At 12 noon precisely Network Rail Track Tamping Machine DR73119 passes through Rugeley Trent Valley working service 605Q 09.46 Bletchley Civil Engineers Sidings to Crewe P.A.D.

Treehoppers (more precisely typical treehoppers to distinguish them from the Aetalionidae) and thorn bugs are members of the family Membracidae, a group of insects related to the cicadas and the leafhoppers. There are about 3,200 species of treehoppers in over 600 genera. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, although there are only three species in Europe.

They are best known for their enlarged and ornate pronotum, which most often resembles thorns, apparently to aid camouflage. But in some species, the pronotum grows to a horn-like extension, and even more bizarre and hard-to-describe shapes are also found.

I have long dreamed of visiting Russia precisely at the celebration of Victory Day on May 9th. In 2018, about 1 million people took part in the Immortal Regiment. The whole huge avenue turned into an endless stream of people, which like the main artery of the human body, filled with blood, flowed through the streets overflowing the heart. More than two hours did not stop this movement.

Я давно мечтала побывать в России именно на праздновании Дня Победы 9 Мая. И в этом году мне удалось прилететь в Санкт Петербург на праздничные каникулы.

Это незабываемое ощущение праздника со слезами на глазах. Я целый день снимала репортаж о жизни города, но когда я увидела как идёт по Невскому проспекту Бессмертный полк, у меня самой выступили слёзы на глазах. Весь огромный проспект превратился в нескончаемый поток людей, который как главная артерия человеческого организма, наполненная кровью, текла по улицам переполняя сердца. В этом году в Бессмертном полку принимали участие около 1 миллиона человек. Я не верила своим глазам, когда более двух часов не прекращалось это движение. Меня переполняли чувства, это незабываемое впечатление и энергетика.

Cold-Rolled Steel (also referred to as "1018") is not

as widely distributed as other (A-36 Steel / Hot Rolled) is.

As a result I ordered it from an-online-Metal-Supplier

in New Berlin, Wisconsin,

that "I thought" .....could cut it to my sizes- accurately, to save me the time- and clearly-

This was not the case.

In Metal Fabrication - 2-inches, means just that 2-inches- exactly.

Not a "schoonch" less, not just a "little bit" (MY ASS - a little bit!) more than 2".

TWO-FUCKIN-INCHES!

These "parts" are for The Legs, to support Wooden Cabinetry

on pair of high-end, Custom- Nightstands.

More precisely, the view of the Olympic NP mountains from the Hurricane Ridge visitor centre at ~5200 ft on, apparently, a rare sunny day.

This is a stitch in Lightroom Classic CC of 4 horizontal frames.

This my nephew's cat Ramses in my garden or, more precisely, in my pine tree. I haven't seen much of Ramses recently although he lives in the neighbourhood. He has meanwhile grown into a big cat but is still full of mischief. He loves to climb, I guess he must have been a monkey in a past life, and that's why he ended up in my tree. The whole (photo) story in the comments. I hope you will enjoy it !

Locals know it, and that's precisely why many of us live here in the first place. Others are finding out about the abundant gifts the area offers to those who love the outdoors, and more and more of them are choosing the region for their vacation and recreation get-aways.

They're discovering what we already know: that Northeastern Washington provides affordable access to the varied terrain of river valleys and mountaintops, of forests, lakes, and streams, of developed recreation and wilderness experience -- with hidden treasures everywhere.

www.northeasternwashington.com

Image 1. Desert valley and high rock walls.

Image 2. Old school house.

Image 4. Old school house.

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click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;

or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;

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;

oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;

Qi Bo's photos on Fluidr

Qi Bo's photos on Flickriver

www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...

www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...

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A story of Sicily: the Sicilian Gandhi (but he was not Sicilian ...).

This photographic story is connected, at least in part, with the previous one, whose link is represented by the nephew of the painter Robert Kitson, Miss Daphne Phelps: in life she was a psychiatric social worker (she collaborated with Anna Freud, daughter by Sigmund Freud), on the death of his uncle in 1948 he moved to Sicily to take care of Casa Cuseni, having inherited it: initially he wanted to sell it and then return to England, instead he ended up falling in love with Taormina and Sicily, deciding to stay there for the rest of his life. Daphne ran Casa Cuseni welcoming paying guests, there are many illustrious names of artists, writers, well-known personalities who have stayed there: Danilo Dolci was one of these guests, and it is precisely about him that I wish to speak. He was born in 1924 in Sesana (Trieste), after a somewhat eventful life, in 1952 he moved to Trappeto (between Palermo and Trapani), a country among the poorest and most disadvantaged in Italy: that same year the first of numerous fasts, going to bed and fasting in the bed of a child who died of malnutrition, a protest that will end only when the authorities undertake to build a sewer. Danilo Dolci continues with numerous initiatives, from the publication of a book ("Banditi a Partinico", which makes public opinion aware of the poor living conditions of western Sicily, to this book and many others will follow), to the "strike at reverses ”, when the workers went on strike, hundreds of unemployed began to work to reactivate an abandoned municipal road, an initiative that was then stopped by the police; Dolci also initiates an activity of denunciation of the mafia phenomenon and its relations with politics. There are numerous certificates of esteem and solidarity that he receives from important personalities from Italy and abroad, but despite this, for others Danilo Dolci is a dangerous subversive, to be hindered, denigrated, locked up in prison. Yet Dolci does not pose as a guru, boss, or teacher, his working method is based on the conviction that change is based on the involvement and direct participation of those concerned, his idea of progress enhances local culture and skills; he tries, working closely with the people and the most disadvantaged and oppressed groups of western Sicily, to free the dormant creativity in every person, calling this research "maieutic", a term coming from philosophy, precisely from Socratic maieutics: it is "the 'art of the midwife ", every educational act is to bring to light all the inner potentialities of the one who wants to learn, like a mother who wants to give birth to her own child from her womb, so no to notions imparted a priori, yes to help the student to bring their knowledge to light, using dialogue as a tool; however, Socratic maieutics is unidirectional, while in Danilo Dolci's "reciprocal maieutics", knowledge comes out of experience and its sharing, therefore it presupposes the reciprocity of communication. During meetings with farmers and fishermen, the idea was born to build the dam on the Jato River, which is important for the economic development of the area, but also to remove a powerful weapon in the hands of the mafia, an instrument of power which controlled the few available water resources; however the request for "water for all" will be heavily hindered, popular mobilizations and long fasts will be necessary to finally see the project realized: now the dam exists, and others have been built, thus modifying the lives of thousands of people, with the development of numerous companies and cooperatives. Among the many activities of Dolci, thanks to the contribution of international experts, the experience of the Mirto Educational Center, attended by hundreds of children, should be mentioned. Returning to Daphne Phelps and Casa Cuseni, here is a lithograph by Tono Zancanaro, dedicated to the birth of one of Danilo Dolci's daughters, but, among the most important, there is a correspondence between the pacifist philosopher Bertrand Russel and Daphne Phelps, in which the English thinker invited Robert Kitson's niece to participate in the gatherings of progressive intellectuals and literary and scientific personalities of the time, among them, besides Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Carlo Levi, there was Danilo Dolci, sociologist, educator, still recognized today as one of the most important figures of nonviolence worldwide.

post Scriptum:

- the images with Danilo Dolci come from the Casa Cuseni archive: they are cuttings from original periodicals, often full pages, from English newspapers, carefully preserved by Miss Daphne Phelp; these images were also taken by photographing some pages of James McNeish's book, "Fire under the ashes - The life of Danilo Dolci";

- the photographs taken in various countries of Sicily, are prior to the covid-19 pandemic;

- thanks to the surgeon colleague dr. Franco Spadaro and his kind wife, Mrs. Mimma Cundari, owners of Casa Cuseni (declared in 1998, Italian National Monument), for their hospitality and availability, having made the Danilo Dolci archive available to me.

Una storia di Sicilia: il Gandhi siciliano (ma siciliano non era…).

Questo racconto fotografico, è connesso, almeno in parte, con quello precedente, il cui anello di congiunzione è rappresentato dalla nipote del pittore Robert Kitson, la signorina Daphne Phelps: lei nella vita era una assistente sociale psichiatrica (lei collaborava con Anna Freud, figlia di Sigmund Freud), alla morte dello zio nel 1948 si trasferì in Sicilia per occuparsi di Casa Cuseni, avendola ereditata: inizialmente la voleva vendere per poi ritornarsene in Inghilterra, invece finì con l’innamorarsi di Taormina e della Sicilia, decidendo di restarvi per il resto della sua vita. Daphne gestiva Casa Cuseni accogliendo ospiti paganti, numerosi sono i nomi illustri di artisti, scrittori, note personalità che vi hanno alloggiato: Danilo Dolci è stato uno di questi ospiti, ed è proprio di lui che desidero parlare. Egli nasce nel 1924 a Sesana (Trieste), dopo una vita un po’ movimentata, nel 1952 si trasferisce a Trappeto (tra Palermo e Trapani), un paese tra i più poveri e disagiati d’Italia: quello stesso anno inizia il primo di numerosi digiuni, coricandosi e digiunando nel letto di un bimbo morto per denutrizione, protesta che terminerà solo quando le autorità si impegneranno a costruire una fogna. Danilo Dolci prosegue con numerose iniziative, dalla pubblicazione di un libro (“Banditi a Partinico”, che mette a conoscenza dell’opinione pubblica delle misere condizioni di vita della Sicilia occidentale, a questo libro poi ne seguiranno molti altri), allo “sciopero alla rovescia”, quando i lavoratori fecero sciopero, centinaia di disoccupati si misero a lavorare per riattivare una strada comunale abbandonata, iniziativa però poi fermata dalla polizia; Dolci avvia anche una attività di denuncia del fenomeno mafioso e dei suoi rapporti con la politica. Numerosi sono gli attestati di stima e solidarietà che egli riceve da importanti personalità provenienti dall’Italia e dall’estero, ma nonostante ciò per altri Danilo Dolci è un pericoloso sovversivo, da ostacolare, denigrare, chiudere in prigione. Eppure Dolci non si atteggia né a santone, capo, od un maestro, il suo metodo di lavoro è basato sulla convinzione che il cambiamento è basato sul coinvolgimento e diretta partecipazione degli interessati, la sua idea di progresso valorizza la cultura e le competenze locali; egli cerca, lavorando a stretto contatto con la gente e le fasce più disagiate ed oppresse della Sicilia occidentale, di liberare la creatività sopita in ogni persona, chiamando tale ricerca “maieutica”, termine proveniente dalla filosofia, precisamente dalla maieutica socratica: è “l’arte della levatrice”, ogni atto educativo è far venire alla luce tutte le potenzialità interiori di colui che vuole imparare, al pari di una madre che vuol far nascere la propria creatura dal suo grembo, quindi no a nozioni impartite a priori, si ad aiutare lo studente a portare alla luce la propria conoscenza, usando il dialogo come strumento; però, la maieutica socratica è unidirezionale, mentre nella “maieutica reciproca” di Danilo Dolci, la conoscenza viene fuori dall’esperienza e dalla sua condivisione, quindi presuppone la reciprocità della comunicazione. Nel corso di riunioni con contadini e pescatori, nasce l’idea di costruire la diga sul fiume Jato, importante per lo sviluppo economico della zona, ma anche togliere un’arma potente in mano alla mafia, che faceva del controllo delle poche risorse idriche disponibili uno strumento di potere, però la richiesta di “acqua per tutti” verrà pesantemente ostacolata, saranno necessarie le mobilitazioni popolari, lunghi digiuni, per vedere infine realizzato il progetto: ora la diga esiste, ed altre sono state poi realizzate, modificando in tal modo la vita di migliaia di persone, con lo svilupparsi di numerose aziende e cooperative. Da menzionare, tra le tante attività di Dolci, grazie al contributo di esperti internazionali, l’esperienza del Centro Educativo di Mirto, frequentato da centinaia di bambini. Ritornando a Daphne Phelps e Casa Cuseni, qui è presente una litografia di Tono Zancanaro, dedicata alla nascita di una delle figlie di Danilo Dolci, ma, cosa tra le più importanti, esiste un carteggio tra il filosofo pacifista Bertrand Russel e Daphne Phelps, nel quale il pensatore inglese invitava la nipote di Robert Kitson a partecipare ai raduni di intellettuali progressisti e personalità letterarie e scientifiche dell’epoca, tra di loro, oltre Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre e Carlo Levi, c’era Danilo Dolci, sociologo, educatore, ancora oggi riconosciuto tra le figure di massimo rilievo della nonviolenza a livello mondiale.

post scriptum:

- le immagini con Danilo Dolci provengono dall'archivio di Casa Cuseni: sono ritagli di giornali originali dell'epoca, spesso pagine intere, provenienti da quotidiani inglesi, accuratamente conservati dalla signorina Daphne Phelp; tali immagini sono state realizzate fotografando anche alcune pagine del libro di James McNeish, "Fire under the ashes - The life of Danilo Dolci";

- le fotografie realizzate in diversi paesi della Sicilia, sono antecedenti alla pandemia da covid-19;

- si ringrazia il collega chirurgo dott. Franco Spadaro e la sua gentile consorte, signora Mimma Cundari, proprietari di Casa Cuseni (dichiarata nel 1998, Monumento Nazionale Italiano), per la loro ospitalità e disponibilità, avendo messo a mia disposizione l'archivio relativo a Danilo Dolci.

Norwegen / Buskerud - Hallingskarvet-Nationalpark

Prestholtseter

Hallingskarvet National Park (Norwegian: Hallingskarvet nasjonalpark) is a national park in central Norway that was established by the government on 22 December 2006. The park is located in the municipalities of Hol (Buskerud county), Ulvik and Aurland (both in Vestland county). More precisely, the park comprises the Hallingskarv plateau and the high mountain areas to the west of it. It includes the Vargebreen glacier as well as the valleys of Såtedalen, Lengjedalen, Ynglesdalen, and parts of Raggsteindalen.

The national park covers 450 square kilometres (170 sq mi) of the Hallingskarvet mountain range and hosts large stocks of wild reindeer, an important factor in the establishment of the park. The highest point in the national park is Folarskardnuten which reaches an elevation of 1,933 metres (6,342 ft) above sea level.

The landscape of Hallingskarvet was shaped by multiple ice ages. The park shows the geological history and the connection between this history and the variation in the species living there. It includes areas of special value and which are home to threatened or vulnerable species such as Draba cacuminum (whitlow-grass) and Botrychium lanceolatum (lance-leaf grapefern).

The Bergen Line runs along the southern boundary of the park. There is no road access to the southern side of the park, so Finse Station, a stop on the railway line, is one of the few ways that people can access this part of the park. The Norwegian County Road 50 runs near the northern boundary of the park.

Protection and use

The main objective of this national park is to preserve a large, unique, and largely untouched area in order to protect the landscape and the biome with its ecosystem, species and populations of, amongst others, the wild reindeer. The protection is designed to safeguard a characteristic element needed to understand the geological history of the Norwegian landscape. It is also designed to protect valuable elements of the cultural heritage.

The park is open to the traditional forms of outdoor activities which require little or no technical means.

Name

The first element is halling (inhabitant of the Hallingdal valley) and the last is the finite form of skarv (mountain or mountainous area without vegetation).

(Wikipedia)

Prestholtseter a farm cafe based on traditions. Prestholtseter is located by Hallingskarvet at 1242 m, by Hallingskarvet National Park. It is a popular destination both summer and winter. The café offers waffles, buns, the local specialties "lefsekling" (thin, sheet bread), "Rummebrød" (thin cakes made with sour cream), cakes, omelets, buns and rolls. In summer you can also get cured meats and tasty sour cream porridge By Prestholtseter you will find great hiking in the summer and cross country tracks in the winter. In summer you can hike on dirt roads or paths, either flat or the Prestholt stairs up to the top of Hallingskarvet Mountain. In summer the road goes all the way to Prestholtseter (toll road). In winter there are ski trails that are groomed daily, from Havsdalen and from Ustaoset. Prestholtseter offers catering for groups from 15 -100 people for dinner or lunch. A nice layer at the base of Hallingskarvet provides a unique and beautiful setting for the event. Prestholtseter was built in 1904 and has been in the family Uthus since. In the beginning it was a pure summer farm, where they sold products that they produced themselves. Opning hours 2017: Winter season: Starts week 7, 2017. The road usually opens around July 1st.

(visitnorway.com)

Der Hallingskarvet-Nationalpark (norwegisch Hallingskarvet nasjonalpark) ist ein südnorwegischer Nationalpark. Er umfasst das Hallingskarvet-Hochplateau und erstreckt sich über das Gebiet der Gemeinden Hol (Provinz Buskerud), Ulvik und Aurland (Provinz Vestland) gehört.

Gegründet wurde der Park am 22. Dezember 2006, um die dortige große, unverwechselbare und nahezu unberührte Bergregion, die Artenvielfalt von Flora und Fauna und die dort heimischen Bergrentiere zu schützen. Der Park grenzt an das Naturschutzgebiet Skaupsjøen/Hardangerjøkulen und das Biotop Finse.

Im Süden des Parkes führen sowohl die Bergenbahn als auch die Reichsstraße 7 vorbei.

Geologie, Landschaft und Geografie

Der Nationalpark umfasst größtenteils das Hallingskarvethochplateau, welches aufgrund der Kaledonischen Orogenese entstand. Das vorherrschende Gesteinsmaterial der Bergkette ist präkambrisches Pluton.

Der höchste Berg ist der Folarskardnuten mit 1.933 m. Im Hallingskarvet befindet sich auch Norwegens höchster See, der Flakavatnet, welcher auf 1.453 m Höhe liegt.

Flora

Die Pflanzenwelt gestaltet sich mit über 300 verschiedenen Arten sehr vielfältig. Die am weitesten verbreiteten Pflanzen sind der Weiße Silberwurz, Knöllchen-Knöterich und Herbst-Löwenzahn. In den höheren Lagen kommen vor allem Dreiblatt-Binsen, Polarsimsen, Moosheide und Gletscher-Hahnenfuß vor.

Fauna

Im Park gibt es an größeren Säugetieren Bergrentiere, Elche, Rehe, Polarfüchse und Schneehasen. Nördlich des Parks leben zudem Vielfraße.

Die größten Greifvögel sind Steinadler, Gerfalke, Turmfalke und Raufußbussard. Der Kolkrabe ist im Hallingskarvet ebenfalls heimisch.

Kulturerbe

Im Nationalpark wurden verschiedene Jagdutensilien gefunden, die auf eine prähistorische/historische Nutzung der Berge als Jagd- und/oder Siedlungsgebiet schließen lassen.

Im 17. bis 19. Jahrhundert lag der Park entlang einer wichtigen Handelsroute. Einfache Übernachtungshütten, sog. lægre, zeugen noch heute davon. Im Jahre 1880 ließ der englische Graf Lord Garvagh eine steinerne Jagdhütte, die Lordehytta, errichten, um in der näheren Umgebung auf Rentierjagd zu gehen.

Verwaltung und Tourismus

Der Norwegische Wanderverein unterhält im Park die Hütten Finsehytta im Süden und Geiterygghytta im Norden. Private Unterkünfte gibt es im Raggsteindalen und bei Haugastøl. Zwischen den Hütten gibt es markierte Wanderwege.

Zwischen Finse und Ustaoset verläuft ein Stück des Skarverennet durch den Park. Im Süden des Parks verläuft zudem der Rallarvegen.

(Wikipedia)

I think that most people, Europeans or not, feel that Europe or, more precisely the European Union must be re-think.

Penso que la majoria de les persones, europeus o no, els fa l’efecte que Europa o, més exactamente, la Unió Europea ha de ser re-pensada.

Pienso que la mayor parte de las persones, europeos o no, tiene la sensación que Europa o, más exactamente, la Unión Europea debe ser re-pensada.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unió_Europea

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unión_Europea

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin

Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It is on the east coast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster, at the mouth of the River Liffey, and is bordered on the south by the Wicklow Mountains. It has an urban area population of 1,173,179, while the population of the Dublin Region (formerly County Dublin), as of 2016, was 1,347,359, and the population of the Greater Dublin area was 1,904,806.

There is archaeological debate regarding precisely where Dublin was established by the Gaels in or before the 7th century AD. Later expanded as a Viking settlement, the Kingdom of Dublin, the city became Ireland's principal settlement following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire before the Acts of Union in 1800. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, later renamed Ireland.

Dublin is a historical and contemporary centre for education, the arts, administration and industry. As of 2018 the city was listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha −", which places it amongst the top thirty cities in the world.

Source: Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha%27penny_Bridge

The Ha'penny Bridge (Irish: Droichead na Leathphingine, or Droichead na Life), known later for a time as the Penny Ha'penny Bridge, and officially the Liffey Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge built in May 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. Made of cast iron, the bridge was cast in Shropshire, England.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Liffey

The River Liffey (Irish: An Life) is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water and a range of recreational activities.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has weighed the largest known galaxy cluster in the distant universe and found that it definitely lives up to its nickname: El Gordo (Spanish for "the fat one").

By precisely measuring how much the gravity from the cluster's mass warps images of far-more-distant background galaxies, a team of astronomers has calculated the cluster's mass to be as much as 3 million billion times the mass of our Sun. The Hubble data show that the cluster is roughly 43 percent more massive than earlier estimates based on X-ray and dynamical studies of the unusual cluster.

"It's given us an even stronger probability that this is really an amazing system very early in the universe," said team lead James Jee of the University of California at Davis.

A fraction of this mass is locked up in several hundred galaxies that inhabit the cluster and a larger fraction is in hot gas that fills the entire volume of the cluster. The rest is tied up in dark matter, an invisible form of matter that makes up the bulk of the mass of the universe.

Though galaxy clusters as massive are found in the nearby universe, such as the so-called Bullet Cluster, nothing like this has ever been seen to exist so far back in time, when the universe was roughly half of its current age of 13.8 billion years. The team suspects such monsters are rare in the early universe, based on current cosmological models.

The immense size of El Gordo was first reported in January 2012. Astronomers estimated its huge mass based on observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and galaxy velocities measured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope array in Paranal, Chile. They were able to put together estimates of the cluster's mass based on the motions of the galaxies moving inside the cluster and the very high temperatures of the hot gas between the cluster galaxies.

The challenge was that they noticed that the cluster (catalogued as ACT-CL J0102-4915) looked as if it might have been the result of a titanic collision between a pair of galaxy clusters the researchers describe as "seeing two cannonballs hit each other."

"We wondered what happens when you catch a cluster in the midst of a major merger and how the merger process influences both the X-ray gas and the motion of the galaxies," explained John Hughes of Rutgers University. "So the bottom line is that because of the complicated merger state, it left some questions about the reliability of the mass estimates we were making."

"That's where the Hubble data came in," said Felipe Menanteau of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "We were in dire need for an independent and more robust mass estimate given how extreme this cluster is and how rare its existence is in the current cosmological model. There was all this kinematic energy that could be unaccounted for and could potentially suggest that we were actually underestimating the mass." The expectation of "unaccounted energy" comes from the fact that the merger is occurring tangentially to the observers' line of sight. This means they are potentially missing a good fraction of the kinetic energy of the merger because their spectroscopic measurements only track the radial speeds of the galaxies.

The team used Hubble to measure how strongly the mass of the cluster warped space. Hubble's high resolution allowed measurements of so-called "weak lensing," where the cluster's immense gravity subtly distorts space like a funhouse mirror and warps images of background galaxies. The greater the warping, the more mass is locked up in the cluster. "What I did is basically look at the shapes of the background galaxies that are farther away than the cluster itself," explained Jee.

The team's next step with Hubble will be to try to get a large mosaic image of the cluster. It doesn't fit into Hubble's field of view. It's like looking at a giant's head and shoulders from the side, say researchers. "We can tell it's a pretty big El Gordo, but we don't know what kind of legs he has, so we need to have a larger field of view to get the complete picture of the giant," said Menanteau.

hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2014/22/3362-Image.html

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Church,_Berlin

St. Mary's Church, known in German as the Marienkirche, is a church in Berlin, Germany. It is located on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße (formerly Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße) in central Berlin, near Alexanderplatz. The exact age of the original church site and structure is not precisely known, but it was first mentioned in German chronicles in 1292. It is presumed to date from earlier in the 13th century. The architecture of the building is now largely composed of comparatively modern restoration work which took place in the late 19th century and in the post-war period. The church was originally a Roman Catholic church, but has been a Lutheran Protestant church since the Protestant Reformation and a united Protestant church since the Prussian Union of churches in 1817.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,723,914 (2018) inhabitants make it the second most populous city proper of the European Union after London. The city is one of Germany's 16 federal states. It is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, and contiguous with its capital, Potsdam. The two cities are at the center of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, which is, with 6,004,857 (2015) inhabitants and an area of 30,370 square km, Germany's third-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr and Rhine-Main regions.

Berlin straddles the banks of the River Spree, which flows into the River Havel (a tributary of the River Elbe) in the western borough of Spandau. Among the city's main topographical features are the many lakes in the western and southeastern boroughs formed by the Spree, Havel, and Dahme rivers (the largest of which is Lake Müggelsee). Due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. About one-third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals and lakes. The city lies in the Central German dialect area, the Berlin dialect being a variant of the Lusatian-New Marchian dialects.

First documented in the 13th century and situated at the crossing of two important historic trade routes, Berlin became the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1417–1701), the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), and the Third Reich (1933–1945). Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world. After World War II and its subsequent occupation by the victorious countries, the city was divided; West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall (1961–1989) and East German territory. East Berlin was declared capital of East Germany, while Bonn became the West German capital. Following German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all of Germany.

Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media and science. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations and convention venues. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular tourist destination. Significant industries also include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, biotechnology, construction and electronics.

Berlin is home to world-renowned universities, orchestras, museums, and entertainment venues, and is host to many sporting events. Its Zoological Garden is the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. With the world's oldest large-scale movie studio complex, Berlin is an increasingly popular location for international film productions. The city is well known for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts and a very high quality of living. Since the 2000s Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan entrepreneurial scene.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernsehturm_Berlin

The Fernsehturm (English: Television Tower) is a television tower in central Berlin, Germany.

Close to Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte, the tower was constructed between 1965-69 by the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was intended to be both a symbol of Communist power and of Berlin. It remains the latter today, as it is easily visible throughout the central and some suburban districts of Berlin. With its height of 368 metres (including antenna) it is the tallest structure in Germany, and the third-tallest structure in the European Union. Of four tallest structures in Europe, it is 2 m shorter than the Torreta de Guardamar, 0.5 m shorter than the Riga Radio and TV Tower, and 8 m taller than the Trbovlje Power Station in 2017. The structure is also more than 220 metres higher than the old Berlin Radio Tower in the western part of the city, which was built in the 1920s.

In addition to its main function as the location of several radio and television broadcasting stations, the building – internally known as "Fernmeldeturm 32" – serves as a viewing tower with observation deck including a bar at a height of 203 metres, as well as a rotating restaurant. Also, the Berlin TV Tower can be booked as a venue for events. The distinctive city landmark has undergone a radical, symbolic transformation: After German reunification, it changed from a politically charged, national symbol of the GDR into a citywide symbol of a reunited Berlin. Due to its universal and timeless design, it has increasingly been used as a trademark and is identified worldwide with Berlin and Germany. In 1979, the Berlin TV Tower received monument status by the GDR, a status which was perpetuated after the German reunification.

The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the country and is often in the establishing shot of films set in Berlin, alongside monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Victory Column and the Reichstag building. It is also one of the ten most popular attractions in Germany with more than 1,000,000 visitors every year. Due to its location near Alexanderplatz, it is occasionally called Alex Tower.

This photo is precisely the same age as me, well, within a day, and was coincidentally taken the day before England won the world cup! It shows the Stalham Yachting Station with a single BP pump outside. The building still exists in the present day but hard to get a decent view of it on Streetview. I think this is much the same view but it's hard to tell www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.7680385,1.5157814,3a,75y,173.18...

Betelgeuse occultation by (319) Leona

Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello

A more accurate analysis of the Betelgeuse occultation by (319) Leona to more precisely establish the central time of the event, estimated at 01:13:04 and lasting approximately one second. The locality is in the grazing zone.

Visually (but also in my and other videos), with the image in focus, I perceived a quick flicker of equal duration before and after. Could this tremor be associated with topographic roughness on the asteroid? Or to the photospheric macrocells of the star?

I was very lucky because the weather was terrible everywhere. In practice, I was in one of the few areas free of clouds and with really good seeing. Some in the central area saw nothing! What's more, it wasn't even a given that I would see anything since I was in the northern limit zone. The theoretical upper limit was about 100 meters north of my position.

Nonetheless, both at the telescope eyepiece + video recording in the first location, and in the startrails in the second (this image), I managed to capture the event. This means that the prediction was incorrect, perhaps by a kilometer. The time, however, was very precise, with a difference of 2 seconds. A second or so, but it was one of the most exciting phenomena I have witnessed!

5x30 sec @116mm with Canon EOS 4000D @400 ISO.

Video clips also available taken at 300mm.

This is the coastguard lookout post that stands right at the tip of St Aldhelm's Head - or more precisely it was previously a coastguard lookout! It is in fact now no longer used by the coastguards but is manned part time by volunteers working with The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) which is a registered charity. I arrived here on my coast walk just as the sun was setting and the reflection off the window caught my eye. In the distance, you can see the distinct shape of White Nothe and beyond that the narrow tract of land that goes across to Portland.

Actually I think this place would make quite a nice weekend pad! It's not very big but it has that lovely picture window looking straight out to sea and there's a tiny kitchenette and toilet plus it has it's own tiny 'courtyard garden' (behind the curved wall!) ;-)!

Thanks for all your visits, comments and faves, I really appreciate you all.

Press L for Large on Black!

for 7DoS: there may not be precisely 39 steps here - let's call it poetic license ;)

After a busy couple of days, I'm not planning to engage my brain too early on Tuesday and as Margaret has already beaten me to two ideas this week, I needed to act

That's precisely how far these rolling hills of farmlands go on for. Last year, Tom & I visited Oregon, but before we did we visited the Palouse region of eastern Washington state. (That was part of the deal) :-)

This image was taken in the spring season from a vantage point on Steptoe Butte. I had been so motivated by other photographers who presented such phenomenal images of the fertile grounds ... with the ever-changing light, which "paints" the landscape with an ever-changing canvas. Like a kid in a candy store I was, not being able to shoot fast enough. If you haven't ever made a trip out there and are so inclined, I couldn't more highly recommend it. I doubt that it even matters the season ... ever-changing ... mile and miles.

I chose this image tonight because I will soon be heading out there. Can't wait to see what I can capture this time. :-) Also, tonight's blog post will present more images from the Palouse area. You know how it is when you psych yourself up for an upcoming trip. If you get a chance, feel free to check out the post.

Blog: www.tnwaphotography.wordpress.com

Website: www.tnwaphotography.com

© Debbie Tubridy / TNWA Photography

Married during the Europride.

A public wedding.

Precisely with the terrorist threat of IS very brave and special.

This is what Director Ruud Spee did with his beloved Victor.

They wanted to show the world that they will never bow to prejudice and violence.

Diligently they knelt before God to receive his blessing.

I was there, it was a fantastic

@benlinero

or, more precisely, to be accepted as a woman

Is that so hard to comprehend?

Last year I spent two weeks in Mexico, and more precisely in Akumal, Yucatan..It was a great trip and I enjoyed it so much..I can perfectly remember the brilliant colours of plants and flowers and for the first time I was introduce to Maya's culture..so fascinating..

These earrings have been inspired by this journey..

Meters of copper wire in different gauges enriched with beautiful gemstones:2 labradorite faceted heart shaped briolettes - on the above part of them -, flashy blue fire gemmy AAA labradorite faceted teardrop riolettes - on both sides together with tiny freshwater pearls - , green moss agate A grade faceted long teardrop - in the very middle of them - flat labradorite round beads and finally two green moss agate, AA grade, faceted flat teardrops.

I heavily oxidised them for a more antique look!

They're are 2.36 inches long - earwires excluded.

I like this lovely planetary nebula. It locates near the north celestial pole, and autoguiding did not work precisely.

Here is a frame taken without filter December 2013:

www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/11990084845

equipment: AstroPhysics 130GTX "Granturismo," Field Flattener at f/6.7 focal length 873mm, 22.1mm Spacer, EOS Adapter, Kipon EOS-EOS R adapter, Optolong L-ultimate Dual 3nm Filter, and Canon EOS R-SP4II, modified by Seo-san on SkyWatcher CQ350 Pro Equatorial Mount without autoguiding

exposure: 15 times x 600 seconds, 6 x 240 sec, and 7 x 60 seconds at ISO 6,400 and f/6.8

site: 1,449m above sea level at lat. 35 24 30 North and long. 138 38 23 East near Mt.Fuji in Asagiri Shizuoka 静岡県朝霧高原. SQML was up to 20.93 after moonset at the night, though moon was in the sky during the session. Atmospheric turbulence was poor, and guiding error RMS was around 1,5". Wind was mild. Ambient temperature was around -1 degree Celsius or 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Precisely and perfectly cooked on the inside with a delicious seared crust on the outside. That's what you get when you dive into sous vide cooking at home!

Recipe: photosandfood.ca/2017/12/02/sous-vide-cab-strip-loin-roas...

Continuing with our epic journey to RSPB Gwenffrwd-dinas. I can't locate this precisely but seem to think it's looking towards Rhandirmwyn,

photo rights reserved by Ben

The David Gareja Monastery complex is remote and isolated in the rugged, semi-desert landscape of eastern Georgia, close to the border with Azerbaijan. The area is characterized by dry hills, barren plains and steep cliffs, far from any town or village. It is precisely this remoteness that contributes to the spiritual atmosphere of the place — an ideal refuge for monks seeking refuge from the world. The silence, the arid landscape and the ancient caves make David Gareja a place of deep peace, contemplation and mysticism. Founded in the 6th century by the Syrian monk David Garejeli, the monastery is partly carved into the sandstone cliffs of a rugged, semi-desert landscape. Inside the monastery there is a sloping rock face with carved cells, chapels and caves that served as living and praying rooms for monks. Some are decorated with ancient frescoes. In this photo we see Kanitha at the entrance to a simple, carved cell in the monastery complex. The small round opening in the sandstone rocks gives access to one of the many caves that were once used by monks as living or prayer rooms. This cave cell is typical of the early architectural style of the monastery, everything here is sober and purposeful — no unnecessary decoration, just rock, silence and devotion. The shapes are rough and natural, as if the space had formed itself out of the mountainside. In addition to its historical and architectural value, the monastery is still a lively religious place today. Georgian Orthodox monks still live in the complex. They lead a secluded and sober life, dedicated to prayer, study and maintenance of the monastery. During our visit to David Gareja we were the only visitors. In silence we walked through the empty monastery, past rough rock walls and ancient cells. Kanitha paused for a moment at a small cave cell — simple, carved out of the rock — and you immediately felt how monks once lived here in solitude. Everything breathed peace and devotion. The view over the silent, empty plain was breathtaking. A place where time seems to stand still — and you stand still for a moment too.

While exploring the remote David Gareja Monastery, we were the only visitors. In complete silence, we wandered through ancient rock-cut cells and chapels. Kanitha paused at the entrance of a simple cave cell — a powerful reminder of the monks’ quiet, devoted lives. Surrounded by vast, empty desert views, it felt like time stood still.

Het David Gareja-kloostercomplex ligt afgelegen en geïsoleerd in het ruige, halfwoestijnachtige landschap van Oost-Georgië, vlak bij de grens met Azerbeidzjan. Deze omgeving wordt gekenmerkt door droge heuvels, kale vlaktes en steile rotspartijen, ver weg van dorpen of steden. Juist die verlaten ligging draagt bij aan de spirituele sfeer van de plek — een ideaal toevluchtsoord voor monniken die zich willen terugtrekken uit de wereld. De stilte, het dorre landschap en de eeuwenoude grotten maken David Gareja tot een plek van diepe rust, contemplatie en mystiek. Het klooster werd in de 6e eeuw gesticht door de Syrische monnik David Garejeli en is deels uitgehouwen in de zandsteenrotsen van een ruig, halfwoestijnachtig landschap. In het klooster is er schuin oplopende rotswand met uitgehouwen cellen, kapellen en grotten die dienden als woon- en gebedsruimten voor monniken. Sommige zijn versierd met eeuwenoude fresco’s. Op deze foto zien we Kanitha bij de ingang van een eenvoudige, uitgehouwen cel in het kloostercomplex. De kleine ronde opening in de zandstenen rotsen geeft toegang tot één van de vele grotten die ooit door monniken werden gebruikt als woon- of gebedsruimte. Deze grotcel is typisch voor de vroege bouwstijl van het klooster, alles is hier sober en doelgericht — geen overbodige versiering, enkel rots, stilte en toewijding. De vormen zijn ruw en natuurlijk, alsof de ruimte zich als vanzelf uit de bergwand heeft gevormd. Naast zijn historische en architectonische waarde is het klooster ook vandaag de dag nog een levendige religieuze plek. Er wonen namelijk nog altijd Georgisch-Orthodoxe monniken in het complex. Ze leiden een teruggetrokken en sober leven, gewijd aan gebed, studie en onderhoud van het klooster. Tijdens ons bezoek aan David Gareja waren we de enige bezoekers. In alle stilte liepen we door het lege klooster, langs ruwe rotswanden en eeuwenoude cellen. Kanitha stond even stil bij een kleine grotcel — eenvoudig, uitgehouwen in de rots — en je voelde direct hoe monniken hier ooit in afzondering leefden. Alles ademde rust en toewijding. Het uitzicht over de stille, lege vlakte was adembenemend. Een plek waar tijd lijkt stil te staan — en je zelf ook even stilstaat.

Taken at precisely 01:30 on a mild May morning, this is one of my very, very few shots that display the blue carriage lighting used on what at the time was termed "Nightrider" stock. Something I only troubled myself with a couple of times, the idea was that the soothing lighting and comfortable seats would aid in transporting one's self many miles overnight in peace and serenity. What the brochure didn't say was that it was usually full of tired and irritable children, plus a fairly healthy complement of 'happy' (alcohol induced) travellers making their way home/away. Not really the "ambience" the marketing people had in mind!

Mind you, that's precisely what I desire to be, I am honored to be considered as such.

Photograph taken at an altitude of Eight metres, in the magic of the Golden hour around sunrise at 05:41am, (sunrise was at precisely 06.15am) on Saturday 6th September 2014 off the Patricia Bay Highway 17, on Lochside Drive close to Frost Avenue and the Lochside Waterfront Park, in beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Here, I am standing beside the wooden decked viewing platform, looking over towards Mt Baker in Washington State, USA from beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Also known as Koma Kulshan, she is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States, standing 3,286 metres tall and was first ascended in 1868, her last eruption recorded in 1880.

These Canada Geese, along with many other small groups, fly across the lake from East to West every morning and back again every evening at Sunset, and I love to watch the classic Vee formations and listen to the honking as they pass me by. In flight, a group of Geese are called, a Skein.

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Nikon D800 70mm 1/1000s f/2.8 iso100 RAW (14 bit) Manual focus. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance. Auto Active D-lighting.

Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED IF VRII. Jessops 77mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL batteries. Nikon DK-17M Magnifying Eyepiece. Nikon DK-19 soft rubber eyecup. Manfrotto MT057C3 057 Carbon Fiber Tripod 3 Sections (Payload 18kgs). Manfrotto MH057M0-RC4 057 Magnesium Ball Head with RC4 Quick Release (Payload 15kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 410PL-14.Jessops Tripod bag. Optech Tripod Strap.Digi-Chip 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW camera bag. Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

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LATITUDE: N 48d 38m 15.79s

LONGITUDE: W 123d 24m 12.85s

ALTITUDE: 8.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 9.80MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D800 Firmware versions A 1.10 B 1.10 L 2.009 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

3/6

My first contact ever with muezzins calling from the top of their minarets was precisely in Istanbul 30 years ago. At the time I enjoyed an enchantment with the repetitive, slightly swinging, tone of the call. I felt there was a deep charm in the chant. I got in contact with this feeling again only two years latter when I visited Morocco. And again I felt a sort of enchantment with the mystical chant of the muezzins.

It's a bit difficult to tell precisely what I thought was the meaning of the message of the muezzins. But a possible translation is that there was a feeling of resignation in the chant, just as the muezzins were saying to the faithful that they had to endure patiently the earth's pains, while they could not access the gifts Allah's heaven had to offer them.

The feeling I got now from the muezzins call was rather different from the one I got in my first stay in the city. I admit the words they are saying may have not changed, but I'm sure the tone is different.

I don't know who has changed most, me or the muezzins. My perception of Islam has certainly changed in the meantime. While before I was more candid, it's clear I'm now part of the post 9.11 world and all that means. I've felt the muezzins call this week in Istanbul as a sort of militant scream. No more resignation, but a call to the faithful to be involved in the disciplines imposed by religion on earth.

In 1982 I saw a small number of women with their heads covered by scarfs. Now that number has increased by a very large proportion. And what has impressed me in this visit to Istanbul is that the degree of body coverage has also increased and the tones of the clothes have darkened. Several women are even using full black burkhas only showing their eyes.

What is happening in Turkey is not that different in this respect from what has been happening in other islamic countries. Less than two years ago I saw a very similar situation in Malaysia. This is a phenomena which pervades the Islamic world, particularly in those countries that used to have more laic and tolerant governments.

I admit that the use of the chador and the burkha may have a rationality similar to the use of uniforms in some western schools. Rich and poor women become undistinguishable. Further they can enjoy a certain freedom of movement when they have their faces fully covered. For some mature women this might have the extra benefit of hiding widening shapes. But if there are so many "in favour" arguments for the use of the burkha, one thing that keeps escaping me is why this rule only applies to women while the ordinary muslim husband does not differ that much from the average western man.

I was told the use of the muslim dressing by women will keep growing in the near future. I admit that might be so. May be I'm wrong but my impression is that this will contribute to keep muslim countries away of a healthier development.

Religion as an organized institution almost everywhere originates uniformity. The faithful are treated as the herd who is led by the shepherd. Contemporary society however rests on a quite different basis. The new industries are ever more based on individuals' creativity. The repetitive production of the same product over long periods of time is no more. The most innovative organizations these days have their success based upon the tolerance and diversity nurtured in their areas of origin. Richard Florida has already told this story a few years ago in his "The rise of the creative class" published in 2002.

***

Amazing and very bright little family ~

STORY PART is between the rows of asterisks.

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I had some time to kill between medical appointments; so I went to a shopping center that spreads out rather haphazardly. It has lots of pavement and roads, and parking lots, and angles and areas. It is in the northern part of Corvallis, Oregon, which sounds prettier if one says Willamette Valley. As frequently happens though, is that the prettier name doesn't pinpoint the place as precisely as the other. Oh, and for non-local people it is not Willamette with the accent on the last syllable and rhyming with "met." A more colloquial way to remember how to pronounce it correctly is with accent on second syllable and, "It's Willamette, damn it!"

So there I was at this place which I have just described with such superfluous verbosity, and not really needing to purchase anything, I went to the duck pond. It is not a pond with green grass borders like at a park. It has a chain-link fence around it and that is surrounded by asphalt. The water is disgusting looking. I sort of suspect it is some kind of sewage "thing" for the shopping center. I can't imagine how any duck could live in or near it, but they do. Most of my life I thought it was the proper thing to do to feed bread to ducks. The last decade or so, I have heard that is not at all proper, and in fact the bread is not good for the ducks. Anyway, people at the shopping center feed bread to the ducks and all manner of leftover fast food. Much of this just fouls the water.

I wasn't very enthused by what I saw and thought I would go turn around and exit the shopping center to go do something else. I drove down between a restaurant and a grocery store, and caught sight of a mother mallard and many babies following close behind her. I grabbed my camera and tried to get a shot. All I got was a blurry shot of the backside of all of them. I sped up a little bit, like maybe from 5 m.p.h. to 8 m.p.h. I put down the passenger window and tried to get a bit ahead of them, but they were walking at a pretty good clip, and I couldn't do. it. I got one sort of good shot with the babies, but the mom's head was cut off in my photo.

At the time, there was no one driving nor walking from either direction; so my photographic efforts weren't really hurting anyone. I was sending vibes to the mother duck, "Oh Mama, be careful! You are going the wrong way! There is no water down that direction." She was oblivious to my vibes, and resolute in her direction and intentions. The ducklings were adorable. Imagine the mother handling eleven offspring with no hands, and only two orange feet and a beak. Other drivers who probably had no idea what I was doing, were closing in behind me. I pulled as far to the side of the road as I could, and motioned for some to go by. Some did, and few also stopped to see what was going on. Those of us who were raised with the completely marvelous and classic children's story of "Make Way for Ducklings" were enthralled with this scene. We don't see a mother duck and that many ducklings waddling down a city type of sidewalk every day (albeit within a shopping center). I loved that story a long, long time ago, and still do. I read it to my daughter and to her daughter.

Suddenly the mother turned left, not a subtle left, but an abrupt 90 degree angle left. She and her brood had left the moderate safety of the sidewalk and crossed the road which afforded no safety. I could no longer see her. She was under the front of my truck and at what distance I knew not. I was quite anxious. I could risk that they would get run over; or I could risk the ire of other drivers. Being sentimental and a photographer, guess which risk I took? I pointed to my camera and grinned sheepishly at other drivers. I am thrilled to say no one blasted me with their horn. The other drivers went on about their business and I could then see the duck family had successfully crossed the street and ducked (pun most certainly intended) under a fence. The fence was about an exact match for the fence at the aforementioned unpleasant pond. Lo and behold, there was a second pond of which I had never been aware. Mama duck knew exactly what she was doing, and where she was going. The water appeared to be substantially cleaner. I was so happy for her little family. I pulled into a gravel parking lot nearby, and parked this time, not blocking any traffic. I got a few pictures of them in the water.

I noticed the openings in the fence were plenty big enough to allow the babies to pass through, but not the mother. My curiosity got to me. Oh, doesn't it always? I walked over to the other side of the pond, to the point I remembered seeing them going under the fence. I wanted to see how the mother got through. Someone, and I doubt it was a duck, had pulled/pushed part of the fence upward from the ground. It was just big enough of an opening that the mother could lead her family through it. I had the distinct feeling she had been there before. I don't know who made the opening in the fence, but it worked great.

I was amazed at this little family. I will not again underestimate the intelligence of ducks in general nor of mother ducks in particular.

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(DSCN5225-mamaduck&11ducklingsinit) <- ---------- this is just my file name

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FOR ABCs and 123s (pool) this is number 11 - ELEVEN ducklings

This is my earliest daytime photo this year – or more precisely, a nighttime photo. It was taken shortly after midnight. The moon and the fog seemed to have agreed to make a brief appearance. After taking the photo, I quickly went to bed. In a few hours, the alarm clock would be pulling me into the next workday.

Das ist mein bisher frühestes Tagesbild in diesem Jahr – oder genauer: ein Nachtbild. Es ist kurz nach Mitternacht entstanden. Der Mond hat sich mit dem Nebel offenbar darauf geeinigt, sich für einen Moment zu zeigen. Nach dem Foto gehe ich schleunigst ins Bett. In ein paar Stunden holt mich der Wecker in den nächsten Arbeitstag.

Masons of Tring, or more precisely Long Marston near Cheddington acquired a few Volvo Olympians from Redkite a while back. They have been operating in red kite livery but with the addition of a Masons fleetname. Most are now withdrawn after being replaced by ALX400/ DAFs from London. Some have gone for scrap, although one or two have escaped being sold locally to another operator.

I don't know the year precisely, but by my size I'd say I must have been 5 or 6, so it must be around 1980. Photo taken by my mother with her Lubitel camera.

This is a redesign of my Spinner from 2017, with a nitpick of inspiration from Marius Herrmann's version ( @steponabrick ), more precisely on the additional lights rack on the roof - those Infinity Stones things.

It may look like the reason for the redesign is the relatively new windscreen, but it isn’t. I’ve always genuinely hated my 2017 version, because the prongs felt too elongated and I didn’t know then how else to attach them. I can always live with all sorts of inaccuracies, mistakes or compromises, but not with wrong proportions.

There’s that new Slope, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Corner Round (5852) which may or may not be an improvement on that impossibly convex rear quarter, however I don't think I have the patience to wait for it to be released in blue, I've delayed this project for way too long even as it is.

Also, I can’t make up my mind about the stickers... I've drawn every single piece that goes on the vehicle and yet every time I put them on, I feel like taking them off the next minute. Dunno why, maybe because they are too realistic and make the thing look too much like a would-be scale model - which it's not - or because I KNOW they are not a genuine Lego thing... whatever it is, I'm torn about them.

* this is the third picture from my new series 'Revolutionary Road'. Check all the story in my blog post here.

Today’s story is a story of one break up and an inner desire to mend things that can’t be mended.

Every relationship demands a lot of time investment and energy from both sides. Starting a relationship, it is easy to be overwhelmed by positive emotions and disappearing feeling of loneliness. The more time goes, the more partners become involved in the stories of each other, feelings and world outlook. Sometimes the desires of partners are too diverse, sometimes there are too many third parties involved, sometimes there is disrespect and the constant desire to take, but not to give. I believe each of us can add tons of other reasons when relationships start to remind a burden rather than a happy fairy tale. Millions of books written on the topic, tons of film shot.

Some people are mesmerized by the idea of finding the ideal partner. I was blessed to be not involved in that crappy stuff. There are two most important things for me in a relationship, one being trust, the second being respect. The moment I have lost one of them, the relationship started to look like a glass cube that slides out of a skyscraper (real thing in Australia, check – Eureka Skydeck 88). Precisely said, beautiful and unusual from outside, quite painful and unstable inside.

When it comes to breaking up, it is hard not to start feeling sad. Time spent on building something together, emotions and stories involved, secrets kept… It is hard to admit, but sometimes it is the only way out.

A break up is a small death.

© Mari Nino Photography

| blog

Mona Seif, Alaa's sister, protesting outside the British Foreign Office.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah has endured much of the last twelve years in some of the worst prison conditions anywhere in the world, on account of his brave work in promoting democracy in Egypt.

He was last arrested in September 2019 while attending Cairo's Dokki Police Station and in December last year was sentenced to five years imprisonment for "spreading false news undermining state security." More precisely, he had shared social media posts explaining the hell-hole reality of Egyptian prison conditions.

PROTEST OUTSIDE THE FOREIGN OFFICE

When this photo was taken Alaa's two sisters, Mona and Sana'a Seif, were staging a protest in London's King Charles Street outside the British Foreign Office in the hope that the Egyptian government can be pressured to release him, as media attention began to focus on the upcoming COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh on Egypt's Red Sea coast.

UPDATE AS OF WEDNESDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2022

Starting from Sunday 6 November, Alaa escalated his hunger strike, and stopped taking water. His sister Sanaa Seif took a flight the same weekend to attend the COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh in a last-minute effort to save Alaa's life.

For the latest on Alaa's situation listen to his sister's Sanaa Seif's speech to journalists attending the conference on Tuesday 8 November - "They are very happy for him to die. The only thing they care about is that it doesn't happen while the world is watching."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXibJ7PUTY

TORA PRISON - "A DAY HERE, IS LIKE A YEAR IN BELMARSH"

In April, Alaa began his hunger strike in a cell in one of the most secure sections of Cairo's sprawling and notorious Tora Prison - a maze of grim high concrete walls and watch towers, which strike fear into even the thousands of commuters who have to pass daily.

In 2012, one young Londoner confined to one of the least uncomfortable and most survivable wings of Tora prison, contrasted it with his own previous experience at Britain's high security Belmarsh. I can never forget his exact words. "A day here, is like a year at Belmarsh!" A little over 12 months later, he died of TB - the prison authorities had refused to listen to the pleas of his aunt, who fell on her knees during a rare visit, begging that he be admitted to the prison hospital.

ALAA'S HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES AT WADI EL NATRUN PRISON

More than 200 days have passed since Alaa started his hunger strike. He has now been moved to the Wadi El Natrun prison complex in the desert north of Cairo, dubbed by inmates as the "Valley of Hell."

He may not survive much longer. However, as he holds British-Egyptian nationality, one would hope that the British government would be doing everything they could to secure his immediate release and it would be reasonable to suppose that the Foreign Office could get an immediate pledge in this regard, especially given that the British companies, including the likes of British Petroleum and BP, are the biggest investors in Egypt.

NO CONSULAR ACCESS

However, the British government have failed even to get him any consular access - think about that. That's an outrage. Even a convicted mass murderer, if British, would be entitled to consular access while in prison. That meeting would obviously not take place in his cell - but in a designated room in the prison or the highly supervised prison visiting area.

British men and women convicted of drug smuggling and other crimes in Egypt have received consular visits, so why not Alaa? The answer is because Alaa's crime is that he dared to tell the truth about Egypt, and the injustice both inside and outside its many prison walls. Nobody knows exactly how many political prisoners Egypt now has, but the number is estimated to be at least 60,000.

ALAA WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was one of the leaders of arguably the most inspirational democratic revolt the world has seen in the last hundred years. Although the first phase of the 2011 uprising in Egypt lasted just 18 days, and although it followed the toppling of the dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia - the streets and bridges around Tahrir Square became a deadly stage watched by the world, where protesters from every walk of life were pitted against Egypt's feared state security forces. Against all the odds, and at the cost of many lives, Egyptians refused to leave the square, sleeping in front of the tanks and fending off attacks from government militia.

The Egyptian people's initial success in toppling the dictator Mubarak led to further revolts not just across the Middle East (most notably in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria) - the highly organised Tahrir-Square sit-in provided the inspiration for strikes and workplace sit-ins against austerity across the United States and Europe and to the Occupy Movement of the same year. The people of Egypt showed that it does not matter how brutal, feared and authoritarian a government is, it can be toppled if people act collectively.

THE MILITARY BACKLASH

It's true that Egypt's flirtation with the path to greater freedom seemed to be only temporary - the Egyptian authorities deployed the usual divide and rule tactics - encouraging the less committed protesters to return home - and then rushed to elections without allowing time for genuinely democratic opposition parties to develop.

Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood won the presidential election in 2012 - the Brotherhood (contrary to the perception many people have here in the West) had genuinely progressive elements within it, but the chance for any transformative radical programme was prevented partly by the corruption and self-interest of some of the main political actors and partly by opposition to its democratic mandate from the deep state (the military, the Interior Ministry, State Security, the police etc.)

The army, seeing its chance, seized power in 2013, superficially in the name of the people, but in reality, to advance the interests of the generals. The new president, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, moved quickly to crush all opposition, and ordering his security forces to attack Muslim Brotherhood supporters who had gathered in eastern Cairo at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square, killing at least 800 people - the bloodiest massacre of civilians in Egypt's modern history.

DON'T ALLOW EGYPT TO USE COP27 TO GREENWASH ITS REGIME - AND PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE ALAA

Now COP27 is scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh and Sisi has been given a golden opportunity to greenwash his murderous regime, which has also seen ever increasing levels inequality and corruption. While British representatives at COP27 will be given accommodation in the most luxurious five star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves, another British citizen, Alaa Abdel El-Fatah is near death, on a painful hunger strike in the darkest of places - his dimly lit cell. The only thing he might hear at night is the desperate cry from some prisoner in another cell appealing for medical help which most likely never comes.

If we care for freedom, real democracy and justice, we can't allow the British Foreign Office to forget Alaa - especially if it's simply not to upset the highly profitable relationship British multinationals have with one of the world's most authoritarian and corrupt regimes - a relationship which only benefits the wealthiest of Egyptians.

If you live in London, please show your support at the protest at King Charles Street - and wherever you live please sign the petition -

www.change.org/p/help-free-my-brother-before-it-s-too-lat...

Flickr explored.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized usage is an offense punishable by law..

Asoke (pronounced Ashoke) is a Malayalee friend

who warmly hosted us for Thanksgiving-

and travelled with us

up to Vancouver B.C.-to visit relatives there.

olio su cartoncino

Il pastore , in Sardegna, è la figura che dal tempo nuragico a oggi, ha elaborato forme economiche e sociali, ha plasmato modi di vivere, di comunicare e di simbolizzare.

Ha plasmato forme organizzative complete e autonome, connotando storia e cultura della Sardegna.

The pastor, Sardinia, is the figure that the time "nuragico" today, has developed economic and social forms, has shaped ways of living, to communicate and symbolic representations.

He shaped organisational forms complete and autonomous, giving a recognizable imprint on the history and culture of Sardinia.

P.S. Feci questo dipinto colpito dall'intensità della figura che rappresentava e rappresenta la storia della Sardegna, IL PASTORE.

Vidi la foto in un giornale , non c'era il suo nome , ma solo il paese della sua nascita, Esterzili.

Oggi , un mio contatto, emme-zoo, mi ha comunicato di aver parlato con una ragazza che dice di aver riconosciuto nel dipinto il proprio nonno, che ora non c'è più.

Sarixedda, la nipote, poco fa mi ha confermato che si tratta proprio del suo nonno e ora so che il suo nome è PIETRO DESSI' .

In Flickr, ci può essere di tutto, ma succedono anche queste cose che sono incredibili e piacevolissime.

P.S. Faeces this painting struck by the intensity of that figure accounted for and represents the history of Sardinia, THE SHEPHERD.

I saw the photo in a newspaper, there was his name, but only the country of his birth, Esterzili.

Today, my contact, emme-zoo, I announced that he had talked to a girl who says he recognized the painting in his grandfather, now there's more.

Sarixedda, the nephew, just now I confirmed that this is precisely his grandfather and now I know that his name is PIETRO DESSI'.

In Flickr, there can be everything, but these things happen that are unbelievable and delightful.

Südafrika - Kleine Karoo

Red Stone Hills - Window Rock

The Karoo (/kəˈruː/ kə-ROO; from a Khoikhoi word, possibly garo "desert") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. There is no exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo, and therefore its extent is also not precisely defined. The Karoo is partly defined by its topography, geology and climate — above all, its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold. The Karoo also hosted a well-preserved ecosystem hundreds of million years ago which is now represented by many fossils.

The Karoo is sharply divided into the Great Karoo and the Little Karoo by the Swartberg Mountain Range, which runs east-west, parallel to the southern coastline, but is separated from the sea by another east-west range called the Outeniqua –Langeberg Mountains. The Great Karoo lies to the north of the Swartberg range; the Little Karoo is to the south of it.

The Little Karoo is separated from the Great Karoo by the Swartberg Mountain range. Geographically, it is a 290 km long valley, only 40–60 km wide, formed by two parallel Cape Fold Mountain ranges, the Swartberg to the north, and the continuous Langeberg-Outeniqua range to the south. The northern strip of the valley, within 10–20 km from the foot of the Swartberg mountains is most un-karoo-like, in that it is a well watered area both from the rain, and the many streams that cascade down the mountain, or through narrow defiles in the Swartberg from the Great Karoo. The main towns of the region are situated along this northern strip of the Little Karoo: Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn and De Rust, as well as such well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein, and Dysselsdorp.

The southern 30–50 km wide strip, north of the Langeberg range is as arid as the western Lower Karoo, except in the east, where the Langeberg range (arbitrarily) starts to be called the Outeniqua Mountains.

The Little Karoo can only be accessed by road through the narrow defiles cut through the surrounding Cape Fold Mountains by ancient, but still flowing rivers. A few roads traverse the mountains over passes, the most famous and impressive of which is the Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo and Prince Albert on the other side of the Swartberg mountains in the Great Karoo. There is also the main road between Oudtshoorn and George, on the coastal plain, that crosses the mountains to the south via the Outeniqua Pass. The only exit from the Little Karoo that does not involve crossing a mountain range is through the 150 km long, narrow Langkloof valley between Uniondale and Humansdorp, near Plettenberg Bay.

(Wikipedia)

Die Karoo (auch Karroo, früher Karru; Khoisan für Halbwüste) ist eine Halbwüstenlandschaft in den Hochebenen des Landes Südafrika, nördlich der Großen Randstufe und im südlichen Namibia. Unterschieden werden Kleine Karoo, Große Karoo und Obere Karoo sowie Sukkulentenkaroo und Nama-Karoo. Mit einer Ausdehnung von 500.000 km² umfasst die Karoo fast ein Drittel des Territoriums Südafrikas. Die Sukkulentenkaroo gehört zu den Biodiversitäts-Hotspots der Erde und wird u. a. im Rahmen von BIOTA AFRICA systematisch kartiert.

Der Name Karoo kommt von kurú (trocken) aus der Sprache der San, die einst hier lebten und jagten. In Hinsicht auf die geographische Ausdehnung des Karoo-Begriffs sind die folgenden Teilaspekte zu beachten und voneinander zu unterscheiden.

Die Karoo als Landschaft im traditionellen Verständnis ist eine südafrikanische Trockenregion innerhalb der Provinzen Westkap, Ostkap und Nordkap sowie im Süden Namibias. Ihre spezifische kapländische Strauchvegetation weist sie als Halbwüste aus. Ursprünglich wird in zwei Regionen unterschieden: Große Karoo und Kleine Karoo.

Die Große Karoo besitzt eine West-Ost-Ausdehnung von über 750 Kilometern und eine Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung von etwa 110 Kilometern. Sie wird im Westen vom Massiv der Zederberge und im Osten durch die Winterberge begrenzt. Im Norden bilden die Bergketten vom Roggeveld-, Koms-, Nuweveldberge und Sneeuberg und im Süden die Höhenzüge der Witteberge, Groot Swartberge und die Groot Winterhoek die natürliche Begrenzung.

Südlich dieser Region schließt sich die Kleine Karoo an. Diese wird wiederum an ihrer südlichen Flanke von den küstennahen Langebergen und Outeniqua-Bergen begrenzt.

Anders als in dieser traditionellen Gliederung, wird die Karoo heute nach ökologischen Gesichtspunkten in einen östlichen Teil, die Nama-Karoo, und einen westlichen Teil, die Sukkulenten-Karoo, gegliedert, wobei auch die Gesamtausdehnung der Karoo nach diesem Konzept von jener der traditionellen Betrachtungsweise abweicht.

(Wikipedia)

Die Little Karoo (englisch, auf Afrikaans Klein Karoo) ist eine Region in der Western Cape Provinz in Südafrika.

Durch die Little Karoo zieht sich die Route 62.

Die Klein Karoo ist ein halbwüstenartiger Landstrich, der zwischen den Swartbergen im Norden und den Outeniqua-Bergen im Süden liegt. Die Gegend ist fruchtbar und nicht ganz so trocken wie die nördlich anschließende Große Karoo. Die Kleine Karoo ist bekannt für die Straußenzucht, allein in der Umgebung von Oudtshoorn gibt es angeblich über 400 Betriebe, landwirtschaftliche Nutztiere der Region sind auch Schafe und Angoraziegen.

Die Kleine Karoo ist das östlichste Weinbaugebiet Südafrikas. Muskatweine, Portweine und Desertweine gedeihen in dem recht trockenen Klima, ein Teil des Weines wird zu Brandy verarbeitet. Auch das hier angebaute Obst wird teilweise zu Schnaps verarbeitet, man bekommt aber auch überall recht preisgünstig getrocknete Früchte.

(wikivoyage.org)

Not precisely sure on age of this one, but it was certainly a surprise to see something this ancient still (presumably) in service. The old school looking livery was even better, and they have no website by the looks of things.

I tried to see if I could clock the owner but there was no sign of anyone down this road.

Poet and essayist Azad Ashim Sharma reading to protesters gathered in solidarity with Alaa, who is over 200 days into his hunger strike in prison in Egypt. This photo was taken on the pavement directly opposite Britain's Foreign Office in King Charles Street. Alaa is one of Egypt's leading democracy activists and holds Egyptian-British citizenship.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah has endured much of the last twelve years in some of the worst prison conditions anywhere in the world, on account of his brave work in promoting democracy in Egypt. He was last arrested in September 2019 while attending Cairo's Dokki Police Station and in December last year was sentenced to five years imprisonment for "spreading false news undermining state security." More precisely, he had shared social media posts explaining the hell-hole reality of Egyptian prison conditions.

PROTEST OUTSIDE THE FOREIGN OFFICE

When this photo was taken Alaa's two sisters, Mona and Sana'a Seif, were staging a protest in London's King Charles Street outside the British Foreign Office in the hope that the Egyptian government can be pressured to release him, as media attention began to focus on the upcoming COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh on Egypt's Red Sea coast.

UPDATE AS OF WEDNESDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2022

Starting from Sunday 6 November, Alaa escalated his hunger strike, and stopped taking water. His sister Sanaa Seif took a flight the same weekend to attend the COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh in a last-minute effort to save Alaa's life.

For the latest on Alaa's situation listen to his sister's Sanaa Seif's speech to journalists attending the conference on Tuesday 8 November - "They are very happy for him to die. The only thing they care about is that it doesn't happen while the world is watching."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXibJ7PUTY

TORA PRISON - "A DAY HERE, IS LIKE A YEAR IN BELMARSH"

In April, Alaa began his hunger strike in a cell in one of the most secure sections of Cairo's sprawling and notorious Tora Prison - a maze of grim high concrete walls and watch towers, which strike fear into even the thousands of commuters who have to pass daily.

In 2012, one young Londoner confined to one of the least uncomfortable and most survivable wings of Tora prison, contrasted it with his own previous experience at Britain's high security Belmarsh. I can never forget his exact words. "A day here, is like a year at Belmarsh!" A little over 12 months later, he died of TB - the prison authorities had refused to listen to the pleas of his aunt, who fell on her knees during a rare visit, begging that he be admitted to the prison hospital.

ALAA'S HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES AT WADI EL NATRUN PRISON

More than 200 days have passed since Alaa started his hunger strike. He has now been moved to the Wadi El Natrun prison complex in the desert north of Cairo, dubbed by inmates as the "Valley of Hell."

He may not survive much longer. However, as he holds British-Egyptian nationality, one would hope that the British government would be doing everything they could to secure his immediate release and it would be reasonable to suppose that the Foreign Office could get an immediate pledge in this regard, especially given that the British companies, including the likes of British Petroleum and BP, are the biggest investors in Egypt.

NO CONSULAR ACCESS

However, the British government have failed even to get him any consular access - think about that. That's an outrage. Even a convicted mass murderer, if British, would be entitled to consular access while in prison. That meeting would obviously not take place in his cell - but in a designated room in the prison or the highly supervised prison visiting area.

British men and women convicted of drug smuggling and other crimes in Egypt have received consular visits, so why not Alaa? The answer is because Alaa's crime is that he dared to tell the truth about Egypt, and the injustice both inside and outside its many prison walls. Nobody knows exactly how many political prisoners Egypt now has, but the number is estimated to be at least 60,000.

ALAA WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was one of the leaders of arguably the most inspirational democratic revolt the world has seen in the last hundred years. Although the first phase of the 2011 uprising in Egypt lasted just 18 days, and although it followed the toppling of the dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia - the streets and bridges around Tahrir Square became a deadly stage watched by the world, where protesters from every walk of life were pitted against Egypt's feared state security forces. Against all the odds, and at the cost of many lives, Egyptians refused to leave the square, sleeping in front of the tanks and fending off attacks from government militia.

The Egyptian people's initial success in toppling the dictator Mubarak led to further revolts not just across the Middle East (most notably in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria) - the highly organised Tahrir-Square sit-in provided the inspiration for strikes and workplace sit-ins against austerity across the United States and Europe and to the Occupy Movement of the same year. The people of Egypt showed that it does not matter how brutal, feared and authoritarian a government is, it can be toppled if people act collectively.

THE MILITARY BACKLASH

It's true that Egypt's flirtation with the path to greater freedom seemed to be only temporary - the Egyptian authorities deployed the usual divide and rule tactics - encouraging the less committed protesters to return home - and then rushed to elections without allowing time for genuinely democratic opposition parties to develop.

Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood won the presidential election in 2012 - the Brotherhood (contrary to the perception many people have here in the West) had genuinely progressive elements within it, but the chance for any transformative radical programme was prevented partly by the corruption and self-interest of some of the main political actors and partly by opposition to its democratic mandate from the deep state (the military, the Interior Ministry, State Security, the police etc.)

The army, seeing its chance, seized power in 2013, superficially in the name of the people, but in reality, to advance the interests of the generals. The new president, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, moved quickly to crush all opposition, and ordering his security forces to attack Muslim Brotherhood supporters who had gathered in eastern Cairo at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square, killing at least 800 people - the bloodiest massacre of civilians in Egypt's modern history.

DON'T ALLOW EGYPT TO USE COP27 TO GREENWASH ITS REGIME - AND PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE ALAA

Now COP27 is scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh and Sisi has been given a golden opportunity to greenwash his murderous regime, which has also seen ever increasing levels inequality and corruption. While British representatives at COP27 will be given accommodation in the most luxurious five star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves, another British citizen, Alaa Abdel El-Fatah is near death, on a painful hunger strike in the darkest of places - his dimly lit cell. The only thing he might hear at night is the desperate cry from some prisoner in another cell appealing for medical help which most likely never comes.

If we care for freedom, real democracy and justice, we can't allow the British Foreign Office to forget Alaa - especially if it's simply not to upset the highly profitable relationship British multinationals have with one of the world's most authoritarian and corrupt regimes - a relationship which only benefits the wealthiest of Egyptians.

If you live in London, please show your support at the protest at King Charles Street - and wherever you live please sign the petition -

www.change.org/p/help-free-my-brother-before-it-s-too-lat...

Shayenne (Stranger 25)

In the dark train station hall, a beam of light fell precisely on the spot where Shayenne was waiting for her boyfriend. I was there at the perfect moment, right on time. Shayenne's colored hair was beautifully lit, and I shouldn't have been much later; her boyfriend could arrive any minute. Everything seemed to be perfect—the color of her hair, the color of her glasses, even the background. And of course, Shayenne herself, who immediately cooperated and was willing to pose. Thanks so much!

This is already the 25th photo of the 5th round of the 100stangers project.

Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the group 100 Strangers | Flickr: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/

Alaa is a British-Egyptian political prisoner in Egypt. This photo was taken during the ongoing encampment protest by Alaa's two sisters - Sanaa (top left) and Mona (second from the right) Seif - outside Britain's Foreign Office.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah has endured much of the last twelve years in some of the worst prison conditions anywhere for his brave work in promoting democracy in Egypt. He was last arrested in September 2019 while attending Cairo's Dokki Police Station and in December last year was sentenced to five years imprisonment for "spreading false news undermining state security." More precisely, he had shared social media posts explaining the hell-hole reality of Egyptian prison conditions.

PROTEST OUTSIDE THE FOREIGN OFFICE

When this photo was taken Alaa's two sisters, Mona and Sana'a Seif, were staging a protest in London's King Charles Street outside the British Foreign Office in the hope that the Egyptian government can be pressured to release him, as media attention began to focus on the upcoming COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh on Egypt's Red Sea coast.

UPDATE AS OF WEDNESDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2022

Starting from Sunday 6 November, Alaa escalated his hunger strike, and stopped taking water. His sister Sanaa Seif took a flight the same weekend to attend the COP27 conference at Sharm El Sheikh in a last-minute effort to save Alaa's life.

For the latest on Alaa's situation listen to his sister's Sanaa Seif's speech to journalists attending the conference on Tuesday 8 November - "They are very happy for him to die. The only thing they care about is that it doesn't happen while the world is watching."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXibJ7PUTY

TORA PRISON - "A DAY HERE, IS LIKE A YEAR IN BELMARSH"

In April, Alaa began his hunger strike in a cell in one of the most secure sections of Cairo's sprawling and notorious Tora Prison - a maze of grim high concrete walls and watch towers, which strike fear into even the thousands of commuters who have to pass daily.

In 2012, one young Londoner confined to one of the least uncomfortable and most survivable wings of Tora prison, contrasted it with his own previous experience at Britain's high security Belmarsh. I can never forget his exact words. "A day here, is like a year at Belmarsh!" A little over 12 months later, he died of TB - the prison authorities had refused to listen to the pleas of his aunt, who fell on her knees during a rare visit, begging that he be admitted to the prison hospital.

ALAA'S HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES AT WADI EL NATRUN PRISON

More than 200 days have passed since Alaa started his hunger strike. He has now been moved to the Wadi El Natrun prison complex in the desert north of Cairo, dubbed by inmates as the "Valley of Hell."

He may not survive much longer. However, as he holds British-Egyptian nationality, one would hope that the British government would be doing everything they could to secure his immediate release and it would be reasonable to suppose that the Foreign Office could get an immediate pledge in this regard, especially given that the British companies, including the likes of British Petroleum and BP, are the biggest investors in Egypt.

NO CONSULAR ACCESS

However, the British government have failed even to get him any consular access - think about that. That's an outrage. Even a convicted mass murderer, if British, would be entitled to consular access while in prison. That meeting would obviously not take place in his cell - but in a designated room in the prison or the highly supervised prison visiting area.

British men and women convicted of drug smuggling and other crimes in Egypt have received consular visits, so why not Alaa? The answer is because Alaa's crime is that he dared to tell the truth about Egypt, and the injustice both inside and outside its many prison walls. Nobody knows exactly how many political prisoners Egypt now has, but the number is estimated to be at least 60,000.

ALAA WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was one of the leaders of arguably the most inspirational democratic revolt the world has seen in the last hundred years. Although the first phase of the 2011 uprising in Egypt lasted just 18 days, and although it followed the toppling of the dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia - the streets and bridges around Tahrir Square became a deadly stage watched by the world, where protesters from every walk of life were pitted against Egypt's feared state security forces. Against all the odds, and at the cost of many lives, Egyptians refused to leave the square, sleeping in front of the tanks and fending off attacks from government militia.

The Egyptian people's initial success in toppling the dictator Mubarak led to further revolts not just across the Middle East (most notably in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria) - the highly organised Tahrir-Square sit-in provided the inspiration for strikes and workplace sit-ins against austerity across the United States and Europe and to the Occupy Movement of the same year. The people of Egypt showed that it does not matter how brutal, feared and authoritarian a government is, it can be toppled if people act collectively.

THE MILITARY BACKLASH

It's true that Egypt's flirtation with the path to greater freedom seemed to be only temporary - the Egyptian authorities deployed the usual divide and rule tactics - encouraging the less committed protesters to return home - and then rushed to elections without allowing time for genuinely democratic opposition parties to develop.

Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood won the presidential election in 2012 - the Brotherhood (contrary to the perception many people have here in the West) had genuinely progressive elements within it, but the chance for any transformative radical programme was prevented partly by the corruption and self-interest of some of the main political actors and partly by opposition to its democratic mandate from the deep state (the military, the Interior Ministry, State Security, the police etc.)

The army, seeing its chance, seized power in 2013, superficially in the name of the people, but in reality, to advance the interests of the generals. The new president, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, moved quickly to crush all opposition, and ordering his security forces to attack Muslim Brotherhood supporters who had gathered in eastern Cairo at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square, killing at least 800 people - the bloodiest massacre of civilians in Egypt's modern history.

DON'T ALLOW EGYPT TO USE COP27 TO GREENWASH ITS REGIME - AND PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE ALAA

Now COP27 is scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh and Sisi has been given a golden opportunity to greenwash his murderous regime, which has also seen ever increasing levels inequality and corruption. While British representatives at COP27 will be given accommodation in the most luxurious five star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves, another British citizen, Alaa Abdel El-Fatah is near death, on a painful hunger strike in the darkest of places - his dimly lit cell. The only thing he might hear at night is the desperate cry from some prisoner in another cell appealing for medical help which most likely never comes.

If we care for freedom, real democracy and justice, we can't allow the British Foreign Office to forget Alaa - especially if it's simply not to upset the highly profitable relationship British multinationals have with one of the world's most authoritarian and corrupt regimes - a relationship which only benefits the wealthiest of Egyptians.

If you live in London, please show your support at the protest at King Charles Street - and wherever you live please sign the petition -

www.change.org/p/help-free-my-brother-before-it-s-too-lat...