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Taken at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff 26/03/16
The weather did its best but the atmosphere couldnt be dampened, great fun had by athletes and spectators. Massive respect to all who took part
Louisiana is reported to be losing 25 to 35 square miles of coastal wetlands each year – one football field of land per hour. The causes of the land loss are from natural causes and human interference, and include reduced sediment flow from the Mississippi River and its tributaries, land subsidence, and sea-level rise. To combat the diminishing and degrading coastal habitats, Jefferson Parish instituted a program that found a role for discarded Christmas trees to lessen wave energy and to combat erosion. Wooden cribs are constructed parallel to the shoreline to hold the trees. Volunteers, the Louisiana Air National Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others have coordinated the collection and placement of trees in these pens to lessen the impact of waves and storms. The calm water between the cribs and coast traps sediment and allows for plants and aquatic life to establish. Jefferson Parish has been tracking the impact of this Christmas tree recycling project. Between 1998 and 2015, an unprotected area of shoreline lost over 23 acres of habitat, while a section protected by trees only lost 3 acres. The Christmas tree recycling program not only assists coastal habitats but generates awareness among Louisiana residents and provides an opportunity for participation in making a difference for the coast.
The quilt is to be viewed from the top to the bottom, representing a relative sequence over time as viewed at one location. No quantitative data is implied in terms of spatial or temporal patterns sewn. Each horizontal gray strip of fabric represents breaks in time. At the top of the quilt, one sees a wide strip of “plant” fabric representing a marsh coastline, and a smaller piece of “water” fabric representing the coastal water. As one moves down to the next row of plant/water fabric, there is less of the land fabric and more of the water fabric. This is to represent erosion occurring along the Louisiana coast, where marsh habitat is being lost from wave energy, subsidence, seal-level rise, etc. As one moves down the next several rows, there is a continued loss of the coast with an increasing encroachment of water. In the middle of the quilt, a Christmas tree crib appears. The successive rows show a reduction in loss of the marsh over time, reflecting the results shared by Jefferson Parish (still marsh loss but less volume when the Christmas trees were put in place).
This is my story of coastal optimism – a story of habitat loss and degradation that is slowed by the placement of discarded Christmas trees.
Open-air amphitheatre at the back of the Brutalist BT Tower in glasgow. Vandalised. In my head I can visualise the architect's drawing with the little people sitting about, reading their newspapers and eating lunch.
Early-mid 1990s slide.
Taken with Minolta MD Auto-Bellows I, Minolta MD Macro-Rokkor 50mm f3.5 and Slide Copier.
This shot was taken on her last day at my working place before heading for a farewell dinner...And here I am posting this shot here. Farewell for now, Yen Yen.
And I will still be your foodie mate. ;-) lols
(Location Shot : 25th floor at some weird high rise building. Apparently the sun was about to set so I made her stand and be 'hero'. LOLS.)
Detail of the Baptistry Window, a masterpiece of abstract stained glass designed by John Piper and executed by Patrick Reyntiens.
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-
Our new meusum tableau looks at the Edwardian age of optimism and invention. So many new "life changing" inventions came out of this period
The rainy day continues with Arista Ultra 100 in the M4/90mm Elmar. Fading light was the challenge as well as a mental block along the way. Thematically just trying to notice some details, but botched some things based on my too warm semi-stand development with Rodinal. But a exercise in patience and effort nonetheless.
Most of the fighting had ended in Europe. In Asia, things were winding down. It had been almost two weeks since the second bomb had been dropped on Japan.
Thanks to those of our greatest generation, a new hope was being recognized. The next couple years would see a lot of this. With a damn lot of us baby boomers as the result! :o)
Dad had just turned 22 the month before this, and Mom would become 21 in a few more months. Ah, so young...
One More Productions at The GEM Theatre is proud to present
THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, GALA Night!
Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg
Book by Kyle Jarrow
Musical Production Conceived by Tina Landau
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I.
And Songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny & Andy Paley
Additional Lyrics by Jonathan Coulton / Additional Music by Tom Kitt
*Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants, and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world!
Photographer: Dave Safley ModernPics.com
I am full of admiration of the optimism some people are able to put forward on a grey and dull day. Impulsive is NOT a word strongly connected to Norwegian behavior. Sceptisism and carefulness with something new and "exotic" is a better discription. This afternoon these woman with their ancestry in an Asian country had put up a food stand in the middle of a typical Norwegian smalltown... The rain was hammering down from a steelgrey sky, and people hurried from their cars to the shops. So business was not very profitable I guess. That is a shame, because the food was hot, tasty and so tender that it melted on the tounge. For 30-50 NOK (4-7 €, 5-8$, 2.5-4 pounds or 500-1000 yen) you could get a dish with crisp, fresh vegetables, chicken and a tasty sauce. People don`t know what they missed, and I sincerely hope that they don`t give up on "slow" Norwegians, and will be there tomorrow as well. I want another lunch!!!
Optimism 2009 este o inţiativă a bloggerului Cristi Manafu (manafu.blogspot.com) care s-a gândit să organizeze un eveniment la care să invite diverşi oameni (printre care unii destul de cunoscuţi publicului şi blogosferei) să vorbească, prin prisma propriei experienţe, despre optimism. Nimic mai potrivit la ora actuală! Întâlnirea are loc pe 8 iulie la Hotel Howard Johnson din Bucureşti. Detalii aici: optimism2009.evensys.ro/ Logo design: Mircea Drăgoi
Being optimistic at Barnstaple station. I can't imagine anybody wanting to need a luggage trolley at Barnstaple, let alone five people needing them at once!
Went for a run this morning before work. It was amazing how many folks were out there on the trail.
Used a log fence as a tripod, set the timer for 10 seconds and provided my own model for the shot. Came out rather well, I think!
I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and now I'm attempting to shake it off. Just because my life isn't perfect doesn't mean that I can't still enjoy it. I just feel like I need to focus on the positives for a change.
The optimistic me is the real me. Last night, when I said that things suck I was focused on trees, not the forest. Caught this shot today. My daughter left her sparkly glitter shoes in the living room, where the sun struck them and spread the light everywhere. This is me. I believe in possibilities. I am probably stupidly optimistic, but, honestly, I don't care to change that about myself. Deal with it. :)
The lovely Nendoroid Jubei Yagyu by Good Smile Company.
Waited for a long time to own this beast and it is here at long last.
"Look at the optimism of nature. Nothing can stop it. Every aspect of nature tirelessly contributes its share to life. The participation of a little bird, an animal, a tree, a flower, always is complete. No matter what the hardships, they continue to try, wholeheartedly. Optimism is the light of God. It is a form of grace that allows you to be far more perceptive and to look at life with greater clarity."--Amma