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Sometimes, great timing happens and everything connects for one short moment in life and makes you feel present in the universe.
As I was turning from a corner, I saw these delightful autumnal colours around the red brick wall and there walked a lovely young person dressed in perfect matching colours with Nature.
At that very moment, she had the same thoughts--as I learned a minute later--and that's when I stopped her for a portrait.
It was easy to talk to Riina, 23y/o, almost 24, in a fortnight. She acted naturally in front of my camera and my camera loved her. She become one with this delightful autumnal tableau.
Riina is a student of philosophy; her reflections upon my questions emphasised her philosophical education. I would have loved to discuss longer with her, but there wasn't enough time. She was on her way to support the Extinction Rebellion, the global environmental movement's manifestation in town. She did, however, promise to answer my questions by returning email.
I sent her the photos and was so glad to receive her answers within a few hours.
The floor is yours, Riina.
"When one is asked about "The Meaning of Life" I like to paraphrase whomever it was--I don't remember where I heard this and whether I'm remembering it right--who said that life does not have a meaning per se, but things within life have meanings, which I think, gets formed through specific subject's experiences and that same subjects relations to things they bump into within these experiences.
I'm talking about the meanings of life since those things that have a meaning or meanings to this specific subject, are the things that inspire me and are connected, I think, to all the your questions. So, at this moment in time I'm rather into--which means deeply in love with--books, philosophy, dancing, nature, especially forests, humour, especially satire, animals, especially dolphins, art, history, solitude, walking, writing and, I guess, thinking. These are the things I do in life, that I like to do in my spare time and that inspire me.
"What I love about myself is that I'm insanely curious--it brings a lot of meaning to my existence and keeps me, most of the time, rather satisfied, by which I mean excited and joyful. Interestingly, it seems that the more curious you are, the more curious you get; and the more curious you get, the more you get the learn. And I've had some amazing luck with ending up being this almost strangely inquisitive person. I really dig it!
"The Younger-Me question was to me definitely the easiest to answer; I would advice her to not be so deeply afraid of feelings, to not think of them as something one should wish to get rid of or worse, hide them and imagine them non-existent. It would have made things a lot easier, I suppose, if I'd understood feelings as mentionable, understandable, acceptable and manageable and not as some kind of demonic and horrible signs-of-weaknesses.
"And I thought a lot about what I would say to the world, but I suppose I can't imagine myself being a worthy advice-giver, since I'm myself actively trying to find a way to flourish. However, there's this one thought-provoker I like, which often helps me to answer a question of what it is that I "ought" to do in any specific situation; that is, "Imagine a person who would be in your opinion morally 'perfectly good'. How would they act in this situation?" I like this since it leaves us to imagine our own kind of goodness and own kind of perfection--which in my case means a person who definitely is not "perfect" in all kinds of situations, not even in most situations--and I don't have to end up implying that I'd know better about living a flourishing life than I do. It's kind of a version of "What would [...] do?" but a more imaginative one."
Thank you, Riina, I was happy to run into you so totally randomly, a second later and we would have missed each other. You were a breath of fresh air.
"It was really great to meet you, Ann, this was a lot of fun! I've never experienced anything like this and I appreciate you and all this!"
Riina
This is my 858th submission to The Human Family group.
Visit the group here to see more portraits and stories: The Human Family
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Hpa-An (Burmese: ဘားအံမြို့; MLCTS: bha: am mrui. [pʰə ʔàɴ mjo̰]; S'gaw Karen: ဖးအါ, also spelled Pa-An) is the capital of Kayin State (also known as Karen State), Myanmar (Burma). The population of Hpa-An as of the 2014 census is 421,575. Most of the people in Hpa-An are of the Karen ethnic group.
Climate
Hpa-An has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although maximum temperatures are somewhat depressed in the monsoon season due to heavy cloud and rain. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October). Torrential rain falls from June to August, with over 1,100 millimetres (43 in) falling in August alone.
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Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
A couple pauses under an umbrella while snow covers the streets in midtown Manhattan during winter storm Nemo.
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Camera: Sony a99 | Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
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I live for snowstorms in New York City. So you can just imagine how bummed I was last winter season when we barely got any snow. Growing up in New York City, I remember quite a few blizzards and its with fond nostalgia that I always wish for at least one great snowstorm during the winter. New York City is extra beautiful when covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When I heard that winter storm Nemo (also known as the Blizzard of 2013, February snowstorm and other terms) was going to deliver some gorgeous white flakes from the sky I was more than ready for it. The photos in this set are not edited the way I would normally edit them. I just basically imported them into Lightroom and adjusted some contrast in a few cases from the RAW files. I will most likely go through the photos here plus others that I am not posting and give them the Vivienne treatment at some point. I am just floored at how incredible it was to shoot the snow with the Sony a99. I did go out of my way to protect it despite it being weather-sealed since it isn't technically my camera and since my lenses also needed protection. I must have been quite a sight in my ski-mask, enormous scarf, giant winter boots and a camera covered in plastic. :) It seemed like I had an easier time shooting in this snowstorm than in the two blizzards that I took photos in back in 2010 and 2011. I think it's because the wind was far more manageable and because I was out before the blizzard hit with full force. While the snow was heavy, the winds were easy to deal with in some respects since the gusts were few and far between.
I decided to walk from where I live on the Lower East Side all the way to Times Square since I do this particular walk frequently and know all of the spots I have always wanted to capture in the snow. I had a blast! The wind did get stronger and stronger as I got closer to Times Square and by the time I made my way home it was full-on blizzard conditions so I think I went at the optimal time. I somehow managed to take photos in the East Village, around Union Square, Chelsea (in truth, I had really hoped that the Empire State Building would be visible but it was completely hidden by the snow and lack of visibility), 5th Avenue, Midtown, the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, Bryant Park (which was absolutely ethereal in the snow) and finally Times Square.
And so, the photos here are pretty much almost straight out of the camera save for a few tweaks to levels, no fancy tinkering (but I can't wait to do so!).
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View more of my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my photography profile on Google Plus: New York City photography by Vivienne Gucwa
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To use any of my photos commercially, simply click the link which reads "Request to license Vivienne Gucwa's photos via Getty Images". This link can be found on the bottom right corner of the page of the photo you are interested in using.
I never thought East Germany would be such a great place for photography. There were a ton of places for good photos and it was all a bit overwhelming... It was nice to take breaks on occasion for some hearty German snacks to keep my carbs at manageable levels.
For more info or tutorials, visit www.stuckincustoms.com !
The M7 (Ptolemy) star cluster (above and to the left of the top of the lighthouse) is part of the Greater Sagittarius Star Cloud near the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. Above and slightly to the right is the M6 (Butterfly) cluster which sits in the dark area that always shows up so prominently in Milky Way photographs.
To keep the rays of light narrow and the stars from smearing at this FL, I kept the exposure to 1s. This required an ISO of 12,800, which the A7S can do with very manageable noise
Sony A7S, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L II, 165mm, f/2.8, 1s, ISO12,800
With the East Coast mainline blocked north of Berwick-upon-Tweed for four successive weekends on the trot from September 16th for track renewals the site at Reston had seven trains from various operators queued up. Here leading the pack is 66 429 working 6K07 05.25 ex Tyne Yard standing at milepost 47½ just south of Reston GSP crossovers while track panels are loaded off the down line at the trains rear. The cranes being out of sight round the corner are preceded by the cutting gangs trolley which is in view as the p-way staff cut the track into manageable lengths for loading onto the YKA 'Osprey' wagons. I don't think the chap climbing under the rear bogie was overly impressed with where I was asked to stop as he was marking panel lengths on the up line with a track paint aerosol.
Lomer Farm in Hampshire is a place steeped in history, with its roots tracing back to medieval times. It was once the site of a village that has since become deserted, leaving behind a landscape of grassy mounds and nettle patches where buildings once stood. This area, located on a plateau of Upper Chalk, is surrounded by evidence of ancient habitation, including Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows. The farm itself is part of the Preshaw Estate and contributes to the rural charm of the region, offering a glimpse into the agricultural heritage of southern England. Today, Lomer Farm is also recognised for its contribution to the community, providing a free drinking water point for travellers along the South Downs Way, a testament to the farm's ongoing legacy in the area.
This View is from the the South Downs Way on the south-east of the farm. The Wayfarer's Walk joins with South Downs Way in the farmyard on the left from the south-west. The co-joined paths continue for 1,140 meters behind the farm in a east - north - east direction. The paths diverge at Wind Farm. That's it's name, there are no wind turbines there.
The South Downs Way is a remarkable 160-kilometer trail stretching from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex, offering an immersive experience through the picturesque South Downs National Park. This historic path, which has been traveled for over 8,000 years, is not only a haven for hikers but also a journey through England's rich history, with sites like the medieval village of Lomer, which was deserted during the plague. The trail is a blend of stunning landscapes, wildlife, and panoramic views, making it a perfect setting for a variety of outdoor activities, from walking to bird watching, and even camping. Whether you're looking for a challenging adventure or a peaceful stroll through nature, the South Downs Way provides an opportunity to connect with the countryside and its heritage.
The Wayfarer's Walk is a captivating 113-Kilometer trail that traverses the picturesque Hampshire countryside, offering walkers a diverse experience from the high chalk downs at Inkpen to the serene Emsworth Harbour. This long-distance route is steeped in natural beauty and historical significance, guiding adventurers through vibrant chalk-stream valleys, peaceful villages, and bustling market towns. Each section of the walk presents a unique day out, whether you're seeking exhilarating views from the downland, encounters with wildlife, or a tranquil seaside picnic. The trail is well-marked and divided into manageable sections, making it an accessible adventure for walkers of varying abilities.
www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/d...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Downs_Way
www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/countryside/walking/wayfarers...
I am officially finished with this little project. I'm pretty sure this is the longest it's ever taken me to complete a quilt. I bought the fabric back in May, came up with the idea for the pattern in September and got to work on September 19, a little over a month ago. This project has been haunting me and I'm so glad it's finished!
This is the largest quilt I've made to date and the first time I didn't use free motion quilting. Yikes...all of those straight lines got pretty tedious. It got to the point where I made myself quilt it in one hour blocks so that I would at least get something accomplished. And to top that off, I decided to go with the not so speedy machine stitched/hand stitched binding method seen here. The hand stitching took forever and wasn't quite as fun as embroidery, but I got the hang of it after a while and now it seems a bit more manageable.
I was so happy to throw the quilt in the washer and dryer and see it come out in all its crinkly, wrinkled goodness.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
The EF76 Nebulon-B Frigate has to be one of my favorite ships from the original trilogy. After rewatching the beautiful ending scene in Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, I decided to take on the Midi-Scale challenge once again.
This very compact model is made of 1,464 pieces and measures 48cm. With this design, I tried to maximize the density factor in the smallest, most convenient size possible.
The Nebulon-B features a movie-accurate, fully asymmetrical design, from side panels to greebles and surface detail. It also includes cannons, sensors, an accurate and intricate bridge section, a streamlined water tank, and many small details seen on the original ship.
Reproducing the various front assemblies, small buildings in the back and all the greebles around the engine section took lots of fine-tuning, mindful part choices, and fun gap-filling sessions to closely match the ILM prop model.
The building process isn't too long nor complex: I once again went for a fully modular approach, and the reasonable part count makes it both a manageable and relatively affordable build.
The EF76 comes with a wide built-in stand and can be moved around easily. It can even be grabbed and held by its long middle section which is made of a sturdy technic liftarm configuration.
► Instructions for the Nebulon-B are available at BrickVault!
Did the Victorians learn tuneups from the Sicilians or Andy Sipowitz? I needed to edit a McIntosh farm house interior shot that was manageable. At least natural light shots look real if I avoid HDR. Here is a parlor entertainment center... and people came from miles around to listen to the Victrola (and a free meal). I went out to the Ag Museum to reshoot inside the farm house, on the last week end of their season. I wanted to repeat some interior shots with the full frame camera. There is always something to find out here, inside and out. I went out today to straighten out my buns from all the retouching.
After the meal is prepped in the early Twentieth Century farm house kitchen, the meal was spread in the dining room. No hamburger-schlepper meals were prepared here! Mama was at work all day long and she probably had to keep the pets out of the kitchen. When done with dinner, the neighbors down the road pop in for the player piano and an evening chat in the parlor. Light the fancy oil lamp and crank up the Victrola. Ahhh, Victorian rock and roll! Don't let the Master's Vice nor RCA mutt bite. Comfortable chairs will ease the day's labor.
I had my podzilla and repeated much of what I shot before. I managed to gobble this scene as best I could. I was happy with my results but I could do better with a reshoot on an overcast day.
Happy SHIPtember! Weighing in at 100 and a bit studs long, this is the flagship of the White/Red Stripes fleet. Or, is this red with white stripes? I leave that distinction to the viewer. All in all, I'm pleased with this. Pay no attention to the bottom half of the build, where I've run out of tiles.
The shaping was the fun part of this, my inspiration was some Homeworld Mobile concept art that has to some extent influenced my entire little fleet. Specifically, the triangular engine array. The build started there and worked backwards, and from there I just made it up as I went along. (In fact, the engine surround is probably my favourite part of the build, along with the panels just behind the nose that nestle perfectly against the red stripe.) Breaking away from the Hiigaran concept art, I settled on a less blocky nose and settled with a more alligator-snout design. I'm particularly pleased with the internal structure which has essentially eliminated any sag, which is more than I can say for the first draft.
It feels like I've built this ship at least twice, and in some areas more. The initial framework was solid, to the extent that going back to make adjustments necessitated an almost from-scratch rebuild of that section. However, I've built it to be totally modular, which will help with the transport to STEAM.* The panels along either side all detach, the nose can split along the top and bottom, and even the frame itself can separate into much more manageable 30ish stud long sections. I shall take internal pictures if I remember during the teardown, perhaps.
So there we are, space! Hope you like it, click through the rest of the photostream for more pictures.
*In just under 2 weeks, for the weekend of the 11-12 October, this, along with the rest of the fleet, and my ADU vs Alien invaders, will be on display at the Railway Museum in Swindon. Come say hello if you're in the area.
Today seemed to swell and contract. It was manageable one minute, and out of control the next. Kids everywhere; too much noise. I finally said enough, get your coats, we're going to the library. And they obliged. So, today I am most thankful for the library, a place to restore my sanity and calm my wild children.
My little essay-impressions from this region.
"This is something incredibly dear! I remember, despite the city life, something was transmitted from ancestors. I do not know who came from and where he lived. We can be from anywhere - the land is huge, we can have roots in any people - love is not always manageable. But these regions have everyone in the memory of generations. Here are these meadows with the tart smell of autumn grass, these river lakes with mists whitish at dawn, these are spacious villages with houses without fences from neighbors, because everything was one. I remember when everyone lived in a free friendship, when the economic peoples lived in harmony with nature, taking only what was needed, when people sang in the blue evenings after a day's work, but with the first golden rays they started to work. After all, it was then that labor was valued, it was a way of life, it was appreciated, it gave the basis to the people's dignity! I believe that all this has not gone away, while we have the memory of our ancestors! Not history is controversial, dependent, long-suffering, but a memory of the best, of aspirations for development, not enslaving nature. In Russia, there are still regions, there are still people who preserve reserves, reserves, our source is the wild expanses of Nature! "
A photo from a 4 day photo tour "Magic of the Leningrad Region" in the Veps Forest Nature Park. Veps Forest is a specially protected natural area of regional importance. On the left is a group of Veps villages (Makaryevskaya, Kazychenskaya). It is located on the shore of Lake Ladvinskoe.
Within 2-3 weeks I will do another photo tour in the Veps forest.
East of the Leningrad Region. September 25, 2017
prototype of "new angle" table for fritz hansen, 1960s
architect: jørn utzon 1918-2008
(iphone photo).
this little-known prototype I found in our best copenhagen auction house when the utzon family sold parts of his art and design collection. for reasons unknown, I failed to put in a bid. the table sold for very little.
the principles of the final design are here, the 45 degree cut off of the frames that allow them to come together so elegantly in three dimensions. only the curves are missing.
this, I believe, is one of the places where the direct influence of utzon's reading of the yingzao fashi, the Chinese building manual published in 1103, can be seen. reducing complex geometry to a manageable kit of parts is one of the lessons of the yingzao fashi and it became a central issue in utzon's work when he won the sydney opera house competition. here is one of the clearest examples, with a puzzle-like and distinctly Asian feel to it.
more utzon here
please name photographer "SEIER+SEIER".
do NOT copy texts, tags and comments.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
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Children are children, everywhere I've gone. They're instinctively happy and playful. Some are curious, some are afraid, but generally friendly like the majority of people I run into when traveling. The Himba children were no different.
Photographing them all was a joy. They were so eager to take photos and curious to see the results on the camera. Too eager at times, but manageable nonetheless. So much character for such young souls.
Blogged: www.aisleseatplease.com/blog/2016/4/14/when-i-was-young
The ONLY editing I did to the pictures was reducing them from the size I shoot in SL (4000×3500) down to a 1024 size manageable for the blog and Flickr. There’s been no cropping, no liquifying, no adjusting contrast or color balances or any of the other Photoshop tools I use on a regular basis.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
Honey/Miod
Right. UK Tax Returns are due by the end of the month. One is an accountant. Only 5 to go in 15 days. One may think: manageable. One does not know one also works full time aside one's private clients. Still - manageable. But one also should know that one has a small photography business to run. And a house to run. A child. A partner. A hamster. A cold.....
Thank goodness for the 365 project to keep me busy(!) :D
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
I took this in the waiting area for a tour of Adelaide city hall. Adelaide was my favourite city of the trip; it’s a more manageable size than Sydney or Melbourne, the people were extra friendly, and there is a cool green belt of parks completely surrounding the compact city centre.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
The EF76 Nebulon-B Frigate has to be one of my favorite ships from the original trilogy. After rewatching the beautiful ending scene in Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, I decided to take on the Midi-Scale challenge once again.
This very compact model is made of 1,464 pieces and measures 48cm. With this design, I tried to maximize the density factor in the smallest, most convenient size possible.
The Nebulon-B features a movie-accurate, fully asymmetrical design, from side panels to greebles and surface detail. It also includes cannons, sensors, an accurate and intricate bridge section, a streamlined water tank, and many small details seen on the original ship.
Reproducing the various front assemblies, small buildings in the back and all the greebles around the engine section took lots of fine-tuning, mindful part choices, and fun gap-filling sessions to closely match the ILM prop model.
The building process isn't too long nor complex: I once again went for a fully modular approach, and the reasonable part count makes it both a manageable and relatively affordable build.
The EF76 comes with a wide built-in stand and can be moved around easily. It can even be grabbed and held by its long middle section which is made of a sturdy technic liftarm configuration.
► Instructions for the Nebulon-B are available at BrickVault!
Madison Square Park in the snow during winter storm Nemo in midtown Manhattan.
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Camera: Sony a99 | Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
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I live for snowstorms in New York City. So you can just imagine how bummed I was last winter season when we barely got any snow. Growing up in New York City, I remember quite a few blizzards and its with fond nostalgia that I always wish for at least one great snowstorm during the winter. New York City is extra beautiful when covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When I heard that winter storm Nemo (also known as the Blizzard of 2013, February snowstorm and other terms) was going to deliver some gorgeous white flakes from the sky I was more than ready for it. The photos in this set are not edited the way I would normally edit them. I just basically imported them into Lightroom and adjusted some contrast in a few cases from the RAW files. I will most likely go through the photos here plus others that I am not posting and give them the Vivienne treatment at some point. I am just floored at how incredible it was to shoot the snow with the Sony a99. I did go out of my way to protect it despite it being weather-sealed since it isn't technically my camera and since my lenses also needed protection. I must have been quite a sight in my ski-mask, enormous scarf, giant winter boots and a camera covered in plastic. :) It seemed like I had an easier time shooting in this snowstorm than in the two blizzards that I took photos in back in 2010 and 2011. I think it's because the wind was far more manageable and because I was out before the blizzard hit with full force. While the snow was heavy, the winds were easy to deal with in some respects since the gusts were few and far between.
I decided to walk from where I live on the Lower East Side all the way to Times Square since I do this particular walk frequently and know all of the spots I have always wanted to capture in the snow. I had a blast! The wind did get stronger and stronger as I got closer to Times Square and by the time I made my way home it was full-on blizzard conditions so I think I went at the optimal time. I somehow managed to take photos in the East Village, around Union Square, Chelsea (in truth, I had really hoped that the Empire State Building would be visible but it was completely hidden by the snow and lack of visibility), 5th Avenue, Midtown, the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, Bryant Park (which was absolutely ethereal in the snow) and finally Times Square.
And so, the photos here are pretty much almost straight out of the camera save for a few tweaks to levels, no fancy tinkering (but I can't wait to do so!).
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View more of my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
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Plugging my way through my RAW files. So much to learn with switching from jpeg to RAW. The extra step of having to save the file in the different format is throwing me off and also dealing with a large file size at the end. I Googled about resizing for Flickr and really didn't come up with anything. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks. Oh the easy days of shooting jpeg.....lol :P I'd rather be out shooting then editing. :D
Edit: I just tried saving the RAW file as a jpeg instead of a TIFF and it's definitely a more manageable size without resizing. Is that the way to go?
The positive trend continues: 250 new infections, 27 hospital admissions and 32 new deaths have been reported. We are in the tail end of the epidemic! However, our subject experts keep stressing that the risks have not disappeared and we are urged to keep respecting the basic principles: (1) stay at home as much as possible, and definitely when you are sick, (2) wash your hands regularly, (3) wear a face mask in crowded places, and definitely on public transport, (4) avoid unnecessary contact with others, (5) remain within your bubble, and (6) keep the 1.5 metres social distance. In addition, Van Gucht, Belgium’s lead virologist, said that as long as we do not have an effective treatment or a vaccine, we should not rule out a second outbreak of Covid-19 in autumn or winter and that the only means we have to fight the evolution of the pandemic are screening and tracing. If that system of contact tracing and isolating sick people is no longer manageable because there are too many cases, we have no other solution than to break the chains of transmission by ensuring social distancing again. Is this a heads up for a second lockdown? I guess the outlook is not all rosy and it could very well be that I will end up picturing and documenting my hometown for a while –Kortedagsteeg, Ghent, Belgium
Boy, speaking of making it to the shade! This is perhaps my best example after the extended trek into the back lands. Here is another unedited snap in my stash. It's another of my savior of shade experiences. Perhaps the tomatoes can take care of themselves while I make another trek this summer or early fall.
Shaded spots are on the table again and I remember this trek that I thought would be peaches. My walk @ Golden Ponds today netted the century of temps. All I needed back then was a pretty good trek. I needed some greenery in the heat of the valley. I started out west from Ronnie's place but in the wrong direction and wasted a mile only to retrace my mile and set out west again. Who knew that the manageable forecast temps would be accompanied by absolutely oppressive hum-ditty that's "Seldom Seen" around here. By the time I got there, I was all in and fully tapped. I lay flat in the shady grass under a massive cottonwood and tried to find any sort of breeze. I figured there was a bonus in my camera for whoever found my bones. After a while, I cooled down and took some shots. I still had Propel carb-free sports drink left and when cool, I decided to trek back as long as I had topped off my hydration. False alarm.
I ended up here at South Fork of the St. Vrain; it is actually a wandering ditch. This land still supports grazing by the Bashor family even though this barn seems little used but amazingly still standing. And golly sergeant, they are grass fed and therefor produce no methane. Who knew cattle should eat their chosen healthy diet.
This old place shows no signs of Trumpery: noun: trumpery; plural noun: trumperies -- attractive (orange) articles of little value or use. I hope the STrumpet values the Russian Mafia over that Sicilian crowd when they come to collect. Russia has 'different' bankruptcy laws than do we. Their Mafia won't employ broken kneecaps this time! This is another bigly tribute series to the plains. This barn could be used as housing when the new tax cut shuttle all the money up to the trumeries.
On my trek out west to track down Ron, I drove around by Crane Hollow and stopped at his home. He wasn't there or at work and I always wondered what the abandoned barn out west of his place looked like close up. I headed out from Ron's place to do a survey of the area, knowing he runs along the roads in this territory and he doesn't care if I travel the area too. The temps were way up as was the humditty. We'll, OK I would have turned in the distance at Golden Ponds anyway! After my earlier shot, I worked my way around the trees and grabbed another shot over the meandering ditch. I need another trip on a day with better skies and more time and hydration. I worked to get the antlers over the barn door for better visibility. I suppose the farmer's wife would not allow elk indoors though they were after the barn's hay. This brings us to the realization the farm's proximity to the Rockies and why would elk not come down here for meals? The foothills are rising just to the west in the background. Next time I need to figure on taking some hydration or wait dodge summer. I personally found this to be a satisfying glimpse into our St.Vrain Valley before they riddled the productive lands with gravel holes and laid the land dead to production.
Above Five Flower Lake, Jiuzhai Valley (Jiuzhaigou) National Park, Sichuan province, China; autumn, mid-morning.
My mother was the driving force behind our visit here, which is an hour flight or 12 hour bus ride from Chengdu in western China; in fact, it was her third attempt to visit. I had never heard of the place. But I've been to nearly every U.S. national park, and I have to say that Jiuzhaigou in autumn stands with the very best of them. Thus far, the Chinese government deserves credit for operating the park the right way: no cars or lodging within the park, a decent trail system, and shuttle buses that bring you from one scenic spot to another. The park is remote enough such that the number of visitors still feels a little manageable, though that will change as Chinese incomes rise.
==Gotham Morgue==
November 5th. 14:50
"After four hours, firefighters have finally quelled the blaze at Wayne Manor. The fire, which is suspected to have began at 2:00am this morning, tore up through the west study and burned down the west wing. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, with Bruce Wayne unavailable for comment. His legal team was seen combating the police department outside the estate earlier today-" the television rang out.
"Sorry, we weren't sure how to reach you," the mortician said, as he walked Bridget, Ted and a third-wheeling Krill over to a covered body, and removed the sheet from off its' face.
"Yeah," Bridget sighed, as she placed her hand on his cheek. "That's him, that's Jacob."
The Mortician nodded, and left the room.
One hand clasped around a pink cupcake, Krill moved the blanket aside and whistled. "Boy, no wonder they called him Ant Man," he remarked, as he examined the naked body.
"They called him Ant Man, because he was five foot four, you unfeeling bastard," Pike replied.
Carson shook his head, looking down, glassy eyed at Jumbo's still figure. In his hand, he held a metal scalpel. "Where's Walker now?" he whispered, blood dripping from his hand as his grip tightened.
Krill took a bite out of his cupcake. "No idea," he chewed loudly. "A black truck left city limits six hours ago. Could be him, could be a Bat Metal tribute band."
Ted slammed the metal table. "Just find him."
"OoOoOoh," Krill replied mockingly, as he leapt into an orange portal, leaving the family alone. Ted gripped the scalpel even tighter.
"Dad, if you want to be alone, I understand-" Bridget began.
Ted shook his head, smiling faintly. "How'd they get to that car, kitten? How, did they get past you?" he asked her; and, without warning, he thrust the scalpel deep into Jumbo's chest- snarling as he did it. Bridget recoiled in fright, a hand placed on her holster.
"Stupid. Lazy. Fucking. Idiot," Carson bellowed at him, digging deeper into his flesh with each word, his breath rough and ragged.
He tilted his head towards his daughter, his face caked in Jumbo's blood, and hissed. "If you'd just done your fucking job, maybe you'd still have an uncle."
==The Iceberg Lounge==
November 11th. 20:58
Sionis looked up at the ceiling. Hanging from the rafters were a series of pale blue, glitter covered banners, all plastered with the same two words:
"Mayor Cobblepot," he read. "Surprised they even let you run again after that last term..."
"Well, City Hall is hardly a stranger to controversy," Penguin said smugly, leaning onto his umbrella. "Their golden boy was framed for murder and impeached before his time. And his replacements were a couple of Owl puppets who met rather unfortunate ends... Now a "former" mob boss on the other hand, that is much more palatable, wouldn't you say? There's a reason why they call it "organised" crime. It's manageable."
Sionis shrugged irritably, and sat back down beside Oswald. He glanced at Ferris, now poking a straw through the slit in his mask, and White, picking his teeth with a wooden splint, and swiftly downed his glass of scotch. Cobblepot flashed him an amused smile.
A guard rapped on the door. "White Mask just pulled up outside, sir," he called out. Li threw an anxious look at his boss.
Sionis pulled on his collar, adjusting his tie. "Send him in."
The doors flung open: dressed in a pristine white suit and a matching mask was David Franco. To his right, dressed in a blue suit, and a red ascot, was a scarred man Li recognised as Franco's own right hand, the Physician, who grumbled obnoxiously as he pulled a chair in-between White and Ferris, the latter's nose twitching as a faint fishy smell drifted into his mask.
Franco waved at the assembly, and took a seat opposite Roman; Great White struggled to stifle a laugh as the party turned to look at him, confused. "I always wondered what a Spy vs Spy remake would look like," he explained. "Deep cut, I know."
"Neutral location, smart!" Franco declared, turning his head back to Sionis, and removing his mask; exposing a mountain of swept back dirty blonde hair, and a pair of thick eyebrows. Ferris shot him an approving look.
White muttered under his breath. "Oh, Roman, his mask comes off. Does yours?"
"I know it's smart, it was my idea," Sionis replied stiffly, ignoring White's teasing.
Franco chuckled, as he pulled his seat closer to Roman's, and presented his fist. "It's great we can be civil like this, eh bro?"
Sionis looked at the expectant fist, and shook his head irritably. "Uh-Un."
Li cleared his throat, as he lay a printed document onto the table. "Mr Sionis would like you to refrain from using the following terms whilst in his presence: brother, bro, buddy, pal, friend, chum, dude and man."
"I can't say man? Man..." Franco sighed.
Sionis winced.
"He has also requested that all business be conducted through me," Li added.
"Is... Is "Mr Sionis" mute or something?" Franco paused.
"Mr Sionis was very close to his father. He found his infidelity highly upsetting," Bookworm explained.
Franco looked at Sionis then back at Li, eyebrow raised. "Really, because I thought he killed him?"
Intent on changing the subject, Penguin ran his fork along his plate loudly. "The Chilean Sea Bass is wonderful, you know," he said.
Ferris poked his own fish grumpily. "You got any hamburgers?" he grumbled.
"There's a Big Belly Burger down the street," Li replied, in the hope Ferris would simply get up and leave. Instead, Iron-Hat reached into his pocket, and ordered a takeaway on his phone.
"I'll take a blubber shake," the Physician said to Cobblepot expectantly.
Li noted the peculiar request, and looked at him curiously.
"Ah, my staff made some choice changes to our menu following the reconstruction. The blubber shakes were unsustainable. And violated several health codes..." Penguin murmured.
"Then, I'll just have water," he growled disappointingly. Cobblepot snapped his fingers, and the waiter disappointed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a small glass.
Sionis pushed his chair out, and walked out the room. "I can't do this."
"Excuse me," Li said, as he followed him into the cloakroom.
Left alone, the remaining mobsters sat idly, listening to them argue through the walls. Their attention diverted, the Physician grabbed the salt shaker, and poured it into his glass of water, stirring it with the end of Ferris' fork.
"Sir, please-" Li's voice called out.
"David Franco, Li. Dave Franco!" Sionis' voice hissed back angrily.
"It's a little confusing, but-"
"A little? A little! How can I run a drug empire without a hundred people hounding me on Twitter about a 23rd Jump Street film?"
"He's not Dave Franco."
"Don't care. Tell him to change his name."
"I'm not doing that."
"Yes. Do that. Call him... William, or Alex, or Usurper, you're good with names."
"Sir, you know what's at stake here."
...
"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine."
The door creaked open, as Sionis walked back in briskly, and slid into his chair. "I'm... supposed to invite you to a party. Every year, Janus hosts a holiday party, and this year-" Sionis looked at Li for support. "This year, I'd like you to attend."
White Mask put a thoughtful hand to his chin. "A party? In this climate? Government guidelines say-"
"Just. Say. Yes," Roman said through gritted teeth.
"Then yes," Franco replied uneasily. "Don't suppose I could bring a date?" he inquired.
"Sure," Sionis laughed suddenly. "And hell, if you can find someone who can stand to look at you- let alone bone you, all power to you."
"Finally," Ferris exclaimed, as he grabbed his food from the delivery boy, and poured the greasy mixture over the table. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you lot want anything?"
==Jenna Duffy's Apartment==
November 12th. 19:38
Jenna sat on her sofa, her phone sat beside her on a plump cushion. Every two minutes she'd glance at it longingly, as though she were waiting on something or someone, but she'd always resist. She paused the television- still playing a news report on the Wayne Manor fire, and wondered. 'Was that him?' she thought anxiously.
She let out a deep sigh, and finally, she relented, reaching out to her phone, only to find nothing- No text messages, no missed calls. Disappointed, she tossed it aside, and tucked her legs under again.
The doorbell chimed. 'Was it him?' she wondered again. 'Could it be?'
As she put her slippers on, she thought about what she'd say- most of it involved calling him a reckless idiot. She took a deep breath, and tugged on the door handle.
"Gar-" she began, then took a surprised step back. Dressed in a black overcoat, drenched in rain, and with an enormous box of chocolates tucked under his arm, was the White Mask.
"Davey?" she asked.
"Hiya, Jelly Bean, you have a moment?"
PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.
This is a short hike from the road (about 300m), a beautiful 30ft waterfall. Park on the road above the falls near the bridge. The trail is steep and a little difficult but manageable.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
*There was a network of GCR towers across central Gotham- One in the Bowery, one in the Industrial District, one in Amusement Mile. Almost all of these have been knocked down to make way for Arkham City, much to one Jack Ryder's annoyance, except for one above Park Row. That has to be where he's transmitting his signal. The Misfits walk through scared civilians and past demonic creatures, and think to themselves. Charles Brown worries, for his friends and the future.
"Bats thinks he's in Park Row, in the radio tower. Together, we make our way through the carnage, Blake still posing. He's just as loony as Julian. All muscles and smiles but no common sense"
Thomas Blake prances through the streets, looking at himself through broken windows and smiling
"I don't see what everyone's so hot and bothered. Day had a meltdown, who hasn't? Chancer joined a cult, Cobb nuked a small town. Small differences yeah, but the same thing mostly. He'll calm down when he sees his old pal Catman"
Leonard Fiasko takes a long puff of his cigarette and pulls his helmet over his face
"Day's crazy. We all might be, but at least we release it in small doses. He's repressed it and gone and fucked us over"
And finally, Montgomery Sharp swings his favourite bat around childishly. With his power, nothing concerns him
"I think I'll ask my manager for a promotion. I've a good feeling he'll say yes"
From above, The Batman flies overhead, scanning the area, beside him are the Firefly and Killer Moth. He is there to keep an eye on the situation while the Misfits below attempt to appeal to the Calender Man's humanity- or whatever's left of it, while his boys- his sons, disable the radio signal and restore order to Gotham once more. Lynns looks down at the fire below, and he's entranced. The elevator opens, and the C-Listers enter*
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*The walls are like the ramblings of a mad person- Maps, blueprints, CCTV images, the works. Sat beneath the enormous satellite dish- Jules. He sips a cup of coffee, and upon seeing us grins*
Julian- Ah, you made it. Even you. Thomas.
*Blake throws me and Len aside as he strides towards Jules confidently*
Blake- Even me!
*Oh god he's going to kill him isn't he?*
Blake- What are you playing at Jules?
Jules- You tell me Thomas. You seem to know everything. Always had all the answers. Always the cruelest of them all.
Blake- What? No man it's me-
Julian- I wasn't finished.
*The way he says it, like ice sends shivers down my spine. For the first time in my life I realise that this man isn't "Jules." He's the Calendar Man*
Jules- Tearing me down to build up your own ego. And for what? What's the difference between you and I really? Our gimmicks?!
Blake- The difference is, I'm not batshit insane!
Len- Yeah, appeal to his humanity Blake, I applaud you.
Jules- You spiteful, homophobic, sexist little man. Where is your honour now Blake? You think yourself a majestic beast don't you, but you are no predator- I am a predator. You're just an overcompensating pussycat. Go on. Arch your back. Hiss if it makes you feel better
*He's really upset, even Blake is speechless. Julian knew every button, and like a kid in an elevator he went and pressed them all. I have to step in*
Chuck- Jules, you're not well.
Julian- But I am Charlie, but I am. I finally have a clear head
*It's Len's turn, who scoffs, then points out towards the city, burning*
Len- Does this look like the work of someone with a clear head?
Julian- Well, yes.
Blake- How about this- we kill you, rip your head off and come back heroes
Julian- But when has that worked Thomas? It didn't with the Signal Man, it didn't with the Secret Society. You've never got that credit despite how much, how desperately hard you've tried. Because he always takes the credit. But now, we'll all be remembered. For this one glorious night. They might even rename it, make it an annual day of grieving. I would become a holiday.
*Chancer holds Jules' shoulder, who looks at the hand as though it's an insult. He looks right through it*
Chancer- Ok, time to go buddy
Julian- But you haven't asked how I did it
Blake- Spook and some fear gas.
Julian- No, not that. Everything. How did I get in and out of each place.
Chuck- You *broke* in.
Julian- I flew in.
Len- Fuck. He's doo-lally.
Julian- With your harness Charlie.
Chuck- What?
*Julian peels something off the wall and hands me a photo. Sure enough, it looks like me, but why-*
Julian- Look at this lovely CCTV photo, of a man in a kite harness entering the science fair. Want to know how I cleaned up after myself?
Len- You didn't.
Julian- A little bit of Fiasko's patented magic spray. You shouldn't leave that on the countertop Leonard. As for that poor miscreant, carved up on Word Nerd Day, does this knife look familiar Catman? And this baton Chancer, is the one I cracked over a guard's head.
*Chancer looks at the photo and mumbles something*
Chancer- That's not mine.
Julian- Well. Three out of four isn't bad. Besides, you were never there from the start...
Chuck- No one's going to believe you. The feds know you-
Julian- Why not? They believed the testimony of Lex Luthor and Danto Twag when they arrested Lynns and Walker last year. And you four never even got into politics. The Agency already suspects your involvement in some form, this'll just confirm it. Then we'll all be thrown in that shiny new prison we most certainly belong in. Together. And the underworld will never joke again.
Chuck- We- I don't want to be a supervillain! We just wear the costumes!
Len- Do you know the last felony I was charged with? Public intoxication. Not murder or some trash.
*I wanted to do this peacefully. Now there's no choice*
====City Hall====
Senator- You were given a chance Grange. Prove to us those, what did you call them, C-Listers were manageable. Now look at the mess of things. We never should have underestimated their kind.
Grange- Sir, please, this is just one man.
Senator- Impossible. Our agents found evidence linking at least ten other "minor" felons to these crimes. From Maximilian Zeus to Deke Mitchell.
Grange- Zeus? Why, because the killer used lightning? Mitchell because of the acid? You just want an excuse to lock them up
Senator- And if they are all involved *Ms* Grange, is that a risk you're willing to take?
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
Hpa-An (Burmese: ဘားအံမြို့; MLCTS: bha: am mrui. [pʰə ʔàɴ mjo̰]; S'gaw Karen: ဖးအါ, also spelled Pa-An) is the capital of Kayin State (also known as Karen State), Myanmar (Burma). The population of Hpa-An as of the 2014 census is 421,575. Most of the people in Hpa-An are of the Karen ethnic group.
Climate
Hpa-An has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although maximum temperatures are somewhat depressed in the monsoon season due to heavy cloud and rain. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October). Torrential rain falls from June to August, with over 1,100 millimetres (43 in) falling in August alone.
+++++
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
I only used natural windlight settings to show the beauty of the region. As with the previous SOOC exercises, the ONLY editing I did to the pictures was reducing them from the size I shoot in SL (4000×3500) down to a 1024 size manageable for the blog and Flickr. There’s been no cropping, no liquifying, no adjusting contrast or color balances or any of the other Photoshop tools I use on a regular basis.
slicesoflifesl.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/sooc-herd-of-the-...
Fuji Superia 200 isn't exactly a fine grain film but I definitely like the rather subtle tones and manageable contrast in combination with my old school 35mm summicron lens, especially skin tones. And it still comes at an affordable price...
Leica M6 TTL 2.0/35mm Summicron (I)
Fuji Superia 200 (C-41)
Epson 700 (scan from negative)
I have been doing a small art drawing every morning for some time now. I don't plan or overthink, I just do. Postcards are my substrate a manageable size for a quick drawing. It's interesting to see how the work evolves.
Railways of Great Britain
This start of another one of my collections, although I have posted a few in the past.
I have taken quite a few images over the years of Old Steam, Diesel and Electric engines and after sorting out probably 3,000 plus, I’ve now got it down to a more manageable number.
I’m starting with English Engines. Some of these images could be 25 years old. Many were transferred from negatives via a scanner so the quality will not be as good I would like. I have put them all through Photoshop to get rid of the most glaring issues
Apologies to those enthusiasts if I don’t get the right engine with the right Railway, they were taken a long time ago, some of them have moved on and my memory is not as good as it was.
Happy viewing.
It looked to be a good day for a hike in the foothills east of the Rocky Mountains, except for some wind. Snow was patchy on the trail in the lower reaches, but still manageable with just our boots. Once past the junction with Prairie Link Trail, we had to don our spikes to continue. A kilometre from the summit, however, the ridge had been swept free of snow, and we were back with just our boots without spikes. The same winds that kept the snow off the ridge top returned to pester and annoy us, cooling us down. We walked just over 18 km's, gaining just over 800 m's, and taking 5 1/4 hours to so.
This detritus around the infrastructure projects in Melbourne makes for a challenging composition. The light outdoors this spring was very manageable. Lots of drama in the sky and clouds.
One of several projects, that explore photography as evidence amongst other ideas.
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A rare sighting of this super rare, priceless and highly endangered (kena threaten) tailless cuckoo. Thought to be extinct at the turn of the century when one of these freak was sighted perching on a CB (chee bye) tree just outside Elvis's Pub (China Town, SG) on Independence Day in 1945. As far as records shown, this is the second sighting since the second world war, WWII. I'm sure there are more world wars ahead if this species continue to be sighted especially in SG and especially among the CB photographers here. The first sighting was however, in a faraway Jalan Bersar toilet a long long time ago, too long to remember and there's no point mentioning.
In fact this sensationally enigmatic bird is long suspected to be a close relative of a very strange thing called Archaeopteryx (missing link between dinosaur and modern bird. The anatomical characteristics between the 2 are almost identical except for one major difference in their respiratory system in which one take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide while the other take in money and expel laughing gas) this strange creature possess feathers just like a modern bird but with a mouth full of very sharp teeth just like the cuckoo shown above. The set of 32 sharp teeth always get the job done in amazing ways. Feathers first evolved as a means of temperature regulation, inadvertently providing the wonderful possibility of flight. A 200 million year old fossilized remains of this creature suggest that it possesses advanced flight feathers which bear close resemblance to the Long-legged bare-backed Cuckoo shown above and thus for sure it's able to fly like a housefly. It also shared many characteristics such as long sexy legs, bare back, 2 boobs, long hair, nice butt, nice smell, nice shape, tasty, crunchy, smooth complexion, contour body and most strikingly of all, able to stand on just 2 legs with or without heels. This is a clear indication that she is a bipedal vertebrate and having the ability to walk upright and wear dress. A far cry from its ancestors which could at the best of their ability only crawl in small circles on the floor and could fart a little bit along the way. But exactly at which stage of the evolutionary ladder when she starts to develop such unique and impressive characteristics remains unknown and often hotly debated among the brightest brains in the scientific community. One such bright sunny brain is Professor Humpty Dumpty from the University of Hornytown. He had devoted his entire life studying a 220 million year old fossilized remains and has make a startling discovery that the remains were actually leftover chicken bones from last night's dinner xyz***!!F__K!!KNN.
However it's hypothetically accepted that once the position of her butt had evolved sufficiently to line up with her skull within an angle of 13deg from her spine or in simple terms when all of her 206 bones have anatomically fall into their correct place to take the form of half a cuckoo she would begin to stand upright and able to walk and run in circles probably able to jump and sings twinkle twinkle little stars along the way. Fossilized records had showed that this happens around 135.25 million years ago and still happening today at 4pm. Incidentally, by looking at this bird you are watching evolution unfolding in real time right before your very eyes.
However, scientists are still missing 2 critical components needed to establish the link between the 2 creatures to be the same exact species....the elusive number 2 left butt cheek bone and the left nipple bone If anybody happen to come across these 2 missing items, please alert the ICI (International Cuckoo Institute) The 2 cuckoo scientists on duty will be glad to provide protocol on the handling of artifacts with great paleontological significance such as these.
Birds like this one is one of the immensely successful evolutional outcomes of nature, a cornerstone to the trail of life on the planet.
In the beginning of time (some 150 million to 220 million years ago), there was only one single most successful design of living thing on our primitive world known as the sexysaur. One fine day, this group of hopelessly overweight organism decided to go air borne. In order to achieve that, they dramatically reduced their size and started to develop wings and took flying lessons. The possibility of flight opens up numerous window of opportunities greatly enhancing the survival of the species and thus securing a successful path in the process of evolution. The ability to fly allows them to travel over great distances in short period of time to places otherwise unreachable in search of food or mate, sight seeing, look for loss pets, search for food court, or serve as quick getaway from nasty flightless debt collectors. The perfect strategy that results in the successful evolution of bird species in the world.
The Long-legged bare-backed Cuckoo display above is one of its success story for which she serves as a living testimony. No other species, subspecies, antispecies, funnyspecies or even nonspecies is as successful as this sexyspecies.
Those that did not buy the idea happily went extinct some 65million years ago (this group of idiots become known as the dinosaurs)
Those that took to the sky, took their success, secrets, tactics, riddles and technology with them. Those folks became the birds that we know today including the one shown above.
In fact, in the history of evolution, the earth has underwent not one but several mass extinction brought on by either very violent natural causes or of extra-terrestrial origin such as a massive asteroid impact. The most recent is 65 million years ago (in geological time scale is just about during the last Christmas when you are about to have the first bite of your favorite Christmas pie when a stone the size of a football stadium hit the earth with incredible devastating consequences). In that geological instance, the big boys dinosaurs are completely annihilated, leaving behind their descendants flying above us today and some left-over bones for us to ponder. Destructive and violent as it sounds but such occurrence actually accelerates and assist evolution by wiping out the out-of-date, out-of-fashion, out-of-steam, incorrigible, bossy, stingy, rude, smelly, noisy, inconsiderate, oversize, unreasonable, difficult to control, impossible to tame, obese, unfriendly, grumpy, uncooperative, busybody, potential terrorist, all talk no action, indecent, big bully and out-of-money dominant life forms and provide the possibility of diversification in the development of new and improved life forms or organism. Our very own existence is the eventual outcome of such destructive forces. Prior to this, we are just a bunch of noisy little apes wondering around the plains of Africa looking for berries to eat.
One burning riddle scientists are still trying to figure out is that why this particular cuckoo has taken evolution not 1 not 2 but hundred of steps further and go wingless yet fully capable of flight. Perhaps this is an adaptation to the strange combination of high sugar bubble tea/apple pie diet and the lack of horny ground predators in sg. Nevertheless, it's clear that birds have evolved from dinosaurs (some might have even developed from sexysaurs, a kind of horny dinosaur that refuse to be annihilated 65 million years ago despite being hit by a massive meteoroid from an amusement park across Wall street) and this bird has came a long way transforming from a 40 ft ferocious meat-eating T-rex to a bird-sized gentle bubble tea sucker.
Looking at the image, not much eye contact though. But back contact is not bad too. This one comes with my favorite original contour body, rosewood fretboard on maple neck, sexy G-string, synchronised tremolo and locking tuner by Fender. Wonder if she is a brood parasite. I certainly would not mind if she visit my nest, I would be more than happy to provide full gps coordinates of my nest : 3rd stone from the sun
Additional note :
130 million years of gradual speciation had resulted in a pair of long slender cuckoo legs that is covered with gorgeous fair smooth skin instead of scales found in other bird or bird-like species. This gives the animal a huge evolutionary advantage over a pair of stupid scaly legs. That would allows her to attract more horny male species resulting in higher number of nesting cycles, hence more offspring, especially horny female chicks..the more the better
This is the only cuckoo and for that matter the only bird species which spot the longest hair on the planet. These what looks like human pubic hair is in fact very fine strands of crystallized radioactive carbon 13.13 isotopes. The phenomenon is a result of a combination of factors. One such combination is the excessive exposure to male species not of her own kind during her most horny period.
This is a direct result of a hypothetical condition known as Reset Windup. In engineering term, Reset Windup is a situation whereby the cuckoo's brain is overloaded with corrupted data during an attempt to correct an excessive amount of error information accumulated in her hippocampus as a result of some serious horny misjudgment As a consequence, the inner lining of her skull's tissue is heated up by the contaminated fluid to extremely high temperature and pressure. In a response to such deadly situation, her brain would then starts to drain off the deadly sexy fluid thru' the follicles thus allowing the internal pressure to falls back to its normal level of 13000 PSI (Pound per Sexy Inch) at ambient temperature. Million of years of evolution has equipped this cuckoo with a super brain capable of processing tremendous amount of data in a very short period of time with self diagnostic, self troubleshooting, self stimulating and debugging function. This special abilities allow the cuckoo to correct the mentioned deadly condition incredibly fast thus protecting her brain from serious hardware, software as well as underwear injury. Otherwise she could be a mad cuckoo or worst, dead cuckoo with a living but very corrupted brain. For any other bird species, the result would be undoubtedly 100% fatal. Even panadol can't help either.
The sexy sticky yellowish fluid subsequently cools and crystallize into the black-colored hair-like particles suspended from her skull as shown in the image.
Anyway, regardless of the vast number of strange combination of factors, long hair is always better than no hair (botak) for this particular species..
A recent discovery of a set of fossilized upper jaw bone by Professor Robin Hoody (Swordsman University) lies buried for 200 million years
under a 7-Eleven store at Wall Street belonging to this species has revealed something extraordinary. At some point in its evolutionary past this creature has possessed something out of anybody’s imagination, venom yes 100% pure venom no joke.
It is evident by its 2 enlarged front teeth still attached to the jaw structure after 200 million years by a tiny piece of pre-historic Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum. It has evolved to generate and store huge amount of venom ready to inject into her lucky prey victim just for one single most important purpose, kill the bargirl.
Traces of fossilised DNA in her mouth indicates there are at least 2000 complex chemical components of various type of toxin in her venom composition.
Each component has evolved to perform a very specific task, some of which makes the victim laugh and dance in circles fully naked while others destroy the blood structure turning it into a thick straw berry chicken soup which halt blood flow resulting in a joyful death. Both methods are extremely effective in taking the lives out of its living victims
Together they form a very potent Hemotoxin cocktail cough syrup which design to kill its victim in miniseconds in one single bite sometimes 2, depending male or female sexually active prey.
How and why at one point in time this sweet and gentle creature has developed such a nasty defensive/offensive mechanism is still a subject of intense study and would remain so for the next 200 million years until some smart Alec comes along figure that out and comes up with a rational explanation follow by a possible resolution.
However, recent studies show that this creature has given up its deadly chemical weapon sometimes between 100million and 50million years ago for something that is less nasty and deadly, a pair of boob-like airbags which attached to her chest. (subsequently the patent for the generation of the deadly venom has been sold to Poseidon (sea god) which he then deploy on some of his cheeky sea creatures such as Cone Snail, Box Jellyfish and Blue ring octopus to kill innocent cold blooded prey items under the sea and is met with huge success as a result of its extreme toxicity which could deliver instant death to their victims. They would become the world's most venomous animals. There are plans to expand its venom producing plants to China taking advantage of its cheap labour and free WIFI.
The reason for that is largely due to the extreme seasonal/environmental change which has impacted the behavior of her aggressive fast moving prey items. The greenhouse effect has caused her prey items to become more sluggish, stupid, lazy, groggy, grumpy, inconsiderate, abusive, unreasonable and most importantly loses their ability to run fast which eventually lead to their demise. (this is exactly
what 's happening to us currently)
As such, advance predator such as this female cuckoo, which is designed to be predatory at that moment in the evolutionary history also changes her predatory instinct. She can then focus her energy into more mating cycles instead of wasting her resources to generate venom of such complexity to bite and kill fast running sexy preys which has became obsolete since. Instead of biting her victim to death she seduce them to die for her. This method only works on male prey items for obvious reasons. Concurrently, she also give up the idea of large prey predation and devote to eat something more manageable in size such as tiny worms and occasionally a Big Mac or 2.
The male cuckoo however, is non-predatory from the very beginning of time and only eats fresh buttercake and drink lukewarm pure pussy juice.
highlight :
The absence of the usual tail feathers has revealed an extraordinary appealing organ which is usually well hidden from sight known as a butt and it grab me by the throat. This piece of juicy, extremely elastic, hand woven, shiny, safe-to-use, easy to wash, irresistible, often unusable, machine washable, microwave safe, warm & smooth, carefully calibrated, 100% sterilized, tasty, sometimes slightly salty, highly aromatic, at times problematic, robust, extremely stable, low in fats, high in proteins, low in cholesterol, sugar free, mostly playable, top quality, reliable, highly maneuverable, a little bit tricky, insect-resistant, a little bit slippery, weather resistant, water proof, solid and at the same time soft to touch organ (wish my bolster has all these qualities) allow her to sit comfortably on the eggs during incubation period and simultaneously preventing her from falling out of the nest when she farts in her sleep. Usually Cuckoo would build their nest more than 3 meters up on the tree and as such, this job is considered to be working at height. Risk assessment must be carried out and PPE (personal protective equipment) such as safety harness, hard hat, safety goggles, ear protection, safety pussy shoes, super glue, luggage bags, tooth pick, sun block, ladder, fishnet stocking, perfume, tampon, reader digest, fire extinguisher, speargun, shopping bag, manicure, moisturizer, hamburger, 7-up and parachute is required by law. However, in view of her super ass which is also a shock absorber and a pair of boob-like tissue which double as a parachute, she is well exempted from all safety equipment including toilet roll. It also has a build-in AI temperature and pressure control system which intelligently adjust to the optimal settings in the course of the incubation period for best comfort, stability, safety, gas exchange and heat transfer. Another amazing feature is that it can be programmed to switch off when the butt is not in use for incubation during which it can be used for other more functional purposes such as attracting a mate, for hire or just showing off.
Hence, this multifunctional multicoloured butt is indeed a staggering marvel of engineering bearing the hallmark of a product from nature manufactured to the highest quality and safety level which surpass all standards set by horny mankind
If you wish to have one installed, please contact Dr Hairy Cock mobile 88813888
Just in case you can't reach him. Just drop by at his workshop located at no. 13 Manymorecocks Street. He is sure in, 24/7. There in his ISO certified, digitally hygienic, explosion proof, terrorist-free, tax free, high-security, air-tight, earthquake-proof, anti-tsunami, mold-free, worry-free, cyber secured laboratory, you can find him busy at his work dismantling, assembling, designing and constructing a wide range of butts for an endless range of applications. His latest project which I'm not supposed to tell is a space butt mounted on a cuckoo just like the one display above and send the entire package to Mars. This highly classified scientific experiment is to test out the theory of cuckoo colonization in another planet outside of our own. In addition, the program is also design to seek out the origins of the Martians. Where do all these idiots would possibly come from? Have they evolved from kind of strange ancient microbial life or imported from another screw-up planet by some screw-up aliens on holiday and how they manage to evolve so unsuccessfully to become the present day Martians living in such a hostile place with no air, no water, no shops, no food court, no casino, no WIFI, no YouTube, no convenient stalls, no porn, no where to go except hiding under thick layers of red sand waiting for a sexy earth cuckoo to drop by once every few million years.
Unlike mother earth where we are all too familiar with, Mars has yet to install an atmospheric curtain around the red planet due to budget constraints of the stingy Martians. Without which, the cuckoo from earth would not survive for long no matter how good is her mating and incubating skills. No air means dead cuckoo. In order to overcome that, the future Mars cuckoo would need to evolve to develop a self- sustaining internal oxygen compartment which allows the generation and storage of oxygen gas. The solution, to convert her 2 existing boob-like organs into gas chambers each capable of storing 50 tons of O2 gas with provisions to generate and store an additional 50mg of Nitrogen/hydrogen sulfide mixture, 2.5mg of horny gas and a little laughing gas as well. With the well-thought system in place, we never need to depend on the cunning Martians for air. They overcharge every time. One major engineering problem pin down but still thousands more to go.
Another major issue is the lovely solar winds from the sun.
Without a magnetic curtain (generated by the earth's core) to repel them just like mother earth does, the deadly UV rays, cosmic rays, X rays, grandma rays, grandpa rays, stink rays, funny rays and a whole range of high energy nasty charged particles will soon strip the cuckoo external plumage exposing her naked body. That would prove fatal not for the cuckoo but for the Martians. The Martians for the longest time have never seen a naked cuckoo before and that would certainly blow their minds turning them into headless Mars bars. They must find a solution to this sticky problem fast otherwise the 2 remaining martians would be annihilated staring at the naked cuckoo all day long with the solar wind gently blowing.
However, this cuckoo has one super trick up her sleeve. Not only does her 2 boob-like organs able to generate and store gases they also double as electromagnetic flux generators. The resultant sexy magnetic field forms a cocoon-like shield wrapping all around her, protecting her fragile body from the deadly solar winds radiate from the sun's surface especially during a sunspot when the radiation is at its peak.
Apart from the protective function, the magnetic flux also create a spectacle of colorful aurora called Assrora in the region around her ass. This is a result of the intense magnetic forces interacting with the highly active stream of chemically complex mixture of gases exiting her bottom especially after a heavy meal of garlic and anions. At times, bright streaks of lightning can also be seen resulting from the excessive build-up of cheeky-charged particles discharging to the ground below follow by a series of ass splitting banshee screams.
Final conclusion :
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace both came up with the Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection independently. Hat off to you guys.
Both are immensely successful in the development of their "The Origin Of Species" thesis thru keen observations of the natural world.
(but that did not shed light on why my boss crucified me for an incompetency that i never agree during the course of work despite after working diligently for half a million years. I am completely devastated. It's like a bullet thru' my brain. They forced me to take over a super hot potato and swallow it without a single drop of water, that really hunts. But life have to go on. I pray that one day justice will prevail and cleanse my name )
Sadly, both somehow missed this cuckoo. Has Alfred Wallace discovered this cuckoo during his field trip here in 1854 things will never be the same.
This cuckoo would provide all the materials he needs to formulate his theory and the answers to all the intriguing questions that he is dying to know about the origins of species and will undoubtedly be way ahead of Charles in that regards.
He would be able to see this cuckoo evolving right before his teary eyes in real time which otherwise would take millions of years, too slowly to be observed, study and recorded by any living human being.
Observing this cuckoo in real time doing the real things is like travel back in time doing the fake things. The technological innovations that nature has put into this bird is simply mind blogging. Such example is the transformation of the black bill into a CBlips, the boob-like objects in disguise, the extraordinary butt, from rock to rocket, from wings to no wings to chicken wings, from feather to fair skin, from bird-eyes to human-like eyes, from bird smell to sexy smell, from scaly legs to sexy legs, from dinosaur to sexysaur last and not least the state-of-the-art Fart propulsion system. In order to fully digest all her natural wonders of evolution, he probably have to dissect this human-like cuckoo to have a detailed look of her from the inside, outside and backside. I’m sure he is able to unlock more secrets and unravel more mysteries about this cuckoo and for that matter evolution itself. I’m sure he would exclaim after a detailed analysis of this cuckoo …damn it, this thing is a super delight...and damn hot !
This will also shed light on how other species evolve, half evolve, strangely evolve, little bit evolve, anyhow evolve or successfully fail to evolve. Evolution as we know today will never be the same again. All the books on evolution that we know about will have to be re-written for the sake of one bird, the Long-legged bare-backed tailless Cuckoo....sweat !
(have a good look at the specimen shown above. However, for safety reasons male reader is advised not to pay too much attention at one particular highly evolved piece of hardware known as the butt. It was reported that a curious male reader has suffered a phenomenon called pulsating eye-ball syndrome after having stared at the arousing object for 13mins straight without blinking leading to a massive short-circuiting of the brain cells which in turn causes the affected eye-balls to expand and contract at an alarming rate. If the condition is not treated promptly, the eye-ball would invariably turn into fish-balls)
In the image, there is a red color pillar with a grey color onion shaped object situated at the left side of the cuckoo. This strange looking structure is actually a mini nuclear missile which runs on radioactive plutonium13.13. Its function, however is not to deliver a massive destructive force to its enemy but to serve as a quick getaway transportation for the cuckoo in distress.
In the event of an emergency such as uncontrollable large scale fire or a horrible horny riot that ever to break out in the vicinity , this wingless cuckoo would then be able to jump onto the device right away, hold it tight like a bolster and launch herself away from any imminent dangers by licking the onion vigorously. A perfect escape strategy.
The last time a cuckoo ever try this out is yesterday 4pm when a stray exploding firecracker drop 4ft away trigger a responsive reaction. The cuckoo immediately swing into action and ride on the damn thing. The missile take off successfully saving the cuckoo's life. However, at 10,000ft in the air, the combustion chamber, a major component of the device suddenly blow up due to excessive temperature build up and blow the poor cuckoo's ass into 13 pieces. The cause of the incident was traced to a pair of faulty 'o' ring which served to isolate the cuckoo's fart gases from coming into contact with the rocket fuel source of highly compressed laughing gas.
The mixing of these gases created an phenomenon known as Shaky-ass where the highly excited male air molecules build up inside the cuckoo's butt starts to vibrate so violently that it leads to the catastrophic breakup of her ass. She survived the incident after having her badly damaged ass sew up in the Smithsonian Institution's gift shop. The repair job takes over a month to complete during which the out-of-action cuckoo is confined to doing blowjob. To blow away the curious Big-eye flies which gather around her injured butt just to watch.
To prevent such tragedy from happening again, it is mandatory for all female wingless cuckoo species to install titanium heat shield to protect their butt. As from yesterday, under the bizSAFE WSH regulation those cuckoo which deem vulnerable to the potentially fatal Shaky-ass condition and do not have sufficient protection for their asset will have their butt confiscated by the long and horny arms of the law. The better quality butts would then be used to installed in sex toys for the cuckoo sex industries to boost the declining birth rate. The resulting buttless cuckoo which have lost their sexual appeal to their male counterparts will have to be scraped or convert to sex slaves for a group of very horny male hyena in the singapore zoo and to be consumed as snack then after.
I'm not too sure if this particular cuckoo conform to the specific requirement unless an intimate butt inspection is being carry out to determine if the protective shield is of the right material and dimension to offer full protection to the entire butt and not half a butt or quaterbutt
For new installation, please contact Mr Hairy Maniac at 999111
For repairs/overhaul/replacement or unconditional sniffing contact Mr Spill Gates at $$$$123
For spare parts, you seriously run out of luck
One final and most important note (I promise) :
Cuckoo species are infamous for their brood parasitic behavior. Most cuckoo parents would leave their parental duties from incubating the eggs to feeding their own young
entirely to another species If this young cuckoo chick needs help, I won't mind to feed this hot freak until she is mature enough, tame enough, wild enough, hot enough, cheeky enough to fend for herself and at the same time providing her with the best TLC I could afford to give this poor chick a head start in life.
But please don't tell my wife about it....otherwise the consequence is unimaginable. I'll be put into an exceptional evolutionary transition transforming from a human being into a single cell organism in a brink of an eye. Literally nothing left.
The story of CB leaf :
According to historical records which date back to the early days of the SAF (sg army). Soldiers were strongly discouraged from using a particular type of plant for camouflage purpose in the course of field craft training. It was green and it was big and best of all it looked like a pussy. It was extremely hard for your enemies NOT to spot you from miles away because you looked just like a gigantic green moving pussy.
This is the infamous CB leaf. scientific name : Chee Bye leaf, common name : simpoh air plant
uncommon name : plant more leaves
Christian name : Chai tow kway (fried carrotcake) leaf
Hokkien name : CB leaf also
Cantonese name : also CB leaf
Malay name : CB leaf sama sama
Alternative name of the plant around the globe :
Indian name : roti prata curry leaf
Japanese name : Love that pussy leaf
Chinese name : make more pussy leaf
European name : eat the pussy leaf
American name : play that funky pussy leaf (til you die .......♫♫ ♪)
North Korean name : Rocket pussy leaf
Martian name : space pussy leaf
Mexican name : hot pussy leaf
Russian name : freeze pussy leaf
African name : Serengeti pussy leaf
Australian name : Kangaroo pussy leaf / Down under got pussy leaf
Thai name : Tom Yum pussy
Singapore name : Chilli pussy crab
Terrorist name : bomb that pussy
English name : pussywillow
Hungary name : Budapussy
Italian name : Pastapussy
Mongolia name : Magnolia icepussy
James Bond name : Octopussy leaf
Musical name : Pussy note in F major (with accidental)
Airplane name : Fly Pussy Fly
IT name : Fire Pussy Wall
Vacation name : Annual pussy leave
Technological name : acute erotic Pussification misalignment
Medical name : unkeratinized stratified squamous - epithelium......nevermind
Family name : Miss Pussy Leaf
WI-FI name : pussy 5G
Nickname : Lan Jiao (Lan bird)
Hieroglyphic name : dunno how to read
Fakename : Pussy Sham Leaf
Brandname : Brand essence of Pussy
Atomic name : Uranium Pussy 235 Leaf
Roadname : Missy Pussy street
Story name : 3 little pussy pigs
Ancient name : Rivers Of Babylon(there we sat down)
Alcoholic name : Johnnie Woker black pussy label.
Song name : Stairway To Heaven (Dazed and confused)
Band name : ZZ TOP (just got back from pussy's)
Astronomy name : Milky pussy way
Botanical name : Bellis perennis pussykickapoo
Biblical name : Caiaphas&pilate_Q_gsus
Technical name : Electromagnetic pussy excitation
Guitar name : Fender stratocaster vs Gibson les pussy
Biology name : multicellular pussycitation
Cosmology name : Supermassive black hole (there is one in every galaxy including ours. There is one found in our company known as the BOSS or more appropriately SMAH (SuperMassive AssHole)
Mystery name : Shroud of Turin. relics of Crucifixion & resurrection of the Lord.
Electrical name : High tension busbar juice
Arabic name : ساق طويلة كس زهرة
Electronic name : VLSI (Very Large Sexy Integration)
Archaeological name : Archaic pussy
Baby name : Cinderella, little glass pussy
Hebrew name : נֶחְמָד מודיע אלמוני flou(-ə)r
Thai name : ดอกไม้ หี
Surname : Ah Lian (aka pussy lian)
SG Lockdown name : Circuit Breaker, stay home stay safe, stay D (steady).
Controversy name : Documentary Hypothesis
Lost gospel name : Q source oral tradition
...
extra info :
This is a female featherless bird species (male species has got absolutely no interesting features and therefore nut thing worthy to talk about)
Only 4 species known to have existed in this world.
I got 3 of them and the forth one is still at large.
Believe to be hiding in a place far far away. A place so remote that even MRT+LRT+SBS bus can't reach.
I'm determined to track her down one day, shoot her and post her in flickr backside....i mean ...website.
What actually happened :
This group of people/photographer together with their supposedly hired model came by while I was busy shooting the Stork-billed Kingfisher hunting beside a small pond.
Out of nowhere a lady came over accusing me for trying to shoot their model and thus scaring her demanding me to move off from the area. I was rather taken aback and pissed off at her rude remarks. I then reminded her that this was a public place. I shoot my bird while you guys shoot your model. In fact I think the appearance of this huge group of people really impacted my photography.
It was at this moment that I decided to do exactly what they were accusing me.....shoot their fucking model !
A subject that was last on my list. I turn my lens away from the king and started framing this girl which I soon found her to be more appealing than my kingfisher. (Damn it I should have devoted my time shooting girls instead!)
Later, while I was reviewing the pics that I decided to do a write-up on this rather unexpected encounter. Inject a little humor, married it with a little avian flavor, spice it up with a little archaeological excitement, mix it with some astronomical reasoning, stir it with a bit of engineering logic, fix it with a dose of interplanetary space exploration, sprinkle with lots of nonsensical bullshit and turn it into something amusing.
100KV 07092018 1550
200KV 20122018 0808
300KV 24022019 2200
400kv 29052019 0100
500kv 01092019 0100
600kv 27022020 0100
700kv 12032021 0100
800kv 08042022 0100
1006022 25062024 0849
The Skywalk offers great views of Pseudo-Escalante Canyon on the west side. This is a canyon I "discovered" in May, and explored with friends in October. The palatial alcove photographed by Laurent Martres is down there, and the slot canyon I hiked into. Very decorative walls are found all along this canyon. The Skywalk is a high peninsula with awesome views in all directions at the end. Last May I saw the canyon from the other side, on the West Tongue Viewpoint, which is equally spectacular—even more so, because that one is very narrow.
My new-to-me camera came in the mail from Canon today, so I took it for a quick spin after dinner. It doesn't quite have the performance and manageability that I'm used to in a DSLR, but it fared quite well for a point and shoot with a built-in 24-1200mm lens.
♦ Instructions available at BrickVault ♦
This is it! After the Torment, the Negotiator proudly joins my Midi-Scale capital ship collection, engineered with the same philosophy in mind: maximizing accuracy, features and proportions of the original model in a moderate size.
Made of 3,145 pieces, 68cm (27 inches) long, weighing 1,6kg, the Negotiator is a medium-sized, modular Venator-class Star Destroyer holding on a single, unique Lego stand.
This piece of work is the result of weeks of designing, engineering and intense testing. I wanted the Negotiator to be dense, massive-looking, intricate and packed with detail, while being compact and manageable.
Building at such a scale, I had to take into account every possible constraint (balance, weight distribution, structure sturdiness) while never compromising any aesthetics (SNOT look, thickness, greeble).
The Negotiator features every intricate part of the studio model: turrets, hangar and docking bays, engines, bridge, greeble... with utter attention to detail and proportions of the original ship, as seen in the Prequels.
► Instructions for the Negotiator are available at BrickVault!
This is a good example of a failed plan - but a good-tasting bake. This is a brioche dough (all-purpose flour) with sweetened poppy seed filling. It is usually rolled into a log and baked. My plan was to roll it into a log, slice it and bake it as individual servings.
I've never worked with this particular brioche recipe, though it started out very loose and sticky, with about 8 minutes of slap and fold it came together well and was sticky yet manageable.
Then after folds and proofing, it was time to roll it out in preparation for filling and rolling up. And this is where it all fell apart, literally.
The rolling-out made it stickier and unmanageable. After spreading the filling, It was impossible to get a good roll-up out of it. I did manage a few rotations before it all got worse. Luckily, I was doing this on parchment paper on the baking sheet.
It went into a 350F oven and came out about 30 minutes later as you see it.
However, taste and texture did not fail. I was surprised how nice the bread felt and tasted along with the filling.
This particular bake has many variations and nationalities tied to it. This one is called 'Philip's Fail of Florida".
PS - Well, since baking this and posting, I have read up a bit on brioche preparation and learned a few things. 1) Use a mixer to knead if you have the choice. 2) Start with cold ingredients - including the flour. 3) Cool the dough prior to shaping - overnight if preferable for even better taste.
I did none of those things. grinning face with smiling eyes
Here's a quote from a King Arthur Baking article called 'How to master brioche and unlock a whole world of baking', “You can’t work with brioche dough when it’s warm, or you will cry.”
Well, I didn't cry, but I doubt that I was smiling.
This is a good example of a failed plan - but a good-tasting bake. This is a brioche dough (all-purpose flour) with sweetened poppy seed filling. It is usually rolled into a log and baked. My plan was to roll it into a log, slice it and bake it as individual servings.
I've never worked with this particular brioche recipe, though it started out very loose and sticky, with about 8 minutes of slap and fold it came together well and was sticky yet manageable.
Then after folds and proofing, it was time to roll it out in preparation for filling and rolling up. And this is where it all fell apart, literally.
The rolling-out made it stickier and unmanageable. After spreading the filling, It was impossible to get a good roll-up out of it. I did manage a few rotations before it all got worse. Luckily, I was doing this on parchment paper on the baking sheet.
It went into a 350F oven and came out about 30 minutes later as you see it.
However, taste and texture did not fail. I was surprised how nice the bread felt and tasted along with the filling.
This particular bake has many variations and nationalities tied to it. This one is called 'Philip's Fail of Florida".
PS - PS - Well, since baking this and posting, I have read up a bit on brioche preparation and learned a few things. 1) Use a mixer to knead if you have the choice. 2) Start with cold ingredients - including the flour. 3) Cool the dough prior to shaping - overnight if preferable for even better taste.
I did none of those things. grinning face with smiling eyes
Here's a quote from a King Arthur Baking article called 'How to master brioche and unlock a whole world of baking', “You can’t work with brioche dough when it’s warm, or you will cry.”
Well, I didn't cry, but I doubt that I was smiling.
Link to the article: www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2022/09/01/how-to-make-brio...
Hmmm...stumbled across this pic a minute ago. It's funny how I forgot that I had to double up the shelves at one point. Convenient memory lapse I think...:P. This was when my mj lunacy was at it's height. I think this one was taken about six months after the 'barer' pic. Yikes. It's not including other pairs (mj's and assorted takara, licca, etc. pairs that were piled in storage boxes). I'm glad things are at a more manageable stage now.
Case Study 113 : Warning, these are the raw, bare unusual occurrences as originally chronicled. Some names, times, places and some facts have been, of course, altered.
Name: Angelica D circa 192__
Subject: an unscrupulous light-fingered body thief
Event: Posh Wedding Reception
Place: Upstate New York
Time: Warm early Autumn Saturday
Angie Being Receptive
Story line:
Angie had heard about the affair, a wedding, from a list of prospective functions provided by a discreetly paid contact. It was being given for the only daughter of a wealthy politician (as if there were any non-wealthy ones!) Angie had happily invited herself to the affair, carefully dressing up in her best for the special occasion!
**
Wedding receptions were by far Angie’s favorite hunting grounds. During the season there could be anywhere from upwards of 20 high end affaires every weekend in the bigger cities, and always 2 or 3 in even the smallest of towns.
Wedding s were usually easy pickings: free food, drink and entertainment, and seldom worn jewelry made for a ready-made mix for Angie to ply her trade. For Angelica D. was a uniquely skilled pickpocket, specializing in the removal for profit of the expensive jewelry worn by the (usually be -gowned) women and young ladies’ who hauntingly dwelt in societies upper crust!
So Weddings, by their nature, were the desirable choice for Angie. One only had to avoid the Bride, her Bridesmaids, and their court, which were usually the major focus of any security present. However, there were plenty of opportunities to be had by employing her special bag of tricks on the outlaying fringe.
Angie had arrived early at the mammoth facility, to scout out the establishment and to scope out who was wearing what. Used to these affairs either being feast or famine, she could quickly tell that in this one there was cooking up a devouring banquet.
**
After Angie had entered the mammoth reception room it did not take her long to spy her first plump prospect, nicely loaded with possibilities. It was a lady, bearing a haughty look, who had been making a b-line through the crowd as way was parted for her. She was wearing a luxuriously long rusty coloured sable fur coat that hid most of her long crimson -red satin gown. What Jewels were visible, ears, fingers and wrist, were all flashing with pricy fire. In tow she held the hand of a young girl, obviously her daughter, wearing actual makeup, which, along with her fetching gown and brite jewelry, made her appear far older than she was. A handsome man , looking like the actor William Powell in a tux, followed behind the pair, husband and father, Angie presumed. She shadowed the little family as they swished their way to a corner table, conveniently located by a rear exit, for a better look over. Her fingers had started with an all too familiar tingle as she took it all in.
**
The husband helped his wife out of the sable, laying it carefully along a bench against the wall. Angie was not disappointed. A silver necklace of large matched diamonds gracefully encircled her throat. A dazzling blood ruby and diamond brooch held up the center of her gown, positioned just below the bust line. Brooches, like this one, were worth a lot once fenced, but its placement required a little more dexterity and skill than she was willing to risk. In actuality, Angie had only attempted twice before to take a brooch pinned to a gown in this fashion. She had only been successful one of those times, only to find out it was a pretty piece of paste.( Years later, as Angie’s talents became more polished, relieving ladies of their dangling brooches, like this blood ruby, became her specialty.. the Eds.) Angie’s eyes moved on. The rest of the snooty lady’s jewels matched her necklace. Long earrings, free clipped, dangling brightly from her earlobe s. A pair of wide ruby bracelets clasped tightly home around elegant red elbow length satin gloves, sparkled devastatingly, matching her brooch. Her long fingers were home to a pair of ruby and diamond rings and a third ring set with a gold band and a vulgarly large solitaire diamond.
**
Angie’s attention turned to the daughter, whom had been helped by her Father , squirming, from the chocolate coloured satin cape that she had been wearing. The youngster, all of about 10, was wearing a cream coloured long puffy sleeved dress with a brown satin sash encircling her waist that matched her Cape. The young lady possessed impossible large bright eyes. The only thing that held more shine than those doe like eyes had been the antique rhinestone diamond necklace that fell dripping ever so invitingly down the front of the precious little imp’s rich glossy gown. The rest of her matching rhinestones (obviously belonging to the child’s mother) consisted of an engaging display of a bracelet, pair of dangling, screwed on clasp earrings, and matching rings encircling a chubby finger one on each hand. It all gleamed brightly, invitingly from her svelte girlish figure. A large round pin held her sash up in place; it sparkled with what looked like a ring consisting of one caret diamonds, as unlikely as it was they could be real.
**
The two females of the family presented a pretty package indeed. Not one to pass up an invite that alluring, Angie walked by , with the pretext of heading to a back exit behind the table the little family had staked, just so she could get a closer peek.
**
Angie’s practiced eye took in a wealth of information during the few seconds it took her to walk up and pass the group, so involved with themselves they never even looked her way. Her attention focused upon the young mother first scoping head to toe.
**
Angie scrutinized the brooch; it was definitely worth the effort. In her mind’s eye, Angie envisioned the mother as a stumbling drunk “bumping into” Angie. Fingers whisking along the slippery lustrously softness of the gown, as the lady was steadied. Angie would accept the women apologies and the pair would part their ways, Angie from the young mother, and the magnificent brooch from the rich satiny red gown. But then the mother raised her head, looking up past Angie, towards a commotion being made behind her. Typical Angie thought, she doesn’t recognize me, so I don’t exist, like some sort of servant. But it was as she caught the young mother in full profile that she realized this lady looked strikingly similar to another woman who had been wearing an expensive dress of teal charmeuse that Angie had had been having a long conversation with, while relieving the woman’s finger of a costly diamond sapphire ring. It had happened only just last weekend at a formal function, and Angie figured she may have not recognized her in passing, but may if Angie were to use one of her approaches again with the intent of taking some of her jewelry, he memory may be jarred, and she may remember her missing ring. This was why Angie only allowed herself to ply her trade for no more than a month in any given place per year. This was from a lesson she had learned early on in her career. And so, for that reason alone, Angie decided to, at least temporarily, abandon any designs she had on the young mother’s brooch, allowing her devious intentions to evaporate from her mind like smoke on the wind. There were plenty more fish in the sea she told herself.
**
Angie still allowed herself a quick appraisal of the squirming 10 year old. She admired the glossy dress of slippery satin that her mother had conveniently dressed her daughter up in, as it fell spilling down to her black open toed shoes. Angie’s fingers started to tingle; this was a perfect tickling gown. Angie liked to think of any long dress or gown that swept down to a females heels as a” tickling gown”. All it took was a strategically placed foot timed with a well place nudge to send the chosen victim tumbling. During the ensuing diversion, Angie would use her long subtle fingers to swiftly probe along the gowned figure, tickling she like to call it due to the tingling sensation of the usually rich material of the victim’s attire. In this fashion, a pre-targeted piece of valuable jewelry could then be easily acquired, no matter what its placement had been on the unfortunate female. If only the chatty youngster had something on better than rhinestones. It was a crying shame to have a child that young dolled up like an adult, but not wearing adult jewels.
**
Angie continued to walk past, unseen, and went out the door. She found herself in a large serenity garden of roses and shrubs, surrounded by a 10 foot high well-trimmed hedge. The sort of garden one usually found in those days around upscale Churches. The only exit was a gate leading onto the parking lot on the side of the church. Here was positioned a solitary, lonely guard in a neat little guard hut. In the opposite, far corner was a statue of Cupid, arrow drawn, standing above a display of blooming moss roses at the end opposite to the gate. There was always potential in places like these.
**
Angie had started to walk over to the Cupid statue when she heard the exit door open. Turning, she saw the young girl, whose mother’s brooch Angie had been scoping out, looking out the door. She snuck through, running out alone, silky tickling gown swishing out behind her. Her heart leapt to her throat as she watched the girls rhinestones sparkle radiantly. She actually turned to head towards the path the unsuspecting child was running up, flexing her fingers as she contemplating a little warm up practice. Angie watched as the dolled up imps necklace flashed with pinpricks of coloure as it bounced to and fro as she ran happily up the path .Angie turned her back to the girl, waiting to hear the telltale click of her heels come up just behind her. She would then move, bumping into the girl as she passed, tripping her to the ground. After which Angie would help her up, removing the girl’s fancy necklace in the process. Come to Mama Angie whispered under her breath, waiting to make her move as the skipping heels grew ever louder.
**
But then Angie froze, hearing the clicking of the exit door again opening behind her. She checked her stride letting the daughter slither past without a glance. She headed again towards the statue, watching her prize move on ahead. Then she heard the father in the background calling out to his little princess. The youngster turned, and ran back, beaming at Angie as she passed. Angie smiled back, her eyes again traveling to the girls neckline, and the sparkling jewelry the outlined her throat. It had been a silly thought she chided herself, as the girl passed from view. If only the necklace had been real, and the father about ten minutes later in discovering his daughter absence. It would have been an unbelievably easy pluck and she could be out the gate before anyone was the wiser. And the best part was that they would probably believe the scampering girl had just lost it in the garden. And, while the parents were looking about, Angie would have been free to renter to ply her trade again. As it was, it was silly of Angie, risking her opportunity on a child’s bauble worth a mere pittance compared to some of the other offerings so readily being flaunted this evening by her adult counterparts.
**
Angie continued her casual stroll through the Garden, happily playing over in her mind some of the jewels that she would like to see adorning the female guests inside, and the scenarios she may be using to acquire them
**
Finding herself approaching the guard hut, she allowed herself a glance back. Jealously she watched the father, who had caught and was carrying his slippery attired daughter, heading back inside. How Angie wished she had been the one carrying the squirming little imp, it would have been like a smorgasbord, with jewels instead of food. Pity her mother had not put the good stuff on the daughter, she sighed to herself. Tonight she would have to work for her butter. She walked past the bored guard, nodding at him, receiving a rather lecherous look in return. A smile was forming across her cunning face, for now it was time to get down to the real business at hand.
**
The affair turned out to be quite a showcase for the very rich. Who were indiscreetly flaunting their riches, trying to outdo one another, probably for the benefit of the politicians’ attention? Certainly not for the attention of the designer satin gowned and flashy diamonded daughter, whom most of the guests hardly knew, or had ever met.
**
Angie always felt like a little kid in a candy shoppe at these lavish affairs.
She spent the first part of the reception mingling and thoroughly enjoying the show her the reception’s guests were u wittingly putting on. Angie, wearing no jewels herself, was something of an anomaly compared to her fellow guests.
**
There were over a thousand luxuriously coloured, squawking female birds and their young chicks pompously displaying valuable finery, oblivious of the cat amongst them waiting to pounce. Angie patently mingled, watching as the adult guests had their fill of food and drink.
Once their guard began to relax, Angie raised hers’, her probingly skillful fingers now more than prepared to begin and ply her trade. For the more they imbibed, the less guarded they were, both about themselves and their female offspring. Angie would start with the adults, 2 or 3 of the right pieces of jewelry, once acquired, and would mean she could call it a night and have enough to support her for a solid month. If she came up empty in that department, her back up would then center on the female off-spring, daughters and nieces.
Most of said offspring would be by then scattered about, aware that their parents were no longer paying them any heed, exploring and playing, sporting their fancy satin gowns, silken dresses, and their dainty jewelry, ripe for the picking. Giving pickpockets like Angie endless opportunity to ply their trade on them, once they had finished working through the adults. Or if the thieves were beginners, plenty of easy practice while “learning the ropes!”
**
Now, when Angie herself was just starting out as a young pickpocket, she stumbled across a treatise written by a man using the pseudonym “Gaston Monescu”. Written around 1826, entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets.
Angie had studied it religiously, especially a ploy called the “Necklace Flimp.” This tactic was primarily used for body thieves working alone. Angie had been surprised to learn that a pickpocket could raise his/her skill level above just acquiring wallets. Having the ability to lift a woman’s necklace amazed her, not to mention the profit that could be realized. With practice, Angie had found that not only was it a good technique for acquiring necklaces, but it worked for other pieces of worn jewelry as well.
It was relatively simple process, but took a long time to master.
First part was to employ psychology and watch the potential victim for the unique movements and quirks in their personality and actions that could provide an opportunity for her skills. Then observe the selected piece the victim wore, for value, type of clasp, make, and accessibility. The second part was to employ a bump, slip, or grasp, and in one motion, flick open the studied clasp and send the piece away from the body by either pulling and palming, or dropping it to the floor or ground for retrieval later. If she was noticed, it was “sorry, miss, very clumsy of me” “here let me get if for you, no harm done?” Then walk away and let the waters settle before trying yet again (sometimes even on the same person!)
Angie had practiced the jewelry flimp until she had the technique totally mastered. Starting out first on specially dressed up mannequins in her apartment, than trying it on small pieces of cheap baubles worn by real women in crowded streets and stores. Then on younger, less guarded, better jewelry wearing young girls attending proms and social dances. Young looking for her age at the time, Angie had fit right in amongst them. Then, finally, she graduated to lifting the better jewels of the older, wealthy women attending society’s finer parties and receptions. And it was this path that led her here today, and would also lead several unlucky females to report missing jewelry to their respective insurance companies.
**
See Album “Angie having a Ball” for additional background on our master thief with the light fingers.
**
Angie now eagerly employed those useful talents learned from monsieur Monescu’s little pamphlet at the wedding reception. She mingled freely, carrying around a drink that never touched her lips. She watched and learned, her trained eyes missing very little. Soon, like that hypothetical kid in a candy shoppe, Angie’s head was spinning from so much to choose from that she really could not make any easy choice. So, she waited and watched patiently, knowing opportunity would knock.
**
Then, like it usually happened with Angie, the first genuine opportunity unexpectedly presented herself. Angie literally was run into a rather awkward, spindly lady in thick glasses clad in a fetchingly expensive costume consisting of a thick silver satin blouse with hanging ruffles down its front, combined with a long rustling tiered skirt that swept down to the top of her open toed silver high heels. Her diamond jewelry shone with exuberant flames as they caught the light from the many chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceiling. The lady expressed frantically her apologies, placing a hand with well ringed fingers on Angie’s shoulder, where they sparkled merrily. No worries Angie said smiling, her eyes taking it all in without appearing to move. She let the frazzled lady leave, allowing her a head start, it was only sporting to do so.
**
Angie shadowed her quarry for a while, seemingly rewarded for her efforts when the lady managed to spill a bit of her drink down on her skirt. In a show of flashing silvery satin and diamonds ,she retreated and disappeared into a nearby powder room, with Angie following eagerly, opportunity knocking.
**
As Angie grabbed onto the closing powder room door, a mid- twenty something girl in a deep green velvet gown came out. Her only jewelry was a wide diamond bracelet wrapped around a wrist of the matching long green gloves she wore. Angie caught it out of the corner of her eye, realizing that it was as expensive as it was bright. But it was her friend, a willowy short haired pretty young thing in a glamorous Chocolate Satin gown that made Angie’s jaw drop. Her jewels, like her friends, were also sparse, but enormously pricy. The long white satin gloves that graced her hands and arms also held matching bracelets, thin, but each one worth the effort. But her real eye catcher was the row of authentic, one caret white diamonds that were rippling exquisite fire along her throat. Angie held the door for them, nodding to as they passed. Noses in the air, they did not appear to notice Angie. Then, with the ladies backs to her, Angie abandoned Miss silver satin and turned to follow. Angie got in behind the two with the intention of getting a closure examination of the clasp of the fiery diamond necklace Miss Chocolate satin was wearing.
**
However, Angie never got her closer look. For at that moment the tossing of the bride’s boutique was announced and Angie was overwhelmed by a mad dash of single ladies heading for the bride. On a lark she allowed herself to be swept along, losing sight of Miss Chocolate satin, but found herself right smack behind Miss Green velvet and her cheerfully sparkling diamond bracelet, a beautifully expensive piece that would have cost someone a king’s ransom. Angie’s fingers began their all too familiar tingling, eager for a chance to acquire jewelry that valuable, but not for any king, just for herself!
**
Though the night was still relatively early, and Angie still had visions of those exquisite rippling diamonds of the pretty Miss in chocolate satin on her mind, she simply could not pass up this opportunity. Angie wedged herself close behind her chosen victim as the multitude of hopeful young women pressed forward to try their luck. As the Bride teased her guests before getting ready to toss her bouquet of white and red roses, Angie expertly scrutinized the bracelet as it dangled from the green velvet glove. When the bride finally turned her back and raised her arms every one of the richly clad single women’s eyes was focused on the bride’s bouquet, Angie’s eyes were fixated on the bracelet. With the music playing loud, the crowd giggling and laughing, and all eyes focused on the gorgeously outfitted young long haired bride, Angie again felt opportunity knocking. Her pulse beating in rhythm with the music, she made ready to seize the chance when it presented itself. The roses flew through the air and all the women raised their hands high, looking all for the world like being involved in a stick-up. Angie timed it perfectly, snapping the clasp, and snatching the bracelet easily away from the gloved wrist of its owner as she raised her arms high to grab at the boutique. In her excitement, shared by everyone, Miss Green velvet ( who did not catch the bouget of roses) never felt a thing. Angie had smirked as she left the giggling group, stowing securely the purloined diamonds, as she imagined what it would have been like to watch that group robbed in a mass stick-up. The money that some enterprising soul could have made from that haul would have been astronomical.
**
She went to the open bar, lighting her first cigarette; she ordered her first real drink of the night. She could feel the coolness of the weighty bracelet in its hiding spot, and Angie, pleased with herself, calmly sipped her drink as she relished in the moment. The toss of the Brides Boutique was, in Angie’s experienced opinion, one of the three common events occurring during a wedding reception that were fertilely prime times for pickpocketing. (Editor’s note.. Miss D. mysteriously never divulged what she considered the other two prime events to be….)
**
She looked about without a worry in the world, coolly watching the antics of some of the younger women on the dance floor. She spied the young miss in the green velvet gown over in a corner talking in an animated fashion with several other women. Green velvet gown’s now bare velvet glove, apparently not noticed by anyone but Angie. One of her group was displaying some bright emeralds peeking through the long silver fur she was wearing, obviously she was leaving, and she was talking excitedly about something to the group formed around her! Nowhere in sight was Miss chocolate satin, too bad, Angie would have loved another peek before leaving.
Angie watched around the room causally, as the cold bracelet pressed expensively against her figure from its hiding spot. She eventually lost track of green velvet and her friends while finishing her drink. Setting down the empty glass, she decided it was time to call it a night. The bracelet now in her possession was easily worth as much as the 2 or 3 separate pieces she usually acquired at functions like these, added together! And, she needed her rest, Angie had a couple of plans the next day, one revolving around the female guests who would be attending an upscale afternoon prom fashion show a, the other, an evening opera performance (invited guests only, and her contact had managed to supply a ticket, at a hefty price!) No rest for the wicked, Angie told herself.
**
On her way out of the main lobby, she found herself leaving behind the very lady in green velvet whose bracelet was now in Angie’s possession. She was with the same gaggle of her similarly dressed friends, including the one exhibiting the emeralds. However, miss chocolate satin was still not visible. They were laughing and joking as they collected their assorted pretty wraps, obviously heading for a nightclub. If she had not already relieved one of them of a bauble, Angie might have invited herself along, if only to have a go at some emeralds. Angie hesitated about leaving withy them, then shrugged, followed the group out the door past the pair of bored rent a cops.
**
She remembered thinking, as she followed the elegant young princesses ,their fluid gowns peeking from under their various furs and wraps, how shallow the very rich could be. She wondered if Miss Green velvets friends had even noticed that she had had diamonds around the wrist of her glove, let alone that they were now missing. She wondered how long it would be before the bracelets loss was discovered. She figured it would be several hours, long enough for its owner not to be sure what place they had been lost. As young Miss Green velvet fancy gown and her friends turned right outside the exit, Angie turned left, heading towards the guard hut at the entrance to the garden.
She decided not to follow them but rather circle around the outside of the garden to give her victim time to leave.
**
That simple decision to make a left turn proved to be a major turning point in Angie’s fortunes that evening.
**
As Angie passed the hut guarding the entrance to the serenity garden, she noticed it was deserted.
It was as she was looking it over, that she heard the sounds of clicking heels moving fast, followed by the sounds of a young girl giggling. On the alert she stole to the backside of the hut, soon spying a splash of something blue and silky between the gaps of a couple of large bushes. Her senses on their highest peak, she began to move cautiously in, hoping the female making the noise would be in need of aid and comfort perhaps.
**
She soon spotted a young lady of about 14 bending over, hands on her knees as she panted heavily. Her back was to Angie, and what pretty back it was. She was nicely attired in a long gown of shiny material dyed deep blue like an afternoon, cloudless summer sky. The gown cascaded down along her petite figure, spilling out on the ground around her feet. Her hair was pulled back, easily displaying a pair of small diamond and sapphire earrings, not rhinestones for this one, but the real McCoy. Around one finger was a gold ring with sapphires, and from her left wrist dangled a thin silver bracelet with a row of diamond chips, both pretty, both valuably real. But it was her last piece of visible jewelry that stole the show. It hung, swinging to and from her neck on a thick braided chain of solid silver. On its end, like a hypnotists prism, was a silver pendent in the shape of a flower, with 1 inch long, pear shaped real diamonds as petals and a fully 2 inch in circumference center stone of deep sea blue. Angie watched it, her eyes following it for a full minute, its expensive fire sealing its own fate as Angie began flexing her fingers. Angie took her eyes off of it and looked around to see why the princess had been running. But all was still as the girl continued to peek through the branches towards the back door leading into the hall. Angie silently approached, and walking up to the pretty miss she bent down and in a friendly tone, asked who she was running from.
**
I played a joke on my sister, and now I’m hiding from her, piped the girl breathlessly, as Angie placed a hand upon the girls shoulder in a conspiratorial fashion, said shoulder made silky soft by the gowns half sleeve.
**
I know a better place where you can hide from her, Angie whispered in the girl’s ear, the dangling earring ever so close to her lips. The girl looked up, smiling, and Angie pointed towards the guard hut, and as the girl looked, Angie’s fingers glided up along the silky shoulder and lifted the thick silver chain up from the back of the gowns’ scooped collar. Come Angie said, and as the girl rose Angie’s fingers nimbly flicked open the chains’ lobster clasp, holding onto the clasp as the other end of the chain slipped down, allowing the pendent to slide free and fall onto the grass at the girls feet, where it lay shimmering. Angie moved her hand to the girls shoulder, squeezing it, while slipping off the braided silver chain with her other hand, whisking it back and away from the guileless young girl. Angie led her princess away from the spot and walked with her to the guard’s hut, still empty, where she had her hide neath the counter.
**
Angie turned and went back to claim the pendent, there still was no sign of any sister. She secured the pendent, joining it with the chain and bracelet, and headed deeper into garden. Her plan was to watch the hut and see which way the girl went after getting bored waiting. But as she skirted the perimeter her plans were changed when, upon rounding a corner of the path at the far end, she saw yet another back belonging to a solitary lady in her late thirties, clad in a long slinky yellow coloured gown of expensively shiny taffeta, bending over to smell the yellow roses on a bush. Instinctively Angie knew two things about her. One was that whatever jewels this lady would be wearing, they would be expensive, and the other was that with an expensive gown like that; the lady would undoubtedly be wearing her jewels. Angie suddenly became aware that her fingers were tingling, as an all too familiar whelming feeling again delightfully washed over her.
**
Angie found herself automatically turning back onto the garden path. She headed around the women and went down to the cupid’s statue, where now out of sight, she carefully hid the purloined bracelet, and still warm fiery pendent and its ‘fancy silvery braided chain..
**
She then headed towards the unsuspecting flower admirer. The ladies’ long brunette hair had fallen, flowing down the backside of her shiny taffeta gown. Angie could see rings and a bracelet gleaming as she was holding up the rose to her face. A long double rope of pearls hung swaying deliciously from her throat. Coming up behind her Angie stood watching; calculating until the lady rose and with a start realized she was not alone.
**
Pretty Angie said, her eyes on the pearls now draping down the front of her marks yellow gown. They are lovely, are they not? The damsel responded thinking Angie was referring to the roses. Just like the ones in the park, my husband and I walked through on our way to catch a cab today. Actually, I meant your dress Angie said complimentary. Thank you the lady practically squealed, I love the way it flows, and she swirled it about to show Angie, who got an eyeful of sparkly jewelry for her efforts. As she continued engaging the women in conversation, Angie decided upon attempting for the woman’s necklace of pearl. Seeing opportunity knocking when Yellow Taffeta pulled her long hair forward so it hang down the front of her gorgeous gown, laying silkily over one shoulder, nicely exposing the pricy necklaces clasp. Angie looked around, they were alone, out of site of the opposite end of the garden where the inside door was, and the guards hut with it’s pretty occupant.
**
Angie, using the marks interest in roses to her advantage, managed to steer the capricious damsel in shiny yellow over to the cupid’s statue. There, she placed a hand upon a silky taffeta covered shoulder, and pointed down to the shrub of moss roses growing at the foot of the statue . When she stooped down to get a closer look, Angie’s fingers whisked from her marks shoulder to the clasp, in a single effort with two fingers, lifted it by the clasp, and snapped it open. At that moment the mark cried “spider” and jumped up, backing into Angie, who watched helplessly as the pearls fell down from the damsel’s throat and slipped along the front of the yellow taffeta gown. They fell with a soft plop unto the ground at their mistress’s feet. Angie tried to lead her away, hoping to come back and reclaim the necklace. But as Angie pointed to another rose bush some distance away, the lady took a step forward, instead of back, planting her feet right onto the pearl necklace. Hey she exclaiming, what’s that, looking down to her high heeled foot? Oh, my pearls the lady squealed again, a glittering hand shooting to feel around her throat. Angie reached down, and reluctantly retrieved them from the base of the rose bush for the squealing lady in yellow . My husband would not have been pleased if I had lost these, she said as Angie held them, feeling their pricey smoothness.
**
She asked if Angie could help her put them on, my maid usually does this sort of thing, you know. Angie reluctantly complied, re- hanging the pearls as the pretty damsel held up her hair, and reluctantly redid the clasp. The Damsel thanked Angie by embracing her in a full hug, her diamond and pearl earring hitting Angie’s cheek. But Angie’s arms were being held by the hugging woman, so Angie was able to only watch the tantalizingly close earring sway free. Angie left yellow-gowned damsel in the garden, getting nothing for her efforts other than the feel of an expensive gown of the likes she could probably never afford to own.
**
With the pretty damsel hovering around the cupid statue, Angie decided to go back into the reception hall until the coast was clear. She carefully looked towards the Guards hut, and seeing that the guard had returned, figured the girl, so fetchingly clad in blue, had been rousted out, so that loose end was probably tied up. She just had to keep a careful eye out. The quite valuable bracelet and pricy necklace with its pendent were well hidden; there was absolutely no danger of someone stumbling over it.
**
Truth was, Angie had found her appetite wetted and once again visions of a lady in chocolate brown satin exhibiting a row of flashy diamonds, teased her thoughts. An accomplished pickpocket like herself had a couple of well-practiced ploys she could utilize to obtain a tight fitting necklace from its mistress. In addition, Angie was now determined to find her and to risk a try. She had really nothing to lose.
**
It took almost an hour of hunting amongst the now well liquored, gaily mingling crowd before Angie could admit to herself that there was absolutely no sign of the willowy lady in the stunning chocolate satin gown. Damn she thought to herself, those diamonds were something special. She shrugged it off, reciting in her mind a wicked little mantra of hers, “Another one who got away, a chance to lose her jewels to Angie on another day!” She strolled about pondering on what her next course of action could be. There had been no sign of the pretty girl in blue whose necklace Angie now had hidden away, and Miss Green Velvet was definitely out of the picture, so she felt that it was still safe to try to pluck one last bird or chick. In her hunt for the brown, Angie had seen several inviting prospects; one lady(purple satin, diamonds), two girls( ivory silk, pearled pin; red satin, gold necklace set with chips of precious stones), and now was weighing the risks.
It was at that point she once again espied the thickly bespectacled awkwardly introverted young lady invitingly wearing the thick silver satin ruffled blouse, which she had been tailing much earlier. And as Angie watched here, she again accepted the invitation. Her prey had appeared on the dance floor, being led around by a rather charming young man. That would make a dandy consolation prize Angie drooled to herself happily as she took in the sparkling show put on by the dancers jewels.
**
Angie looked her over, reacquainting herself with the jewels she so nicely was displaying. A pair of long earrings cascaded down from her earlobes where they precariously held on by antique silver claps. Angie relished the opportunity to “flimp” pairs of earrings like these. Heavily jeweled, each one was worth a tidy sum. Angie mulled this as she continued to study the jewels of her appealingly dressed new target.
**
The girl’s only ring was a solitaire diamond of at least 3 carets on a thick solid gold band worn vulnerably loose on her un-gloved, bare ring finger. A wide silver cuff bracelet with what appeared to be at least seven rows of matching, shimmering diamonds was dangling around her left wrist (she was right handed Angie observed) . The bracelet had a habit of lying over her sleeve, and Angie could see that it was a costly tiffany piece, whose clasp was exceptionally easy to flick open. A diamond pendent hung swinging from her satiny ruffles, held by an extravagantly thick silver chain with a simple , small eye in hook clasp. The Diamonds in the pendent were as shimmery as stars plucked from the night’s sky.
Angie remembered reading that in a poem from a book she had picked up years earlier in a library, while stalking a young mother in a satin dress, wearing an authentic Gruen Watch on one wrist, and a bracelet of diamonds on the other, that had gone into the library in pursuit of her young son running inside. Like that young mother, It was obvious that this lady in silver satin was not accustomed to wearing jewels, and that set probably spent most of their days lying in a safe. Angie licked her lips as she imagined what the other contents of that safe might look like
**
Angie moved in to allow herself a much closer appraisal of her potential victim’s jewels.
The young lady was totally oblivious to anything but the rather surprisingly strikingly handsome man who to all appearances was her Fiancée, who was holding her ever so close. But Angie was able to see enough of what she wanted to. The young Ladies’ thick satin blouse shone richly in the lights, moving like glistening wet liquid silver, while from her waist spilled the long black skirt with satiny tiers that swished and swayed nicely along her figure as she uneasily danced. Her jewels were bursting with colour as they played hide and seek with Angie’s watchful eyes. From all appearances, they were a mismatched couple. He seemed to know everyone and moved with a confident air, she was just the opposite. It made an enticingly intriguing package indeed for someone with Angie’s skills.
**
Silver Satin was the perfect “Gaston Monescu” type of mark, a perfect combination of classic mannerisms, clothing and Jewels worth anyone’s efforts to take. This was the only fly in the ointment that Angie observed. For by the bar she could see that two other sets of eyes were watching the same young lady in shiny satin and blazing diamonds. Angie intuitively knew they were drooling over acquiring jewels she was wearing.
**
She had noticed the pair of young men in loose fitting suits when they had entered a little earlier about the same time as Angie’s reappearance. They were obviously casing the jewels of any woman, young, or old, who walked past them. Angie knew their type, simple thieves, with no real skills outside of holding a knife in a dark alley to the throat of their victim while they unceremoniously searched and stripped them of their treasures. Angie saw that they were whispering amongst themselves and instinctively knew they were watching and waiting for the fetchingly clumsy silver clad lady clad loaded with diamonds, to leave the “establishment”.
**
She is mine Angie whispered, possessively snarling the words under her breath. She looked around as she thought about how best to handle the situation. Her eyes opened wide as she saw a familiar woman waiting by the coat checkroom. Perfect she purred, placing an unlit a cigarette in her mouth and heading over the bar.
**
She sauntered up next to them and ordered a drink, catching their eyes she asked for a light. As they obliged she took a pull and puffed out smoke, asking in a casual tone, “how about my jewels? Boys!” They could see perfectly well that she was not wearing any, and one snarled, “What’s your game, sister?” Angie snarled back in her best cop like manner, “We know what you boys are up to, and we suggest you both call it a night!” “Yer no cop sister”, they challenged, calling her bluff,” what’s your angle!” Angie calmly looked towards the entrance, perfect she mused as she saw their eyes follow hers, “Maybe not” she stated, “but see that lady being helped into the black mink?” “The shiny yellow dame?” one of em asked? “ “yes”, Angie replied taking a puff on her cigarette before going on, “ well that man’s she’s with used to be mine .” “ Now, I aint one to hold a grudge, but, those pearls she’s waltzing around with are worth plenty. And her rings, they are an easy two grand alone.”
**
Angie could tell she had captured their interest, and that they were now paying rapt attention to the lady in the thick yellow taffeta gown whose necklace Angie had almost acquired in the serenity garden. One of them looked at Angie, a suspicious look crossing his mug, “What’s innit for you sister?!” He demanded. Angie looked at him, dripping with sarcastic innocence. “Nothing brother, other than to make sure the jewels of the dame who stole my husband get home safely .” “I just worry,’ Angie went on, “there is a park in front of their residence and that dame in yellow likes to stroll through it to smell the roses after their cab drops them off.” They watched the couple leave, her expensive yellow gown sweeping provocatively at her gold high- heeled shoed feet. Angie looked them in the eyes and said smoothly, “ Gentlemen such as yourselves may want to do a good deed and follow them home to make sure some miscreant doesn’t spot her in those valuable jewels and mink. Not to mention her man’s gold watch and three hundred sawbucks in his wallet!” Angie winked at the pair, “If you catch my drift.” She added.
**
Still not totally convinced about what Angie was selling them, but equally unsure over who Angie was, both men got up and quickly headed towards the main exit as the last slip of an expensive yellow taffeta gown disappeared through the door. Smugly, Angie puffed on her cigarette as she watched them leave.
**
It was then that a hand was placed on Angie’s shoulder from behind.
**
She froze for a split second, before becoming aware of the soft mummer of satin, and of a slender finger was home to a sparkling sapphire ring. Angie smiled and turned around, facing the girl. Pardon me ma’am, she says politely, but do you remember me? Of course dear, Angie gushes while beaming at the forlorn looking miss in the fetching blue gown; I met you in the garden. Yes she confirms, but I lost my necklace somewhere and I was wondering if you remember if I had it on when we met? Angie’s heart leapt, bless this babe in the woods, thinking her necklace had merely been lost, never suspecting that someone like, say, Angie could have been the cause. She absolutely adored the trusting nature of rich girls this age. For that aspect of their purity had allowed Angie, far too easily sometimes, to lift many a jewel from well attired unsuspecting young princesses like this one. Who was now standing before her, miserable, her desirable diamond and sapphire earrings dangling ever so beckoningly, her sad puppy eyes pleading ever so sweetly, and her missing necklace closer than she could ever imagine.
**
No dear, I did not see you with a necklace, Angie lied coolly, as she reached out and stroked the girl tenderly alongside her face, her fingers touching one of the earrings. Angie was looking her fully in the eye, you didn’t lose anything else, and did you dear she asked with a concerned tone. The girl checked her earrings, bracelet and ring (Angie smiled to herself, silently thinking thanks for the info kid!) But when she spoke, it was with hopeful words laced with honey, If you want, I can help you look, my dear. The girl’s eyes lit up for a second, thank you ma’am, I wanted to, but papa said to wait until tomorrow when the light is better.
Angie smiled winningly, don’t worry dear, I’m sure its somewhere in the garden. Someone will find it, she promised, thinking to herself maliciously, and keep it for their own profit!
**
Thank you Ma’am she chirped, at the encouraging words that had been spoken, luckily she could not hear the ones Angie was thinking to herself, and turning moved off, her scrumptious gown swishing pleasantly around her silver heels. Angie watched, as the girl disappeared in the crowd Angie marked her direction.
**
Angie Imagined if the girl had accepted her offer, and she had left with the vulnerable, unguarded princess to search in the garden, and in the process help relieve her of her remaining jewels. There would be enough light with the gas lamps that lined the paths in the garden. Enough light, so that as Angie helped the princess look, her fingers could slip ever so delicately slip in and search along her shiny sky blue gown.
**
Angie licked her lips slowly as she fantasied about the search. The girl bending down to look under a bush, Angie placing her knee sharply in a certain spot below the girl’s armpit, temporarily numbing her upper body. Allowing Angie enough time to pull off both her earrings without feeling it,( this also worked well on working off broaches placed in upper parts of gowns and dresses, not to mention necklaces!) The bracelet would be no problem; it would be the easiest and probably the first, snatched off while the rich girl’s attention was easily diverted away. Since she was not wearing silky gloves, her ring would be the trickiest, but manageable, by either having her walk too close to a water fountain and hopefully having her get her fingers wet, or by simple holding onto her hand and tripping her by stepping on her gowns hem. And just like that, Angie would become that much richer, the rich girl that much poorer. And it all would be done without giving the girl any additional stress, like say she had run into the two muggers Angie had chased off. They may not have been content with just the jewels of a girl dressed as she was that they had found wandering alone in the gardens at night.
**
As Angie excitedly thought about these things, she had trained her focus back upon her original meal ticket, whom for the second time that evening had almost been allowed to slip through Angie’s light fingers. Watching with half lidded eyes, the still dancing couple not unlike a wolf watches lambs, waiting for one to make an ill-fated move away from the flock. The lamb’s fate was sealed, when a vivacious blonde in a long wispy silken dress cut in on the dancing couple. Asking miss silver satin’s fiancé for a dance. He obliged, leaving his shimmering fiancée unaccompanied, nakedly exposed to the wolf that was Angie.
**
More than one way to skin a cat Angie thought, tingling from the thrill of the hunt her prey, now in a reachable situation. She happily headed towards the spot where Miss silver satin had moved off to. A small table, located conveniently by a powder room. One the way she grabbed a half full glass of red wine off a table. Angie circled around young miss silver satin, taking a position up about two table lengths behind her. She casually scoured the area; most of the nearby tables were deserted.
Knowing the band would stop playing soon for the evening; most of the couples were out on the dance floor. All in all, the situation presented the perfect opportunity for some one of Angie’s persuasion.
**
Angie watched as the young lady picked up a glittery silver clutch and opening it, started to search inside. Angie moved swiftly, catching up behind her , tripping intentionally into her, splashing some wine onto the front of the silver satin blouse as the unfortunate lady dropped her purse in surprise. Oh my gosh, I did not see you, miss silver satin pleaded apologetically to Angie, more concerned over Angie’s feelings than her soiled satin blouse. Angie accepted her apology and, producing a lacey silk handkerchief, began to wipe themselves both down.
Angie’s practiced eyes swiftly took it all in. Miss silver satin’s pretty earrings swaying out vulnerably from her long straggly hair as it fell into her face. The clasp of her necklace was also exposed and within easy grasp. A s she reached out for the floor to steady herself, Angie’s eyes took in the sparkling ring on her now wetted finger and then watched the wide bracelet with its’ easily open able clasp slip up glitteringly over her sleeve.
The girl, now thoroughly flustered, started to rise, tripping over her slippery long skirt( with no help from Angie) Angie caught her, taking advantage of the split second opening she had been waiting for and Angie took it, making her selection as she steadied the poor thing with one hand, as the other caressed along a slick silver satin back. Angie’s long supple fingers darted in and deftly did their trick, this time with no spiders interfering. She quickly removed her chosen glittery prize from the distracted lady, who never noticed so much as a prick as Angie removed the expensive piece from her person in the confusion.
**
Angie secreted he shiny jewel as she helped miss silver satin collect herself. Than they rose, and Angie happily accepted miss silver satin profuse and obviously well used, apology. Then, as she fumbled nervously with her thick glasses, Angie laid a calming hand upon her shoulder, her fingers relishing in the richness of her victims sleek ruffled blouse. Miss silver satin was by now so distracted and embarrassed that Angie was all but assured of a clean get away.
However, as an extra measure of caution Angie intentionally jarred silver satin’s elbow of the hand steadying her eye glasses. Thus sending her glasses falling from her face to the floor with a small clatter, then Angie kicked them under a table before the startled lady could react. Angie offered to help, but the lady implored that she was okay, just needed to find her glasses. Angie left as Miss silver satin started to frantically grope around for her glasses, her silver blouse and remaining jewels shimmering brightly along their miserable mistress..
Angie took her leave, knowing that once she found her glasses, Miss silver satin would flee for sanctuary into the ladies powder room, buying her more than enough time for Angie to make her escape. Taking one last look over the dance floor, she blithely saw that miss silver satins fiancé was still in the clutches of the vivacious blonde-haired girl, still safely out of the picture. Angie made her way with purpose to the rear exit leading to the garden that she had used earlier, intending to head out into the serenity garden to collect the hidden bracelet and pendent, adding them to her purloined plunder.
**
As she walked amongst the mostly deserted tables, her mind went to the woman in yellow taffeta and imagined that right about now she would be standing with raised arms and a forlorn look. Ruefully wincing as the man who was holding her mink busily stripped those luscious pearls from the neckline of her tight gown, as the shiny yellow material gleamed in the moonlight! Serves her right for being afraid of spiders, Angie thought unforgivingly.
***
Angie’s mind also went to the poor young princess in blue with the missing necklace. She looked towards the area she had headed, opposite of the back exit to the garden. She reluctantly decided not to push her luck, there was a sister and parents to contend with, and she really had no time left. So she decided to call it a day, a rather successful day, and made her way to retrieve her loot.
**
Angie had now reached the now deserted table by the back exit where the lady in the crimson gown and blood red rubies had been earlier, along with her rhinestone encumbered 10 year old daughter and handsome husband.
**
She paused between the table and the bench, something was not quite right, She eyed the area around the dance floor for any signs of trouble that may be centered on the quite valuable jewels now in her possession. All was quiet, except for a little murmur behind her. Turning she looked at the bench and was shocked to discover the soundly asleep ten year old, using the long rusty sable fur as a blanket. What have we here, Angie thought, licking her lips wickedly?
**
Angie pursed her lips, checking the coast; spotting the young girl’s parents, still on the dance floor, a safe distance away the other side of the room. No sign of miss silver satin. No one else was nearby. Perfect. She went over, bending down so the table hid her. The child looked so vulnerably innocent, sound asleep as she lay on her side, facing Angie. She was clutching an arm of the sable like a warm fuzzy teddy bear, her ring sparkling. Angie gently tugged the mink from the girl’s clasp, and gradually pulled until the fur swished away from along the inert silken figure on the bench, where it fell into a pile on the floor. The child looked very innocent, very vulnerable, like a sleeping princess. An earring lay exposed over one shoulder, her necklace dangled down slightly askew from her slender throat, the pin holding her sash, all of which shone brightly now that it was exposed to the low lights of the ballroom, still called out. Too bad, Angie thought to herself, too bad the mother had not dressed her little doll in real diamonds.
**
Angie again looked to the dance floor; she could see the mother’s jewelry twinkling brightly as the child’s parents danced close, very unaware of anything else but themselves. She looked back over the girl, contemplating. But the song was winding down, Angie stooped to pick up the sable, bird in hand she thought, and placing the rich fur over her arm, stood just as the song ended. Looking at the exit door, so near and yet so far, she started to hasten to it, but checked herself as the band immediately started another, rather slow song that Angie knew quite well.
**
She hesitated, incredibly, everyone was staying on the floor for the final dance, she looked back at the bench, and the sleeping imps exposed jewels still shined, tempting her to come for them. Angie knew that she would only have about four minutes. Always open to new challenges, Angie chose to answer that sweet little invite that the necklace was extending out to her. Checking once again to make sure the parents was still obliviously dancing; she laid the mink down by the door and eased back to the bench. Kneeling down, Angie began to perform the delicate operation.
**
Lifting up the necklace she gently tugged it loose from around the sleeping child’s neck until the clasp appeared. She subtly flicked open the clasp, then shamelessly slipped the necklace from around its perch on the little whelp’s throat. It flickered like some slithering shiny snake, glittering as it came away. Like taking candy from a baby, Angie drooled happily, as she let the necklace run along her fingertips while watching the sleeping princess for a few seconds.
**
Her fitted cream coloured dress shimmered with expensive richness in the shadowy light. The poor thing was so soundly asleep after her long exhausting day that Angie figured she could have peeled the dress off her without causing a stir. This for a pickpocket would be the ultimate test, the pinnacle of her criminal class. But, Angie thought; if she ever had the opportunity to do so, it would have to be worth her while, like a shiny gown, an appealing sky blue gown with half sleeves and scooped collar. And the jewels would be sapphire drop earrings, bracelet and ring, not plain rhinestones. She licked her lips at the enticing thought of such a perfect “coup fera”, than told herself to get back to work, time was money.
**
She slipped her hand along the satin cape being used as a pillow and felt under the girls head until she felt the cold earring she was laying upon. Deftly undoing the screw she pulled it free, watching with delight as it came out from underneath.
**
Angie than, gently lifted, and nimbly stroked back the girl’s ultra-soft hair, exposing her long silvery earring. She pulled the jewel out and laid it out upon the child’s shoulder, where it lay, shimmering vibrantly. Then she reached in with her fingers and began unscrewed its clasp. Pulling it free she added it to her growing collection. She next lifted the hand that had held the warm sable, gently prying open her clenched fingers. The sleeping child never stirred. Angie gently slipped off the glittering ring. She then peeled back a silky sleeve, checking for the bracelet, finding her wrist was bare. The rest of the jewels were hiding securely on the side she was laying upon. Smiling wickedly to herself, an idea popped into Angie’s head.
**
The music was now almost to the halfway point, and Angie thought for a brief second that she should leave . Another quick scan assured her the coast was still clear, and Angie decided to press her luck, eagerly going back to work, putting her idea into motion.
Angie fingers felt along the sleeping child’s waist until she located the brooch. Quickly unfastening the brooch from the chocolate satin sash, she pulled it out. Watching as the diamonds caught fire and burst into vibrant life, unusually vivid for plain rhinestones she thought contemplatively. Angie plopping it in with the growing pile of the sleeping girls purloined baubles. Again reaching in along the warm waist, Angie gradually tugged at the now undone sash. The sleeping girl, unconsciously obliged by turning over on her other side, as the sash was pulled away.
**
Her arm with the ring and bracelet was now exposed. Lifting the arm , and peeling back the puffy sleeve, Angie found and unclasped the bracelet, slipping it away, then allowing it to dangle in triumph before letting it join its purloined mates. Then lifting the child’s hand she pulled at the ring, it was a little tight. Angie licked her fingers, and moistened the girls finger, than began slipping the ring off ever so gently from the along her finger. Almost there, Angie thought, as the ring joined its abducted companions in her pocket.
**
As Angie finished pocketing the last of the girls jewels, her victim whimpers something discernible in her sleep, her small hand feeling to pull up the missing warm sable she had been using as a blanket. Angie quickly looked around, spying a cheap linen coat hanging on a nearby hook, she grasped it and laid it over the stirring girl, stroking her for a precious few seconds. Then rising, calmly Angie snatched a shiny purse from the table, and moved off, unbelieving of her luck. She reclaimed the sable fur, and strolled out the door without looking back.
**
As Angie closed the door she heard the last notes of the song waning from inside. She licked her lip, that was close, but her luck had held. Now all that remained was to visit the Cupid Statue In the garden to reclaim her other prizes. As she reached the statue, Angie realized that she still had the child’s satin sash in her hand.
She smiled as she tied it, blindfolding the cupid statues eyes. Retrieving and pocketing the now stone cold diamond bracelet, and the young Princess in blue’s necklace with its shimmering pendent, she slowly looked around, the cost was clear. Angie coolly made her way to the gate, the bored guard offering to help her with the mink she was carrying. , Angie stopped, and handed it to him. Then turning, allowed him to help her on with it. He puffed out his chest as Angie gave him a sweet smile; she thanked him, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
**
Angie disappeared from view into the foggy evening, relishing the warmth of the sensuous sable. Happily contemplating the small fortune in jewels it had been in contact with earlier that evening, and also the small fortune she had walked out of the reception with in her possession.
**
The guard watched the spot for some time where the pretty lady in the expensive fur had vanished in the mists. He fantasized for a good few minutes, wondered what had been behind the enchantingly secret smile she had given to him.
Excuse me, sir?, a female voice coming from the garden startles him, he had never heard anyone coming.
He turns, catching an eyeful of a long glamourous, brown satin gown, worn fetchingly by a willowy short haired pretty young thing. Diamonds blazed from around her throat, caught by the gas lights, and from around her white satin gloved wrists as she raised her hands in a pleading fashion.
She continues, pointing to a young girl in a smashing blue satin gown, bending over looking for something in the bushes. My sister lost her necklace and pendent while playing around here earlier, did you or anyone find it? She asked in a rather seductive tone of voice9 not a common, it was her regular voice)
No lady, no one turned in a necklace. Thank you sir, and she turns away, her gown flowing out behind her.
He watches for a minute as she and her sister both move elegantly down the path, continuing their search.
He sighed, and turns away, babysitting rich dames he mutters under his breath, what a dismal way to make a living. Why won’t this affair ever end he asked himself, as he reached for his silver pocket watch to check the time. Damnations he said, not finding it nor its chain and fob, must have dropped it in the alley earlier where I had gone for a nipper from his flask. He sauntered off quickly to the alley located in the direction Angie had disappeared, abandoning his post.
Soon after, a pair of dark figures who had been walking on the opposite side of the street, and had stopped to loiter when they spied the guard talking to some posh broad in a shiny brown dress, saw the guard leaving his post. They quickly stole with sinister intent across the road and entered into the gardens, disappearing into the darkness.
*********************************************************************************
This ended up being Angie’s first big score, She got more for the rhinestone set then she had imagined, the small brooch taken off the brown satin sash had proved to have real diamonds in its center! Also the princess in silky sky blue’s pendent and chain had fetched a nice tidy sum. The jewels lifted from the ladies in Green and Silver also realized quite a handsome profit, as did the sable and purse.
if one includes the real diamond ring slipped off the finger of a silky dressed debutante from the prom show and her rather nice haul of a slim pearl necklace and diamond pin from the Opera, the whole weekend was unimaginably successful.
**
From the profit realized, she had been able to spend a pleasant month away in Monte Carlo, even indulging in the purchase of a rich red wine coloured taffeta gown to wear.
Which she pleasantly found that, when paired with her deftly acquired collection of dripping rhinestone diamond jewelry, she attracted wealthy young males with expensive gold watches and fat wallets like honey bee drones to a bright moss rose.
**
She also enticed a long raven haired, Miss, richly clad in emerald silk, to enter into her snare.
But Angie did not make an entirely clean get away. For the last jewel to be taken was the girl’s brooch , and before Angie could hide it with the rest, the girl spotted its’ glitter in Angie’s hand, and with a gasp had looked down on her dress at the now vacant spot where it had been dangling ever so provocatively for Angie all evening.. Angie smiled at the girl as she had looked up in confusion. The girl had placed a hand to her throat, startled when feeling it bare of her necklace. She looked at Angie in hurt confusion, her eyes wide with fright. Angie placed a finger to the girl’s lips, hushing any fuss she may have been thinking of making over her missing jewelry, and turning her back to the forlorn miss, Angie left, not looking back….
**
But that was a story for another day, so we were promised by Angie, giving us an all too familiar look of devious satisfaction at making us wait.
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Editor’s Notes:
Our Thanks to Mr. J. Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide
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We accept no responsibility
Day started great with some crazy snow fall!! The work chat was full of peoples cars sliding around but everyone finished their journeys safely thank goodness!
Meetings and admin all day, so I got to watch the snow from under my blankets, absolutely harrowing end of the day writing up a work to do list. But needs must and I guess it's more manageable now... urgh
I kind of feel like I could use one.
I finally got a hold of my realtors and we established a time to meet on Saturday to continue the house hunt. I pretty much have to put in an offer and get the process rolling this weekend, so to say that my stress level is high is akin to saying a few people showed up for Obama's inauguration.
To be honest, the stress is getting to the point that I no longer enjoy photography, and taking the daily picture has become a chore. I hope once the offer is accepted and the inspection comes back manageable, that this will change. In the meantime, I hope it's not tremendously obvious. ;-)