Portifolio

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Dakkhina Bahadur, 30, is physically and visually impaired, who lives with her husband and two children at Baraikhali in Dacope upazila in Khulna. Cyclone Amphan destroyed her stock of “Chaar”, or catching equipment for crabs made from bamboo. Her business of selling Chaar was steady before the Covid-19 pandemic, but that came to a halt soon after. She received cash support from UN Women as a victim of Cyclone Amphan as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, which she used to purchase raw materials for making new batches of Chaar. This helped her to resume selling the item again. Business has not been brisk compared to the pre-pandemic days six months ago, but at least now she has begun again.

Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer

Dakkhina Bahadur, 30, is physically and visually impaired, who lives with her husband and two children at Baraikhali in Dacope upazila in Khulna. Cyclone Amphan destroyed her stock of “Chaar”, or catching equipment for crabs made from bamboo. Her business of selling Chaar was steady before the Covid-19 pandemic, but that came to a halt soon after. She received cash support from UN Women as a victim of Cyclone Amphan as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, which she used to purchase raw materials for making new batches of Chaar. This helped her to resume selling the item again. Business has not been brisk compared to the pre-pandemic days six months ago, but at least now she has begun again.

Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer

my 365 is a flop. I missed about four days due to being physically and mentally overwhelmed. My dad went to CA and bought a new house in Oceano, CA so I was on the phone ALOT with him listening to his adventures while he was away :) Works got me stressed to the max and to top it all off I thought my camera was broken but now I am not sure and think it was just user error. I am starting to realize that I dont know my camera as well as I thought as well as being extremely confused over f stop and distance. I am so used to taking closeups of children and newborns that I have perfected that but when the time comes to step back and get full body shots they come out looking like shit! Nothing in focus, face is blurry even though that is where my focus point it...I just dont get it :/

Anyways, I will continue to try and post daily photos...but it seems like I have commitment problems when it comes to a 365 lol.

via Best Music Video PromotionBest Music Video Promotion

Easy Listening Songs is without a doubt a fantastic way to help reduce emotional stress. It will also help you both emotionally and additionally physically to de-stress. Maybe you have experienced a terrible state of mind and additionally switched on the radio then simply noticed all by yourself singing alongside? Assuming you have, you are aware precisely how awesome music is at allowing you to truly feel fine. Choosing music to relief worry is amazingly helpful.

The best quality music to tune in to just for unwinding is normally slow plus easy listening. Mainly because it provides a tranquil benefit, it is able to help reduce stress or maybe even make it easier to get to sleep. One can find numerous superb relaxation CDs via the internet which were prepared solely for bringing down stress and anxiety. You’ll also find CDs with nature sounds, that can be quite relaxing. As soon as you listen to nature sounds, you’re able to shut your eyes and just imagine you happen to be there. This may be a awesome way of soothing your anxiety.

An alternative tactic to benefit from music to lower stress and anxiety can be to switch it on your chosen music and additionally dance within the living room. You’re able to do it yourself or assuming you have small children, you can actually all get genuinely stupid and do a number of fun dance motions. Subsequently after a while you can see yourself giggling like crazy and you will definitely look and feel far better quickly.

Additionally play music and light some aromatherapy candles then climb into a nice warm bubble bath to ease worry. When you find yourself laying inside the bathtub with all the lights off and just the glint from a few candles, it is a fantastic the perfect time to undertake some light meditating.

Feel free to use music to minimize tension perhaps even even though you might be working hard by using an earplug. A fantastic medley of piano music can help you complete your day quite a bit easier considering the incorporated benefit from without having to pay attention to everybody else at work. You are able to just get deeply into your own personal little environment studying your music and getting the job accomplished so its possible to disregard the workplace politics taking place round you.

Devote some time each day to tune in to music. Even if you don’t currently have any kind of additional time, you are able to consistently listen to it ınside your car on the way to your job in addition to home. First turn on quiet tranquil music every evening while you’re struggling to get to sleep to help keep various other thoughts away from your mind and make it easier to de-stress and float off to sleep a lot easier.

bit.ly/12drJRS

Ah Professional Wrestling.. or as someone once called it, "Male Soap Opera". Full of all sorts of plots, storylines, and drama. While there are highs and lows with regards to the motivation of the players, the one thing that is consistent is the fact it is a very physically demanding occupation.

I don't watch any of it these days, but I was a bit more active during what is known as the "Attitude Era", which took place during the 2000s. This wonderful time made many prominent new stars, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, as well as continued the development of preexisting players like The Undertaker and of course, master of The Pedigree - Triple H, Hunter Hearst Hemsley, The Cerebral Assassin, The Game, The King of Kings... whatever you like to call him.

Picked him up on a whim cause he was cheap and more importantly, I had visions of Woody getting slammed and was curious how well articulated the wrestling bodies were.

My best guess is that this is based on a beefier standard body, and not the Tamashii Nations "Fighting Body" that the Street Fighter figures are based on.

Content wise, the set does alright. You get the figure, three total expressions (neutral, yelling, smiling), three sets of hands (closed fists, weapon grabbing fists, opening and closing fists), sledgehammer, and bottle of water. The only thing that would have been nice to add would have been a water spay effect.

Triple H certainly looks the part.. well mostly. The body is never going to be 100% accurate, but it does get his musculature and overall silhouette pretty accurately, with a somewhat undersized chest and honestly, not enough body hair for Attitude era Triple H.

The hair on his head, much like with Infinity War Widow, is gold instead of blonde, and is decently detailed for a figure of this size. Faces are hit and miss - the neutral face is fairly well done. They got expression, and the general shape of Triple H's brow, nose, and eyes. In the right light, you get a really good photo of him.

The yelling and laughing faces are... serviceable. In the right light, they're terrible, and you can be sure I had some fun with that.

Articulation isn't as refined as I'd like for a wrestling figure. I mean sure, the main points of articulation are there - ankles, double jointed knee, hips with thigh swivel, mid torso, shoulders with chest collapse, double jointed elbows with elbow twist, wrists, neck, and head. The hair, much like other figures with hair that drapes down close to the body, affects the ability of the figure to turn its head.

Ankles can rotate a full 360 degrees so you can replicate Kurt Angle breaking it, I suppose.

The chest collapse allows for pretty good replication of various holds, but the posing of the upper body is somewhat hampered by the elbows not allowing as deep a bend as I'd like.

While the hips pull down to allow for greater range of motion, the thighs are designed such in a full seated position they do no come together, which can make posing posing drivers or other seated slams a bit challenging.

Similar to the elbows, the knees could have used a bit more range of motion, but to do that you'd probably have to cut into the thigh and mess with silhouette.

From a paint perspective, he's deceptively simple looking. While not as vibrant as the other figures I've looked at. there's actually quite a bit of paint on the figure. For starters, the flesh coloured parts are almost all painted, with some dark airbrushing to emphasize muscles. It's the lack of colours that makes things hard to see. Overall, you get smooth paint applications, with average-at-best masking, especially given how simple the actual masking spots are. The digital face painting itself seems to be reasonably sharp, with the sculpt itself being what throws things off.

Build quality is what you expect - solid across the board. No issues with joint strength, limbs are the right length, parts hold together well, and no alignment issues. The finish isn't quite a strong as a Figma in terms of hiding seam lines, but again, Fiiguarts rarely are.

A neat figure and a pretty good Triple H, probably no worse off in terms of accuracy as any other figure based on a live action property. Not sure how well these (the WWE Figuarts line) sold, based on the pricing I've seen, but I imagine over here it's a bit tougher to get wrestling fans to buy based on the MSRP, even if the body and accuracy are better than your run of the mill figure. The sledgehammer was definitely a must have in this set... Triple H without a sledgehammer is like selling Stone Cold without a beer.

I've got a few interesting figures waiting to be unboxed, and one or two coming in the mail, a group of which includes a few things that effectively showed up because of "support local business" and aren't in my appetite.

So stay tuned!

View On Black

Life continues for these lovely humans.

It pained me immensely to see both father and mother tending to their physically challenged son after giving him a darshan of Maa Durga.

He was unable to bear the heat and they were cooling him off by sprinkling water and cooling off his feet and hands with cold handkerchief.

Shot this at Karbagan, Kolkata - India.

Texture courtesy:

Have used 2 texture ... I am sorry for not remembering the link of one of the texture .. my apologies. I will remember it and credit it soon.

1.?

2. Katiya Rhode-Singh

www.flickr.com/photos/katiyarhode/3571351896/

Feeling physically a bit fitter I thought I'd give Fatso a boot about in Idless Woods.

It was lovely and sunny but there was a very fresh and gusty Easterly blowing. Thankfully, the woods offer plenty of shelter from the wind, and the sound of it thrashing through the tree tops was actually quite invigorating.

Here's my try at MIT's Media Lab's Bokode idea, where a physically small illuminated target behind a lens focused to infinity can encode data, to be collected by an ordinary camera, also focused at infinity. Although everything else in the image is blurred, the target image appears in focus in the "bokeh" of the out-of-focus blur of the light coming out of the lens.

Here's the camera-eye view. I'm one of those old-skool freaks who still has an enlarger kicking around, so I used it as the image projector because it has a convenient film holder and a nice bright light.

Here, the bokode targets from yesterday are now recorded on slide film, and the film is in the "bokeh projector" enlarger, which focuses the bokode target image at infinity or thereabouts. The camera is about a meter away, looking through a 135mm f/2.8 lens.

The top image is the camera focused on the business end of the enlarger. The bottom image is the camera focused at infinity. You can see the bokode in the image, though it's overexposed here. See the related photos adjacent in my stream to see more.

Aug 20 2017 - The physically challenged community represented. Nice backdrop near Chinatown as well..

Gruene Hall, built in 1878, is Texas’ oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall. By design, not much has physically changed since the Hall was first built. The 6,000 square foot dance hall with a high pitched tin roof still has the original layout with side flaps for open air dancing, a bar in the front, a small lighted stage in the back and a huge outdoor garden. Advertisement signs from the 1930s and 40s still hang in the old hall and around the stage.

In the 1800s, Gruene Hall held weekly dances and played host to everything from traveling salesmen to high school graduations to badger fights. Today, the Hall has continued to be a center for the Gruene and Central Texas social and entertainment scene, and the activities are just as varied. In any given week, locals hold court in the front bar after work talking over their day’s activities, a friend’s passing, the weather or the state of the economy. Possibly at the same time, the filming of a movie or commercial or preparation for a festival, fundraiser or a major corporation’s private party may be taking place in the main hall or beer garden.

Under the current ownership, Gruene Hall has become internationally recognized as a destination tourist attraction and major music venue for up-and-coming as well as established artists. Since 1975, the Hall has played host to hundreds of celebrities whose pictures adorn the walls. The owner’s focus on booking singer-songwriters and artists who play original material has provided a fertile proving ground for many former “new talents” such as George Strait, Hal Ketchum, and Lyle Lovett.

Gruene Hall has also become a place where working songwriters, such as John Hiatt or Rodney Crowell, Kevin Welch or Jim Lauderdale, can try out new material or just take a breather between tour dates; where music icons such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Merle Haggard or Kris Kristofferson can play in a more intimate venue; where former “up and comers” such as Garth Brooks, Chris Isaak or the Dixie Chicks can extend their tour; and where big names such as Willie Nelson and Aaron Neville have chosen to perform.

Through the years, the big winners have always been Gruene Hall’s patrons. A person watching a show never knows if the artist they see at the Hall today will be a star tomorrow, but they can know that the music they hear will always be top notch.

CLICK HERE for a list of famous artists who have played Gruene Hall. CLICK HERE for Gruene Hall’s current calendar.

The second Fate Figma that I recently acquired through a fellow collector was none other than the 3rd Ascension Lily Saber, which according to what I'm reading was a 2017 Wonder Fest exclusive.

Lily Saber is a character that was introduced in the Fate/Unlimited Codes game/visual novel as an alternate version of the Artoria Pendragon Saber in Fate/Stay Night, and physically resembles her look in a time when she is training to become the greatest hero that Britain has ever known, and is armed with Caliburn rather than Excalibur, which she obtains after becoming King.

Her design reflects this as she appears to be more carefree in terms of body language, colours, and the bow on the back of her head.

The original Figma was released way back in the day when the PSP game came out (again, as a Collectors Edition thing), and the 2.0 came out a few years ago as an entry into the Fate/Grand Order lineup. This particular version is a Third Ascension, which according to my research is a form change once you reach certain milestones in the game.

Unlike the previous two releases, this iteration of Lily Saber is very much underarmoured. In fact.. she has no armour whatsoever, and wears what I would describe as a sundress in the same motiff as the trademark Lily Saber outfit. Naturally she's no long as bulky looking due to lack of armour, but also to me her thighs seem a bit slimmer though that could be due to the black stockings.

The lack of lace leggings was also somewhat disappointing, but that is an aesthetics thing rather than a design flaw.

Her price tag, for 2017, wasn't horrifying, coming in at slightly above 5,000 Yen. However, the number of accessories kind of reflected this, kind of like how the low price tag on the entry level Goku Figuarts did.

You get the figure, only two face plates (smiling, maniacally laughing), five additional hands, Calibur with sheathe, and a stand. The face plates, much to my delight, are interchangeable with the 2.0 Lily Saber Figma. The hair looks ALMOST the same, but is a slightly different yellow and of course, the Ahoge on the top of her head is in a slightly different direction.

While the pack-ins don't exactly blow my mind, at least it seems some thought went into the design of the figure. As expected, the points of articulsation themselves are pretty typical - ankles, single jointed knees, hips with thigh rotation, waist, mid torso, shoulders with some collapse and bicep swivel, single jointed elbows, wrists, and neck.

You also get points of articulation on her pony tail and more importantly, her skirt, which allows for use of the range of motion provided for the lower body. Why they never segmented the skirt for Nero Claudius 2.0 or a laundry list of other figures will forever remain a mystery to me.

Figma rarely disappoint from a paint perspective, and Lily Saber here is a statistic as well. It shouldn't be surprising, giving how outfits with a higher degree of complexity get pulled off generally without a hitch, with the exception of course of some slightly sketch masking work on the black strips. Flesh colour parts are well painted, and decals are sharply produced and accurately applied. As with the other Artoria based Sabers, the included Caliburn and scabbard are fantastic. The use of glossy black to differentiate her Pumps from her leggings is also a nice touch.

Build quality is actually quite remarkable, at least for this particular sample. The usual suspects are here, namely well made parts, great QC with regards to gaps and other relevant tolerances, and limbs that are the same length. What is truly interesting is how strong the joints are on this figure. All joints function perfectly, but the tolerances are so perfect that Lily Saber can actually pick up by another figure of similar weight by the neck, no supports or anything.

It's not a chokeslam or anything, but she's not The Hulk either.

Overall Lily Saber is a well designed and well made Figma that can actually pose and has superhuman strength, apparently. If anything, one can lament the lack of accessories, but, again, the price tag pretty much indicated that this would be the case.

At roughly the same price, I have to say that Lily Saber 3rd Ascension beats out Saber: Dress version in terms of being a good action figure, though naturally you'd just take it if your goal was to have a long haired, Bamboo sword carrying Fate waifu.

That's all the Fate goodies I have for now... with the world slowly reopening, hopefully the reaches of the Earth will have some interesting goodies for me after this lengthy hunting hiatus.

it feels better to be me.

even when it hurts sometimes.

physically and emotionally.

it just simply feels better.

Just for for the record, in June, i:

- deactivated my fb for the longest time ever. 2 weeks is way too much for a fbwhore like me. i aim for at least 2 months. all the virtual "fame" and/or recognition, i dont think im good enough deserve that yet.

- made my first official short to the school's annual film festival.

- started to shoot for Toc Tien. Seems like we work pretty well t'gether.

- drew alot.

- failed statistics and aced everything else.

- broke a few hearts for someone who snapped mine in half in a wink.

- cut my hair to something i had never ever thought i would have.

- effed my wrist up almost everyday.

- cried just as much.

- got a present that made me smile from my bff in uk.

- set the oven on fire and almost got my head exploded with gas. no kidding. you should be glad i'm still here typing this for you to read of some sort.

- lost my wallet.

- decided to move out. either SF or NYC. freedom, at last.

- got officially kicked out.

Applaud! :)

The most important relationship is the relationship with self. Self-love is genuinely your superpower. It is at the root of everything you want in your life, whether it’s to feel amazing in your body, mind, or spirit or to have the relationships you truly want to cultivate. Check out at amandabiccum.com/self-love-the-source-of-your-true-power/!

Mother of Disable Kalsh child

appeal for Free Treatment.

CHITRAL/BUMBORAT: Mother of a physically

handicapped Kalash child appeal for free treatment of her son. According to

detail Sadiq Ali 6 whose father Shahdulla died a few years back is disable for

the last four years His mother Saira Bibi told this scribe that her son Sadiq

Ali was weak after one year of his birth. She took him to Chitral hospital but

doctors could not diagnosed his illness (disease) she added. She continue his

treatment but suddenly her husband died and now being a poor widow she can,t

continue treatment of his youngest son Sadiq Ali. She said that a wheel chair

was also donated by a foreigner tourist but she expressed her great sorrow that

she was not supported by Government of Pakistan or any Muslim. She said that

she is hardworking and gaining livelihood for her entire family and also

continue treatment of her son. She said that when Sadiq Ali take his treatment

he remain happy but when his medicines finished and I cannot purchase it more

due to my extreme poverty so Sadiq Ali became upset and feel un easy. She

appeal prime Minister of Pakistan as well as philanthropists of the world including Pakistan to help her to

continue treatment of her son. She may be supported or contacted by telephone

No (0092) 943-404108 or by this correspondent.

G.H.

Farooqi C/O Manager bank Islami Main branch Chitral phone No 0943-320737,

316052, 414418 , 03025989602,

03337069572, 03159698446, 03469002167

email: gulhamad@gmail.com

Temporary Negative Effects

Pain - Pain is constantly associated with hair removal from anywhere physically. You can have varying levels of pain all through and for a brief period with IPL following the procedure. Often there is a burning sensation but that is quite tolerable and unusually light and is only really short lived. There's a slight danger of of swelling around the treated area, particularly in the event the area is specially sensitive. However when you compare the pain to that particular of waxing its effect diminishes considerably.

Rukhsana is a physically disabled girl from Dinajpur in Bangladesh. She was ostracised by her family for being born disabled, and her mother was blamed for her lack of development.

When she turned five, she started to attend a Plan supported clinic for the physically challenged. The efforts of the health workers turned her life around. With regular exercise she learned to sit, stand, eat and write. She has since been accepted into school.

Find out more about Rukhsana: plan-international.org/where-we-work/asia/bangladesh/what...

Cota - I Like the Way You Love Me

BIOgraphy

Appearances can be deceiving – consider Cota, a big guy with an even bigger beard,

prominent tattoos and a physically imposing presence. The impression changes when he

begins to sing with a smooth angelic vocal tone that is reminiscent of the R&B greats who

have influenced his artistry.

The singer, songwriter and guitarist has opened shows for both classic soul artists and

hard-edged hip-hop creators like The Game and Tyga. Once audiences get over their initial

surprise, they invariably appreciate the purity of his approach. “They don’t expect this

voice to come out of me,” laughs Cota. “It freaks them out.”

He comes by this sound naturally. Both his grandfather and his father were musicians in

his hometown of Moorpark, CA. “As a little boy I was drawn to the guitar,” Cota remembers.

“My grandpa started teaching me traditional Mexican songs. I don’t speak the best Spanish,

but those songs stuck with me.”

He remembers Sunday mornings at home, when his dad would listen to the radio. “I’d wake up

hearing oldies, my mom cooking and cleaning, ironing getting ready for church.” He sang in

the choir for services, and also at school. “Music was everything,” he says.

In addition to being musicians, his family has a long lineage as barbers. Married, with

four kids, Cota cultivated his own tonsorial skills. “I was raised if you have kids you’ve

got to take care of them. I became a barber, perfected my craft and made good money,” he

says.

With the passing of his grandfather and his father, Cota was inspired to devote more time

to his music. He began posting on social media, guesting with other artists, and

performing at bigger shows. When he opened for the legendary Baby Bash, the two linked up

and Bash affiliated him with the Silent Giant Entertainment family through his label,

BashTown Recordings. They also collaborated on a track titled “Show Off,” that Cota

describes as “A high confidence song.”

While audiences now know him for his music, he is also sometimes recognized with shouts of

“Cota the Barber!” He says it’s almost like an alias, as he notes the similarities between

his two endeavors. “I get the same feeling when I record, or when people enjoy my music

when I’m performing, as I do when I show someone the mirror after their haircut. They

smile, and the vibe is crazy.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v031Fn3mHJE

It's not what's physically real, but rather what you perceive to be real.

Perception is reality. What you see with your mind's eye is reality to you...

View Large on Black

@Strobist:

Canon 580EX II in Apollo JS 50x50" Softbox, Camera Left

Canon 580EX II through White Umbrella, Camera Right

Canon 580EX II w/Rayflash Ringflash Adapter, On Camera

Canon 430EX 45° Behind Subject, Camera Left and Right

Dakkhina Bahadur, 30, is physically and visually impaired, who lives with her husband and two children at Baraikhali in Dacope upazila in Khulna. Cyclone Amphan destroyed her stock of “Chaar”, or catching equipment for crabs made from bamboo. Her business of selling Chaar was steady before the Covid-19 pandemic, but that came to a halt soon after. She received cash support from UN Women as a victim of Cyclone Amphan as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, which she used to purchase raw materials for making new batches of Chaar. This helped her to resume selling the item again. Business has not been brisk compared to the pre-pandemic days six months ago, but at least now she has begun again.

Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer

I didn't realise how draining this move was going to be. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. It's just now starting to kick in that I'm leaving.

I've never been on my own before. And not just on my own, 1,500 miles away from my parents and on my own.

And I've fallen so far in love with Tammy and the kids that it's just killing me that I have to leave them. We're a team, best friends, sisters. Her and those kids make me a better person. They basically brought me back to life after being a zombie for years.

It's very bittersweet. I've been so focused on missing my home in Maryland and my family out there that I didn't realise that I'd found a home and made a family here too.

I don't want it to seem like I'm complaining. I got what I've been wanting for years - to go back East. I just didn't know it would be so hard. I'm SO happy for the chance to finally move on with my life and make something of myself. I just wish I could take them all with me.

Indigenous peoples (IPs) in the Philippines are the poorest and most marginalized of all Filipinos. They are physically and socially isolated from mainstream society and basic services.

Mangyan are one of the main indigenous people groups in the country and live in the remote, interior forests of Mindoro Island. They are greatly disadvantaged, have minimal access to government services and resources, and face discrimination in the markets. Their incomes and capacity to produce food is inadequate to address their needs.

A 2007 baseline survey and participatory rural appraisals by Plan Philippines indicate that the Mangyan receive limited government support. The livelihood of 77% of the population is based on under-developed agriculture, 72% of which employ the slash and burn method. They lack alternative livelihood, and can only sell one crop at a time, with a limited market of only their surrounding villages.

90% of Mangyan have poor access to potable water and 60% of children are malnourished. Infant mortality rates are high and a child is considered to be fortunate to reach the age of 10.

In January 2008, Plan spearheaded a first of its kind Provincial Planning Workshop bringing together the provincial government, municipal LGUs and the Indigenous leaders. For the first time, the LGUs sat down to look more closely on the Mangyan needs. A milestone was reached as the LGUs confirmed their commitment to incorporate these needs into their development plans, and work more closely with the Mangyan from then on.

This project is a product of consultations facilitated by Plan between PASAKAMI (Pantribong Samahan ng mga Katutubong Occidental Mindoro), Mangyan Mission, government agencies, and LGU representatives. Plan is currently working with 51 of 297 Mangyan communities in Mindoro.

August 4, 2008

Flagstaff, Arizona

400 miles (3,500)

(please don't feel like you have to read this!)

On the move again. I just spent seven days in one general location, and I gotta say, it didn’t take seven days to make me antsy. Nevertheless, I had a hard time to pulling away from Santa Fe – both physically and emotionally. There were people still around Sunday morning with whom I’d forged fledgling relationships. Having stayed put for so long, I’d accumulated paper, and info, etc, and scattered my life about the room. So after a nice long organizational and packing period, and then a leisurely goodbye brunch, I didn’t move toward the road until after 1:00pm.

As I was flitting about, showering, packing, and getting in order, I noticed a field about 20 yards from my campsite. It was contained by a split-rail fence, filled with that rare covering of grass and decorated with horseshoe pegs, bike ramps and other sundry recreation happiness. I had not noticed that field in the seven days I’d been around. Granted, I’d come in very late every night, and left quite early. I had not explored the campground, but I do tend to notice things. Beyond my normal ability to see things, I had also been in a sort of training for taking it all in and pondering my surroundings. So I realized that I’d come to the site each night without regard for it’s delights. That is, beyond the outrageous night sky with its backlit milkyway swath spanning the entire sky, it’s Jupiter shining brightly as the moon, its dependable consistency of shooting stars, and its nocturnal constant call of coyotes.

I set about taking in everything I encountered as I rode off toward Albuquerque, where I’d turn West and follow the legendary Route 66 to Flagstaff. The Sandias shone their normal brilliance as I neared Albuquerque, and when my attention turned right, I was confronted with ominous cloudage. Nothing new, I’ve been dealing with this eastern normality everyday since I’ve left home, but I seem to have brought it with me to the normal arid southwest, where I’ve given much appreciated drinks to the landscape, even as I feel the water being sucked out of my body.

When I entered Arizona again, seven days after I’d skirted its northwest corner for a half hour, I was confused when I stopped at the welcome center to dry out and armor myself against the increasingly foreboding storm clouds, and found it to be an hour earlier than I thought it was, though the sky and dim cloud covered light seemed to indicate I was correct. It took me several hours to remember that Arizona does not appreciate daylight savings time. So I’d gained an hour, but only in theory. No extra daylight.

The extra hour did forgive my late departure, and afforded me a long, slow ride through the Painted Desert and Petrified forest, where frankly I was quite surprised. As the park ranger had promised, the dampness I was encountering was a small price for the extra beauty it bestowed on the landscape. Extremely dark eastern skies framed the badlands with colorful desert foliage, all dimly spotlit from a beautiful, if struggling, sunset. Lightning accented the background, and the rain on the formations sent out a glow of gorgeosity.

I must admit, that when I entered the park at the last possible moment, I realized that I was definitely low on fuel due to the beating high winds and but irresponsibly opted to chance the ride with my remaining gasoline fumes. Through the gate, my odometer read 100 miles, and I had 47 miles to the next fuel stop. I went on reserve at 106 miles and was sure I’d never make it out on my bike. I was careful to do the 28 park miles at 35 mph, and the 19 wilderness miles at 50, despite the 65mph speed limit.

I rolled into Holbrook and added 3 more miles before I found fuel. I filled my tank with 3.98 gallons, the most I’ve ever used. I guessed that .02 gallon must be equivalent to a teaspoon. I literally could not have made it to the next street corner. I sighed, sat quietly behind the station and thanked God for bringing back to civilization via motorized propulsion rather than by foot, through the desert, through the chilly rain, in the dark.

When I climbed back on in Holbrook, I had 90 miles to travel to Flagstaff, in the dark. The storms became more fierce for this last leg, and pelted me the entire way. I reached my campsite chilled to the bone and quite tired. I set up the tent, crawled in and lay there in the Arizona gravel listening to the rain hit the tent and pondered the beauty of decay.

The most physically beautiful people I have encountered live in Athens. The land of the Greek gods, legends and myths and the Acropolis, Athens' is a cosmopolitan landscape of bars and shopping. But this landscape bears nothing against its historic landscape of Seven Hills and majestic Parthenon.

The reports and documents made on a child in care during the 1960s.

Page 31.

17.08.65 Report of Child Care Officer.

I called on the mother to find out whether she has had any success in finding someone to stay with her parents so that she could spend some time with Philip. She is hoping that her sister will come for a day one weekend soon so that she and Philip can go out. She also said that she thinks she could have found somewhere for her parents to go away for a holiday, but they did not want to go, and she was unwilling to put undue pressure on them. However, if the situation is the same next year she will make more effort to have a break; this will probably need planning well in advance, but the Old People’s Welfare will probably be willing to help.

The mother looked much fitter than when I last saw her and her leg is nearly better.

31a. November 1965. Half-Yearly Report by Sister in Charge.

8 years 10 months.

General Condition: Good.

Height: 4ft. 5in.

Weight 4st. 8lbs.

A nervy, highly-strung child, and yet he does not lack confidence.

He is not too upset over his occasional bed wetting, and deals with the matter without any problem.

He is a little old man in some ways, and yet babyish in others.

He is now much more able with other children.

He is less aggressive and cries less due to frustration.

He has settled very well.

Interests and Hobbies.

Cubs, and will be joining the Club.

The short holiday he had away from us was a success for Philip. As he missed out the family holiday in the summer, it was thought a short break with other boys of his own age would allow him to have some extra time off from his normal routine.

Very active but will settle down with pencils and paper.

MY ANSWER

The Sister has given her verdict on my behaviour after being in her care for six months. I was not used to such large groups of children around me all the time. If I was highly strung it was simply that I was afraid that if I did anything wrong, I would be physically punished.

My main fear at night was not of my surroundings or matters like thunder and lightning, it was the single fear of wetting the bed. For the first couple of months I forced myself to wake up during the night to visit the lavatory to try and prevent it happening, but soon realised that Sister does not punish over bedwetting. So I try and follow the others ideas that it is best to stay in bed unless you really do feel the need that you need to go to the lavatory, as Sister did not want you out of bed at night. This leads to the odd wet bed in my first six months in the Home.

During the holiday away from the Home I was sent with six other boys that I did not really know, we were grouped with around twenty other boys of around our own age from other schools. There was no bullying of those from the Home during the holiday, so we soon split up and made our own friends. Many other boys had never been away from their parents. At night there was quite a lot of upset during the holiday.

With many of the other boys wetting their beds, there was the thought I would not be singled out if I wet the bed. I decided not to visit the outside toilets and try to last through the night, on several nights I wet the bed. Nothing was reported to Sister over the matter.

Sister's comment that I was "Babyish" might have been down to how I acted in the Home. Until my arrival it had been left to me to decide when I went to the lavatory and the like if I felt the need, I knew well enough to head off. Sisters rules that we had to go when she decided, and with other matters I was simply afraid to ask. After a couple of daytime accidents soon after my arrival, and on a visit to the governor after been naughty, I had wet myself due to the punishment I might receive.

There was the suggestion from Sister that I wear a pair of waterproof pants under my shorts or dungarees for chapel and when I was to be taken on trips out of the grounds, this was later revised to when I went out to play in the grounds and at certain times for school.

Going to school in waterproof pants under my shorts now I had started at the main school at eight and a half, where for most of the time we were not allowed to leave the classroom, was an easy instruction to follow, without the fear now of any teasing if the was ever an accident, there were a few accidents but never noticed by others. I was more at ease with Sisters request, and did not have the worry that I might need the lavatory and be refused permission to go. My arrival into the Home had made me a much more nervous now, as not since the age of about six had I had any daytime problems either out with my mother or at school.

9 Years Old

32. 00.01.66 Report of a second Child Care Officer.

The mother was enjoying having Philip home for the Christmas holidays and was looking much fitter than when I saw her in the summer. She is still very much tied to the house as her mother has frequent attacks of illness and she cannot leave her alone for long. Although the rest of the family promised to give her a lot of help, they always seem to be busy and she does not get much support.

The mother said she feels that she needs a break from caring for her parents and I suggested that the rest of the family should be able to pay for someone to look after them for a week while they go away in the summer. She agreed this might be a good idea, and I hope she will follow it up.

Philip came in later and was obviously enjoying his holiday. He is very excitable and talkative and not a bit shy, although I had not seen him before. He has to go out on his own most of the time when he is at home, but he is very resourceful and seems to know his way around.

He talked happily about Harpenden and of the other children in the family and appears well adjusted to life there. His mother visits him regularly every third week and takes him home, and helps make him feel secure.

The mother said she misses him very much and would love to have him home all the time, but under the present circumstances, feels that there is far too much strain on the relations within the family, although for a week at a time it is very satisfactory to have Philip at home. Of course the mother has no idea how long she will be required to look after her parents.

Philip seems bright and intelligent, although his mother said he lacks concentration and feels this is probably why he does not do very well at school. This confirms the original school report that we received. It would be interesting to know whether Philip has become more settled since his stay at Harpenden and how he behaves towards the other children in the family.

MY ANSWER. A different Child Care Officer visiting me for the first time chose the best moment to visit. With one day after my ninth birthday and being able to spend it at my home in London, I had really everything that I could want. I might have been a little excitable, with new toys to play with on my own and extra money; these were matters I could get excited about. The comment of not being a bit shy was quite true. Having been surrounded by adults all my life, I could not see any reason to act in any other manner.

With my mother at home looking after my grandparents, if I wanted to do anything, it was up to me to organise it. Within reason I had the freedom to explore locally, a radius from home of about three miles being my real limit. Any further than this and I would not have normally had the funds for transport.

The view that I was well adjusted to life at Harpenden according to the Child Care Officer showed that, given the circumstances, life at the Home was not giving me any real problems.

The adults looked at my school reports and other reports and see that I have a lack of concentration. It was not that I appeared stupid or the like, my attention soon moved onto the next matter before the first had been finished. In their minds, I was starting to settle into a family group. To me if I was like a few of the others and had to spend my entire life at the Home, my reaction to being in the group would have been different. There was a need on my part to try and show I wanted to be part of a family group, but this was simply to get permission to be allowed out for the odd weekends with my mother.

33. 10.01.66 Report of Child Care Officer.

Discussion with Sister in Charge at Harpenden 05.01.66

The Sister in Charge feels that Philip has settled down well at Harpenden. She agrees that he is highly strung and very often talks so fast that his speech is almost unintelligible. His manners have improved a lot since he has been in care, and he has become more controllable.

It would appear that while his mother was working as a housekeeper she had little opportunity to bring Philip up properly, and probably encouraged him to keep quiet for the sake of the household she was living in. The mother said she notices an improvement in his behaviour now.

Philip’s aunts and uncles have visited him from time to time and brought him Christmas and birthday presents and sometimes offer to buy clothes.

The Sister in Charge had no complaint to make about Philip’s behaviour or his relationship with other members of the family group. She feels that the mother misses her son a good deal and would very much like to have him with her. The mother has said that she is worried about the difficulty she may experience in finding a job when she is free to look for one, on account of her age. She feels at the moment that she is giving all her life to her parents, and perhaps not sufficient attention to Philip and his long-term needs.

MY ANSWER. The Sister in Charge had no complaints about my behaviour; I knew well enough how to behave in front of a lady who commanded the same respect as my grandmother expected when I was younger. If I was highly strung it was possibly that as I was always active. If anything did upset me, then I was active enough to show any feelings in rage or the like. Leaving me to be on my own with or without other adults around was all that I really wanted.

The comment that my mother did not have the time to bring me up properly sounds unfair, but she was simply doing the best she could. From the age of six, my mother started work at about six in the morning and was often still at work into the evening, with the odd short break in the afternoon, mostly at a time when I would be at school. The other need was for her to keep me quiet, as we lived in the homes of her employer; I was given little opportunity to act as an ordinary child. When I became a little wild at times, it was down to frustration. The only main way of keeping me quiet was to send me to my room; this made me even more frustrated. When I was hit with the plimsoll it often had me falling into order for a short while.

At the weekend, I appeared to be very active and easy to upset, it might have been due to the excess of sugar I was eating. Food now had far more sweet items available at all meals than I had been used to. On a Saturday afternoon, I tended to spend my entire pocket money on sweets and then eat them all before tea. If I did not, it was the fear that the older boys and others in the Home would take the sweets off me. Without the older ones, the sweets could have lasted me a week.

The odd visits from my aunts and uncles were always very short, and might last an hour or so. Most of these were on days when my mother was to visit and due to my grandmother’s health, was not able to that day. A large amount of their time was spent talking to Sister. Other than showing them around the flat and the grounds, little else could be done when they visited.

34. 18.01.66 Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. London NCH from Governor of Harpenden NCH.

The Sister has given me the following report on Philip.

Philip has settled in the family very well, and is learning to play with the other children in a more normal way.

When he first came his idea of friendship was nearly strangling an older child or tripping him over. This did not meet with approval and he ended up crying after they retaliated. He is not such a cry baby now. He is learning courtesy ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ seemed unknown to him, and he is learning to live with other people, especially children, and to mix.

He is highly strung and nervous, and this shows in his speech and actions. He may have some night-time problems as he now started to wet his bed on odd nights. He is an old-fashioned child, and yet at times sounds like a grandparent, though this is gradually disappearing.

He is happy at school, but very backward possibly due to the number of changes he has had, rather than to lack of intelligence, but this will take time to prove. He is quite an easy child, and I am sure the time spent with his mother is a great help. He makes no fuss when he returns.

MY ANSWER. The official report of the branch shows I was starting to mix more with other children. With the wide range of ages and as there were both boys and girls, the chances of being able to find someone who had the same ideas of how to spend time were fairly remote.

In other flats, there were friends who had similar interests to my own, but Sister had the firm rule that friends were not allowed into the flat, nor were you permitted to visit any other flat. Many of the other Sisters allowed friends to come and go as they pleased as long as it did not cause any disruption, but it did not include us.

It was quite easy for an older member of the group to make you cry. Sister was not present for every minute of the day. This gave plenty of opportunity for four older members of the family to pick their moment when they decided to have some fun. It need not always be physical; words could be equally harmful and threats about what could be done to me were enough to make me cry.

The comment that I had only recently learnt ‘Please and Thank you’ was not entirely true. Having been brought up surrounded from a very early age by adults, these words were very ingrained in my vocabulary. However, when I did choose to utter them, they would be given directly to the adult concerned; there was rarely the need to voice it very loudly. Should I have failed to use such words then there would have been many complaints.

At the Home this was now different. With the general noise and activity going on continuously, it appeared it was almost mandatory to yell it out loud so the whole group could hear. Had the Sister had been with me alone when there was the need for me to utter such words they would have easily been noticed.

It is true that I did have night problems. My main fear at night was that I might wet the bed; to prevent such an event I made an evening visit to the lavatory. Sister thought I should not need to visit the lavatory soon after going to bed. My need was due to having a large drink of milk last thing at night, which I was not used to. When I got caught out of bed, I was blamed for not going before going to bed. Sister did not want to see me out of bed early in the evening, and sent me back to bed without being allowed to visit the lavatory. In a way I was happy that friends were not allowed into our flat. Had they had seen my bed during the day when it was in its stripped condition after my bedwetting, there would have been some teasing.

To Sister, I was an old-fashioned child, for the simple matter that until the age of six, I did not play with or meet other children; my main contact during the day was with my grandmother or grandfather; their views on how I should act made the most impact on me.

Happy at school? Yes it gave me an opportunity to return to the real world, with the freedom of ordinary people and children to mix with rather than the almost stifling regime of life at the Home.

The number of changes in schools had a bearing on my schoolwork. I was now in my seventh school within three years, settling down, learning all the new rules, names of pupils and teachers. Often coming into the middle of a set of work that I might have already completed or had never started, always meant that I needed a little while to settle into the new location.

35. 16.03.66. Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. London NCH from Governor of Harpenden NCH.

I have heard from Philip’s mother that she will be able to have Philip for practically the whole of the school summer holidays this year. The dates are Friday 29th July to Sunday 4th September. I expect you will wish to arrange for the Child Care Officer to visit her during this period.

36. 18.04.66 Report of Child Care Officer.

I called hoping to see Philip, who is at home for three weeks of his Easter holiday, but he had just gone out.

The mother must have been busy as she did not ask me in, though we had a fairly long chat. She said that her parents are getting more and more helpless, and are extremely dependent on her.

Philip has apparently enjoyed being at home, despite the fact that his presence has caused some friction, and his mother said that although she is glad to have him for the holidays, she is quite sure she could not manage him any for a longer period. She says he sometimes expresses some reluctance to return to the Branch but she feels sure he is happy at Harpenden, despite this. He is still a very excitable child and finds it difficult to concentrate and his mother worries about this and feels he will not make any progress at school, although he is intelligent.

The mother is hoping to have Philip home again in the summer. She has not made any plans for going away. Other members of the family are going to Spain for their holidays, but she does not seem to resent this, saying that they only have two weeks a year and need a change.

37. MAY 1966 Half-Yearly Branch Report by Sister in Charge. Age 9 years 4 months

General Condition: Good.

Height 4ft 6in.

Weight 4st 10lbs

Illness in last six months: Gastroenteritis (Gastric Flu). There are still occurrences of bedwetting; this is due to his refusal to visit the lavatory before going to bed.

Philip is much calmer than he was, not quite so highly strung.

He goes home very frequently, but returns quite happily.

MY ANSWER. Now I had been at the Home for a year, I had possibly worked out how best to avoid trouble, but the simple confines of the Home meant that as almost every normal activity was either boring or not allowed, active minds found only mischief to pass the time.

In one year I gained about two inches, my height put me on equal terms to several of the older boys, but my weight gain over a year was around five pounds. This meant I was well under 5 stone; I still had a rather skinny appearance.

Generally, we were all fairly healthy. With minor coughs and colds, Sister packed everyone off to school; only at the weekends and holidays would it be suggested that you stay indoors. When at any point you did become too ill to go to school then it was bed all day.

The gastric flu in March did make me feel really ill. For the first couple of days, I was in bed at the flat. There was nothing I was able to keep down. The slightest movement, even when I was lying in bed made me feel the worst I had ever felt. When I attempted to get out of bed, I was completely disorientated. The walls, floor and ceiling seemed to be coming up to meet me; the only way I could ever make it to the lavatory, was to physically crawl along the floor. This was fine during the school day, but when the others returned home, my life was made even more miserable. Had Sister told them it was something they would catch when they were close to me, I might have been left alone; as the four of us shared the same bedroom, it appeared it was not that catching.

Eventually Sister decided that I was ill enough to go over to the small hospital in the grounds. I was at least happy for the peace and quiet, although I still felt rotten. For three days, all I could manage was some liquid glucose. The hospital had two small wards. I was the only one in my ward, so it was nice and quiet. After three days, I was starting to get better. One evening my uncle came to see how I was, but even then, I was not well enough even to say hello.

I spent a further four days in hospital before being sent back to the flat. If proof were needed that I was better, it was that I could quite happily munch my way through a large bag of jelly babies. Normally the fine sugar coating seemed to put me off by the feel, but these jelly babies had a fine caster sugar coating and strong flavour. The short stay in hospital possibly was one of the reasons why my report mentions that I was calmer and not so highly-strung. A week of starvation was just an easy way of making me slow down and be quiet.

During the nights in hospital, I was instructed not to get out of bed to visit the toilet, and not to use the pot under the bed which was for day time use only. I was told to pee my bed, in the morning was I given a short shower, and the bed was made up with fresh sheets, that my bed was wet most of the nights I was there did not seem to matter.

The matter about my bedwetting was not really true; it was not a case of me refusing to visit the lavatory before I go to bed. Visiting the lavatory before going to bed was something I actually did. My bedwetting was down to the Sister refusing to let me use the lavatory if I needed to pay a visit within a few hours of going to bed. When I woke up in the evening, I had no idea if I had been in bed for an hour or several hours. My thought was that I had better visit the lavatory so I did not wet the bed, when I was found out of bed by Sister on the way to the lavatory, I was sent straight back to bed, I was told I should have gone before going to bed, once back in bed I was often soon asleep, but the result was always a wet bed. On the nights I could hear Sister was still up, I did not leave the room, often going back to sleep and waking up a little later to a wet bed. Sister never punished me if I had wet the bed, and I was allowed a warm bath on getting up.

What Sister did not really explain to me was that I was of an age where she did not want to see us out of bed at night. The flat was now a mixed group of both boys and girls, she was afraid that if we were up we might visit the girls rooms and cause annoyance and be up to other general mischief. If we had learnt to go to the toilet just before we went to bed, there was a good chance we would learn to sleep all through the night without the need to get up in the middle of the night. When there was the odd wet bed, it did not really matter. Having been use to always getting up in the middle of the night if I woke up, I found it difficult to follow Sister's rules, and simply wet my bed when I would normally gone off for a pee.

It was mentioned that I returned to the Home quite happily, this might not have really found the truth. The train journey late on Sunday afternoon returning to the Home was never any fun. Whilst the ride into London seemed to take forever, the twenty or so miles by train on the return journey seemed to rush by. There was little point in telling anyone how I really felt. Had the others in the flat known how I felt on having to return, my life could have been made even more miserable.

I don’t think the staff at the Home or my mother ever realised that I was unhappy. After I had been at the Home a few months, I had been told that my stay was not going to be for very long. Now I had been here for over a year, I was starting to feel that I was never going to be able to leave.

When I did get time to myself in the grounds at the Home, I was happy to find peace and solitude but at the same time, it allowed me to have the thought that I did not really want to stay at this Home any longer. Running away would not do any good; you would be sent back and have to face whatever punishments were correct for such an act.

At the age of nine, I was starting to contemplate other more drastic measures, but there was the hope that perhaps the following month or the month after, I would be able to leave the Home and return to live with my mother. The other matter was who would get the contents of my locker.

38. 24.06.66 Note to Sister Ann (Hospital) from Governor of Harpenden.

I have had a phone call from the Medical Officer for Highfield. Philip has a gun pellet just above the inside of his left knee; this was revealed in a recent X-ray.

MY ANSWER. As part of medical research, a few of us were measured, weighed, photographed and X-rayed at regular intervals. This was not done for use by the Home, but simply the Home was the ideal location, where it was thought that the subjects would readily be on hand enabling a study over several years. There were no injections or the like, simply endless measurements of all parts of our bodies. As the tests always took part on a school day, it was an ideal reason for missing a morning of school.

An injury that I had received a few months earlier, when I thought I had been hit with a stone from a catapult, now revealed itself in one of the regular X-rays. That I had a gun pellet in my knee meant that action would have to be taken to remove it.

39. 11.08.66 Report of Child Care Officer.

I called to see Philip while he was on holiday with his mother for the whole of the summer holiday. His mother was enjoying having him but was finding it a strain, as it was difficult to fit Philip in with the old people in the family.

Her mother and father are both practically bedridden now and her mother has had another spell in hospital since last Easter.

The mother looked quite well and seemed to be coping. Next week her brother will be on holiday and has agreed to stay at home on one day so that she can take Philip out for the day.

Apparently, her brother takes very little interest in Philip and never offers to take him out himself.

Philip seemed bright and happy and as usual had been going out a lot on his own to the park and he has joined the local library.

He has made one or two friends locally and met Lenton who is in his family at Harpenden, and has been to the park with him.

I should think Philip is still quite a restless and excitable child and his speech is very unusual, somewhat indistinct and perhaps he has an accent, but I am not sure where he gets it from.

When I arrived he was not dressed and apparently, his mother had been trying to persuade him to dress himself for a long time, however, after I arrived, he was dressed within minutes. I would imagine his mother finds it very difficult to be very firm with him.

The mother seems to be pleased with his progress. There have been no cases of bedwetting during his visits to her. I told her that I had recently seen the Sister in Charge who said he was settling down very well and that she had not any particular problems with him, and said that the mother still visits him very regularly. The mother said that when she takes him back to Harpenden, she would like to see his school report, as she is interested in his school progress.

MY ANSWER. London. The freedom from the Home for a length of time was all I could wish for. As my mother needed to stay indoors, most of the time I was free to explore London. Activities like bus rides, the cinema, and swimming were all things that I missed whilst at the Home. Many of my friends who had been at the Home for years had never had those pleasures, so did not know what they have missed. Even without money to spend, walking around the outdoor markets was a pleasure.

On my visits back to London, I don't wet the bed as I am allowed to visit the toilet at any time of the night, there is a rubber sheet on my bed, I don't know if my mother would punish me if I did wet the bed on one of my visits.

On my own there were few problems that I could get into. However, during the holidays I met up with one of the boys from the flat, who also lived in London. Our weekend visits often did not coincide, so meeting up was not that often. However, with my taste for freedom and my friend’s ability to egg me on, perhaps it might be best if I was left to go out alone. However, having a regular friend available was not something to miss out on.

If I was not dressed when the Child Care Officer arrived, it would simply have been reluctance to dress in the clothes that my mother had selected. My intention throughout the summer was to go out to play. If I did meet up with any other boys of my own age locally, then play clothes were essential for any form of enjoyment. My mother however thought I should be always smartly dressed. During my stay in London, I was limited over the choice of clothes.

At the Home, I was one of the few boys who had a suit. The only reason for being given this was that it fitted me. The others in the flat were not jealous as the suit came with two pairs of short trousers. They had no interest in the suit from that moment on. On trips to and from the Home, I wore this suit and looked smart. Unless someone knew me, no one would have guessed that I came from a Children’s Home.

My mother had decided that as I had smart clothes then it was best to wear them. Where I wanted to play and the boys I might want to play with, had I appeared in a suit, the survival for the suit or me would have been very slim. An old school raincoat even if it was summer, and similar play clothes, and almost any situation could be tackled with new friends and a London location. Although I would not have refused to put the best clothes on, a little delay often resulted in me getting my way over what clothes to wear on most occasions.

If I had started to calm down at the Home, it was that the system was slowly starting to grind me down. Only the freedom of visits home to London gave me something to look forward to. Once in London, I was able to go at the pace I wanted to.

School reports were taken to the Sister at the Home; often my mother did not visit during the period the school report was at the Home. The summer holidays meant that it would be available until our return to school in September. We took the reports sealed in their envelopes. Our friends who did not live at the Home often opened their reports just to see the awful comments all the teachers had written about them. For those of us from the Home, looking at our reports was not something we ever managed. Only after the Sister had read them, did we get to learn which of us had achieved the worst selection of comments. At the following meals, various complaints would be made about what had been noted in our reports.

Hello precious Flickr friends ;P

I'm BAAACK! Physically that is, but my mind is still on a different twilight zone...15 hours, so I should be sleeping you know. But nooo,life is not fair...I need a day job for you know what (hehe!), so I'm back at work but VERY, VERY SLEEPY!!! I am sooo jetlagged, but what can I do I have no more vacation days OUCH!

No PB, not Hawaii but I wish, so the climate would've been kinder! I didn't bring my laptop (purposedly!) so I could keep my feet on the ground...real ground, not miniature!

Ebay I didn't miss - from now on I can half my usual time spent there...yeah right, but no really, I promise to rEbayhab!

But Flickr friends, I miiiiiiiiiissed ;P

Evolna, you don't wanna be tagged Spammolna yeah?! You naughty girl! ;P

Kira & EB! I saw that...blaming me for enabling yeah?! But Kira you've been enabling me with Miss A. & new toys, and EB, you've been making me drool by featuring 3 of the best sets!

PB, oh PB, you are sooo sweet! Thanks, and a big hug! Is there anything else I lust for??? The book! ;P

The jams (& mayo) are still lurking in the dark & waiting for you. I took a high res photo of the artwork but didn't have time to email you last month. I just reviewed it again and the shot's kinda bluish, so I want to re-shoot, BUT, I left my camera charger & will be getting it back at the end of the month, can you still wait?

Okay, this is sounding like a greeting board...so be it!

HELLO Fluffy (thanks, but the queen of Eggs is EB, lol), DA (planning for 2010 yet?) Robin (2010?), Priscilla (yet another queen!), ES (you're my Pinky queen), Suede-y (are we still to blame you for inflation of the SPWS?!), MP (any new freebie surprises?), Joanne (talk about crafty boxes), Claire (other-great-finds queen), Uyek (photoshop queen), and everyone, everyone!

I'm back home in Flickr ;P

Once upon a time, I used to travel with work all the time. One year it was 38 different trips.

It was normal, I suppose.

But it drained me, mentally and physically.

And then came COVID and my change in role, and travel became much less common. So rare now, its almost a pleasure to be away.

Almost.

We got up at ten past five. We had slept long, and various cats were indicating it was breakfast. Jools was still COVID positive, so was to work from home again, but I would be away, she could have the table and spare screen all to herself.

The rain of the weekend continued, and if anything came down even harder. So that rather than drop me in town, Jools dropped me off at the car hire office, me dodging the storm get get inside.

Everyone was nice, but I had a half hour wait for the car, so sat watching the rain hammer down outside, and rush hour traffic out on Townwall Street inch past.

The car was ready, a black sporty Peugeot thing, with retro looking switches rather than buttons and dials. But I soon got it, so after signing off the agreement, I climbed in and drove back along Reach Road back home.

Already the road was partially flooded in three places, so I inched the car through the floods and reached home, where I had breakfast with Jools, then packed, booked the ferry crossing and loaded the car.

Traffic was awful out there; protesters had blocked several sections of the M25, but a tweet said it was back open, so thought I would give it a try to get to Southampton.

All was OK all the way through Kent, even if rain did fall in heavy showers, but onto the M25, and within two miles traffic was stationary. Rain fell in sheets, and we inched forward, taking an hour to get to the services and into Surrey.

Traffic did begin to move again, but the delay did mean I would not make the half one ferry, and the one at three was full, so should I try to get on, or find somewhere to while away three hours?

I reached the M3, turned off and headed south. I decided to stop at Fleet Services, and have lunch. A proper lunch, sitting down at a table to eat and everything. Amazingly, the place was full of people, I'm guessing off coaches, and most seemed to be of a certain age, and a few needing frames to walk along. I watched as they tried to order a tea from the Burger King app.

You're never too old.

I went to Starbucks, where it is Holiday time, so have my annual flavoured latte, eggnog this time, but with an extra shot, to go with the paninni.

I watched people as I ate, its a hobby. And free.

I realised I could not spend another two hours here, so decided to drive to the ferry port and try to get on the earlier sailing.

A half hour run through yet more heavy rain and into the city, rushing to get through before schools empty out and road clogged with cars.

Which I do.

I arrive at the terminal, drive up to the booth, and my boarding pass was issued, for the three o'clock sailing, no questions asked. No arguments needed.

IN fact, through the driving rain, I saw the ferry approach, and we all waited to board. All vehicles got on, there was even room for many more too, so not sure why no tickets had been available online......

I took a seat in the lounge, until the relentless coughinh of the couple next to me drove me to the bracing fresh air out on deck, where even in November, it wasn't that cold.

I feast on a pack of salt n vinegar crisps and supped from a bottle of Cherry Coke as we sailed across the Solent, and the change in direction as we turned for Cowes set all the car alarms off below.

As usual.

In Cowes, the floating bridge/chain ferry was working, so I waited in line to get over the river, then drive the half mile to the hotel.

Back again.

The hotel is half empty, and because of yet more rain falling, I book a table in the hotel for dinner. Up in my room I unpack the laptop and check on the world. Its still screwed, so I put on some music and edit some shots.

Hotel dining rooms are a delight in themselves. Devoid of atmosphere, the awkward silences broken by the scraping of cutlery or an apology for spilling some gravy. The two young ladies behind me had clearly failed to read the hotel rules, and guzzled wine and talked loudly about nail polish and the such.

A different life.

I had fried brie followed by a burger. I was all very adequate.

A Mars rover is a motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny positions to weather winter months, and they can advance the knowledge of how to perform very remote robotic vehicle control. They serve a different purpose than orbital spacecraft like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A more recent development is the Mars helicopter.

As of May 2021, there have been six successful robotically operated Mars rovers; the first five, managed by the American NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, were (by date of Mars landing): Sojourner (1997–1997), Opportunity (2004–2018), Spirit (2004–2010), Curiosity (2012–), and Perseverance (2021–). The sixth, managed by the China National Space Administration, is Zhurong (2021–).

On January 24, 2016, NASA reported that then current studies on Mars by Opportunity and Curiosity would be searching for evidence of ancient life, including a biosphere based on autotrophic, chemotrophic or chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms, as well as ancient water, including fluvio-lacustrine environments (plains related to ancient rivers or lakes) that may have been habitable. The search for evidence of habitability, taphonomy (related to fossils), and organic carbon on Mars is now a primary NASA objective.[1][6]

The Soviet probes, Mars 2 and Mars 3, were physically tethered probes; Sojourner was dependent on the Mars Pathfinder base station for communication with Earth; Opportunity, Spirit and Curiosity were on their own. As of July 2022, Curiosity is still active, while Spirit, Opportunity, and Sojourner completed their missions before losing contact. On February 18, 2021, Perseverance, the newest American Mars rover, successfully landed. On May 14, 2021, China's Zhurong became the first non-American rover to successfully operate on Mars.

The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources and operate facilities on each other's property.

Though the first Apollo flights and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from the then-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the launches were managed by KSC and its previous organization, the Launch Operations Directorate. Starting with the fourth Gemini mission, the NASA launch control center in Florida (Mercury Control Center, later the Launch Control Center) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center in Houston, shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission.

Additionally, the center manages launch of robotic and commercial crew missions and researches food production and in-situ resource utilization for off-Earth exploration. Since 2010, the center has worked to become a multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad (LC-39C) in 2015.

There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped throughout the center's 144,000 acres (580 km2). Among the unique facilities at KSC are the 525-foot (160 m) tall Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking NASA's largest rockets, the Launch Control Center, which conducts space launches at KSC, the Operations and Checkout Building, which houses the astronauts dormitories and suit-up area, a Space Station factory, and a 3-mile (4.8 km) long Shuttle Landing Facility. There is also a Visitor Complex on site that is open to the public.

Since 1949, the military had been performing launch operations at what would become Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In December 1959, the Department of Defense transferred 5,000 personnel and the Missile Firing Laboratory to NASA to become the Launch Operations Directorate under NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

President John F. Kennedy's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations. On July 1, 1962, the Launch Operations Directorate was separated from MSFC to become the Launch Operations Center (LOC). Also, Cape Canaveral was inadequate to host the new launch facility design required for the mammoth 363-foot (111 m) tall, 7,500,000-pound-force (33,000 kN) thrust Saturn V rocket, which would be assembled vertically in a large hangar and transported on a mobile platform to one of several launch pads. Therefore, the decision was made to build a new LOC site located adjacent to Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island.

NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to 131 square miles (340 km2) and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km2). The major buildings in KSC's Industrial Area were designed by architect Charles Luckman. Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963.

On November 29, 1963, the facility was named by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Executive Order 11129. Johnson's order joined both the civilian LOC and the military Cape Canaveral station ("the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range") under the designation "John F. Kennedy Space Center", spawning some confusion joining the two in the public mind. NASA Administrator James E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating the Kennedy Space Center name applied only to the LOC, while the Air Force issued a general order renaming the military launch site Cape Kennedy Air Force Station.

Located on Merritt Island, Florida, the center is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's Space Coast, due east of Orlando. It is 34 miles (55 km) long and roughly six miles (9.7 km) wide, covering 219 square miles (570 km2). KSC is a major central Florida tourist destination and is approximately one hour's drive from the Orlando area. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers public tours of the center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7. The first of two uncrewed flights, Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) on November 9, 1967, was also the first rocket launch from KSC. The Saturn V's first crewed launch on December 21, 1968, was Apollo 8's lunar orbiting mission. The next two missions tested the Lunar Module: Apollo 9 (Earth orbit) and Apollo 10 (lunar orbit). Apollo 11, launched from Pad A on July 16, 1969, made the first Moon landing on July 20. The Apollo 11 launch included crewmembers Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, and attracted a record-breaking 650 million television viewers. Apollo 12 followed four months later. From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17.

On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A. By this time, the Cape Kennedy pads 34 and 37 used for the Saturn IB were decommissioned, so Pad 39B was modified to accommodate the Saturn IB, and used to launch three crewed missions to Skylab that year, as well as the final Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975.

As the Space Shuttle was being designed, NASA received proposals for building alternative launch-and-landing sites at locations other than KSC, which demanded study. KSC had important advantages, including its existing facilities; location on the Intracoastal Waterway; and its southern latitude, which gives a velocity advantage to missions launched in easterly near-equatorial orbits. Disadvantages included: its inability to safely launch military missions into polar orbit, since spent boosters would be likely to fall on the Carolinas or Cuba; corrosion from the salt air; and frequent cloudy or stormy weather. Although building a new site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico was seriously considered, NASA announced its decision in April 1972 to use KSC for the shuttle. Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1, was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches.

In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America, a science and technology display commemorating the U.S. Bicentennial. Concurrent with this event, the U.S. flag was painted on the south side of the VAB. During the late 1970s, LC-39 was reconfigured to support the Space Shuttle. Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s.

KSC's 2.9-mile (4.7 km) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site. The SLF also provided a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) abort option, which was not utilized. The SLF is among the longest runways in the world.

On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973.

Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field. In the early 1960s, NASA had as many as two robotic mission launches a month. The frequent number of flights allowed for quick evolution of the vehicles, as engineers gathered data, learned from anomalies and implemented upgrades. In 1963, with the intent of KSC ELV work focusing on the ground support equipment and facilities, a separate Atlas/Centaur organization was formed under NASA's Lewis Center (now Glenn Research Center (GRC)), taking that responsibility from the Launch Operations Center (aka KSC).

Though almost all robotics missions launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), KSC "oversaw the final assembly and testing of rockets as they arrived at the Cape." In 1965, KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations directorate became responsible for all NASA uncrewed launch operations, including those at Vandenberg Space Force Base. From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose the rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout. In addition to government missions, KSC performed this service for commercial and foreign missions also, though non-U.S. government entities provided reimbursement. NASA also funded Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch pad maintenance and launch vehicle improvements.

All this changed with the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984, after which NASA only coordinated its own and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ELV launches. Companies were able to "operate their own launch vehicles" and utilize NASA's launch facilities. Payload processing handled by private firms also started to occur outside of KSC. Reagan's 1988 space policy furthered the movement of this work from KSC to commercial companies. That same year, launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Force Station started transferring from NASA to Air Force Space Command management.

In the 1990s, though KSC was not performing the hands-on ELV work, engineers still maintained an understanding of ELVs and had contracts allowing them insight into the vehicles so they could provide knowledgeable oversight. KSC also worked on ELV research and analysis and the contractors were able to utilize KSC personnel as a resource for technical issues. KSC, with the payload and launch vehicle industries, developed advances in automation of the ELV launch and ground operations to enable competitiveness of U.S. rockets against the global market.

In 1998, the Launch Services Program (LSP) formed at KSC, pulling together programs (and personnel) that already existed at KSC, GRC, Goddard Space Flight Center, and more to manage the launch of NASA and NOAA robotic missions. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and VAFB are the primary launch sites for LSP missions, though other sites are occasionally used. LSP payloads such as the Mars Science Laboratory have been processed at KSC before being transferred to a launch pad on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

On 16 November 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC the Space Launch System (SLS) was launched from Complex 39B as part of the Artemis 1 mission.

As the International Space Station modules design began in the early 1990s, KSC began to work with other NASA centers and international partners to prepare for processing before launch onboard the Space Shuttles. KSC utilized its hands-on experience processing the 22 Spacelab missions in the Operations and Checkout Building to gather expectations of ISS processing. These experiences were incorporated into the design of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which began construction in 1991. The Space Station Directorate formed in 1996. KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes.

From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on the ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules: three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST). Numerous issues were found and corrected that would have been difficult to nearly impossible to do on-orbit.

Today KSC continues to process ISS payloads from across the world before launch along with developing its experiments for on orbit. The proposed Lunar Gateway would be manufactured and processed at the Space Station Processing Facility.

The following are current programs and initiatives at Kennedy Space Center:

Commercial Crew Program

Exploration Ground Systems Program

NASA is currently designing the next heavy launch vehicle known as the Space Launch System (SLS) for continuation of human spaceflight.

On December 5, 2014, NASA launched the first uncrewed flight test of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), currently under development to facilitate human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Launch Services Program

Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)

Research and Technology

Artemis program

Lunar Gateway

International Space Station Payloads

Camp KSC: educational camps for schoolchildren in spring and summer, with a focus on space, aviation and robotics.

The KSC Industrial Area, where many of the center's support facilities are located, is 5 miles (8 km) south of LC-39. It includes the Headquarters Building, the Operations and Checkout Building and the Central Instrumentation Facility. The astronaut crew quarters are in the O&C; before it was completed, the astronaut crew quarters were located in Hangar S at the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station). Located at KSC was the Merritt Island Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network station (MILA), a key radio communications and spacecraft tracking complex.

Facilities at the Kennedy Space Center are directly related to its mission to launch and recover missions. Facilities are available to prepare and maintain spacecraft and payloads for flight. The Headquarters (HQ) Building houses offices for the Center Director, library, film and photo archives, a print shop and security. When the KSC Library first opened, it was part of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970. The library contains over four million items related to the history and the work at Kennedy. As one of ten NASA center libraries in the country, their collection focuses on engineering, science, and technology. The archives contain planning documents, film reels, and original photographs covering the history of KSC. The library is not open to the public but is available for KSC, Space Force, and Navy employees who work on site. Many of the media items from the collection are digitized and available through NASA's KSC Media Gallery Archived December 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine or through their more up-to-date Flickr gallery.

A new Headquarters Building was completed in 2019 as part of the Central Campus consolidation. Groundbreaking began in 2014.

The center operated its own 17-mile (27 km) short-line railroad. This operation was discontinued in 2015, with the sale of its final two locomotives. A third had already been donated to a museum. The line was costing $1.3 million annually to maintain.

The Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) (previously known as the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building) is a historic site on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places dating back to the 1960s and was used to receive, process, and integrate payloads for the Gemini and Apollo programs, the Skylab program in the 1970s, and for initial segments of the International Space Station through the 1990s. The Apollo and Space Shuttle astronauts would board the astronaut transfer van to launch complex 39 from the O&C building.

The three-story, 457,000-square-foot (42,500 m2) Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) consists of two enormous processing bays, an airlock, operational control rooms, laboratories, logistics areas and office space for support of non-hazardous Space Station and Shuttle payloads to ISO 14644-1 class 5 standards. Opened in 1994, it is the largest factory building in the KSC industrial area.

The Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) features a 71-by-38-foot (22 by 12 m) door where payloads that are processed in the vertical position are brought in and manipulated with two overhead cranes and a hoist capable of lifting up to 35 short tons (32 t).

The Hypergolic Maintenance and Checkout Area (HMCA) comprises three buildings that are isolated from the rest of the industrial area because of the hazardous materials handled there. Hypergolic-fueled modules that made up the Space Shuttle Orbiter's reaction control system, orbital maneuvering system and auxiliary power units were stored and serviced in the HMCF.

The Multi-Payload Processing Facility is a 19,647 square feet (1,825.3 m2) building used for Orion spacecraft and payload processing.

The Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) contains a 70-by-110-foot (21 by 34 m) service bay, with a 100,000-pound (45,000 kg), 85-foot (26 m) hook height. It also contains a 58-by-80-foot (18 by 24 m) payload airlock. Its temperature is maintained at 70 °F (21 °C).[55]

The Blue Origin rocket manufacturing facility is located immediately south of the KSC visitor complex. Completed in 2019, it serves as the company's factory for the manufacture of New Glenn orbital rockets.

Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) was originally built for the Saturn V, the largest and most powerful operational launch vehicle until the Space Launch System, for the Apollo crewed Moon landing program. Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973), the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975), and the Space Shuttle program (1981–2011).

Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39. Both pads are on the ocean, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the VAB. From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches.

Human missions to the Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was 363 feet (111 meters) tall and 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. At KSC, Launch Complex 39 was built on Merritt Island to accommodate the new rocket. Construction of the $800 million project began in November 1962. LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and the infrastructure by late 1966.

The complex includes: the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a 130,000,000 cubic feet (3,700,000 m3) hangar capable of holding four Saturn Vs. The VAB was the largest structure in the world by volume when completed in 1965.

a transporter capable of carrying 5,440 tons along a crawlerway to either of two launch pads;

a 446-foot (136 m) mobile service structure, with three Mobile Launcher Platforms, each containing a fixed launch umbilical tower;

the Launch Control Center; and

a news media facility.

Launch Complex 48 (LC-48) is a multi-user launch site under construction for small launchers and spacecraft. It will be located between Launch Complex 39A and Space Launch Complex 41, with LC-39A to the north and SLC-41 to the south. LC-48 will be constructed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. While initially only planned to have a single pad, the complex is capable of being expanded to two at a later date.

As a part of promoting commercial space industry growth in the area and the overall center as a multi-user spaceport, KSC leases some of its properties. Here are some major examples:

Exploration Park to multiple users (partnership with Space Florida)

Shuttle Landing Facility to Space Florida (who contracts use to private companies)

Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF)-3 to Boeing (for CST-100 Starliner)

Launch Complex 39A, Launch Control Center Firing Room 4 and land for SpaceX's Roberts Road facility (Hanger X) to SpaceX

O&C High Bay to Lockheed Martin (for Orion processing)

Land for FPL's Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center to Florida Power and Light (FPL)

Hypergolic Maintenance Facility (HMF) to United Paradyne Corporation (UPC)

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, operated by Delaware North since 1995, has a variety of exhibits, artifacts, displays and attractions on the history and future of human and robotic spaceflight. Bus tours of KSC originate from here. The complex also includes the separate Apollo/Saturn V Center, north of the VAB and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, six miles west near Titusville. There were 1.5 million visitors in 2009. It had some 700 employees.

It was announced on May 29, 2015, that the Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibit would be moved from its current location to another location within the Visitor Complex to make room for an upcoming high-tech attraction entitled "Heroes and Legends". The attraction, designed by Orlando-based design firm Falcon's Treehouse, opened November 11, 2016.

In March 2016, the visitor center unveiled the new location of the iconic countdown clock at the complex's entrance; previously, the clock was located with a flagpole at the press site. The clock was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with the flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000. In 2019, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program, and the launch of Apollo 10 on May 18. In summer of 2019, Lunar Module 9 (LM-9) was relocated to the Apollo/Saturn V Center as part of an initiative to rededicate the center and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program.

Historic locations

NASA lists the following Historic Districts at KSC; each district has multiple associated facilities:

Launch Complex 39: Pad A Historic District

Launch Complex 39: Pad B Historic District

Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) Area Historic District

Orbiter Processing Historic District

Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Disassembly and Refurbishment Complex Historic District

NASA KSC Railroad System Historic District

NASA-owned Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Industrial Area Historic District

There are 24 historic properties outside of these historic districts, including the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Vehicle Assembly Building, Crawlerway, and Operations and Checkout Building.[71] KSC has one National Historic Landmark, 78 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed or eligible sites, and 100 Archaeological Sites.

Further information: John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS

Other facilities

The Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) is responsible for the preparation of solid rocket booster segments for transportation to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The RPSF was built in 1984 to perform SRB operations that had previously been conducted in high bays 2 and 4 of the VAB at the beginning of the Space Shuttle program. It was used until the Space Shuttle's retirement, and will be used in the future by the Space Launch System[75] (SLS) and OmegA rockets.

Kertesz was emotionally and physically broken after the death of his wife Elizabeth in 1977. He discovered the SX-70, and was able to work through his overwhelming grief by shooting mostly still-lifes of a small glass bust that became powerful metaphors and symbols of life, loss, death and mortality. Kertesz shot Polaroids right up until his own death in 1985.

I saw this show at Silverstein Gallery in New York yesterday..... The work is captivating and inspiring. I had no idea this body of work even existed, and it represents a wonderful story.

R-O-B/Structural Oscillations may have been the brain child of Gramazio & Kohler, but R-O-B, a simple robotic arm, is what is responsible for physically stacking and epoxying more than 7,000 bricks into a looping wall that ran the length of a pedestrian mall on Pike Street during a three-week installation period.

NYCDOT Urban Art Program, Artervention

R-O-B/Structural Oscillations by Gramazio & Kohler

Presented with Storefront for Architecture

Allen Street Mall, Manhattan

www.nyc.gov/urbanart

www.hectorcanonge.net/index.html

Dakkhina Bahadur, 30, is physically and visually impaired, who lives with her husband and two children at Baraikhali in Dacope upazila in Khulna. Cyclone Amphan destroyed her stock of “Chaar”, or catching equipment for crabs made from bamboo. Her business of selling Chaar was steady before the Covid-19 pandemic, but that came to a halt soon after. She received cash support from UN Women as a victim of Cyclone Amphan as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, which she used to purchase raw materials for making new batches of Chaar. This helped her to resume selling the item again. Business has not been brisk compared to the pre-pandemic days six months ago, but at least now she has begun again.

Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer

Mother of Disable Kalsh child

appeal for Free Treatment.

CHITRAL/BUMBORAT: Mother of a physically

handicapped Kalash child appeal for free treatment of her son. According to

detail Sadiq Ali 6 whose father Shahdulla died a few years back is disable for

the last four years His mother Saira Bibi told this scribe that her son Sadiq

Ali was weak after one year of his birth. She took him to Chitral hospital but

doctors could not diagnosed his illness (disease) she added. She continue his

treatment but suddenly her husband died and now being a poor widow she can,t

continue treatment of his youngest son Sadiq Ali. She said that a wheel chair

was also donated by a foreigner tourist but she expressed her great sorrow that

she was not supported by Government of Pakistan or any Muslim. She said that

she is hardworking and gaining livelihood for her entire family and also

continue treatment of her son. She said that when Sadiq Ali take his treatment

he remain happy but when his medicines finished and I cannot purchase it more

due to my extreme poverty so Sadiq Ali became upset and feel un easy. She

appeal prime Minister of Pakistan as well as philanthropists of the world including Pakistan to help her to

continue treatment of her son. She may be supported or contacted by telephone

No (0092) 943-404108 or by this correspondent.

G.H.

Farooqi C/O Manager bank Islami Main branch Chitral phone No 0943-320737,

316052, 414418 , 03025989602,

03337069572, 03159698446, 03469002167

email: gulhamad@gmail.com

Title: Enlistment form, Army of the Confederate States: James McNasky, 21, of Ireland, re-enlists in the Army of the Confederate States for the duration of the war. Surgeon Thomas C. Girardeau certifies that McNasky is physically fit for duty. Endorsed by Lieutenant H.G. Lucas.

Date Original: 1864-03-24

Description: James McNasky, 21, of Ireland, re-enlists in the Army of the Confederate States for the duration of the war. Surgeon Thomas C. Girardeau certifies that McNasky is physically fit for duty. Endorsed by Lieutenant H.G. Lucas. Lucas Battery, Battery Pringle, James Island, Charleston (S.C.)

Creator: Army of the Confederate States; James McNasky,; Thomas C. Girardeau, Lieutenant H.G. Lucas.

Alternative Title: 080422-23

Publisher: Wofford College

Contributor: McNasky, James; Girardeau, Thomas C., Lucas, H.G.

Date Digital: 2008-08-13

Type:Text

Format [medium]: Manuscript

Format [IMT]: image/jpeg

Digitization Specifications: 800ppi 24-bit depth color; Scanned with an Epson 15000 Photo scanner with Epson Scan software; Archival master is a TIFF; Original converted to JPEG with Irfan View software.

Resource Identifier: 080422-23

Source: The original, accession number 080422-23, from which this digital representation is taken is housed in The

Littlejohn Collection at Wofford College,

located in the Sandor Teszler Library.

Language: En-us, English

Relation [is part of]:The

Littlejohn Collection

Rights Management: This digital representation has been licensed under

an Attribution - Noncommercial-

No Derivatives Creative Commons license.

Contributing Institution: Wofford College

Web Site: www.wofford.edu/library/littlejohn-home.aspx

Gruene Hall, built in 1878, is Texas’ oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall. By design, not much has physically changed since the Hall was first built. The 6,000 square foot dance hall with a high pitched tin roof still has the original layout with side flaps for open air dancing, a bar in the front, a small lighted stage in the back and a huge outdoor garden. Advertisement signs from the 1930s and 40s still hang in the old hall and around the stage.

In the 1800s, Gruene Hall held weekly dances and played host to everything from traveling salesmen to high school graduations to badger fights. Today, the Hall has continued to be a center for the Gruene and Central Texas social and entertainment scene, and the activities are just as varied. In any given week, locals hold court in the front bar after work talking over their day’s activities, a friend’s passing, the weather or the state of the economy. Possibly at the same time, the filming of a movie or commercial or preparation for a festival, fundraiser or a major corporation’s private party may be taking place in the main hall or beer garden.

Under the current ownership, Gruene Hall has become internationally recognized as a destination tourist attraction and major music venue for up-and-coming as well as established artists. Since 1975, the Hall has played host to hundreds of celebrities whose pictures adorn the walls. The owner’s focus on booking singer-songwriters and artists who play original material has provided a fertile proving ground for many former “new talents” such as George Strait, Hal Ketchum, and Lyle Lovett.

Gruene Hall has also become a place where working songwriters, such as John Hiatt or Rodney Crowell, Kevin Welch or Jim Lauderdale, can try out new material or just take a breather between tour dates; where music icons such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Merle Haggard or Kris Kristofferson can play in a more intimate venue; where former “up and comers” such as Garth Brooks, Chris Isaak or the Dixie Chicks can extend their tour; and where big names such as Willie Nelson and Aaron Neville have chosen to perform.

Through the years, the big winners have always been Gruene Hall’s patrons. A person watching a show never knows if the artist they see at the Hall today will be a star tomorrow, but they can know that the music they hear will always be top notch.

CLICK HERE for a list of famous artists who have played Gruene Hall. CLICK HERE for Gruene Hall’s current calendar.

These pictures from Gansu province were taken during a nine-day trip in May 2015. Gansu is a province at the geographical heart of China. Its capital, Lanzhou, is pretty close to the center of the country as can be from what I can tell by looking at maps.

Gansu, though, is most certainly considered west China by the Chinese. Physically, the province reminds me of a small dumbbell sitting on an angle. There’s a southern (southeastern) section that is slightly large and has a high elevation (often between 2,000-3,000 meters) with a higher concentration of Muslims and Tibetans than most other areas of China. When you get closer to Xiahe, where Labrang Monastery is located, road signs are both in Tibetan and Mandarin. The LP 2011 had listed three places of interest in southern Gansu: Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, Labrang Monstery in Xiahe (listed as one of the 30 “Must Dos” in China), and Langmusi down on the Sichuan border. I had originally intended to visit all three places, but ended up dropping Langmusi – the Alpine village – and spending an extra day out west.

So all told in the south, I spent a few overcast hours in Hezuo at Milarepa Palace (as quirky as I recall LP saying it is, but also something I could have done without) before spending two nights at the Overseas Tibetan Hotel about 100 meters outside the eastern gate of Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. Xiahe was mesmerizing to me. It reminded me a little of some western US towns: one wide, main street that runs the length of town and most of the buildings are two- or three-story establishments.

Xiahe is around 3,300 meters in elevation, so altitude sickness is mentioned a few times, though I never experienced any type of nausea. I have nothing but good things to say about the hotel (not extravagant, but nice and comfortable beds), the owner (Lohsang Amso – a good man – who can also arrange bike rental, local and regional travel, etc.) and the good folks a few doors down at the Snowy Mountain Cafe – which seems to only be open in the evening – but where you can eat yak…which I did. One night, I had Nepalese yak curry (Nepalese chicken curry the other night). Other than that, I was amazed at how close (and countless) the stars in the night sky seemed to be, but given the altitude and lack of surface light, it wasn’t unexpected…just amazing.

Having spent the previous day on a morning flight from Chengdu to Lanzhou (one provincial capital to another), an hour bus ride from Lanzhou Airport downtown, another 45 minute taxi ride across town (through horrendous traffic), a 4 hour bus ride from Lanzhou down to southern Gansu that ended in Hezuo, an hour or two at Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, then finally another 1-2 hour bus from Hezuo to Xiahe, I finally found myself plopping down on my bed at the Overseas Tibetan…sometime in early evening.

Though things didn’t go exactly as planned, they were close enough and I really had no complaints. My biggest surprise was the number of mosques I saw en route to Xiahe. (I hadn’t realized that the Muslim population in this particular region was quite so large.)

Upon waking the following morning – it was a Monday, I recall – I made the incredibly short walk to the Labrang Monastery. Labrang Monastery is a fascinating place. It was founded in 1709 by Ngagong Tsunde (first generation of the third in line behind the Dalai and Panchen Lamas). It is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat sect) order of Tibetan Buddhism. Three of the other six are near Lhasa, one near Shigatse, and the other near Xining (Qinghai province).

This is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple (if I remember reading correctly) outside Tibet. To walk the entire kora (circumference of the temple with prayer wheels) is over a 3 km endeavor, which I undertook on that Monday morning.

It was a pleasant walk, rife with photographic opportunities – people don’t mind having their pictures taken, though the Tibetan monks…not so much. They had to give their permission, and usually didn’t want to, which was fine by me. Around the back (north) side of the monastery, there’s an outer kora trail up the mountain that would give a nice view, but I was frankly too lazy to take it (and didn’t find it, anyway).

And the people. Photographing people here (monks or otherwise) is just…a treasure trove waiting to happen. Regarding the monks living here, there apparently used to be about four thousand, but limits have been set to around 1,800 now. (All I’ll say is, like most places in China, the Cultural Revolution was none too kind...)

After walking the kora, I hung out at Everest Cafe (Lohsang’s restaurant at the Overseas Tibetan) for a no frills breakfast, then spent the remainder of the morning with a tour of the interior of the temple and wandering around the grounds. The monastery has a few different temples, monastic colleges, living residences…it’s really quite a large compound.

The day had started sunny, but by sundown was turning pretty cloudy, so no great sunset shots to be had here, and it was getting a bit chilly in the evening at that altitude, so as soon as it was evident there wouldn’t be any more shooting, I went on over to Snowy Mountain for a relaxing dinner alone before retiring to my room for the night. Tuesday morning found me on another long travel day via bus, taxi, and train…to the opposite side of the province: western Gansu province, which was almost like another planet.

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Ralph Pieplenbos is a physically-challenged athlete with a long list of accomplishments and events:

August 7th - Disneyland 45th Annual Canoe Races (4th Place Men's Division (Team Control Freaks) - Time 0:4:21

August 31st - Disneyland Half Marathon (1st Place Men's Wheelchair Division - Time 1:19:27

September 7th - Newport Beach Pacific Coast Triathlon (Relay Team) Finish time 1:38:20

September 14th - Nautica Malibu Triathlon ( 3 Event Finish time 2:33:30)

Upcoming:

October 12th - Land Rover Miramar Bike MS150 Bay to Bay Tour (15th year participant, 100 mile distance)

October 19th - 18th Annual CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park

October 26th - 15th Anniversary San Diego Triathlon Challenge (half-Iron man distance event)

November 16th - Silver Strand Half Marathon, San Diego

See? My fingers are all silvery now. This is the CPU cooler installed on top of CPU, with thermal paste correctly applied (thus silver-fingers), and fan hooked up to motherboard. Possibly the hardest amd most physically stressful step of the whole thing. There seems to be very little standardization on how you attach these things to the CPU socket, and the attachments themselves are always super-difficult to work, because they are designed to not damage the socket. Plastic screws that you can barely tell which way to turn, and only turn 90 degrees when inserted a specific way. Crap like that. And you can barely see what you are doing, due to the fan being larger than the socket it is attaching to. It's super-painful.

My CPU is cutting edge: Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3GHz LGA2011-v3 140W Desktop Processor: $381.54 from SuperBiiz.com ... Yes, 6 cores cost 50% more than 4 cores, and yes, it's totally worth it. Other features/specs include: 12-way multitask processing / Intel turbo Boost Technology 2.0 / Intel Hyper-Threading / Intel Smart Cache / support s 4-channel DDR4 memory / Core Name: Haswell E / Max Turbo Frequency: 3.6GHz / Intel Smart Cache: 15MB / Intel QPI Speed: 0GT/s / Lithography: 22nm / Max Thermal Design Power: 140W / Max Memory Bandwidth: 68GB/s / Max CPU Configuration: 1 / Advanced Technologies: Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x), Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d), Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), Intel 64 Architecture, Idle States, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology, Thermal Monitoring Technologies, Intel Identity Protection Technology, Intel Smart Re sponse Technology, AES New Instructions, Execute Disable Bit

CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer I30 CPU Cooler: $34.98 from SuperBiiz.com ... After having to upgrade CPU coolers TWICE IN A MONTH with my old computer Hades±, due to cat hairs, I knew not to bother skimping out this time. I want straight for the more expensive, more large, $40 aftermarket cooler. Unfortunately, it was so large it blocked a RAM slot, and due to the way RAM works in this motherboard, that means not being able to use 2 RAM slots. But my motherboard has 8 RAM slots. I just wish I hadn't bought 4G SIMMS, because 6 * 4G = 24G, and being maxed out at 24G RAM kinda sucks when I regularly break 30G of actual-memory-used. If I could have used those 2 extra slots, I'd be up to 32G of RAM. If I had bought 8G SIMMS, I could have gotten 24G of RAM, and then upgraded up to 48G. But I'm stuck with 24G, and not wanting to spend $300 just to get to 32G (by virtue of having to re-buy all-8G SIMMS). ANYWAY, this cooler has other features/specs: Mfr Part Number: FREEZER I30 / 4 Mounting Directions / Application: Intel / Material: Aluminum finsx48, thickness 0.5mm / Heatpipe: Direct-Touch 8mmx4 (double-sided) / Fan Speed: ARCTIC F12 PWM; 120 mm, 400 - 1,350 RPM (PWM controlled) / Air Flow: 74 CFM / 125.7 m3/h / Bearings: Fluid Dynamic Bearing / Noise Level: 0.3 Sone (@ 1,350 RPM) / Maximum Cooling Capacity: 320 Watts / Current/Voltage: 0.22A / 3.5 - 12V / Dimensions: 139x100x161mm / Weight: 0.9kg / Compatibility List: LGA 2011: i7 Extreme=i7-3980X,i7-3960X; i7=i7-3930K,i7-3820; LGA 1155: i7=i7-2700K,i7-2600S,i7-2600K,i7-2600; i5=i5-2500T,i5-2500S,i5-2500K,i5-2500,i5-2405S,i5-2400S,i5-2400,i5-2390T,i5-2320,i5-2310,i5-2300; i3=i3-3240T,i3-3240,i3-3225,i3-3220T,i3-3220,i3-2120,i3-2105,i3-2100T,i3-2100; Pentium=G860,G850,G840; LGA 1156: i7=i7-880,i7-875K,i7-870S,i7-870,i7-860S,i7-860,i5=i5-760,i5-750S,i5-750,i5-680,i5-670,i5-661,i5-660,i5-655K,i5-650,i5-540,i5-530,i3=i3-560,i3-550,i3-540,i3-530,Pentium=G6960,G6950; LGA 1150 / 6 year warranty

building computer, installing CPU cooler.

Intel Core i7 5820K CPU, screwdriver, thermal compound.

Edward Silverhands. Thailog.

upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

March 17, 2015.

... Read my blog at ClintJCL at wordpress.com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress.com

BACKSTORY: Building my new computer! We decided to name it Thailog. Thailog ("Goliath" spelled backwards) is the evil twin of Goliath from the cartoon Gargoyles. Carolyn's computer is named after Goliath, so it just makes sense that Clint's computer is the evil twin of Carolyn's computer.A quick summary of the computer's specs is: Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3GHz with an Arctic Freezer I30 cooler on a ASRock X99 WS EATX motherboard with 24G of Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4 2400mHz RAM, a Radeon R9 270 video card, and a Crucial M500 240GB M.2 SSD...all inside a massive NZXT Phantom 820 case. It was a $1560 build, summarized on my blog at clintjcl.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/journal-hardware-purcha...

The 10th annual Leslie Sparano Summerfest took place at Shenango Lake July 19. The event is held each year in honor Leslie Sparano, a social worker who was killed in a car accident. This year the event hosted more than 800 participants. Mentally and physically challenged members of the community spent the day during a variety of activities including boat and trolley rides, games, crafts, live music, fishing, a catered picnic and more.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District partnered with Colucci-Sparano Memorial Foundation, Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, PA Fish and Boat Commission, and numerous volunteers to provide the event to the community.

Sparano worked at the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission and left a legacy of dedication and caring. Family, friends and coworkers brought the event together as a way for her clients to have a special way to honor her memory. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by : Janie Egger and John Kolodziejski)

Dad unfortunately has Progressive Aphasia and is declining mentally and physically..but we went on a long drive to the Hudson River Walkway in Hudson NY and had a wonderful short walk on the trail, on an absolutely gorgeous day.

Dad was formerly a sales manager and a very gregarious, social creature. He loved to schmooze, talk and be in the middle of any social gathering. In his younger days Dad was a superb athlete with better than 20/20 vision and reflexes like a cat. He played golf, loved boats, waterskiing, travel and driving. He raced cars like American Grafitti back on Woodward Ave in 1950s Detroit...his hometown (and very illegal and not something I'd encourage). He loved and was good at photography. he used to develop his own slides....of which we thankfully have thousands documenting our lives. These are quite precious to me now, although years ago I was bored silly by old pictures. Now I can't get enough of them! Oh the folly of childhood! Dad also played guitar very well and was quite the performer. Camp fires, picnics, open mike nights all over town, business meetings...anywhere you could play to an audience...Dad brought his guitars and delighted crowds. His Gem was a Gibson J50 he got at the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo in the early 60s. He loved the blues, rock and roll and folk music,...and especially the Kingston Trio. In fact I was named Ian after Ian Tyson, of Ian and Sylvia fame. I think this was his true calling, but I don't think he could have made the money sales did, being an itinerant musician...nor would he really have liked the musician's un-moored lifestyle. Dad is and always was quite fussy about his appearance. He is quite buggy about neatness and cleanliness. These are certainly from his mom who was the consumate 50s housewife...and a reaction to his dad who was cheap to a fault, and would for example wear shoes that hurt and clothes that didn't fit and were terribly out of style but were a cheap deal. His dad was an unhealthily odd person. He was a WWII Navy vet who saw lots of combat in the Pacific He also had an overbearing tough mother. She left home at 14, married a lumberjack in Canada, left him without divorcing him, and met my great grandfather, an immigrant from Scotland. Great Grandpa MacDonald died young and by all accounts Great Grandma was a tough person to deal with. She rose to a high position in Carhartts on the steam ships ssiling on the Great Lakes. She made good money and invested. During the Depression she bought stock in failing companies and did very well in the WWII and post WWII economic boom. As the main breadwinner she wielded this power like a cudgel...and I think we have the classic example of inter generational dysfunction. Grandpa was an odd guy, but I've never known if it was because of his upbringing or his wartime experience...likely a bit of both. Anyway Dad rebelled against this and went into sales...rather than doctoring, law or accounting much to the dismay of my grandparents. He really did everything on his own and was his own man. One should mention mom who also was a huge source of his success as she ran everything at the homefront and worked full time. If mom were paid for efforts she'd have made 10x more than dad. Dad was very successful in business and frankly loved the lifestyle. Thus it's particularly hard to watch this dynamic, self-possessed guy wither away and fade away mentally. I'm not sure I believe in Karma or anything but this is the worst fate I could have imagined for him. Time is precious and I live far away so this time together was very important..and I'm glad he got to enjoy a day out in the sun...even if we only walked about 1/4 mile...and had to rest once.

About Dr.Mihir Kumar Panda, Ph.D,D.Litt,, innovator

World’s only achiever of large number of World Record for 10,000 Teaching Aids & innovations

Founder & Co-ordinator General, ‘SROSTI’ (Social Development research Organisation for Science, technology & Implementation)

Collaborator Vijnana Bana Ashram

Bahanaga, Baleshwar, Odisha, India-756042

Website : simpleinnovationproject.com

E-Mail- : mihirpandasrosti@gmail.com

Face Book link:https://www.facebook.com/mihirpandasrosti

WIKIMAPIA

wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=-6.174348&lon=106.8293...

Contact No. : +91 7008406650

Whatsapp: +91 9438354515

Dr.Mihir Kumar Panda, an Educational, Societal and Scientific Innovator has established an NGO 'SROSTI' at Bahanaga, Balasore,Odisha,India

Dr. panda has innovated/invented more than 10,000 (ten thousand) teaching aids and different innovations and he has more than 30,000 (Thirty thousand) ideas to make scientific and mathematical models.

His creations are very essential guide for school and college science exhibitions, innovative learning and play way method for the teachers and students, science activists, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, masons, physically challenged persons, common men, entrepreneurs and industrialists.

He is popularizing science through song, innovative demonstrations and motivational speech since 1990 in different parts of Odisha state without taking any fees.

Dr. Panda is an extreme motivational speaker in science and possess magical scientific demonstration and a crowd puller.

Innovator Mihir Kumar Panda loves nature and in his agricultural farm he does not uses the chemicals , fertilizers and pesticides. In his farm even the smallest creatures like snakes, caterpillar, white ants, worms ,vermies are in peace and are managed successfully not to do harm.

Dr. Panda is an Educationist, an environmentalist, a poet for science popularization, a good orator, a best resource person to train others in specific field of science and engineering.

The uniqueness of Simple Innovation and scientific activities and achievements ofDr. Panda can not be assessed without visiting his laboratory which is a living wonder in the realm of science.

From a small cake cutter to mechanical scissor, from a play pump to rickshaw operated food grain spreader and from a village refrigerator to a multi-purpose machine, thousands of such inventions and innovations are proof of Dr. Panda's brilliance.

From a tube well operated washing machine to weight sensitive food grain separator, from a password protected wardrobe to automatic screen, from a Dual face fan to electricity producing fan are example of few thousands of innovations and inventions of Mihir Kumar Panda.

Dr.Mihir Kumar Panda though bestowed to a popular name as Einstein of Odisha is obliviously treated as Thomas Alva Edison of India.

Dr. Panda's residential house also resembles a museum with scientific innovations of different shapes and sizes stacked in every nook and cranny which proves his scientific involvement in personal life.

Innovator Panda believes that , the best thing a child can do with a toy to break it. he also believes that by Educating child in his/her choice subject/ passion a progressive nation can be built.

The shelf made scientist Dr. Panda believes that Education is a life long process whose scope is far greater than school curriculum. The moulding of models/ innovations done by hand always better than the things heard and the facts incorporated in the books.

With no agricultural background, Dr. Panda has developed unique natural bonsai in his Vijnana Bana Ashram which also shows path for earning just by uprooting and nurturing the plants which are found to be small and thumb in nature.

Dr. Panda's Scientific Endeavour and research is no doubt praise worthy. One cannot but believe his dedicated effort in simple innovation laboratory.

Social service, innovation/ inventions, writing, free technology to students for preparation of science exhibition projects, free technology to common men for their sustainability, preparation of big natural bonsai, technology for entrepreneurs and industrialists for innovative item are few works of Mihir Kumar Panda after his Government service.

. To overcome the difficulties of science and math, explanation in classes, innovator Panda has created few thousands of educational, societal and scientific innovations which helps teachers and students of the country and abroad.

Dr. Panda believes that though inventions/innovation has reached under thousands and thousands deep in the sea and high up in the space. It has reached on moon and mars, but unfortunately the sustainable inventions/innovation has not properly gone to the tiny tots and common people.

Dr. Panda is amazing and wizard of innovations and works with a principle the real scientist is he, who sees the things simply and works high.

Dr.Mihir Kumar Panda's work can be explained in short

Sports with Science from Dawn to Dusk

Struggle some life- science in words and action

Triumphs of Science - Science at foot path

Hilarious dream in midst scarcity

A life of innovator de-avoided of Advertisement.

FELICITATIONS, AWARDS, HONOURS & RECORDS

* 200+ Felicitation and Awards from different NGOs, Schools & Colleges within the State of Odisha and National level.

* 10 Nos Gold, Silver & Bronze medal from different National & International level.

*Awarded for 10,000 innovations & 30,000 ideas by Indian Science Congress Association, Govt. of India.

* Honorary Ph.D From Nelson Mandela University, United States of America

* Honorary Ph.D From Global Peace University, United States of America& India

* Honorary D.Litt From Global Peace University, United States of America& India

* Title ‘Einstein of Odisha’ by Assam Book of Records, Assam

* Title ‘Thomas Alva Edison of India’ by Anandashree Organisation, Mumbai

* Title ‘ Einstein of Odisha & Thomas Alva Edison of India’ from Bengal Book of World record.

*World Record from OMG Book of Records

*World Record from Assam Book of Records,

* World Record from World Genius Records, Nigeria

* World Record from BengalBook of Records

* National Record from Diamond Book of Records

* World Record from Asian World Records

* World Record from Champians Book of World Records

* World Record from The British World Records

* World Record from Gems Book of World Records

* World Record from India Star World Record

* World Record from Geniuses World Records

* World Record from Royal Success International Book of Records

*World Record from Supreme World Records

* World Record from Uttarpradesh World Records

*World Record from Exclusive World Records

*World Record from international Book of Records

*World Record from Incredible Book of records

* World Record from Cholan Book of World Record

* World Record from Bravo International Book of World Record

* World Record from High Range Book of World Record

* World Record from Kalam’s World Record

* World Record from Hope international World Record

* International Honours from Nigeria

* Indian icon Award from Global Records & Research Foundation (G.R.R.F.)

* International Award from USA for the year’2019 as INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR-2019

* National level Excellence Leadership Award-2020 from Anandashree Organisation, Mumbai

* Best Practical Demonstrator & Theory instructor from Collector & District Magistrate,

Balasore.

* Best Innovator Award by Bengal Book.

* Popular Indian Award by Bengal Book.

* Great man Award by Bengal Book.

* Best Indian Award by Bengal Book.

* The Man of the Era by Bengal Book.

IMPORTANT LINK FILES TO KNOW THE WORK OF

Dr. MIHIR KUMAR PANDA

Dr.Mihir Ku panda awarded at indian science congress Association, Govt. of India for 10000 innovations & 30,000 ideas

youtu.be/MFIh2AoEy_g

Hindi Media report- Simple innovation science show for popularisation of science in free of cost by Dr.Mihir Ku Panda

youtu.be/gPbJyB8aE2s

Simple innovation science show for popularisation of science in free of cost in different parts of India By Dr.Mihirku Panda

www.youtube.com/user/mihirkumarpanda/videos?view=0&so...

Simple innovation laboratory at a Glance

youtu.be/yNIIJHdNo6M

youtu.be/oPBdJpwYINI

youtu.be/XBR-e-tFVyE

youtu.be/3JjCnF7gqKA

youtu.be/raq_ZtllYRg

MORE LINK FILES OF Dr MIHIR KUMAR PANDA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFIh2AoEy_g

www.youtube.com/channel/UCIksem1pJdDvK87ctJOlN1g

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHEAPp8V5MI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W43tAYO7wpQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=me43aso--Xg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XEeZjBDnu4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbJyB8aE2s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNIIJHdNo6M

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPBdJpwYINI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBR-e-tFVyE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JjCnF7gqKA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=raq_ZtllYRg

cholanbookofworldrecords.com/dr-mihir-kumar-pandaph-d-lit...

www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mihir-kumar-panda-ph-d-d-litt-inno...

www.bhubaneswarbuzz.com/updates/education/inspiring-odish...

www.millenniumpost.in/features/kiit-hosts-isca-national-s...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFE6c-XZoh0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzZ0XaZpJqQ

www.dailymotion.com/video/x2no10i

www.exclusiveworldrecords.com/description.aspx?id=320

omgbooksofrecords.com/

royalsuccessinternationalbookofrecords.com/home.php

british-world-records.business.site/posts/236093666996870...

www.tes.com/lessons/QKpLNO0seGI8Zg/experiments-in-science

dadasahebphalkefilmfoundation.com/2020/02/17/excellent-le...

www.facebook.com/…/a.102622791195…/103547424435915/… yearsP0-IR6tvlSw70ddBY_ySrBDerjoHhG0izBJwIBlqfh7QH9Qdo74EnhihXw35Iz8u-VUEmY&__tn__=EHH-R

wwwchampions-book-of-world-records.business.site/?fbclid=...

www.videomuzik.biz/video/motivational-science-show-ortalk...

lb.vlip.lv/channel/ST3PYAvIAou1RcZ/tTEq34EKxoToRqOK.html

imglade.com/tag/grassrootsinventions

picnano.com/tags/UnstoppableINDIAN

www.viveos.net/rev/mihirs%2Btrue%2Bnature

m.facebook.com/story.php…

www.facebook.com/worldgeniusrec…/…/2631029263841682…

www.upbr.in/record-galle…/upcoming-genius-innovator/…

www.geniusesworldrecordsandaward.com/

www.upbr.in/record-galle…/upcoming-genius-innovator/…

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=699422677473920&i...

www.facebook.com/internationalbookofrecords/

www.youtube.com/channel/UCBFJGiEx1Noba0x-NCWbwSg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL60GRF6avk

www.facebook.com/bengal.book.16/posts/122025902616062

www.facebook.com/bengal.book.16/posts/122877319197587

www.facebook.com/bengal.book.16/posts/119840549501264

supremebookofworldrecords.blogspot.com/…/welcome-to…

www.bravoworldrecords.com/

incrediblebookofrecords.in/index.php

www.highrangeworldrecords.com/

After 31 days of emotionally and physically exhausting training in the Kentucky heat, 5th Regiment Basic Camp (CIET) Alpha and Bravo Company Cadets graduate July 29 at Fort Knox, Ky. The ApexTech Warrior Award is presented to Cdt. Nathaniel T. Hashisaki, Virginia Military Institute, for best demonstrating comprehension of diplomatic approaches necessary as a member of a team and understanding the fundamentals of leadership and team building. .Photo by Lora Sparks

Amanda Bynes announced worldwide that her father abused her. Verbally and physically He would also have had incestuous thoughts about Amanda. “My father was verbally and physically violent towards me when I was a kid,” she. Tweeted Shortly after she posted a message to her more than...

celepop.com/amanda-bynes-accuses-father-of-abuse/

006.

There's a place in the sun for anyone

Who has the will

Chase one and I think I found mine

Yes I do believe I have found mine.

So, close your eyes

And think of someone you physically admire

And let me kiss you, oh.

Let me kiss you, oh.

Morrissey - Let me kiss you (youtube live video)

Either physically or psychologically, my daily protein shake seems to be having a positive effect and I feel a whole lot better which is a relief. It's surprisingly tasty and I suspect that the chocolate flavour is helping too.

After 31 days of emotionally and physically exhausting training in the Kentucky heat, 5th Regiment Basic Camp (CIET) Alpha and Bravo Company Cadets graduate July 29 at Fort Knox, Ky. The USA Cares Award, presented to Cdt. Isabella M. Blaney-Cuevas, University of San Francisco, for best demonstrating unsurpassed qualities of loyalty and compassion through praise and positive reinforcement to peers during execution of Basic Camp training. .Photo by Lora Sparks

More than 670 runners from all over Europe braved the cold and the mud to particpate in the inaugural Grafenwoehr Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Apr. 13, 2013. The grueling 13-km, 13-obstacle course centered around the Grafenwoehr Training Area's Rugged Terrain Trail, a training resource designed to test small-units' ability to operate in a rugged and physically-demanding environment. (Photo courtesy of FMWR Grafenwoehr)

These pictures from Gansu province were taken during a nine-day trip in May 2015. Gansu is a province at the geographical heart of China. Its capital, Lanzhou, is pretty close to the center of the country as can be from what I can tell by looking at maps.

Gansu, though, is most certainly considered west China by the Chinese. Physically, the province reminds me of a small dumbbell sitting on an angle. There’s a southern (southeastern) section that is slightly large and has a high elevation (often between 2,000-3,000 meters) with a higher concentration of Muslims and Tibetans than most other areas of China. When you get closer to Xiahe, where Labrang Monastery is located, road signs are both in Tibetan and Mandarin. The LP 2011 had listed three places of interest in southern Gansu: Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, Labrang Monstery in Xiahe (listed as one of the 30 “Must Dos” in China), and Langmusi down on the Sichuan border. I had originally intended to visit all three places, but ended up dropping Langmusi – the Alpine village – and spending an extra day out west.

So all told in the south, I spent a few overcast hours in Hezuo at Milarepa Palace (as quirky as I recall LP saying it is, but also something I could have done without) before spending two nights at the Overseas Tibetan Hotel about 100 meters outside the eastern gate of Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. Xiahe was mesmerizing to me. It reminded me a little of some western US towns: one wide, main street that runs the length of town and most of the buildings are two- or three-story establishments.

Xiahe is around 3,300 meters in elevation, so altitude sickness is mentioned a few times, though I never experienced any type of nausea. I have nothing but good things to say about the hotel (not extravagant, but nice and comfortable beds), the owner (Lohsang Amso – a good man – who can also arrange bike rental, local and regional travel, etc.) and the good folks a few doors down at the Snowy Mountain Cafe – which seems to only be open in the evening – but where you can eat yak…which I did. One night, I had Nepalese yak curry (Nepalese chicken curry the other night). Other than that, I was amazed at how close (and countless) the stars in the night sky seemed to be, but given the altitude and lack of surface light, it wasn’t unexpected…just amazing.

Having spent the previous day on a morning flight from Chengdu to Lanzhou (one provincial capital to another), an hour bus ride from Lanzhou Airport downtown, another 45 minute taxi ride across town (through horrendous traffic), a 4 hour bus ride from Lanzhou down to southern Gansu that ended in Hezuo, an hour or two at Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, then finally another 1-2 hour bus from Hezuo to Xiahe, I finally found myself plopping down on my bed at the Overseas Tibetan…sometime in early evening.

Though things didn’t go exactly as planned, they were close enough and I really had no complaints. My biggest surprise was the number of mosques I saw en route to Xiahe. (I hadn’t realized that the Muslim population in this particular region was quite so large.)

Upon waking the following morning – it was a Monday, I recall – I made the incredibly short walk to the Labrang Monastery. Labrang Monastery is a fascinating place. It was founded in 1709 by Ngagong Tsunde (first generation of the third in line behind the Dalai and Panchen Lamas). It is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat sect) order of Tibetan Buddhism. Three of the other six are near Lhasa, one near Shigatse, and the other near Xining (Qinghai province).

This is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple (if I remember reading correctly) outside Tibet. To walk the entire kora (circumference of the temple with prayer wheels) is over a 3 km endeavor, which I undertook on that Monday morning.

It was a pleasant walk, rife with photographic opportunities – people don’t mind having their pictures taken, though the Tibetan monks…not so much. They had to give their permission, and usually didn’t want to, which was fine by me. Around the back (north) side of the monastery, there’s an outer kora trail up the mountain that would give a nice view, but I was frankly too lazy to take it (and didn’t find it, anyway).

And the people. Photographing people here (monks or otherwise) is just…a treasure trove waiting to happen. Regarding the monks living here, there apparently used to be about four thousand, but limits have been set to around 1,800 now. (All I’ll say is, like most places in China, the Cultural Revolution was none too kind...)

After walking the kora, I hung out at Everest Cafe (Lohsang’s restaurant at the Overseas Tibetan) for a no frills breakfast, then spent the remainder of the morning with a tour of the interior of the temple and wandering around the grounds. The monastery has a few different temples, monastic colleges, living residences…it’s really quite a large compound.

The day had started sunny, but by sundown was turning pretty cloudy, so no great sunset shots to be had here, and it was getting a bit chilly in the evening at that altitude, so as soon as it was evident there wouldn’t be any more shooting, I went on over to Snowy Mountain for a relaxing dinner alone before retiring to my room for the night. Tuesday morning found me on another long travel day via bus, taxi, and train…to the opposite side of the province: western Gansu province, which was almost like another planet.