View allAll Photos Tagged precise
I planned to combine data taken in multiple chances, but it was impossible due to bad distortion of the wide lens. Slight difference of framing made bad change of relative position of stars near corners. I learned that we need precise framing, if we intend to combine data taken with wide lenses.
equipment: Sigma 35mmF1.4 DG HSM Art and Canon EOS 5Dmk2-sp2, modified by Seo-san on Takahashi EM-200 Temma 2 Jr, autoguided with FSQ-106ED, hiro-design off-axis guider, SX Lodestar, and PHD Guiding
exposure: 6 times x 35 minutes, 3 x 15 min, 3 x 4 min, 3 x 1 minute at ISO 1,600 and f/4.0
site: 11,000 feet above sea level near Mauna Loa Observatory in The Big Island, Hawaii
I always wanted to capture this moment, the two drop collision. But it was very hard and it requires a very precise timing, with the equipment I had it was a little bit impossible to do =D
I didn't have a shutter release, a pressure generator or a trigger. Just the camera, two flashes and one drop releaser from the pharmacy. I'm working on this from days until today that I captured it : )
By the way, SPECIAL THANKS TO MY GREAT FRIEND Khayal FOR HIS GREAT GIFT. Thanks very much buddy : )
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter: 1/125
ISO: 200
Editing in PS: just a little dust removal, contrast and resizing in photoshop.
Ahi weaves precise slashes and pyroclastic strikes to form his unique eruptive fighting style, leaving only ash and obsidian in his wake.
Made some changes to Ahi. The shins have been replaced to be more sleek, and some of the torso colors have been changed to be less messy. Also, the sword blade is the correct color. The leg articulation is a lot better in this version, so he can actually pull off some neat poses.
In capturing this aerial formation, I wanted to transcend the mere documentation of a military display to create a pure graphic artwork. I chose black and white to strip the scene of any distraction and focus on the very essence of this moment: the perfect geometry created by these flying machines. My intention was to transform something technical and military into an almost abstract artistic composition. I waited for the precise moment when the contrails would draw these perfect parallel lines in the sky, creating a dialogue between military precision and visual poetry. The black and white conversion emphasizes the contrast between the white silhouettes of the aircraft and the dark sky, reinforcing the dramatic impact of the composition. Through this image, I wanted to demonstrate how discipline and precision can become a form of art.
The precise moment that the guy in the turban and the woman with the camera engaged. Priceless encounter for the woman. India.
No matter how precise the manufacture of a mechanical instrument, proper servicing and regular use is necessary to keep it running smoothly. This is certainly the case with my vintage Leica IIf from 1952.
It is more than likely that this old camera has not been used to take photographs in decades. So what could go wrong?
Recently our fully mechanical Dugena clock manufactured in East Germany in 1960 simply stopped working. It is now undergoing a proper service. It appears the problem is simply one of lubrication. Over time the lubricants wear out and need to be replaced. Mechanically the clock is fine.
There are two problems with the camera that you can see in these samples: (1) One of the shutter curtains appears to be closing fractionally late and shows up "ghosting" in the sky. (2) Those little spots of light on the dark wood panels are telltale signs of pinholes that have formed in the cloth shutter curtains allowing light leaks onto the negative.
I did a precise measurement and approximately 59 seconds out of every minute was spent visualizing myself slipping and falling into the water, then washed over the waterfall forever. The other 1 second was spent partially slipping and feeling intense panic that everything visualized in the previous 59 seconds was about to come true.
Foto por Guilherme Grespan
Observações:
Todas as fotos aqui postadas estão livres para divulgação, desde que com minha assinatura na foto e com os devidos créditos, como segue abaixo:
Foto por Guilherme Grespan - www.flickr.com/guilhermegrespan/
As fotos estão com tamanho reduzido para web, tenho todas em alta resolução, e sem a assinatura, caso alguem precise é só me enviar um email.
Qualquer utilização das fotos em meios comerciais, favor me contactar.
Contato:
email: gui_grespan@yahoo.com.br
Ao Publicar:
Caso você publique esta foto em algum local, favor me informar por email, para que eu possa manter o histórico.
Muito Obrigado.
______________________________________________________________________
Photo by Guilherme Grespan
Notes:
All photos posted here are free to disclosure, provided that with my signature on the photo and with the appropriate credits, as follows below:
Photo by Guilherme Grespan - www.flickr.com/guilhermegrespan/
The photos are reduced in size for web, have all at high resolution, and without the signature, if someone needs just send me an email.
Any use of photos for media business, please contact me.
Contact:
email: gui_grespan@yahoo.com.br
By Post:
If you publish this picture in any place, please let me know by email, so I can keep the history.
Thank you very much.
A few streets removed from Long Beach’s tourist strip stands an exceptionally well-composed late Victorian house—apparently uncelebrated, yet deserving the sort of careful notice usually reserved for an officially inventoried landmark. Its precise date is not yet documented, but the architecture strongly suggests about 1890–1905, with the balance of evidence pointing toward the later 1890s.
The house belongs broadly to the vernacular Queen Anne tradition, enriched by ornamental details derived from the Stick and Eastlake modes. It is not a flamboyant “high-style” Queen Anne: there is no turret, restless roofline or riot of contrasting materials. Its distinction lies instead in discipline. A long, two-story, side-gabled main block is interrupted by a large projecting front gable, producing just enough asymmetry to enliven an otherwise calm rectangular composition. The generous full-width porch gives the façade a strong horizontal base, while the steep front gable, tall windows and slender porch supports draw the eye upward. These competing horizontal and vertical impulses are held in unusually graceful equilibrium.
The principal gable is the architectural climax. Its broad field of diamond-pattern shingles rises above the second-story windows to an elaborate apex treatment: a central upright divides two spreading, fanlike panels whose scalloped lower edges create the effect of a partially opened shell or sunburst. This is not a structural bracket in the strictest sense but an ornamental gable screen—a piece of applied carpentry intended to animate the triangular void beneath the roof. It belongs to the late nineteenth-century world of pattern books, mill-produced trim and local carpenters who could combine standardized parts in highly individual ways. The result is decorative without becoming fussy: the ornament fills the apex neatly, reinforces the roof geometry and gives the house an immediately recognizable silhouette.
Below it, the paired second-story windows are tall and narrow, with plain surrounds and a modest projecting sill. Their vertical proportions continue on the ground floor, where the unusually elongated window openings lend the porch elevation an almost stately rhythm. The windows appear largely to retain the simple one-over-one sash configuration favored during the final decades of the nineteenth century, when larger panes of glass were becoming affordable and the more subdivided sash of earlier houses was falling from fashion.
The porch is nearly as important as the gable. It extends across the entire façade and wraps slightly around the ends, functioning both as outdoor living space and as the house’s principal architectural stage. The roof rests on slender square posts rather than turned columns. At each post, delicate diagonal braces form a repeated pattern of crosses, forks and small triangular openings. These are characteristic products of the Stick–Eastlake ornamental vocabulary: flat, sawn members arranged to suggest joinery and structure, though their chief purpose is visual. Their repeated cadence gives the porch something of the lightness of a wooden arcade. The balustrade below is intentionally quieter, composed of close-set vertical rails that allow the upper brackets to remain the dominant feature.
The house is also notable for what it avoids. Its ornament is concentrated at points of structural emphasis—the porch posts, cornice line and gable apex—rather than scattered indiscriminately over the walls. Broad areas of shingle siding are therefore allowed to read as texture and plane. The façade possesses variety, but not visual noise. Even the projecting gable is placed with care: offset from the center, it establishes the asymmetry expected of Queen Anne design while leaving the long porch and main roof sufficiently continuous to preserve an air of repose.
Its materials contribute substantially to its character. The weathered cedar shingles of the upper walls retain the subdued mottling produced by decades of salt air, rain and coastal vegetation. Painted lower walls and white trim distinguish the building’s structural and ornamental elements without obscuring its essentially wooden character. The hydrangeas and marguerites are not historically diagnostic, but they suit the architecture wonderfully, softening the porch lattice and reinforcing the impression of a long-established coastal garden.
The building should also be understood in relation to Long Beach’s emergence as a resort community. The settlement developed around H. H. Tinker’s hotel in the early 1880s and was already attracting summer visitors before the Ilwaco railroad arrived in 1888. The rail line then made the peninsula far more accessible to travelers arriving by steamer from Portland and Astoria, encouraging the construction of hotels, cottages and permanent houses during the prosperous decades around 1900. ([Revisiting Washington][1]) This house appears to belong to that formative period, when Long Beach was making the transition from scattered seaside settlement to established resort town.
Whether it began as a year-round residence, a boarding house or an unusually substantial summer home cannot be determined from the photograph alone. Its scale, multiple upstairs windows and extraordinarily broad porch would be compatible with any of those uses. The porch in particular belongs to a coastal culture in which the boundary between domestic interior and resort landscape was meant to remain permeable: it offered shelter from rain, shade in summer, a place to receive visitors and an elevated platform from which to observe street life.
From a preservation standpoint, the house appears to retain a high degree of architectural integrity. Its overall massing, roof form, porch, window proportions, shingle cladding and ornamental woodwork remain legible and mutually coherent. Some siding, sash, porch fabric or foundation screening may have been repaired or replaced over time, as would be expected in a coastal environment, but no conspicuous alteration has overwhelmed the historic design. The front elevation still conveys the workmanship, materials, feeling and domestic scale of late nineteenth-century Long Beach.
Its potential significance would most plausibly rest on architecture and local development rather than association with a famous person. It is an unusually accomplished example of a substantial vernacular Victorian residence, distinguished by its proportions, intact porch arcade and rare gable ornament. It may also illustrate the residential expansion that accompanied Long Beach’s emergence as a rail-accessible seaside resort. A formal evaluation would require the address, parcel history, tax records, Sanborn maps, historic photographs and examination of the interior and side elevations. Washington’s statewide inventory system contains many such survey records, but absence from an inventory would not imply absence of significance. ([Washington Archaeology][2])
What makes the house memorable is not merely the survival of ornamental fragments. It survives as a complete composition. The long roof, projecting gable, narrow windows, deep porch and repeated brackets still act together, giving the building a poise that is both picturesque and remarkably restrained. It is precisely the sort of unheralded place that gives a town historical depth: not a monument imposed upon the streetscape, but a beautiful ordinary building whose quality becomes apparent only when someone pauses, looks closely—and discovers it.
[1]: revisitwa.org/side_trip/long-beach/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Revisiting Washington — Long Beach"
[2]: dahp.wa.gov/historic-registers/national-register-of-histo... "National Register of Historic Places | Washington State ..."
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or…. press L to enlarge;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
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All the photos I present were taken in the town of Taormina (Sicily);
I made photos related to "street photography";
I photographed people who, for the most part, I had never met before, I thank them for their sympathy and availability;
I tried to capture the essence of minimal photographic stories, collected walking down the street ... in search of fleeting moments ...
I met a lady no longer young, who told me that, when she was seven years old, she met the bandit Giuliano (!) on Mount Ziretto (a mountain that is located above Taormina, in the territory of Castelmola), in telling she looked up and pointed at him, it seemed she was seeing him at that precise moment ....! (ah! if only I had had a special camera to capture the images that at that moment were resurfacing in the mind of that very nice lady ....!), she described it and ... she saw it (!): if she remembers it tall, handsome man, boots that reached mid-leg, rifle over his shoulder ....! and then the lady added: of course, I didn't know who that man was, they told me this afterwards ....! I photographed what I believe was a small advertising shoot, thanks to the availability of the photographer and the models (thank you for giving me some of their precious time ..!).
For some photographs I used a particular photographic technique at the time of shooting, which in addition to capturing the surrounding space, also "inserted" a temporal dimension, with photos characterized by being moved because the exposure times were deliberately lengthened, they are confused -focused-imprecise-undecided ... the Anglo-Saxon term that encloses this photographic genre with a single word is "blur", these images were thus created during the shooting phase, and not as an effect created subsequently, in retrospect, in the post-production.
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Tutte le foto che presento sono state realizzate nella cittadina di Taormina (Sicilia);
ho realizzato foto riconducibili alla “street photography”;
ho fotografato persone che, per la maggior parte, non avevo mai incontrato prima, le ringrazio per la loro simpatia e disponibilità;
ho cercato di cogliere al volo l’essenza di storie fotografiche minime, raccolte camminando per la strada ... alla ricerca di attimi fugaci s-fuggenti ... ho incontrato una signora non più giovane, che mi ha raccontato che, quando aveva l'età di sette anni, incontrò il bandito Giuliano (!) sul monte Ziretto (un monte che si trova sopra Taormina, nel territorio di Castelmola), nel raccontare lei guardava in alto e lo indicava, sembrava lo stesse vedendo in quel preciso momento....! (ah! se solo io avessi avuto una macchina fotografare speciale per catturare le immagini che in quel momento andavano riaffiorando nella mente di quella simpaticissima signora....!), lo descriveva e...lo vedeva (!): se lo ricorda alto, un bell'uomo, gli stivali che arrivavano a metà gamba, il fucile in spalla....! e poi la signora aggiunse: certo, io non sapevo chi fosse quell'uomo, questo me lo hanno detto dopo....! Ho fotografato quello che credo fosse un piccolo shooting pubblicitario, grazie alla disponibilità della fotografa e delle modelle (le ringrazio per avermi concesso un pò del loro prezioso tempo..!).
Ho utilizzato per alcune fotografie una tecnica fotografica particolare al momento dello scatto, che oltre a catturare lo spazio circostante, ha "inserito" anche una dimensione temporale, con foto caratterizzate dall’essere mosse poiché volutamente sono stati allungati i tempi di esposizione, sono confuse-sfocate-imprecise-indecise...il termine anglosassone che racchiude con una sola parola questo genere fotografico è "blur", queste immagini sono state così realizzate in fase di scatto, e non come un effetto creato successivamente, a posteriori, in fase di post-produzione.
My Son Has An Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator so I looked it up. Here’s what I found:
Why should I cook sous vide?
Sous vide cooking utilizes precise temperature control with circulation to produce results that you can’t achieve through any other cooking technique. The reason–when using traditional methods of cooking, you don’t have control over heat and temperature. Consequently, it’s very difficult and time consuming to consistently cook great food. Food ends up overcooked on the outside, with only a small portion in the center that is cooked to the temperature you want. Food loses flavor, overcooks easily, and ends up with a dry, chewy texture. With precise temperature control in the kitchen, sous vide provides the following benefits:
Consistency
Because you cook your food to a precise temperature for a precise amount of time, you can expect very consistent results.
Taste
Food cooks in its juices. This ensures that the food is moist, juicy and tender.
Waste Reduction
Traditionally prepared food dries out and results in waste. For example, on average, traditionally cooked steak loses up to 40% of its volume due to drying out. Steak cooked via precision cooking, loses none of its volume
.
Flexibility
Traditional cooking can require your constant attention. Precision cooking brings food to an exact temperature and holds it. There is no worry about overcooking.
Types of Sous Vide Machines
Sous vide equipment has existed for decades in professional kitchens around the world, but it has always been bulky, expensive, and overloaded with complex features. This type of equipment eventually made its way into high-end specialty retail shops, but remained limited to chefs and consumers with extensive culinary experience. Cooking shows, social media, and online communities have furthered consumers’ knowledge of sous vide cooking, but it wasn’t until Anova released the first affordable and easy-to-use consumer device that sous vide became accessible to home cooks. There are now many sous vide options available to the home cook. Below are a few types of equipment for you to consider when you’re ready to build your ultimate sous vide setup:
I
Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
The Anova’s Sous Vide Cooker is a standalone immersion circulator that heats water and circulates it around the pot to maintain precise temperatures evenly. Immersion circulators are an affordable and easy-to-use sous vide machine option. They do not come with a built-in water bath, so they take up very little space in your kitchen. Standalone sous vide devices don’t require additional equipment to get started because they clamp on and adjust to any pot you already own. The Anova’s Sous Vide Cooker is a sous vide immersion circulator. Other examples include ChefSteps Joule, Nomiku, and Sansaire.
Does a recent study solve the long-debated solar abundance problem?
An international team of astronomers says it has just solved a solar mystery that’s stood for well over a decade.
There are two ways to work out what the Sun is made of. The first, called spectroscopy, looks at the Sun’s spectrum. Precise wavelengths of light are missing from this spectrum because they’ve been swallowed by different elements within the Sun.
The second method is called helioseismology and measures sound waves bouncing around inside the Sun. The waves sometimes make it to the solar surface, causing it to pulse. The chemical makeup of the Sun alters how these sound waves travel, so their unique patterns are another way to take a solar inventory.
Using these tools to understand what the Sun is made of is important work, because we use the Sun as a benchmark for modelling all the other stars in the universe.
rainbow with black lines marking where different atoms have absorbed wavelengths of light
The Sun's spectrum includes a forest of dark lines, specific wavelengths absorbed by atoms in the Sun. Such information enables astronomers to deduce a star's temperature and chemical composition.
M. Bergemann / MPIA / NARVAL@TBL
Initially these two methods were in harmonious agreement. But in the early 2000s, as astronomers started using new and improved techniques, the measurements diverged. Specifically, they disagree on the amount of metals the Sun contains — that’s astrospeak for elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
There have been numerous attempts to resolve this so-called solar abundance problem ever since, with everything from the solar wind to exotic physics being touted as an explanation (see S&T’s April 2021 cover story for details).
Now, it seems, there may be no abundance problem to solve after all. At least according to new research published in the May Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Ekaterina Magg (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany) and her colleagues have revisited the chemical abundances derived through spectroscopy. The necessary calculations are made easier if astronomers assume that the patch of the Sun they are looking at has a consistent temperature, something they refer to as local thermal equilibrium (LTE). However, they also know this is an inaccurate assumption.
By redoing the calculations to incorporate a more complex interaction between atoms and radiation, as well as the latest data, Magg and her collaborators are claiming a breakthrough.
“According to our analysis the Sun contains 26% more elements heavier than helium than previous studies had deduced,” Magg says. Using this new result produces a solar model that is consistent with all the information we have about the Sun’s present day structure, including what we know from sound waves, without the need for exotic physics.
In other words, the spectroscopists and helioseismologists appear reconciled again after two decades at loggerheads.
Or are they? “The solar abundance problem is far from resolved,” says Gaël Buldgen (University of Geneva, Switzerland).
Buldgen, a helioseismologist, cautions that Magg’s team compared their new spectroscopic models to a very limited model of the Sun, one that only uses a basic recipe for the Sun’s internal physics. “They completely neglect rotation inside the Sun, for example,” Buldgensays. “Once you include the effects of rotation, the agreement they find is broken.”
One of the elements involved in this debate is lithium. The lithium abundance predicted by standard solar models is much higher than what astronomers actually observe at the solar surface. Buldgen is a coauthor of a new paper out this week in Nature Astronomy, in which he and his collaborators argue that instabilities due to solar rotation and magnetic fields drag lithium — the lightest metal — away from the solar surface.
That, he says, is why astronomers see less lithium at the solar surface than they expected. This work suggests that rotation plays an important role in the chemical abundances we observe on the Sun, but Magg’s team haven’t yet built it into their work.
So, for now, it seems we remain at an impasse. More work is necessary before we can tell whether the solar abundance problem really has been solved, or whether yet another potential explanation will fall by the wayside.
Life is the eternal thirst of entity soul
desires for a pervasive blooming life
to dwell in life life long
to enjoy fantasy of life
precisive allurement mingle the life
makes to dwell in despite of thousand perplexities
encounters trouble
gets rid of troubles
At this precise moment in time, a family member is laying on a hospital bed knowing there is not long left..
During times like these people get sad, people cry, people ask questions, people get angry..with me...it sort of stays inside..I dont bottle it up.. I just deal with quietly.
Its times like these that make you take a step back and think..
This family memeber... said words that I will never forget.. Ever. As she lay there on the bed she asked my mother..."why is this happening to me ?, I have never done nobody any harm. I have been nothing but kind."
Hearing my mum tell me those words.. really hit me.. I never get emotional at sad times.. I show it in the bucket loads during fun times..but sad times I hide it.. But at that moment,, It hit me.. and I cried.
How do you deal with knowing you are going to die..in days ?
It makes me wonder.. sometimes....what is the whole point of it all..
We all know that every single one of us has the same destiny.. we can not change that..
Whoever decided that this is the way is was to be....needs to re-think.. because this way is shit.
I wish I was I was in charge of all this.. I wouldn't know what to do, or the right way to make it all better.. but I know it should not have to be this way.
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment. Or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
All to often, when we go through these tough times..we are given advice or get told things to help make good of what we have.
Here are a few litte quotes that spring to mind..
Laugh when you can,
Apologise when you should,
Let go of what you can not change,
Kiss slowly,
Forgive quickly,
Play hard,
Take chances,
Give everything and have no regrets,
Life is too short to be anything else but happy..
Edit: Explored !! Thank You !!
Highest position: #220 on Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The final chapter of Warm Animations.
Built on the same precise alignment system that made our Kiss & Hug HUD an icon — known for its easy and accurate avatar positioning — the Sex Everywhere HUD takes that experience to the next level, bringing together in one exclusive HUD all of our most memorable adult animations.
This special edition includes animations from all of our classic adult Rugs, now perfectly integrated and synchronized:
Dareing, Grinding Pleasure, Lovely Anal, G-esus, Mutual Pleasure, In Between, Bento Blowjob Scene, and Cock Worship — all in one place.
Designed for those who appreciate detail, smoothness, and authenticity — the values that have always defined Warm Animations — this HUD is both a celebration and a farewell:
the last adult release from Warm, available only during November.
Over the years, Warm has expanded its horizons into new areas of creation, and with this HUD we proudly close a chapter that has marked generations of creators and couples in Second Life.
100% functional demo available in the InWorld store.
With our warmest regards,
Warm Animations
One of my favorite female Northern Harriers making a very precise approach to her postal perch in the coastal wetland.
This is a shot of the precise spot where the Byzantine Cathedral of the Taxiarchs (of St. Michael the Archangel) once stood in Ioannina, Greece, within the South-Eastern citadel (aka Iç-Kale) of the Castle. The church was deliberately demolished in c.1430, then on the exactly same spot the ‘FETHİYE Câmii’ (Turkish for ‘mosque of the Conquest‘) was erected by the Ottoman Turks.
It was in writing that the latter had promised certain privileges (such as the freedom of worship with no conversion of churches into mosques etc.) to the people living in Ioannina as conditions of the surrender agreement reached (“Sinan Paşa’s designation”, ratified by imperial decree of Sultan Murad II).
Tyvek (yes that building stuff) quilt blocks by Andre Mowbray currently on exhibit at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts
121 in 2021
#73 - Precision
Thank you in advance for your views, comments, and faves. They are much appreciated!
Kryžių kalnas, or the Hill of Crosses, (Lithuanian: Kryžių kalnas) is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former hill fort after the 1831 Uprising in Poland, Lithuania, and other western regions of the Tsarist Empire. Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 100,000 at present.
Over the generations, the place has come to signify the peaceful endurance of Lithuanian Catholicism despite the threats it faced throughout history. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. Poles and Lithuanians unsuccessfully rebelled against Russian authorities in 1831 and 1863. These two uprisings are connected with the beginnings of the hill: as families could not locate bodies of perished rebels, they started putting up symbolic crosses in their memory.
When the old political structure of Eastern Europe fell apart in 1918, Lithuania once again declared its independence. Throughout this time, the Hill of Crosses was used as a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace, for their country, and for the loved ones they had lost during the Wars of Independence.
The site took on a special significance during the years 1944–1990, when Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Continuing to travel to the hill and leave their tributes, Lithuanians used it to demonstrate their allegiance to their original identity, religion and heritage. It was a venue of peaceful resistance, although the Soviets worked hard to remove new crosses, and bulldozed the site at least three times (including attempts in 1963 and 1973). There were even rumors that the authorities planned to build a dam on the nearby Kulvė River, a tributary to Mūša, so that the hill would end up underwater.
On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice. In 2000 a Franciscan hermitage was opened nearby. The interior decoration draws links with La Verna, the mountain where St. Francis is said to have received his stigmata. The hill remains under nobody’s jurisdiction; therefore people are free to build crosses as they see fit.
Occasionally, significant parts of the site burn down in accidental fires. The site attracts pilgrims from across Europe, but especially Lithuania and Poland.
This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.
Early morning
Eight o'clock precise
I see the lonely August sun arise
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields...
I'm waiting the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Ran the whole way
Down to the tracks
Through the doorway
Then a last look back
Say you know
You will
Save me like you do
Out on the fields...
I've waited the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
I climbed all the stairways
To find the rooftop clear
Got the shotgun lying with me here
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields...
You know how it feels, yeah
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Early morning
Eight o'clock precise
A-Ha
"Early morning"
Alvise Vivarini (Venice, between 1442 and 1453 - Venice, between 1503 and 1505) and Marco Basaiti (Venice, 1470 - Venice, 1530) - Sant'Ambrogio enthroned and saints (1503) - Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Venice
Verso la fine del quattrocento, la scuola dei Milanesi, che aveva ottenuto la cappella, commissionava ad Alvise Vivarini la grandiosa tavola (m. 5×2,50) che possiamo ammirare. Morto il pittore nel 1503, fu terminata dall’allievo Marco Basaiti. Il quadro è racchiuso entro un nobilissimo altare in legno dorato con intagli accuratissimi nei pilastri, nel fregio, nel giro esterno ed interno dell’arco. Due angeli, che reggono delle fiaccole, sono posti nei triangoli mistilinei che risultano tra l’incurvatura dell’arco e la linea delle colonne scannellate che vanno a sostenere l’alta e ricchissima trabeazione. La pala rappresenta un nobile porticato sotto il quale siede S. Ambrogio, patrono di Milano, con nella destra il flagello e nella sinistra il pastorale. Alle sue spalle due scudieri sostengono la spada sfoderata e la croce. A sinistra gli fanno corona S. Sebastiano, S. Luigi IX e S. Giovanni Battista e un altro santo; a destra S. Girolamo, S. Agostino e S. Gregorio Magno e un altro santo. Sui gradini del trono, ai piedi di S. Ambrogio, due angeli suonano il liuto. In alto, al di sopra del voltone, Cristo incorona la Vergine. Nonostante l’asprezza di alcune figure, la tavola è veramente bella ed imponente, sia per l’architettura, la varietà e l’espressione dei personaggi, ma anche per la naturalezza del panneggiamento e la vivacità del color.
Towards the end of the 15th century, the Scuola commissioned Alvise Vivarini (1445-1503) to paint the magnificent altar-piece (5 x 2.50 metres). The artist died in 1503 and, thus, the work was completed by his pupil Marco Basaiti. The painting is inserted in a spectacular golden wood altar (1503) with precise carvings in the pillars, the frieze, and the internal and external surfaces of the arch. Two angels, holding torches, are arranged in the mixtilinear triangles between the curve of the arch and the channelled columns which bear the mighty and splendid entablature. The painting portrays an admirable arcade under which sits St. Ambrose, patron saint of Milan, holding a scourge in his right hand and in his left a pastoral staff. Behind him are two standard-bearers holding the unsheathed sword and the cross. Surrounding him on the left are St. Sebastian, St. Louis IX, St. John the Baptist and another Saint, on the right are St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and another Saint. On the steps to the throne, beneath the feet of St. Ambrose, two angels are playing the lute and the ‘mandola’. Up above, Christ crowns the Virgin. Despite the bitter expressions of certain characters, the altar-piece is truly impressive and beautiful, both in terms of the architecture and the variety and expression of the characters as well as for the natural look of the clothing and brightness of the colours.
Tagum City, Davao Del Norte, Philippines
"I am alert
Ready to take action
The first on the scene
The last to leave
I take chances
But I am precise
I know where things belong
I am orderly and fastidious
Nothing escapes me
I am always prepared
I never give up or in
I AM THE ROOSTER" - Source: astrologyclub.org/chinese-horoscope/2017-year-rooster/
Ulak Tartysh is team riding horse game. It consist in a wrestle for possession of the headless carcass of a goat. The two teams of riders attempt to deliver it across the opposition s goal line, or into the opposition s goal, made with a big tub or a circle marked on the ground.
The goat is 35 kilogs, and the men on the horses carry it with 1 hand!
© Eric Lafforgue
Scan of a slide taken in November 1990; before precising the history of this vehicle, one of the odd traditions of the K&ESR's C&W Department was that Dave Dine cooked a Christmas Dinner for his fellow volunteers. I say odd, because this always seemed a slightly un-Dave thing to do but he made a fair stab at roast turkey with all the trimmings and I recall sometimes some of his work colleagues were invited too. Virtually all of us had to drive so it was a fairly abstemiousness affair (Gordon Young and Pete Carey never returned to 'work' if they had even as much as a half at lunchtime) and although memory plays tricks on me, I think the 1990 venue was this carriage. Also, if memory serves me right the interior was a bit odd, I recall Gordon describing it as a 'Formica Palace'. All would have seemed well in the world of C&W at that point; several Mark Ones were available for general services, the 'Wealden Pullman' wine and dine set had been maintained for yet another profitable season and progress was being made with the Maunsells and the vintage carriages..
This vehicle was built in 1931 at Eastleigh as a restriction '0' Corridor Composite for the restricted gauge Hasting line. It passed into Departmental Stock in 1962 as TDS70155 and arrived at Tenterden in 1990 becoming No. 91 in the K&ESR stock book. Presumably whilst we were scoffing our turkey we assumed this carriage would one day see service on the K&ESR (why else would Paul Ramsden have green lighted the purchase). However, it had move to Robertsbridge by 1995 and suffered fire damage at one end. It has since been reunited with Paul at Rampart Engineering and is most likely currently at Barrow Hill.
Small and precise. Most of its prey is taken in flight, as it moves with ease through bare branches and dense thickets.
It feeds mainly on small songbirds, which is why it is often seen during the colder months in gardens where bird feeders attract tits and other small birds. As a result, the sparrowhawk also adapts well to the presence of people.
Primavera, is a large panel painting in tempera paint by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli made in the late 1470s or early 1480s (datings vary). It has been described as "one of the most written about, and most controversial paintings in the world", and also "one of the most popular paintings in Western art".
The painting depicts a group of figures from classical mythology in a garden, but no story has been found that brings this particular group together. Most critics agree that the painting is an allegory based on the lush growth of Spring, but accounts of any precise meaning vary, though many involve the Renaissance Neoplatonism which then fascinated intellectual circles in Florence. The subject was first described as Primavera by the art historian Giorgio Vasari who saw it at Villa Castello, just outside Florence, by 1550.
Although the two are now known not to be a pair, the painting is inevitably discussed with Botticelli's other very large mythological painting, The Birth of Venus, also in the Uffizi. They are among the most famous paintings in the world, and icons of the Italian Renaissance; of the two, the Birth is even better known than the Primavera. As depictions of subjects from classical mythology on a very large scale, they were virtually unprecedented in Western art since classical antiquity.
The history of the painting is not certainly known; it may have been commissioned by one of the Medici family, but the certainty of its commission is unknown. It draws from a number of classical and Renaissance literary sources, including the works of the Ancient Roman poet Ovid and, less certainly, Lucretius, and may also allude to a poem by Poliziano, the Medici house poet who may have helped Botticelli devise the composition. Since 1919 the painting has been part of the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
The painting features six female figures and two male, along with a cupid, in an orange grove. The movement of the composition is from right to left, so following that direction the standard identification of the figures is: at far right "Zephyrus, the biting wind of March, kidnaps and possesses the nymph Chloris, whom he later marries and transforms into a deity; she becomes the goddess of Spring, eternal bearer of life, and is scattering roses on the ground." Chloris the nymph overlaps Flora, the goddess she transforms into.
In the centre (but not exactly so) and somewhat set back from the other figures stands Venus, a red-draped woman in blue. Like the flower-gatherer, she returns the viewer's gaze. The trees behind her form a broken arch to draw the eye. In the air above her a blindfolded Cupid aims his bow to the left. On the left of the painting the Three Graces, a group of three females also in diaphanous white, join hands in a dance. At the extreme left Mercury, clothed in red with a sword and a helmet, raises his caduceus or wooden rod towards some wispy gray clouds.
The interactions between the figures are enigmatic. Zephyrus and Chloris are looking at each other. Flora and Venus look out at the viewer, the Cupid is blindfolded, and Mercury has turned his back on the others, and looks up at the clouds. The central Grace looks towards him, while the other two seem to look at each other. Flora's smile was very unusual in painting at this date.
The pastoral scenery is elaborate. There are 500 identified plant species depicted in the painting, with about 190 different flowers, of which at least 130 can be specifically identified. The overall appearance, and size, of the painting is similar to that of the millefleur ("thousand flower") Flemish tapestries that were popular decorations for palaces at the time.
These tapestries had not caught up by the 1480s with the artistic developments of the Italian Renaissance, and the composition of the painting has aspects that belong to this still Gothic style. The figures are spread in a rough line across the front of the picture space, "set side by side like pearls on a string". It is now known that in the setting for which the painting was designed the bottom was about at eye level, or slightly above it, partly explaining "the gently rising plane" on which the figures stand.
The feet of Venus are considerably higher than those of the others, showing she is behind them, but she is at the same scale, if not larger, than the other figures. Overlapping of other figures by Mercury's sword and Chloris' hands shows that they stand slightly in front of the left Grace and Flora respectively, which might not be obvious otherwise, for example from their feet. It has been argued that the flowers do not grow smaller to the rear of the picture space, certainly a feature of the millefleur tapestries.
The costumes of the figures are versions of the dress of contemporary Florence, though the sort of "quasi-theatrical costumes designed for masquerades of the sort that Vasari wrote were invented by Lorenzo de' Medici for civic festivals and tournaments." The lack of an obvious narrative may relate to the world of pageants and tableaux vivants as well as typically static Gothic allegories.
Various interpretations of the figures have been set forth, but it is generally agreed that at least at one level the painting is "an elaborate mythological allegory of the burgeoning fertility of the world." It is thought that Botticelli had help devising the composition of the painting and whatever meanings it was intended to contain, as it appears that the painting reflects a deep knowledge of classical literature and philosophy that Botticelli is unlikely to have possessed. Poliziano is usually thought to have been involved in this, though Marsilio Ficino, another member of Lorenzo de' Medici's circle and a key figure in Renaissance Neoplatonism, has also often been mentioned.
One aspect of the painting is a depiction of the progress of the season of spring, reading from right to left. The wind of early Spring blows on the land and brings forth growth and flowers, presided over by Venus, goddess of April, with at the left Mercury, the god of the month of May in an early Roman calendar, chasing away the last clouds before summer. As well as being part of a sequence over the season, Mercury in dispelling the clouds is acting as the guard of the garden, partly explaining his military dress and his facing out of the picture space. A passage in Virgil's Aeneid describes him clearing the skies with his caduceus. A more positive, Neoplatonist view of the clouds is that they are "the benificent veils through which the splendour of transcendent truth may reach the beholder without destroying him."
Venus presides over the garden – an orange grove (a Medici symbol). It is also the Garden of the Hesperides of classical myth, from which the golden apples used in the Judgement of Paris came; the Hellenistic Greeks had decided that these were citrus fruits, exotic to them. According to Claudian, no clouds were allowed there. Venus stands in front of the dark leaves of a myrtle bush. According to Hesiod, Venus had been born of the sea after the semen of Uranus had fallen upon the waters. Coming ashore in a shell she had clothed her nakedness in myrtle, and so the plant became sacred to her. Venus appears here in her character as a goddess of marriage, clothed and with her hair modestly covered, as married women were expected to appear in public.
The Three Graces are sisters, and traditionally accompany Venus. In classical art (but not literature) they are normally nude, and typically stand still as they hold hands, but the depiction here is very close to one adapting Seneca by Leon Battista Alberti in his De pictura (1435), which Botticelli certainly knew. From the left they are identified by Edgar Wind as Voluptas, Castitas, and Pulchritudo (Pleasure, Chastity and Beauty), though other names are found in mythology, and it is noticeable that many writers, including Lightbown and the Ettlingers, refrain from naming Botticelli's Graces at all.
Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur (1482) has been proposed as the companion piece to Primavera.
Cupid's arrow is aimed at the middle Grace — Chastity, according to Wind — and the impact of love on chastity, leading to a marriage, features in many interpretations. Chastity looks towards Mercury, and some interpretations, especially those identifying the figures as modelled on actual individuals, see this couple as one to match Chloris and Zephyrus on the other side of the painting.
In a different interpretation the Earthy carnal love represented by Zephyrus to the right is renounced by the central figure of the Graces, who has turned her back to the scene, unconcerned by the threat represented to her by Cupid. Her focus is on Mercury, who himself gazes beyond the canvas at what many believe hung as the companion piece to Primavera: Pallas and the Centaur, in which "love oriented towards knowledge" (embodied by Pallas Athena) proves triumphant over lust (symbolized by the centaur).
The basic identification of the figures is now widely agreed,but in the past other names have sometimes been used for the females on the right, who are two stages of the same person in the usual interpretation. The woman in the flowered dress may be called Primavera (a personification of Spring), with Flora the figure pursued by Zephyrus. One scholar suggested in 2011 that the central figure is not Venus at all, but Persephone.
In addition to its overt meaning, the painting has been interpreted as an illustration of the ideal of Neoplatonic love popularized among the Medicis and their followers by Marsilio Ficino. The Neoplatonic philosophers saw Venus as ruling over both Earthly and divine love and argued that she was the classical equivalent of the Virgin Mary; this is alluded to by the way she is framed in an altar-like setting that is similar to contemporary images of the Virgin Mary. Venus' hand gesture of welcome, probably directed to the viewer, is the same as that used by Mary to the Archangel Gabriel in contemporary paintings of the Annunciation.
Punning allusions to Medici names probably include the golden balls of the oranges, recalling those on the Medici coat of arms, the laurel trees at right, for either Lorenzo, and the flames on the costume of both Mercury (for whom they are a regular attribute) and Venus, which are also an attribute of Saint Laurence (Lorenzo in Italian). Mercury was the god of medicine and "doctors", medici in Italian. Such puns for the Medici, and in Venus and Mars the Vespucci, run through all Botticelli's mythological paintings.
The origin of the painting is unclear. Botticelli was away in Rome for many months in 1481/82, painting in the Sistine Chapel, and suggested dates are in recent years mostly later than this, but still sometimes before. Thinking has been somewhat changed by the publication in 1975 of an inventory from 1499 of the collection of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici.
The 1499 inventory records it hanging in the city palace of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici and his brother Giovanni "Il Popolano". They were the cousins of Lorenzo de' Medici ("Lorenzo il Magnifico"), who was effectively the ruler of Florence, and after their father's early death had been his wards. It hung over a large lettuccio, an elaborate piece of furniture including a raised base, a seat and a backboard, probably topped with a cornice. The bottom of the painting was probably at about the viewer's eye-level, so rather higher than it is hung today.
In the same room was Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur, and also a large tondo with the Virgin and Child. The tondo is now unidentified, but is a type of painting especially associated with Botticelli. This was given the highest value of the three paintings, at 180 lire. A further inventory of 1503 records that the Primavera had a large white frame.
In the first edition of his Life of Botticelli, published in 1550, Giorgio Vasari said that he had seen this painting, and the Birth of Venus, hanging in the Medici country Villa di Castello. Before the inventory was known it was usually believed that both paintings were made for the villa, probably soon after it was acquired in 1477, either commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco or perhaps given to him by his older cousin and guardian Lorenzo de' Medici. Rather oddly, Vasari says both paintings contained female nudes, which is not strictly the case here.
Most scholars now connect the painting to the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici. Paintings and furniture were often given as presents celebrating weddings. The marriage was on 19 July 1482, but had been postponed after the death of the elder Lorenzo's mother on 25 March. It was originally planned for May. Recent datings tend to prefer the early 1480s, after Botticelli's return from Rome, suggesting it was directly commissioned in connection with this wedding, a view supported by many.
Another older theory, assuming an early date, suggests the older Lorenzo commissioned the portrait to celebrate the birth of his nephew Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici (who later became Pope), but changed his mind after the assassination of Giulo's father, his brother Giuliano in 1478, having it instead completed as a wedding gift for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco.
It is frequently suggested that Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco is the model for Mercury in the portrait, and his bride Semiramide represented as Flora (or Venus). In older theories, placing the painting in the 1470s, it was proposed that the model for Venus was Simonetta Vespucci, wife of Marco Vespucci and according to popular legend the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici (who is also sometimes said to have been the model for Mercury); these identifications largely depend on an early date, in the 1470s, as both were dead by 1478. Simonetta was the aunt of Lorenzo's bride Semiramide. Summarizing the many interpretations of the painting, Leopold Ettlinger includes "descending to the ludricous – a Wagnerian pantomime enacted in memory of the murdered Giuliano de' Medici and his beloved Simonetta Vespucci with the Germanic Norns disguised as the Mediterranean Graces."
Whenever this painting and the Birth of Venus were united at Castello, they have remained together ever since. They stayed in Castello until 1815, when they were transferred to the Uffizi. For some years until 1919 they were kept in the Galleria dell'Accademia, another government museum in Florence. Since 1919, it has hung in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. During the Italian campaign of World War Two, the picture was moved to Montegufoni Castle about ten miles south west of Florence to protect it from wartime bombing.
It was returned to the Uffizi Gallery where it remains to the present day. In 1978, the painting was restored.[66] The work has darkened considerably over the course of time
...Have you ever tried to force a flower of magnolia to open its petals?
It is wonderful in early morning, when its sweetness is stronger.
Do not cut the flower, it is strong on the plant, but if you cut it away, it will die in a little time.
By the way: try to open its heart: a strong fragrance of lemon will be everywhere; close your eyes and touch those petals with a soft caress and the lemon sweetness will remain on your fingers as the most sensual sensation of freshness and beauty.
Now, open your eyes: look at the flower... its magic shape, its magic pure and simple shape: only few petals giving us all Love of Nature....
From a travelling English woman's vacations diary
IT WAS CAPTURED AS IT WAS ON THE PLANT
NO PHOTOSHOP; NO DIGITALLY CORRECTED: OBLIQUE NATURAL LIGHTED.
SEE ON BLACK, PLEASE, IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER
A CROSS marks the precise boundary between the town Kalampaka and the village Kastraki, Greece. The prominent lamdmark is located beneath the rock formation Bádovas in Meteora—one of UNESCO world heritage sites.
The Holy Symbol also defines a clear-cut boundary between Truth (pictorially represented by Clarity) and Propaganda (represented by Distortion):
In the fine art shot, the only clear part is the Cross and the Cross alone, because it represents truth, faith and heavens; the farther away from the Cross the surroundings are, the more distorted they get by a hell-like VORTEX of lies, deceit and sin.
Deceit, propaganda and lies lead to a Breakdown in communication. The latter is HELL (defined as the state of lack of communication or the state of being distanced); so, hell should be thought as a “state of being” rather than as a place. The Cross symbolizes sacrifice—the Almighty God’s power to “deliver us from evil.”
+ ✞
First off, I'm glad this was accepted. And second off, I'm throwing this in as a scene from the future.
-----------------------------
Earth: Home of Peter Quill
Quill landed the ship.
"Ok Groot, Rocket. Time to get off."
"What the hell are we even doing here Quill?" asked Rocket.
"I am Groot?"
"We're here to deliver a message."
Quill took out a photo.
"To be precise, this message."
He handed the photo to Rocket.
"Is that you?"
"Yep. Before I started this whole thing. 5 years ago."
"Shit Quill. Why do you still have this?"
Quill looked at the house.
"That's a good question."
Quill hopped out of the Milano. He walked over to the door, and opened it.
"I am Groot."
"Yes we lock doors on Earth Groot. This one.. doesn't. He doesn't need to."
"And why's that Quill?" asked Rocket in a sarcastic voice.
"He's not a normal man...."
Quill dropped the photo on the ground.
"I am Groot?"
"I'm dropping it on the ground because it will remind him."
"I am Groot?"
"Of us. The Guardians. Remember a few years back when we stopped here? We pretended I was his friend Harry?"
"I am Groot."
"Yeah, great you remember."
"Ya know what else I remember?"
Quill looked at Rocket.
"I thought rodents couldn't remember. It's a disability they have... called, Not Human?"
"Why you......"
Rocket lunged at Quill, but Groot caught him mid air.
"I am Groot."
"Lemme at him! Come on one punch!"
"I... AM....GROOT."
"Yeah. Like the big guy said, no fighting."
"Ya know what I remember Quill?"
Groot put Rocket down.
"I remember you abandoning your crew. People died that day Quill. Don't forget that. The only reason I'm here... is to do good for NOVA Core."
Quill put his hand to his mouth, and then replied, "I know. I know what happened. I knew what was going to happen."
Rocket and Groot looked at each other.
"Then... why the hell did you leave? If you knew you could have helped...."
"Rocket. You don't understand. I can't tell you. If I did... many more would die."
"I am Groot."
"Yeah. We have the right to know." said Rocket.
Quill sat down.
"Alright... don't say I didn't warn you."
Nowhere: 5 years ago
Quill got into the ship. He walked to the front where he saw Cosmo waiting.
"Yo Quill. You ready?"
"Yeah. I'll go get the team."
He looked at a red, slimy object.
"Just... make sure that doesn't go anywhere."
Cosmo nodded, and went back to playing Tetris on the computer screen.
Quill hopped off the Milano. He was proud of his ride. It had gotten them through 204 missions together. Even stopping Thanos at one point. He walked to a door, and put a key card up to it.
"Quill, Peter. Enter."
Quill entered, and went to the training room. There he saw Drax, Vell, and Victory in there. They all were beating each other up.
He opened the door.
"Drax! Stop fighting with you're sister!"
"I'm sorry?" Drax said confused. "She is not related to me."
Vell just laughed.
"It was a joke."
"Ah... I see."
Major Victory got up and walked with Quill.
"They are learning. And well." Victory said.
"And how about yourself?"
"Fine. We're becoming a team.... just like you said we would."
"Alright. Well, we better go and head to the ship. We just got intell on..."
"Quill." Eric was calling his name.
Quill looked at Victory.
"Head to the ship. I'll be there soon."
Victory nodded, and told Drax and Vell to head to the ship. Quill walked towards Eric. Eric was smiling. For some unknown reason he was smiling. A major threat was coming to destroy Zandar, and he was smiling.
"Quill. I need to talk to you."
"Alright, but make it quick. We gotta go."
"I intend to make it quick."
They walked into the office that was once Eric's fathers. He had retired when Quill became the leader of the Guardians. He had said that he was never more proud.
Eric sat down at the desk.
"Quill, I'm going to make this quick."
"Good."
"But... you won't like it."
"Well I usually never do... if you're involved."
Eric straightened himself up.
"Have you ever heard of... blackmail?"
Quill laughed.
"Yeah. It's called credit card companies."
Eric did not laugh. He only smiled.
"Good. So you'll know what I'm about to do."
Quill ceased to laugh. He looked behind him to notice the door was locked, and the camera was off.
"Eric..."
"Listen Quill."
When Quill turned around he could see Eric holding a gun under his desk.
"I know you and I have had it rough. You're past... my future. It's all going to come into play here."
Quill knew he could take the gun from Eric two weeks ago. But now, since he had the full power of Nova... he could do nothing.
"The Guardians are a fantastic team... really they are. I like what you've done to the program. But... there's a bump in the road."
"What bump?"
"See.... you're the problem Quill. I don't like you. I never will. But you can do me a favor. I mean, you are the leader of the Guardians, and practically the Core."
Quill felt his palms getting sweaty.
"What you're going to do is... well, how to I say this." Eric said laughing.
"Just... just say it."
"You're going to kill your team."
Quill just took in those words. Kill you're team. Eric must have been crazy. Why would he want to do that?
"I'm sure you'll succeed. You were an excellent officer."
Quill wondered why. Why did he want him to do this?
"If I don't?"
"I'll make the officers of Nova Core kill every living thing on Zandar."
Eric could do that. With some convincing, he could command and army. He was the leader of the Core.
"Why do you want to me to kill them?"
"See, I don't like you Quill. And if you assembled you're team, they have to go. Good people, but I can't work with them."
"Why would you work with them?"
"Well, I would be the new leader of the Guardians obviously."
"Why?"
"Well, I would have everything. Power, fame, glory. Everything my father gave to you."
Quill was horrified with Eric. Why would he want this?
"I would assemble my team of Guardians. And then you would go to prison, and tortured to death. As you will kill them."
"No... I won't."
"Well then. Let me just announce that..."
"NO! Wait. I'll do it. I'll... do what you want."
"Excellent. Now when you go out to do your mission, just... kill them there."
Quill nodded. There was nothing he could do. He even thought of letting Eric kill him, but there was no point. Eric would have killed the team anyways. Quill could save them though. He was Star Lord after all.
He went back to the Milano. Everyone was on board. Quill climbed to the cockpit. There, Cosmo was waiting for him.
"Ready?"
"Yeah. I need you to help me with something though."
Quill told Cosmo everything. Cosmo demanded they storm into Eric's office and kill him themselves.
"No, that won't do. He would just get the Core Officers on us. I have an idea though. So just here me out."
Quill explained that he would get everyone off the ship before they reached their destinations. They would not be able to got to Zandar or Nowhere anymore. Quill would fly the Milano into the threat, hence destroying the ship, and killing him in the process. Cosmo tried to talk him out of it, but Quill was certain it was the only way. Eric had put a chip in Quill's suit and the Milano, which could view them doing the crime. Good thing it didn't have sound.
Cosmo finally agreed. He put the ship in drive, and started off. Quill was ready to die. He had to be.
When they got to the point of where Quill was going to tell everyone to get off, Cosmo stopped him.
"Lets take them out in groups.. so they won't be alone."
Quill nodded, as Cosmo set them into groups. Vell, Drax, and Victory all went together. Groot, Rocket, Venom and Cosmo were the other group. Cosmo didn't tell them what Eric had said. It was best left alone. Before anyone could do anything a mist started to appear. Adam Warlock had created it. He went up to Quill. The others in the back were almost asleep.
Adam Warlock approached Quill.
"I can read thoughts Peter."
"Well then. Great to know."
"I know you have no choice Peter."
"Yeah. So get in the back with the others and jump off."
"I have a better idea. You're a good man Quill. They'll understand. You need to stay alive."
"Look, Adam, someone has to die."
"Yes. The team."
Quill was shocked. Adam was with Eric. He was going to kill the team. Adam was the sense of right and wrong! And he thought this was right?
"Adam! What are you talking about! They don't have to die.."
"Quill. Please. Trust me."
With that Adam went to Victory. With one thrust, he drove a whole through his heart.
Quill ran to stop him, but it was no use. Adam pushed him out of the way. Quill still kept trying, and eventually got to the release button. He pressed it, and with that, all the members went flying into space. Adam shouted, and grabbed Vell, and Drax. Quill floated towards Adam, and managed to free Vell. He turned on his jetpack and tried to fly away, but Adam used his powers to return Vell to him. Quill stared in horror as Adam drove his fist through her also. He saw the blood come out of her mouth as he did so. Quill started to tear up. The one love of his life. Gone. Then Adam did the same to Drax. Quill dove at Adam, and pushed him back to the ship. He held off Adam, until he knew the other members could not have been harmed. Then, he kicked Adam through the front of the Milano. Quill flew off thinking of what would happen to Zandar.
Earth: Present Day
After Quill had finished explaining, Groot and Rocket were fired up. They were angry, sad, and horrified at the same time.
"I AM GROOT!"
"Yeah what he said!"
"Look, guys... Eric might still plan to do this. So just do what he says. Or the fate of Zandar might be altered."
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Very loooooooonng issue to start with. But I wanted to tell the story of what happened to the other members. So there you have it.
Oskar Schlemmer, (born September 4, 1888, Stuttgart, Germany—died April 13, 1943, Baden-Baden, Germany), German painter, sculptor, choreographer, and designer known for his abstract yet precise paintings of the human form as well as for his avant-garde ballet productions.
Schlemmer was exposed to design theory at a young age as an apprentice in a marquetry workshop. He took classes at the Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts) in Stuttgart, and a scholarship allowed him to further his studies at the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Art (1906–10). He spent a year in Berlin painting and familiarizing himself with new trends in art by artists associated with the Der Sturm Gallery. He then returned to Stuttgart in 1912 and became a master student of abstract artist Adolf Hölzel.
Schlemmer was wounded in action while serving in World War I and returned to Stuttgart in 1916. In 1919 he helped spearhead a movement to modernize the curriculum at the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Art—which also involved a staunch effort to have Paul Klee appointed to the faculty there—and, more generally, to bring modern art exhibitions to Stuttgart. He was integral to organizing early exhibitions, which featured his own work as well as that of Klee, Willi Baumeister, and others.
In 1920 Schlemmer married Helena (“Tut”) Tutein, and that same year Walter Gropius invited him to the Bauhaus school in Weimar to teach. There he made significant contributions to numerous departments (sculpture, mural painting, metal work, and life drawing) but truly left his mark in the stage workshop. For that workshop he created his best-known work, Das triadisches Ballett (1922; “The Triadic Ballet”)—a ballet that he choreographed and for which he designed costumes. He named it “Triadic” to reflect the three acts, three dancers, and three colours (one for each act). The costumes he designed—based on cylinder, sphere, cone, and spiral shapes—were revolutionary. That ballet premiered in Stuttgart in 1922 and was then presented throughout the 1920s in cities such as Weimar, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, and Paris. Schlemmer served as head of the stage workshop at the Bauhaus from 1923 to 1929. His experience with dance influenced his paintings, which began to incorporate more depth and volume, as seen in The Dancer (1923). Schlemmer developed the Bauhaus theatre in Dessau—where the school had relocated in 1925—and was involved in the design process of many theatrical productions.
Throughout the 1920s Schlemmer was commissioned to paint several murals in both private residences, such as the home of architect Adolf Meyer (1924), and public spaces, such as the former Bauhaus in Weimar (1923), which the Nazis destroyed in 1930, and the Folkwang Museum in Essen (1928–30), which the Nazis vandalized, dismantled, and removed in 1933. Schlemmer left the Bauhaus in 1929.
From the Bauhaus, Schlemmer moved to Breslau, where he continued to work in theatre and teach (State Art Academy). He also continued to paint, and in 1932 he created his well-known work Bauhaus Stairway. Without warning the Nazi regime dismissed him from his teaching position in 1933. Schlemmer moved to Switzerland for a brief time with his wife and children and painted portraits and landscapes.
The last decade of Schlemmer’s life was marred by the Nazi dictatorship and defamation of his life’s work. In 1937 five of his works were included in the Nazi-organized “Degenerate Art” exhibition in Munich. He continued to exhibit his work when possible and participated in major exhibitions in London and New York City in 1938. Schlemmer was reunited with Baumeister and other artists in 1940 when he moved to Wuppertal, Germany, where he earned a living by working at a lacquer factory. He died of a heart attack three years later. Schlemmer’s Triadic Ballet was revived on a number of occasions in the late 20th century and was performed with the original, restored costumes. Those costumes, however, were the only original elements remaining. The music and choreography associated with Schlemmer’s production were lost. A volume of his diaries and letters edited by his wife was published in 1972; an English translation by Krishna Winston was issued in 1990.
ESA’s ultra-precise deep-space navigation technique – Delta-DOR – tells us where spacecraft are, accurate to within a few hundred metres, even at a distance of 100 000 000 km.
In order to navigate a spacecraft around our Solar System we have to know how far away it is, how fast it is travelling and in what direction. Each of these steps are explained in this new infographic, "How not to lose a spacecraft".
Credits: ESA
Buddy seems to be a very German male red squirrel. It appears she is checking if that branch has grown vertically plumb and horizontal 😂 (Squirrels-2019-9155.jpg)
We are staying north of the border today, in Portstewart to be precise. Having had a good look at the photo I am struck by the three hard working (is that the correct word?) men on the middle pier, they seem to be very relaxed and laid back. I am expecting a very precise date range for this photo.
Among the commetary, insights and dating suggestions for this image is confirmation (from the StreetView provided by B-59) that the buildings in the middle of this image have been replaced or otherwise unrecognisable. Thankfully the buildings on the left of Harbour Place and the right of the Promenade remain. One of the other main takeaways from today is how excited we all are for tomorrow's launch of the Photo Detectives exhibition One more sleep indeed :)
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1880-1900
NLI Ref: L_ROY_05579
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Rain. Lots of it. 24 inches to be precise. Only 4 days after taking this picture of the Chavón River in La Romana (Dominican Republic), a new tropical storm paced its way over the island of Hispaniola, continuing on to the East coast of the US...
Lo que falta es aún peor.
Lluvia. Y mucha. 24 pulgadas para ser precisos. Sólo 4 días después de tomar esta foto del río Chavón en La Romana (República Dominicana), una nueva tormenta tropical atravesó lentamente la isla de la Hispaniola, siguiendo su curso hacia la costa Este de los EE UU...
Olympus E-3
ZD 7-14mm f/4 ED
Aperture Priority Mode
f/1
ISO 100
7mm
1/200
Metering: Spot
White Balance: Cloudy
No Photoshop
No HDR
My New Novel:
B♭ (B-flat)
This is the third time I'm sharing it. (^^;;
It's a rough sketch from the beginning, more like notes.
Hope you enjoy reading it. :)
I've added quite a bit.
I won’t be uploading any more. (^_^;)
Note: I gave a brief explanation of this novel in the following video:
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
Set in New York City.
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54599616429/in/dateposted...
Red, yellow, blue—
Light rain began to fall on East 52nd Street just after 7 p.m.
Anaya Patel leaned against the wall of the building next to Tot Ramen, where she was supposed to meet someone, and absentmindedly stared at the traffic light at the intersection to her right. Though it was already July, it felt like a cooler summer than last year, and she regretted stepping out in just a T-shirt.
When the light turned green, Anaya squinted and stared intently. Kana, her former classmate, was smiling and waving as she ran toward her—
The flat ceiling of Madison Square Garden looked as if it were swelling from the heat of the crowd to Jack. Cheers welcoming the presidential candidate mingled with angry shouts, shaking the air like a wave.
Jack surveyed the arena briefly before returning his gaze to his iPhone. Several social media feeds scrolled simultaneously on the screen, overflowing with rapid posts.
One post in the Meta feed caught his eye. A death threat.
Republican presidential candidate Justin Bradford was about to take the stage with his fiancée, Eleanor Blake.
As the red lights symbolizing the Republican Party lit up the center stage, the two appeared together.
Then came the gunshots.
Jack recognized it instantly—two shots.
While chaos erupted inside the arena, Jack calmly closed his eyes and visualized the scene. He traced the sound of each shot to its possible source.
The first shot had likely come from the PA area near his right side. But Secret Service agents were stationed there.
He recalculated the second shot—probably fired from the left side of the stage. The assailant must have known the couple's precise positions. A security leak, perhaps.
Then came the second report. Ben Holloway, his colleague, delivered it with practiced calm. The bullets had grazed Justin’s left shoulder and abdomen. No arteries were hit, but the bleeding was severe.
Jack replied with steady resolve:
"Justin has Bombay blood. I confirmed it three days ago with Bellevue Hospital. They have a reserve."
Ben acknowledged it calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Justin was rushed to Bellevue, the nearest hospital. Jack called Elijah Kane, who was already waiting there. Secret Service agents, of course, never used apps like WhatsApp.
Before the first ring ended, Elijah picked up.
"Jack, it’s bad. We don’t have the blood. The Bombay blood is gone."
Jack couldn’t believe it.
"I confirmed it personally three days ago with the staff. Saw the blood bags myself."
After a brief pause, Elijah answered:
"The person in charge of those bags died in a car accident yesterday."
Anaya waited for her husband Arjun at Tot Ramen. Her college friend Mika (Sato), a Japanese artist, was with her.
As the waiter placed her bowl in front of her, her phone rang.
It was Bellevue Hospital.
Without hesitation, Anaya answered. Mika watched her with concern.
"Ms. Anaya Patel? This is Sasha Wilson from the ER. You may have heard, but the Republican presidential candidate was shot. We need your blood immediately. A Secret Service vehicle will pick you up. Please do not move."
Anaya turned toward the display hanging over the counter. A male reporter was broadcasting live from MSG.
At the entrance, a well-dressed man in a blue suit approached quickly.
"I’m Rohan Shah with the Secret Service. Please come with me. The car is outside."
Just as he reached for her, Anaya's phone buzzed again. The caller ID was unknown.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Anaya Patel?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Jack Vance, Secret Service. I'm almost there."
"How do you know my location?"
"We’re professionals. We have ways."
"But the agent is already here."
Jack’s urgent shout rang through the phone: "NO!"
The man before her drew a rifle from inside his suit and aimed it at her forehead.
A soft gunshot echoed inside the restaurant.
Anaya froze in shock, unable to speak. The man collapsed to the floor.
Then Arjun appeared—her husband, pointing a gun at her.
"Freeze! FBI!"
Several NYPD officers and suited FBI agents stormed in.
"Everyone down! Hands behind your heads!"
Classic movie dialogue. Anaya was trembling. So was Mika. But probably no one was shaking more than Arjun.
Moments later, Jack burst into the restaurant.
"Anaya Patel!"
Without looking up, she answered:
"Yes, that’s me."
Jack wiped sweat from his brow, lifted her up, and said:
"We’re going to the hospital."
At the hospital, Elijah sent Jack a message with a link.
Jack tossed his phone to Anaya in the passenger seat:
"Open the link!"
It was a live broadcast.
"Good evening, New York. And Los Angeles. My name is Zakaria Haddad. That’s my real name.
I used to live in Gaza. Now, I'm in a room modeled exactly after your President’s office."
Zakaria, a brown-skinned man with a beard, sat calmly in a chair identical to the Oval Office's.
He glanced at his watch, then back to the camera.
"There’s about to be breaking news. Watch your smartphone alerts."
Seconds later:
BREAKING: Former Democratic President Owen Reid shot at Los Angeles Convention Center.
Zakaria smirked and said:
"A sad alert, isn’t it, America? But don’t be too sad. What I went through in Gaza was 55,000 times worse. We lost more than 55,000 loved ones. And cried tears we couldn’t stop."
He bowed his head, clenched his fists, and pounded the desk.
When he looked up, his eyes were wet.
"We seek no money. No glory in death. We only ask that you cry as many tears as we did. Only tears can heal what we lost."
He placed his elbows on the desk, rested his chin on clasped hands, and closed his eyes.
His eyelids trembled slightly.
"I'm just one of the 55,000. If I vanish, 50,000 more remain. Our will cannot be silenced. I'm here to declare it."
From the drawer, he pulled out a Glock 17, chambered a round, and aimed it at his temple.
As a Sunni Muslim, he looked into the camera and said dryly:
"God bless you, America."
He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
The screen went black.
The corridor to the ICU was tightly guarded.
Jack handed Anaya to Sasha.
Sasha had her sign a consent form and led her to a bed.
The bed next to hers was enclosed in vinyl sheets, a man inside, barely recognizable as the candidate.
Sasha gave detailed instructions to the staff.
Vital monitors, oxygen equipment, ventilators—every machine had someone watching it.
A nurse wiped Anaya's arm with disinfectant and inserted a needle.
Blood flowed into the tube.
Direct transfusion is usually avoided due to infection risk, but Bombay blood is an exception.
Anaya had signed, understanding the danger.
She didn’t feel it yet—that her blood was saving a life.
She stared up at the ceiling and breathed deeply.
She had only come to eat ramen with Mika.
What would happen to Arjun? Who had he shot?
As these thoughts swirled, sleep took her.
Justin's father, Cyrus Rajan Bradford, emigrated from Mumbai in 1971 and served five terms as a Democratic congressman from New Jersey's 6th District.
He was shot while giving a speech in Union Square.
Justin, then a child, couldn't grasp what had happened.
The shooter was a young Democrat—a white-collar idealist who demanded immediate healthcare reform. Cyrus’ gradual approach wasn’t fast enough for him.
Cyrus, himself an immigrant, believed real change took time.
But little Justin just wanted to hug his father.
Even as he stopped breathing.
He believed the hug might bring him back.
Justin never forgave that man.
Cyrus Rajan Bradford:
"We must dream big, but move forward step by step. Sudden change only divides society. Democracy means lifting the voices of the unheard and walking together."
Anaya and Mika drove from Paramus, New Jersey, to Williamsburg for the Artists & Freeze weekend event.
Mika had come from Japan to study at Montclair State University and admired Anaya's black-and-white drawings.
Anaya used pencils, pens, and everyday stationery to draw portraits and scenes.
Mika, who painted vivid oil works, was drawn to the simplicity of Anaya's work.
In the campus cafeteria, Anaya once told Mika:
"The place I grew up was barren. No green. No rivers. Just dry wind and sand. But I didn’t hate it."
She poked at her ham and eggs.
"There was nothing but paper and pencils. That’s all I had."
She smiled gently at Mika.
"But I felt I had to treasure it. Everyone on social media seemed so wealthy. But I didn’t envy them. I wanted to show the world my own everyday life. Isn’t it beautiful to share the place you love?"
Mika nodded deeply.
She had grown up in Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya, where the streets were quiet, lined with traditional homes, even as the rest of the district transformed with flashy ads and modern towers. That contrast shaped her art.
"The darkest hour is just before dawn."
Manhattan's dawn recalled that phrase.
When America fell into darkness, a trader once said it.
Amir had heard it from Zakaria, his professor at the Islamic University of Gaza.
Amir and Rafi Ghanem were both his students. They studied electrical engineering, electronics, and programming.
Understanding America’s weak IT networks was easy for them.
Zakaria helped scatter families of Gaza's 55,000 dead across the U.S., waiting.
Rafi and Amir were among them.
They had lost wives, lovers, families.
Those in darkness find no light.
Only those who gather at the bottom of the abyss, resolved, can rival true power—even the U.S. presidency.
Rafi had begun building a pirate radio two years earlier.
Using Caribbean and Hispanic immigrant communities as cover, he revived ancient communication: one-way broadcast.
They carried smartphones but used them only for idle talk. Nothing sensitive.
Rafi pressed the switch.
A tiny click was swallowed by the night.
A red lamp glowed.
The voltage meter twitched.
At exactly 2 a.m., on FM 87.9, a woman’s voice read poetry:
"If the world ends,
I want to be singing,
Alone."
To be continued...
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
1 U2 Helter Skelter (Live) youtu.be/OBL-gVSJp2I?si=CuYs7HKsxCaVTQb3
2 Jimi Hendrix: The Star Spangled Banner (Live): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzZh6-h9fM
3 Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze (Live): www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJunCsrhJjg
4 The Beatles: If I Fell (2009 - Remaster): www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX3Xm4TNF00
5 Tyler, The Creator: Take Your Mask Off (feat. Daniel Caesar & Latoya Williams...): youtu.be/tSd85SmghYs?si=-E-M6dhSdcYzBFjU
6 The Weeknd: Niagara Falls: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxWx5UuznGI
7 Drake: Laugh Now Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk): www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFm7YDVlqnI
8 Linda Sikhakhane: Inkehli: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHbPFAlrO4
9 Freja Lundgren - Finding Silence – : Not found.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUo7F3P2ObeLyC8Fwp70NEQ
10 Mathias Eick: Loving: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYh_orn9ydA
11 21 Savage & Summer Walker: prove it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNIJmlhgqGk
12 Tiana Major9: On God!: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wp1Q5V2eKI
13 Usher: Kissing Strangers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fepftsv6RA
14 JUNG KOOK: Never Let Go: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_n4Ysi5iUM
15 Taylor Swift: This Love: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xsL45rr3VU
16 Metallica: Disposable Heroes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIiXONFj6lM
17 The Beatles:Across The Universe (Remastered 2009):youtu.be/90M60PzmxEE?si=DvkYgRwEK_lha6CT
18 Ganavya: Land: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRmU6z6v1cs
Notes
1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"
•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.
•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).
•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.
•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.
2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
Manhattan. New York. USA. 2007. (7 / 8)
Shot with a Nikon Coolpix 8700.
Today's photo has never been published before.
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
3回の公開です(^^;;
冒頭からの走り書きです。メモ程度です。
よかったら読んでください。:)
結構、加えましたよー^_^
もうアップしません。(^_^;)
舞台はニューヨークです。
追記 この小説を多少説明しました。
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
— 赤、黄色、青ーーー
イースト５２ndストリートに小雨が舞いはじめたのは、午後七時過ぎだった。
アナヤ・パテルは、待ち合わせたトットラーメンのとなりのビルの壁面にもたれ、右手に見える十字路の信号機をぼんやり眺めていた。もう７月だというのに、昨年よりも冷夏に感じ、Tシャツ一枚で出かけてきたことを後悔していた。
十字路の信号が青に変わると、アナは目を細め、凝視した。同級生のカナがこちらへ手を振りながら微笑み、駆け寄ってきていた——
マジソンスクエアガーデンの平坦な天井は、吐き出された人の熱気でいつもより膨らんでいるように、ジャックには見えた。大統領候補を歓迎する声とそれを罵倒する叫び声が錯綜し、鼓膜の奥を揺らしていた。
ジャックは、軽く場内の隅々まで目を凝らしてから、再びアイフォンに目を落とした。画面には、いくつかのSNSが同時に広がっており、それぞれが激しい書き込みによって文字が流れてゆく。
右下の、メタの書き込みに、ジャックは目を留めた。殺害予告だ。
大統領候補のジャスティン・ブラッドフォードは、フィアンセのエリノア・ブレイクとともに間も無くステージに立つ。
共和党を示す赤い光がステージ中央に差し込むと、二人は同時に現れた。
と、同時に、銃声が響いた。
一聴しただけでは気づかなかったがジャックの耳は聴き分けた。弾は二発だ。
騒然とした場内をよそに、ジャックは静かに目を閉じた。発射音から着弾までを想像した。
一発目の弾は、ジャックの右手、たぶん、PA近辺からだ。しかし、ジャックと同じ配属のシークレットサービスが張り込んでいたはずだ。もうひとつの弾丸をジャックは再び目を閉じて計算した。
弾は、たぶん、ステージ左手側からだ。ジャスティンとエリノアの二人の立ち位置を計算しているようだ。ひょっとしたら情報が漏れていたかもしれない。
ジャックの耳に第２報が入った。同僚のベン・ホロウェイの冷静な声だ。心臓ははずれたものの、弾は左肩と腹部をかすめていた。動脈には達していなかったが、出血がひどかった。
ジャックも冷静に、ベンへ伝えた。
「ジャスティンはボンベイブラッドだ。三日前にベルビュー病院に確認した。予備の血液は保管されている」
ベンは、何事もなかったかのように、わかったと静かにいった。
マジソンスクエアガーデンにもっとも近いベルビュー病院に、ジャスティンを運び込む。ジャックは、病院で控えているイライジャ・ケインにスマートフォンから直接電話した。シークレットサービスではもちろんワッツアップなどのSNSはご法度だ。
ワンコールが切れる前にすぐイライジャは反応した。
「ジャック、大変だ。血液がない。ボンベイブラッドがないんだ」
ジャックは、耳を疑った。
「三日前に、俺は直接担当の、名前は忘れたな。とにかく目の前でブラッドバッグを確認したぞ」
イライジャは、数秒の沈黙の後、応えた。
「その血液の管理者は、きのう、交通事故で亡くなったんだ」
アナヤ・パテルは、夫のアルジュンをトットラーメンで待った。
学生時代からの親友、ミカ（佐藤）（日本人）も一緒だ。
店員が、アナヤの目の前にラーメンを差し出したとき、スマートフォンが鳴った。
登録してあるベルビュー病院からだった。
アナヤは、躊躇わずに出た。着信を見たミカは不安げにアナヤを見守った。
「アナヤ・パテルさんですか？ 私は救急部のサーシャウィルソンと言います。すでにご存知かもしれませんが、共和党大統領候補が撃たれました。あなたの血が必要です。すぐに病院へ来てください。シークレットサービスの車が迎えに行きます。動かないでください」
アナヤは、呆然としているミカの視線を追って、背後を振り返った。カウンターのちょうど左上に下がったディスプレイには、MSGの現在が男性レポーターによって放映されている。
アナは開いた入り口に目を移した。青い、洗練されたスーツをまとった褐色の肌の男性が、足早にアナに寄ってきた。
「シークレットサービスのロハン・シャーと言います。私と一緒に病院へ来てください。外に車を用意してあります」
彼は真剣な眼差しでアナへ伝え、手を引こうとした瞬間、アナのアイフォンが再び震えた。番号だけ浮かびあがっている。登録されていないようだ。アナは慌てて、タッチした。
「はい」
「アナヤ・パテルさん？」
「ええ、あなたは？」
「ジャック。ジャック・ヴァンス。シークレットサービスです。もうすぐそちらへ到着します」
「わたしの場所をどうやって？」
「わたしたちはプロだ。あらゆる手段を用意しています」
「もう、シークレットサービスの人が来てるわ」
ジャックの、違う！ という怒声が響いた瞬間、目の前の男性はスーツの内から小銃を引き抜き、アナの額に向けた。
店内に小さな銃声が響いた。
アナは、震えることすら忘れ、言葉を失い、放心していた。
目の前の男性がゆっくり床へ崩れると、夫のアルジュンが、やはりアナに銃を向けて現れた。
「フリーズ！FBI ！」
数人の制服を着たNYPDとグレイのスーツを纏ったFBIが叫んだ。
「全員、手を頭の後ろに回して床に伏せろ！」
映画のようなお決まりのセリフに、アナは震えていた。もちろん、ミカも。たぶん、アナの夫のアルジュンが最も震えていただろう。
遅れて、ジャックが店内に向け、叫んだ。
「アナヤ・パテル！」
アナは、見上げることなく、そのままに応えた。足がまだ震えている。
「わたしです」
額に汗を浮かべたジャックは、アナの身を起こすと、いった。
「すぐに病院へ行く」
病院にいるイライジャから、リンク付きのメッセージが届いた。
助手席に乗り込んだアナへジャックはアイフォンを放り投げると、リンク先を開け、と叫んだ。
慌てて、アナが触れると、どうやら生放送のようだった。
「こんばんは、ニューヨーク。そしてロサンゼルス。私の名前はザカリア・ハッダード。本名だ。
数年前、ガザに住んでいた。今は、みなさんがよく目にする部屋を真似た部屋に私はいる」
褐色の、顎髭をたくわえたザカリアは、アメリカ大統領執務室とほとんど同じ部屋の椅子に座っていた。
腕時計にゆっくり目を落としてから、再び、カメラに視線を向けた。
「そろそろブレイキングニュースだ。スマートフォンの速報に注目して欲しい」
ザカリアがそういった途端、速報が流れた。
【民主党前大統領のオーウェン・リードがロサンゼルス・コンベンション・センターで銃撃された模様です】
ザカリアは、一瞬俯いて笑いを堪えながらいった。
「悲しい速報じゃないか。アメリカのみなさん。でもどうか悲しまないで欲しい。私が経験したガザではこの55,000倍だ。55,000人以上の大切な人を失い、そして、涙を流した」
ザカリアは、再び俯いたまま、両手を固く握りしめ、力強く机を叩きつけた。
顔を上げたザカリアの目にはうっすらと涙が溢れていた。
「私たちは、お金を求めない。また、死による名誉も求めない。私たちが欲しいのは、55,000人が流した涙と同じだけの涙だ。流された涙と同じだけの涙だけが、私たちを癒す」
両肘を机につき、両手を組むと、ザカリアは静かに顎を乗せた。目を閉じて、しばらく沈黙が続いた。目尻が細かく震えているようだった。そのままゆっくり口を開いた。
「55,000人のうちの私はひとりに過ぎない。私が消えても５万人もの意思は決して消えず、引き継がれる。私は、私たちの意思をここに表明するためにいる」
ザカリアは、机の引き出しから、グロック１７を取り出すと、スライドしてチャンバーに弾を流した。そして、自分のこめかみに向けた。
スンニ派である彼は、まっすぐにカメラを見つめ、皮肉混じりにいった。
「神のご加護を。アメリカ」
ザカリアは、目を閉じると、トリガーを真っ直ぐに引いた。乾いた音が部屋に響いた。映像は、瞬時に黒へ切り替わった。
ICUまでの通路は、警官らによって厳重に確保されていた。ジャックは、サーシャにアナを引き渡した。
サーシャはアナに簡単な挨拶を済ますと、同意書にサインさせ、ベッドへ横たわるよう指示した。
となりに置かれたベッドは、薄いビニールシートに囲われ、男性らしい人が寝ているようだ。ネットで見た大統領候補とは到底結びつかない。
アナにはそこにいる男性が大統領候補だということにピンとこなかった。
サーシャがスタッフに細かい指示を出している。
バイタルモニター、酸素装置、人工呼吸器。それぞれにスタッフが張り付き、患者の血圧や心拍数が監視されているようだ。
スタッフのひとりが、アナの腕を消毒液で拭うと、静脈ラインに針を刺した。血液はビニールの管をすぐに見たした。
通常、ダイレクトトランスフュージョン、直接輸血は、感染症の危険が伴うので行われないが、ボンベイブラッドは別だ。
いままさに、となりにいるジャスティンに必要なのだ。その危険性について、アナはサーシャの説明を理解し、サインした。
アナには、実感がなかった。曇りガラスの向こう側にいる男性の命を、自分の血液が救っていることを。
アナは白い天井を見上げ、深い深呼吸をした。ミカとラーメンを食べにきただけだったのに。アルジュンは、男性を撃ったようだった。
いったい彼はどうなってしまうんだろう。撃たれた男性は何者だったのか。
アナは、今の自分を取り巻く状況に考えを張り巡らせているうちに、眠りに落ちていた。
ジャスティンの父、サイラス・ラージャン・ブラッドフォードは、7１年、ムンバイから渡米し、ニュージャージー州第6選挙区で下院議員を5期務めた民主党の重鎮だった。
ユニオンスクエアパークで、集まった労働者らに向け、演説中、聴衆の真正面にいた男に銃撃された。一瞬の出来事だった。
幼かったジャスティンは、呆気に取られ、何が起こったかを理解できなかった。父は、一瞬にしてその場に倒れ、病院へ運ばれたものの、即死だった。
犯人は、若い、民主党員のホワイトカラーだった。父の古い理想主義は彼に通じなかった。医療費の即時無料化を求めた彼は、父の段階を追った手法を受け入れることはできなかった。彼の母は、すぐにも医療費の無料化を必要としていたからだ。父は、早急な変化は退けた。医療だけでなく、あらゆるすべてが多くの人に浸透し、行き渡るためには、多くの時間を要するのだと、移民として、ムンバイからニュージャージーに移り住み、地域に溶け込むことに多大な時間が必要であることを身をもって知っていた。しかしーーーー
幼かったジャスティンは、父のそばに駆け寄って手を握り締めたかった。父の呼吸が止まっていても、そばに寄り添って、父を抱きしめたかった。
抱きしめることで、ひょっとしたら、父は目を覚ますかもしれないじゃないか、、、幼かったジャスティンは、そう信じていた。
ジャスティンは、ホワイトカラーを決して許すことはなかった。
サイラス・ラージャン・ブラッドフォード
「我々は大きな夢を見るべきだが、一歩ずつ確実に進まねばならない。急激な変化は社会の分断を深めるだけだ。民主主義とは、声なき者の声を拾い上げ、共に歩むことだ」
アナとミカは、週末に開催されるアーティスツ・アンド・フリーズに展示するため、（ニュージャージー州の）パラマスからウィリアムズバーグに向けて、車を走らせていた。だいたい５０分ほどで到着する。
モントクレア州立大学に日本からやってきたミカは、同じ美術学部に同籍していたアナの、白黒の作品に魅了された。アナは、鉛筆やシャープペンシル、ボールペン、万年筆など、日常に使われているステーショナリーで、人物や風景、静物を描いていた。多彩な油絵で表現するミカは、色らしい色のないアナの作品に関心を持った。
アナは、大学の食堂でミカに答えたことがある。
ーー わたしが住んでいた街は、殺風景だった。緑や川はなく、乾いた砂が吹き荒ぶ。それが私を幼い頃から囲んでいた。でも、私はそこが嫌いではなかった ーー
そこまで、静かににつぶやくと、プレートに乗ったハムエッグの真ん中を小さく突いた。続けて、いった。
ーー 風景だけでなく、実際、私の周りには何もなかった。あったのは、紙と鉛筆ぐらい ーー
アナは軽くミカに微笑んだ。ミカも笑い返した。
ーー でも、わたしはそれを大切にしなければならないと感じた。スマフォのSNSの人たちはとても豊かに見えた。でも、なぜか羨ましいとか、こうなりたいとか思えなかったの。むしろ、私は私の日常をもっとみんなに見せたいと思った。だって、自分が好きな場所を誰かに伝えることって、素敵だと思わない？ ーー
ミカは笑わずに深く頷いた。ミカも同感だった。渋谷の神山町で幼少時代を過ごしたミカは、ずっと渋谷の変遷を見てきた。渋谷の艶やかな広告やビルの外壁などの変化は彼女を魅了した。反面、自宅のあった神山町は穏やかで、古風な邸宅が並ぶ昔ながらの街並みだった。その対比が、彼女の内面を支えていた。
ーー 夜明け前が一番暗い ーー
マンハッタンの夜明けは、そんな言葉を思い出させる。
この国が闇に堕ちた時、トレーダーがそう言ったと、アミールは、イスラム大学工学部の教授だったザカリアから生前聞いた言葉だ。
アミールと同じようにラフィ・ガンナムもザカリアの師弟だ。二人は、電気工学をザカリアから学んでいた。
電子機器だけでなく、プログラムから幅広いコンピュータ機器まで学んでいた。アメリカの脆弱なITネットワークを熟知することなど彼らにしてみたら容易いものだった。
当時、イスラエルによって圧倒されたガザ地区の５５，０００人の死者の家族の一部は、ザカリアによってアメリカへ不法に散らばって居住し、時を待った。
ラフィも、そしてアミールもそのうちのひとりだ。ザカリアも、ラフィも、アミールも、妻や恋人、そして家族を失い絶望した。生きる意味を見失ったものに光など与えられない。光を見出せなどという人間は偽善者だ。与えられたのは、深い闇だけだった。闇の底で、集い、意を決したものほど、力強いものはいないだろう。おそらく、世界最高の実質的な権力を掌握しているアメリカ大統領に匹敵できるのは彼らのような存在だけかもしれない。
ラフィは、２年前からパイレーツラジオを仕込み始めた。カリブ系やヒスパニック系の移民コミュニティの傘を利用して、伝令を一方的に伝える、そんな古いやり方に答えを見出していた。SNSはもちろん、スマートフォンのやりとり全てはアメリカの情報機関に掌握されている。まったくやりとりをしないことも不自然になるので、ラフィらもスマートフォンは持ち歩いているが、日常的な、他愛ないやり取りだけだ。
ラフィは、放送機のスイッチを押した。微かに発したスイッチ音は、夜の静けさに吸い込まれていった。
小さな赤いランプが灯り、沈黙の中で、近辺に居住する同胞らにつながった。電圧計の針がわずかに震えた。
午前2時ちょうど、FM87.9から音が流れた。砂嵐に混じって、女の声が詩を読んでいた。
「この世界が終わるなら、私はひとりで歌っていたい」
つづく。
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
1 U2 Helter Skelter (Live) youtu.be/OBL-gVSJp2I?si=CuYs7HKsxCaVTQb3
2 ジミ・ヘンドリックス: The Star Spangled Banner (Live): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzZh6-h9fM
3 ジミ・ヘンドリックス: Purple Haze (Live): www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJunCsrhJjg
4 ビートルズ: 恋におちたら (2009 - Remaster): www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX3Xm4TNF00
5 タイラー・ザ・クリエイター: Take Your Mask Off (feat. Daniel Caesar & Latoya Williams...): youtu.be/tSd85SmghYs?si=-E-M6dhSdcYzBFjU
6 ザ・ウィークエンド: Niagara Falls: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxWx5UuznGI
7 ドレイク: Laugh Now Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk): www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFm7YDVlqnI
8 Linda Sikhakhane: Inkehli: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHbPFAlrO4
9 Freja Lundgren - Finding Silence : 見つかりませんでした。https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUo7F3P2ObeLyC8Fwp70NEQ
10 マティアス・アイク: Loving: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYh_orn9ydA
11 21サヴェージ & サマー・ウォーカー: prove it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNIJmlhgqGk
12 ティアナ・メジャーナイン: On God!: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wp1Q5V2eKI
13 アッシャー: Kissing Strangers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fepftsv6RA
14 JUNG KOOK: Never Let Go: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_n4Ysi5iUM
16 テイラー・スウィフト: This Love: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xsL45rr3VU
17 メタリカ: Disposable Heroes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIiXONFj6lM
18 ビートルズ:Across The Universe (Remastered 2009):youtu.be/90M60PzmxEE?si=DvkYgRwEK_lha6CT
19 ガナヴヤ: Land: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRmU6z6v1cs
メモ
1
「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」
•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。
•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。
•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。
•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。
2
2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3
Shots fired at Trump rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
マンハッタン。ニューヨーク。アメリカ。２００７年。( 7 / 8 )
Nikon coolpix 8700 shot
今日の写真は、未発表です。
_________________________________
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Friendship
We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over.
—Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
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I have no idea where the precise figure of Euro 1269.74 comes from.
Hopefully people are suitably deterred by the specifics of the fine. Certainly i did not notice any dog poo there at all.
The Cardigans - Fine
Just one artery, to be precise. This image is inspired by the incredible work of my friend @DanielKHC, who is well known as the ultimate master of breathtaking cityscapes (including Dubai). Even this title is shamelessly borrowed form him.
Of course, I can come nowhere near his image quality (this was taken by an older small-sensor camera, whereas he uses the ultimate full-frames), neither his editing precision - I impatiently 'paint with a broad brush' while he takes time to meticulously blend multiple shots into a single and perfect masterpiece. Neither do I talk security guards into letting me to the very top of the tallest towers - this was from my hotel balcony...
Yet I picked a Dubai photo from the archives after I saw his last transportation-themed piece, in an attempt to emulate the evening colours and feel, if not detail and precision. Next time I promise to take my phone with me and do better than this :)
View larger on black - press 'L' or click the image.