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iss059e103111 (June 13, 2019) --- NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch practice an emergency simulation inside the International Space Station's Zvezda service module. The duo, along with cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (out of frame), practiced emergency procedures for quickly entering their Soyuz lifeboat, undocking from the station and descending to Earth. Credit: Roscosmos
Transplant surgeons prepare for a procedure, holding out hope that a major heart and lung transplant will put some steam back into an elderly loco.
This photo was taken by a Kowa/SIX medium format film camera with a KOWA 1:3.5/55mm lens and Kowa L-1A ø67 filter using Kodak Portra 400 film, the negative scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.
Same procedure as every year (yay!) - this weekend I had the joyful honor to attend the Cologne fashion doll collectors' convention : )!
It was a fantastic day, I met with old and dear friends and got to know a whole bunch of lovely new people. My funniest moment was when a very kind french lady and her daughter came to my table and my french skills left me within a second. I could only excuse myself (in french at least!) with a laughing "I DO speak french, but not at this moment" - obviously *rotf* ; )
Ah, it was great! My photos surely aren't the best, they're usually taken in a hurry and only at the beginning of the day, since I'm becoming very busy afterwards, but at least I really did take some :).
To all of you who are going to attend the IT convention soon - I'm wishing you tons of fun, have many, many great moments, meet old and new friends and enjoy every minute. In my heart I'll be with you *hugs*!
Nina*
Mission-specific simulator training for helicopter pilots enhances safety by letting you practice any scenarios in any environment until standard operational procedures become second nature. Then, when a situation emerges in real life, one is prepared, one step ahead, ready to act without hesitation.
The TRU Odyssey H AW139 sim is a level D full-flight simulator for comprehensive helicopter training in the most challenging conditions, failures and missions. It is equipped with Phase 7 Avionics. The simulator can be configured to almost every need, regardless of mission type or weather scenario. In our case flying in the Helicopter Traffic Zone (HTZ) which is established around a gas or oil platform or rig with a helideck with new and large wind turbines in the neighbourhood. The HTZ, with a radius of 5 NM in The Netherlands, is there to safeguard the helicopter’s approaches and departures. But the new generation wind turbines of 12+ MW can have an impact on the HTZ; in height and wake turbulence (downstream).
Although this state of the art sim offers immersive and realistic training thanks to cockpit vibration, smoke generation, 3D clouds, any weather you can think of, specific object placement and night scenes, wind turbines are a different ball game. The 12+ MW are rather new at sea, so flight simulator developers have to take this into further account. Therefore, next to the positive results of our missions, the flight test resulted in a number of suggestions for future enhancements.
Technical stuff
This shot was taking during the pre-trials, because the sim was brand new. One give-away is that pilots don’t wear their head-sets and the pilot left is not 200% assisting the PIC (pilot in command).
This gave me time to take my FujiFilm X-E3 out of a flight bag and shoot some pictures at 6400 ISO, f4,5, 1/30, -2/3 at 16mils. Post-production was done after landing (safely I might add ;-). I used LR to balance the lighting in the cockpit and for toning. I added copyright signs (in PS). They are, alas, there to stay due to the fact that my photos were frequently copied. So, don't bother commenting on that.
In this figure of a reclining man, the liver gave people information about their medical conditions and cures that were contrary to the accepted medical procedures of his day. Today some of these have become more commonplace in holistic medicine and today are among commonly used naturopathic practices. He has been therefore called the father of holistic medicine. A man before his time for certain. Some called Edgar, a man out of time for he seems to have reinvigorated albeit through the unconscious trance state, the practices of ancient physicians once again. In addition to his medical readings, he also gave life readings upon request. In most of those readings people were astonished to find that they had lived before. While most were found to be average people, in a handful of cases individuals were reported to have been persons of historic significance. In even a few cases these souls had lived lives during the time that Jesus walked the earth and it is these few upon which this picture is focused. Their roles in Jesus life were varied. There were teachers, acquaintances, friends and personal relationships. In addition, a good number of these people were part of the Essene community, which he knew about prior to the surprise discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls which occurred after his death and which then introduced them to the world at large after being translated painstakingly for years. The sculpture of Rouen spoke of these people on the shores of the Dead Sea and northern Palestine, today's Israel,
The Tree of Life is a universal symbol found in many spiritual and mythological traditions around the world. In various cultures it is known as the Cosmic Tree, the World Tree and the Holy Tree. The Tree of Life symbolizes many things, including wisdom, protection, strength, bounty, beauty, and redemption. This wise and holy Tree is like the Creator as it sustains creation with its abundant fruit, protection and generativity. The Tree is also like human beings, as we develop roots, strengthen our trunk and branch out to a wider vision of life as we grow.
Trees provide many analogies to human development. They are amazing microcosms of exchange and flow of water, nutrients and gases. With sustenance from the earth, cooling water, refreshing air and the light of the sun, they grow in stature and strength and eventually blossom into full flower and fruit. They are earth-bound and yet reach up toward the heavens, trying to touch back to the source. Their three main systems of roots, trunk and branches parallel human development of body, psyche and spirit.
The following are some examples of how the Great Tree is understood around the world. These examples demonstrate why so many cultures use the Tree of Life to describe the Divine and our journey back to the Divine.
Kabbalah – In Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition underlying Judaism and Christianity, two different Tree of Life symbols are used: one is upside-down and the other right-side-up. The original Tree of Life emanates out of the divine world of unity and is depicted as upside-down, with its roots flowing from the divine place of unity and infinite light. The trunk and branches reach down towards us, penetrating the worlds of spirit, psyche, and physical existence. This is said to be the Tree of Emanation, which flows downward from the source. The other Tree of Life symbol flows upward, back towards the source, with roots in the ground and branches growing up to the sky. This is the Tree that the initiate climbs to return to the source and is the Tree of evolution or initiation. It is the initiate’s responsibility to evolve and awaken, climbing the Tree and penetrating the worlds of psyche, spirit and divine unity, reconnecting with the divine source.
Depth Psychology – From a depth psychology perspective, the tree is seen as a powerful symbol of growth, as the tree is the only living thing that continues to grow throughout its lifetime. The tree is also a symbol for the true self and serves as a positive, healthy model for the unfolding development of both psyche and spirit. As we grow and develop, a larger and more mature personality emerges and begins to flower and fruit, providing its gifts and bounties to the wider world.
Christianity – In Christian art, Jesus is often depicted as standing in the branches of the Tree of Life, presented as the living fruit of the Tree. In this capacity he is the bridge between the Divine and humanity and between heaven and earth. He is a vision of enlightened humanity and our potential to bloom and bring forth abundant fruit. The image of Christ on the cross is another depiction of the World Savior on the Tree of Life, redeeming humanity through his death and subsequent rebirth.
Buddhism – It was beneath the great Bodhi tree, the great Tree of Enlightenment, that Buddha was said to redeem the whole universe under its protective branches. Under this World Tree, the Buddha transformed all negative temptations and energies and achieved perfect enlightenment. In this story, as in the Christ story, we have the archetypal World Savior and the World Tree themes together.
Nordic – In Nordic mythology, Odin is the god who rules all magic and guards the great well of wisdom and knowledge at the root of the World Tree Yggdrasill, whose strength supports the entire universe. Here, under the branches of Yggdrasill, Odin becomes an initiate magician and discovers a Shamanic vocation, obtaining inner sight and healing capacities.
Shamanic – In many Shamanic cosmologies, the Cosmic Tree is said to connect the Underworld, Middle world and Above world. During initiation, the Shaman learns to travel comfortably in all three realms. In some traditions the Underworld contains power animals and helper guides for healing. The Above world consists of ancestors, spirit guides and spirits of plants and diseases to whom the Shaman can speak and engage their help in healing others. During initiation, Shamans are often instructed to make and climb a ladder to symbolize their ability to access the three zones of the Cosmic Tree.
Minoan – From the ancient Minoan culture of Crete, the Tree of Life is connected to the Mysteries of the Labyrinth. The Tree of Life is said to occupy the very center of the labyrinth. The goal of initiation is to claim your own self by winding into the center of the labyrinth, climb the Tree of Life and connect with your own divinity as well as the divine source.
Alkahest is a term used in Renaissance alchemy for the theorized "universal solvent", which was supposed to be capable of dissolving any other substance, including gold, without altering or destroying its fundamental components.[1] Among its philosophical and spiritual preoccupations, Hermeticism was more anciently concerned with the Panacea, but (in the context of reformed understandings of human physiology) the emergent Latin alchemy associated with European humanism was itself transmuted into a new medical and pharmaceutical philosophy. The Swiss physician and alchemist Philippus Paracelsus (1493-1541), who gave his name to the early modern school of medical theory known as Paracelcism, first made mention of the Alkahest as a chemical which could fortify the liver, and (in instances where the liver failed) could act as a substitute for its functions (see De Viribus Membrorum Spiritualium, Cap. VI, "De Cura Epatis", at p. 10). By reducing or dissolving substances into their fundamental virtues and properties, it was hoped to gain control of those invaluable medical healing properties (see also Azoth), and for this reason the Alkahest (also known as the ignis gehennae[2]) was earnestly sought for, and the reality (or otherwise) of its existence was debated among the alchemists and philosophers.
Contents
1History
2Etymology
2.1Other names
3Structure and mechanism
4Uses
5Recipe
5.1Paracelsus
5.2Jan Baptist van Helmont
5.3Seventeenth century alchemists
6Issues with the concept
7References
History
Alkahest became very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries through J.B. van Helmont, after which it was taken less seriously over time. Its prevalence in the 17th and 18th centuries, despite its otherwise absurd and extreme qualities, was likely due to the popularity of alchemy at the time and the lack of an adequate alternative theory of chemistry.[3] Those who followed and trained under Paracelsus did not think of the alkahest as van Helmont did, but slowly built upon the ideas posed by their teacher.[3] Tobias Ludwig Kohlhans (1624-1705) suggested in his dissertation of the spleen, that alkahest could be found in the lymphatic vessels of animals.[2] This was then contested and doubted by Helmont, Henry Oldenburg (later in 1661), and Goddard, who raised questions about the lymph's "sweetly acidic" quality, the necessity of a hypothetical universal solvent to explain the acidity in empty animal lymphatic vessels, its ability to be generated within the body, and how it differed from that of the other fluids or humours in the body.[2] The German alchemist Johann Kunckel (1630-1703) and others in time began to see the alkahest as merely fantasy and wishful thinking.[4] Ladislaus Reti, a 20th-century historian of science, investigated alchemical recipes involving alkahest and found that no chemical was sufficient in breaking down the wide variety of materials Helmont supposed. Reti points out that in such recipes, an alcohol solution of potassium hydroxide could have been used instead.[4]
Etymology
There is no consensus on the origin and etymology of the word alkahest, as Paracelsus left no trace or history of the word. George Starkey argued it came from the german word al-gehest (all spirit).[4] Johann Rudolph Glauber posed that it could have come from the words alhali est, the german word al gar heis, or Al zu hees, meaning "very hot".[4] Cleidophorus Mystagogus in England[5] argued for its root being of Belgian or High Dutch.[4] Paracelsus believed that alkahest was, in fact, the philosopher's stone, whereas Henry Oldenburg in 1661 made experimental connections between the legendary alkahest, and the liquid discovered in the lymphatic vessels of animals introduced by Kohlhans.[2] Boerhaave in his textbook Elementa Chymiae (1732), did not think Alkahest was the philosopher's stone but that it was in fact of greater importance and value than the stone.[2]
Other names
Helmont considered the alkahest to have never-ending reusability, calling it an "immortal".[2] He also used the term "maccabean fire" because of its similarities to the "thick water" in the deuterocanonical Book of Maccabees in the Old Testament.[2] Another name for the Alkahest termed by Helmont was ignis gehennae.[2] Other names include Latex (or "clear water reduced to its minutest atoms"), and primum Ens Salum (or "salt exalted to its highest degree").[2]
Structure and mechanism
The theory of alkahest was conceived in terms of alchemy, Helmontian theories, and the physical theory of corpuscularianism.[3][6] According to Helmont and Robert Boyle, the alkahest had a "microstructure", meaning it was composed of extremely small, homogeneous corpuscles.[3][7] This structure allowed the alkahest's corpuscles to move between the corpuscles of all other materials and mechanically separate them without altering their base materials or itself, conforming with the idea that it was infinitely reuseable.[3][7] It was these qualities which made the alkahest distinct from ordinary corrosives, which are altered by the substances they act upon and thus are not infinitely reusable.[7]
Uses
George Starkey and his mentor Helmont (by their report) used mercuric sulphide to dissolve gold, and informed Boyle about it in a series of letters. The alkahest, according to Starkey, was able to remove sulphur from the natural mercury leaving a quicksilver resistant to corrosion.[7] Moreover, because of the credited power of alkahest to break down substances into their occult qualities, it was sought after for its potential to cure incurable diseases at the time.[7] For example, the breaking down of Ludus could provide a cure for urinary calculi.[2]
Recipe
The recipe for the theorized alkahest was often kept secret, as many alchemical recipes were.[4] There were many alchemists attempting to obtain the universal solvent, and thus many recipes, some later rejected by their creators, have been found.[7]
Paracelsus
Paracelsus's own recipe for alkahest was made of caustic lime, alcohol, and carbonate of potash; however, his recipe was not intended to be a "universal solvent".[3][8]
Jan Baptist van Helmont
Following Paracelsus, it was the chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont who expanded on the alkahest, believing it was a universal solvent.[3] Helmont claimed that knowledge of the recipe was granted by God and was therefore known by few, and he had many dreams during which he believed he had been gifted the recipe, only to find them inadequate.[3][4] Given the difficulty of obtaining alkahest, Helmont suggested the use of other, inferior substances that they believed were capable of similar tasks.[7] Volatile salt of tartar, also known as pyrotartaric acid or glutaric acid, was considered both a substitute for alkahest and a component of alkahest.[7][1] Helmont's writings also referred to a fourteenth century alchemical manuscript which discussed sal alkali, which may have been caustic potash or lye, that was capable of dissolving many substances and may have been an ingredient for Helmont's alkahest.[3][8][9]
Seventeenth century alchemists
During the seventeenth century, many alchemists were working on obtaining the alkahest, some being Johann Rudolf Glauber, George Starkey, Frederick Clod, Thomas Vaughan, Thomas Henshaw, Johann Brun, Robert Hamilton, Hugh Piatt, and Robert Child.[3] Glauber believed that the alkahest was a class of substances, rather than one, particular substance.[3] Glauber believed he had discovered alkahest after discovering that volatile niter (nitric acid) and fixed niter (potassium carbonate) were able to dissolve many substances.[7] Starkey described alkahest as a circulated salt that is neither acid nor alkali.[3][10] Moreover, Starkey believed that, because acid saline liquors are destroyed by alkalies and urinous spirits, they cannot be ingredients of the immortal alkahest.[7] He believed instead that non-acidic substances could be ingredients of the alkahest, some of these suspected substances being urinous spirits, spirit of alkalies, and sulphureous vegetable spirits.[7] In particular, Starkey believed that alkahest's secret ingredient laid within urine.[3][7] Clodius believed that mercury could convert salts into "ponderous liquor", which he believed was needed to make the alkahest.[7]
Issues with the concept
A potential problem involving alkahest is that, if it dissolves everything, then it cannot be placed into a container because it would dissolve the container. This problem was first posed by German alchemist Johann Kunckel.[4] However, the alchemist Philalethes specified that alkahest dissolved only composed materials into their constituent, elemental parts;[10] hence, a hypothetical container made of a pure element (say, lead) would not be dissolved by alkahest. The old remark "spit is the universal solvent" satirizes the idea, suggesting that instead of a solvent that would easily dissolve anything, the only "real" solvent to anything is a great deal of hard work. In modern times, water is sometimes called the universal solvent, because it can dissolve a large variety of substances, due to its chemical polarity and amphoterism.
The tree of life is a diagram used in various mystical traditions.[1] It usually consists of 10 nodes symbolizing different archetypes and 22 lines connecting the nodes.[2] The nodes are often arranged into three columns to represent that they belong to a common category.[2]
The nodes are usually represented as spheres and the lines are usually represented as paths.[2] The nodes usually represent encompassing aspects of existence, God, or the human psyche.[2][3][4] The lines usually represent the relationship between the concepts ascribed to the spheres or a symbolic description of the requirements to go from one sphere to another.[2][4] The nodes are also associated to deities, angels, celestial bodies, values, single colors or combinations of them, and specific numbers.[3][5] The columns are usually symbolized as pillars.[2] These pillars usually represent different kinds of values, electric charges, or types of ceremonial magic.[2][5] It is usually referred to as the Kabbalistic tree of life in order to distinguish it from other concepts with the same name.[1][6] In the Jewish Kabbalah, the nodes are called sephiroth.[2] The diagram is also used by Christian Cabbala, Hermetic Qabalah and Theosophy.[5][6][7] The diagram is believed to be derivable from the flower of life.[3]
Scholars believe that the concept of a tree of life with different spheres encompassing aspects of reality traces its origins back to Assyria in the 9th century BC.[1][6] The Assyrians also assigned values and specific numbers to their deities similar to those used by the later Jewish Kabbalah.[1][6] The beginnings of the Jewish Kabbalah are traced back by scholars to the Medieval Age, originating in the Book of Bahir and the Book of Zohar.[5][6] However, the first historical instance of the modern diagram appeared centuries later in the cover of the Latin translation of Gates of Light in the year 1516.[5] Scholars have traced the origin of the art in the Porta Lucis cover to Johann Reuchlin.[8]
Contents
1Evolution
2Interpretations
2.1Chassidist
3See also
4References
5External links
Evolution
A version of the Kabbalistic tree of life
The first historical instance of the modern tree of life was designed by Johann Reuchlin.[8] Paolo Riccio's son, Hyeronomius, had actively exchanged letters and shared his father's work with Reuchlin before publication.[9] Thus, in the year 1516, Reuchlin's diagram came to appear on the cover of the Paolo Riccio's Latin translation of Joseph Gikatilla's Gates of Light. The diagram only had 17 paths and, at the time, the concepts of 10 spheres and 22 letters were still distinct in the literature.[10] In 1573, a version sketched by Franciscus Zillettus appeared in Cesare Evoli, De divinis attributis.[11] This version introduced several innovations that would reappear in later versions: all the spheres were of the same size, the lines became wide paths, the spheres were aligned into 3 distinct columns, Malkuth was connected to three spheres, and astrological symbols for the known celestial bodies were used in conjunction with the Hebrew names to label the spheres. However, it also had only 17 paths, albeit distributed differently. Reuchlin's version was reprinted in Johann Pistorius' compilation of 1587. Finally, several versions from unknown artists introducing 21 and 22 paths appeared in the posthumous print editions of Moses Cordovero's Pardes Rimonim between 1592 and 1609.[12] However, the diagrams with 22 paths lacked consistency with each other and none of them had the 22 letters.[13] Between 1652 and 1654, Athanasius Kircher published his own version of the tree in Oedipus Aegyptiacus. Kircher might have designed his diagram in a syncretic attempt to reconcile several distinct ideas. This heavily annotated version, self-termed Sephirotic System, introduced more innovations: abstract concepts, divine names, the 22 Hebrew letters for each path, and new astrological symbols.[14] Between 1677 and 1684, Christian Knorr von Rosenroth published Kabbala Denudat. He designed several new versions of the tree of life, introduced the first version with 11 spheres, placed Daath between Kether and Tiphareth, and attempted to derive the tree of life from elemental geometry.[15][16][17]
Consequently, to modern day, two versions are widely circulated: one where Malkuth has 1 path, owing to Reuchlin's original; and another where Malkuth has three paths, owing to several later versions; both having 22 paths in total, corresponding each to a Hebrew letter, owing to Kircher's syncretism.[18] With the resurgence of occultism in the 19th century, many new versions appeared, but without major innovations.[19] In the 20th century, Aleister Crowley might have resurfaced the idea of Daath as an 11th hidden sphere between Kether and Tiphareth in his book Liber 777, syncretizing the concept with Kircher's symbols and von Rosenroth's diagrams.[20][21] With the discovery of new planets, people might have tried to introduce more astrological symbols to their own versions of the diagram. As a result, there is no general agreement about the position of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.[22][23] However, in particular, it has been noted that Pluto bears resemblance with Daath: Pluto is a former planet, the last traditional celestial body to be discovered, and Daath is a hidden sphere, the last to be introduced.[24] In the 21st century, enthusiasts might have rushed to attribute these collaborative works spanning centuries and involving several people through complex interactions to single authors. Thus, sometimes, the version where Malkuth has 3 paths is termed the Tree of Emanation, and the version where Malkuth has 1 path is termed the Tree of Return.[5]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkahest
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(Kabbalah)
Prior to the surgery I asked the neurosurgeon to get a photo of my brain during the procedure... to prove to my wife I really have one...
Officers onboard HMS Bulwark line the decks for Procedure Alpha on the ship's return to Plymouth following the three month Cougar deployment to the Mediterranean.
Op Cougar was a three month deployment to the Mediterranean as part of the United Kingdom's Response Force Task Group, exercising with key allies. Exercises included Corsican Lion, which will tested the maritime element of the UK-French Combined Joined Expeditionary Force (CJEF), and exercise Albanian Lion which provided superb faculties for the Lead Commando Group to train with Albanian forces.
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Here are photos I took of the promo placard and display dolls at my local Disney Store today. They were only supposed to display the Cinderella doll (which is actually the second doll to be released). But the manager brought out the Snow White, Jasmine and Ariel dolls from the back so I can see them and take photos. They have not yet received the last two dolls to be released, Tiana and Belle. The placard lists the release dates and photos of the dolls, along with their edition sizes. They will be released one per week on Saturday, starting on October 6, rather than the usual Tuesday. They will start to hand out vouchers starting an hour before store opening and lasting about 30 minutes. They will then announce the winners of the raffle about 20 minutes before store opening, who may then purchase the doll being released that day. The online release will take place at 12:01 AM (Pacific time) on the morning of that same day. Each doll will cost $109.95.
The schedule of releases (for the US and Canada):
Snow White, 10/6/2018, LE 4100
Cinderella, 10/13/2018, LE 4400
Jasmine, 10/20/2018, LE 4000
Ariel, 10/27/2018, LE 4500
Tiana, 11/3/2018, LE 4000
Belle, 11/10/2018, LE 4500
The official announcement was made by the ShopDisney Facebook page this morning with a video of the dolls:
Disney Designer Collection: The Premiere Series
ShopDisney announcement
2018-09-10 9:32 am
Introducing, Disney Designer Collection: The Premiere Series. Inspired by the runways and red carpets during each beloved Disney heroine's theatrical debut, each doll's iconic fashion and accessories are carefully designed to capture a moment in fashion history.
Each doll releases every Saturday from October 6 to November 10 online at 12AM PT and through in-store lottery.
More photos and information at the ShopDisney website:
Disney Designer Collection: The Premiere Series
The UK Shop Disney Facebook page also announced the series this morning, with different release dates and procedures than the US/Canada stores.
Disney Designer Collection is proud to introduce The Premiere Series
The Disney Designer Collection is proud to introduce The Premiere Series, inspired by the runways and red carpets during each theatrical debut. Disney Designer Collection - Premiere Series – Snow White will be the first doll to be released from the series on 9th October and will be £95. There will be a global edition size of 4100, with 929 available to Europe. These will be available in selected stores* and online from 8am. Limited to 1 per Guest per household.
Release dates as follows:
Cinderella – 16/10
Ariel – 30/10
Belle – 13/11
Jasmine – 27/11
Tiana – 11/12
*Champs Elysees Paris, Lakeside West Thurrock, Oxford Street London, St Enoch Glasgow, Metro Centre Tyne & Wear, Bullring Birmingham, Grand Arcade Cardiff, Manchester Arndale, Westfield White City, Liverpool, Bluewater, Grafton Street Dublin, Puerta Del Angel Barcelona, La Vaguada Madrid, Juan De Austria, Parque Sur, Milan, Rome, Florence, Naples, Colombo, Munich, Stockholm.
For more info: Disney Designer Collection
Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel before and after photo of a ffs surgery procedure. www.drspiegel.com/ffs-surgery-photos/
Journal of Doctor S. Finnigan – Leading doctor of Project B27
Entry 104
After three months of the modification project, we are finally starting the last phase. The subject’s immune system is no longer fighting the medication and his muscles have been dissolved from the bones. According to Professor Rosenfeld’s calculations, they will easily reattach to the carbon skeleton after the procedure. Our head engineer Mr. Gordon and his team finished the prototype ten days ago and produced the first usable version. We are now making the final calibrations. The subject has been sedated and the observation team has arrived. The insertion procedure will start at 3pm, after the gouvernment‘s permission is given.
_______________________
This is something I wanted to upload for years now ! In 2011, n7mereel, Mr. Grievous and me built this, but never came around to uploading it for several reasons. Now I finally found the photos on my PC, reedited them and we decided to uploade them.
I still like it very much, even though it is a bit old.
Hope you agree !
Care of Newborns : An Evidence Based Journey at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre
Hosting a Pre-Conference Workshop on Neonatal Procedures. Registration/Inquiries: mail on Anjali.Kulkarni@rfhospital.org
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Instruction Manual for Android Users of RFHApp©
Neonatology Department at newborn care hospital Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre has the best Neonatologists who treat conditions affecting newborn children.
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Cockpit of F-8 Crusader procedures trainer.
USS Midway Museum
San Diego, California
See: www.midway.org
201102-N-LW757-1036
SAN DIEGO (Nov. 2, 2020) Lt. Youngmi Kim, an internal medicine resident assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Intensive Care Unit (ICU), dons personal protective equipment before a procedure in the hospital's ICU Nov. 2. NMCSD's ICU specializes in treatment given to patients who are acutely unwell and require critical, medical care. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way many facets of healthcare are conducted, and NMCSD's ICU has adapted some of their techniques and practices to keep both staff and patients safe while delivering the high-quality healthcare they’ve come to expect. NMCSD’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Luke Cunningham)
Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, and also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is a widely worshipped deity in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. He was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
ETYMOLOGY AND OTHER NAMES
Ganesha has been ascribed many other titles and epithets, including Ganapati and Vighneshvara. The Hindu title of respect Shri is often added before his name. One popular way Ganesha is worshipped is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama, a litany of "a thousand names of Ganesha". Each name in the sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha. At least two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist; one version is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu scripture venerating Ganesha.
The name Ganesha is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system and isha, meaning lord or master. The word gaņa when associated with Ganesha is often taken to refer to the gaņas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name "Lord of the Gaņas" to mean "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of created categories", such as the elements. Ganapati, a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning "group", and pati, meaning "ruler" or "lord". The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit lexicon, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja (equivalent to Vighnesha), Dvaimātura (one who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (equivalent to Ganapati and Ganesha), Ekadanta (one who has one tusk), Heramba, Lambodara (one who has a pot belly, or, literally, one who has a hanging belly), and Gajanana; having the face of an elephant).
Vinayaka is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. This name is reflected in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Ashtavinayak (aṣṭavināyaka). The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu theology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).
A prominent name for Ganesha in the Tamil language is Pillai. A. K. Narain differentiates these terms by saying that pillai means a "child" while pillaiyar means a "noble child". He adds that the words pallu, pella, and pell in the Dravidian family of languages signify "tooth or tusk", also "elephant tooth or tusk". Anita Raina Thapan notes that the root word pille in the name Pillaiyar might have originally meant "the young of the elephant", because the Pali word pillaka means "a young elephant".
In the Burmese language, Ganesha is known as Maha Peinne, derived from Pali Mahā Wināyaka. The widespread name of Ganesha in Thailand is Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikhanesuan, both of which are derived from Vara Vighnesha and Vara Vighneshvara respectively, whereas the name Khanet (from Ganesha) is rather rare.
In Sri Lanka, in the North-Central and North Western areas with predominantly Buddhist population, Ganesha is known as Aiyanayaka Deviyo, while in other Singhala Buddhist areas he is known as Gana deviyo.
ICONOGRAPHY
Ganesha is a popular figure in Indian art. Unlike those of some deities, representations of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons, playing with his family as a boy, sitting down or on an elevated seat, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.
Ganesha images were prevalent in many parts of India by the 6th century. The 13th century statue pictured is typical of Ganesha statuary from 900–1200, after Ganesha had been well-established as an independent deity with his own sect. This example features some of Ganesha's common iconographic elements. A virtually identical statue has been dated between 973–1200 by Paul Martin-Dubost, and another similar statue is dated c. 12th century by Pratapaditya Pal. Ganesha has the head of an elephant and a big belly. This statue has four arms, which is common in depictions of Ganesha. He holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and holds a delicacy, which he samples with his trunk, in his lower-left hand. The motif of Ganesha turning his trunk sharply to his left to taste a sweet in his lower-left hand is a particularly archaic feature. A more primitive statue in one of the Ellora Caves with this general form has been dated to the 7th century. Details of the other hands are difficult to make out on the statue shown. In the standard configuration, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a goad in one upper arm and a pasha (noose) in the other upper arm.
The influence of this old constellation of iconographic elements can still be seen in contemporary representations of Ganesha. In one modern form, the only variation from these old elements is that the lower-right hand does not hold the broken tusk but is turned towards the viewer in a gesture of protection or fearlessness (abhaya mudra). The same combination of four arms and attributes occurs in statues of Ganesha dancing, which is a very popular theme.
COMMON ATTRIBUTES
Ganesha has been represented with the head of an elephant since the early stages of his appearance in Indian art. Puranic myths provide many explanations for how he got his elephant head. One of his popular forms, Heramba-Ganapati, has five elephant heads, and other less-common variations in the number of heads are known. While some texts say that Ganesha was born with an elephant head, he acquires the head later in most stories. The most recurrent motif in these stories is that Ganesha was created by Parvati using clay to protect her and Shiva beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant. Details of the battle and where the replacement head came from vary from source to source. Another story says that Ganesha was created directly by Shiva's laughter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly.
Ganesha's earliest name was Ekadanta (One Tusked), referring to his single whole tusk, the other being broken. Some of the earliest images of Ganesha show him holding his broken tusk. The importance of this distinctive feature is reflected in the Mudgala Purana, which states that the name of Ganesha's second incarnation is Ekadanta. Ganesha's protruding belly appears as a distinctive attribute in his earliest statuary, which dates to the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries). This feature is so important that, according to the Mudgala Purana, two different incarnations of Ganesha use names based on it: Lambodara (Pot Belly, or, literally, Hanging Belly) and Mahodara (Great Belly). Both names are Sanskrit compounds describing his belly. The Brahmanda Purana says that Ganesha has the name Lambodara because all the universes (i.e., cosmic eggs) of the past, present, and future are present in him. The number of Ganesha's arms varies; his best-known forms have between two and sixteen arms. Many depictions of Ganesha feature four arms, which is mentioned in Puranic sources and codified as a standard form in some iconographic texts. His earliest images had two arms. Forms with 14 and 20 arms appeared in Central India during the 9th and the 10th centuries. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms. According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck. Other depictions of snakes include use as a sacred thread wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead may be a third eye or the Shaivite sectarian mark , which consists of three horizontal lines. The Ganesha Purana prescribes a tilaka mark as well as a crescent moon on the forehead. A distinct form of Ganesha called Bhalachandra includes that iconographic element. Ganesha is often described as red in color. Specific colors are associated with certain forms. Many examples of color associations with specific meditation forms are prescribed in the Sritattvanidhi, a treatise on Hindu iconography. For example, white is associated with his representations as Heramba-Ganapati and Rina-Mochana-Ganapati (Ganapati Who Releases from Bondage). Ekadanta-Ganapati is visualized as blue during meditation in that form.
VAHANAS
The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana (mount/vehicle). Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana, Ganesha uses a mouse (shrew) in five of them, a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, a peacock in his incarnation as Vikata, and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja. Mohotkata uses a lion, Mayūreśvara uses a peacock, Dhumraketu uses a horse, and Gajanana uses a mouse, in the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the Ganesha Purana. Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock.
Ganesha is often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Martin-Dubost says that the rat began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century; the rat was always placed close to his feet. The mouse as a mount first appears in written sources in the Matsya Purana and later in the Brahmananda Purana and Ganesha Purana, where Ganesha uses it as his vehicle in his last incarnation. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag. The names Mūṣakavāhana (mouse-mount) and Ākhuketana (rat-banner) appear in the Ganesha Sahasranama.
The mouse is interpreted in several ways. According to Grimes, "Many, if not most of those who interpret Gaṇapati's mouse, do so negatively; it symbolizes tamoguṇa as well as desire". Along these lines, Michael Wilcockson says it symbolizes those who wish to overcome desires and be less selfish. Krishan notes that the rat is destructive and a menace to crops. The Sanskrit word mūṣaka (mouse) is derived from the root mūṣ (stealing, robbing). It was essential to subdue the rat as a destructive pest, a type of vighna (impediment) that needed to be overcome. According to this theory, showing Ganesha as master of the rat demonstrates his function as Vigneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) and gives evidence of his possible role as a folk grāma-devatā (village deity) who later rose to greater prominence. Martin-Dubost notes a view that the rat is a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places.
ASSOCIATIONS
OBSTACLES
Ganesha is Vighneshvara or Vighnaraja or Vighnaharta (Marathi), the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order. He is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked. Paul Courtright says that "his task in the divine scheme of things, his dharma, is to place and remove obstacles. It is his particular territory, the reason for his creation."
Krishan notes that some of Ganesha's names reflect shadings of multiple roles that have evolved over time. Dhavalikar ascribes the quick ascension of Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon, and the emergence of the Ganapatyas, to this shift in emphasis from vighnakartā (obstacle-creator) to vighnahartā (obstacle-averter). However, both functions continue to be vital to his character.
BUDDHI (KNOWLEDGE)
Ganesha is considered to be the Lord of letters and learning. In Sanskrit, the word buddhi is a feminine noun that is variously translated as intelligence, wisdom, or intellect. The concept of buddhi is closely associated with the personality of Ganesha, especially in the Puranic period, when many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence. One of Ganesha's names in the Ganesha Purana and the Ganesha Sahasranama is Buddhipriya. This name also appears in a list of 21 names at the end of the Ganesha Sahasranama that Ganesha says are especially important. The word priya can mean "fond of", and in a marital context it can mean "lover" or "husband", so the name may mean either "Fond of Intelligence" or "Buddhi's Husband".
AUM
Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum, also spelled Om. The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa attests to this association. Chinmayananda translates the relevant passage as follows:
(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Om. (That is to say, You are all this).
Some devotees see similarities between the shape of Ganesha's body in iconography and the shape of Aum in the Devanāgarī and Tamil scripts.
FIRST CHAKRA
According to Kundalini yoga, Ganesha resides in the first chakra, called Muladhara (mūlādhāra). Mula means "original, main"; adhara means "base, foundation". The muladhara chakra is the principle on which the manifestation or outward expansion of primordial Divine Force rests. This association is also attested to in the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. Courtright translates this passage as follows: "[O Ganesha,] You continually dwell in the sacral plexus at the base of the spine [mūlādhāra cakra]." Thus, Ganesha has a permanent abode in every being at the Muladhara. Ganesha holds, supports and guides all other chakras, thereby "governing the forces that propel the wheel of life".
FAMILY AND CONSORTS
Though Ganesha is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths give different versions about his birth. In some he was created by Parvati, in another he was created by Shiva and Parvati, in another he appeared mysteriously and was discovered by Shiva and Parvati or he was born from the elephant headed goddess Malini after she drank Parvati's bath water that had been thrown in the river.
The family includes his brother the war god Kartikeya, who is also called Subramanya, Skanda, Murugan and other names. Regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesha is considered the first born. In northern India, Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when worship of him declined significantly in northern India. As Skanda fell, Ganesha rose. Several stories tell of sibling rivalry between the brothers and may reflect sectarian tensions.
Ganesha's marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories. One pattern of myths identifies Ganesha as an unmarried brahmacari. This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India. Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha's wives. He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Sanskrit: daşi). Another pattern connects Ganesha with the goddess of culture and the arts, Sarasvati or Śarda (particularly in Maharashtra). He is also associated with the goddess of luck and prosperity, Lakshmi. Another pattern, mainly prevalent in the Bengal region, links Ganesha with the banana tree, Kala Bo.
The Shiva Purana says that Ganesha had begotten two sons: Kşema (prosperity) and Lābha (profit). In northern Indian variants of this story, the sons are often said to be Śubha (auspiciouness) and Lābha. The 1975 Hindi film Jai Santoshi Maa shows Ganesha married to Riddhi and Siddhi and having a daughter named Santoshi Ma, the goddess of satisfaction. This story has no Puranic basis, but Anita Raina Thapan and Lawrence Cohen cite Santoshi Ma's cult as evidence of Ganesha's continuing evolution as a popular deity.
WOSHIP AND FESTIVALS
Ganesha is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions; especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. K.N. Somayaji says, "there can hardly be a [Hindu] home [in India] which does not house an idol of Ganapati. [..] Ganapati, being the most popular deity in India, is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country". Devotees believe that if Ganesha is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.
Ganesha is a non-sectarian deity, and Hindus of all denominations invoke him at the beginning of prayers, important undertakings, and religious ceremonies. Dancers and musicians, particularly in southern India, begin performances of arts such as the Bharatnatyam dance with a prayer to Ganesha. Mantras such as Om Shri Gaṇeshāya Namah (Om, salutation to the Illustrious Ganesha) are often used. One of the most famous mantras associated with Ganesha is Om Gaṃ Ganapataye Namah (Om, Gaṃ, Salutation to the Lord of Hosts).
Devotees offer Ganesha sweets such as modaka and small sweet balls (laddus). He is often shown carrying a bowl of sweets, called a modakapātra. Because of his identification with the color red, he is often worshipped with red sandalwood paste (raktacandana) or red flowers. Dūrvā grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other materials are also used in his worship.
Festivals associated with Ganesh are Ganesh Chaturthi or Vināyaka chaturthī in the śuklapakṣa (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of bhādrapada (August/September) and the Gaṇeśa jayanti (Gaṇeśa's birthday) celebrated on the cathurthī of the śuklapakṣa (fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of māgha (January/February)."
GANESH CHATURTI
An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesha Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival begins with people bringing in clay idols of Ganesha, symbolising Ganesha's visit. The festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, when idols (murtis) of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water. Some families have a tradition of immersion on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 7th day. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha's wide appeal as "the god for Everyman", Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai, Pune, and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples.
TEMPLES
In Hindu temples, Ganesha is depicted in various ways: as an acolyte or subordinate deity (pãrśva-devatã); as a deity related to the principal deity (parivāra-devatã); or as the principal deity of the temple (pradhāna), treated similarly as the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon. As the god of transitions, he is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati’s doorkeeper. In addition, several shrines are dedicated to Ganesha himself, of which the Ashtavinayak (lit. "eight Ganesha (shrines)") in Maharashtra are particularly well known. Located within a 100-kilometer radius of the city of Pune, each of these eight shrines celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with its own lore and legend. The eight shrines are: Morgaon, Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Theur, Lenyadri, Ozar and Ranjangaon.
There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar; Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: Kanipakam in Chittoor; the Jambukeśvara Temple at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram in Tamil Nadu; at Malliyur, Kottarakara, Pazhavangadi, Kasargod in Kerala, Hampi, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.
T. A. Gopinatha notes, "Every village however small has its own image of Vighneśvara (Vigneshvara) with or without a temple to house it in. At entrances of villages and forts, below pīpaḹa (Sacred fig) trees [...], in a niche [...] in temples of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as well as Śiva (Shiva) and also in separate shrines specially constructed in Śiva temples [...]; the figure of Vighneśvara is invariably seen." Ganesha temples have also been built outside of India, including southeast Asia, Nepal (including the four Vinayaka shrines in the Kathmandu valley), and in several western countries.
RISE TO PROMINENCE
FIRST APEARANCE
Ganesha appeared in his classic form as a clearly recognizable deity with well-defined iconographic attributes in the early 4th to 5th centuries. Shanti Lal Nagar says that the earliest known iconic image of Ganesha is in the niche of the Shiva temple at Bhumra, which has been dated to the Gupta period. His independent cult appeared by about the 10th century. Narain summarizes the controversy between devotees and academics regarding the development of Ganesha as follows:
What is inscrutable is the somewhat dramatic appearance of Gaņeśa on the historical scene. His antecedents are not clear. His wide acceptance and popularity, which transcend sectarian and territorial limits, are indeed amazing. On the one hand there is the pious belief of the orthodox devotees in Gaņeśa's Vedic origins and in the Purāṇic explanations contained in the confusing, but nonetheless interesting, mythology. On the other hand there are doubts about the existence of the idea and the icon of this deity" before the fourth to fifth century A.D. ... [I]n my opinion, indeed there is no convincing evidence of the existence of this divinity prior to the fifth century.
POSSIBLE INFLUENCES
Courtright reviews various speculative theories about the early history of Ganesha, including supposed tribal traditions and animal cults, and dismisses all of them in this way:
In the post 600 BC period there is evidence of people and places named after the animal. The motif appears on coins and sculptures.
Thapan's book on the development of Ganesha devotes a chapter to speculations about the role elephants had in early India but concludes that, "although by the second century CE the elephant-headed yakṣa form exists it cannot be presumed to represent Gaṇapati-Vināyaka. There is no evidence of a deity by this name having an elephant or elephant-headed form at this early stage. Gaṇapati-Vināyaka had yet to make his debut."
One theory of the origin of Ganesha is that he gradually came to prominence in connection with the four Vinayakas (Vināyakas). In Hindu mythology, the Vināyakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created obstacles and difficulties but who were easily propitiated. The name Vināyaka is a common name for Ganesha both in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. Krishan is one of the academics who accepts this view, stating flatly of Ganesha, "He is a non-vedic god. His origin is to be traced to the four Vināyakas, evil spirits, of the Mānavagŗhyasūtra (7th–4th century BCE) who cause various types of evil and suffering". Depictions of elephant-headed human figures, which some identify with Ganesha, appear in Indian art and coinage as early as the 2nd century. According to Ellawala, the elephant-headed Ganesha as lord of the Ganas was known to the people of Sri Lanka in the early pre-Christian era.
A metal plate depiction of Ganesha had been discovered in 1993, in Iran, it dated back to 1,200 BCE. Another one was discovered much before, in Lorestan Province of Iran.
First Ganesha's terracotta images are from 1st century CE found in Ter, Pal, Verrapuram and Chandraketugarh. These figures are small, with elephant head, two arms, and chubby physique. The earliest Ganesha icons in stone were carved in Mathura during Kushan times (2nd-3rd centuries CE).
VEDIC AND EPIC LITERATURE
The title "Leader of the group" (Sanskrit: gaṇapati) occurs twice in the Rig Veda, but in neither case does it refer to the modern Ganesha. The term appears in RV 2.23.1 as a title for Brahmanaspati, according to commentators. While this verse doubtless refers to Brahmanaspati, it was later adopted for worship of Ganesha and is still used today. In rejecting any claim that this passage is evidence of Ganesha in the Rig Veda, Ludo Rocher says that it "clearly refers to Bṛhaspati—who is the deity of the hymn—and Bṛhaspati only". Equally clearly, the second passage (RV 10.112.9) refers to Indra, who is given the epithet 'gaṇapati', translated "Lord of the companies (of the Maruts)." However, Rocher notes that the more recent Ganapatya literature often quotes the Rigvedic verses to give Vedic respectability to Ganesha .
Two verses in texts belonging to Black Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Saṃhitā (2.9.1) and Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (10.1), appeal to a deity as "the tusked one" (Dantiḥ), "elephant-faced" (Hastimukha), and "with a curved trunk" (Vakratuņḍa). These names are suggestive of Ganesha, and the 14th century commentator Sayana explicitly establishes this identification. The description of Dantin, possessing a twisted trunk (vakratuṇḍa) and holding a corn-sheaf, a sugar cane, and a club, is so characteristic of the Puranic Ganapati that Heras says "we cannot resist to accept his full identification with this Vedic Dantin". However, Krishan considers these hymns to be post-Vedic additions. Thapan reports that these passages are "generally considered to have been interpolated". Dhavalikar says, "the references to the elephant-headed deity in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā have been proven to be very late interpolations, and thus are not very helpful for determining the early formation of the deity".
Ganesha does not appear in Indian epic literature that is dated to the Vedic period. A late interpolation to the epic poem Mahabharata says that the sage Vyasa (Vyāsa) asked Ganesha to serve as his scribe to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed but only on condition that Vyasa recite the poem uninterrupted, that is, without pausing. The sage agreed, but found that to get any rest he needed to recite very complex passages so Ganesha would have to ask for clarifications. The story is not accepted as part of the original text by the editors of the critical edition of the Mahabharata, in which the twenty-line story is relegated to a footnote in an appendix. The story of Ganesha acting as the scribe occurs in 37 of the 59 manuscripts consulted during preparation of the critical edition. Ganesha's association with mental agility and learning is one reason he is shown as scribe for Vyāsa's dictation of the Mahabharata in this interpolation. Richard L. Brown dates the story to the 8th century, and Moriz Winternitz concludes that it was known as early as c. 900, but it was not added to the Mahabharata some 150 years later. Winternitz also notes that a distinctive feature in South Indian manuscripts of the Mahabharata is their omission of this Ganesha legend. The term vināyaka is found in some recensions of the Śāntiparva and Anuśāsanaparva that are regarded as interpolations. A reference to Vighnakartṛīṇām ("Creator of Obstacles") in Vanaparva is also believed to be an interpolation and does not appear in the critical edition.
PURANIC PERIOD
Stories about Ganesha often occur in the Puranic corpus. Brown notes while the Puranas "defy precise chronological ordering", the more detailed narratives of Ganesha's life are in the late texts, c. 600–1300. Yuvraj Krishan says that the Puranic myths about the birth of Ganesha and how he acquired an elephant's head are in the later Puranas, which were composed from c. 600 onwards. He elaborates on the matter to say that references to Ganesha in the earlier Puranas, such as the Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas, are later interpolations made during the 7th to 10th centuries.
In his survey of Ganesha's rise to prominence in Sanskrit literature, Ludo Rocher notes that:
Above all, one cannot help being struck by the fact that the numerous stories surrounding Gaṇeśa concentrate on an unexpectedly limited number of incidents. These incidents are mainly three: his birth and parenthood, his elephant head, and his single tusk. Other incidents are touched on in the texts, but to a far lesser extent.
Ganesha's rise to prominence was codified in the 9th century, when he was formally included as one of the five primary deities of Smartism. The 9th-century philosopher Adi Shankara popularized the "worship of the five forms" (Panchayatana puja) system among orthodox Brahmins of the Smarta tradition. This worship practice invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, and Surya. Adi Shankara instituted the tradition primarily to unite the principal deities of these five major sects on an equal status. This formalized the role of Ganesha as a complementary deity.
SCRIPTURES
Once Ganesha was accepted as one of the five principal deities of Brahmanism, some Brahmins (brāhmaṇas) chose to worship Ganesha as their principal deity. They developed the Ganapatya tradition, as seen in the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana.
The date of composition for the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana - and their dating relative to one another - has sparked academic debate. Both works were developed over time and contain age-layered strata. Anita Thapan reviews comments about dating and provides her own judgement. "It seems likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana appeared around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries", she says, "but was later interpolated." Lawrence W. Preston considers the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana to be between 1100 and 1400, which coincides with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by the text.
R.C. Hazra suggests that the Mudgala Purana is older than the Ganesha Purana, which he dates between 1100 and 1400. However, Phyllis Granoff finds problems with this relative dating and concludes that the Mudgala Purana was the last of the philosophical texts concerned with Ganesha. She bases her reasoning on the fact that, among other internal evidence, the Mudgala Purana specifically mentions the Ganesha Purana as one of the four Puranas (the Brahma, the Brahmanda, the Ganesha, and the Mudgala Puranas) which deal at length with Ganesha. While the kernel of the text must be old, it was interpolated until the 17th and 18th centuries as the worship of Ganapati became more important in certain regions. Another highly regarded scripture, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, was probably composed during the 16th or 17th centuries.
BEYOND INDIA AND HINDUISM
Commercial and cultural contacts extended India's influence in western and southeast Asia. Ganesha is one of a number of Hindu deities who reached foreign lands as a result.
Ganesha was particularly worshipped by traders and merchants, who went out of India for commercial ventures. From approximately the 10th century onwards, new networks of exchange developed including the formation of trade guilds and a resurgence of money circulation. During this time, Ganesha became the principal deity associated with traders. The earliest inscription invoking Ganesha before any other deity is associated with the merchant community.
Hindus migrated to Maritime Southeast Asia and took their culture, including Ganesha, with them. Statues of Ganesha are found throughout the region, often beside Shiva sanctuaries. The forms of Ganesha found in Hindu art of Java, Bali, and Borneo show specific regional influences. The spread of Hindu culture to southeast Asia established Ganesha in modified forms in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. In Indochina, Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced side by side, and mutual influences can be seen in the iconography of Ganesha in the region. In Thailand, Cambodia, and among the Hindu classes of the Chams in Vietnam, Ganesha was mainly thought of as a remover of obstacles. Today in Buddhist Thailand, Ganesha is regarded as a remover of obstacles, the god of success.
Before the arrival of Islam, Afghanistan had close cultural ties with India, and the adoration of both Hindu and Buddhist deities was practiced. Examples of sculptures from the 5th to the 7th centuries have survived, suggesting that the worship of Ganesha was then in vogue in the region.
Ganesha appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god Vināyaka, but also as a Hindu demon form with the same name. His image appears in Buddhist sculptures during the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god Vināyaka, he is often shown dancing. This form, called Nṛtta Ganapati, was popular in northern India, later adopted in Nepal, and then in Tibet. In Nepal, the Hindu form of Ganesha, known as Heramba, is popular; he has five heads and rides a lion. Tibetan representations of Ganesha show ambivalent views of him. A Tibetan rendering of Ganapati is tshogs bdag. In one Tibetan form, he is shown being trodden under foot by Mahākāla, (Shiva) a popular Tibetan deity. Other depictions show him as the Destroyer of Obstacles, and sometimes dancing. Ganesha appears in China and Japan in forms that show distinct regional character. In northern China, the earliest known stone statue of Ganesha carries an inscription dated to 531. In Japan, where Ganesha is known as Kangiten, the Ganesha cult was first mentioned in 806.
The canonical literature of Jainism does not mention the worship of Ganesha. However, Ganesha is worshipped by most Jains, for whom he appears to have taken over certain functions of Kubera. Jain connections with the trading community support the idea that Jainism took up Ganesha worship as a result of commercial connections. The earliest known Jain Ganesha statue dates to about the 9th century. A 15th-century Jain text lists procedures for the installation of Ganapati images. Images of Ganesha appear in the Jain temples of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
WIKIPEDIA
The Orchiectomy procedure is an independent procedure that can be performed for those who wish to eliminate testosterone production and achieve some degree of secondary feminization without having complete GCS, Contact us today to schedule a consultation at 816-305-0943
Patient tolerated procedure well, no complication noted for this wisdom tooth surgery. We will follow her up in one week.
Her prescriptions:
Decadron 4mg x2 tabbles right away in office
Amoxil 250mg one three times a day x 30
Vicodin ES one every 6 hours as needed for pain x 30
The end product of the unfurling procedure was a purple trumpet flower. I thought the way it opened was pretty cool!
Routine procedures behind science and discoveries. Patience-consuming process of filling rack with 10 mkl pipetting tips. Only 5th year students and more experienced reseachers are allowed to perform this.
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Deperming, or degaussing, is a procedure for erasing the permanent magnetism from ships and submarines to camouflage them against magnetic detection vessels and enemy marine mines.
A sea-going metal-hulled ship or submarine, by its very nature, develops a magnetic signature as it travels due to a magneto-mechanical interaction with the Earth's magnetic field. This signature can be exploited by magnetic mines, or facilitate the detection of a submarine by ships or aircraft with magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment. Navies use the deperming procedure, in conjunction with degaussing, as a countermeasure against this.
Specialized deperming facilities, such as the United States Navy's Lambert's Point Deperming Station are used to perform the procedure. Heavy gauge copper cables are wrapped around the hull and superstructure of the vessel, and very high electrical currents (as high as 4000 amps) are pulsed through the cables. This has the effect of "resetting" the ship's magnetic signature. It is also possible to assign a specific signature that is best suited to the particular area of the world in which the ship will operate. Over time the deperm will begin to degrade and the procedure must be redone periodically to maintain the desired effect.
During World War II the United States Navy commissioned a specialized class of degaussing ships that were capable of performing this function. One of them, USS Deperm (ADG-10), was named after the procedure.
Researcher Jacques Vallée describes a procedure on board the USS Engstrom (DE-50), which was docked alongside the Eldridge in 1943. The operation involved the generation of a powerful electromagnetic field on board the ship in order to deperm or degauss it, with the goal of rendering the ship undetectable or "invisible" to magnetically-fused undersea mines and torpedoes. This system was invented by a Canadian, and the Royal Navy and other navies used it widely during WWII. British ships of the era often included such degaussing systems built into the upper decks (the conduits are still visible on the deck of HMS Belfast (C35) in London, for example). Degaussing is still used today. However, it has absolutely no effect on visible light or radar. Vallée speculates that accounts of the USS Engstrom’s degaussing might have been garbled and confabulated in subsequent retellings, and that these accounts may have influenced the story of the so-called "Philadelphia Experiment".
According to Vallée, a Navy veteran who served on board the USS Engstrom noted that the Eldridge might indeed have travelled from Philadelphia to Norfolk and back again in a single day at a time when merchant ships could not: by use of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Chesapeake Bay, which at the time was open only to naval vessels.Use of that channel was kept quiet: German submarines had ravaged shipping along the East Coast during Operation Drumbeat, and thus military ships unable to protect themselves were secretly moved via canals to avoid the threat. It should be noted that this same veteran claims to be the man that Allende witnessed “disappearing” at a bar. He claims that when the fight broke out, friendly barmaids whisked him out the back door of the bar before the police arrived, because he was under age for drinking. They then covered for him by claiming that he had disappeared.
The USS Eldridge was not commissioned until August 27, 1943, and it remained in port in New York City until September 1943. The October experiment allegedly took place while the ship was on its first shakedown cruise in the Bahamas, although proponents of the story claim that the ship's logs might have been falsified, or else still be classified.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) stated in September 1996 that "ONR has never conducted investigations on radar invisibility, either in 1943 or at any other time". Pointing out that the ONR was not established until 1946
The claims of the Philadelphia experiment contradict the known laws of physics. Magnetic fields cannot bend light waves according to Maxwell's equations. While Einstein's theory of general relativity shows that light waves can be bent near the surface of an extremely massive object such as the sun or a black hole, current human technology cannot manipulate the astronomical amounts of matter needed to do this.
No Unified Field Theory currently exists, although it is still a subject of ongoing research. William Moore's book on the "Philadelphia Experiment" claims that Albert Einstein completed, and subsequently destroyed, a theory before his death. Moore bases this on Carl Allen's letter to Jessup in which Allen refers to a conversation between Einstein and Bertrand Russell acknowledging that the theory had been solved, but that man was not ready for it.
Also, shortly before his death in 1943, Nikola Tesla supposedly claimed to have completed some kind of a "Unified Field Theory". It was never published.
These claims are completely at odds with modern physics. While it is true that Einstein attempted to unify gravity with electromagnetism based on classical physics, his geometric approaches called classical unified field theories ignored the modern developments of quantum theory and the discovery of the strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force. Most physicists consider his overall approach to be unsuccessful. Attempts by recent scientists focus on the development of a quantum theory that includes gravitation. It should be noted however that even if a unified field theory were discovered, it still would not present a practical engineering method to bend light waves around a large object like a battleship.
While very limited "invisibility cloaks" have recently been developed using metamaterial, these are unrelated to theories linking electromagnetism with gravity.
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties that may not be found in nature. Metamaterials usually gain their properties from structure rather than composition, using small inhomogeneities to create effective macroscopic behavior
The story begins in June of 1943, with the Destroyer Escort, U.S.S. Eldridge, DE-173, being fitted with tons of experimental electronic equipment. This included, according to one source, two massive generators of 75 KVA each, mounted where the forward gun turret would have been, distributing their power through four magnetic coils mounted on the deck. Three RF transmitters (2 megawatt CW each, mounted on the deck), three thousand “6L6” power amplifier tubes (used to drive the field coils of the two generators), special synchronizing and modulation circuits, and a host of other specialized hardware were employed to generate massive electromagnetic fields which, when properly configured, would be able to bend light and radio waves around the ship, thus making it invisible to enemy observers.
At 0900 hours, on July 22nd, 1943, the power to the generators was turned on, and the massive electromagnetic fields started to build up. A greenish fog was seen to slowly envelop the ship, concealing it from view. Then the fog itself is said to have disappeared, taking the U.S.S. Eldridge with it, leaving only undisturbed water where the ship had been anchored only moments before.
The elite officers of the U.S. Navy and scientists involved gazed in awe at their greatest achievement: the ship and crew were not only radar invisible but invisible to the eye as well! Everything worked as planned, and about fifteen minutes later they ordered the men to shut down the generators. The greenish fog slowly reappeared, and the U.S.S. Eldridge began to re-materialize as the fog subsided, but it was evident to all that something had gone wrong.
When boarded by personnel from shore, the crewmembers above decks were disoriented and nauseous. The U.S. Navy removed the crew from that original experiment, and shortly afterward, obtained another crew for a second experiment. In the end, the U.S. Navy decided that they only wanted to achieve radar invisibility, and the equipment was altered.
On the 28th of October in 1943, at 17:15, the final test on the U.S.S. Eldridge was performed. The electromagnetic field generators were turned on again, and the U.S.S. Eldridge became nearly invisible. Only a faint outline of the hull remained visible in the water. Everything was fine for the first few seconds, and then, in a blinding blue flash, the ship completely vanished. Within seconds it reappeared hundreds of miles away, in Norfolk, Virginia, and was seen for several minutes. The U.S.S. Eldridge then disappeared from Norfolk as mysteriously as it had arrived, and reappeared back in Philadelphia Naval Yard. This time most of the sailors were violently sick. Some of the crew were simply “missing” never to return. Some of the crew went crazy. The strangest result of all of this experiment was that five men were found fused to the metal within the ship’s structure.
The men that survived were never the same again. Those that lived were discharged as “mentally unfit” for duty, regardless of their true condition.
Highest Explore Position #71 ~ On February Thirteenth 2009.
Update ~ Now #29 ~ on February 14th 2009.
Dhole - Howletts Wild Animal Park - Sunday November 16th 2008.
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Well, I wasn't going to post this lil African doggie today, but seeing as it's breaking news here in England.... ~ www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1142102/Armed-police-scr... ~ ...I will...This lil guy and 20 of his mates, broke out of Howletts Wild Animal Park ~ www.totallywild.net/howletts/ ~ last night and were discovered missing by their keepers at 9:30 am this morning!!!
1 was shot with a tranquilliser gun, 3 got away and are still at large in the Kent countryside and the rest are now safely back in their enclosure....
I know it's not funny, but I have visions of them doing the same as the Chickens in the Film "Chicken run"...they have been planning their daring escape for months, digging the escape tunnel, and have their fake "foxy" lookie likey passports at the ready...when cornered they will be pretending to be foxes..lol
When I saw this guy...he was probably getting rid of the earth..like in the film the great escape...:O)))
I hope they are found soon though, so that none of them have to be killed...so seriously, if you see them, please call the number below..:O)))
From Sky News...
10:00pm UK, Wednesday February 11, 2009 ~
Three wild hunting dogs are on the loose after escaping from a zoo near Canterbury.
Kent Police have warned the public not to approach the dholes, which got out of their enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park half an hour before it was due to open.
A spokeswoman for the zoo said an investigation was under way, to find out how all 20 dholes escaped from their pen.
Twelve of the animals - which are also known as Asiatic dogs - are now back and secured in their enclosure.
Vets shot five others with tranquiliser guns after Howletts put in place its full animal escape procedure. One dhole died, though the zoo could not say if it was shot.
The spokeswoman insisted that the dholes, which look and behave like foxes, posed "little or no threat" to the public.
But she added that, as with any fox or stray dog, they should not be approached.
All of the dogs were bred in captivity, and are fed mainly on rodents and lizards.
"They're well-fed dholes," she said. "And they'll want to get home for dinner."
Police said a search had been launched in the countryside surrounding Howletts and armed officers were on stand-by.
:: Anyone who sees any of the dogs is asked to call Kent Police on 01622 690690.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ The Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog or Red Dog is a mammal of the order Carnivora, and the only member of the genus Cuon.
Description ~ The Dhole bears many physical similarities to the African Wild Dog and the Bush Dog, most notably in the redundancy of the post-carnassial molars, though whether this is an example of convergence or close relationship is a matter of debate.
The Dhole typically weighs 12-20 kilograms (26-44 pounds) and measures 90 centimeters (35 inches) in body length and 50 centimeters (20 inches) shoulder height. The tail measures 40-45 centimeters (16-18 inches) in length. There is little sexual dimorphism. The Dhole has a broad, domed skull and a short, broad muzzle. The bones of the forehead and upper jaw are "swollen", producing a dish-faced profile. The hooded eyes have amber or light brown irises, and the ears are large and rounded.
The pelage of the back and flanks is red to brown in colour, while the foreneck, chest and undersides are white or lightly gingered. The fur of specimens from southern ranges is typically short and rusty red, while that of more northern subspecies is longer and more yellow or brown in colour. Dholes from Thailand are more uniform brown, and lack the typical lighter throat and chest, while those from Himalayan regions have more yellowish fur.
Dhole dentition is unique among canids, by the fact that it has one fewer lower molars, amounting to 40 teeth rather than the more usual 42 of other species. Its lower carnassials also sport only one cusp (two is more usual for canids) an adaptation thought to improve shearing ability, thus allowing it to compete more successfully with kleptoparasites. Its front pawpads are fused at the base. Females have 6-7 pairs of mammae, as opposed to the more usual five present in other canid species. The chromosome number is 2n = 78.
Reproduction ~ Sexual dimorphism is not very distinct with no quantitative anatomical differences known. Both males and females become sexually active at one year old, though females usually breed at 2 years in captivity, and in the wild, for the first time at 3 years, possibly due to physiological and behavioural restraints. Females exhibit seasonal polyoestrus, with a cycle of around 4-6 weeks. Pups are born throughout the end of fall, winter, and the first spring months ( November - March ) - dens are earthen burrows, or are constructed amongst rocks and boulder structures, in rocky caverns, or close to streambeds. In East Java, the Dhole is thought to mate mainly between January and May. Unlike some other canid species, the Dhole does not engage in a copulatory tie when mating. Also, mating is not as restricted to certain individuals as it is in wolf packs, in which usually only the dominant pair can breed.
After a gestation period of around 60-62 days, females usually give birth to about eight pups (though the range is 5-10, the record is 12, and sizes vary drastically within the same pack through different years), which weigh 200-350g. Dhole growth rate is faster than that of wolves, being similar in length to that of the coyote. At 10 days their body weight has doubled, and body length is 340mm. Pups are weaned between 6 and 9 weeks. In captivity, weaning is sometimes recorded later on in the range. By 8 weeks, younglings are less quarrelsome and aggressive, and more vigilant. At three months litters go on hunts, though the pack may not be fully mobile until eight months. Young reach sexual maturity at about a year, and full adult size at 15 months.
After birth, a few other adults will help to feed the young of the dominant pair. The pups, as early as the age of three weeks, and the mother are fed regurgitated meat. When lone females breed, rearing the litters only results in limited success.
Chapter Business Procedure
Gold medalist high school team from Gloucester County Institute of Technology (N.J). Front row from L to R: team members Lauren Minore, Allison Eisenhart and Payton Neeley. Back row L to R: Kate Young, Shannon Ferguson and Victoria Yorio
Annette has had the Whipple procedure to remove a cancer mass from her pancreas. It started with some abdominal pains and blood-work. Liver enzymes were high, then an ultrasound, which was negative. She was jaundiced then a liver biopsy and CT scan. Next an endoscopic exam finding a blocked bile duct. From the CT scan a mass was seen and the specialist surgeon was contacted by the GI surgeon who in turn called Annette as soon as he returned from Europe from being on vacation. We saw him quickly and he cancelled a scheduled endoscopic ultrasound and ordered an operating room as soon as possible.
Staff had said originally that the first appointment available with this surgeon was October 17. The surgeon later said that if we had waited for that appointment it would have been too late to do anything for her.
You have to believe in miracles and guardian angels. Maybe it is what she does for work, she is the director of religious education at our church. Having connections to God might be an advantage. We have to be thankful for our health plan, Kaiser Permanente for their proactive
For those of you who knew what was happening and kept Annette in your thoughts and prayers, I thank you each and everyone profusely. She is my gift from God.
Yashinon-DX 50mm 1.7, presented as a breakdown of its main component assemblies.
Disassembly procedure reads from top left to bottom right.
From here it's easy to work out the rest given some experience with lenses.
The optical assembly (top right) drops into the lens housing/focus assembly, located by the circular brass key into the groove of the inner helicoid - both seen pictured. The 2 brass shims pictured beside the optical assy. are selected for fine focus adjustment; their thickness determines the stack height of the optical assembly on its seat (and therefore its minimum focal distance from the film plane at infinity), whilst the retaining ring (2nd top left) secures it all in place. The helicoid itself has hard stops preset by a machined groove in the brass carriage engaging a set screw - and cannot be adjusted.
From this point, the front and rear lens groups can be removed from the optical barrel, which houses the aperture blades in the centre.
The rear lens group unscrews accordingly.
The front lens group unscrews from the barrel accordingly.
Disassembly of the front lens group for cleaning, after the group has been removed from the barrel, requires removing the front element and is difficult at first due to the adhesive used and the awkward topology of the assembly.
The element is secured in the optical group body by the conical shroud which doubles as its retaining ring. The threads of the conical ring are recessed deep at its base. There is a small gap between the outside of this conical ring and the front lip of the optical group body from which it protrudes - because of the proximity of these walls, the surface tension of liquid solvent will prevent it from migrating into the gap sufficiently; it was necessary to use a syringe with a needle to get acetone down into this gap to the location of the threads - after which unscrewing of the shroud/retainer was possible. It takes a bit of time and patience.
The lens housing/focus mechanism, helicoid assembly and rear aperture selection assembly are separated and accessible by the sequence shown on the bottom row, from left to right.
The focus grip ring is secured by 3 screws accessed from the front of the lens, beneath the location of the front name plate/filter thread ring.
After which, there are 3 grub screws accessible holding the sleeve with the focus scale to the helicoid carriage and another 3 tiny grub screws holding the sleeve with focus/aperture indicator to the body. These screws are not tight but threadlocked and need only be loosened (after solvent) to remove the sleeves. Once these sleeves are removed, there are 3 larger countersunk screws visible which attach the rear flange/aperture selection assy. to the helicoid assy.; shown bottom right.
Disassembly of the helicoid for servicing requires removing the 2 brass keys locating the inner helicoid section to the fixed body, the inner section can then be unscrewed from the brass helicoid carriage. Removing the hard-stop set screw on the fixed body allows the brass helicoid carriage to then be unscrewed fully and separated from the fixed body.
It's necessary to count the turns of the helicoid rings to off for their correct re-assembly - but as the focus is set by the shim stack on the optical barrel and the helicoid rings are mechanically located with keyways, there's no precise alignment to set, making it relatively easy to service/rebuild.
Upon re-assembly, the aperture fork on the optical barrel assembly engages the aperture selection assy. between the aperture selection cam rocker and the sprung follower lever (connected to the aperture stop-down pin that sticks out the back of the flange).
It's easier if you set the aperture control to 'A' (auto-mode) and f16, making sure the sprung follower lever is fully disengaged (pin fully stuck out flange), as this opens up the gap between the follower lever and cam rocker nice and wide for the aperture fork to slot into.
...if you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about - its the bit located at about 4 o'clock on the aperture assy. pictured - there's no gap as I have it configured in the picture @ f1.7, making assembly difficult; doing the above ('A' mode, f16) opens up a gap here for the fork to drop into.
Have fun!
Ben
Chapter Business Procedure
Postsecondary/college Gold medalist team from Utah Valley University from L to R: team members Sara Ivie, Kelsey Martin and Autymn Weaver. Back row from L to R: Kimberly Yefimov, Kaycee Colledge and Khaliun Amarjargal.
Procedures trainer used to help train Frontier Airlines flight crew members.
This touch-screen trainer is an economical means of practicing procedures while reserving expensive and sophisticated full-motion simulators for more intensive training.
Frontier Airlines training facility, Denver, Colorado