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We tend to box fashion into decades as if fashion suddenly changes from one decade to other, just like that. Snap. We must remember that there's a flow of social changes and these changes are mirrored by fashion. So we can recognize what's 20s or 30s.
But we must remember that fashion didn’t change radically in 1919 or 1929. In the case of the 1920s, fashion was brewing some radical changes. Since the 1910s, the world was still rather stiff. Society was quite stable at that point.
But the war in 1914 was a huge engine of change. It changed women, what they did and how they dressed. It changed her role in society. Ladies started working. Fine ladies would to volunteer work during the war. Common ladies were used to work anyway ;)
Anyway, it was a rather timid start but the war years changed people's values. Fashion, that was something specially made to make women look like virginal dolls or beautiful matrons...turned into a way of expression, self-expression and freedom.
We can see this first slide. It shows the beginnings of what we recognize as modern fashion
1920s. Skirts were shorter. Breasts were still important. Women should look like women. Young women still tried to look as angelic and pure as possible.
But then the 1920s brought us this revolution. Was it the beginning of the youth culture? Probably yes. 1920s shapes were simple. Shift dresses - much shorter than anything people used to wear before. Waists were loose. Breasts were flattened. It released women from the corset. That corset that made women look like matrons. Of course we like to think
that women in the 1920s didn’t wear corsets and their bodies were free...well, not exactly.
To achieve this silhouette, ladies had to flatten their boobs and diet a lot! Think of the radical change that happened in such a short period of time! Not long ago women were virgins or mothers. Suddenly women wanted to look young - look like boys! The industrial revolution, tarts in general, all gave plenty of inspiration to fashion...streamlined shapes...the sense of speed...of futurisme...the taste for the exotic. New places that could be reached, places that people could visit and take photos and share them. Aviation was a big novelty.
Everything that was too round was considered old. Foreheads were a big no-no! Cloche hats had to be as close to the eyebrows as possible. It was a defiant look. Girls had to lift their heads to look at people - can you imagine that 20 years before? My old father used to say that the girls in the 20s looked ridiculous. He was very conservative. He used to say that many girls got ran over by trams because they couldn’t look the street when crossing.
Older ladies quickly emulated the looks. But we can say, without any doubt, that 1920s fashion was hugely influenced by the young and their desire for fun, speed. We can say that the 20s and the 30s gave us modern fashion, at least in spirit and freedom. Well, you can see haircuts
how short they became. Suddenly long locks were so old! Girls queued in front of barber shops
they wanted it a la garconne! They wanted it short and boyish, please.
Now, I must remember you, before you think that I’m telling you that everybody went wild in the 1920s - no. This would be a quick assumption. Many women still kept her long locks but they tried to disguise it to look more modern ;) There’s certainly a class factor to be taken into consideration.
Fashion in the 20s was "easy.” Just a shift dress. You could buy patterns and make your own dress at home. It was liberating to a certain extent. It was easy and simple.
Of course, high fashion was there and that shift dress would turn into something exquisitely embroidered, lavishly trimmed with fur, beads, new colour variations and combinations. But
the general idea was of simplicity and movement! Dresses couldn’t be stiff! They had to flow and move and shake. People wanted to dance, they wanted to sparkle!
So we can say that in less than ten years, we jumped from this beginning to a new vision of fashion. Note the stockings. Rayon was getting big. The idea was to look as if you had naked legs. Many stockings were embroidered and embellished.
Another thing that I’d like you to observe: the shadow cast by the hat on the eyes. This was something that defined the make up. Girls wanted smoky eyes, little mouths, big sad eyes full of drama...heavy. Make up was happily applied in public. Wonderful cases for powder had to be shown ;) There was a variety of lipstick colours, too.
Chanel herself in this slide, showing a simple way of being elegant in modern times...pearls, loose silhouette...short hair.
Evening looks were much more elaborate. This beautifully embroidered dress defines the 20s very well.
A bit more of chanel's simplicity - a fashionable look, big eyes, delicate tiny mouth, a touch of futurisme.
This is Asta Nielsen. Early 20s outfit, practically no mouth, wild wild hair.
This is great example of a cocoon coat. Note the collar, very high. Imagine the profile. Very high collar, cloche hat - that was the look !
Berlin, specifically berlin, was incredibly wild. Girls in centres like this - i mean bad girls - wanted to impress. I can even compare their spirit to the 1970s punks. They smoked in public, they went wild on make up, they behaved outrageously. Good family girls didn’t go to these extremes. But you can have an idea of the amount of information that was around - I mean fashion information.
This slide shows a Chanel dress. It exemplifies the modern elegance of the 1920s - for a wealthy lady of course. Note the knees, almost showing. Please, there’s a common misconception that knees and thighs were exposed in the 1920s. This is so wrong. Short hemlines were trendy between 1926 and 1928, then they quickly went down again.
A fantastic coat. Not every woman was a flapper but the flapper influenced every single woman on earth.
Sequins, beads - all very fashionable - as well as oriental prints and silks. By the end of the decade, with depression boiling, times of crisis and changes, fashion started changing again. We can see how a time of excesses started to be replaced by a new interest in old values. Like some old shapes came back and society became a bit more conservative.
Well, if we see Berlin as an example we can see how crisis led society to old ways. But let me change my slide for the 1930s now and we can see how many important changes happened.
The 1930s: the transition of the decades. You can observe the waist coming back to the body. kirt were longer, more feminine. Hair started to be long again. Not short and free but carefully combed and arranged. It’s remarkable how in times of crisis and depression, people try to look important and respectable, isn’t it?
Typical 1930s shape - much longer skirts, waists, the beginning of the shoulders....
fashion industry was much more established. Make up and magazines were not only for the elite. Cinema had a huge impact in how women wanted to look.
The artificiality of the 1920s make up was replaced by the idea of health and beauty. No more sad heavy eyes, no more cabaret vamps. Girls wanted to look healthy, to show their shape.
Lingerie wasn’t there to flatten boobs but to disguise the bad parts ;) Controlling lingerie to build a perfect and healthy body. At the end women never gave up on corsets :)) The cinema divas were inspiring. Marlene, who was once threatened in paris because of cross dressing, was free to cross dress now. Elegant women wanted to look rich and fabulous.
Since Chanel came back from a summer sporting a suntan, people wanted to be tanned and healthy, and work out and go to the beach. The bias cut was perfect to show this new body. The bias cut is not an invention from the 30s but it became characteristic of the time.
Look - naked back, sexy lines, fluid textiles. Women wanted to feel sexy and diva like. Day dresses flowed the same idea of fluidity and femininity. Shoulders were more and more pronounced.
Women felt empowered. Women started working, almost like men.
Jean Harlow here. The perfect 1930s shape.
A Schiaparelli gown, heavily influenced by surrealism. Art entered the fashion world
and the fashion world became very much how it is today. Schiaparelli "glasses"...
surreal. She also had fantastic insect shaped buttons. The famous lobster dress.
1930s ladies. Not so revolutionary anymore, but body conscious and lovely. The world changed dramatically in the 30s. Revolution still existed.
Look at these Schiaparelli shoes.
The 1930s silhouette gave birth to what we now recognize as the 40s. The shoulder became heavy and stiff during the war but pre war people still had them under control.
Vionnet was another master of the 30s. The perfect bias cut. Dresses for goddesses. “As a woman smiles so must her dress smile too,” she used to say.
We all know what happened at the end of the decade and you can clearly understand
why the 1940s were only a recycling of the 30s in terms of fashion. With lack of material, fashion had to recycle ideas and materials so all this luxury remained for another decade
without great changes.
Fashion houses were very active. Big names were recognized all over the world, recognized and imitated.
Comparing the world and the fashion of these 2 decades - 20s and 30s - the changes were enormous and they well reflected society...a world leaving the suffering of the first war...and a world entering another time of war.
i'd like to know if anyone has question?
Bibiche Chant: Who were the creators, without speaking of Chanel?
Sonatta Morales: Well, many important names of the 30s started in the 20s. Lucille in the early 20s, Chanel, Worth, Patou. I can’t think of anybody else now...
Annett Boehme: Poiret?
Sonatta Morales: Poiret was big in the late 10s. Well remembered Annett. He made the transition into the 20s too.
Vegan Outlander: How much did new synthetic materials influence design and ability to develop new styles ? Did it "open doors" or "create options" ?
Sonatta Morales: Man made fibres were a big novelty in the 20s and as they became widespread, they became very important in the 30s.
The last slide shows a vogue cover - the last one before the war. It’s uncanny how it showed what was going to happen - zeitgeist at its best.
Talena Tigerpaw: what did everyday clothes look like in the 20's, please?
Sonatta Morales: Well Talena, as I showed in the first slides, I brought many slides from catalogs, big shops where “normal” people would shop. Overall the same lines. Loose shift dresses, if you were very poor and couldn’t afford high fashion you would try to follow the lines. Any old photo can show you that the lines were the same. The big difference was in materials.
What we must remember from the 20s is the new shorter hemline compared to the 1910s - the loose waist, some emphasis on the hips and hidden foreheads.
Frau Jo Yardley: We have a normal clothes flickr group with our berlin sim: www.flickr.com/groups/1920sfashion/
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater at Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European one, as well as the greatest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater at Saint Michael's square was utilized from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house in 1945 burnt down completely as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher serving as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered as Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was bearing different names, first Imperial-Royal Theater next to the Castle, then to 1918 Imperial-Royal Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater (Castle Theater). Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)", the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler).
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, ruling after the death of her father, which had ordered a general suspension of the theater, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor (Carinthian gate), Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters, the Burgtheater structurally being connected with them. At the old venue at Saint Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the stage plays should not deal with sad events for not bring the Imperial audience in a bad mood. Many theater plays for this reason had to be changed and provided with a Vienna Final (Happy End), such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794 on, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 October 1888 took place the last performance in the old house. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue at the Ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Saint Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) at the Ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14 October 1888 with Grillparzer's Esther and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task after similar commissioned work in the city theaters of Fiume and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase on the side facing the café Landtmann of the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of the ancient theater in Taormina on Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor) the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized himself in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper's Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus above the Isar. Above the middle section there is a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Above the center house there decorates a statue of Apollo the facade, throning between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Above the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. At the exterior facade round about, portrait busts of the poets Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel can be seen. The masks which also can be seen here are indicating the ancient theater, furthermore adorn allegorical representations the side wings: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although the theater since 1919 is bearing the name of Burgtheater, the old inscription KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits have been hung up in the new building and can be seen still today - but these images were originally smaller, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The points of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received by Viennese people due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting, but soon criticism because of the poor acoustics was increasing. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon it was situated among the "sanctuaries" of Viennese people. In November 1918, the supervision over the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. On 8th May 1925, the Burgtheater went into Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza.
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. In 1939 appeared in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic characterized book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Burgtheater a Don Carlos production of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the sentence in direction of Joseph Goebbels box vociferated: "just give freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 the Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus the Jew Shylock clearly anti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused in pure fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jews ", were quickly imposed stage bans, within a few days, they were on leave, fired or arrested. The Burgtheater ensemble between 1938 and 1945 did not put up significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the repertoire was heavily censored, only a few joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the People's Theatre engaged) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater at the end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the decreed general theater suspension. From 1 April 1945, as the Red Army approached Vienna, camped a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned down on 12th April 1945 completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to launch Vienna's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council summoned on 23 April (a state government did not yet exist) a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the Town Hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 Sappho by Franz Grillparzer directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Also other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a few days ago as Nazi prisoner still in mortal danger, was shown the play of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre could be played (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott from the year 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took place performances. Aslan the Ronacher in the summer had rebuilt because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the enlarged stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Everyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel in Nazi times seemed to have been fallen into oblivion.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years in exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations on the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition for the reconstruction was tendered: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, according to which the house was to be rebuilt into a modern gallery theater. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintained, the central royal box but has been replaced by two balconies, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the shortcoming of the house, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house at the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this play, which the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria makes a subject of discussion and Ottokar of Horneck's eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince bow to it! / where have you yet seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts of Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard was as a successor of Klingenberg mentioned, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater which was appointed director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel to the then politically separated East and took the the public taste more into consideration.
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the by short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk brought to Vienna Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the programme and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for critical contributions in the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program within sections of the audience met with rejection. The greatest theater scandal in Vienna since 1945 occurred in 1988 concerning the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama which was fiercly fought by conservative politicians and zealots. The play deals with the Vergangenheitsbewältigung (process of coming to terms with the past) and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard after the premiere dared to face on the stage applause and boos.
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann, to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his plays precisely in his homeland not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard play Before retirement by the first performance director Peymann. The plays by Bernhard are since then continued on the programme of the Burgtheater and they are regularly newly produced.
In 1993, the rehearsal stage of the Castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl). Since 1999, the Burgtheater has the operation form of a limited corporation.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
Peymann was followed in 1999 by Klaus Bachler as director. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available)
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of him under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat (December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer's King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this play. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves with a as natural as possible facial expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto of this season served a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater on the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was at the Burgtheater was remembered. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera on the occasion of the Vienna Festival in May 2006 a new production (directed by Karin Beier) of this opera on stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the stage houses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Bösch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer, came actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came permanently to the Burg. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the Castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama Live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
On June 8, 2022 the 16th annual LAFD Merit Scholar Awards Ceremony honored the academic excellence and demonstrated leadership of 11 college-bound students.
The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants, made possible through the Jean Perkins Foundation, of up to $30,000 ($7,500 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). To be eligible, a student must be the child or stepchild of an active or fallen LAFD sworn employee. The eligible student must be a high school senior or college freshman, who will be enrolled in the fall as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee considered other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments.
This year’s awardees were students who demonstrated excellence in academic studies, good character, high moral standards, leadership, distinction in extra-curricular activities, personal accomplishments and a potential for future success. The LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund Board of Directors had the difficult task of selecting the top candidates from an extremely competitive pool.
The 2022 LAFD Merit Scholar Award Recipients are Mariah Alvarado, daughter of Battalion Chief Vincent Alvarado; Kelsey Barrett, daughter of Engineer/Paramedic Keith Barrett; Kurt Ruedy, son of Inspector I Brent Ruedy; Shelby Richmond, daughter of Deputy Chief Trevor Richmond (all bio's provided below).
This year’s seven Runner-Up Award winners are to be congratulated for their outstanding merits. Each received a one time grant of $5,000. They are Aidan Byrne, Jasmine Da Broi, Hadley Goodwin, Carmen Ibarra, Caitlin Perry, Jake Petersen and Jessica Woodcock.
The winner of this year’s “Best Essay” award of $2,500, generously sponsored by the LAFD Foundation, is Jasmine Da Broi.
We would like to thank Mr. James Carroll III and Mr. Joe Connolly, Executive Board Members of the Jean Perkins Foundation and the LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund’s Board of Directors, Dick Barrett, John Anglin, G. Louis Graziadio III, Vicky Leck, Tom Mizo, Robert Nicholas and Molly Taylor for their dedication and support of our members and their children. We are also grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation for their sponsorship of the “Best Essay” award and to the LAFD Sertoma Club, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, LAFD Historical Society and the Los Angeles Firefighter’s Association and the Stentorians of City of Los Angeles who sponsored the awards reception.
2022 LAFD MERIT SCHOLAR AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
Mariah Alvarado is a graduating senior from Troy High School (THS) and the
daughter of Battalion Chief Vincent Alvarado, assigned to Battalion 12 (20
years LAFD). Mariah will be attending the University of California San Diego
(UCSD), majoring in Chemical Engineering. Mariah pursued an
engineering pathway where she was able to immerse her passions for STEM through different engineering courses and a 150-hour internship. Mariah is able to meet the rigorous course work of THS while still remaining motivated
and passionate in her endeavors. She serves as the Secretary of THS Compass Club. The Club strives to promote the exploration of different career fields through a variety of interviews with a wide range of career models i.e. computer scientist, business CEO, newscaster, and firefighter.
Mariah records the weekly meeting minutes and schedules the interviews. She is a member of the THS varsity dance team and attends advanced dance
classes in the evenings. She has trained and competed with select elite teams for 11 years in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary and hip hop.
She was appointed captain for five teams out of 60+ dancers to lead dance teams at regional and national competitions. Mariah will continue dancing
on the collegiate Division1 dance team at UCSD. In addition to academic and athletic endeavors, Mariah volunteers for Ronald McDonald House Charities, Meals on Wheels, Pathways of Hope for the Homeless, and Crittenton Services for Children and Families. There, Mariah provides attention and comfort to support attention-deprived infants and toddlers from neglected households. Mariah has “an addiction to Minecraft which consumes an unhealthy fraction of my homework time.”
Mariah’s honors and awards include:
Captain, The Dance Spot Elite Competitive Dance Team 2018-2022
National Title Recipient Varsity Troy
Redhots Dance Team 2018-2022
CADTD Regionals Jazz Soloist Champion 2019 and 2020
WCE Nationals Gold Solo Qualifier
Florida Contest of Champions Nationals Medium Jazz Finalist 2020
National Honors Society 2020-2021,
Principal’s Honor Role 2018-2022,
California Scholarship Federation Seal - Bearer 2018 - 2022
Mariah graduates with a 4.5 GPA
Kelsey Barrett is a graduating senior from San Dimas High School (SDHS) and the daughter of Engineer/Paramedic Keith Barrett, assigned to FS 25 (22 years LAFD). Kelsey will be attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, majoring in Nursing. Her goal is to earn her Doctorate of Nursing Anesthesia Practices (DNA) and become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Kelsey has challenged herself at SDHS with difficult classes that include advanced placement, honors and accelerated classes. Her rigorous class schedule, exceptional grades and demanding schedule attest to her academic excellence and ability to balance her time. Kelsey is a dedicated team player and a role model committed to her team, school and community. She is a tri-sport athlete, participating in varsity volleyball, water polo and softball. She was the Captain of all three teams and helped win league championships in all three sports. She was active in school clubs. She served as ASB Athletics Commissioner, planning and organizing school events, Link Crew Leader, assisting freshmen students, and Best Buddies Team Leader, assisting special education students. Kelsey has actively volunteered at Lake Elder Care and Assistance with elderly care and assistance. At Victoria Village Dentistry, her duties included setting up equipment trays, assisting with x-rays and
creating patient charts. Kelsey’s responsibilities at Guide Dogs for the Blind included training and fostering dogs to improve the quality of life and allowing independence for the blind. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kelsey had free time and wanted to help expectant mothers who had delivered babies all alone at the Pomona Valley Hospital. She started knitting beanies for babies and has knitted 125 beanies, which are included in care packages for the moms to take home. She hopes to knit 25 more before leaving to the University ofTennessee in August.
Kelsey’s Honors and Awards include:
•First Team All-League Softball, Water Polo, Volleyball 2018-2022
•HEART Award (Hustle, Energy, Attitude, Respect, Team) 2019
•Valle Vista League MVP Volleyball 2022
•Top 10% of Class 2018 - 2022
•Gold Star Award 2018 - 2022
•Renaissance Award 2018 - 2022
•Merit Award 2019, 2020, 2022
Kelsey graduates with a 4.3 GPA
Kurt Ruedy is a graduating senior from Royal High School (RHS) and the son of Inspector I Brent Ruedy, assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau, VIC Unit (22 years LAFD). Kurt will be attending the University of Alabama, majoring in political science. Kurt is a talented baseball player. He is intelligent, re-spectful and hardworking. He is a consummate team player, being flexible to play a variety of positions to better suit his team’s needs. Kurt brings these traits into the classroom as well as in service to his community. He is a Link Crew Group Leader for RHS, helping incoming freshmen transition to high school throughout the school year. Kurt serves on the RHS Senior Class Council where he was involved in making decisions on spending and asset allocation, organizing, planning and executing events. Kurt is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS). NHS members are required to maintain excellent academic standing as well as service to their community. Kurt volunteered for RHS’ Math for Good program by tutoring math online. He volunteers at the yearly church summer camps as a group leader for preschool to sixth grade. Through the RHS baseball program, Kurt is involved with the Challenger League in Simi Valley, a program helping disabled kids to play baseball, work together and build friendships. As he mentored and interacted with the players on and off the field, Kurt became more aware of his gratitude for his health and abilities. Kurt looks forward to applying to law school and practicing contract law as a sports agent.
Kurt’s honors and awards include:
•National Honor Society 2020-2022
•Scholar Athlete Achievement 2019-2022
•Valedictorian - 2022
Kurt graduates with a 4.3 GPA.
Shelby Richmond is a graduating senior from Thousand Oaks High School (TOHS) and is the daughter of Deputy Chief Trevor Richmond,
Operations Valley Bureau (33 years LAFD). Shelby will be attending
Dartmouth College, majoring in Biology, pre-med track. Shelby hopes to attend a medical or Physician Assistant school, or do research in the medical field. Shelby is a student at TOHS’s The Center, for Advance Studies and Research, (The Center) an AP Capstone Program. As a jun-ior, she completed her AP Research project successfully and overa-chieved with a score of five. The Center is the only course of its kind which involves high school students in advance college level research. In addition to academics, Shelby has been involved with various extra-curricular activities. She is a dedicated student athlete, on the TOHS track team, winning scholar athlete awards, MVP, and served as Varsity Sprint Captain. Shelby actively participates in community events through TOHS’ Key Club, volunteering at animal and homeless shelters, CROP Hunger Walk, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year Campaign (LLS). LLS is a philanthropic leadership development program. Throughout the campaign, students learn to develop professional skills, i.e. marketing, entrepreneurship as well as project and team management. Shelby organized various charity events and conducted sponsorship Zoom meetings and contacted corporate offices. Her team, Bella’s Buddies, raised over $113,000, winning the LLS award of Southern California and donating all funds to cancer research.
Shelby’s honors and awards include:
•MVP Girls 200-meter Dash 2021
•Ventura County Champion 200 Meters 2021
•Milesplit Junior Girls First Team All-State Team 2021
•Marmonte League Champion 200 Meters
•Scholar Athlete Award 2019 - 2022
•Society of Women’s Engineers Award 2021
Shelby graduates with a 4.4 GPA.
LAFD Event-060822
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Gary Apodaca
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We're back at the Monaco Ballroom on Friday December 12th for the final show of 2008!! Make sure you make it to see how the year's feuds end at this season ending super show - GPW: "Christmas Crunch"
We promise we wont crunch your credit.... we'll only crunch your Christmas!!
GPW Heavyweight Title Match
Bubblegum © vs. Dirk Feelgood
Just a few months ago you'd be forgiven for taking a double take at this match. The friendship between the two former friends totally imploded with the desire to become Heavyweight champion. Refusing to accept the demise of his friendship with Dirk Feelgood, Bubblegum spent months in turmoil not wanting to retaliate to the cutting comments and brutal attacks levelled his way by former friend and champion Feelgood. As time went by however, Bubblegum eventually unloaded on Feelgood but this will be the first time the two have ever come face to face in a one on one match. And to make things just a little more interesting... it's for the GPW Heavyweight Title. Can the fairytale championship reign continue for Bubblegum, or can Dirk shatter his dreams and become the first ever 2 time Heavyweight Champ?
Tag Team Special, Skeletor vs. Stella
Lethal Dose vs. Voodoo & "Sober" Mike Holmes
Alan Alan Alan Tasker's henchmen, Lethal Dose march into battle against former stable member Mike Holmes and the man they hold responsible for Holmes' new found sobriety - Voodoo. Cyanide and Toxic hope to tempt Holmes back over to the stable that two months ago he turned his back on. They want to snap him out of the spell they accuse Voodoo of putting him under. However, Holmes seems very happy with his new outlook on life and he and Voodoo look to send Lethal Dose packing in this tag team special. Lethal Dose have warned they will not be coming to the ring alone though, with them along with their attorney and law - Alan Alan Alan Tasker will be a 12 pack of Stella. Hoping the case of beer will prove to be a bigger demon to Holmes than the tag team itself. To fend off the 12 pack, Holmes and Voodoo will have Vooodoo's trusty skull, Skeletor in their corner. An unpredictable tag team match. Can MIke Holmes stay sober? Will Voodoo's spells work? Or will Lethal Dose deliver a beating big enough to break Voodoo's spell?
GPW British Title Match
Jak Dominotrescu vs. "Super" Sam Bailey
After pinning the British Champion last month in a tag team match, WKD's "Super" Sam Bailey has earned himself a title shot at GPW: "Christmas Crunch". Bailey, already a former tag team champion looks to add to his growing reputation by capturing his first ever singles gold in GPW. While reigning champion, Romanian Jak Domitrescu along with his cohorts - The Eastern Bloc look to make life as difficult as possible for the energetic live wire. Domitrescu has held onto the title since April this year with help from his fellow countrymen, but are his days numbered as champ? He surely wont be alone in this title outing and will have the Eastern Bloc close by, but can "Super" Sam Bailey overcome the odds to win his first singles gold in GPW?
And, the main event for the evening is...
GPW Tag Team Title 2/3 Falls Match
MIl-Anfield Connection © vs. Young Offenders
The heat just got turned up in this feud. The re-united Young Offenders have the most established tag team in GPW - The Mil-Anfield Connection firmly in their sights and not to mention the tag team trophy. These two teams met in September this year where there was no clear winner decided after the match ended in a draw. There will be NO excuses this time to not find a winner. This, for the first time in our history will be a 2/3 Falls Match for the tag team titles. A winner HAS to be decided, but who will it be? A truley epic encounter is in our midst as Jiggy Walker & "The Model" Danny Hope try to cling onto the championship that has defined them as a team and "Dangerous" Damon Leigh & Joey Hayes, The Young Offenders chase the title that one of the most popular tag teams in Europe have never held. Can the re-united friends overcome the well established unit that is The Mil-Anfield Connection? Or can the well oiled duo of the Mil-Anfield do what they've been doing all year and win again?
GPW British Title No.1 Contenders Match
Harry Doogle vs. Juice vs. Dylan Roberts vs. Chris Echo
After an eye catchingly good year from rookie Dylan Roberts, he has been included in this battle to earn a shot at the British Title. With a burning desire to win and the fans firmly behind him, Roberts could well mark his arrival onto the main roster by becoming the No.1 Contender and going for gold here. However, his opponents wont give him an easy ride. In a wonderful CC-08 tournament, no one impressed more than WKD's Chris Echo. Echo reached the CC-08 finals with two broken wrists and proved he is ready to take a step up. His previous attempts for British gold have been thwarted by the foreign legion numbers of the Eastern Bloc, is he ready to prove again that he is worthy of being No.1 Contender and finally lift the British title? Juice, the current CC8 champion has been as impressive as ever in singles competition this year, but can he compete in this match with 3 others all vying to be No.1 Contender? Also replacing Jervis Cottonbelly due to injury is Harry Doogle as a last minute entry could one half of the next gen score the upset win? , but with so many possible outcomes who will leave with the plaudits and go on to challenge for the British Title next year?
Lumberjack Match
Si Valour vs. Heresy
A violent and personal feud that has lasted all year long finally comes to a head in what promises to be a violent Lumberjack Match. Ever since brutalising Valour and cutting off all his hair, Heresy has, in some form or other dodged the challenge of Valour. Heresy claimed not to have lost his bottle or be running scared of the 2007 Break Out Star, yet during their Bull Rope clash at GPW: "V" where the two were tied to one another, Heresy still managed to find a way of escaping and creating distance between him and Valour. This time, in a special Lumberjack Match, no matter where either man go - there will be no escape. All lumberjacks will be at the ready to ensure neither man can escape the others clutches and a clear winner, one way or the other will HAVE to be decided. There will be nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide, no matter where they look. Heresy has been one step ahead of Valour all year, is this where he runs out of excuses, or can the master manipulator manipulate another win?
LOS ANGELES - In today's 13th annual LAFD Merit Scholar Awards Ceremony, the academic excellence and demonstrated leadership of college-bound students was honored.
The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants, made possible through the Jean Perkins Foundation, of up to $30,000 ($7,500 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). To be eligible, a student must be the child or stepchild of an active or fallen LAFD sworn employee. The eligible student must be a high school senior or college freshman, who will be enrolled in the fall as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee considered other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments.
This year’s awardees were students who demonstrated excellence in academic studies, good character, high moral standards, leadership, distinction in extra-curricular activities, personal accomplishments and a potential for future success. The LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund Board of Directors had the difficult task of selecting the top candidates from an extremely competitive pool.
The 2019 LAFD Merit Scholar Award Recipients are Kristen Grant and Leanne Grant, daughters of Engineer Daniel Grant; Madeline Marciano, daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano; and Brittney Souter, daughter of Batallion Chief Rodd Souter (all bio's provided below).
This year’s Runner-Up Award winners are to be congratulated for their outstanding merits. Each received a one time grant of $5,000.
The winner of this year’s “Best Essay” award of $5,000, generously sponsored by the LAFD Foundation, is Spencer Moore. This award was $2,500 in the past and doubled this year.
The Community Service Award was presented to Nathan Miller, who received $2,500.
We would like to thank Mr. James Carroll III and Mr. Joe Connolly, Executive Board Members of the Jean Perkins Foundation and the LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund’s Board of Directors, Dick Barrett, John Anglin, G. Louis Graziadio III, Vicky Leck, Tom Mizo, Robert Nicholas and Molly Taylor for their dedication and support of our members and their children. We are also grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation for their sponsorship of the “Best Essay” award and to the LAFD Sertoma Club, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, LAFD Historical Society and the Los Angeles Firefighter’s Association and the Stentorians of City of Los Angeles who sponsored the awards reception.
The announcement for the 2020 competition should be posted early 2020 at www.lafd.org/scholarship.
2019 LAFD MERIT SCHOLAR AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
KRISTEN GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, and the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). She will be attending San Diego State University majoring in Biology. Kristen is a volunteer at the Jessie Rees Foundations, NEGU(Never Ever Give Up) Program. NEGU’s goal is to help every kid fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up, by assembling “Joy Jars.” Joy Jars was a concept of 12 year old Jessie Rees. While going through her battle with brain cancer, Jessie’s focus was on helping other kids with cancer by providing them with jars stuffed with toys and activities. Kristen also volun-teered with the Art 4 Healing Club and Capo Helps at special edu-cation classrooms and senior centers leading art projects to help teach interaction and expressing emotion. Kristen and her sister Leanne started their own Etsy business called KiLe Supplies where they sell charms and jewelry supplies. She has learned valuable lessons in marketing, selling and purchasing. Kristen was a mem-ber of the Capistrano Valley High School’s award-winning Color Guard participating in school events and competitions from 2015 - 2017. She enjoys going to the beach and hiking. Kristen’s awards include Superintendent/Principals Honor Roll for receiving the highest honor roll in the Capistrano Unified School District from 2016 - 2019. Kristen graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
LEANNE GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, (CVHS) and also the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). Leanne has been a volunteer for nearly two years with the Jessie Rees Foundation’s Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) organization. The JoyJars assembled by volunteers provides support to kids with cancer and their siblings. JoyJars and NEGU are recognized symbols of hope and love over 29 countries. Leanne also volunteers with Arts 4 Healing, supporting emotional healing for injured veterans, ill children, abused women, and military families through art and the language of color as a way to communicate feelings words can't express. Leanne has been volunteering for Arts 4 Hope since 2015. Leanne is a member of Link Crew, mentoring incoming freshmen. Helping them get comfortable with the school, monthly activities, orientation and communication with upper classman. During her freshman and sophomore years, Leanne played high school soccer and track and field 4 X 1 relay, 100 m, and 200 m. Leanne spends her downtime working on her Etsy business which she co-owns with her sister and enjoys hiking, playing with her two dogs and playing soccer with friends. Leanne’s awards include AP Scholar with Honors 2017 - 2019, and the Superintendent/Principal’s Honor Roll 2016 - 2019. Leanne graduates with a 4.6 GPA.
MADELINE MARCIANO is a graduating senior from Royal High School, (RHS) and is the daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano, assigned to Fire Station 93 (15 years LAFD). She will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Communications and minoring in Business. Madeline’s volunteer services includes coaching youth cross country and track and assisting athletes run courses and providing motivation. Madeline is a member of the Student Leadership Team at Simi Community Church. She volunteers numerous hours teaching kids, organizing community events and fundraisers for programs such as junior high kids camp. Madeline is the RHS Senior Class President. She leads meetings and coordinates school activities and events. She is the voice of the senior class as well as a champion for all students as they create initiatives and school projects. Her communication and leadership skills helped her motivate her fellow classmates and ramped up school spirit and class projects. She has performed in RHS Concert Band playing the French Horn and this year had a leading role in the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Madeline is a Link Crew Leader, helping incoming freshman acclimate to high school life. Madeline has competed in Varsity Cross Country, (MVP 2015), 2016, 2017, Varsity Distance Track 2015, 2016 and Varsity Lacrosse 2017, 2018. Madeline received the Ronald Reagan Citizen Scholars Institute Diploma Seal this year. Madeline’s other awards include Scholar Athlete MVP 2015-2017, All League Athlete Cross Country 2015-2017, and National Honor Society 2017-2019. Madeline graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
BRITTNEY SOUTER is a senior at the Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE) and is the daughter of Battalion Chief Rodd Souter, assigned to Battalion 11 B (31 years LAFD). Britney will be attending Boise State University majoring in Elementary Education. Brittney has participated in track and field, tennis, cheerleading, Student Ambassadors, Senior Leadership Team and the Associated Student Body (ASB). She has been a member of ASB for 4 years. As the ASB Vice-President this year, Brittney oversees all clubs on campus, keeping diligent records and ensures that all parties involved in any club making decision have the proper information and
documentation needed for success. She has led her peers on countless occasions, planning school wide events, running meetings with the entire ASB class, communicating with her peers and AAE teachers. Being the ASB Vice-President has inspired Brittney to obtain a higher education and eventually become a teacher. Her desire is to become a leader for the kids in her class and be an example for them to follow. Since elementary school Brittney has strived and worked hard for high academics and sought out volunteer opportunities. Her top priority has been to help others and be an example for those around her. Britney has been dancing competitively for 15 years and served as a teachers assistant for two years at “A Dancer’s Pointe Performing Arts Center.” She has volunteered at her church since 2105 and participated in missions to Mexico. Brittney’s academic awards include Principal’s Honor Roll 2015 -2019, National Honor Society 2015-2019, Scholar Athlete 2015-2019. Britney graduates with a 4.1 GPA.LAFD Event-061119
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Gary Apodaca
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
Photo taken; Papiliorama, Kerzers, Schweiz
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission © All Rights Reserved to begumidast photography
I searched for the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis, which some report to be visible from San Antonio on Friday night, May 10, 2024. My camera caught a hint of a purple/magenta hue over the windmill at Walker Ranch Park. Is it from the Northern Lights/aurora? The upside down Big Dipper can be seen over the windmill. Nikon Z8, 24mm f1.4 at 1/20, ISO 12800. ©2024 Billy Calzada
Jersey City, out behind the Hudson Mall on Route 440, looking at the Hackensack River.
After the better part of a year with my trusty Minolta SR-T201, I decided to upgrade to a SR-T202. Pretty much the same camera with a few minor upgrades, but more importantly to me, the frame counter works. It didn't on my 201, and it's a nice addition.
Minolta SR-T202, Rokkor 58mm f1.4, Kodak Ektar 100.
LOS ANGELES - In today's 13th annual LAFD Merit Scholar Awards Ceremony, the academic excellence and demonstrated leadership of college-bound students was honored.
The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants, made possible through the Jean Perkins Foundation, of up to $30,000 ($7,500 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). To be eligible, a student must be the child or stepchild of an active or fallen LAFD sworn employee. The eligible student must be a high school senior or college freshman, who will be enrolled in the fall as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee considered other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments.
This year’s awardees were students who demonstrated excellence in academic studies, good character, high moral standards, leadership, distinction in extra-curricular activities, personal accomplishments and a potential for future success. The LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund Board of Directors had the difficult task of selecting the top candidates from an extremely competitive pool.
The 2019 LAFD Merit Scholar Award Recipients are Kristen Grant and Leanne Grant, daughters of Engineer Daniel Grant; Madeline Marciano, daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano; and Brittney Souter, daughter of Batallion Chief Rodd Souter (all bio's provided below).
This year’s Runner-Up Award winners are to be congratulated for their outstanding merits. Each received a one time grant of $5,000.
The winner of this year’s “Best Essay” award of $5,000, generously sponsored by the LAFD Foundation, is Spencer Moore. This award was $2,500 in the past and doubled this year.
The Community Service Award was presented to Nathan Miller, who received $2,500.
We would like to thank Mr. James Carroll III and Mr. Joe Connolly, Executive Board Members of the Jean Perkins Foundation and the LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund’s Board of Directors, Dick Barrett, John Anglin, G. Louis Graziadio III, Vicky Leck, Tom Mizo, Robert Nicholas and Molly Taylor for their dedication and support of our members and their children. We are also grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation for their sponsorship of the “Best Essay” award and to the LAFD Sertoma Club, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, LAFD Historical Society and the Los Angeles Firefighter’s Association and the Stentorians of City of Los Angeles who sponsored the awards reception.
The announcement for the 2020 competition should be posted early 2020 at www.lafd.org/scholarship.
2019 LAFD MERIT SCHOLAR AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
KRISTEN GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, and the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). She will be attending San Diego State University majoring in Biology. Kristen is a volunteer at the Jessie Rees Foundations, NEGU(Never Ever Give Up) Program. NEGU’s goal is to help every kid fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up, by assembling “Joy Jars.” Joy Jars was a concept of 12 year old Jessie Rees. While going through her battle with brain cancer, Jessie’s focus was on helping other kids with cancer by providing them with jars stuffed with toys and activities. Kristen also volun-teered with the Art 4 Healing Club and Capo Helps at special edu-cation classrooms and senior centers leading art projects to help teach interaction and expressing emotion. Kristen and her sister Leanne started their own Etsy business called KiLe Supplies where they sell charms and jewelry supplies. She has learned valuable lessons in marketing, selling and purchasing. Kristen was a mem-ber of the Capistrano Valley High School’s award-winning Color Guard participating in school events and competitions from 2015 - 2017. She enjoys going to the beach and hiking. Kristen’s awards include Superintendent/Principals Honor Roll for receiving the highest honor roll in the Capistrano Unified School District from 2016 - 2019. Kristen graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
LEANNE GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, (CVHS) and also the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). Leanne has been a volunteer for nearly two years with the Jessie Rees Foundation’s Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) organization. The JoyJars assembled by volunteers provides support to kids with cancer and their siblings. JoyJars and NEGU are recognized symbols of hope and love over 29 countries. Leanne also volunteers with Arts 4 Healing, supporting emotional healing for injured veterans, ill children, abused women, and military families through art and the language of color as a way to communicate feelings words can't express. Leanne has been volunteering for Arts 4 Hope since 2015. Leanne is a member of Link Crew, mentoring incoming freshmen. Helping them get comfortable with the school, monthly activities, orientation and communication with upper classman. During her freshman and sophomore years, Leanne played high school soccer and track and field 4 X 1 relay, 100 m, and 200 m. Leanne spends her downtime working on her Etsy business which she co-owns with her sister and enjoys hiking, playing with her two dogs and playing soccer with friends. Leanne’s awards include AP Scholar with Honors 2017 - 2019, and the Superintendent/Principal’s Honor Roll 2016 - 2019. Leanne graduates with a 4.6 GPA.
MADELINE MARCIANO is a graduating senior from Royal High School, (RHS) and is the daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano, assigned to Fire Station 93 (15 years LAFD). She will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Communications and minoring in Business. Madeline’s volunteer services includes coaching youth cross country and track and assisting athletes run courses and providing motivation. Madeline is a member of the Student Leadership Team at Simi Community Church. She volunteers numerous hours teaching kids, organizing community events and fundraisers for programs such as junior high kids camp. Madeline is the RHS Senior Class President. She leads meetings and coordinates school activities and events. She is the voice of the senior class as well as a champion for all students as they create initiatives and school projects. Her communication and leadership skills helped her motivate her fellow classmates and ramped up school spirit and class projects. She has performed in RHS Concert Band playing the French Horn and this year had a leading role in the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Madeline is a Link Crew Leader, helping incoming freshman acclimate to high school life. Madeline has competed in Varsity Cross Country, (MVP 2015), 2016, 2017, Varsity Distance Track 2015, 2016 and Varsity Lacrosse 2017, 2018. Madeline received the Ronald Reagan Citizen Scholars Institute Diploma Seal this year. Madeline’s other awards include Scholar Athlete MVP 2015-2017, All League Athlete Cross Country 2015-2017, and National Honor Society 2017-2019. Madeline graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
BRITTNEY SOUTER is a senior at the Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE) and is the daughter of Battalion Chief Rodd Souter, assigned to Battalion 11 B (31 years LAFD). Britney will be attending Boise State University majoring in Elementary Education. Brittney has participated in track and field, tennis, cheerleading, Student Ambassadors, Senior Leadership Team and the Associated Student Body (ASB). She has been a member of ASB for 4 years. As the ASB Vice-President this year, Brittney oversees all clubs on campus, keeping diligent records and ensures that all parties involved in any club making decision have the proper information and
documentation needed for success. She has led her peers on countless occasions, planning school wide events, running meetings with the entire ASB class, communicating with her peers and AAE teachers. Being the ASB Vice-President has inspired Brittney to obtain a higher education and eventually become a teacher. Her desire is to become a leader for the kids in her class and be an example for them to follow. Since elementary school Brittney has strived and worked hard for high academics and sought out volunteer opportunities. Her top priority has been to help others and be an example for those around her. Britney has been dancing competitively for 15 years and served as a teachers assistant for two years at “A Dancer’s Pointe Performing Arts Center.” She has volunteered at her church since 2105 and participated in missions to Mexico. Brittney’s academic awards include Principal’s Honor Roll 2015 -2019, National Honor Society 2015-2019, Scholar Athlete 2015-2019. Britney graduates with a 4.1 GPA.LAFD Event-061119
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Gary Apodaca
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
LOS ANGELES - In today's 13th annual LAFD Merit Scholar Awards Ceremony, the academic excellence and demonstrated leadership of college-bound students was honored.
The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants, made possible through the Jean Perkins Foundation, of up to $30,000 ($7,500 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). To be eligible, a student must be the child or stepchild of an active or fallen LAFD sworn employee. The eligible student must be a high school senior or college freshman, who will be enrolled in the fall as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee considered other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments.
This year’s awardees were students who demonstrated excellence in academic studies, good character, high moral standards, leadership, distinction in extra-curricular activities, personal accomplishments and a potential for future success. The LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund Board of Directors had the difficult task of selecting the top candidates from an extremely competitive pool.
The 2019 LAFD Merit Scholar Award Recipients are Kristen Grant and Leanne Grant, daughters of Engineer Daniel Grant; Madeline Marciano, daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano; and Brittney Souter, daughter of Batallion Chief Rodd Souter (all bio's provided below).
This year’s Runner-Up Award winners are to be congratulated for their outstanding merits. Each received a one time grant of $5,000.
The winner of this year’s “Best Essay” award of $5,000, generously sponsored by the LAFD Foundation, is Spencer Moore. This award was $2,500 in the past and doubled this year.
The Community Service Award was presented to Nathan Miller, who received $2,500.
We would like to thank Mr. James Carroll III and Mr. Joe Connolly, Executive Board Members of the Jean Perkins Foundation and the LAFD Merit Scholarship Fund’s Board of Directors, Dick Barrett, John Anglin, G. Louis Graziadio III, Vicky Leck, Tom Mizo, Robert Nicholas and Molly Taylor for their dedication and support of our members and their children. We are also grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation for their sponsorship of the “Best Essay” award and to the LAFD Sertoma Club, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, LAFD Historical Society and the Los Angeles Firefighter’s Association and the Stentorians of City of Los Angeles who sponsored the awards reception.
The announcement for the 2020 competition should be posted early 2020 at www.lafd.org/scholarship.
2019 LAFD MERIT SCHOLAR AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
KRISTEN GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, and the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). She will be attending San Diego State University majoring in Biology. Kristen is a volunteer at the Jessie Rees Foundations, NEGU(Never Ever Give Up) Program. NEGU’s goal is to help every kid fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up, by assembling “Joy Jars.” Joy Jars was a concept of 12 year old Jessie Rees. While going through her battle with brain cancer, Jessie’s focus was on helping other kids with cancer by providing them with jars stuffed with toys and activities. Kristen also volun-teered with the Art 4 Healing Club and Capo Helps at special edu-cation classrooms and senior centers leading art projects to help teach interaction and expressing emotion. Kristen and her sister Leanne started their own Etsy business called KiLe Supplies where they sell charms and jewelry supplies. She has learned valuable lessons in marketing, selling and purchasing. Kristen was a mem-ber of the Capistrano Valley High School’s award-winning Color Guard participating in school events and competitions from 2015 - 2017. She enjoys going to the beach and hiking. Kristen’s awards include Superintendent/Principals Honor Roll for receiving the highest honor roll in the Capistrano Unified School District from 2016 - 2019. Kristen graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
LEANNE GRANT is a graduating senior from Capistrano Valley High School, (CVHS) and also the daughter of Engineer Daniel Grant, assigned to Fire Station 49 (26 years LAFD). Leanne has been a volunteer for nearly two years with the Jessie Rees Foundation’s Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) organization. The JoyJars assembled by volunteers provides support to kids with cancer and their siblings. JoyJars and NEGU are recognized symbols of hope and love over 29 countries. Leanne also volunteers with Arts 4 Healing, supporting emotional healing for injured veterans, ill children, abused women, and military families through art and the language of color as a way to communicate feelings words can't express. Leanne has been volunteering for Arts 4 Hope since 2015. Leanne is a member of Link Crew, mentoring incoming freshmen. Helping them get comfortable with the school, monthly activities, orientation and communication with upper classman. During her freshman and sophomore years, Leanne played high school soccer and track and field 4 X 1 relay, 100 m, and 200 m. Leanne spends her downtime working on her Etsy business which she co-owns with her sister and enjoys hiking, playing with her two dogs and playing soccer with friends. Leanne’s awards include AP Scholar with Honors 2017 - 2019, and the Superintendent/Principal’s Honor Roll 2016 - 2019. Leanne graduates with a 4.6 GPA.
MADELINE MARCIANO is a graduating senior from Royal High School, (RHS) and is the daughter of Engineer Jeffrey Marciano, assigned to Fire Station 93 (15 years LAFD). She will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Communications and minoring in Business. Madeline’s volunteer services includes coaching youth cross country and track and assisting athletes run courses and providing motivation. Madeline is a member of the Student Leadership Team at Simi Community Church. She volunteers numerous hours teaching kids, organizing community events and fundraisers for programs such as junior high kids camp. Madeline is the RHS Senior Class President. She leads meetings and coordinates school activities and events. She is the voice of the senior class as well as a champion for all students as they create initiatives and school projects. Her communication and leadership skills helped her motivate her fellow classmates and ramped up school spirit and class projects. She has performed in RHS Concert Band playing the French Horn and this year had a leading role in the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Madeline is a Link Crew Leader, helping incoming freshman acclimate to high school life. Madeline has competed in Varsity Cross Country, (MVP 2015), 2016, 2017, Varsity Distance Track 2015, 2016 and Varsity Lacrosse 2017, 2018. Madeline received the Ronald Reagan Citizen Scholars Institute Diploma Seal this year. Madeline’s other awards include Scholar Athlete MVP 2015-2017, All League Athlete Cross Country 2015-2017, and National Honor Society 2017-2019. Madeline graduates with a 4.5 GPA.
BRITTNEY SOUTER is a senior at the Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE) and is the daughter of Battalion Chief Rodd Souter, assigned to Battalion 11 B (31 years LAFD). Britney will be attending Boise State University majoring in Elementary Education. Brittney has participated in track and field, tennis, cheerleading, Student Ambassadors, Senior Leadership Team and the Associated Student Body (ASB). She has been a member of ASB for 4 years. As the ASB Vice-President this year, Brittney oversees all clubs on campus, keeping diligent records and ensures that all parties involved in any club making decision have the proper information and
documentation needed for success. She has led her peers on countless occasions, planning school wide events, running meetings with the entire ASB class, communicating with her peers and AAE teachers. Being the ASB Vice-President has inspired Brittney to obtain a higher education and eventually become a teacher. Her desire is to become a leader for the kids in her class and be an example for them to follow. Since elementary school Brittney has strived and worked hard for high academics and sought out volunteer opportunities. Her top priority has been to help others and be an example for those around her. Britney has been dancing competitively for 15 years and served as a teachers assistant for two years at “A Dancer’s Pointe Performing Arts Center.” She has volunteered at her church since 2105 and participated in missions to Mexico. Brittney’s academic awards include Principal’s Honor Roll 2015 -2019, National Honor Society 2015-2019, Scholar Athlete 2015-2019. Britney graduates with a 4.1 GPA.LAFD Event-061119
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Gary Apodaca
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
Cropped image taken with D5300, Samyang 8mm fisheye at f3.5, 13 sec at ISO 2,500.
Due to the distortion on the lens it is difficult to tell if it is a true Ursid. Other opinions welcome.
OK partner, I've decided to use these ("Tea Garden") with some solids (unless you happen to come along and say you don't like them!).
Kuala Lumpur (/ˈkwɑːləˈlʊmpʊər/ or /-pər/; Malaysian pronunciation: [ˈkwalə ˈlumpʊr]) is the national capital and most populous global city in Malaysia. The city covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.6 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, covering similar area as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.5 million people as of 2012. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia, in terms of population and economy.
Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia. The city was once home to the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999. Some sections of the judiciary still remain in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The official residence of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is also situated in Kuala Lumpur. Rated as an alpha world city, Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia due to its position as the capital as well as being a key city. Kuala Lumpur was ranked 48th among global cities by Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index and was ranked 67th among global cities for economic and social innovation by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index in 2010.
Kuala Lumpur is defined within the borders of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is one of three Malaysian Federal Territories. It is an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix. In addition, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia's futuristic development.
In May 2015, Kuala Lumpur was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan City, Doha, Durban, Havana, Beirut, and La Paz.
HISTORY
Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence", although it is also possible that the name is a corrupted form of an earlier but now unidentifiable forgotten name. It was originally a small settlement of just a few houses at the confluence of Sungai Gombak (previously known as Sungai Lumpur) and Sungai Klang (Klang River). The town of Kuala Lumpur was established circa 1857, when the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, aided by his brother Raja Juma'at of Lukut, raised funds to hire some Chinese miners from Lukut to open new tin mines here. The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued their journey on foot to Ampang where the first mine was opened. Kuala Lumpur was the furthest point up the Klang River to which supplies could conveniently be brought by boat; it therefore became a collection and dispersal point serving the tin mines. The identity of the founder of Kuala Lumpur has however not been confirmed: Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar and his role in founding the city do not appear in the earliest account of the history of Selangor. On the other hand, the Sumatrans Abdullah Hukum and Sutan Puasa, arrived in Kuala Lumpur at least in 1850. Raja Abdullah only came around 1857 and Yap Ah Loy, also regarded as the founding father of Kuala Lumpur, arrived in 1862. In addition, the Chinese men employed under Raja Abdullah worked in Ampang, 64 kilometres away from the main land. Meanwhile, efficient drainage and irrigation systems (bondar saba) were introduced in Kuala Lumpur by the technologically advanced Mandailing, improving the mining industry.
In the early history of Kuala Lumpur, the Minangkabaus of Sumatra were considered to be one of the most important groups of people who involved in trading. Utsman bin Abdullah and Haji Mohamed Taib were influenced tycoon in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding area. Haji Taib, one of the wealthiest figure at that time, was an important person in the early development centre of city: Kampung Baru. Beside as merchants, the Minangkabaus also overwhelmingly on socio-religious figures, such as Utsman bin Abdullah was the first kadi of Kuala Lumpur as well as Muhammad Nur bin Ismail.
Although the early miners suffered a high death toll due to the malarial conditions of the jungle, the Ampang mines were successful, and the first tin was exported in 1859. The tin-mining spurred the growth of the town, and miners later also settled in Pudu and Batu. The miners formed gangs among themselves; there were the Hakka-dominated Hai San in Kuala Lumpur, and the Cantonese-dominated Ghee Hin based in Kanching in Ulu Selangor. These two gangs frequently fought to gain control of best tin mines. The leaders of the Chinese community were conferred the title of Kapitan Cina (Chinese headman) by the Malay chief, and Hiu Siew, the owner of a mine in Lukut, was chosen as the first Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. As one of the first traders to arrive in Ampang (along with Yap Ah Sze), he sold provisions to the miners in exchange for tin.
In 1868, Yap Ah Loy was appointed the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. Yap, together with Frank Swettenham, were the two most important figures in the development of Kuala Lumpur in the early days of Kuala Lumpur. In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur by the colonial administration, and Swettenham was appointed the Resident in 1882. Kuala Lumpur was a small town with buildings made of wood and atap (thatching) that were prone to burn. It suffered from many problems, including the Selangor Civil War which devastated the town; it was also plagued by diseases and constant fires and floods. The war and other setbacks led to a slump which lasted until 1879, when a rise in the price of tin allowed the town to recover.
In 1881, a flood swept through the town, following a fire that had engulfed it earlier. As a response, Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile.[33] Hence, Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought a sprawling piece of real estate to set up a brick industry, which spurred the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur. This place is the eponymous Brickfields. Hence, destroyed atap buildings were replaced with brick and tiled ones. He restructured the building layout of the city. Many of the new brick buildings mirrored those of shop houses in southern China, characterised by "five foot ways" as well as skilled Chinese carpentry work. This resulted in a distinct eclectic shop house architecture typical to this region. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy expand road access in the city significantly, linking up tin mines with the city, these roads include the main arterial roads of the present Ampang Road, Pudu Road and Petaling Street. As Chinese Kapitan, he was vested with wide powers on par with Malay community leaders. He implemented law reforms and introduced new legal measures. He also presided over a small claims court. With a police force of six, he was able to uphold the rule of law. He built a prison that could accommodate 60 prisoners at any time. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street of which the Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad had an interest.
A railway line between Kuala Lumpur and Klang, initiated by Swettenham and completed in 1886, increased accessibility which resulted in the rapid growth of the town. The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890. As development intensified in the 1880s, it also put pressure on sanitation, waste disposal and other health issues. A Sanitary Board was created on 14 May 1890 which was responsible for sanitation, upkeep of roads, lighting of street and other functions. This would eventually became the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council. Kuala Lumpur was only 0.65 km2 in 1895, but it expanded to 20 km2 in 1903, and by the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to 93 km2, and then to 243 km2 in 1974 as a Federal Territory. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States. A mixture of different communities settled in various sections of Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese mainly settled around the commercial centre of Market Square, east of the Klang River, and towards Chinatown. The Malays, Indian Chettiars, and Indian Muslims resided along Java Street (now Jalan Tun Perak). The Padang, now known as Merdeka Square, was the centre of the British administrative offices.
During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 11 January 1942. They occupied the city until 15 August 1945, when the commander in chief of the Japanese Seventh Area Army in Singapore and Malaysia, Seishirō Itagaki, surrendered to the British administration following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kuala Lumpur grew through the war, the rubber and tin commodity crashes and the Malayan Emergency, during which Malaya was preoccupied with the communist insurgency. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. Kuala Lumpur remained the capital through the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
On 13 May 1969, the worst race riots on record in Malaysia took place in Kuala Lumpur. The so-called 13 May Incident refers to the occurrence of violence between members of the Malay and the Chinese communities. The violence was the result of Malaysian Malays being dissatisfied with their socio-political status. The riots resulted in the deaths of 196 people, and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of the other ethnicities.
Kuala Lumpur later achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital. On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated 100 years of local council. The new federal territory Kuala Lumpur flag and anthem were introduced. On 1 February 2001, Putrajaya was declared a Federal Territory, as well as the seat of the federal government. The administrative and judicial functions of the government were shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur however still retained its legislative function, and remained the home of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Constitutional King).
GEOGRAPHY
The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterised by the huge Klang Valley. The valley is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term that translates to "muddy confluence" as it is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.
Located in the centre of Selangor state, Kuala Lumpur was previously under the rule of Selangor State Government. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was separated from Selangor to form the first Federal Territory governed directly by the Malaysian Federal Government. Its location on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which has wider flat land than the east coast, has contributed to its faster development relative to other cities in Malaysia. The municipality of the city covers an area of 243 km2, with an average elevation of 21.95 m.
CLOMATE AND WEATHER
Protected by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and Indonesia's Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), which is warm and sunny, along with abundant rainfall, especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between 32 and 33 °C and have never exceeded 38.5 °C, while minimums hover between 23.4 and 24.6 °C and have never fallen below 14.4 °C. Kuala Lumpur typically receives minimum 2,600 mm of rain annually; June and July are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds 131 millimetres per month.
Flooding is a frequent occurrence in Kuala Lumpur whenever there is a heavy downpour, especially in the city centre and downstream areas. Smoke from forest fires of nearby Sumatra sometimes cast a haze over the region. It is a major source of pollution in the city together with open burning, emission from motor vehicles and construction work.
POLITICS
Kuala Lumpur is home to the Parliament of Malaysia. The hierarchy of authority in Malaysia, in accordance with the Federal Constitution, has stipulated the three branches, of the Malaysian government as consisting of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative branches. The Parliament consists of the Dewan Negara (Upper House / House of Senate) and Dewan Rakyat (Lower House / House of Representatives).
ECONOMY
Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding urban areas form the most industrialised and economically, the fastest growing region in Malaysia. Despite the relocation of federal government administration to Putrajaya, certain government institutions such as Bank Negara Malaysia (National Bank of Malaysia), Companies Commission of Malaysia and Securities Commission as well as most embassies and diplomatic missions have remained in the city.
The city remains as the economic and business centre of the country. Kuala Lumpur is a centre for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is rated as an alpha world city, and is the only global city in Malaysia, according to the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC). The infrastructure development in the surrounding areas such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang, the creation of the Multimedia Super Corridor and the expansion of Port Klang further reinforce the economic significance of the city.
Bursa Malaysia or the Malaysia Exchange is based in the city and forms one of its core economic activities. As of 5 July 2013, the market capitalisation stood at US$505.67 billion.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Kuala Lumpur is estimated at RM73,536 million in 2008 with an average annual growth rate of 5.9 percent.[66] The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 is RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent. The total employment in Kuala Lumpur is estimated at around 838,400. The service sector comprising finance, insurance, real estate, business services, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, transport, storage and communication, utilities, personal services and government services form the largest component of employment representing about 83.0 percent of the total. The remaining 17 percent comes from manufacturing and construction.
The average monthly household income for Kuala Lumpur was RM4,105 (USD 1,324) in 1999, up from RM3,371 (USD 1,087) four years prior, making it 66% higher than the national average. In terms of household income distribution, 23.5% of households in the city earned more than RM5,000 (USD 1,613) per month compared to 9.8% for the entire country, while 8.1% earned less than RM1,000 (USD 323) a month.
The large service sector is evident in the number of local and foreign banks and insurance companies operating in the city. Kuala Lumpur is poised to become the global Islamic Financing hub with an increasing number of financial institutions providing Islamic Financing and the strong presence of Gulf's financial institutions such as the world's largest Islamic bank, Al-Rajhi Bank and Kuwait Finance House. Apart from that, the Dow Jones & Company is keen to work with Bursa Malaysia to set up Islamic Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs), which would help raise Malaysia's profile in the Gulf. The city has a large number of foreign corporations and is also host to many multi national companies' regional offices or support centres, particularly for finance and accounting, and information technology functions. Most of the countries' largest companies have their headquarters based here and as of December 2007 and excluding Petronas, there are 14 companies that are listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur.
Other important economic activities in the city are education and health services. Kuala Lumpur also has advantages stemming from the high concentration of educational institutions that provide a wide-ranging of courses. Numerous public and private medical specialist centres and hospitals in the city offer general health services, and a wide range of specialist surgery and treatment that caters to locals and tourists.
There has been growing emphasis to expand the economic scope of the city into other service activities, such as research and development, which supports the rest of the economy of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has been home for years to important research centres such as the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia and the Institute of Medical Research and more research centres are expected to be established in the coming years.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Kuala Lumpur is the most populous city in Malaysia, with a population of 1.6 million in the city proper as of 2010. It has a population density of 6,696 inhabitants per square kilometre , and is the most densely populated administrative district in Malaysia. Residents of the city are colloquially known as KLites. Kuala Lumpur is also the centre of the wider Klang Valley conurbation (covering Petaling Jaya, Klang, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Gombak and others) which has an estimated metropolitan population of 7.2–7.5 million as of 2012.
Kuala Lumpur's heterogeneous populace includes the country's three major ethnic groups: the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians, although the city also has a mix of different cultures including Eurasians, as well as Kadazans, Ibans and other indigenous races from East Malaysia and Peninsula Malaysia.
Historically Kuala Lumpur was a predominantly Chinese, but recently the Bumiputra component of the city has increased substantially and they are now the dominant group. Most of Malays who considered as Bumiputra came from Sumatra and other parts of Indonesia archipelago. The majority of them Javanese, Minangkabaus and Buginese began arriving in Kuala Lumpur in the mid 19th century, in addition to Acehnese who arrived in the late 20th century. The population of Kuala Lumpur was estimated to be around three thousand in 1880 when it was made the capital of Selangor. In the following decade which saw the rebuilding of the town it showed considerable increase, due in large part to the construction of a railway line in 1886 connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang.
A census in 1891 of uncertain accuracy gave a figure of 43,796 inhabitants, 79% of whom were Chinese (71% of the Chinese were Hakka), 14% Malay, and 6% Indian. Another estimate put the population of Kuala Lumpur in 1890 at 20,000. In 1931, 61% of Kuala Lumpur's 111,418 inhabitants were Chinese, and in 1947 63.5%. The Malays however began to settle in the Kuala Lumpur in significant numbers, in part due to government employment, as well as the expansion of the city that absorbed the surrounding rural areas where many Malays lived. between 1947 and 1957 the population of Bumiputras in Kuala Lumpur doubled, increasing from 12.5 to 15%, while the proportion of Chinese dropped. The process continued after Malayan independence with the growth of a largely Malay civil service, and later the implementation of the New Economic Policy which encouraged Malay participation in urban industries and business. In 1980 the population of Kuala Lumpur had reached over a million, with 52% Chinese, 33% Malay, and 15% Indian. From 1980 to 2000 the number of Bumiputras increased by 77%, but the Chinese still outnumbered the Bumiputras in Kuala Lumpur in the 2000 census at 43% compared to Bumiputras at 38%. By the 2010 census, according to the Department of Statistics and excluding non-citizens, the percentage of the Bumiputera population in Kuala Lumpur has reached around 45.9%, with the Chinese population at 43.2% and Indians 10.3%.A notable phenomenon in recent times has been the increase of foreign residents in Kuala Lumpur, which rose from 1% of the city's population in 1980 to about 8% in the 2000 census, and 9.4% in the 2010 census. These figures also do not include a significant number of illegal immigrants. Kuala Lumpur's rapid development has triggered a huge influx of low-skilled foreign workers from Indonesia, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Vietnam into Malaysia, many of whom enter the country illegally or without proper permits.Birth rates in Kuala Lumpur have declined and resulted in the lower proportion of young people falling below 15 years old category from 33% in 1980 to slightly less than 27% in 2000.[69] On the other hand, the working age group of 15–59 increased from 63% in 1980 to 67% in 2000. The elderly age group, 60 years old and above has increased from 4% in 1980 and 1991 to 6% in 2000.
Kuala Lumpur is pluralistic and religiously diverse. The city has many places of worship catering to the multi-religious population. Islam is practised primarily by the Malays and the Indian Muslim communities. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are practised mainly among the Chinese. Indians traditionally adhere to Hinduism. Some Chinese and Indians also subscribe to Christianity.
As of 2010 Census the population of Kuala Lumpur is 46.4% Muslim, 35.7% Buddhist, 8.5% Hindu, 5.8% Christian, 1.1% Taoist or Chinese religion adherent, 2.0% follower of other religions, and 0.5% non-religious.
Bahasa Malaysia is the principal language in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur residents are generally literate in English, with a large proportion adopting it as their first language. It has a strong presence, especially in business and is a compulsory language taught in schools. Cantonese and Mandarin are prominent as they are spoken by the local majority Chinese population. Another major dialect spoken is Hakka. While Tamil is dominant amongst the local Indian population, other Indian languages spoken include Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi and Hindi. Beside the Malay language, there are a variety of languages spoken by Indonesian descent, such as Minangkabau and Javanese.
EDUCATION
According to government statistics, Kuala Lumpur has a literacy rate of 97.5% in 2000, the highest rate in any state or territory in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Malay is the language of instruction for most subjects while English is a compulsory subject, but as of 2012, English is still the language of instruction for mathematics and the natural sciences for certain schools. Some schools provide Mandarin and Tamil as languages of instruction for certain subjects. Each level of education demands different skills of teaching and learning ability.Kuala Lumpur contains 13 tertiary education institutions, 79 high schools, 155 elementary schools and 136 kindergartens.
WIKIPEDIA
Bridgeport police investigate apparent Santeria curse
Noelle Frampton, STAFF WRITER
Published: 11:17 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, 2010
BRIDGEPORT -- In the latest of several incidents of apparent occult practice in the city, police are investigating what they believe was a Santeria curse against a Derby man -- in the form of dead, headless roosters and other animal parts.
Stuffed with some kind of root and sewn up, the two beheaded roosters were found last week, hanging by their feet about 10 feet up from a tree near the intersection of Housatonic Avenue and Grand Street, according to police and paranormal investigators.
At the base of the tree was a bag containing a black knit cap and a box cutter, and nearby there were three coconut halves in a semi-circle, an apparent sheep's jawbone and a snakeskin, said Nicole Hall, a paranormal investigator with CT Soul Seekers Paranormal Investigations.
Animal control was notified on Wednesday, and a patrol officer was later called to the scene.
The matter is still under investigation and no charges have been filed, said Sgt. James Myers, who is also a paranormal investigator.
Preliminarily, it appears the curse was linked to a dispute between a man who works near the spot where the roosters were found and his ex-girlfriend, according to Hall, who visited the scene and talked to the man's wife.
The disputing pair was due to appear in court soon because the man recently discovered that the teenage son he'd been supporting all of his life wasn't his and is suing for back child support, Hall said.
The ex-girlfriend apparently set up the curse with offerings to a Santerian god and symbols related to money, as well as negative wishes toward the man. She called to inform him of it early last week, Hall said.
Reached at home Wednesday evening, the man, whose name was withheld to protect his privacy, declined comment.
In the past year, the city has seen an upswing in incidents involving occult activity, Myers said, noting numerous times he's gone to city homes and noticed symbolism related to Voodoo and Santeria, a Caribbean religion that combines elements of West African Yoruba and Roman Catholicism.
Last June, officers found a human skull, a beheaded chicken, chickens' blood and other animal parts in a Madison Avenue basement during a drug raid. The next month, there were two human skulls in a circular blanket of loose dirt and bloody papers with names on them at Mountain Grove Cemetery. And just days later, the body of a 2-year-old girl stolen from her Stamford grave showed up in a New Jersey river with chicken bones nearby.
Police believed all three incidents may have involved Santeria or similar religious rituals, but weren't connected.
A police report indicates that the ex-girlfriend, who lives in Bridgeport, may also have been involved in the Mountain Grove ritual.
Myers declined to comment on whether there is a criminal element to the apparent curse, saying that such cases, in general, can be tricky because people have a legal right to freely practice the religion of their choice.
"You have that fine line," he said. "When does it become animal cruelty? When does it become harassment? You have to really, really watch that line. People have Constitutional rights for a purpose."
Due to the apparent increase in occult activity in Bridgeport, Myers is advocating for city police training in occult identification so officers "know what they're actually looking at when they go out into the field."
Hall said the man's wife told her she'd found other evidence of possible curses around their home and "in the past few months or so, they've had nothing but bad luck."
She said the couple has renewed their attendance at a Catholic church and asked that their house be blessed by a priest.
"That's the best thing they can do," she said, adding that she believes people can protect themselves against spiritual curses through their own beliefs.
Marci Fernino, a sensitive with CT Soul Seekers, said the man "doesn't want to put any belief in" the curse, and went as far as to assert that "Somebody can't curse you if you don't believe in it and your faith is strong enough and you don't let that happen."
There is an element of mind-over-matter in such cases, Myers said, but "it really doesn't matter if the person believes or doesn't believe."
Some people don't believe in paranormal or occult activity, he said, but their opinions don't determine whether it is real: "There are things beyond us that we can't explain; it doesn't mean they're not there."
Even so, he said the curse was directed toward a specific goal and should not cause alarm to the general public.
(for further pictures or information please go to the end of page and by clicking on the link you will get them as soon as possible!)
The Vienna Prater
Lieblingsnahausflugsziel (favourite nearby excursion destination) in Biedermeier Vienna is the Prater. The season opens with the race of "noble runners" on May 1. The usually before the carriages of the nobility running lackeys on that day line up under high bets to public competition. The main avenue along to the pleasure house (Lusthaus) and back drag the racers to the cheers of the audience. Trumpet-blasts, flags and cash prizes await the winner. Military music they escorts into the first Prater coffee house where them a splendid breakfast is arranged, while the ones having fallen by the wayside are collected. This race is banned in 1848 because of inhumanity. In the afternoon swayed - as from now on every Sunday - people and cars down the hunter line (Jägerzeile - since 1862 Prater Road). The state-carriages of the Court, the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie to evening make in a continuous parade the main street with its lofty Prater coffee houses to a "Nobel Prater".
"Bey the public-houses (Inns)" in the Prater.
Coloured engraving, T. Mollo. 1825
The people has fun in the Wurstelprater (Hanswurst, clowning on Vienna stages) in a tangle of guest houses and Prater lodges, puppet booths, calendula games and swings between the Prater harpists, salami sellers and spectacle. Here is the stronghold of the showmen with their monkey theater and flea circus, jugglers and fire-eaters, giants and dwarfs, menageries, panoramas, wax figures and ghostly apparitions. On the "Zirkuswiese" in Circus gymnasticus the popular equestrian companies by Christoph de Bach (? 1808) and Alexander Guerra perform. One camps in the Prater floodplains and waits until at nightfall on the "fireworks meadow" Stuwer (? 1802) lets shoot up his sparkling rockets.
City Chronicle Vienna
Dr. Christian Brandstätter, Dr. Günter Treffer
2000 years in data, documents and images
From the beginnings to the present
Courtesy
Christian Brandstätter Verlag mbH
The publishing service for museums, businesses and public authorities
www.brandstaetter - verlag.at
The historically grown amusement park looks back to a rich history. First documentary references of that area, which originally had jungle-like character, go back to the 12th Century. The former imperial hunting ground in 1766 under the "popular" Austrian Emperor Joseph II was made accessible to the public. Soon after, a number of small entertainment venues (carousels, shooting galleries, food stalls, ...) arrived, entertaining the people and also providing for the physical well-being.
The inhabitants of Vienna enjoyed themselves by riding artfully designed Hutschpferden (swing horses) and by swinging into lofty altitudes. In the process you could with long poles jab into rings. Hence the name carousel. It had been created recreational devices for the general public.
The fireworks of Stuwer and the balloon ascents end of the 18th Century dragged the Viennese from the city to the fairgrounds in the Prater. Following the trend of the times were national artistic institutions (theaters, waxworks museum and people museum - "Präuschers panopticon" with 2,000 objects, Vivarium, Planetarium, ... ) built and connected to the hustle and bustle. Sensations in the old Prater were the Abnormitätenshows (abnormalities) in which Lilliputian, Hirsute men, Siamese twins including "Freaks" (monster, abnormal shape) were to see. The thick Prater-Mitzi or the Russian-born trunk man Kobelkoff, as well as the ghostly magic theater of Kratky Baschik enriched the morphology of the bizarre Prater landscape. With the development of technology and electricity, the entertainment in the Prater was becoming more and more diverse.
In the emerging age of railways, the in Trieste born Basilio Calafati founded the first railway carousel in 1844. In this hut in 1854 the figure of the "big Chinesers" was set up as a mast. Many showmen and technicians from all over the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, but also from the rest of Europe in the illustrious Viennese amusement park their ideas put into practice.
The Englishman Basset succeeded in 1897 to set up the still existing Ferris wheel in the Prater. This vehicle with a diameter of 61 meters originally had 30 cars. When the first "living pictures", the Cinematography, were born, 1896 the first cinema was opened in the Prater. Electricity in 1898 the first electrically operated Grottenbahn brought in the Prater. This fairytale train was also the first in Europe. On the occasion of the popularity of the airplane in 1911 the first "Aeroplan Carousel" was established. Followed in 1926 the first "Autodrome" and in 1933 the first "ghost train". In 1928, the still running "Liliputbahn", a reduced form of the great steam locomotives was placed in the Prater. 1935 brought a Prater entrepreneur from Chicago the rapid "flight path" in the Prater, a system not running on rails.
The Prater always changed its face, modernized and adapted itself to the trend of times. One attraction always replaced the other. Only few historical venues have been able to transport themselves into the present. Tradition-conscious companies such as the "Pony Carousel" from the year 1887 or the nostalgic slide tower "switchback (Tobogan)" from the 50s fight against the taste of the times and the needs of the visitors. In popularity but the historic Ferris wheel, the "Miniature Train" and of course the restaurant "Swiss House" (specialty: stilt and beer) will never lose.
Rickety ghost trains and sparkling grotto railways, although dusty, will not allow to be pushed out of the Prater. Between the historical venues flash the new, modern, hydraulically operated high-tech fairground rides. 1909-1944 the enormous dimensioned "roller coaster" always was a magnet for the Prater trippers. A reduced form is the after the war built "Neue Wiener roller coaster". Was swallowed entirely by history the magnificent "Venice in Vienna". On the site of the present Emperor's Meadow (Kaiserwiese) was located around the turn of the century the illusory world of the artificially recreated lagoon city. The initiator Gabor Steiner created in 1895 a world in the Prater, in which not only the high society, but also the Bohemian maids and the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian multinational state amused themselves. In the era of the fin de siècle (= the decadent over-refinement of feeling and taste at the end of the 19th century), in which the Prater flourished, performed the most famous conductors of the time (Strauss, Lanner, Ziehrer).
Characteristic for the Wiener Prater today is also the adjacent green, left in its naturale state Praterau (Prater floodplain). An engaging recreational landscape with trees, meadows and ponds. Through this welcoming and quiet part of the Prater leads the 4.5 km long main avenue, which is lined with old chestnut trees. At the time, colorful flower parades were held there where, inter alia, even the Emperor and Empress and Mayor Lueger showed up. Along the main avenue were situated the now defunct, three famous coffee houses. The1783 built by Canevale "pleasure house" (Lusthaus) at the end of the main avenue, however, is still to be found. Past is the "Vaudeville Light", where for a long time popular movie stars and artists of yesteryear (Aslan, Jeritza, Moser, ... ) entertained the Prater audience.
To the Prater belongs also the fairgrounds. There in 1873 took place the world exhibition. The Rotunda, those proud crowned by a cupola central building in 1937 became a prey to the flames. What in the course of time of historic buildings of facilities in the Prater not had outlived itself, was destroyed in World War II. The most severely battered amusement park but was rebuilt. It established itself again as an integral part of the cultural entertainment of the city of Vienna. The force measuring machine "Watschenmann" is part of the local history of this unique institution, but also the cheeky and defiant "Prater Puppet" characterizes the color of the Vienna Prater.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Australian Water Dragon
This is an The Eastern Water Dragon Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii, is a subspecies that occurs along the east coast of Australia from Cooktown in the north down to the New South Wales south coast (approximately at Kangaroo Valley) where it is replaced with the Gippsland Water Dragon Intellagama lesueurii howittii (there are a lot of young ones around Sandy Camp Rd Wetlands at the moment)
Scientific Name: Intellegama lesueurii
Identification: The genus Physignathus was described by George Cuvier (1769-1832) in 1829 based on the type specimen of the genus; the Green Water Dragon, Physignathus cocincinus of south-east Asia. The name Physignathus translates to "puff-cheek" and refers to the bulging appearance of the throat and lower jaw. Physignathus comprises two recognised species; Physignathus lesueurii and Physignathus concincinus. The specific name lesueurii honours the French naturalist Charles-Alexandre Lesueur (1778-1846) who collected this species on the Baudin expedition of 1800. There are two recognised subspecies of Water Dragon; the Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii and the Gippsland Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii howittii. A recent taxonomic review concluded that the Australian species of Physignathus shows enough differing characteristics to classify it in its own genus, since Physignathus was first assigned to P. cocincinus, a new genus hand to be created for the Australian Water Dragons. In 2012 the species was officially renamed Itellagama lesueurii.
The Water Dragon can be identified by a distinctively deep angular head and nuchal crest of spinose scales that joins the vertebral crest extending down the length of its body to the tail. Enlarged spinose scales are also present across the lateral surface, unevenly distributed amongst regular keeled scales. The jowls are large and ear is exposed and of almost equal size of the eye. The dorsal ridge and tail are laterally compressed and the limbs are strong and robust with particularly long toes on the hind legs. The tail is capable of regeneration when lost, furthermore, regenerated tails can also grow back when severed.
Colouration differs between the subspecies; the Eastern Water Dragon, Itellagama lesueurii lesueurii, has a grey to brownish-grey colour above with patterns of black stripes along the dorsal ridge as well as down the tail. There is also a dark stripe horizontally from the eye back over the tympanum and extending down the neck. The limbs are mostly black with spots and stripes of grey and the tail is patterned with grey and black stripes. The ventral surface is yellowish-brown, with the chest and upper belly becoming bright red in mature males.
The Gippsland Water Dragon, Itellagama lesueurii howittii, is identical in morphology apart from slightly smaller spinose scales but differs in colouration and patterning. Dorsally the body is olive-green to brown in colour with transverse black stripes. The dark stripe from the eye to ear is absent. Mature males have dark blue-green chests and streaks of yellow and blue around the neck and throat.
Size range: Total length of 80 to 90cm
Distribution: Water Dragons are found in eastern Australia as well as southern New Guinea. The Eastern subspecies, Itellagama lesueurii lesueurii, occurs along the east coast of Australia from Cooktown in the north down to the New South Wales south coast (approximately at Kangaroo Valley) where it is replaced with the Gippsland subspecies Itellagama lesueurii howittii, which is distributed as far south and into the Gippsland region of eastern Victoria. There are also at least one anthropologically introduced feral population found in the Mount Lofty Ranges near Adelaide in South Australia.
Habitat: The habitats available to this species differ greatly over its distribution, from tropical rainforest in the north to alpine streams in the south. Flowing water with ample tree cover and basking sites appear to be the key to habitat preference for this species. Water dragons will be found in built-up urban areas provided that the above conditions can be found and water quality is fair.
Feeding and Diet: Water Dragons are completely insectivorous as juveniles, however as they grow they become more omnivorous with vegetable matter gradually making up to almost half of the diet. In the wild Water Dragons have been observed ground feeding on insects such as ants as well as foraging amongst the branches of trees for arboreal invertebrates like cicadas. They may also consume molluscs and crustaceans such as yabbies, and individuals have been reported foraging for algae and crabs in intertidal zones of the Sydney region. Juvenile Water Dragons have also been observed feeding on mosquitoes which they will jump in the air to catch. Types of vegetation reportedly consumed include figs, lilly-pilly fruits, and other fruits and flowers. Water Dragons are believed to forage underwater, however this is based on one observation of diving Water Dragons returning to the surface and moving their jaws.
Other behaviours and adaptations: The Water Dragon is more often heard than seen as it dives into the water when disturbed. It can remain submerged for around one hour. This species has a much lower preferred body temperature than other large dragons and can remain in the water or in shade on hot days. They are often seen on overcast days or in the morning basking in the available heat.
Water Dragons have quite contrasting activity patterns that are dependent on the season and average daily temperature within its range. During spring and summer, Water Dragons of all ages and sizes can be seen in the various riparian environments they inhabit - basking on riverbanks and rocks, lounging in trees, swimming, as well as foraging for food on land. They can sometimes be hard to observe, and even animals accustomed to human attention will be quick to escape if approached too closely, by either dropping from rock ledges and branches into the water or running bipedally to the water or thick cover. Young Water Dragons prefer to be on the ground and appear to be more wary than the larger adults. Juveniles of I. l. lesueurii have been observed staying completely still when discovered in a grassed section metres from the water, relying heavily on their dull grey camouflage to blend in with the grass and fallen leaves.
Life cycle: Growth rate is fastest in the first year with hatchings from one mark-recapture project growing 2.25mm or 1.25g per month. One individual measured in its first season in March 1990 was 78mm from snout to vent and weighed 17g. The following year in January this same individual had a snout to vent length of 101mm and was 34g.
Mating and reproduction
The timing of breeding is determined by the onset of warmer weather in spring which occurs sooner in populations inhabiting northern Queensland and later in populations living in Gippsland. In the Sydney region, the breeding season begins in September, when courtship and mating begins, and concludes in January when the last clutches of eggs are laid.
Males are thought to be sexually mature at a snout-vent length of about 210 mm and a mass of 400 g. In the wild this occurs at approximately 5 years of age; in captivity however this can occur as early as 2 years. A single captive female was recorded reproducing from the age of 4 until it was 27 years of age. It is unclear how long males can remain reproductive.
Males of similar size will fight each other when confronted. A male will first attempt to deter his opponent through intimidation, e.g. by walking tall and puffing out the throat with the mouth open wide (see Image 18), and will try to appear as large as possible. If this does not deter the opponent, then ritual combat will result. Male combat includes both animals siding up to each other on the ground so that each animal has its head next to its opponentâs hip area. Both animals will circle each other while taking short bites at each others hip and neck regions. Then they may stop still before erupting into action and repeating this pattern over several more times. Before the end of the battle both opponents will have wounds from biting and scratching on their hips and necks. Fighting between wild males has been observed lasting for ten minutes.
Females can reproduce twice a season in captivity; however this has not been reported in mark-recapture studies of wild populations.
Females begin digging test holes in sandy soil from a week to three days prior to laying. Water Dragon clutch size ranges from 6 to 18. Mean mass of individual eggs varies from about 4.0 to 5.1g.
Predators, Parasites and Diseases
Small Water Dragons have been observed being taken by Brown Tree Snakes Boiga irregularis which hunt for them in the tree branches as they sleep. Other species of snakes known to prey on juvenile Water Dragons include Death Adders Acanthophis antarcticus, Copperheads Austrelaps superbus and Red-bellied Black Snakes Pseudechis porphyriacus. Hatchlings and young dragons are also known to be cannibalised by adult Water Dragons in some wild populations.
(Source: Australian Museum)
© Chris Burns 2017
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
So I honestly think Gale is one of the best male dolls Mattel has produced in the last 5 years since his sculpt is pretty nice and the screening is great too so I’m pretty chuffed @elizabethplaid gifted him to me. But for some reason his head just looks really big on the pivotal Ken body. So I’m trying to see if he looks good on other bodies or not.
He’s currently on my Declan Wake’s body since I find Declan’s head to be too small for the neck, but I’m not sure if I’m really feeling Gale on this body. It’s definitely more expressive and proportional for Gale but…. yeah.
Is it possible to fall in love with a virtual mate? In Second Life, couples prove that theory on a regular basis. They do fall in love. Sometimes, it lasts and sometimes it doesn't.
Those that last are a remarkable group of couples. They are remarkable both in SL and RL where the divorce rate matches the break-ups in SL!
My partner, Xavier and I enjoy SL very much. We dance, we explore, we network, we chill, we love and we have a blast doing silly things.
So many places offer romantic areas such as ballrooms, chill zones and explorations. Here are some of our favorites...
Avilion Ballroom is a special favorite of mine. It's where I first danced with my first crush... and now I dance here with my partner. Recently, renovated, the Avilion offers a beautiful place to romance each other.
Phatland is another. More jazz music than Avilion, Phat's is a sophisticated club for couples. Beautifully built, we seem to frequent this place a lot.
Another great ballroom venue is Frank's Place. A lot of avies hang out here, so do prepare for a bit of lag. I suggest that you arrive early so that you can grab a spot on the dance floor.
A smaller club that we frequent regularly is the MMAC Jazz Link. Every week, DJ VJ Shojo spins an eclectic set of jazz and indie tunes. Very chill and very romantic little jazz club. Dash Renoir is the perfect host there.
Then there's the beautiful Ballroom">Palace, where grand is an understatement. We usually arrive to a nearly empty place dancing alone in our own world. Very romantic.
But, the most grand of all is a recent discovery. Tempura Island and Ballroom is the epitome of a lover's paradise. Grand and magnificent, the ballroom is done in gold gilt, with a beautiful ceiling and wall textures. The stairs leading to the ballroom and castle are simple but ever so opulent. This is an LM that I have sent to all my friends! LOL!
And we still frequent the clubs that offer a place for us. A place where we can be a couple without the drama that other places bring...
We hit Dorian Gray for DJ Barbs set and Xavier set off his JMD particle hud for a romantic interlude on the dance floor. So fun!
A big thanks to DJ Dint Talon for an awesome night over at IPR365 Milky Way Entertainment complex's K-Lounge. OMG, we had a blast! DJ Dint was spinning an incredible set of jungle, tribal, trance... you name it, he was spinning it! We stayed until the end!
We also went to Bogart's Cafe which is kinda a ballroom and kinda a lounge setting. You can dress in ballroom or cocktail dress there. We often go in between clubbing for a quick ballroom dance to lovely jazz music.
We usually stop off at Spanish DJ Sonar Halsey's Future Club. It is always psy heaven there! And BassLine Island for some hardcore tunes to get the blood pumping. Both are fun clubs for couples to hang at and dance.
And when we explore, we always seem to find the cutest places such as Midnight City for NBC's romantic dinner club, Rainbow Room Dining and the Italian pizza place that reminds me of North Beach in San Francisco!
The other night, Xavi took me to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's build featuring an interactive floor of of the entire world's atmosphere! Wow! This from the US Department of Commerce!
And, when we chill at home we can be silly and set off our particles and dance or pull all our emotes and gestures for hours of silliness.
Couples in Second Life are just like couples in real life. They play, they love, they emote real emotions towards each other... and as best friends, they share the best of Second Life together.
Ecstatic about the 80F weather we had yesterday, as soon as I came home from work, I loaded Ouzo in the truck and headed to the Cherry Creek dog park, where for almost 2 hours he ran and swam and ran some more.
When I loaded him in the back of the Chevy and was ready to towel dry him, he suddenly started to rub the left side of his face to the truck's interior walls, then seriously leaning into the towel as I was rubbing his head with it. I didn't know what was hurting - his eye, his ear or his snout - thinking that he might have been bitten by something and already imagining him swelling up again and turning into a SharPei. 15 minutes later, as we arrived home, he didn't seem to have any allergic reaction, but noticed that he was blinking fast with his left eye and rubbing his face against the carpet. I looked in his eye (he's been known to have things stuck to his eye ball without noticing or missing a beat until I had to remove the object - usually piece of grass or leaf) and saw a small abrasion, almost like a partial finger print (I swear I didn't stuck my finger in his eye that hard ).
I tried to clean up his eye with a wet cotton ball, and hoped for the best. Later as he was still blinking, I put a drop of Visine antihistaminic, thinking it might alleviate his discomfort - wrong, it obviously stung him like hell, so I cleaned it up with another wet cotton ball. Chris tried other drops at night, but by morning he was still blinking, plus he had some yellow discharge like he never had before.
This morning we put some ophthalmologic ointment that I had from Romania from my mom (kanamicyn sulphate - couldn't find too much info online or an US equivalent) and a few drops of Naphcon A which Chris had used himself. Not sure if this helped, but I repeated the treatment this afternoon.
I called the vet and scheduled an appt. for tomorrow at 11.30 - I know they will prescribe something similar - an antibiotic - drops/or ointment, but I want to make sure there's nothing stuck there that I cannot see. Other than blinking he is the same - ran like a horse outside just an hour ago and he even seemed to keep his eye wider open while he was having fun.
An amazing historical fake: the so-called Pennelli Sarcophagus. This was claimed to have been excavated in Caere but is now regarded as a forgery. The inscription on its lid was derived in part from a gold brooch in the Louvre, while another inscription, which had been misread, was indicated later as another possible source. Several elements are unlike anything from the Etruscans: the poses of the couple, the nudity of the man, and the nineteenth century undergarments of the woman
This remarkable piece is first heard of in a letter of 26 January 1873 from Antonio Castellani, an Italian dealer, to Charles Newton, the Keeper of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities in the British Museum. Castellani had been embroiled in lengthy negotiations over the sale of his large collection of jewelry, bronzes, terracottas, and vases. This is the letter translation.
«Truly now, through not having ready funds, I may have to let slip through my hands an important Etruscan monument for which negotiations had already opened be tween Helbig and the owner of the object in question. It is a terracotta sarcophagus of Phoenicio-Etruscan style of the same kind as the one in the Campana collection. A large bier (or bed) decorated all around in low relief, on which are lying two people, a man and a woman. It is archaism purer than I have ever known: it is an object of the first rank and is worthy of us. But, what am I to do? You keep me disarmed, and I am beaten by the Prussians. However I do not yet despair: I induced the owner to keep Helbig [Wolfgang Helbig, appointed Second Secretary in the German “Instituto di Corrispondenza” in Roma] at sea until you are here in Rome. Let us go and see the monument, and, if it pleases you, who knows but that we cannot make it ours.»
Castellani succeeded in acquiring the sarcophagus and Newton saw it in Rome in February, for it is specifically mentioned in his report to the Museum once more extolling the importance of the collection. It eventually became part of the huge purchase by the British Museum sanctioned in May of the same year.
Epigraphers were already doubting the Etruscan inscription on the side of the sarcophagus by 1874 and the whole piece by the following year, when one Enrico Pennelli, a restorer in the Louvre, began claiming that he and his brother, Pietro, had made the sarcophagus and then broken it up and buried it. There then followed a flurry of letters various people, as Newton tried to discover the truth of these rumors. Pietro Penelli denied the rumor and, eventually, Enrico seems to have recanted, although was to repeat it again later. Thus, despite Reinach's memorable comment on the piece in 1886, "C'est un chef d'oeuvre, mais dont les auteurs vivent encore", the sarcophagus remained on exhibition in the British Museum until 1936. Today the Pennelli Sarcophagus is stored in the British Museum deposits.
Most modern commentators have thought Castellani the mind behind this forged Etruscan sarcophagus, but Charles Newton, the Keeper of the Greek and Roman Department at the time, never accused Castellani. Newton and Castellani knew each other very well and Newton had already bought a great deal from Castellani. There was no need for Castellani to risk all by knowingly passing on such a fake.
Source: Dyfri Williams, “The Brygos Tomb Reassembled and 19th-Century Commerce in Capuan Antiquities” - American Journal of Archaeology 96, No. 4, pp. 617-636.
Terracotta sarcophagus
Height: 118 centimetres (Lid 78 cm. - Chest 40 cm. - Feet 21 cm.)
Length: 158 centimetres
Width: 72 centimetres
London, The British Museum Museum
Hey Charlie Mac... Help me crop this one :) I wasnt crazy about this shot but Jessica liked it so here it is...... I can't seem to get the crop right. I do like how the sun was hitting the beach glass. Looks nice viewd large.
Estonian Soldiers participated in a multinational field training exercise June 19 that demonstrated the interoperability of allied nations as part of Saber Strike 2014. Saber Strike is a U.S. Army Europe-led exercise mainly focused on the three Baltic States, designed to promote regional stability, strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations. There are approximately 4,500 participants from 10 nations involved in the overall exercise which spans across multiple locations throughout Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Sara Marchus, 116 Public Affairs Detachment/ Released)
Hamburg has a „refugee problem“? No, Hamburg has a housing problem. For decades real estate developers and politicians have treated our cities as if mainly high earners inhabited them, as if people with low income and the homeless had no right to the city – and as if the worldwide flows of forced migration weren’t able to reach Europe. The arrival of more than one million refugees fleeing war, poverty and terror has clearified that this way of city-planning is irresponsible. Suddenly it becomes clear that a policy that has constantly feared „ghettoisation“ when it comes to social housing will fail to cope with the historic challenges of our time. The neoliberal city has been unable to develop concepts for good, affordable and sustainable housing, it has turned the social housing scheme into a subsidy-scheme for investors – and all this lapses have come back to bite. Now it’s high time to talk about new ways to continue building our cities.
Thus, on May 28 we call for a parade of choreographed blocks, leading into a public hearing under the motto „A different planning is possible“. We will start at Karolinenplatz / Messehallen, following a suggestion of the Hamburg Chamber of Architects: Why does Hamburg need an exhibition center, unused for most of the year, in such a central location? How about moving it to outskirts and reusing the exhibition site? We end our parade at the square in front of the empty Axel Springer-house – a former editorial building of 90.000 square meter that would make a perfect example for a different kind of planning, the right place for a public hearing to debate on a city in which ‚higher and more’ does not only benefit those who can afford it.
What we need is a planning that includes platforms of access and mediation and brings together the new neighbourhoods, a planning which organises a sustainable form of social housing by bringing cooperatives and new forms of communalisation
into the game – instead of encouraging privatisation of public space for the benefit of the real estate sector under the premise of building new housing for refugees. Last but not least, we need a perspective on housing, where origin and status do not matter.
We will not leave the city to the Not-in-my-Backyard-citizens, who instinctively demonise the planned arrival-quarters as „ghettos“. Furthermore, we don’t believe that the deportation campaign, promoted by the governing Social Democratic and
Green Party – affecting hundreds of people every month – produces any relief. Instead, it is a cruel attempt, doomed to failure, to appease right-wing sentiments. Therefore, we also call for the manifestation „Migration is a Right! Deportation is a Crime!“ that takes place on May 14.
We believe that city has no upper limits. Newcomers don’t remain strange in cities.
Densification is the essence of the city – it produces spaces, provides chances and makes us all smarter.
Right to the City Network & Never Mind the Papers
Netzwerk Recht auf Stadt & Never Mind the Papers
Is an oil free future possible? That was the question that brought together leading MEPs, businessmen and Nobel Prize winners on Tuesday 7 December for the STOA science lecture. The Parliament's "Science and Technology Options Assessment" panel consider ways in which Europe could wean itself off oil and whether it would indeed be possible to have a future without it. Climate engineering, electric cars, particles of sulphur and methanol were all mentioned as ways of tackling climate change.
The keynote speakers were Shai Agassi, CEO of the company Better Place and two Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry: Dr Paul Crutzen from Max-Planck-Institute and Prof George Oláh from the University of Southern California. Participants discussed keynote speakers' presentations in a panel discussion and a workshop. The lecture have been moderated by BBC journalist Shirin Wheeler.
Before the event, Vice-President responsible for STOA Silvana Koch-Mehrin (ALDE, DE), STOA Chairman Paul Rübig (EPP, AT), and STOA Vice-chairman Malcolm Harbour (ECR, UK), holded a press conference with invited guests. Press conference and the lecture will be web-streamed.
Throughout the day, a demonstration of electric and hybrid cars, with the possibility of test drives, took place in the Esplanade area in front of Parliament's Altiero Spinelli building (entrance from Place du Luxembourg).
www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/051-106208-...
©European Parliament/Pietro Naj-Oleari
A supposedly Free day
Technically this was a free day on our itinerary. But I warned everyone from beforehand that this wasn't a holiday, and that we would try to pack in as much as possible. But you could tell that most people needed a little bit of time to absorb things and for some quiet contemplation – well, apart from two heathens who wanted to watch the football. So we had an optional programme for the afternoon, and fair play to everyone, most people came along.
In the morning I took Reverend Robert and Fran to Al-Aqsa to show them around. They haven't had the chance to visit it yet, since it's closed off to non-Muslims at the prayer times. So before their Sunday Worship we took this opportunity. It was actually very interesting to hear the Christian perspective of the history of the place, and how it aligned with the Islamic view. Again this is the real tragedy for me – the facts of the three religions are so tightly interwoven, yet there is so much division. Personally I blame politics for this rather than religion, but I know others disagree (of course they are wrong).
After Robert and Fran left for their worship, I decided to visit the graves of two of the companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). They are buried just outside the old city walls by the Golden Gates. These are the bricked up doors, that is said will be the entrance into Jerusalem by Jesus (Peace be upon him) when he returns.
I was very impressed with myself as I successfully asked directions to the graves of the companions in Arabic. But the guy would only tell me after I could prove that I was a Muslim. This is quite a common occurrence. Many of us have had to do this – mostly before entering the Al-Aqsa complex. The standard procedure is that as you walk up to the gates, the Israeli police would eye you up and notice that we're obviously not Palestinian. They ask where we are from – we'd tell them Britain – they find this difficult to accept since we're brown – we'd have to tell them we're originally Indian (this in particular I find offensive after my decision a while back that my ethnicity is officially “brown and lilac”. We'd then have to show them our passports. They'd then question if we are Muslim, and to prove it we'd normally have to recite some passages of the Quran.
The problem here is not that we can't do it. But it's just such a weird situation as armed police are telling you to recite prayers like you'd have to when you were a kid. So normally I start panicking and pronounce things weirdly. But so far I've always been let through. Actually today's was the most grilling I got. The police guy was even stopping random other people who were walking past, asking them if they've seen me before and if they knew I was really a Muslim.
Anyway, after visiting the graves, I just wandered around soaking in the atmosphere. I randomly started talking to one of the Muslim Guards of the Mosque (there's a weird two tiered guard system – armed Israeli police outside, then unarmed Muslim guards inside – more like caretakers) He was telling me how the job of being a guard was a family tradition. His father was a guard, and his grand father, and the whole line all the way back to when Caliph Omar first took over Jerusalem. His son is currently 20 and is training to be a guard.
I spent quite a bit of time with him as he told me the history of the so called “Soloman's stables” Islamically these are known as the Marwani Mosque – an underground set of chambers which is underneath the Aqsa. During the Crusades thousands of Muslims were killed in this mosque. The crusaders then used the mosque to house their horses – hence the name “Soloman's Stables”.
Two of our group spent the morning going to a small place outside Hebron to visit a family. Iqbal sponsors an Orphan, and so wanted to visit him personally. The kid is 10 years old now, but when he was 10 days old his father was shot dead with two other people at a checkpoint by Israeli police.
In the afternoon we met up with Mohammed. He's a local Palestinian who some of the group have met before, and in fact he's been to Gloucester too. He first took us to the Khanka of Sallahuddin (I'm not too sure how to translate Khanka – basically it was the place where Sallahuddin would go to pray and contemplate on the state of the empire, and where we would conduct his business and give advice). When he conquered Jerusalem he built his Khanka right next to the Church of the holy Sepulchre, and if I'm right he even had his own personal entrance into the church from his Khanka (it's shut up now).
Next was the Mosque of Omar. This mosque is named after the Caliph Omar. He was the one who first took Jerusalem – and he did it without bloodshed. The Christians of Jerusalem actually welcomed him and voluntarily gave him the key to the city. When he got to Jerusalem we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and met with the local priests and paid his respects there. But it was the time for the Prayers – the priest told Omar to pray inside the Church. But Omar said that if he did, future generations of Muslims would want to do the same, and sooner or later they would take the church away from the Christians. So instead he prayed outside. The Mosque of Omar was built in honour of this occasion.
On the door of the mosque is inscribed the original declaration that was made at this time by the Caliph. It said that all the rights the Muslims had would be extended to the Christians as long as they paid their taxes. When Jerusalem was under Christian rule, Jews weren't allowed in Jerusalem, and Caliph Omar was the one to give them visitation rights.
Mohammed wanted to invite us over to his house. 19 of us ended up going! He lives in a small town called Zaim just on the other side of the Mount of Olives in the West Bank. The first thing we noticed as we entered his house was a picture above his door. It was this old sketch of a Mosque. On closer inspection it turned out to be our local Mosque in Gloucester. This picture was one of the presents a friend of mine gave him when he visited the UK in 2000. He was very pleased to hear that the Imam of that mosque is with our group.
We knew that he wanted us over for some tea and food, but as it turned out, his wife had prepared this huge feast for us. We started panicking as we realised we also had dinner at the hotel. But she had gone to a serious amount of effort, and besides it looked and was much tastier – so we chowed down.
Talking to Mohammed's brother, Ahmed, we found out that he had just come out of Prison about a month and half ago. He had been in for 5 years. This would seem shocking but pretty much every young Palestinan male has been in prison for some time or another – it's just part of life. As someone else pointed out, he seemed particularly cheery even though he clearly had a bad time, and he was questioned about it. He just said how it's just one of those things – you have to expect it. So rather than complain just live with it. He said how if he was in prison for a crime he did commit then that would be different – but instead he was there for what they believe is doing the right thing.
After we got back to the hotel Imran asked Ahmed to take him to a barber – it's his policy to get his hair cut in a local place whenever he goes travelling. So he took us to a little barbershop in the old city, and while we were waiting, Ahmed took us to this secret little spot where you can get a great view of the Wailing Wall and the two Mosques. The last time from up close we couldn't get an overview of how they are situated, but this time you could see just how close and connected it all is. The Wailing Wall is literally the outer wall for Aqsa, and it's pretty much in between the two domes. You have to wonder why this area causes division rather than unification. It was an interesting thought at the end of the day.
** The picture shows Robert and Fran in front of the Mosque of the dome of the Rock. Oh I've also decided that instead of changing these photos later for ones that I finalise, I would just add the extra ones as new ones. This will mean I will have 10 extra photos this year - but I don't care.
On Wednesday (22 November 2022) officers from the Operation Vulcan team were out in full force in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways as part of GMP’s vehicle safety initiative, Operation Vortex, which aims to disrupt and deny criminal use of the road network, by all means possible.
For too long, criminals have blighted the area of Cheetham Hill and Strangeways, living lavish lifestyles from the proceeds of their crimes at the expense of vulnerable victims who are being taken advantage of.
This operation links in closely with Operation Vulcan, which is dedicated to ridding Cheetham Hill and Strangeways of criminal activity and bringing about real, sustainable change, making it an environment people are proud to live and work in.
Also in attendance to offer intelligence and support were a number of GMP partners, including representatives from Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Waste Enforcement, Manchester City Council Enforcement, and HMP Manchester.
A multi-agency approach is crucial to this operations success, with support from partner organisations ensuring that GMP can target every level of criminal activity, whilst also ensuring vulnerable people in the community are supported.
The day delivered an array of fantastic results:
6 arrests made on suspicion of driving whilst under the influence of drugs, possession of a bladed article, driving whilst disqualified and possession of class A drugs
32 stop searches
67 traffic offences detected and prosecuted
33 speed offences prosecuted
26 vehicle seizures
31 parking fines issued
32 PG9 (prohibition for unroadworthy vehicles) offences prosecuted
5 care plan referrals for drug users encountered
£1700 of fixed penalty notices
Operation Vulcan is dedicated to protecting and safeguarding the most vulnerable people in the community who are being exploited by those in criminal gangs. Throughout the day, specialist officers engaged with a variety of people, explaining that help is there for them, whether it be from GMP officers or partner agencies.
Inspector Andrew Torkington, one of GMP’s specialist officers involved in Operation Vulcan said, “There’s been a real buzz in the community throughout the day with lots of high visibility patrols and community engagement.
“The feedback from members of the community, local college students, and legitimate business owners has been overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing that they feel much safer with our presence.
“Best of all was the large-scale disruption and inconvenience our presence caused to the illegitimate businesses in Cheetham Hill who were unable to open their shutters. This day of action wasn’t a one off – Operation Vulcan is here to stay.”
Ian Bain, DVSA’s Head of Enforcement Delivery said: “Road users have a responsibility to make sure their vehicles are safe, roadworthy and comply with legislation.
“We’re really pleased to be working in partnership with Greater Manchester Police helping to keep the community safe.
“We will continue to target and engage with anyone who breaks the rules and puts the public and other drivers at risk.”
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
(for further pictures or information please go to the end of page and by clicking on the link you will get them as soon as possible!)
The Vienna Prater
Lieblingsnahausflugsziel (favourite nearby excursion destination) in Biedermeier Vienna is the Prater. The season opens with the race of "noble runners" on May 1. The usually before the carriages of the nobility running lackeys on that day line up under high bets to public competition. The main avenue along to the pleasure house (Lusthaus) and back drag the racers to the cheers of the audience. Trumpet-blasts, flags and cash prizes await the winner. Military music they escorts into the first Prater coffee house where them a splendid breakfast is arranged, while the ones having fallen by the wayside are collected. This race is banned in 1848 because of inhumanity. In the afternoon swayed - as from now on every Sunday - people and cars down the hunter line (Jägerzeile - since 1862 Prater Road). The state-carriages of the Court, the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie to evening make in a continuous parade the main street with its lofty Prater coffee houses to a "Nobel Prater".
"Bey the public-houses (Inns)" in the Prater.
Coloured engraving, T. Mollo. 1825
The people has fun in the Wurstelprater (Hanswurst, clowning on Vienna stages) in a tangle of guest houses and Prater lodges, puppet booths, calendula games and swings between the Prater harpists, salami sellers and spectacle. Here is the stronghold of the showmen with their monkey theater and flea circus, jugglers and fire-eaters, giants and dwarfs, menageries, panoramas, wax figures and ghostly apparitions. On the "Zirkuswiese" in Circus gymnasticus the popular equestrian companies by Christoph de Bach (? 1808) and Alexander Guerra perform. One camps in the Prater floodplains and waits until at nightfall on the "fireworks meadow" Stuwer (? 1802) lets shoot up his sparkling rockets.
City Chronicle Vienna
Dr. Christian Brandstätter, Dr. Günter Treffer
2000 years in data, documents and images
From the beginnings to the present
Courtesy
Christian Brandstätter Verlag mbH
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The historically grown amusement park looks back to a rich history. First documentary references of that area, which originally had jungle-like character, go back to the 12th Century. The former imperial hunting ground in 1766 under the "popular" Austrian Emperor Joseph II was made accessible to the public. Soon after, a number of small entertainment venues (carousels, shooting galleries, food stalls, ...) arrived, entertaining the people and also providing for the physical well-being.
The inhabitants of Vienna enjoyed themselves by riding artfully designed Hutschpferden (swing horses) and by swinging into lofty altitudes. In the process you could with long poles jab into rings. Hence the name carousel. It had been created recreational devices for the general public.
The fireworks of Stuwer and the balloon ascents end of the 18th Century dragged the Viennese from the city to the fairgrounds in the Prater. Following the trend of the times were national artistic institutions (theaters, waxworks museum and people museum - "Präuschers panopticon" with 2,000 objects, Vivarium, Planetarium, ... ) built and connected to the hustle and bustle. Sensations in the old Prater were the Abnormitätenshows (abnormalities) in which Lilliputian, Hirsute men, Siamese twins including "Freaks" (monster, abnormal shape) were to see. The thick Prater-Mitzi or the Russian-born trunk man Kobelkoff, as well as the ghostly magic theater of Kratky Baschik enriched the morphology of the bizarre Prater landscape. With the development of technology and electricity, the entertainment in the Prater was becoming more and more diverse.
In the emerging age of railways, the in Trieste born Basilio Calafati founded the first railway carousel in 1844. In this hut in 1854 the figure of the "big Chinesers" was set up as a mast. Many showmen and technicians from all over the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, but also from the rest of Europe in the illustrious Viennese amusement park their ideas put into practice.
The Englishman Basset succeeded in 1897 to set up the still existing Ferris wheel in the Prater. This vehicle with a diameter of 61 meters originally had 30 cars. When the first "living pictures", the Cinematography, were born, 1896 the first cinema was opened in the Prater. Electricity in 1898 the first electrically operated Grottenbahn brought in the Prater. This fairytale train was also the first in Europe. On the occasion of the popularity of the airplane in 1911 the first "Aeroplan Carousel" was established. Followed in 1926 the first "Autodrome" and in 1933 the first "ghost train". In 1928, the still running "Liliputbahn", a reduced form of the great steam locomotives was placed in the Prater. 1935 brought a Prater entrepreneur from Chicago the rapid "flight path" in the Prater, a system not running on rails.
The Prater always changed its face, modernized and adapted itself to the trend of times. One attraction always replaced the other. Only few historical venues have been able to transport themselves into the present. Tradition-conscious companies such as the "Pony Carousel" from the year 1887 or the nostalgic slide tower "switchback (Tobogan)" from the 50s fight against the taste of the times and the needs of the visitors. In popularity but the historic Ferris wheel, the "Miniature Train" and of course the restaurant "Swiss House" (specialty: stilt and beer) will never lose.
Rickety ghost trains and sparkling grotto railways, although dusty, will not allow to be pushed out of the Prater. Between the historical venues flash the new, modern, hydraulically operated high-tech fairground rides. 1909-1944 the enormous dimensioned "roller coaster" always was a magnet for the Prater trippers. A reduced form is the after the war built "Neue Wiener roller coaster". Was swallowed entirely by history the magnificent "Venice in Vienna". On the site of the present Emperor's Meadow (Kaiserwiese) was located around the turn of the century the illusory world of the artificially recreated lagoon city. The initiator Gabor Steiner created in 1895 a world in the Prater, in which not only the high society, but also the Bohemian maids and the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian multinational state amused themselves. In the era of the fin de siècle (= the decadent over-refinement of feeling and taste at the end of the 19th century), in which the Prater flourished, performed the most famous conductors of the time (Strauss, Lanner, Ziehrer).
Characteristic for the Wiener Prater today is also the adjacent green, left in its naturale state Praterau (Prater floodplain). An engaging recreational landscape with trees, meadows and ponds. Through this welcoming and quiet part of the Prater leads the 4.5 km long main avenue, which is lined with old chestnut trees. At the time, colorful flower parades were held there where, inter alia, even the Emperor and Empress and Mayor Lueger showed up. Along the main avenue were situated the now defunct, three famous coffee houses. The1783 built by Canevale "pleasure house" (Lusthaus) at the end of the main avenue, however, is still to be found. Past is the "Vaudeville Light", where for a long time popular movie stars and artists of yesteryear (Aslan, Jeritza, Moser, ... ) entertained the Prater audience.
To the Prater belongs also the fairgrounds. There in 1873 took place the world exhibition. The Rotunda, those proud crowned by a cupola central building in 1937 became a prey to the flames. What in the course of time of historic buildings of facilities in the Prater not had outlived itself, was destroyed in World War II. The most severely battered amusement park but was rebuilt. It established itself again as an integral part of the cultural entertainment of the city of Vienna. The force measuring machine "Watschenmann" is part of the local history of this unique institution, but also the cheeky and defiant "Prater Puppet" characterizes the color of the Vienna Prater.
The roof was going to be the pincushion part of this, the rest - the bottom, is just for fun and looks and to be different.
What if I added more of the little square merlon things at the top of this and stuffed the tube and covered it with felt or something, for pin-sticking, and forget the pointy roof part entirely?
Suggestions? Advice? Rude comments? ;)
I can already hear LilysQuilts wanting to hook this pincushion up with her DQS quilt! roflmao
Kim Possible by Kyrramarie
Anime Expo 2018 Cosplay
AX 2018
Manny Llanura Photography
Los Angeles Convention Center
Is it possible to fall in love with a virtual mate? In Second Life, couples prove that theory on a regular basis. They do fall in love. Sometimes, it lasts and sometimes it doesn't.
Those that last are a remarkable group of couples. They are remarkable both in SL and RL where the divorce rate matches the break-ups in SL!
My partner, Xavier and I enjoy SL very much. We dance, we explore, we network, we chill, we love and we have a blast doing silly things.
So many places offer romantic areas such as ballrooms, chill zones and explorations. Here are some of our favorites...
Avilion Ballroom is a special favorite of mine. It's where I first danced with my first crush... and now I dance here with my partner. Recently, renovated, the Avilion offers a beautiful place to romance each other.
Phatland is another. More jazz music than Avilion, Phat's is a sophisticated club for couples. Beautifully built, we seem to frequent this place a lot.
Another great ballroom venue is Frank's Place. A lot of avies hang out here, so do prepare for a bit of lag. I suggest that you arrive early so that you can grab a spot on the dance floor.
A smaller club that we frequent regularly is the MMAC Jazz Link. Every week, DJ VJ Shojo spins an eclectic set of jazz and indie tunes. Very chill and very romantic little jazz club. Dash Renoir is the perfect host there.
Then there's the beautiful Ballroom">Palace, where grand is an understatement. We usually arrive to a nearly empty place dancing alone in our own world. Very romantic.
But, the most grand of all is a recent discovery. Tempura Island and Ballroom is the epitome of a lover's paradise. Grand and magnificent, the ballroom is done in gold gilt, with a beautiful ceiling and wall textures. The stairs leading to the ballroom and castle are simple but ever so opulent. This is an LM that I have sent to all my friends! LOL!
And we still frequent the clubs that offer a place for us. A place where we can be a couple without the drama that other places bring...
We hit Dorian Gray for DJ Barbs set and Xavier set off his JMD particle hud for a romantic interlude on the dance floor. So fun!
A big thanks to DJ Dint Talon for an awesome night over at IPR365 Milky Way Entertainment complex's K-Lounge. OMG, we had a blast! DJ Dint was spinning an incredible set of jungle, tribal, trance... you name it, he was spinning it! We stayed until the end!
We also went to Bogart's Cafe which is kinda a ballroom and kinda a lounge setting. You can dress in ballroom or cocktail dress there. We often go in between clubbing for a quick ballroom dance to lovely jazz music.
We usually stop off at Spanish DJ Sonar Halsey's Future Club. It is always psy heaven there! And BassLine Island for some hardcore tunes to get the blood pumping. Both are fun clubs for couples to hang at and dance.
And when we explore, we always seem to find the cutest places such as Midnight City for NBC's romantic dinner club, Rainbow Room Dining and the Italian pizza place that reminds me of North Beach in San Francisco!
The other night, Xavi took me to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's build featuring an interactive floor of of the entire world's atmosphere! Wow! This from the US Department of Commerce!
And, when we chill at home we can be silly and set off our particles and dance or pull all our emotes and gestures for hours of silliness.
Couples in Second Life are just like couples in real life. They play, they love, they emote real emotions towards each other... and as best friends, they share the best of Second Life together.