazione del Santissimo Redentore, Congregación del Santísimo Redentor, les Rédemptoristes, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer - the female ones). After its cassation in 1848, it was adapted in 1852 for the present purpose and subsequently expanded several times. On the street side extends a long three storey wing with gaved central projection from the first quarter of the 20th Century. Adjacent to it, lies the by its narrow and tall chapel front accented, two-storey former convent. The three-bay chapel has Platzl vault (Bohemian vault) with vault and wall paintings from the construction period, which were partially destroyed. The three-storey jail house, built in 1870-1873, rises above a cross-shaped floor plan with short administration wing and three of a central octagon outgoing cell tracts. The walkways are designed as cast iron structures. A church from 1873 is located on the upper floors of the administration wing. This has a rectangular hall with coffered ceiling, a gallery and arched windows with simple ornamental panes. The equipment to which belong an aedikula, an organ and the original pews comes from the construction period. At the altarpiece an image of the Good Shepherd can be seen, which is denoted with C. Madjera 1873. Further facilities include a Baroque crucifix.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_denkmalgesch%C3%BCtzten_O...
(for further pictures please go to the link at the end of page!)
Krems an der Donau (Stein)
Community Krems at the Danube
History
Stein, copper engraving, Georg Matthäus Vischer, 1672
© IMAREAL, Austrian Academy of Sciences
The twin city of Krems-Stein in 1995 celebrating the 1000 year jubilee, is one of the oldest cities in Austria. The terrace formation, the favorable climate and location at the crossroads of the Danube trade route with the north-south connections from the Waldviertel (Wood district) and the wine district (Weinviertel) favored for thousands of years the colonization of the area and contributed essentially to the development as a center in the Danube region.
For a far into the early days reaching settlement tradition speak finds from the Paleolithic (Hundssteig, Wachtberg, 30000-25000 BC), from the Neolithic period (ceramic cultures), but also the special role of the region in the Early Bronze Age Unetice Culture (1800-1500 BC) as well as traces of the urn field culture of the late Bronze Age and the Hallstatt culture (800-400 BC). In the La Tène period settled here probably celticized groups, in the Roman period the area belonged since the beginning of the second Century to the sphere of influence of the Germanic Marcomanni. According to the biography of Saint Severin ("Vita Severini") the center of the Germanic Rugians in the second half of the 5th Century probably lay in the area of Krems-Stein, for the next century the cemetery in Unter-Rohrendorf proves the presence of the Lombards.
First time mentioned by name Krems is in a charter of Emperor Otto III of 9th August 995 as orientalis urbs que dicitur Chremisa - as a fortified place in the East which is named the Chremisa. The settlement then lay on the eastern border of the small Mark Ostarrîchi in close proximity to Moravia, but soon it grew beyond the castle district and developed in the 11th Century to a market settlement around the High market (Hoher Markt). Since 1014 Krems was due to a Royal donation (Königsschenkung) parish. The sister city of Stein is only in the second half of the 11th century (1072) named. Its center was the to parish Krems belonging Michael Church. Stone primarily was a toll and loading berth for salt, wine and grain. From skipper settlement arose a market and in the 12th Century a town settlement (since 1144). The character as a city of Krems is yet a little earlier for the year 1136 proven.
The position at the Danube the two cities had assigned their complementary functions: Stein lay directly at the stream and became toll and landing place for ships, had but due to the rising hillsides little space for large commercial and market places and construction activity. Krems, however, was cut by tributaries and floodplains from the main stream, but offered plenty of space for colonization and markets as well as the protection of a mighty castle.
Around 1150 Krems was the most important commercial center in the country. In the tower of the town castle of Krems at the steep slope of the High market between 1130-190 the first Babenberg coin, the Kremser penny, was minted. On the world map of the Arab scholar Idrisi Krems is named before Vienna, which only in subsequent time should surpass Krems. The city's growth probably already in the first half of the 12th Century the relocation of the parish of St. Stephen's Church on woman mountain (Frauenberg - now Piaristenkirche) to the foot of the mountain made necessary where the new Vitus church became parish. End of the 12th Century Krems was surrounded by a city wall, 1196 the first city judge is testified. The city has been expanded several times and extended in the late Middle Ages from the Steiner Tor in the west to the Krems river in the east. The Dominican monastery, founded in 1236 was initially outside the city.
Stein evolved from the high terrace in the direction of Nicholas church, which in 1283 was elevated into the status of a parish. In the late Middle Ages, the area between Landstraße and the Danube was built-up and the city in the area of the in 1223/1224 founded Minorits monastery (consecration of the church in 1264) and between Reisperbach and Linzertor extended.
Both cities since the beginning of the 12th Century were princely and complemented each other as land and Danube trading venues. Their close relationship has led to a unique construction as a twin city. Both cities had a civic community with its own military and financial sovereignty, but had a common municipal law (1305) and a common municipal judge and later mayor (since 1416). 1463 Emperor Frederick III the two cities conferred a common coat of arms, the imperial double-headed eagle in gold on a black background. In addition to Krems-Stein only Wiener Neustadt and Vienna had the privilege to lead the double eagle. The union of the cities existed until 1849, after 90 years of independence of Stein, in 1939 took place the recent merger.
The economic boom in the late Middle Ages was based on the viticulture and trade with wine, salt and iron. In Stein shipping formed a significant economic factor. 1463 Stein received by the Emperor Frederick III the privilege to build a fixed bridge, the second oldest after Vienna in the area of the Austrian course of the Danube river.
From the richness and self-conciousness of the citizenship testifies the in 1265 built "Gozzoburg" of the mighty city judge Gozzo of Krems, a castle-like town house with loggia. The appearance of both cities is characterised of the numerous houses from the 15th and 16th century, which are designed with bay windows, sgraffito and paintings and as well as arcade courtyards inside. A characteristic of both cities are the since the High Middle Ages profable "vintage courtyards" of monasteries and bishoprics, which were used to store wine and served for the administration of the monastic possessions, such as the Passau courtyards, the Kremsmünstererhof or the Göttweigerhof. The Göttweigerhofkapelle (chapel) is equipped with valuable frescoes from the early 14th Century. About 1500 Krems through the work of the Augsburg artist Jörg Breu became a center of the Danube School.
Since the second half of the 16th Century Krems was mostly Protestant. The resistance of the citizens against the recatholicization in 1593 led to the loss of all privileges. It was not until 1615 as Emperor Matthias cancelled the harsh verdict and restored the independence of the city. A big part in the Catholic restoration played the in 1616 settled Jesuits who ran the school and by their theater performances became famous. In addition to the Jesuit college emerged in the time of the Counter-Reformation the Capuchin Monastery Und (1614) and the early Baroque new building of the Kremser parish church, in which renowned Italian artists took part.
The 17th Century due to the shift of international trade routes and the decline of the importance of the Danube trade brought an economic downturn. Severe damages the city suffered in 1645 by the Swedes, who besieged Krems, conquered and extended it to the main fortress, and by the reconquest a year later. It was only after 1700 as a upswing set in again, which found its expression in the Baroque style of the city. Employers for the resident artists or handicrafts were the big monasteries of the country. One of the most important painters of this period was Martin Johann Schmidt, the Kremser Schmidt, until his death (1801) in Stein maintaining a painting workshop.
In the second half of the 18th Century changed the ecclesiastical structures of the city. The since 1616 the Jesuits transmitted Frauenberg church was taken over by the Piarists in 1776 after the abolition of the Order (1773). 1783 the Dominican Monastery, 1796 the Minorit's monastery and the Capuchin monastery was abolished and profaned.
The biggest change of the cityscape since the Middle Ages took place in the 19th Century by the removal of the ramparts and the city gates. Remained except for remnants of the wall only the Steinertor (gate), which became the symbol of the city. Of the in the course of industrialization established factories of importance were the leather factory in Rehberg, the factory for the manufacturing of mats and rugs made of coconut fibres in Stein and the first quartz millstone factory of Austria. Great reputation also enjoyed the organ builders Zachistal, Capek and Hradetzky and the Kremser bell founders, including Matthias Prininger, Ferdinand Vötterlechner and Johann Gottlieb Jenichen. In the last third of the century followed the connection to the railway network, 1909, the Donauuferbahn (railway line along the Danube) was opened.
After the Second World War - on 2nd April 1945, there was heavy bombing - succeeded the city to preserve the architectural heritage largely in its original state and to connect it with modernity. The successful revitalization already received international recognition, Krems in 1975, 1979 and 2009 was Europa Nostra award winner. The city with the "Art Mile" in Stein (Kunsthalle, Museum of Caricature and Artothek), the Danube Festival and numerous cultural events developed to one of the most important cultural centers in Lower Austria .
The art treasures of the city as well as tradition and the history of wine-growing presents the "museumkrems" in the former Dominican church. Which the in 1994 founded and in 1995 opened "Danube University", Krems became 13th Austrian university town and is since 2002 the seat of a University of Applied Sciences (International Management Center). With the since 1998 annually realized Wachau Marathon Krems itself also could established as a "sports city".
In the 1970s, the city once again experienced a major expansion. In 1972 joined the community of Hollenburg Krems. The once separating Danube became the connecting element between the urban north and the "orchard" in the south. Meanwhile, the "Southtown" became integral part of the city, but could maintain its rural character.
Krems has partnerships with cities in Denmark, Germany, France, Czech Republic and the USA.
www.gedaechtnisdeslandes.at/orte/action/show/controller/O...[ort]=1610
French postcard by Editions E. Séphériadès, Paris, no. 21. Image: Walt Disney - Mickey Mouse S.A. Publicity still for Pinocchio (Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen, a.o., 1940). Caption: At the bewilderment of Gepetto, Pinocchio shows him that he has ears and a donkey tail, by his disobedience.
The second full length animated Disney classic, Pinocchio (Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen, a.o., 1940), is based on the 19th century Italian novel of the same name by Carlo Collodi. The kind woodcarver Geppetto creates a wooden marionette, which he calls Pinocchio. His wish for Pinocchio to be a real boy is unexpectedly granted by a fairy. The fairy assigns Jiminy Cricket to act as Pinocchio's 'conscience' and keep him out of trouble. Pinocchio is weak-willed and Jiminy is not too successful in his endeavour. Pinocchio doesn't always listen to reason and most of the film he is deep in trouble. The story has never a dull moment. In fact Pinocchio is about childhood and temptation. Tasting jam, stealing, not going to school, lying, childhood is full of temptations. Everything is new then everything looks pretty. When the standard for kids is to obey to authoritarian figures who know the best for them, the most precious lesson in Pinocchio is not to obey for the sake of obedience but to follow your conscience. Differentiate between right or wrong. That's what being a real boy is about, being unselfish, trustful and brave, not being obedient.
Although the atmosphere is quite dark and creepy in some parts, most of the time Pinocchio is a sweet fairy-tale. It is entertaining, heartwarming and magical. Animation and soundtrack are superb. Made shortly after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the film showed marked improvement in the art of animation technology with startling special effects. The animation makes brilliant use of the multiplane camera, featuring a sprawling opening sequence in which the viewer practically sees the entire village at night. Geppetto's inventive clocks come to life as realistically as any real-life photography could do. The scene of Geppetto searching for Pinocchio with a lantern on a rainy night after he has been captured by Stromboli is unforgettable imagery. The characters are colourful and fun. Pinocchio is cute, innocent and lovable like a human child, although stubborn and prone to temptation at times. Jiminy Cricket is humorous and cool, but a bit impatient. Pinocchio is full of sweet characters like Geppetto's goldfish Cleo and kitten Figaro. Honest John Foulfellow and his sidekick Gideon aka "Giddy" are the perfect comic relief. Giddy is a cat and a funny mute character. Honest John is the epitome of the sly fox: not 'really' evil, but clever, hilarious, charming, shameless, unscrupulous and greedy. And Monstro, the enormous sperm whale, is one of the most impressive animated beasts of all time.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
I don't take often pictures of animals and their surroundings, but this was quite nice, even if it's in a zoo. Taken with the D800.
A crab spider lying in wait nestled into a thistle head! If anyone can help with a specific ID that would be great!
Category A listed historic townhouses designed in 1791 by Robert Adam. They were constructed 1803-07.
"Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east. The gardens are private and not publicly accessible.
Initially named St. George's Square in James Craig's original plan, it was renamed in 1786 after King George III's Queen and first daughter, to avoid confusion with George Square to the south of the Old Town. Charlotte Square was the last part of the initial phase of the New Town to be "completed" in 1820 (note- the north-west section at Glenfinlas Street was not completed until 1990 due to a long-running boundary dispute). Much of it was to the 1791 design of Robert Adam, who died in 1792, just as building began.
In 1939 a very sizable air-raid shelter was created under the south side of the gardens, accessed from the street to the south.
In 2013 the south side was redeveloped in an award-winning scheme by Paul Quinn, creating major new office floorspace behind a restored series of townhouses.
Edinburgh Collegiate School was located in Charlotte Square.
The garden was originally laid out as a level circular form by William Weir in 1808.
In 1861 a plan was drawn up by Robert Matheson, Clerk of Works for Scotland for a larger, more square garden, centred upon a memorial to the recently deceased Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria.
The commission for the sculpture was granted in 1865 to Sir John Steell. The main statue features an equestrian statue of the prince, in field marshal's uniform, dwarfing the four figures around the base. It was unveiled by Queen Victoria herself in 1876. The stone plinth was designed by the architect David Bryce and the four corner figures are by David Watson Stevenson (Science and Learning/Labour), George Clark Stanton (Army and Navy) and William Brodie (Nobility). The statue was originally intended to go in the centre of the eastern edge of the garden, facing down George Street.
This remodelling featured major new tree-planting which took many years to re-establish.
The central open space is a private garden, available to owners of the surrounding properties. For the last three weeks in August each year Charlotte Square gardens are the site of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The railings around the gardens were removed in 1940 as part of the war effort. The current railings date from 1947.
On the north side, No. 5 was the home of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881–1947), who bought it in 1903 and gave it to the National Trust for Scotland on his death. It was the Trust headquarters from 1949 to 2000. Bute did much to promote the preservation of the Square.
Nos. 6 and 7 are also owned by the National Trust for Scotland. No.6, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. In 1806 it was home to Sir John Sinclair creator of the first Statistical Account of Scotland. No. 7 was internally restored by the Trust in 1975 to its original state, and is open to the public as The Georgian House. The upper floor was formerly the official residence of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The building includes one fireplace brought from Hill of Tarvit in Fife in 1975.
West Register House, formerly St. George's Church, forms the centre of the west side. It was designed by the architect Robert Reid in 1811, broadly to Adam's plan. The church opened in 1814 and was converted to its current use in 1964. It is one of the main buildings of the National Records of Scotland.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. A masterpiece of city planning, it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the Old Town, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.
Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
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Unknown cosplayer dressed up as Lucy, the main protagonist from the manga/anime Elfen Lied. Can anyone ID the cosplayer?
Did a bit of experimenting with this one. Cropped in photo, lens blur on the background, B&W layer, and masked out all the reds and pinks so that only they showed through the B&W layer. I had to manually do all of the really tiny blood splatter marks by hand (took about 20 minutes).
Comments and critiques?
UPDATE: Lucy was featured in a Japanese article on Elfen Lied.
UPDATE 2: I discovered via a photo search service (Foter) that my image was on their site as part of a creative commons search. The licensing on Foter is incorrect. I list all of my images as "Attribution - Non-Commercial Use, No Derivatives allowed." Somehow, this image did not have that licensing and has since been updated and corrected. I don't mind folks using my work as long as there is credit given. If you want to use any of my images for a commercial use or as a derivative source for a new image, please contact me first to get permission, make a small licensing payment, or run your idea by me as it is totally possible I will like your idea but at least give me the option to say, "No, I don't think this will work with my image or I am uncomfortable with where this is going and politely decline."
Large version available HERE.
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Lier Psychiatric Hospital, formerly known as Lier Asylum, is a large facility in Buskerud, Norway. Opened in 1926, it's six patient blocks were intended to become one of the leading institutions curing and housing mental patients. At it's most, almost 700 patients were held here.
Although many were cured, the hospital is renowned for their experimental use of electroshock, lobotomy, and LSD. In 1992, documents revealed a number of 373 patients having been lobotomized in the period of 1941 to 1959 alone.
In 1986, most of the buildings were closed due to downsizing and the use of newer facilities in Drammen, but there's still some activity left on the premises.
After several years of discussion, money has been granted to remove the old, worn down buildings. I hope I'll be able to go back there at least once more before they are demolished.
The pictures in this set are from building D.
Love Lies Bleeding: Swinburne did it first, Elton John a bit later.
Strobist: Two Sony HVL-F58AM flashes diffused and positioned high left and right.
Lying down on the down platform at Kirkby Stephen, I have captured 66424 heading south. This is the daily 6K05, Carlisle - Crewe Departmental working.Taken on the 21st May 2015 at 1339
The night is dark, but there it lies,
a house of light that burns my eyes.
The sky is black, just like my life
the ghosthouse claims my soul tonight.
Lepchajagat- an adobe of peace.
Destination
Situated in the northern part of the state of West Bengal, India, amidst the lap of mighty Himalayas, Lepchajagat is a tiny village of the Lepcha tribes, has been of growing awareness in recent times for passionate nature lovers. It lies only 14 km away from Darjeeling at an altitude of 2123 m above sea level, and 85 km away from nearest railway station of New Jalpaiguri (NJP). Kolkata is 613 km away from NJP.
The early settlement
Lepcha is a tribe, originally of North-Eastern Himalayan regions including Darjeeling. “Lepchajagat” means “The World of Lepchas” in literal sense, existed as a quiet settlement, much earlier than the British made their expedition into these places.
Original being the indigenous people of Indian States, Lepchas were the nature worshiper and had belief in witch-craftship and spirits. But in due course most of them turned Buddhists, and few to Christianity. Some Lepchas have not given up their shamanistic religion, which is known as Mun.
What so special about Lepchajagat?
Lepchajagat is a place of beautiful people and awe-inspiring nature. The small hamlet is surrounded by thick pristine forests of Rhododendron, Oak, Pine, and Dhupi trees. Fascinating trails of nature will give you a sense of self revelation, and meaningful existence of life. The forest floors are worth watching for colourful mosses and ferns. It’s a paradise for bird lovers.
Every season in Lepchajagat is marked by its uniqueness. Late April to middle of May it’s a heaven for Rhododendron lovers. Monsoon is my special choice for its lush green foliage, and sounds of rain in darkness. October to November is ideal for viewing majestic Kanchenjungha, especially from its popular viewpoint. This is one of the finest places to see all five peaks of Kanchenjungha.
Homestays and food
Almost all are homestays. It is a new concept of ecotourism. You will stay in local homes with their families sharing common homemade food. The quality, hygiene, and tastes are highly satisfying to people who love local flavours. The hospitality of the hosts will make you feel at home. You will feel cosy without luxury.
The Pakhrin homestay- my choice
I stayed at Pakhrin homestay. To the best of my knowledge it is situated in the best place of the village to have a wonderful view of the surroundings. Its hospitality and food melted my heart. In a clear evening you may experience Darjeeling as a cluster of jewels from your balcony. I think the rooms of the second floor facing the balcony are the best for stay. You will get every facilities of a three star hotel.
This home stay is placed at the most strategic point. Only a 10 minute nature’s trail by the side of the homestay will reach you to the highest viewpoint, and another trail right below the premises will reach the guest house of West Bengal forest department. The guest house is another lovely place to stay where from one can see Kanchenjungha directly from bedrooms.
Tourist attractions around Lepchajagat
Ghoom
Only 12 km away from Lepchajagat. Famous for Batasia loop for toy train, Memorial Park and Ghoom Monastery.
Darjeeling
Only 12 km away from Lepchajagat. Famous as “Queen of Hills”, tea, and many others.
Jorpokhri
A paradise for nature lovers. Its pristine forests and serenity will touch one’s soul, I’m sure. Its Himalayan salamander reserve is world famous. A sacred place for Hindus for its Durga and Kali temple.
BLUE
This is a color that seeks peace and tranquility above everything else, promoting both physical and mental relaxation.
It reduces stress, creating a sense of calmness, relaxation and order - we certainly feel a sense of calm if we lie on our backs and look into a bright blue cloudless sky. It slows the metabolism. The paler the blue the more freedom we feel.
Lies Baas 2012 Today we are married for a whole 7 months!!
And I tend to see hearts all over the place, all the time, everywhere ;-)))
www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/zabriskie-point-reopens.htm
Zabriskie Point
The popular vista was built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company in the 1920s and was named after the company's vice president and general manager, Christian Zabriskie. The site was originally intended as a waystop for visitors in automobiles to see Manly Beacon, the prominent landmark in Death Valley's "Badlands". It remains as one of the most visited areas within the park.
Due to prevalent fall and winter precipitation in the park, wildflowers are abundant on alluvial fans and in swales and gulleys across the park landscape.
See dramatic badlands from two vantage points
Every imaginable shade of gold--from orange to apricot to school-bus yellow--is visible in the wrinkled Golden Canyon cliffs, whose folded and eroded layers glow at sunrise and sunset. Pick your favourite perspective: Drive to Zabriskie Point and survey the scene from on high, or see the vibrant beauty up close by hiking in Golden Canyon. For casual sightseers, Zabriskie Point (off Hwy. 190) offers a stunning view of the multi-hued badlands from a 100-yard-long paved trail.
"It’s one of the park’s most photographed viewpoints and a busy spot at sunset."
It’s one of the park’s most photographed viewpoints and a busy spot at sunset. The Golden Canyon hike starts from the opposite side (off Badwater Road, 3.5 miles/5.6 km southeast of the visitor center). It’s a moderate out-and-back of about two miles, which can be extended into 5.5-mile/9-km loop. From the parking area, the trail heads gently uphill through soft canyon walls colourfully banded in yellow, beige, and cream, which signifies the presence of different minerals. Be sure to go the extra few steps to Red Cathedral, a towering cliff coloured red by the weathering of iron-rich rocks.
www.visitcalifornia.com/attraction/golden-canyon-zabriski...
The largest national park south of Alaska, Death Valley is known for extremes: It is North America's driest and hottest spot (with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F), and has the lowest elevation on the continent—282 feet below sea level. Even with its extremes, the park still receives nearly a million visitors each year.
In 1849 emigrants bound for California's gold fields strayed into the 120-mile long basin, enduring a two-month ordeal of "hunger and thirst and an awful silence." One of the last to leave looked down from a mountain at the narrow valley and said, "Good-bye, Death Valley."
The moniker belies the beauty in this vast graben, the geological term for a sunken fragment of the Earth's crust. Here are rocks sculptured by erosion, richly tinted mudstone hills and canyons, luminous sand dunes, lush oases, and a 200-square-mile salt pan surrounded by mountains, one of America's greatest vertical rises. In some years spring rains trigger wildflower blooms amid more than a thousand varieties of plants.
Native Americans, most recently the Shoshone, found ways to adapt to the more recent and forbidding desert conditions that exist here now. Rock art and artifacts indicate a human presence dating back at least 9,000 years.
From 1883 to 1889, wagon teams hauled powdery white borax from mines since fallen to ruin, an enterprise that spread word of Death Valley's striking landscapes, deep solitude, and crystalline air.
As night falls, Death Valley's elusive populations of bobcats, kit foxes, and rodents venture out. Far above on steep mountain slopes, desert bighorn sheep forage among Joshua trees, scrubby junipers, and pines, while hawks soar on thermals rising into vivid blue, cloudless skies.
Did You Know?
The highest mountain in the park, 11,049-foot Telescope Peak, lies only 15 miles from Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the U.S. The vertical drop from the peak to Badwater Basin is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon.
Named by gold prospectors struggling through the area in 1849, Death Valley has been inhabited by Timbisha Shoshone Native Americans; gold prospectors, including slaves; Chinese immigrants mining for silver and borax; Basque immigrants who settled here at the turn of the 20th century; and Japanese Americans temporarily interned here during World War II.
Hottest, Driest, and Lowest National Park:
www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/death-valley-national...
STORIES :
www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/stories.htm
www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/death-va...
THE LIE MACHINE (2014)
Suitcase, computer, speaker, Voice Stress Analysis software, autobiographical read-by-the author audiobooks (Palin, Obama, Clinton, Bush)
Voice Stress Analysis (VSA) is a highly contested and controversial lie detection technology. Through the detection of variations in the microtremors of speech, truthfulness is evaluated through analysis of live or recorded voice. As a result, the technique can be applied surreptitiously, even posthumously, to the vast storehouses of spoken audio available.
The Lie Machine processes recorded audio with standard Voice Stress Analysis algorithms. The archive chosen for this analysis is a set of audiobook autobiographies, each read by its author: Decision Points by George W. Bush, Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin, A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair, My Life by Bill Clinton, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama.
The title, “The Lie Machine” is taken from a 1973 Playboy Magazine article by Craig Vetter of the same name, on the subject of the Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE). The PSE was the first commercially available VSA-based instrument, “designed to fit into a Samsonite briefcase.” The algorithm gained notoriety recently in the U.S. trial of George Zimmerman for the charge of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin, where Zimmerman was cleared of the charges based partly on his successful passing of a CVSA test (Computer Voice Stress Analysis).
“We are not concerned with the guilt or innocence of a suspect, only in whether or not he seems to be lying. He’s either D.I. or N.D.I. -- deception indicated or no deception indicated.” (Playboy, 1973)
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Eastern Bloc presents the second segment of our 2015-2016 three-part cycle of exhibitions and activities, BPLTC, on the general theme of biopolitics. This cycle is divided into three segments: Cellular Control, Identity Control, and Food Control. The development of computer and digital technologies enables important command of human activities, responding to major financial, corporate and political interests, sometimes for better. Advances in research and its technical applications raise complex issues that are central to communities, and are located at the heart of current political challenges. Many new media and digital contemporary artists are now incorporating theses questions into their work.
www.easternbloc.ca/exhibits-bpltc-ii-details.php
Participating Artists:
Jamie Allen, Mushon Zer-Aviv, Zach Blas
The ancient site of Tanis lies in the north east of Egypt's Delta region and dates back to the 19th Dynasty, later becoming the seat of power for later pharaohs during the 21st and 22nd Dynasties.
Many of the monuments here are inscribed for Ramesses II but are believed to have been transferred at a later date from his former capital 'Pi-Ramesses', modern Qantir, (one of the nearby villages we travelled through en route here) where little remains today. The cities in the Delta were built along the many branches of the Nile that bisect this region, but with the silting up of some branches over time such settlements became vulnerable and were abandoned, as happened at Pi-Ramesses and later its replacement Tanis in turn.
The site today is located near the modern village of San el Hagar and the surviving ruins largely consist of isolated inscribed blocks, scattered obelisk and architectural fragments and pieces of large scale sculptures. It is nonetheless an impressive spectacle and a great site to explore, the almost caramel colour of the stone and desert adds much to the atmosphere.
More complete are the tomb structures of the 21st & 22nd dynasties, the tomb of Shoshenq III being complete except for its roof and filled with reliefs and sarcophagi. The tomb of Psusennes I (along with Amenemope and Shoshenq II who were also interred there) is located nearby under a surviving section of the ruined plinth of the former temple of Amun, but the tombs themselves can only be glimpsed through openings. These tombs yielded intact treasures when they were investigated by Pierre Montet in 1940 and the contents are now on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
My first encounter with Tanis was of course via one of my favourite films, Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which it is the setting for the stunning 'Map Room' and 'Well of Souls' where the Ark of the Covenant is found in the film. Of course none of it was filmed here (or even in Egypt itself) but I was intrigued to see broken obelisks like the one that led Indiana Jones to the target! But the film's claim that the city had been lost up to that point is pure myth, it has been investigated frequently since the early 19th century.
Our trip to Tanis was slightly complicated by the security situation, it is quite remote and the closest we got to the trouble spots in the Sinai, thus we were held back at Tell Basta until an armed escort could accompany us. This didn't cause alarm, being something we had experienced already elsewhere, and a sign of how seriously Egypt takes the safety of its visitors. Nonetheless it was quite humbling having groups of guards making a special trip at short notice just for the two of us!
We didn't spend more than an hour on site here (despite having a very good local guide who was willing to show us more if we'd stayed) as it was getting late and we didn't want to keep our generous escorts waiting.
Because we are social animals, we are liable to lie rather than admit not being what authority figures or peers say we should be. www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_IzYUJANfk
Day 112 - Evil Pinocchio. I meant to design a photo for this Evil Pinocchio as well as the other figures, but I ran out of time, so I have been waiting to post my figures. This evil pinocchio features a custom nose for an angry Pinocchio (for you see, little did he know that when the Blue Fairy turned him into a real boy, she forgot to tell him that if he lied, his nose would continue to grow, and after years of lying, his new appendage was unsightly and angered him. Due to this, he created a remote control figure to drill into Gepettos head, and surgically install a wooden nose with leaves.