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Press "L". With massive North-Atlantic storm winds the only way to find a shelter was on ancient ruins, built from the time of the Vikings. It was humblingly inspiring to sleep on so much history and adventure beneath and around you in such a remote place in the middle of nowhere, literally - only vast spaces of violent and unfriendly Ocean around you. This is where you just barely get to grasp the size proportions of the Universe - we're on just a nonexistent and unsiginificant rock travelling in the middle of Space Time.
Horizon 202, MC 28mm f2.8, Kodak Gold 200 self-developed with Fuji Hunt X-Press C41 kit, wet-mounted drumscan (sensed with PhotoMultiplier Tubes - PMTs - no CCD nor CMOS involved in the light detection process)
A tremendously popular spot amongst eastern sierra photographers is the Leaf Tunnels along North Lake Road off route 168 just outside the town of Bishop California. Being from the east coast, I grew up in a place where trees did quite a job of showing off their autumn colors.... Each year it took me but a minutes drive to reach colored countryside where I could wander up a forest stream painted with neon leaves... or perhaps an Oceanside drive along rows of red maples..... I have memories of walking to school thru piles and piles of leaves... like giant crayola snow drifts. Now, here in LA, things are a bit different, autumn leaves are almost nonexistent and about as exciting as Patriots football to the so cal locals.... but me, I'm a traveler and I like to seek out things. Like... hmmmm... leaf Tunnels rumored just beyond the gates of the eastern sierra's :) They really are beautiful to see and to walk thru. For me, the bright eyed and inquisitive traveler and light hunter that I am, it was like walking to school again. How many times it's been photographed or how many photographers are walking around plays no part in my photograph taking. I noticed something that caught my attention and I recorded it to take with me back to my dwelling in Los Angeles. So without further a do... drum roll please.... I present... my very own interpretation of the world famous "Leaf Tunnel at North Lake" seen thru a Canon 70-200MM lens and recorded with a 5D mark II by little ol me.
At the moment, I'm reminded of something my big brother, whom I love dearly, said to me when I was in my early 20's and struggling to find my way as an artist in the business of music. It's very powerful and it's stuck with me ever since. Let it guide you, as it has me, if you ever momentarily lose your way.
"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." -Henry Van Dyke
My brother's photography.
tell him I sent ya :)
During my week at the PSSA congress, we made many trips into the nearby Golden Gate park. Every day we would pass this massive sandstone butte as it is near the entrance of the park and I'm sure is often photographed.
I was always with photographers who have been to this park many times, so I am sure they have gotten their fill of this spot. And like all of us who shoot a location again and again, the light and weather have to be right to make you want to stop and photograph the same location again.
Well, on the 2nd to last day in this region, we were driving back to the estate we were staying at when I asked the driver to stop. The sandstone was glowing and I hurried to find a vantage point. The shots were ok, but the light on the rocks faded all too quickly.
So on the final night here, I specifically asked to come to this spot. We parked at the campground (located at the green trees in the middle left of the frame) and we walked all the way up to this vantage point...right next to a pull out on the main road. Oh well.
The clouds were nonexistent, but I just wanted to share the potential for landscape photography in this area. The rainy season brings thunderstorms and greener grasses. And it snows here in the winter, which I am certain looks amazing against the warmth of the sandstone formations. Guess I'll just have to go back!
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 14-24mm @ 14mm
3 exposure blend: 1/13s, 1/50s, 1/6s @ f16, ISO 100
The 150 canals of Venice are its streets - roads for land passenger vehicles are nonexistent.
Everyone must travel by foot or boat, tourists and locals alike.
Catching one of these vaporetto (water bus) to get around is great and cheap.
Venice is very unique and fascinating, getting lost is part of the adventure!
It's one of my favourite place, would love to go back again one day.
( better view on large or light box)
Franklin Mountains
El Paso, Texas
Every year around late February and early March, El Pasoans look forward to the return of poppy flowers to the eastern slopes of the Franklin Mountains. Depending on rainfall during the preceding months, the poppy blooms can range anywhere from extensive to almost nonexistent. 2020 has turned out to be an above-average bloom. By mid- to late-March the poppies will fade away with the coming of warmer weather, not to be seen again until the next year.
Funerals are a funny thing.
It makes me think that we take being alive for granted. We don't know how long we have in this world. Yet, to see people always complaining that they’re getting old while others don't even have the chance to experience being old makes me wonder how far off we are from what's really important.
We are so wrapped up with our wants, our goals, and our desires that we fail to enjoy the beauty of the mundane.
I would think about it sometime, after living around the world for years, how I missed having a home.
How I missed being nosy with my grandmother, our daily squabbles or our bonding over something as simple as sharing a cup of avocado smoothie.
I want to practice myself in seeing more of the now, in appreciating the smallest of things instead of worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet or in regretting something in the past because I fail to appreciate it then.
So to be present, to be fantastically alive.
Sometimes I need to remind myself I’m not the only one that gets older, my grandmother too.
**We left early yesterday to attend a family emergency. My photo schedule is disrupted, my allocated time to edit is nonexistent, and the best of all I don't have a tripod with me. Grandma, please be my human tripod for a couple of days????
I spent so much time staring at my window seat. I'll try to come up with images around that airplane wing!
Also, I got to witness the most beautiful colored sunset yet, in mint green and pink! Or maybe it's just the glass tint but who cares?
Talk to you guys when I get back!! Stay awesome for now :D
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I am actively lost in the process of trying to create a series for my final semester as a photography student. I have an idea... but outside of that I am incredibly lost on how I am to accomplish what I want to do to make my professor happy, myself happy, and create a body of work that I am proud of.
I am a person who likes creating on a whim and creating whatever comes to mind at the time. An idea for a series happens when I am incredibly inspired. I am actually about to leave in a little over a week to take a road trip through the interior of Colorado (beginning with the Great Dunes). I hope to take a self portrait series on that trip.
Outside of that... manipulations, conceptual ideas.... all of that ... I have such a difficult time pulling that out of a nonexistent place. At the moment I feel lost and I can't wait until the end of this semester so that I will be free to create whatever I want without the pressure of a grade.
The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Plants are much less important and sometimes nonexistent. [wikipedia]
trad: Gli elementi principali di un karasansui (giardino Zen) sono rocce e sabbia, col mare simboleggiato non da acqua ma da sabbia rastrellata in modo da suggerire onde. Le piante sono molto meno importanti e qualche volta inesistenti.
A few snaps from a couple of memorable days on the Cambrian line chasing weekend specials up to Talerddig in 1966. Given the lack of road traffic and an enthusiastic driver, two or three shots of each train were possible on the climb – great fun if you could avoid Jones the Plod.
Apologies for the quality or the images but unfortunately to add to the burden of a rather poor camera, Mid Wales produced its normal cloudy and dull conditions. Any light there was around was unlikely to be reflected off the truly appalling external conditions of the locomotives. By 1966 the well cared for Manors had gone and generally 75XXX and 80XXX tanks were in charge but a few 76XXX class were drafted in to see out their last days assisting trains over the bank and were withdrawn once the summer extras had finished. The external condition of these in particular was probably the worst I remember in steam days.
Given the potential of the steam action up the hill, there does seem a scarcity of action shots at the many superb locations, and video (8 or 16mm film ?) seems virtually nonexistent. Perhaps everyone was tup north or on the Southern.
One of the few Class 4s to retain its front number by 1966 was 75002 seen heading east and passing Talerddig’s distant signal in some style.
The fielding of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey in 2007 signaled the further evolution of the United States Marine Corps' rotatory air wing. Indeed, the tiltrotor design of the Osprey meant it could achieve airspeeds comparable to fixed wing aircraft whilst retaining the ability to hover and vertically land in tight spaces. These abilities have become quintessential assets to the Marines as they compete with the Songun People's Army in both urban and biological jungles in the Pacific, and train to deter terrorism across the globe writ large. Indeed, contrary to some circles in the defense community that insist on creating large, redundant fleets of light and ultra-light airlifters to deliver personnel and critical supplies, the Marines have demonstrated that the dynamism of rotorcraft has only just been tapped into and will likely produce more bountiful fruit than conventional airframes in the future.
Unfortunately, like during any paradigm shift, there are losers and capability gaps that must be filled lest future development be arrested. Two such capability gaps became apparent once the Osprey hit the battlefield: Armed escort and close-air support. Although the venerable AH-1 has traditionally performed these tasks, the aging design is practically on its last legs and will only be able to eke out marginal performance improvements to keep pace with the Osprey. More or less, the AH-1 is too old and too slow for the new blood invigorating the Marines' air wing, making the helicopter a loser in this situation. What's more, proposals to arm the V-22 itself have hit numerous snags as the design was intended for quick infil and exfil with air dominance assured by platforms like the F-35B. As to be expected, however, reality is often wont to contradict such optimistic outlooks, thus leaving the Osprey and its occupants vulnerable in many scenarios.
Cue the Future Marine Armed Rotorcraft (FUMAR) program intended to add another layer of airborne lethality to the Corps. Given the issues listed above, the FUMAR tender was a call for the defense industry to find a suitable replacement for the Zulu Cobra and begin low-rate production by the latter 2030s. Many considered this initial timeline to be unrealistic given the mechanical complexity of tiltrotors and lack of broad industry expertise in crafting them. Bell Helicopter--coincidentally the AH-1's manufacturer--disagreed. Utilizing data from its participation in the Osprey's design and production, Bell produced a contender for the FUMAR program practically overnight (by industry standards).
Bell's overarching objective was to recycle as much as they could from the AH-1 as to purportedly drive down production and training costs, theoretically matching the Corps' preferred timeframe for initial fielding. Again, reality nevertheless had its own designs. For starters, Bell's offer, the YAV-25 Adder, handled entirely differently from the Zulu Cobra and required significant control layout redesigning in order to match the platform's new subcomponents. This meant the projected savings on retooling pilots and maintenance crews would be negligible or entirely nonexistent. Secondly, the General Electric T700 engines from the the AH-1 were shoehorned into nacelles on the YAV-25. This translated to maintenance difficulties given the new arrangement, as well as under-performance issues at the extreme end of the FUMAR's required performance envelope. Lastly, numerous fabrication errors continue to plague the mechanisms responsible for storing the Adder aboard ships. Often, the YAV-25's wing will get stuck in position or fail to lock when intended for flight. Additionally, the folding rotors stress the actuator disks, resulting in fewer flight hours when vertical capabilities are employed--an issue that continues to haunt the V-22 as well.
All told, the YAV-25 is best considered a stopgap solution if the American defense industry fails to produce a more promising design. Much ruckus has been made over a Boeing contender, though details are few and far between at this point. Still, the likelihood of Boeing participation is high considering the firm has been described as "upset" over Bell's supposed headlong monopolization of V-22 data. Animosity might displace necessity as the mother of invention in this case.
Lots to say about this build. Firstly, this was intended to be finished last year as ten-years-on-Flickr anniversary build, but I suck and didn't do that. Secondly, this is definitely a redux of a very old build, found here. It's okay to point and laugh at it, I promise. Thirdly, much inspiration is owed to Aleks' superb Cobra models found above. Although I'm sure they're mechanically different in many ways, cloning his aesthetic was essential for this build and maintaining some semblance of lore continuity. Lastly, many thanks to Evan for indulging my laziness and adding decals to this thing for flair. Enjoy!
Back to grabbing a few more photos from my archives. If I wrote a description under a previously posted image taken on the same trip/outing, I will add it under today's photos. These five images were all taken on 20 March 2017, during a trip to Trinidad and Tobago with friends.
"Agoutis have five front and three hind toes; the first toe is very small. The tail is very short or nonexistent and hairless. Agoutis may grow to be up to 60 cm (24 in) in length and 4 kg (8.8 lb) in weight. Most species are brown on their backs and whitish or buff on their bellies; the fur may have a glossy appearance and then glimmers in an orange colour. Reports differ as to whether they are diurnal or nocturnal animals.... They can live for as long as 20 years, a remarkably long time for a rodent
In the wild, they are shy animals and flee from humans, while in captivity they may become trusting. In Trinidad, they are renowned for being very fast runners, able to keep hunting dogs occupied with chasing them for hours." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_agouti
"This photo was taken on 20 March 2017, but I also saw and photographed these rather strange animals every day that we were staying at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the island of Trinidad. They like to hang around the Asa Wright building, finding food, and then they seem to disappear into the forest for most of the day. Many of my photos of them came out blurry for some reason, but this one worked OK.
This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.
Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself!
What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.
The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.
I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure."
There goes my favourite comic universe character!
I was just about to nick some master builder's design of the Hobgoblin's glider that would make a decent display piece, when to my surprise I found that none fit the bill.
So I made a couple of tiny ones. Neither one is entirely satisfactory, although I like them both. Not very faithful to the source material either, but very much fitting the fig scale-wise and not too cumbersome for display.
The left one uses Technic pins that protrude underneath, which limits the ways it can be attached to a support.
The right one just squeezes the figure's feet, producing a surprisingly firm clutch. However, points of connection to a support are pretty much nonexistent.
Opinions and comments are welcome!
This sparrow took a slightly different approach to winning (nonexistent) seeds from my pocket. This one did a balance beam act for the ages. Too bad, birdie! I have no seeds for you! Energy: wasted!
North Park
“If you would look at a flower, any thought about that flower prevents your looking at it. The words, the rose, the violet, it is this flower, that flower, it is that species, keep you from observing. To look, there must be no interference of the word, which is the objectifying of thought. There must be freedom from the word, and to look there must be silence; otherwise you can’t look. If you look at your wife or husband, all the memories that you have had, either of pleasure or of pain, interfere with looking. It is only when you look without the image that there is a relationship. Your verbal image and the verbal image of the other have no relationship at all. They are nonexistent.”—Jiddu Krishnamurti, Fifth Public Talk, October 5, 1966, in “Collected Works. Vol XVII)
“In Your presence is fullness of joy…”—Psalm 16
“Taste and see, taste and see how good the Lord is, how good the Lord is… blessed the one who takes refuge in Him alone.”
—Psalm 34
“Let us preach without preaching, not by words, but by our example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to You. Amen.”—Cardinal Newman [1801-1890]
So... This is it... This is our desert bloom this spring.
After what I believe has been the driest winter ever recorded in Arizona, our desert bloom has been nonexistent this year. In southern AZ, we have had something like a half inch of rainfall since the first week of December. So, the desert wildflowers never happened. There are a few cactus with some blooms. This ocotillo was looking really brilliant.
This was taken out in the Superstitions a few weeks ago.
The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Plants are much less important and sometimes nonexistent. [wikipedia]
trad: Gli elementi principali di un karasansui (giardino Zen) sono rocce e sabbia, col mare simboleggiato non da acqua ma da sabbia rastrellata in modo da suggerire onde. Le piante sono molto meno importanti e qualche volta inesistenti.
Take One Step, Seas Life (Of Love(s Of) Life) - IMRAN™
Life is so full of ironies and visual wordplays. Take this photo of my current situation, for example. I'm standing in the cold waters of Tampa Bay on a warming afternoon, outside my blessed home.
I looked down and then up. Things were looking up and I was down with it. Engulfed by natural moistness from the Gulf, these are the thoughts that washed over me... intellectual and emotional waves of pleasure coming in and on a literal wet dreamscape... as I clicked the iPhone button to capture it all in one frame.
Everyone tells us to stay close to home, not venture too far from shore, to resist the call of the sea, to not cross the oceans. We are told to stay grounded, keep our feet firmly planted, not to rock the boat even if we are permitted to get on one.
But to the ones who were born to explore new horizons, travel the world and seven seas, cross every ocean, share the space-time continuum with kindred souls — soulmates and sail-mates, whose hearts, minds, bodies, and souls equally full of love, lust, desire, passion, adventure, and an insatiable hunger experience it all — to live lives even beyond the limits of imagination.
And it is with those distant unseen, maybe even nonexistent, ports of calling in mind, with hearts throbbing to have precious heartthrobs come along on the journey, that we venture out on the oceans of time. The irony of how even getting to the oceans calling our names sometimes means crossing rivers as obstacles along the way.
But the journey of a million lifetimes of love begins with a single step, with one look, with one kiss. Just as you start to get your feet wet, the sea of love itself rises to meet you, greet you, embrace you. And next thing you know you’re knee-deep in it. Hooked to the sea but unleashed in every sense.... nothing between where you are and where you want to be but Fate telling you the plot but you writing your Destiny.
Come, my beloveds, my sail-mates, let my words release the lines that tie you to the ordinary life, let my voice command you to your wildest dreams, let my eyes unwrap the sails draping you, let my fingers plot the poetry of our life’s journey mapped on the perfection of your body, as I penetrate the darkness of the night seas that scare you, together to open beautiful corridors like moist pink morning clouds, ready to be seen & seeded with an unbridled love of life... and an infinite life of love.
That is what I visualize from this photo. Can you see and feel it, my loves!
© 2020 IMRAN™
(I post my words from the iPhone screen as a stream of consciousness without any editing, so I often catch & fix typos or grammar issues later).
#Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #love #life #lust #literature #prose #philosophy #sea #ocean #travel #lifecoach #IMRAN #gratitude #erotica #writing
By the mid 1980’s, freight traffic on Santa Fe’s Raton line was sparse, but not virtually nonexistent as it is today. Some of those few trains could, however be heavy enough to require helpers over Raton Pass. Here a westbound train at Raton, New Mexico enters the small yard with a significant group of EMD’s cut in a few cars ahead of the caboose.
This was not an easy panel to reach. It's usually visited by floating down the San Juan River and stopping along the way. Not having a boat, I drove down a very long way around, through Comb Wash, following a mostly nonexistent "road" for quite a few miles. At times the water in the wash was quite deep. There was a lot of mud, too. I was a bit worried, since I was solo and there was nothing to winch off of if I had become stuck.
Down along the river I came upon a group of people who were camped. They had floated the river, but were not aware of the nearby rock art. I remember, very clearly, their faces as I drove up - eyes wide and mouthes open. They were astounded that I had driven in. Someone once described me as tenacious. I guess I am.
Anyway, enjoy the rock art. I'll be posting a few from the very extensive panel.
I had just walked a few km with my friend and her dog in biting-cold weather (happy Easter!). We had brought two vehicles to the trail head, and I was about to find out why. As I followed my friend's pickup out of the parking area - imagine a dirt road, a grove of trees, endless rolling prairie hills ahead and a great valley behind, with no other vehicles, people, fences, houses, or sign of habitation - I happened to glance to my left. An owl was watching me from a bare cottonwood tree!
I stopped, waited a few minutes. Snapped a few shots from the car, but the bird was half obscured. Got out. Owl watching. Casually walked a zig-zag path down an embankment, through a sparse hedge. Owl still there. Got better shots. Owl flew to a different perch. I changed course. Owl continued watching. I feigned interest in nonexistent wildflowers. Gradually moved to an opening among the trees. Owl stayed put. Finally raised my hand held lens again (checked that VR setting was on) and there it was! Click-click-click (burst mode); adjust exposure, click-click-click; adjust again, click-click-click. Even shooting RAW, I bracket when possible because results are always better if you nail the exposure.
This is the final frame of the set. By this time the owl had enough of me and flew off to a higher perch in a different tree, and I called out a thank-you, gave a little bow, and left him or her in peace. The Great Horned Owl is a feared predator; its talons are reputed to have the most powerful grip of all North American raptors. But it is a shy bird that needs some privacy. This is why I love Grasslands and the surrounding area, and why I decided to move here nearly a decade ago. The wildlife photo ops are plentiful and pressure from humans on the animals is minimal. I can spend a few minutes with an amazing critter and know that I am probably the only human it will have to deal with this week, this month, perhaps all year. It makes a cold, rainy Easter weekend sunnier and warmer.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2017 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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Explored: Highest Position: 288
Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The park consists of 330 km2 of arid land, forest, and a soda-lake which covers as much as 200 km2 of land during the wet season but is nearly nonexistent during the dry season.
Lake Manyara National Park is known for the flamingos that inhabit the lake. During the wet season they inhabit the edges of the lake in flocks of thousands but they are not so present during the dry season.
More than 400 species of birds inhabit the park and many remain throughout the year. Because of this Lake Manyara National Park is a good spot for bird watching. Visitors to the park can expect to see upwards of 100 different species of bird on any day.
Leopards, lions, elephants, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelle, hippo, giraffe, impala, and more inhabit the park and many can be seen throughout the year. There is a hippo pond at one end of the park where visitors can get out of their cars and observe from a safe distance. The leopards and lions are both known to lounge in the trees while not hunting for prey.
[Preface: In view of our 73 degree "heat event," our wonderfully inept power company in the northern half of this state has *threatened* - so that they don't get sued again for negligence - to turn off all power starting at midnight tonight and lasting oh, maybe five days until they can find the switch in the dark! I have made my calls to my nonexistent federal representatives and my state senator and even called the governor's office, but they were all out busily defending the indefensible. Oh, you want the point. Okay, you may not see any uploads or receive comments from me for 12 hours to five days and, since three of my prescriptions run out and my pharmacy is "digital," I may shed this mortal coil, and join Nikola Tesla in railing against bureaucracies in general. Google it.]
But, I am leaving you with one of my favorite shots of the summer. Light's good. Log has character. The Arroyo Bluet that is perched is sharp, and the Vivid Dancer is nicely blurred showing forward movement though he had been hovering and pestering the guy on the log. It also shows the relative sizes. The Bluet is 44mm and the Dancer is 39. There are two species even smaller, and I got one California Pond Dancer, an anomaly at about 19mm.
For the last 5,000 years, in cultures and folklore around the world, a red dragonfly is said to be one of two omens at polar opposites on the omen spectrum: eternal love and death. In one Asian folk tale, red dragonflies always show up when someone dies. My dragonflies are defective. I will reread the instruction manual and make sure that I've got the incantation right.
Nothing is mentioned about blue dragons or damsels. It probably meant masculinity, but the California schools deems that to be inappropriate and almost as unacceptable as the Swift Forktail.
See you ... tomorrow or Monday, pissants willing. (Google it.)
The signs of downsizing are evident as Amtrak train #40 departs the station at Lewistown. By the mid 80s, downsizing on the Middle Division was in full swing - towers were being closed, and the line going from three tracks to two. This is obvious here in this scene from 1985, where the right-most main is out of service and in the process of becoming nonexistent. While railfans on the western half of the Pittsburgh Line got their taste of this five years earlier, railfans out east held on a bit longer. Within a year, though, there wouldn't be much left of the Middle Division except two tracks and memories.
AMTK 313. Lewistown, PA.
August 19, 1985. Reuben S. Brouse photo.
Adam Klimchock collection.
Animal milk has long been claimed as the go-to source of calcium by the dairy industry, but as it turns out, milk is bad for you. Calcium from animal milk is not absorbed as well as that from plant-based sources, and it can be accompanied by a number of dangerous health problems.
1. Broken bones
In a Swedish medical study, women who consumed large quantities of dairy milk daily were more likely to sustain fractures than those who drank little to no milk.
2. Prostate cancer
3. Lactose intolerance
Cow’s milk contains a sugar called lactose that can be difficult for people to digest, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It can also develop later in life and result in months of worsening symptoms.
4. Acne
In multiple studies, the consumption of all types of cow’s milk was linked to an increased prevalence and severity of acne in both boys and girls.
5. Cholesterol
A single serving of milk can contain as much as 24 mg of cholesterol, whereas vegan food has no cholesterol.
6. Ovarian cancer
A Swedish study showed that women who consumed four or more servings of dairy products each day were twice as likely to develop serous ovarian cancer as those who consumed two or fewer servings of dairy products each day.
7. Milk allergies
Unlike lactose intolerance, milk allergies, usually in young children, are characterized by potentially strong and dangerous reactions, such as vomiting or anaphylaxis.
8. Antibiotics
Many cows are pumped full of antibiotics. This practice is leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics used on humans.
8. Antibiotics
Many cows are pumped full of antibiotics. This practice is leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics used on humans.
10. Weight gain
Despite industry claims, a study of more than 12,000 children showed that the more milk they drank, the more weight they gained, and skim and 1 percent milk appeared, counter-intuitively, to lead to more weight gain than drinking 2 percent or whole milk. The study also found that replacing soda with milk did not lead to weight loss.
11. Bone loss
Instead of promoting bone health, animal protein in dairy products can have a calcium-leaching effect.
www.peta.org/living/food/reasons-stop-drinking-milk/
Some evidence suggests that the consumption of milk and other dairy products leads to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Conversely, dairy-free diets have been followed to slow the progress of prostate cancer.
Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits’ feet around their babies’ necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties.Indeed, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to everyone’s detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious.Milk is much more than just a drink; it’s a cultural phenomenon that can be traced back thousands of years. And still today, the milk myth resonates loud and clear: in 2001, the average American child consumed 104 quarts of cow’s milk.Milk depletes the calcium from your bones .The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to understand that the confusion about milk’s imaginary benefits stems from the fact that it contains calcium – around 300 mg per cup. But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is! Here’s how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is – you guessed it… in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.Knowing this, you’ll understand why statistics show that countries with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest fracture incidence in their population (there’s more on this later).But the sad truth is that most mainstream health practitioners ignore these proven facts. I know it firsthand because when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, my doctor recommended that I drink lots of milk in addition to taking Fosamax.
Fortunately, I did neither, because I knew that…Cow’s milk is custom-designed for calves
Thanks to our creative ingenuity and perhaps related to our ancient survival needs, we adopted the dubious habit of drinking another species’ milk. Nobody can dispute that cow’s milk is an excellent food source for calves. Weighing around 100 pounds at birth, a calf typically gains approximately eight times its weight by the time it is weaned. But unlike humans, once calves are weaned, they never drink milk again. And the same applies to every mammalian species on this planet.Also, each mammalian species has its own “designer” milk, and cow’s milk is no exception. For example, cow’s milk contains on average three times the amount of protein than human milk which creates metabolic disturbances in humans that have detrimental bone health consequences.
It’s important to bear in mind that mother’s milk is excellent nourishment for human babies, but its composition is very different from cow’s milk.
Scientific studies show that milk increases fracture risk
Many scientific studies contradict the conventional wisdom that milk and dairy consumption help reduce osteoporotic fractures. Surprisingly, studies demonstrating that milk and dairy products actually fail to protect bones from fractures outnumber studies that prove otherwise. Even drinking milk from a young age does not protect against future fracture risk but actually increases it. Shattering the “savings account” calcium theory, Cumming and Klineberg report their study findings as follows:
“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age. (“Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly”. American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994).
And the 12 year long Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that those who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk. This is a broad study based on 77,761 women aged 34 through 59 years of age.
In the authors’ own words:
“These data do not support the hypothesis that higher consumption of milk or other food sources of calcium by adult women protects against hip or forearm fractures.” (Source: Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997).
Shocking statistics ignored by mainstream medicine
In the Save Our Bones Program one of the topics I discuss is the complete disregard of scientific evidence that discredits milk and dairy products as the best source of calcium.
One exception is Amy Lanou Ph.D., nutrition director for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., who states that:
“The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the ones where people drink the most milk and have the most calcium in their diets. The connection between calcium consumption and bone health is actually very weak, and the connection between dairy consumption and bone health is almost nonexistent.”
Surprised? You shouldn’t be, because as I mentioned earlier in this article…
Milk is an acidifying animal protein
Like any other animal derived protein-rich food, milk has a positive potential renal acid load (PRAL) which triggers a protective biological reaction to neutralize all the damaging acidic protein before it reaches the kidneys.
The body is designed for survival, so it sacrifices bone density to protect the kidneys and urinary tract because the latter are essential to survival. And the most readily available source of acid neutralizer is in the bones. So even though milk contains calcium, it ends up sapping your bones of that crucial mineral. But that’s not all because…
Today’s milk is a processed food
Until the end of the 19th century in Europe and the beginning of the 20th century in the US, milk was consumed unpasteurized or raw. Later on, homogenization became the industry’s standard. These processes further alter milk’s chemistry and actually increase its detrimental acidifying effects.
Raw milk advocates claim that if cow’s milk is left “as is” it is a healthy and wholesome drink. It is true that raw milk is less acidifying than processed milk and that pasteurization and homogenization may cause a long list of digestive and other health problems, but I still don’t recommend drinking any kind of cow’s milk.
Nowadays, milking cows are given antibiotics and most are also injected with a genetically engineered form of bovine growth hormone (rBGH). A man-made or synthetic hormone used to artificially increase milk production, rBGH also increases blood levels of the insulin-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in those who drink it. And higher levels of IGF-1 are linked to several cancers.
This should not be ignored, especially in view of recent information by Samuel Epstein, MD, Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. In an article titled “Monsanto’s Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers” (www.preventcancer.com/press/releases/july8_98.htm, June 21, 1998) Dr. Epstein concludes that:
“Drinking rBGH milk would thus be expected to significantly increase IGF-1 blood levels and consequently to increase risks of developing breast cancer and promoting its invasiveness.”
Even though organic milk is from cows that are not given antibiotics or rBHG, if you truly care about your bone health and your overall health, you should…
Avoid drinking cow’s milk
As I explain in the Save Our Bones Program and contrary to mainstream recommendations, drinking milk and eating lots of dairy products are not the answer to reversing osteoporosis. And while in the Save Our Bones Program no food is completely off limits, I strongly recommend that you explore the different milk substitute options that I will list for you here.
But first, I’d like to clarify that unsweetened fermented or cultured dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and sour cream are acid neutral. Yogurt in particular is chock-full of beneficial qualities. As is the case with milk, organic yogurt does not have rBGH, but even several of the most well-known yogurt brands have stopped using the bovine growth hormone (rBGH). You should call your favorite yogurt company to confirm. One more clarification: when I say unsweetened I mean without sugar or any artificial sweetener. However, you can add honey or stevia, a zero calorie plant-derived sweetener that is delicious and alkalizing as well. I like to carry around stevia packets in my purse so that I’m always able to sweeten food or drinks when I’m on the go.
The best milk substitutes
My favorite milk substitute is unsweetened almond milk, not only because it is alkalizing (as almonds are), but also because it’s delicious and tastes very similar to milk. I even cook with it!
If almond milk is hard to get, you can also try rice or soy milk. I strongly suggest consuming only organic soy milk to insure it’s not made with genetically modified soy. There is also some controversy about unfermented soy products, so try to use it in moderation.
What Else Haven’t They Told You? What else have you been told about bone health by your doctor or other “experts” that is flat out wrong? What other “facts” (like drinking milk does a body good) are keeping you from optimal health? Myths like these are a big reason I created the Save Our Bones Program. To give you the straight scoop on how to deal with osteoporosis the natural way.
And remember, if you ever hear someone ask “Got milk?” smile and think to yourself “No, because I know better!”
saveourbones.com/osteoporosis-milk-myth/
WHY MILK IS BAD FOR YOU
Today we need to talk about WHY milk is bad for you and your bones. Not just any milk, but specifically any milk coming from another animal. Those who know me know that I am usually a VERY positive person, and the word “bad” isn’t usually in my vocabulary. However, my goal in this video is to make you aware of what you are putting in your body so that you can see HOW important it is to eat pure foods and to see which foods are optimal for your body. There is a LOT that society has taught us that isn’t healthy, and I want to expose some of those myths. Today, I will be sharing my take on why milk is really not good for you, and I will give you alternatives that you can enjoy that are much healthier. Ok, are you ready? Here are my top reasons why MILK is BAD for you:
MILK ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE
Today’s milk is a processed food. Until the end of the 19th century in Europe and the beginning of the 20th century in the US, milk was consumed unpasteurized or raw. Later on, homogenization became the industry’s standard. These processes further alter milk’s chemistry and actually increase its detrimental acidifying effects.
UNWANTED INGREDIENTS
Under current industrial methods, cow’s milk is often a toxic bovine brew of man-made ingredients like bio-engineered hormones, antibiotics (55% of U.S. antibiotics are fed to livestock), and pesticides—all of which are bad for us and the environment. For example, unintentional pesticide poisonings kill an estimated 355,000 people globally each year. In addition the drugs pumped into livestock often re-visit us in our water supply.
COWS MILK BELONGS TO COWS
We are the only animals on the planet who take another animals milk and drink it for consumption. We are biologically designed to drink our own mother’s milk. Would you go and put your mouth to a cow’s nipple and start drinking it? It’s not a naturally occurring desire in my mind.
The biochemical make-up of cow’s milk is perfectly suited to turn a 65-pound newborn calf into a 400-pound cow in one year. It contains, for example, three times more protein and seven times more mineral content while human milk has 10 times as much essential fatty acids, three times as much selenium, and half the calcium. Some may like cow’s milk but drinking it is both unnecessary and potentially harmful.
IT DEPLETES BONE CALCIUM
Despite popular opinion, recent studies and exposes have shown that dairy can actually CREATE osteoporosis in your bones. According to the SAVE OUR BONES CAMPAIGN and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. This increases your risk for fractures and more.
FREQUENT MILK CONSUMPTION = INCREASED RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS
According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the ones where people drink the most milk and have the most calcium in their diets. The connection between calcium consumption and bone health is actually very weak, and the connection between dairy consumption and bone health is almost nonexistent.”
Do you remember the GOT MILK ads that you used to see everywhere? Did you know that they had a ____ million dollar lawsuit against that ad due to the fact that this wasn’t true?
They had to stop saying that milk creates strong bones. Many of those ads disappeared after that lawsuit.
UNNCESSARY WEIGHT GAIN
As beverages go, milk is relatively high in calories. One cup of 2% milk has 138 calories, for instance. Drinking three cups a day adds 366 calories to the diet — a lot for anyone watching their weight.
EXACERBATES ACNE & CREATES GAS
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found an association between dairy consumption and acne. They suggest that removing milk or dairy can help to clear your skin.
IT’S AN ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN
Like any other animal derived protein-rich food, milk has a positive potential renal acid load (PRAL) which triggers a protective biological reaction to neutralize all the damaging acidic protein before it reaches the kidneys.
What does this mean exactly? Any body that is in an acidic state is at higher risk for cancer, disease, soreness, short recovery time, and more.
DRINKING CREATES EXCESS MUCUS
There’s not much more I need to say here. Give it a try and see for yourself.
IT PROMOTES ANIMAL CRUELTY
Many of the animals today are factory farmed and abused.
Those are just a FEW of the reasons why milk isn’t the most optimal of foods for our bodies. But remember that it doesn’t stop there. Milk is found in cheeses, yogurt, non-vegan ice creams, whey protein, whipped creams, and ANY type of dairy product. I’ve put together more links and information in the description below..So I know what you are thinking..WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT?! Don’t worry because I have a great substite for you! I highly recommend that you check out my Blueberry Milkshake, Fullyraw Coffee, Banana Nice Cream, Fullyraw Frappuccino, and more. And please take a look at my video below! Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments!
I went out with Matty to shoot some photos for an interview. We wanted to do something different, so we tried to incorporate Matty's love of the outdoors and his creativity into skating nonexistent "spots".
We rigged up this old washer and a plywood roll in on a bmx jump. The last part was rolling on the hard packed dirt.
This is my very First Bee image photographed in our garden in Masirah Island, Oman.
You can see this bee is "robbing" nectar by slitting the side of this Tecoma Stans flower.
Facts:
Carpenter bees (the genus Xylocopa in the subfamily Xylocopinae) are large bees distributed worldwide. There are some 500 species of carpenter bee in 31 subgenera. Their name comes from the fact that nearly all species build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers (except those in the subgenus Proxylocopa, which nest in the ground). Members of the related tribe Ceratinini are sometimes referred to as "small carpenter bees".
In several species, the females live alongside their own daughters or sisters, creating a small social group. They use wood bits to form partitions between the cells in the nest. A few species bore generally minor or nonexistent.
Carpenter bees can be important pollinators on open-faced flowers, even obligate pollinators on some, such as the Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), though many species are also known to "rob" nectar by slitting the sides of flowers with deep corollas.
(Wikipedia)
Thank you for your visits, faves and comments. Constructive criticism and suggestions are most welcome!
Have a great day! Take care!!
“By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.”
― Franz Kafka
Photo: Iftakhar Elius
16/09/2013
Dhaka
Last nites sunsets were about to nonexistent because it was raining heavily where i was. I was even contemplating going home because it was rainy and no signs of colors in the sky. And the sun was just about beyond the horizon. Low and behold, persistence pays off again.
There was a short time after the NS takeover of the former D&H south end that decent power could still be found south of Schenectady. It’s currently nonexistent and boring.
It is not that often when I can capture all the colors of the rainbow and still be pleased with the result. Autumn in Shenandoah is that time of the year when, in the right weather, this is possible. Photographing this scene was not difficult. The predawn light was soft, the wind was almost nonexistent, and Thornton Hollow Overlook offered easy access to the scenery. I find it easier to frame vertical compositions, compared to horizontal ones, and this case was not an exception. The bright yellow foliage in the foreground, transitioning to the darker mix of green, red, and brown and culminating in the pastel blue shade of the Mount Marshall, was my primary element in the frame.
Some photos of the desert around Kanab, Utah. I really enjoy exploring around Kanab with all of the sandstone outcrops and canyons everywhere. However, it can be a bit treacherous because almost all of the roads are on loose sand so traction is almost nonexistent. I’ve had to pull folks out and have come close to needing that service as well. So, if you go out here, come prepared. . I shot this with an Olympus 35 LC rangefinder which has a fixed 42mm f1.7 Zuiko lens. The film I developed in Rodinal @ 1:50
- The weight nonexistent .., the nonexistent world ...
- El inexistente peso.., del inexistente mundo...
SHS Omadhaun, the second ship in the Amarok-Class, in standard livery circa June 1941 during training exercises.
Some of the least-damaged ships in the Súþfolcstede harbour, Amarok and her sisters were among the first hulks to be re-floated, repaired, and re-armed as they were some of the least damaged. Patrolling the seaways around Sjælleneard from Oyashimese incursion and Ordenric Reclamation fleets (nonexistent), they would be one of the earliest large naval vessels operated by the Sæþrymm of the Hléowiegan Sweordbroþors.
The Order's harbour-town of Súþfolcstede is of great age. It is unknown when the Order first learned of the Southern Passages into the Ælfeneard, but the first permanent settlements within it are known to have occurred during the mid-1700s. Súþfolcstede was the major resupply route unto it until the discovery of the Wearpport in Bistralis in 1841, a much safer and year-round route into the Ælfeneard. An earthquake would hit Bistralis in 1908 however, detonating the magazines in the fort-city of Wearpburg. The force of this explosion ruptured the delicate matrix of magic and ritual maintaining the Wearpport, promptly destroying both itself and the entire central area of the Bistralian continent. A single voyage through the Southern Passages was attempted by way of Súþfolcstede to link back with the Ælfeneard in 1919, but was unsuccessful. The vast majority of the ships sailed back with skeleton crews, their men speaking of hellish demons and frightful spectres in the now Wearp-infested passages into the Ælfeneard, all heavy with damage from the ice in that cold abyss. Few were able to be repaired in time for the Great Stupid War of 1924, and afterwards the rapidly declining social and economic structure of the Ordenric homelands could not warrant enough resources to make a second attempt at entering the Ælfeneard by way of the Southern Passages. The economy was in shambles from the massive war-debts the Stupid War had incurred, and the feudalist society of the Ordenric was beginning to wane and crumble under the massive weight of the recent industrializations and war. From 1927 on, Súþfolcstede would be on its own.
In 1887, a small Gúteic tropical fishing settlement and trading post was started near the rich Ordenric port-city. Soon it would grow into a relatively rich series of plantations held as a private colony of the Gúteic knightly order of the Order of Swordbrothers of Sanct Magnhild. However, with the disbanding of the Order of Swordbrothers of Sanct Magnhild after the 2nd Schlassbeck War for heresy (where Gútemark was incorporated into the Holy Seladællian Confederation), she would largely remain forgotten...
Millipedes have very poor – sometimes nonexistent – eyesight, and sense their way around using their short, segmented antennae, which continually tap the ground as they move along; millipedes are very clean creatures, spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing various parts of their body, and have a special brush-like group of hairs on the 2nd or 3rd pair of their legs which they use to clean their antennae
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American Giant Millipede – 2020SEP27 – Charlotte, NC
Look what I found! A Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus: it grows twice as large as any other North American millipede, a cylindrical millipede (distinguished from flat millipedes), dark reddish-brown or black, a red line on each segmente edge; like all millipedes, they have 2 pairs of legs on most segments, rather than 1 pair of legs on each segment (like a centipede).
Does it bite? No (uniike a centipede). What about cyanide? Although not this species, some secrete hydrogen cyanide, quite poisonous. Remember, millipedes are toxic – but as long as they are not eaten, hands washed after touching them, they're pretty harmless; however, many have a defensive secretion, benzoquinone, that can cause chemical burns on human skin, generally mild, but powerful enough to cause temporary skin discoloration, itching, and blisters – some millipedes’ secretions are much more powerful, though.
The division of an animal into repeating body parts is called segmentation, clearly seen in millipedes, the word meaning “one thousand foot;” despite that name, millipedes with the most legs come up shy of the 1,000-leg mark, only about 750.
Hope you enjoy the 10% of 99 captures I took here this day!
Thin to nonexistent sun on this day in May, 2014 as a Providence and Worcester ethanol extra hustles south on the Providence Main through a private crossing in Millbury MA. Although my notes on this train are sketchy at best (sadly true for most of my collection), I believe the consist was a pair of B39 (3902 and 3909) matched with a GP38 (2008). Of the 4 sets I have, this was easily the best light of the lot. With both 3902 and 3909 now in GW orange, I'm ok with that.
310/365 Work with textures
I took the original image on October 31st/2009 @ Palm Beach Zoo
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Nikon D5000
It was fun to see that decadent image and you find inside the most clean and confortable restroom.
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Reflections: Bathroom etiquette
by EJ Young
Ms. Manners may not have written the official version of urinal etiquette, but the need for such a publication exists. It is an excellent idea to stay informed on the latest trends in proper procedures regarding all types of toilet use. Whether in the workplace, in a public restroom and or at a friend's home, there will be times when a person must make hard decisions about acceptable etiquette practices. The gender of the toilet user also matters when establishing such rules of conduct.
Urinal Etiquette Rule #1 (applies to the function of going #1 or #2) in a multiple unit facility
1. No talking rule.
No talking once a person is inside the door of the stall. Absolutely no talking once the occupant has taken a seat. Talking at this delicate time tends to feel awkward and may impede the primary objective.
There is no flexibility of this rule for males. Males should efficiently stroll into the facility, continue to the urinal or stall (depending on type of elimination planned) complete the task, flush, wash hands and leave. Quickly. Attempts at conversations tend to make some males suspicious of others or paranoid as to the intent. A slight nod of the head or a type of a grunt/one-syllable unrecognizable greeting is okay (no eye contact allowed).
For females, however, it is acceptable to carry on superficial girl talk at the sink area when one is washing hands, primping hair and/or reapplying make-up. In the case of etiquette and equity regarding toilet rules, the rules are different due to the fact that males and females perform toilet functions in different ways. Therefore, a double standard does not exist.
Extra tip: The no talking rule also applies to cell phone use. It is considered in extremely poor taste for a person to talk on a cell phone while on the toilet. Texting, of course, is okay. The user is then presented with other potential problems.
2. Leave no trace.
In the event the toilet bowl becomes too full or the odiferous impact is above the norm, a courtesy flush is considered good manners. If a person's release of fluids travels beyond the the bowl, that person is responsible for maintenance. Each user should return the toilet to the same stage of cleanliness as it was prior to usage. When a fan is nonexistent, multiple flushes serve as a partial solution. One might also consider carrying a travel size deodorizer. Some brands of such sprays add the bonus of an anti-bacterial feature which is convenient if clean-up requires considerable scrubbing.
Regarding excessive noise levels, once again, the multi-flush will aid in muffling some sounds. Rolling the paper dispenser, coughing loudly, fake sneezing, blowing one's nose or such cover-ups may prove effective. Of course, a more direct approach of simply stating, "Excuse me," or "Sorry about that," or "I'll never drink hot sauce again," or even a simple warning of "Get out of the room if you have a weak stomach," if stated in a factual tone, would be preferred to the alternative of raised eyebrows, watery eyes or the occasional vomit.
Lastly, if one cannot get the contents of the commode to flush, that person is responsible for reporting malfunction to the proper authorities. That same person also needs to supply an "out of order" sign to post on the door of the non-flushing unit. It is considered common courtesy to leave a note of brief explanation of the entry to the restroom area as well. Then, one may choose whether he/she must opt to contend with the given circumstances or if it is possible to find another facility or wait until one gets home.
3. General Toilet Etiquette regarding a private home
Guests should make sure to use the fan as well as spray provided by the host. One should always wash hands thoroughly with soap. Caution: Peruse the area prior to use. Is there a towel laid out for guests? Under no circumstances is it considered proper to take part in hand-me-down towel use. If the host or hostess has apparently initiated a towel (smell, feel, look) it is not your choice to rub or pat your wet hands on that towel. If there is not a towel available, you will need to choose between toilet paper or a dispensable article of your own apparel. Maybe your outfit would be more stylish with a no socks look with those loafers. Maybe the party isn't formal and no one would notice if your tie went missing.
Guests should also know exactly what personal hygiene items are available for guest use and what products are exclusively for use by the owners. For example, you may notice your favorite shampoo brand or bubble bath with a thick towel folded beside the soaking tub. That is not necessarily a personal invitation for you to bathe while using the powder room at your boss' office party. If a perfume brand you've been longing to try stares back at you from inside the medicine cabinet, it probably belongs to the hostess.
Important tip: It is not okay to 'borrow' prescription drugs even if you've had a doctor's order for a similar drug. You should always ask the host permission before borrowing any item.
Obviously, this advice only skims the proverbial surface of etiquette in excreting human waste. Future articles will examine these complex questions: Should you tell a woman her skirt is tucked into her underwear or is she doing it on purpose? Should your boss wait in line for the next available toilet like everyone else or does he/she have toilet privileges? In addition, never before released facts about the ever-curious phenomenon of group toileting for females. The world will finally know the reason why females cannot travel to the lavoratory without a female companion.
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Textures with my gratitude to SkeletalMess: Bore2Death Thank you very much Jerry!!
Skrzyczne is a mountain in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, close to the town of Szczyrk. It is the highest mountain of the Silesian Beskids[3] and the fifth most topographically prominent peak in Poland.[4][a]
Skrzyczne is one of the peaks which make up the Crown of Polish Mountains, or a list of the highest points in each of Poland's 28 mountain ranges.[5] The peak can be reached by hiking paths, and there is also a gondola lift which starts in Szczyrk and comes up to around 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level.[6] The slopes of the mountain are also known for the many blueberries which grow on them and which are frequently collected by hikers and other visitors.[7]
A mountain hut, PTTK Skrzyczne, is located very close to the peak of the mountain. The first hut, built in 1933, was destroyed in a fire.[8] A second hut was built in the late 1930s, and stands to this day.[9] There is likewise a tall (87 metres (285 ft)) radio and television tower atop Skrzyczne,[10] which makes it easy to recognise the peak from afar.
In addition to multiple hiking trails, the Skrzyczne area also hosts a ski resort with several pistes,[11] as well as mountain biking trails.[12] Several trail races also cross the peak, most notably Zamieć, a 24-hour race which takes place in the winter.[13]
Legend has it that Skrzyczne takes its name from the croaking of frogs (in Polish: skrzyczenie), which supposedly inhabited the (now nonexistent) ponds near the peak.[14]
I exposed this properly, but my Xtol died! My negative came out nearly undeveloped. I could barely make out this image on the negative :-(
Shot at 1600iso, it was going to be beautiful! I should have used my D76 like I was going to. Thanks to the miracle of scanning technology, I didn't have to throw these negatives in the trash.
30 minutes at f8, 1600iso and a really bright moon.
The vertical lines are the film base I'm sure. The images are almost nonexistent.
Underdeveloped by about 5 stops.
I went to Yellowstone during the last part of spring. The snow was still quite deep in the mountains, but in the Yellowstone valley is was relatively nonexistent except in the mountains. This is an image from the north end of Grand Prismatic Spring. The Grand Prismatic Spring gets its name from the many different colors that can be observed in the hot water which is caused by the bacteria living in microbial mats.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and is about 160 °F.
Photographs are © Copyright Galactic Dreams (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on blogs, websites, or in other media without advance written permission from Galactic Dreams.
1958 BMW Isetta 300 on display at the Exotic Sports Car Show & Concours d'Elegance, Littleton, Colorado.
The Isetta was one of the most successful microcars produced in the post-WWII years—a time when cheap, short distance transportation was most needed. Although the design originated in Italy, it was built in a number of different countries, including Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany and Britain. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car—a name later given to other similar vehicles. Other countries had other nicknames: In Germany it was das rollende Ei (the rolling egg) or the Sargwagen (meaning something like "coffin car"; the name apparently came from the small (or rather nonexistent) distance between the passengers and oncoming traffic). In France it was the yogurt pot. In Brazil it was the bola de futebol de fenemê (football (soccer) ball of a truck), and in Chile it is still called the "huevito" (little egg). (Wikipedia)
This month’s challenge called I Smell A (Modern) Rat asks us what would rat rodding be like if we applied the same principles to modern cars. For this I chose a Dodge Magnum with a V-8 Hemi. Instead of a more predictable post-apoc Mad Max look, I went with a beach combing car with rugged tires, wood paneling, and a nonexistent roof and tailgate. Just enough rust and patina adds a bit of well loved character while a wooden deck and benches gives this “Magnum Opus” a boat-like appearance that’s suitable for fishing, surfing, or just soaking up some rays. Its the perfect modern rat rod for a hot summer day!
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Zen Mind
Zen mind is the "Natural" state of our beings: No self, no identity, no memes, no beliefs.
Any idea of "what is" takes us away from what is - to be in the moment, all ideas need to be gone. There's not even an "I" to have the ideas.
The natural being acts as an outcome of the movement of the universe, in the same way that an artist's brush is moved by its "universe".
All "teachings", "spiritual" paths or "sacred" practices actually take us away from the moment, because it needs an "I" to do them, with an agenda of some kind, something to gain. All of which removes our beingness from the identity-free moment.
The only way that "what is" can be experienced is to lose all traces of self, in which case the "what is" can't be experienced because there is no one there to experience it.
Any description of the state of the natural mind is false, including this one. "It" cannot be described. "It" is always "bigger" than the limiting description.
There is not even an "ultimate" state to gain, because the very idea that there is, takes us away from it.
All there is, is the operation of the universe in its all-ness. There's no such thing as "enlightened" or "unenlightened". These are just ideas of what is.
Even "bliss" or "transcendence" is a state of mind that needs an "I" to experience those feelings.
Thoughts are the glue of our belief structures. "I" is the creation of thoughts and beliefs.
What's happening, when we think we are functioning human beings, is the operating system of the brain, running sophisticated meme/belief structures that create the content of our identities and sense of self.
The only act awareness can "do" is to let go of "self" awareness. Awareness, to be fully there, needs to have no "I" attached to it.
Where there was self, there is now "active" emptiness.
Action, from this place, is an instantaneous, pure response to the call of the moment. It is the moment, the universe acting, not the person.
True peace is an absence of agitation, an absence of self-generated internal activity. So peace cannot be "done", or created - it's an absence of doing. This allows unadulterated "what-is" to be.
All action out of this state is completely harmonious and non-conflicting. There is nothing there to conflict with anything else.
A transcended being feels the world cleanly, whereas an "I", full of beliefs and ideas of self, overlays those unadulterated feelings with external content, imbuing them with emotional "charge". This charge is reactive to the world around it, continually creating conflict as it attempts to dissipate.
Whatever is actual or real can only be there when all ideas, all thoughts, all belief, all traces of identity are gone - when there is no "I" left to take us out of the moment. If the eternal now moment is all there is, this may be the only way to be in it.
Thought is only necessary, only of any use, when it is called for by the moment, for a particular task. To keep thinking beyond the particular call of the moment is the same as keeping your arm above your head all the time, or hopping on one leg all the time.
What comes out of the moment relates only to that moment. It's already past and nonexistent as it is experienced. To hold to anything experienced or said in that moment, is to live in the dead past.
If you can't touch it, show it, taste it, does it have any reality?
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Explored: Highest Position: 66
Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The park consists of 330 km2 of arid land, forest, and a soda-lake which covers as much as 200 km2 of land during the wet season but is nearly nonexistent during the dry season.
Lake Manyara National Park is known for the flamingos that inhabit the lake. During the wet season they inhabit the edges of the lake in flocks of thousands but they are not so present during the dry season.
More than 400 species of birds inhabit the park and many remain throughout the year. Because of this Lake Manyara National Park is a good spot for bird watching. Visitors to the park can expect to see upwards of 100 different species of bird on any day.
Leopards, lions, elephants, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelle, hippo, giraffe, impala, and more inhabit the park and many can be seen throughout the year. There is a hippo pond at one end of the park where visitors can get out of their cars and observe from a safe distance. The leopards and lions are both known to lounge in the trees while not hunting for prey.
March 17, 2011.
No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky - Bob Dylan
Lately I've been extremely uninspired. This image is worse than yesterday's :/
It's been 100 days since I started my 365. 265 more days to go; 265 more days of dreams, wishes, magic, and hope; 265 more days of growing up.