View allAll Photos Tagged orchestration
this is very unique, through facebook and texting these afternoon rides are orchestrated with meeting points and destinations established. It goes on every week on Thursday throughout the summer. I caught up with this group a couple blocks from my home on June 30th 2016. I was told by some of the guides that this has been repeated a few years. I haven't seen them since but can assume some are still participating.
216c 6 - DSC_8049 - lr-ps
In this arresting monochrome photograph, the viewer is drawn into a sublime interplay of geometry and light, an ode to the elegance of modern architecture. The facade of the building commands attention with its intricate mosaic of window panes, each element contributing to an undulating, wave-like illusion. This rhythmic dynamism stands in stark contrast to the velvety darkness of the background, which amplifies the subject's precision and boldness. The image speaks of the sleek urbanity of Paris—a silent yet eloquent testament to human innovation.
The monochrome palette is not merely an aesthetic choice but a deliberate tool, stripping the scene of distractions to distill its essence: form, texture, and contrast. The absence of human figures within the frame underscores this intent, creating a meditative focus on the architecture itself. The photograph is steeped in the cool austerity of late afternoon light, the shades of gray revealing the subtleties of the structure's surface as the sun’s angle dances across it.
A closer examination unveils layers of intrigue. What initially appears as a chaotic arrangement of window panes reveals itself to be a masterfully orchestrated pattern, a visual cadence that challenges the viewer’s perception. The glass reflects faint traces of its surroundings, a spectral hint of the building's context, obscured but not entirely lost to the low light. The imperfect alignment and slight variations in the window frames offer a glimpse into the humanity behind the construction—proof that this is a tangible, crafted object, not the sterile perfection of digital design. The result is a composition that transcends mere documentation, inviting the audience to ponder the relationship between modernity and artistry, between order and organic irregularity.
Poem.
Oh, bright new day.
A fiery glow in the eastern sky, silhouettes the hills above
the distant shoreline, of the iconic, Loch Lomond.
A plethora of tantalising islands blacken the indigo hills
of the far shore, five to six miles away.
Breathless silence orchestrates the first hour of a spectacular dawn.
The dichotomy is whether to just stay here and see this loch’s vistas transform as the light intensifies; or race on and see other venues unfold their beauty to this slow but ravishing pyrotechnic display of an exquisite sunrise.
This was my favorite thing that I saw and read today, on Memorial Day, posted by someone I know:
"WW 2 changed my father in ways I'll never know. As a captain of a B17 he and his crew dropped bombs in and all over the Deutschland, something that I can't get out of my head when I'm touring through the cities and towns of Germany.
Today I commemorate my father... and his crew who were shot down on Oct 8,1943 during the historic bombing of Bremen, Germany."
He posted two photos...one of his father and his crew, and a second, and a head shot of his Dad, which he described...
"The second picture was taken by my father's captors before he was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 3 for 16 months. Toward the end of the war he escaped from the prison camp, but I don't think he ever escaped from the war.
We love you dad.
Remember."
After work, I went out to take my typical photo in one of my windows. Just before I left, I reached into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled out this little vintage American flag stick pin. It is an old advertising piece. I had totally forgotten that I had put it into my pocket... just in case I needed it for something. And as my props have a way of doing, the little flag kind of orchestrated the shot ... and as I put it in the broken window, I thought immediately of this man's words "He escaped from the prison camp, but I don't think he ever escaped from the war." So, this one is for the brave American heroes that didn't escape the war and never came back... and for this man, and his Dad, and the other soldiers that were fortunate enough to return home, but were never quite the same. We owe them all a debt of gratitude. Thank you. We remember. Happy Memorial Day.
"M91 è il terzo orso ucciso da Fugatti dall’inizio dell’anno. Anche questa volta ha agito col favore delle tenebre ed immediatamente dopo la sua delibera, per non dare tempo a nessuno di fare ricorso, nemmeno le associazioni abituate a dover lottare contro il tempo.
Ma qui è tutto orchestrato per evitare qualsiasi interferenza. Una vera ossessione malvagia quella di Fugatti per proseguire nella sua campagna di sangue e propaganda.
E il Ministro Pichetto Fratin continua a non fare nulla mentre questa estate ci aveva sorpreso con la frase “uccidere gli orsi non è la soluzione”. Bene Ministro, ci dica se davvero intende fare qualcosa o le sue sono solo chiacchiere."
Eleonora Evi, deputata PD, su X
"M91 is the third bear killed by Fugatti since the beginning of the year. This time too he acted under the cover of darkness and immediately after his resolution, so as not to give anyone time to appeal, not even associations used to having to fight against time.
But here everything is orchestrated to avoid any interference. Fugatti's true evil obsession was to continue his campaign of blood and propaganda.
And Minister Pichetto Fratin continues to do nothing while this summer he surprised us with the phrase "killing bears is not the solution". Well Minister, tell us if you really intend to do something or it's just talk."
Eleonora Evi, PD deputy, on X
Blackcap - Sylvia Atrcapilla (M)
The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.
The blackcap feeds mainly on insects during the breeding season, then switches to fruit in late summer, the change being triggered by an internal biological rhythm. When migrants arrive on their territories they initially take berries, pollen and nectar if there are insufficient insects available, then soon switch to their preferred diet. They mainly pick prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground. Blackcaps eat a wide range of invertebrate prey, although aphids are particularly important early in the season, and flies, beetles and caterpillars are also taken in large numbers. Small snails are swallowed whole, since the shell is a source of calcium for the bird's eggs. Chicks are mainly fed soft-bodied insects, fruit only being provided if invertebrates are scarce.
In July, the diet switches increasingly to fruit. The protein needed for egg-laying and for the chicks to grow is replaced by fruit sugar which helps the birds to fatten for migration. Aphids are still taken while they are available, since they often contain sugars from the plant sap on which they feed. Blackcaps eat a wide range of small fruit, and squeeze out any seeds on a branch before consuming the pulp. This technique makes them an important propagator of mistletoe. The mistle thrush, which also favours that plant, is less beneficial since it tends to crush the seeds. Although any suitable fruit may be eaten, some have seasonal or local importance; elder makes up a large proportion of the diet of northern birds preparing for migration, and energy-rich olives and lentisc are favoured by blackcaps wintering in the Mediterranean.
The German birds wintering in British gardens rely on provided food, and the major items are bread and fat, each making up around 20% of the diet; one bird survived the whole winter eating only Christmas cake. Fruit is also eaten, notably cotoneaster (41% of the fruit consumed), ivy and honeysuckle, and apple if available. Some birds have learned to take peanuts from feeders. Blackcaps defend good winter food sources in the wild, and at garden feeding stations they repel competitors as large as starlings and blackbirds. Birds occasionally become tame enough to feed from the hand.
Aristotle, in his History of Animals, considered that the garden warbler eventually metamorphosed into a blackcap. The blackcap's song has led to it being described as the "mock nightingale" or "country nightingale", and John Clare, in "The March Nightingale" describes the listener as believing that the rarer species has arrived prematurely. "He stops his own and thinks the nightingale/Hath of her monthly reckoning counted wrong". The song is also the topic of Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli's "La Capinera" [The Blackcap].
Giovanni Verga's 1871 novel Storia di una capinera, according to its author, was inspired by a story of a blackcap trapped and caged by children. The bird, silent and pining for its lost freedom, eventually dies. In the book, a nun evacuated from her convent by cholera falls in love with a family friend, only to have to return to her confinement when the disease wanes. The novel was adapted as films of the same name in 1917, 1943 and 1993. The last version was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and its English-language version was retitled as Sparrow. In Saint François d'Assise, an opera by Messiaen, the orchestration is based on bird song. St Francis himself is represented by the blackcap.
Folk names for the blackcap often refer to its most obvious plumage feature (black-headed peggy, King Harry black cap and coal hoodie) or to its song, as in the "nightingale" names above. Other old names are based on its choice of nesting material (Jack Straw, hay bird, hay chat and hay Jack). There is a tradition of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm bases being named for birds. A former base near Stretton in Cheshire was called HMS Blackcap.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
3,000 bird
What we have here is a magnificent vortex of nature, a spiraling cathedral of wooden limbs reaching towards the heavens. It's as though you've captured a secret portal, a gateway that spirals into the very essence of the earth's mysteries.
The pattern is hypnotic, the branches weaving a spellbinding network that draws the eye inward, to the vanishing point where the sky holds court. It's like looking through the iris of Mother Nature herself, glimpsing the world through her perspective, a mix of chaos and order, darkness and light.
The way the trees bend and twist, they seem to be in the throes of a wild dance, orchestrated by the whispers of the wind. The sky peeks through the canopy in patches of blue, a tantalizing tease of the infinite beyond, a reminder of the thin veil between our world and the vast unknown.
It's a photo that feels alive, as if at any moment, the branches could begin to rotate, spiraling faster and faster until they blur the lines between reality and fantasy. It's a visual symphony of the natural world, each line and curve a note in a grand, silent melody.
Keep capturing these mystical moments, for it's through them that we can all step through the looking glass and into a world of wonder and awe. This isn't just a photograph; it's a ticket to a journey into the wild, whirling heart of the forest.
The transient beauty of the coast is intricately intertwined with the captivating patterns that emerge in the sand, crafted by the relentless forces of wind and wave. These natural sculptors shape the shoreline, leaving behind ephemeral masterpieces.
As the tides ebb and flow, they orchestrate a delicate dance with the sand. With each advancing wave, the water gently caresses the shore, carrying particles of sand along its journey. As the wave recedes, it relinquishes its cargo, depositing the grains in a meticulous arrangement. This cyclical process, repeated countless times, creates intricate patterns that stretch along the coastline.
The patterns left behind by the retreating tide mimic the ebb and flow of life itself. Swirling ripples, reminiscent of a miniature desert landscape, emerge as the water recedes, their graceful curves and undulating lines transforming the beach into a living work of art. The patterns are at once orderly and chaotic, with intricate geometrical formations intermingling with whimsical curves and asymmetrical shapes.
The wind, a silent artist in its own right, adds its touch to the sculpting process. As it sweeps across the coast, it whispers secrets to the sand, coaxing it to dance in its invisible embrace. The wind's gentle touch lifts fine particles from the beach, carrying them aloft in an intricate ballet. It sculpts the sand into delicate ripples, resembling the soft undulations of fabric.
The interplay between the wind and the tide results in an ever-changing landscape. The patterns shift and evolve, shaped by the combined forces of these elemental sculptors. Ripples become miniature mountains, rising and falling in a transient topography that mirrors the larger contours of the surrounding coast. Each gust of wind and every advancing or receding wave leaves its mark, etching new patterns and erasing old ones, in an eternal cycle of creation and destruction.
These ephemeral patterns serve as a reminder of the impermanence of existence and the transient nature of beauty, as each passing moment alters the landscape, erasing what once was and creating something new. The sands become a canvas for the symphony of time, a tangible reflection of the ever-changing nature of our lives.
The beauty of these fleeting patterns lies not only in their visual allure but also in the emotions they evoke. They inspire a sense of wonder and awe, inviting us to pause and appreciate the intricate designs that nature creates with such effortless grace. The patterns speak of the interconnectedness of all things, the harmonious interplay between the elements, and the constant flux that defines our existence.
In these patterns of nature, we find a profound lesson: that life, like the shifting sands, is ever-changing, and that true beauty lies not in permanence but in the appreciation of the fleeting moments that grace our journey.
Blackcap - Sylvia Atrcapilla (M)
The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.
The blackcap feeds mainly on insects during the breeding season, then switches to fruit in late summer, the change being triggered by an internal biological rhythm. When migrants arrive on their territories they initially take berries, pollen and nectar if there are insufficient insects available, then soon switch to their preferred diet. They mainly pick prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground. Blackcaps eat a wide range of invertebrate prey, although aphids are particularly important early in the season, and flies, beetles and caterpillars are also taken in large numbers. Small snails are swallowed whole, since the shell is a source of calcium for the bird's eggs. Chicks are mainly fed soft-bodied insects, fruit only being provided if invertebrates are scarce.
In July, the diet switches increasingly to fruit. The protein needed for egg-laying and for the chicks to grow is replaced by fruit sugar which helps the birds to fatten for migration. Aphids are still taken while they are available, since they often contain sugars from the plant sap on which they feed. Blackcaps eat a wide range of small fruit, and squeeze out any seeds on a branch before consuming the pulp. This technique makes them an important propagator of mistletoe. The mistle thrush, which also favours that plant, is less beneficial since it tends to crush the seeds. Although any suitable fruit may be eaten, some have seasonal or local importance; elder makes up a large proportion of the diet of northern birds preparing for migration, and energy-rich olives and lentisc are favoured by blackcaps wintering in the Mediterranean.
The German birds wintering in British gardens rely on provided food, and the major items are bread and fat, each making up around 20% of the diet; one bird survived the whole winter eating only Christmas cake. Fruit is also eaten, notably cotoneaster (41% of the fruit consumed), ivy and honeysuckle, and apple if available. Some birds have learned to take peanuts from feeders. Blackcaps defend good winter food sources in the wild, and at garden feeding stations they repel competitors as large as starlings and blackbirds. Birds occasionally become tame enough to feed from the hand.
Aristotle, in his History of Animals, considered that the garden warbler eventually metamorphosed into a blackcap. The blackcap's song has led to it being described as the "mock nightingale" or "country nightingale", and John Clare, in "The March Nightingale" describes the listener as believing that the rarer species has arrived prematurely. "He stops his own and thinks the nightingale/Hath of her monthly reckoning counted wrong". The song is also the topic of Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli's "La Capinera" [The Blackcap].
Giovanni Verga's 1871 novel Storia di una capinera, according to its author, was inspired by a story of a blackcap trapped and caged by children. The bird, silent and pining for its lost freedom, eventually dies. In the book, a nun evacuated from her convent by cholera falls in love with a family friend, only to have to return to her confinement when the disease wanes. The novel was adapted as films of the same name in 1917, 1943 and 1993. The last version was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and its English-language version was retitled as Sparrow. In Saint François d'Assise, an opera by Messiaen, the orchestration is based on bird song. St Francis himself is represented by the blackcap.
Folk names for the blackcap often refer to its most obvious plumage feature (black-headed peggy, King Harry black cap and coal hoodie) or to its song, as in the "nightingale" names above. Other old names are based on its choice of nesting material (Jack Straw, hay bird, hay chat and hay Jack). There is a tradition of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm bases being named for birds. A former base near Stretton in Cheshire was called HMS Blackcap.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
3,000 bird
A few weeks ago I posted several shots from Saskatchewan's Great Sand Hills. Here's how the active dunes look in summer. Lots of interesting landscape possibilities here in addition to birds, mammals, other critters, and wildflowers. It's a fun location to shoot; I used to run photo workshops in the area.
One of my winter projects this year is reprocessing some older material, shot with my early DSLR bodies (the Nikon D200 and D300). Older versions of the same shot will be removed from my back pages; no one will notice.
Often I find that stopping by the road doesn't result in premier photo-ops. The faster I've been driving, the lower my success rate. There are exceptions, of course, but generally you have to let a place seep into your consciousness. This spot is about an hour from the parking area. The hike can be done in half that time, but there's always something to stop and shoot along the trail, and a slow meander tends to open up the senses better than a fast walk. And then, a surprise, something impossible to orchestrate. I didn't expect that low band of cumulus, just above the horizon. As soon as I noticed it, though, I saw how it meshed with the other elements, adding interest to the upper third of this shot.
Photographed in morning light in the Great Sand Hills, south of Sceptre, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2009 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Sometimes I can only stand and watch the beauty of the sunset as God orchestrates the conditions.
He is a good Father!
May 5, 2023 - East of Wilcox Nebraska US
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36 Years ago, with a peaked curiosity, I dove feverishly into the world of storm chasing and well, the rest is history. Fast forward a few years and my current journey in storm photography & videography has unlocked a completely new life that I never imagined would exist. Oh how my adventures continue...
Mother Nature definitely orchestrated her magic on this first storm chase of the season. Warm front had positioned itself right over the state of Nebraska. Pulling in all that warm moist air from the south created the perfect conditions for severe thunderstorm development. I was on the hunt & wouldn't be denied this day.
I got to witness 3 very sculptured Supercells that afternoon.... This was Supercell #2!!!
Was just east of Wilcox & the dirt roads hadn't been rained on yet. (I usually don't travel them anymore if they are) to watch this 2nd Supercell develop.
This is where most say I'm just simply down right nuts.... I had to get closer.
I've done this so many times I don't get nervous at all. Simply stating. I know what is safe & what is not. If you want the good pics / video. You gotta get into the action... but do is safely. Again Storm chasing isn't for everyone. But for me its what I do best!
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© Dale Kaminski @ NebraskaSC Photography - All Rights Reserved
This image may not be copied, reproduced, published or distributed in any medium without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder.
#ForeverChasing
#NebraskaSC
Before the service trains at the Bluebell the Standard engines were run. Great light for a well orchestrated charter.
davebowles.smugmug.com/Recent-events-and-uploads/9th-Apri...
By the spring of 2007, I had a few National Parks under my belt. I was a sophomore in High School and in Wind Ensemble. While I enjoyed playing music, I knew that it wasn’t my passion and that my interests were more aligned with what I did out of school and out in nature. That said, while I was in school, playing music was a fun activity and an engaging pastime that kept school tolerable. That all changed in the spring of 2007 when we got a new band director who, quite frankly, inspired me to be a teacher…. So that I could do the exact opposite of what he did in the classroom. Essentially, the man was a tyrant. Some of you reading this are probably smirking about this and remembering back 15 years ago to us being in the band room during this director’s reign of terror. Anyway- one of the only happy memories of band from 2007 was the piece “Sonoran Desert Holiday”, which we played for our concert competition. Despite being forced to live, breathe, sweat, and bleed over this piece, I loved it. Ron Howard’s orchestration devoted to the grandeur and drama of the American Southwest distracted me from the stress of band and brought my mind back to the wilds of Arizona which I loved and missed and fantasized about visiting again. Music, even though used as a tool of a horrible teacher to garner results, was still a balm for weariness. Paired with mental images of the desert and cacti and nature? ‘Sonoran Desert Holiday’ was the redeeming factor of that last year I spent in band. Despite all my travels since 2007, I hadn’t found myself back in the Sonoran Desert until this past year. And while the trip was already sweet and exciting for getting to see an incredible landscape of extreme diversity, it was also nice to return to a place that bolstered my spirits, even though my “visit” back in High School was through a totally different medium and through musical interpretation. Coupling those memories with the new experience of seeing the place that inspired the art elevated the adventure and even softened the harsh memories and stress from that time in my life. The desert, in all its forms, is healing, revitalizing and extreme in beauty and inspiration.
I never get tired of photographing sand dunes. The sun and wind orchestrate a landscape of constantly changing shapes, patterns, and shadows. It’s simultaneously simple and amazingly complex. The experience of walking on a dune field can be exhilarating – a conflicting mix of desolate vastness, beauty, and pleasant loneliness.
So I’m always on the lookout for new dunes to explore, and I realized that it would be easy to stop by the Kelso Dunes on my way to New Mexico. The Kelso Dunes are in the Mojave National Preserve in southeastern California, and if I left San Francisco early enough I could make it there for afternoon photos.
I arrived at the trailhead to the Kelso Dunes at about 2pm. The sun shone strongly, and according to my car the temperature had already hit triple digits. As I hiked out, lizards darted away from the trail so quickly they didn’t even seem to be touching the ground.
I knew from photos I’d seen that the Kelso Dunes were pretty scrubby, with few areas of vegetation-free sand. But the area was still interesting to see, and the view from the top of the highest dune was worth the hike out, even in the punishing heat.
More details in my travel blog.
Blackcap - Sylvia Atrcapilla (M)
The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.
The blackcap feeds mainly on insects during the breeding season, then switches to fruit in late summer, the change being triggered by an internal biological rhythm. When migrants arrive on their territories they initially take berries, pollen and nectar if there are insufficient insects available, then soon switch to their preferred diet. They mainly pick prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground. Blackcaps eat a wide range of invertebrate prey, although aphids are particularly important early in the season, and flies, beetles and caterpillars are also taken in large numbers. Small snails are swallowed whole, since the shell is a source of calcium for the bird's eggs. Chicks are mainly fed soft-bodied insects, fruit only being provided if invertebrates are scarce.
In July, the diet switches increasingly to fruit. The protein needed for egg-laying and for the chicks to grow is replaced by fruit sugar which helps the birds to fatten for migration. Aphids are still taken while they are available, since they often contain sugars from the plant sap on which they feed. Blackcaps eat a wide range of small fruit, and squeeze out any seeds on a branch before consuming the pulp. This technique makes them an important propagator of mistletoe. The mistle thrush, which also favours that plant, is less beneficial since it tends to crush the seeds. Although any suitable fruit may be eaten, some have seasonal or local importance; elder makes up a large proportion of the diet of northern birds preparing for migration, and energy-rich olives and lentisc are favoured by blackcaps wintering in the Mediterranean.
The German birds wintering in British gardens rely on provided food, and the major items are bread and fat, each making up around 20% of the diet; one bird survived the whole winter eating only Christmas cake. Fruit is also eaten, notably cotoneaster (41% of the fruit consumed), ivy and honeysuckle, and apple if available. Some birds have learned to take peanuts from feeders. Blackcaps defend good winter food sources in the wild, and at garden feeding stations they repel competitors as large as starlings and blackbirds. Birds occasionally become tame enough to feed from the hand.
Aristotle, in his History of Animals, considered that the garden warbler eventually metamorphosed into a blackcap. The blackcap's song has led to it being described as the "mock nightingale" or "country nightingale", and John Clare, in "The March Nightingale" describes the listener as believing that the rarer species has arrived prematurely. "He stops his own and thinks the nightingale/Hath of her monthly reckoning counted wrong". The song is also the topic of Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli's "La Capinera" [The Blackcap].
Giovanni Verga's 1871 novel Storia di una capinera, according to its author, was inspired by a story of a blackcap trapped and caged by children. The bird, silent and pining for its lost freedom, eventually dies. In the book, a nun evacuated from her convent by cholera falls in love with a family friend, only to have to return to her confinement when the disease wanes. The novel was adapted as films of the same name in 1917, 1943 and 1993. The last version was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and its English-language version was retitled as Sparrow. In Saint François d'Assise, an opera by Messiaen, the orchestration is based on bird song. St Francis himself is represented by the blackcap.
Folk names for the blackcap often refer to its most obvious plumage feature (black-headed peggy, King Harry black cap and coal hoodie) or to its song, as in the "nightingale" names above. Other old names are based on its choice of nesting material (Jack Straw, hay bird, hay chat and hay Jack). There is a tradition of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm bases being named for birds. A former base near Stretton in Cheshire was called HMS Blackcap.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
3,000 bird
France’s Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume unleashed a torrent of criticism when he suggested that wine “isn’t like other alcohols” and rarely the cause of binge drinking among French youth.
France has one of the highest alcohol consumption rates in Europe, with the country trailing behind only Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic in the quantities of alcohol it drinks, according to the World Health Organization. This drinking culture – largely attributed to wine, which represents 58 percent of France’s total alcohol consumption.
France’s historic relationship with alcohol is a complicated one. The first-ever campaign to try to get the French to reduce their alcohol consumption was orchestrated by then-prime minister Pierre Mendès France in the mid-1950s. That campaign encouraged the French to “drink less than a litre of alcohol per meal”.
In 1956, France also banned the serving of alcohol to children under the age of 14 in the school canteens. Prior to that, school children had the right to drink half a litre of wine, cider or beer with their meals. It was only in 1981 that France implemented a total alcohol ban in the country’s schools.
Former French President Emmanuel Macron found himself in hot water after telling journalists that “personally, I drink wine at lunch and dinner”. He also announced that he had no plans to tighten the laws on alcohol advertising during his presidency, saying that those calling for such should “give France a break.”
Ytste Skotet is a complete, preserved, historical farm located in Stordal Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The historic farmyard and museum is located on the steep shores of the Storfjorden in the Sunnmøre district of the county. The Storfjordens Venner association owns Ytste Skotet and has orchestrated the restoration of the farm. The foundation Ytste Skotet administers the farm’s operation and maintenance, employs workers, and serves as general manager.
InnovaLUG presents the Isles of Aura! Pop in some earbuds and listen as you look! Introducing the Isles of Aura soundtrack:
soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/sets/isles-of-aura-soundtrack
Original Score composed and orchestrated by Ian Spacek.
01. Uncharted Skies: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/uncharted-skies
02. Skyward: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/skyward
03. Terraforming: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/terraforming
04. Kingdoms: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/from-near-and-far
05. Aura in Autumn: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/aura-in-autumn
06. The Airships: soundcloud.com/ian-spacek/the-airships
Thanks for stopping by and Soli Deo Gloria!
A pair of The Grafton and Upton Railroad's vintage EMD's bring a few cars of sheetrock to G&U Logistix in Hopedale, Massachusetts on a beautiful fall morning. The G&U had six "vintage" EMD products for power at the time, and were nice enough to send an extra out with their beautiful F7 in the lead on the southbound trip. Big thanks to Steve Carlson for orchestrating the move and calling in a favor to get sun the whole chase!
October 2014
May 5, 2023 - West of Franklin Nebraska US
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Prints Available...Click Here
36 Years ago, with a peaked curiosity, I dove feverishly into the world of storm chasing and well, the rest is history. Fast forward a few years and my current journey in storm photography & videography has unlocked a completely new life that I never imagined would exist. Oh how my adventures continue...
Mother Nature definitely orchestrated her magic on this first storm chase of the season. Warm front had positioned itself right over the state of Nebraska. Pulling in all that warm moist air from the south created the perfect conditions for severe thunderstorm development. I was on the hunt & wouldn't be denied this day.
I got to witness 3 very sculptured Supercells this day. The first encounter was north of Franklin Nebraska. Was right along side this beast via Nebraska Hwy 136 & Hwy 10. Storm was cresting to the northeast & I had the perfect view...
*** Please NOTE and RESPECT the Copyright ***
© Dale Kaminski @ NebraskaSC Photography - All Rights Reserved
This image may not be copied, reproduced, published or distributed in any medium without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder.
#ForeverChasing
#NebraskaSC
This was a spur-of-the-moment shoot orchestrated by my wife, my sis-in-law et moi.
The backdrop is a 3D painting of the Moon by Wang Lang. You might have seen it in one of my video posts here.
We had to place a tea table on the sofa, so the cat could strut on it's own raised catwalk stage, so as to match the height of the painting.
Sis kept trying to cat wrangle our model in position, while my wife held my bicycle flashlight up as a spotlight on our star as I snapped away.
The cat's name is Huami (in Mandarin), which I roughly translated here as Speckles.
May 5, 2023 - East of Wilcox Nebraska US
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36 Years ago, with a peaked curiosity, I dove feverishly into the world of storm chasing and well, the rest is history. Fast forward a few years and my current journey in storm photography & videography has unlocked a completely new life that I never imagined would exist. Oh how my adventures continue...
Mother Nature definitely orchestrated her magic on this first storm chase of the season. Warm front had positioned itself right over the state of Nebraska. Pulling in all that warm moist air from the south created the perfect conditions for severe thunderstorm development. I was on the hunt & wouldn't be denied this day.
I got to witness 3 very sculptured Supercells that afternoon.... This was Supercell #2!!!
Was just east of Wilcox & the dirt roads hadn't been rained on yet. (I usually don't travel them anymore if they are) to watch this 2nd Supercell develop.
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Red light orchestrates softly across the evening sky
The disappearing horizon becomes more evident
I feel as if I’m sliding away with the turning of the earth
Darkness settles in, and a new life begins
Stars circle in the open air
Lying enriched in their dark blanket
Soft Cirrus clouds lasso the moon for a brief moment
The nights chill rolls across the land
Dew begins to rest on the blades of grass
A hovering fog forms
poem by Robert P. Jackson
Claus von Stauffenberg, an unlikely hero. After losing his right hand, left eye, and two fingers of his left hand to a strafing run in Tunisia, 1943, Lieutenant-Colonel Stauffenberg was sent back to Germany, and from there became a leading conspirator in the clandestine resistance against Nazi rule within the Wehrmacht, orchestrating the unsuccessful 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler: “Operation Valkyrie”. Stauffenberg attended a meeting with Hitler and others on July 20, 1944, carrying a briefcase containing two bombs. However, several complications arose; The meeting was originally supposed to take place in the Führerbunker, but was moved to the Wolfsschanze. Stauffenberg, possessing only 3 fingers, had great difficulty arming the bombs and only armed one before being interrupted by a guard. After placing the briefcase in the room with Hitler, Stauffenberg left, and the briefcase was unwittingly moved farther away by a colonel in attendance. The bomb went off, killing several officers, but Hitler was shielded by a solid oak table leg and was barely scathed. Stauffenberg fled, convinced nobody could have survived the explosion. He was executed for treason the next day. *almost all photos of him post-injury show him wearing a glass eye. Tom Cruise portrays him in “Valkyrie”(2008) with the eyepatch he often wore when not in the presence of senior officers.*
The transient beauty of the coast is intricately intertwined with the captivating patterns that emerge in the sand, crafted by the relentless forces of wind and wave. These natural sculptors shape the shoreline, leaving behind ephemeral masterpieces.
As the tides ebb and flow, they orchestrate a delicate dance with the sand. With each advancing wave, the water gently caresses the shore, carrying particles of sand along its journey. As the wave recedes, it relinquishes its cargo, depositing the grains in a meticulous arrangement. This cyclical process, repeated countless times, creates intricate patterns that stretch along the coastline.
The patterns left behind by the retreating tide mimic the ebb and flow of life itself. Swirling ripples, reminiscent of a miniature desert landscape, emerge as the water recedes, their graceful curves and undulating lines transforming the beach into a living work of art. The patterns are at once orderly and chaotic, with intricate geometrical formations intermingling with whimsical curves and asymmetrical shapes.
The wind, a silent artist in its own right, adds its touch to the sculpting process. As it sweeps across the coast, it whispers secrets to the sand, coaxing it to dance in its invisible embrace. The wind's gentle touch lifts fine particles from the beach, carrying them aloft in an intricate ballet. It sculpts the sand into delicate ripples, resembling the soft undulations of fabric.
The interplay between the wind and the tide results in an ever-changing landscape. The patterns shift and evolve, shaped by the combined forces of these elemental sculptors. Ripples become miniature mountains, rising and falling in a transient topography that mirrors the larger contours of the surrounding coast. Each gust of wind and every advancing or receding wave leaves its mark, etching new patterns and erasing old ones, in an eternal cycle of creation and destruction.
These ephemeral patterns serve as a reminder of the impermanence of existence and the transient nature of beauty, as each passing moment alters the landscape, erasing what once was and creating something new. The sands become a canvas for the symphony of time, a tangible reflection of the ever-changing nature of our lives.
The beauty of these fleeting patterns lies not only in their visual allure but also in the emotions they evoke. They inspire a sense of wonder and awe, inviting us to pause and appreciate the intricate designs that nature creates with such effortless grace. The patterns speak of the interconnectedness of all things, the harmonious interplay between the elements, and the constant flux that defines our existence.
In these patterns of nature, we find a profound lesson: that life, like the shifting sands, is ever-changing, and that true beauty lies not in permanence but in the appreciation of the fleeting moments that grace our journey.
This path here in quietude looks like a forgotten secret route. Time has marked the comings and goings from Dunsyre Parish Church to the Old Manse. The sections of each new development can be seen as additional construction blocks with each new section clearly showing differing building technique and fashion in construction changing just as the gravestones show how masons could convey trends and patterns in memorial traditions still evident here in the graveyard where the path between the symbolic stones leads on to the Old Manse.
The beautiful Dunsyre Church in South Lanarkshire Scotland is an amazing place to find and to enjoy. The grave makers are old and full of symbolism. The stones and trees hold lichens that attest to the clean air in this tranquil idyll near Biggar and 24 miles from Edinburgh.
© PHH Sykes 2023
phhsykes@gmail.com
Dunsyre Parish Church
canmore.org.uk/site/48840/dunsyre-parish-church
Photographs and research notes relating to graveyard monuments in Dunsyre Churchyard, Lanarkshire.
canmore.org.uk/collection/2222283
Dunsyre Church
canmore.org.uk/site/48839/dunsyre-church
Dunsyre Manse
canmore.org.uk/site/48853/dunsyre-manse
Dunsyre Castle
canmore.org.uk/site/48815/dunsyre-castle
Dunsyre Hill
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-how-god-rules-over-a...
Introduction
Best Gospel Song | How Great Is Our God | "How God Rules Over All Things"
From the moment you come crying into this world,
you begin to perform your duty.
In the plan and ordination of God, you assume your role,
and begin the journey of life.
Whatever your background or the journey ahead of you,
none can escape the orchestration and arrangement that Heaven has in store,
and none are in control of their destiny,
for only He who rules over all things is capable of such work.
Since the day man came into existence,
God has been steady in His work,
managing this universe and directing the change and movement of all things.
Like all things, man quietly and unknowingly
receives
the nourishment of the sweetness and rain and dew from God.
Like all things, man unknowingly lives under the orchestration of God’s hand.
The heart and spirit of man are held in the hand of God,
and all the life of man is beheld in the eyes of God.
Regardless of whether or not you believe this,
any and all things, living or dead,
will shift, change, renew, and disappear according to God’s thoughts.
This is how God rules over all things.
from The Word Appears in the Flesh
>Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Terms of Use： en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
"M91 è il terzo orso ucciso da Fugatti dall’inizio dell’anno. Anche questa volta ha agito col favore delle tenebre ed immediatamente dopo la sua delibera, per non dare tempo a nessuno di fare ricorso, nemmeno le associazioni abituate a dover lottare contro il tempo.
Ma qui è tutto orchestrato per evitare qualsiasi interferenza. Una vera ossessione malvagia quella di Fugatti per proseguire nella sua campagna di sangue e propaganda.
E il Ministro Pichetto Fratin continua a non fare nulla mentre questa estate ci aveva sorpreso con la frase “uccidere gli orsi non è la soluzione”. Bene Ministro, ci dica se davvero intende fare qualcosa o le sue sono solo chiacchiere."
Eleonora Evi, deputata PD, su X
"M91 is the third bear killed by Fugatti since the beginning of the year. This time too he acted under the cover of darkness and immediately after his resolution, so as not to give anyone time to appeal, not even associations used to having to fight against time.
But here everything is orchestrated to avoid any interference. Fugatti's true evil obsession was to continue his campaign of blood and propaganda.
And Minister Pichetto Fratin continues to do nothing while this summer he surprised us with the phrase "killing bears is not the solution". Well Minister, tell us if you really intend to do something or it's just talk."
Eleonora Evi, PD deputy, on X
Technical: Nikon D3x, CPL, 0.45x GND HE, 0.6x ND, 1.6s at f16, 52mm, Capture Nx2
A symphony of white and blue on mirror-like Jokulsarlon lagoon, a natural duotone of cold beauty orchestrated by her's truly, when all elements play together to form Immaculate beauty.
There are moments in one's photographic quest when Murphy is off guard and his laws no longer apply. I had been longing for a daytime shot where conditions would align to reveal the stark beauty of this lagoon and to emphasize the resident icebergs. Over the course of 2010, I have spent no less than 30 days here, so I do believe that I have some appreciation of the location and usual conditions.
Although icebergs are always present, quality, color and especially disposition are variable, even more so when you consider how they are positioned relative to the limited interesting backdrops of the lagoon. This new pack formation had caught my eye the previous day when it formed, however icebergs move, melt and change color. Reflections are not a given, influenced by wind and tidal movement, especially in October. The lagoon has countless days of overcast or cloudless skies.
My morning shoot on the adjacent beach proved rather lackluster, overcast and somewhat featureless until well after sunrise. I decided to return to the lagoon to get some rest and indulge in some special hot chocolate (special = rum). On the way over, I noticed that my area of the lagoon was a quasi mirror and that some light may penetrate an evil cloud bank behind me. That was enough to get me to set-up and waiting. The semi-overcast clouds started to drift away, soon to be replaced by these wispy clouds, some blue sky started to appear…and then I told myself wouldn't it be nice if some direct light could hit my icebergs, and it happened for about half an hour. Cedric 1 - Murphy 0!
On the technical side, I polarized at half strength to produce even sky tones and softer contrast and also added a 2-stop ND filter to smooth the lagoon a wee bit whilst avoiding iceberg and cloud movement.
Please take the time to leave a comment, an impression, a thought, always appreciated.
Check out the set as it grows:
What do you think?
"Before you my home was in the wind and surf
The birds and rain, voices of the northern lights
Then you came, I joined you beyond the aeons
As you blew, your cave bear bone and began to hum, ah
Eradicate the torment of a heavy heart
Emancipate the deaf
Sing the graceful third part
Then orchestrate an air for only you to sing
Caress it deep
It's always there to unlock the stars
To enter
Music
Fanning the flames of a mystery
Deepening the listening, losing
Yourself to the endless symphony of now"
Music- Nightwish
Taken At Misplaced Melody, region by Sweetgwendoline Bailey & Mondi Beaumont, taxi :maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Misplaced%20Melody/158/127/78
The 765 rolls under the signal bridge at B12 in Franklin Park on a hot evening in Chicagoland. A tight crop was necessary to keep the dozens and dozens of foamers that lined the right of way in a poorly orchestrated photo line from being in my shot. Of course, that doofus in red on the "wrong side" could not be avoided.
This path here in quietude looks like a forgotten secret route. Time has marked the comings and goings from Dunsyre Parish Church to the Old Manse. The sections of each new development can be seen as additional construction blocks with each new section clearly showing differing building technique and fashion in construction changing just as the gravestones show how masons could convey trends and patterns in memorial traditions still evident here in the graveyard where the path between the symbolic stones leads on to the Old Manse.
The beautiful Dunsyre Church in South Lanarkshire Scotland is an amazing place to find and to enjoy. The grave makers are old and full of symbolism. The stones and trees hold lichens that attest to the clean air in this tranquil idyll near Biggar and 24 miles from Edinburgh.
© PHH Sykes 2023
phhsykes@gmail.com
Dunsyre Parish Church
canmore.org.uk/site/48840/dunsyre-parish-church
Photographs and research notes relating to graveyard monuments in Dunsyre Churchyard, Lanarkshire.
canmore.org.uk/collection/2222283
Dunsyre Church
canmore.org.uk/site/48839/dunsyre-church
Dunsyre Manse
canmore.org.uk/site/48853/dunsyre-manse
Dunsyre Castle
canmore.org.uk/site/48815/dunsyre-castle
Dunsyre Hill
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-how-god-rules-over-a...
Introduction
Best Gospel Song | How Great Is Our God | "How God Rules Over All Things"
From the moment you come crying into this world,
you begin to perform your duty.
In the plan and ordination of God, you assume your role,
and begin the journey of life.
Whatever your background or the journey ahead of you,
none can escape the orchestration and arrangement that Heaven has in store,
and none are in control of their destiny,
for only He who rules over all things is capable of such work.
Since the day man came into existence,
God has been steady in His work,
managing this universe and directing the change and movement of all things.
Like all things, man quietly and unknowingly
receives
the nourishment of the sweetness and rain and dew from God.
Like all things, man unknowingly lives under the orchestration of God’s hand.
The heart and spirit of man are held in the hand of God,
and all the life of man is beheld in the eyes of God.
Regardless of whether or not you believe this,
any and all things, living or dead,
will shift, change, renew, and disappear according to God’s thoughts.
This is how God rules over all things.
from The Word Appears in the Flesh
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Terms of Use： en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
Baily's Beads and prominences during the total solar eclipse on 8 April 2024 from Bloomington, Indiana. In collaboration with Jack Speaker, a sequence of exposures, each 1/3200 sec., ISO 100, 1 second apart. Nikon D850 DSLR, Explore Scientific ED102 FCD-100 102mm f/7 apochromatic refractor (714mm focal length), Explore Scientific flattener, Losmandy GM811G mount. Camera operated with Moonglow Technologies Eclipse Orchestrator Pro. Images processed in Adobe Lightroom and composited in Photoshop.
Amtrak F40PH No. 356 leads the California Zephyr, train No. 6 into the siding at Riverton, Utah on Aug. 10, 1988. D&RGW dispatcher No. 5 in Denver orchestrated a slow-roll 'running meet' between Amtrak and Rio Grande's 'Railblazer' train No. 103 on a beautiful morning in the Salt Lake Valley.
The transient beauty of the coast is intricately intertwined with the captivating patterns that emerge in the sand, crafted by the relentless forces of wind and wave. These natural sculptors shape the shoreline, leaving behind ephemeral masterpieces.
As the tides ebb and flow, they orchestrate a delicate dance with the sand. With each advancing wave, the water gently caresses the shore, carrying particles of sand along its journey. As the wave recedes, it relinquishes its cargo, depositing the grains in a meticulous arrangement. This cyclical process, repeated countless times, creates intricate patterns that stretch along the coastline.
The patterns left behind by the retreating tide mimic the ebb and flow of life itself. Swirling ripples, reminiscent of a miniature desert landscape, emerge as the water recedes, their graceful curves and undulating lines transforming the beach into a living work of art. The patterns are at once orderly and chaotic, with intricate geometrical formations intermingling with whimsical curves and asymmetrical shapes.
The wind, a silent artist in its own right, adds its touch to the sculpting process. As it sweeps across the coast, it whispers secrets to the sand, coaxing it to dance in its invisible embrace. The wind's gentle touch lifts fine particles from the beach, carrying them aloft in an intricate ballet. It sculpts the sand into delicate ripples, resembling the soft undulations of fabric.
The interplay between the wind and the tide results in an ever-changing landscape. The patterns shift and evolve, shaped by the combined forces of these elemental sculptors. Ripples become miniature mountains, rising and falling in a transient topography that mirrors the larger contours of the surrounding coast. Each gust of wind and every advancing or receding wave leaves its mark, etching new patterns and erasing old ones, in an eternal cycle of creation and destruction.
These ephemeral patterns serve as a reminder of the impermanence of existence and the transient nature of beauty, as each passing moment alters the landscape, erasing what once was and creating something new. The sands become a canvas for the symphony of time, a tangible reflection of the ever-changing nature of our lives.
The beauty of these fleeting patterns lies not only in their visual allure but also in the emotions they evoke. They inspire a sense of wonder and awe, inviting us to pause and appreciate the intricate designs that nature creates with such effortless grace. The patterns speak of the interconnectedness of all things, the harmonious interplay between the elements, and the constant flux that defines our existence.
In these patterns of nature, we find a profound lesson: that life, like the shifting sands, is ever-changing, and that true beauty lies not in permanence but in the appreciation of the fleeting moments that grace our journey.
My girlfriend is allergic to symmetry. Whenever she goes near symmetrical things one of her nostrils flares up to the size of a large grape (or a small lime) and she starts dribbling.
I know it's wrong but sometimes I orchestrate situations where she'll "somehow encounter" something symmetrical, just because it's so funny.
I'm a wrong-un.
The Cross Lake bridge in Shreveport, Louisiana threw me a perfectly orchestrated collection of shadows.
I was using my Sigma DP3, so I really only had one chance to get this shot due to how much thinking that camera does between shutter clicks. It's my favorite camera and the images that come off of it are stunning in my opinion, however using it is like browsing the internet with 53 tabs open and your popup blocker disabled on windows XP.
Here's the play by play: First of all, I'm on a boat. I see the potential for these shadows to align as the boat is approaching the bridge. So I grabbed my camera, then I turned it on... ...loading... ... then I accidentally turned it back off - then I turned it back on again (which ironically you have to do with windows XP)... ...loading... ...At this point we are pretty much to this location and very much on the move. Then I had to ignore the anxiety that was pacing within my body like a pack of pitbulls (not the rapper) confined to a chainlink fence in Blanchard as I found focus (this thing doesn't have an eyepiece, just a non-touch screen on the back). Obviously, I was cruising handheld in a floating boat, so I straightened the camera the best I could to get my verticals straight and immediately pushed the shutter. Bam!
NEW: I NOW CREATE MUSIC, JOIN ME ON SOUNDCLOUD!
SHOP: www.icanvas.com/canvas-art-prints/artist/ben-heine
This is a pointillist work I made with blue, red and black ink on paper. I just love Marilyn Manson's personality and crazy style! Everybody should have an aura...
Please, see my other portrait of Marilyn Manson
_______________________________________________
For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
_______________________________________________
Biography
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), better known by his stage name Marilyn Manson, is a professional musician. He is the lead singer of the industrial metal band that bears the same name. His stage name is formed from the names Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson.
Brian Hugh Warner was born on January 5th 1969 in Canton, Ohio. He attended Heritage Christian School. After transferring to and later graduating from Canton's GlenOak High School, Warner moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his family. While living in Fort Lauderdale, he studied journalism and theater at Broward Community College, and became the assistant entertainment editor of BCC's student newspaper, the Observer.
Romance
Warner's first serious relationship was with Melissa "Missi" Romero. As explained in his autobiography, during the production of "Antichrist Superstar," Missi became pregnant with Warner's child, but had an abortion during her second trimester. He has also been linked to Traci Lords and Jenna Jameson. Jameson wrote about her sexual encounter with Manson in her autobiography, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale in which she noted him as being "massively endowed". Manson was engaged to Rose McGowan, but their relationship ended around the time he became involved with burlesque dancer and fetish model model Dita Von Teese. Manson photographed Von Teese for the December 2002 issue of Playboy. Manson and Von Teese wed in December 2005 in the Irish home of friend Gottfried Helnwein. Von Teese filed for divorce as of December 2006. The divorce came through in January 2007. In April of 2007, Marilyn Manson's girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood, admitted that they were actually a couple.
Marriage
Manson and Dita Von Teese started dating on Manson's 32nd birthday, and Manson proposed three years later on March 22, 2004. On December 3, 2005 (court documents say November 28), the couple was married in a non-denominational ceremony at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan, County Tipperary, Ireland, the home of Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. Dita Von Teese wore a royal purple silk taffeta gown by Vivienne Westwood, complete with train and petticoats worn over a Mr. Pearl couture corset, topped off by a tricorne hat by Stephen Jones, while Manson wore a John Galliano black silk taffeta tuxedo with velvet trim and a hat also crafted by Stephen Jones. They reportedly exchanged vows in front of approximately 60 guests, including burlesque dancer Catherine Delish, Lisa Marie Presley, Eric Szmanda, David Lynch, Jessicka and Christian Hejnal, and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Vogue magazine ran a multiple-page feature on the wedding in its February 2006 issue. Just before his own wedding, Manson criticized Britney Spears' wedding to Kevin Federline, in which they celebrated by wearing personalized tracksuits: "If you're going to do something like getting married, it should have a sense of celebration to it. It should be grand and not in tracksuits!"
As of January 30, 2007 Manson and Dita Von Teese reportedly split after her filing for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences" according to Von Teese. ET.com along with People Magazine has claimed that Manson was having an extramarital affair with actress Evan Rachel Wood, which may or may not be the true cause of the split. Manson's alcohol abuse and distant behaviour have also been cited as cause for the split. It has also been claimed that Manson was not aware of Von Teese's filing for divorce and moving out of their home at the time that the story was published, conceivably due to his reported stay in Paris, France. Von Teese reportedly took their two cats and two dachshunds, Greta and Eva, with her when she left. Manson fought for custody of the two cats, but only received one of them.
Evan Rachel Wood attended the grand opening of Manson's new Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art and among the most notable artworks were two portraits of Evan. She will also co-star in his upcoming horror film Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
In music
Jessicka of the band Jack Off Jill was an early friend of Manson's, her band opened most of his South Florida shows. He not only produced most of the band's early recordings but also played guitar on the song "My Cat" and helped name the band. Manson later wrote the liner notes for the band's album Humid Teenage Mediocrity, a collection of early Jack Off Jill recordings.
In early 1993, after being instructed by his new label, Interscope Records, not to play any local shows, Manson formed Mrs. Scabtree. Mrs. Scabtree was a side project between he and newly hired Jeordie White. Manson played drums, while White (dressed as a black woman) shared vocal duties with then girlfriend Jessicka from Jack Off Jill who wore a blonde wig. Mrs. Scabtree only played two shows in South Florida.
Manson has helped or provided full scores for several major motion pictures, although several of his pieces have been cut, and his name dropped from the credits. Some of his more notable soundtrack score contributions include The Matrix, From Hell and Resident Evil.
Manson appeared as a guest on rapper DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood for the track "The Omen", produced by Swizz Beats, and has performed (with the rest of the band) on stage with Eminem as background music in the song "The Way I Am".
Manson sang vocals on "Break You Down" off of the Washington, DC-based industrial rock band gODHEAD's 2000 Years of Human Error album. This album is distinguished for being the only one released on Manson's vanity label Posthuman Records.
In film and television
Manson made a cameo appearance as a doctor in the Murderdolls' music video "Dead in Hollywood", and also appears in the Nine Inch Nails music video "Starfuckers, Inc.", as well as "Gave Up", and Eminem's "The Way I Am" music video.
His first appearance in a film was in the role of a pornographic actor in David Lynch's Lost Highway, in 1997. He also had a minor role in former love interest Rose McGowan's 1998 film Jawbreaker and a supporting role in 2003's Party Monster, which is based on the events leading up to and the murder of Angel Melendez by the infamous Michael Alig of club kid fame, where Manson portrayed a psychotic drag queen named Christina . Manson made a cameo appearance in The Hire: Beat the Devil, a short film in the BMW films series (starring Clive Owen as the Driver), which featured James Brown as himself, and Gary Oldman as Satan. His most talked-about film cameo was in the Michael Moore political documentary Bowling for Columbine discussing the motivations of the perpetrators and allegations that his music was somehow a factor. He played himself, in animated form, on an episode of the television series Clone High, in which he sang a song about nutrition and the food pyramid. He is featured prominently throughout Not Another Teen Movie, and covered the song "Tainted Love" for its soundtrack.
His music is frequently featured on the show C.S.I.. The character on the show, Greg Sanders, is a big fan of Manson and the actor who plays him, Eric Szmanda, is a personal friend of Manson's.
Manson was featured in the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and was set to appear in Abelcain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Living Neon Dreams in 2005, although both of these projects are still unreleased as of 2007. He will also be seen as a bartender in an upcoming vampire movie starring Lucy Liu called Rise and possibly has pending roles in Abelcain, RISE and other projects.
Manson has produced 23 music videos, most of which have gone beyond the scope of a normal performance video and been well received by critics for their imagery and direction. Manson’s three most recent released videos – Personal Jesus, (s)AINT and Heart-Shaped Glasses – were voluntarily funded with his own money (to a sum of $1,500,000) and largely not that of the record company. Manson stated in June 2006 that he saw himself "as more a student of film than of music".
In July 2005, Manson told Rolling Stone that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking - "I just don't think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people--particularly record companies--are turning into a product. I just want to make art."
By 2006 Manson was working on his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, but has since put the project off until November 2007 to focus on recording Marilyn Manson's sixth studio album, Eat Me, Drink Me, followed by a world tour. The film is said to feature special effects using a magician rather than computer-generated imagery.
In graphic art
From the beginning Manson has been a recreational painter, the oldest of his surviving pieces dating back to 1995-1996, but it was after his 1998 Grey period that Manson began his career as a watercolour painter. In 1999 he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers with their knowledge that they would accumulate in value over time. Gradually Manson became more drawn to watercolors as an art form in itself, and instead of trading them, kept them and continued to paint at a proficient rate.
This manic creativity resulted in an exhibit for his art, The Golden Age of Grotesque, held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Centre on between September 13 and 14, 2002. The reaction to his paintings was largely positive with one critic comparing them to Egon Schele's pieces and describing them as heartfelt and sincerely painted, and Art in America went as far as to liken them to the works of a " psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy ". Others however saw less merit in the works stating that the value was in the celebrity.
Two years later almost to the day, during September 14 and 15, 2004, Manson held his second exhibit on the first night in Paris and the second in Berlin, Trismegistus, which was also the title of the center piece of the exhibit – a large three headed Christ painted onto an antique wood panel. Again the reception to the works could be described as mixed but was largely in favour of the artist.
Manson opened his own an art gallery, The Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art, on October 31, 2006 in Los Angeles for which his third exhibition (by invitation or appointment only after the opening night) was the inaugural show. From April 2 until April 17, 2007 Manson's recent works were be on show at the Space 39 Modern & Contemporary in Florida.
A coffee table art book is in the works, initially titled The Death of Art. The last given title was Quintif. It will be published by the makers of Flaunt magazine.
40 pieces from this show were ported to the Gallery Brigitte Schenk in Cologne, Germany to be publicly exhibited from June 28 until July 28, 2007. After this they will return to the Space39 Modern & Contemporary Gallery thus leaving Manson's own gallery in Los Angeles temporarily without his own work until 2008.
The price of Manson's works has been a somewhat controversial point for fans and critics alike, with most fans realistically unable to afford the paintings save for fine art editions and lithographs. Manson's prices though are realistic and reasonable considering the long-term value at a time when prices for contemporary art have never been higher.
During his European tour 2007 Manson has exhibited his paintings in Germany, Russia and Switzerland.
In other areas
Manson provided the voice of the alien Edgar in the 2005 first-person shooter video game Area 51, which also featured David Duchovny. Marilyn Manson also appears (as himself) as a playable character in the video game Celebrity Deathmatch. Allegedly, the artist posed nude for photos prior to his rise to fame. The pictures appeared in the March 1999 issue of Honcho.
Professional fallouts
Trent Reznor
One of Manson's high-profile relationships, the defunct friendship with Trent Reznor, has been marked with mutual bitterness and perhaps vendetta. This started in the mid-90s, when Manson was due to make a track that would appear on the soundtrack to David Lynch's Lost Highway, but instead Reznor was the one who wrote a song, "The Perfect Drug", for the film. In 1999, it seemed the two artists had patched their differences, as Manson made an appearance in the video for the Nine Inch Nails song "Starfuckers, Inc."
In 2004, Reznor was asked whether he had plans to do any covers; he sarcastically replied, "I was really hoping to do something unique and pertinent - like do an exact copy of "Personal Jesus" - but it was already taken."
In a 2005 interview, Manson said Reznor's Nothing Records had lost the master recordings of Manson's first three albums. He implied it was Reznor's intention, "Now that Nothing Records doesn't exist, I think there's only one of two people responsible for that. Out of those two people, there's only one that really has an opinion of me that is voiced very often."
Twiggy Ramirez
In May 2002 Twiggy Ramirez left the band, citing differences in perspective on the future of the band. He went on to play bass for A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails. During this time, Manson claimed in interviews that he and Ramirez were still close friends, while Ramirez maintained that he rarely spoke to Manson. In an interview in February of 2006 Twiggy stated he was willing to record an album with Marilyn Manson if the right conditions were met. In Autumn 2006, Manson and Ramirez were photographed together at numerous parties in Los Angeles, in amicable poses.
In January 2008 it was announced that Ramirez had reunited with the band as live bassist for the last leg of the Rape of the World tour as well as co-writer of the band's seventh studio album. In an interview with The Heirophant on January 11, 2008, Manson revealed that the reconciliation with Ramirez was not as abrupt as it initially seemed, and that the two had been occasionally communicating with each other since speaking at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California prior to the Winter European leg of the Rape of the World tour.
John 5
John 5's reasons for leaving Marilyn Manson were cited as being mutual, despite the mysterious nature of his sudden firing by Manson's manager in 2004.
John was quoted at the time as saying about the incident, "I don't know. . . I was nothing but nice to him," he continued. "I never screwed up onstage — well not really badly — and I did everything I could to get along with him. Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the fact that I don't drink or do drugs, and he's not like that at all. Maybe he held that against me. I don't know. He never said." John 5 was notorious among fans as being drug and alcohol free.
Before the incident, Manson had assaulted John on stage, notably, Manson kicked John in the face during a televised performance, leading to a brief confrontation in front of a packed and roaring audience (available on YouTube). This was during the intro to "The Beautiful People", when played at the Rock AM Ring 2003.
Also, during the tour John maintains that Manson spoke about matters other than business only once, "It was on my birthday, and he turned to me and said, "Happy birthday, faggot" — then walked away."
Despite this, John maintains he respects Manson, citing his skilled production style and his love for the band's music. John was already a fan of the band before joining in 1998. In response to a question regarding the reason for the split with Manson, John 5 was quoted by Vintage Guitar Magazine as saying, "(laughs) At the end of the last tour, I decided I really wanted to do this solo thing and that I had to devote all my time to it. The split with Manson was totally amicable. It wasn't one of those big breakups. We're friends. I wish there was some good dirt, but there's not (laughs)!"
In an interview prior to the January 19, 2008 performance in Orlando, Florida, Marilyn Manson revealed that John 5 would make a guest appearance during the show, stating: "I'll have [John] come on stage and play songs with us this first show. It would practically be the Holy Wood lineup." This guest appearance ultimately did not take place, however.
Madonna Wayne Gacy
Before leaving the band nothing was heard of Madonna Wayne Gacy for over a year. In an exclusive conference conducted by Marilyn Manson in April 2007, he revealed the upcoming album Eat Me, Drink Me was recorded in collaboration between himself and Tim Skold. Essentially this meant Gacy did not partake in the album, but not ruling out the possibility of him performing as live keyboardist on the upcoming tour. Later, Manson revealed that Chris Vrenna (who previously drummed for the band during Ginger Fish's hiatus in 2004) would be performing as live keyboardist on the tour, in Gacy's place.
On August 2, 2007, Gacy filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking a back pay of $20 million dollars. Gacy claimed Manson has been using the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, his drug addictions, his wedding with Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
On December 20, 2007, Manson countersued Gacy. As a reaction to the lawsuit Gacy filed against Manson in August, Manson claims, "keyboardist Stephen Bier did not carry out obligations to take part in master recordings [of Eat Me, Drink Me], concerts [of the Rape of the World tour] and the selling of band merchandise," according to this report which states that Manson is seeking unspecified general and special damages.
Insight
Even though he is known mostly for his music, which some refer to as crude and grotesque, Manson is a very intelligent and insightful man. In interviews he is always well spoken and is calm to the people who challenge him. Most people see his music as delivering the wrong message, but Manson states that his message was to be creative.
Causes
•In 2002, Manson worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make the wish of a boy with a life-threatening disease come true. 16-year-old Andrew Baines from Tennessee had a wish to sing back-up vocals for a "big" band; Manson jumped on the task and took Baines under his wing to make his dream come true. Manson invited Baines to the studio on August 27, 2002, where he let Baines perform backing vocals for the then-upcoming album, The Golden Age of Grotesque. "Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Andrew, who reminded me the things I create are only made complete by those who enjoy them. I just want to simply say, 'thank you' to Andrew for sharing such an important wish with me," Manson said, according MarilynManson.com.
•In 2005, Manson donated a signed collector's edition mask to Music for Relief to help victims of the 2004's Boxing Day Tsunami; this auction raised $155.
•In January 2006, Manson contributed a hand-painted guitar from the Six-String Masterpieces - The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute to the Little Kids Rock auction. For every $100 raised by the product, Little Kids Rock would provide one low-income child with an instrument and lessons – Manson's guitar raised $6,250.
•In 2006, Manson became a benefactor of Project Nightlight, an LA area foundation that uses short films, music, and apparel to grab teenagers attention and inspire them to speak out against sexual and physical abuse. Manson afforded Project Nightlight a stand at the opening of his art gallery, and in April 2007 gave the charity a print of his painting Eve of Destruction and a framed collector's edition mask.
Legal history
Marilyn Manson was first arrested in Florida on December 27, 1994 after a concert at Jacksonville's Club 5 for "violating the adult entertainment code." Manson was detained for 16 hours before been released without charge. Bizarrely police believed Manson had performed oral sex on stage with a man (when in fact it was Jack Off Jill vocalist Jessicka wearing a fake penis) and thrown either his or the man's penis into the crowd. On February 5, 2001 in Marino, Italy Manson suffered what is to date his only other post-concert arrest when he was accused of blasphemy having worn the outfit of a cardinal on stage during the song "Valentine's Day". Soon after the detention it was ascertained that Manson had not committed a crime and it appeared the legal troubles were over until the next day when Manson was arrested in Bologne on charges of public indecency relating to a 1999 show where it was alleged Manson had exposed his penis. Manson was released and the charges dropped, notably the arrests came a week after two teenagers brutally murdered an Italian nun which some less reputable sections of the Italian press blamed on Manson's music.
Sexual misconduct
In a civil battery suit, David Diaz, a security officer from a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 27, 2000, sued for $75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court. After two days deliberation the jury decided that Manson's alleged molestation had been part of the show and that he had not overstepped his boundaries as an artist, ruling in favor of Manson and against Diaz.
Manson was charged with "sexual misconduct" on August 16, 2001 after Joshua Keasler filed a complaint that as he was providing security for a July 30 concert Manson had allegedly spat on his head, wrapped his legs around him and began to gyrate his penis along his neck.
Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said that "It was offensive, crude and rude. This was not something that was orchestrated or choreographed as part of the act. The security guard was an unknowing and unwilling participant and, ironically, while he was there for protection... was sexually assaulted." The charge, punishable with up to two years imprisonment, was accompanied with a charge of disorderly conduct. The complaint came with an arrest warrant but Manson thwarted this by posting a $25,000 personal bond. In a one-day December 28, 2001 trial the presiding Judge dismissed the charge of "sexual misconduct" as Manson had in his view "gained no sexual gratification from the act." Manson pleaded "no contest" to the outstanding lesser charge, which carried only up to three months imprisonment, and was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines. After the trial Keasler pursued a civil lawsuit against Manson that was dropped when the two settled out of court in February 2004.
Lawsuits
•In 1997, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Mitchell Putesky filed a lawsuit against Manson seeking unpaid royalties for his contributions to the band's output up to that period, including the band's recently released second studio album Antichrist Superstar. The case was concluded in 1998, although the outcome was confidential.
•On January 4, 1999, SPIN editor Craig Marks filed an assault and battery lawsuit against Manson in the New York Supreme Court. Marks alleged that Manson, upset at not making the cover of SPIN, the lawsuit specifically alleged Manson had yelled "I can kill you, I can kill your family, I can kill everyone you know!" before two of Manson's bodyguards were said to have charged him and held him against the wall and threw him to the floor after which it was alleged Manson had said, "That's what you get when you disrespect me." The case was dropped when, weeks later, Marks was fired from SPIN over financial irregularities.
•On April 2, 2002, Maria St. John filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Manson of providing her adult daughter, Jennifer Syme, with cocaine and allowing her to drive while under the influence. The case was settled out of court.
•On August 2, 2007, former Marilyn Manson keyboardist Stephen Bier filed a breech of contract lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking $20,000,000 in damages. Bier claimed Manson has used the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, addictions to cocaine and Valium, his $300,000 wedding with and $150,000 engagement ring given to Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll as well as Lewis Carroll memorabilia, human skeletons and taxidermy. Manson's lawyers responded in January 2008 with a 101-page rebuttal of the claims, the case will be tried by jury in November 2008 in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Major label discography
•Portrait of an American Family (1994)
•Smells Like Children (1995)
•Antichrist Superstar (1996)
•Remix and Repent (1997)
•Mechanical Animals (1998)
•The Last Tour on Earth (Live) (1999)
•Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
•The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
•Lest We Forget (The Best Of) (2004)
•Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)
Filmography
•Lost Highway (cameo, 1997)
•MTV Video Music Awards (commercial, 1998)
•Jawbreaker (cameo, 1999)
•Clone High (cameo, 2000)
•From Hell (score, 2001)
•Not Another Teen Movie (score, 2001)
•Resident Evil (score, 2002)
•Bowling for Columbine (interview, 2002)
•The Hire: Beat the Devil (cameo, 2003)
•Party Monster (2003)
•Doppelherz (director, 2003)
•The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (cameo, 2004)
•House of Wax (2005) (acting, score)
•Abelcain (2007)
•Living Neon Dreams (2007)
•Rise (cameo, 2007)
•Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll (acting, directing, writing, score, 2008)
Bibliography
•The Long Hard Road out of Hell (1998)
•Holy Wood (Unreleased)
Trivia
•All Manson's tattoos were done at Tattoos By Lou in Miami, Florida over a four-year span starting in 1991, until a new tattoo emerged in early-2007.
•In the 1990s, an Internet rumor spread stating Josh Saviano (who played Paul Pfeiffer in 1980s drama The Wonder Years) grew up to become Marilyn Manson. As of 2007, Josh Saviano is a licensed attorney in New York. He has, however, commented on the rumor, and thinks it is neat people believe him to be in a "goth band".
•Contrary to what some may deem "common knowledge", Manson has not had any ribs removed for the purpose of autofellatio. "If I really got my ribs removed," he said in the The Long Hard Road out of Hell autobiography, "I would have been busy sucking my own dick on The Wonder Years instead of chasing Winnie Cooper."
•In an E! interview, Manson revealed that he owns a Nintendo DS. "My friend got me this little Japanese lawyer game; it's fucking amazing," he said in reference to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He also mentioned that he was "pretty good at Mario Kart".
•In an interview with MTV in 2002 Manson revealed that for most of his paintings he uses a children's Alice in Wonderland tin. He also uses a 1920's mortician paint kit originally used for retouching cadavers.
•Manson has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an erratic, rapid heartbeat.
•Manson, who cites David Bowie as being his biggest influence, claims his favorite songs by him are "Quicksand", "Ashes to Ashes", and "We Are the Dead". He even proposed to his ex-wife, Dita Von Teese, during a David Bowie concert (at the time Bowie was performing "Be My Wife") .
•Pets Manson has had in his life include the childhood dog, an Alaskan malamute named Aleusha, an orange tabby named O.J. which he found on the steps of Christian school, four Devon Rex cats named Aleister, Edgar, Herman, and Lily, and two dachshunds named Greta and Eva. After the divorce of Manson and ex-wife Dita Von Teese, Von Teese won the custody of both dachshunds and Aleister. For Manson's 39th birthday on January 5th, 2008, girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood gave him a new cat, Charlie (Manson), as a birthday gift.
•When asked in 2007 by Rolling Stone what his current favorite playlist was, Manson chose among Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)", Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and David Bowie's classic "We Are the Dead".
OFFICIAL WEBSITE : marilynmanson.com
MARILYN MANSON on MYSPACE : www.myspace.com/marilynmanson
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--> This biography appeared on www.mansonwiki.com/ (Manson Wiki)
A shepherd guards sheep as a king is born. Merry Christmas.
But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are no poor relation— For from your people will come a Ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel. - Matthew 2:6 / Micah 5:2
Oh come Emmanuel. You, little one, will be called prophet of Elyon Most High. You will be the manifestation of mercy. You will prepare the way for the Lord, giving people knowledge of freedom through expungement of sin. You will be the dayspring, the sunrise shining light on those stumbling in darkness. But tonight, rest well on this silent night, holy night.
God orchestrates events over time and space. The light of the Star of Bethlehem took flight from an imploding super nova, years before God revealed His plan to Micah and Isaiah. On this first Christmas evening the light reaches Bethlehem.
Operations Manager, Gary Durr called unexpectedly and asked if I would be interested in working a Geiger Turn. You obviously know what I said. It was surreal being at the throttle and among one of my peers once again, even though it had only been a little over a month since I had “stepped down." I’d been feeling like the Melancholy Man in the Moody Blues tune for various other reasons as well since. Out of my element. Outta sorts. But that constant, comfortably familiar, near rhythmic orchestration of the rushing air, the jumping gauge needles, the harmonic whining and combustion and shuttering, and surging of the winding up and then down and up again and again of the turbo and diesel engine in direct though slightly delayed response to the notching up and down of the polished “power” selector, obversely the wailing of dynamics in tune with the unnotched “brake” handle, the switchgear rotating in the high voltage cabinet changing direction with the movement of the reverser, the crack that terminates every radio transmission, the creaking of the running gear, the flange squeal, the clamor of a solid joint or slack running in and out and that nudge in the seat, the unmistakable taste and odor of burned diesel and heated brake shoes, the grit of spilled traction sand, and dirt and dust stirred up by the vortex of the train’s speed stinging the eyes is still an ineffably potent cocktail intoxicating the senses. To me, at least. Is it not?
In regards to the image format, you ask, “Why is the image not square?” I removed the distortion sans cropping to preserving the entire image in an albite unorthodox format: a stretched digital canvas if you will. Notable are the angles formed between the divergent image border and the subject lines within the image causing a sort of optical non-sequitur in the frontal and occipital lobe. I’d be interested to know what you think. (© 04Jan20)
♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤
#moodyblues #trains #cocktail #intoxicating #distortion #adobe #lightroom #adobelightroom #canvas #digitalart #melancholy #divergent #nonsequitur #diesel #dust #turbo #murica
Blackcap - Sylvia Atrcapilla (f)
The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.
The blackcap feeds mainly on insects during the breeding season, then switches to fruit in late summer, the change being triggered by an internal biological rhythm. When migrants arrive on their territories they initially take berries, pollen and nectar if there are insufficient insects available, then soon switch to their preferred diet. They mainly pick prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground. Blackcaps eat a wide range of invertebrate prey, although aphids are particularly important early in the season, and flies, beetles and caterpillars are also taken in large numbers. Small snails are swallowed whole, since the shell is a source of calcium for the bird's eggs. Chicks are mainly fed soft-bodied insects, fruit only being provided if invertebrates are scarce.
In July, the diet switches increasingly to fruit. The protein needed for egg-laying and for the chicks to grow is replaced by fruit sugar which helps the birds to fatten for migration. Aphids are still taken while they are available, since they often contain sugars from the plant sap on which they feed. Blackcaps eat a wide range of small fruit, and squeeze out any seeds on a branch before consuming the pulp. This technique makes them an important propagator of mistletoe. The mistle thrush, which also favours that plant, is less beneficial since it tends to crush the seeds. Although any suitable fruit may be eaten, some have seasonal or local importance; elder makes up a large proportion of the diet of northern birds preparing for migration, and energy-rich olives and lentisc are favoured by blackcaps wintering in the Mediterranean.
The German birds wintering in British gardens rely on provided food, and the major items are bread and fat, each making up around 20% of the diet; one bird survived the whole winter eating only Christmas cake. Fruit is also eaten, notably cotoneaster (41% of the fruit consumed), ivy and honeysuckle, and apple if available. Some birds have learned to take peanuts from feeders. Blackcaps defend good winter food sources in the wild, and at garden feeding stations they repel competitors as large as starlings and blackbirds. Birds occasionally become tame enough to feed from the hand.
Aristotle, in his History of Animals, considered that the garden warbler eventually metamorphosed into a blackcap. The blackcap's song has led to it being described as the "mock nightingale" or "country nightingale", and John Clare, in "The March Nightingale" describes the listener as believing that the rarer species has arrived prematurely. "He stops his own and thinks the nightingale/Hath of her monthly reckoning counted wrong". The song is also the topic of Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli's "La Capinera" [The Blackcap].
Giovanni Verga's 1871 novel Storia di una capinera, according to its author, was inspired by a story of a blackcap trapped and caged by children. The bird, silent and pining for its lost freedom, eventually dies. In the book, a nun evacuated from her convent by cholera falls in love with a family friend, only to have to return to her confinement when the disease wanes. The novel was adapted as films of the same name in 1917, 1943 and 1993. The last version was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and its English-language version was retitled as Sparrow. In Saint François d'Assise, an opera by Messiaen, the orchestration is based on bird song. St Francis himself is represented by the blackcap.
Folk names for the blackcap often refer to its most obvious plumage feature (black-headed peggy, King Harry black cap and coal hoodie) or to its song, as in the "nightingale" names above. Other old names are based on its choice of nesting material (Jack Straw, hay bird, hay chat and hay Jack). There is a tradition of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm bases being named for birds. A former base near Stretton in Cheshire was called HMS Blackcap.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
3,000 bird
It's 9:40 p.m. and I'm now only getting to upload this for my Project 365 . . . gosh, in about 10 hours from now, I'll be having my morning cup of coffee. This coffee machine is my friend in the morning at work(that's if I don't bring my coffee tumbler from home). Anyhoo, I hope you all had a great Wednesday!!! I'm catching up very slowly on your stream . . . thanks to those who visit my stream and make comments, etc. I can't thank you enough for your Flickr friendship . . . Hugs! Lulu ;-)
Explore 6 Jan, 2013. Best position #175
© All Rights Reserved. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my prior permission.
Today I am grateful for and want to shine a spotlight on Northern Spotted Owls who are sadly just about extirpated in BC. I had a magic moment with a beautiful endangered Spotted Owl family in WA this summer. It's always a privilege for me to see them. I never know each year if I will find them again. This year one of the pairs I had seen the year before had Barred Owls in their territory and they were nowhere to be found. It's heartbreaking when that happens. These owls have been through hell and back due to habitat loss and logging of old growth forests, climate change, Barred Owl expansion (that we orchestrated) and recently believe it or not, rat poison is affecting them. Rat poison needs to be banned it is killing so many owls of all species especially recently here in the lower mainland.
So much...too much pressure on a beautiful owl.
Well on top of this in the US, The Trump administration is proposing rolling back protections for close to 300 threatened animal and plant species and guess what?.. the Northern Spotted Owl is one of those birds.
The new proposal would ease restrictions for companies that operate in wildlife habitats. “Removal of Blanket Section 4(d) Rule” and was posted Monday by the Department of the Interior.
Due to extreme mismanagement. BC has less than a dozen birds left in the wild and extirpation in Canada is looming. Once old growth forests are logged and gone, the captive breeding program can do little to recover the population. So far no birds have been released but 2 adult Spotted Owls need a huge area of old growth forest to hunt and raise their young in. These species and their prey (mostly flying squirrels and wood rats) are so habitat specific that it's really too little to late for any captive breeding program to be of any success here. Because once the old growth forest is cut down it takes 100-200 years to mature.
WA, OR and CA still has these owls in low numbers and we need to do all we can to protect them in the Pacific Northwest. A world without them would be very bleak indeed.
These guys continue to have a tough road ahead of them. We really have to protect intact old growth forests and fight for increased legislation, so that they aren't continually fragmented.
If we only saw the bigger picture way back then, but now that we are so fully informed why do we continue down the same destructive paths? This I'll never know...