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Artwork created by Midjourney from a sequence of text.
Unexpected results using the Latin name (Desmodus rotundus) for the common vampire bat. rotundus is round in Latin so that probably explains the circular results.
Prompt: SHOtime Day 3: Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat (Wine...Pumpkin...Moss from theplaydatecafe.blogspot.com/)
So completely not done! But it's my big girls 6th birthday tomorrow, so mama's gotta get ready for her day!
These are just the pictures on the inside obviously, I just felt that it's better to see them all together.
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5.Desire
As an initial disclaimer for this piece, the heart that I used is an animal heart that I got from a biological classroom supply company. It was part of some sort of a classroom dissection kit, and I wanted to use it to really communicate this concept effectively.
For this prompt I not only defined desire, but also illustrated the ramifications of desire. In actuality desire has a very open definition, and when looking through the definitions given for desire in the dictionary, I felt that they were so rigid that they were almost untrue. Desire really has no rigid definition, it's not entirely a verb or a noun, nor is it purely an emotion or an object. Desire is so complex that it cannot be labeled in one way. So for this prompt I have created a book with photos to illustrate a less rigid, yet still defined definition of the basic similarities of most examples of desire, and the ramifications of desire. I chose to specifically concentrate more on the emotional aspects of desire, viewed in a slightly humanized way. My book is designed to also illustrate the ramifications of each aspect of desire, while the poem defines it. I also chose to make the cover text reflective and almost reminiscent of a mirror to depict how personal definitions of desire reflect upon the individual.
Specifically the first page is intended to illustrate how desire will consume you, and the very serious results of this. I felt the heart was fitting because in both a very trite and a more serious symbology, it depicts giving up your life, which is the emotional aftermath of when desire consumes and creates "reaping feelings" as I said. I felt this part of my definition had the most serious ramifications, so therefore the photo used to illustrate it needed to be equally serious to depict and communicate this accurately. The second page is intended to depict how desire leaves us with humanized ideas of actuality, and the conclusion of this is that we are left somewhat isolated with a distorted vision of events. The third page is intended to follow this same concept in that desire makes us break apart our visions of events to create objective pasts. It is actually proven by many scientific experiments that our memory is mostly made up of small series that we continue to tell ourselves, and I feel that desire is a factor that changes how we choose to remember things. The result of this is a distorted view of the past, which can constantly change us. The fourth page is intended to depict how desire is really just a series of lies that we create, which will leave aspects of our lives empty. This creates an empty and isolated life, which is depicted by the symbolism of blood for life, used in a scene that represents isolation. I also feel that it depicts the rituals that a vapid lifestyle creates. For my last page I wanted to define what desire is confined by, which is the "cage" humanity lives in. This metaphorical cage is defined by both social aspects and mortality, which are essentially most of what also creates and confines desire. This creates the reality that whether we embrace or resent desire we are all bound by the same fragility. So to depict this I wanted to illustrate it somewhat literally, while also alluding back to my concept on the first page.
Prompt: photographic realistic realism hyper-realistic oil painting of Peter, Wendy and white westie puppy, by J. M. Barrie, peter pan and his shadow and wendy and hook's pirate ship
digital fine art was created using Bing Image Creator AI
Prompts: pin up girl remastered, full body, character design, high detail, behance, trending on artstation, Dramatic light, 8k, sharp focus, high quality, volumetric lighting, illustration, technical, dark, agressive, angry, deadly, cinematic, octane render, unreal engine, vray, explosion.
Created with #midjourney #photoshop
Thank you for your visit, faves, and kind comments. 😊
© AI Art Legends 2022
Prompt 4 of #mabinspiredmini - The Doll Collector - Lucy Limeade was at Mab's show for sale and she just had to come home with me :D
Prompt: Jessica Alba portrait photography, real-life version of Asuka Langley Soryu, volumetric lighting, with a warm neon light glow on the face Canon EOS-5D Mark IV, Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens at f/2.8, depth of field --ar 16:9 --s 100 --c 50 --v 5.2
Blended together with a real-life photo of Jessica Alba using the FaceSwap App
Detailed in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop
I highly appreciate your viewing and commenting on my work.
Prompt: Iridescent silk texture, a fusion of Klimt's style with Asian beauty, watercolour and ink in imperial colours with gold foil accents, Art Deco influence by Enki Bilal, Annigoni, Egon Schiele, Milo Manara, and Botticelli, flawless eyes and hands, intricate detailing, dynamic pose, splatter elements, dark tones backdrop, perfect fusion of elegance and vibrancy. An ethereal beautiful young woman with long, flowing auburn hair adorned with pink roses, gazes softly toward the viewer. She is dressed in a flowing, elegant gown with intricate golden details around the neckline. Behind her, a circular halo glows softly, surrounded by a starry night sky. The composition features lush, delicate roses in the foreground, adding a touch of romance to the serene expression on her face. The enchanting mood is ethereal and dreamy, combining elements of beauty and nature.
Modifiers: bokeh digital painting elegant Award winning photography fantasy intricate very attractive fantastic view cinematic postprocessing dreamy moody nostalgic Minimalist Atmospheric melancholy Ethereal Bokeh blurred image romantic ambience @EmmAI pure white light elegant digital painting intricate fantasy digital painting very attractive fantasy fantasy intricate
by Bing AI Generator
You can choose to use these offical prompts or completely ignore them and use your own. You could also choose to dip in and out of them. They are there for your use.
In 2020 I joined a prompt group that ended up teaching me a ton of tricks in Photoshop and encouraged me to think outside the box.
In 2022 I decided to start Prompt Project. A few awesome people joined in, and we had a pretty good time!
In 2023 I was asked if I would do this again and I was honestly on the fence. But after some consideration I thought, "What the hell, let's go!"
The end of 2023 brought even more interest, so this is a thing now!
They can be done in any order and there is no set time period or deadlines, just have fun with it. You don't need to process your pics in Photoshop. You don't need to process them at all. I'm just excited to see how you interpret the prompt!
I merely ask that you title your submissions:
"Prompt Project #[prompt number]: [Prompt Name]"
Don't feel like this challenge is the one for you? You can still join the flickr group to watch us struggle!
I'm gonna make it so anyone can post any time without waiting but obviously if your title isn't the standard and you're posting random stuff we're gonna punt it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don't be that guy.
Need a space to build, want someone to bounce ideas off of, need advice, or just want to hang out? You can absolutely IM me. There is also an in-world group if you feel like dealing with Flickr weirdos.
The group Flickr can be found here: SL Prompt Project 2024
The in-world group in SL is called Prompt Project People! You can IM me in-world, comment, or send me a message here on Flickr for an invite.
I found using a viewfinder very difficult, but I can see the benefit of it, both in terms of composition AND accuracy. The trick for me will be to figure out how to use it just enough so I don't get frustrated with it!
Prompt: 3 hibiscus flowers, 2 butterflies, tropical foliage, white background, grey scale, pencil art, white background, realistic::3 --ar 8:11 --v 6.0
Prompts: They told me all of my cages were mental so I got wasted like all my potential.
Song Inspiration:
Taylor Swift – this is me trying
Taylor Swift - this is me trying (studio sessions)
Addiction and Substance Help Hotlines. Help is available.
Free, National, and 24-Hour Substance Misuse and Addiction Hotline Numbers
If you are or if there is someone you know that is struggling.
Please speak with someone today. 1- 406-209-9339 💕
Created with #midjourney #photoshop
Thank you for your visit, faves, and kind comments. 😊
© AI Art Legends 2022
BR Standard 80097 having passed through the level crossing and sorted out the tokens with the signal box operator pushed on for Irwell Vale and Rawtenstall.
Hong Kong (香港; "Fragrant Harbour"), officially known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a city on the southern coast of China at the Pearl River Estuary and the South China Sea. Hong Kong is well known for its expansive skyline, deep natural harbour and extreme population density (some seven million inhabitants over a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) around the world. The current population of Hong Kong comprises 93.6% ethnic Chinese. A major part of Hong Kong's Cantonese-speaking majority originated from the neighbouring Canton province (now Guangdong), from where skilled labour fled their lives after the communist government took over China in 1949 and subsequently mass purged its population during the 1960s.
After China's defeat in the First Opium War (1839–42) against the British Empire, Hong Kong became a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island, followed by Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. After being occupied by Japan during the Second World War (1941–45), the British resumed control until 30 June 1997. As a result of the negotiations between China and Britain, Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. The city became China's first Special Administrative Region on 1 July 1997 under the principle of "one country, two systems".
Towards the late 1970s, Hong Kong has become established as a major entrepot between the world and China. The city has further developed into a global hub for freight logistics, information, trade and financial centre (London-Hong Kong-New York). Hong Kong is thus regarded as a "world city" and one of the eight "Alpha+ cities". It ranked fifth on the 2014 Global Cities Index after New York City, London, Tokyo and Paris. The city, however, has the most severe income inequality among the advanced economies. Furthermore, the population of Hong Kong enjoy one of the highest per capita income in the world. The city has a high Human Development Index and high international rankings in the categories of financial and economic competitiveness. As Hong Kong ranks as the third most important international financial centre, after New York City and London, The capitalist service economy, characterised by low taxation and free trade, has been regarded as the world's most lassiez-faire economic policies, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world.
Limited flatland in Hong Kong generated the necessity of denser infrastructure and transformed the city into a centre of modern architecture, earning Hong Kong the title as the world's most vertical city. Hong Kong has a highly developed public transportation network and 90 percent of the population, the highest rate in the world, relies on mass transit by road or railAir pollution, however, is a serious problem. Backward environmental policies and loose emissions standards resulted in a higher level of atmospheric particulates when compared to that of European and American cities.
The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name 香港, meaning "Fragrant Harbour". Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (香港仔 hoeng1gong2 zai2, "Little Hong Kong")—between Aberdeen Island and the south side of Hong Kong Island, which was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.
The reference to fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories, lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before the development of the Victoria Harbour.
In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was signed and the name, Hong Kong, was first recorded on official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926. Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
The full official name, after 1997, is "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website; however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames: the most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive night-view of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour.
Hong Kong is located on China's south coast, 60 km (37 mi) east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south, and west, and borders the Guangdong city of Shenzhen to the north over the Shenzhen River. The territory's 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) area consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and over 200 offshore islands, of which the largest is Lantau Island. Of the total area, 1,054 km2 (407 sq mi) is land and 50 km2 (19 sq mi) is inland water. Hong Kong claims territorial waters to a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km). Its land area makes Hong Kong the 179th largest inhabited territory in the world. In comparison to North American cities, Hong Kong is tiny yet heavily populated. An example could be the city Edmonton, with a metro population of about 1.4 Million, making the city considerably smaller in population than Hongkong's 7.4 Million. However, Edmonton's metro area totals nearly 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) making the city almost ten times larger than Hong kong. Also, The Greater Los Angeles area is over 87,000 km2 (34,000 sq mi), and with 18 million residents, has an incredibly low density when compared to Hong Kong and is 79 times larger in area.
Higher altitude areas of Hong Kong are often dominated by grassland: Lantau Island during the dry season.
As much of Hong Kong's terrain is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes, less than 25% of the territory's landmass is developed, and about 40% of the remaining land area is reserved as country parks and nature reserves. Low altitude vegetation in Hong Kong is dominated by secondary rainforests, as the primary forest was mostly cleared during the Second World, and higher altitudes are dominated by grasslands. Most of the territory's urban development exists on Kowloon peninsula, along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island, and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories. The highest elevation in the territory is at Tai Mo Shan, 957 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level. Hong Kong's long and irregular coast provides it with many bays, rivers and beaches. On 18 September 2011, UNESCO listed the Hong Kong National Geopark as part of its Global Geoparks Network. Hong Kong Geopark is made up of eight Geo-Areas distributed across the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region.
Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanised, the territory has tried to promote a green environment, and recent growing public concern has prompted the severe restriction of further land reclamation from Victoria Harbour. Awareness of the environment is growing as Hong Kong suffers from increasing pollution compounded by its geography and tall buildings. Approximately 80% of the city's smog originates from other parts of the Pearl River Delta.
Though it is situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Summer is hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms, and warm air coming from the southwest. Summer is when typhoons are most likely, sometimes resulting in flooding or landslides. Winters are mild and usually start sunny, becoming cloudier towards February; the occasional cold front brings strong, cooling winds from the north. The most temperate seasons are spring, which can be changeable, and autumn, which is generally sunny and dry. Hong Kong averages 1,948 hours of sunshine per year, while the highest and lowest ever recorded temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory are 36.1 and 0.0 °C (97.0 and 32.0 °F), respectively.
Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where "East meets West", reflecting the culture's mix of the territory's Chinese roots with influences from its time as a British colony. Concepts like feng shui are taken very seriously, with expensive construction projects often hiring expert consultants, and are often believed to make or break a business. Other objects like Ba gua mirrors are still regularly used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings often lack any floor number that has a 4 in it, due to its similarity to the word for "die" in Cantonese. The fusion of east and west also characterises Hong Kong's cuisine, where dim sum, hot pot, and fast food restaurants coexist with haute cuisine.
Hong Kong is a recognised global centre of trade and calls itself an "entertainment hub". Its martial arts film genre gained a high level of popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s. Several Hollywood performers, notable actors and martial artists have originated from Hong Kong cinema, notably Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Jet Li. A number of Hong Kong film-makers have achieved widespread fame in Hollywood, such as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, and Stephen Chow. Homegrown films such as Chungking Express, Infernal Affairs, Shaolin Soccer, Rumble in the Bronx, In the Mood for Love and Echoes of the Rainbow have gained international recognition. Hong Kong is the centre for Cantopop music, which draws its influence from other forms of Chinese music and Western genres, and has a multinational fanbase.
The Hong Kong government supports cultural institutions such as the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. The government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department subsidises and sponsors international performers brought to Hong Kong. Many international cultural activities are organised by the government, consulates, and privately.
Hong Kong has two licensed terrestrial broadcasters – ATV and TVB. There are three local and a number of foreign suppliers of cable and satellite services. The production of Hong Kong's soap dramas, comedy series, and variety shows reach audiences throughout the Chinese-speaking world. Magazine and newspaper publishers in Hong Kong distribute and print in both Chinese and English, with a focus on sensationalism and celebrity gossip. The media in Hong Kong is relatively free from official interference compared to Mainland China, although the Far Eastern Economic Review points to signs of self-censorship by media whose owners have close ties to or business interests in the People's Republic of China and states that even Western media outlets are not immune to growing Chinese economic power.
Hong Kong offers wide recreational and competitive sport opportunities despite its limited land area. It sends delegates to international competitions such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games, and played host to the equestrian events during the 2008 Summer Olympics. There are major multipurpose venues like Hong Kong Coliseum and MacPherson Stadium. Hong Kong's steep terrain and extensive trail network with expansive views attracts hikers, and its rugged coastline provides many beaches for swimming.
According to Emporis, there are 1,223 skyscrapers in Hong Kong, which puts the city at the top of world rankings. It has more buildings higher than 500 feet (150 m) than any other city. The high density and tall skyline of Hong Kong's urban area is due to a lack of available sprawl space, with the average distance from the harbour front to the steep hills of Hong Kong Island at 1.3 km (0.81 mi), much of it reclaimed land. This lack of space causes demand for dense, high-rise offices and housing. Thirty-six of the world's 100 tallest residential buildings are in Hong Kong. More people in Hong Kong live or work above the 14th floor than anywhere else on Earth, making it the world's most vertical city.
As a result of the lack of space and demand for construction, few older buildings remain, and the city is becoming a centre for modern architecture. The International Commerce Centre (ICC), at 484 m (1,588 ft) high, is the tallest building in Hong Kong and the third tallest in the world, by height to roof measurement. The tallest building prior to the ICC is Two International Finance Centre, at 415 m (1,362 ft) high. Other recognisable skyline features include the HSBC Headquarters Building, the triangular-topped Central Plaza with its pyramid-shaped spire, The Center with its night-time multi-coloured neon light show; A Symphony of Lights and I. M. Pei's Bank of China Tower with its sharp, angular façade. According to the Emporis website, the city skyline has the biggest visual impact of all world cities. Also, Hong Kong's skyline is often regarded to be the best in the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbour complementing the skyscrapers. Most of the oldest remaining historic structures, including the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, the Central Police Station, and the remains of Kowloon Walled City were constructed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
There are many development plans in place, including the construction of new government buildings, waterfront redevelopment in Central, and a series of projects in West Kowloon. More high-rise development is set to take place on the other side of Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, as the 1998 closure of the nearby Kai Tak Airport lifted strict height restrictions. The Urban Renewal Authority is highly active in demolishing older areas, including the razing and redevelopment of Kwun Tong town centre, an approach which has been criticised for its impact on the cultural identity of the city and on lower-income residents.
from Wikipedia
(prompt inside) - some of my multiple clons collection AI - midjourney
prompts:
- Wes Anderson's Pandora crash dummy manequin mashups
- trinity humanoid legend sculpture neo matrix portrait of trash cyborg women in love with computer god Wes Anderson's don quijote crash dummy manequin mashups
- trinity humanoid legend sculpture neo matrix portrait of trash cyborg women in love with computer god Wes Anderson's don quijote crash dummy manequin mashups
Prompt: medium-full shot, "Happy New Year 2025" in bold, bright pink and gold letters glowing above a group of dogs, middle dog white westie, ears up, gathered under fireworks, wearing festive hats and scarves. --ar 4:3 --v 6.1
Prompt: a dormouse dressed as a wizard bringing healing into the world with his humor, in the style of Beatrix Potter --ar 4:5 --v 6.1
Finally some Fashion stuff!
Strobist:
x1600 camera right in octobox as key
x1600 camera left behind model for highlights
Zues Ringmaster for Fill
PROMPT:
(What skull animal, human, bird, insect?) SKULL (describe skull ) (what type of flowers and colours )
nightcafe
Ai Skulls,Clowns,Skeletons and Anatomy challenge
www.flickr.com/groups/skullsskeletonsanatomy/discuss/7215...
Prompts: She'll tease you, she'll unease you. All the better just to please you. She's precocious, and she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush. All the boys think she's a spy.
Made with #midjourney #photoshop
Thank you for your visit, faves, and kind comments. 😊
PROMPT: Create an impressionistic image of purple-colored rain hitting and running down a wall of glass. As the rain runs down, it forms a hyperdetailed image of Prince playing a guitar.
Prompt:
A highly detailed abstract image of a human face formed from a complex grid-like structure, creating a futuristic and surreal effect. The face emerges from the background as if seamlessly woven into the intricate geometric patterns, with dramatic lighting accentuating the depth and three-dimensional effect. The structure appears to be metallic or glass-like, with reflective surfaces catching the light. The overall aesthetic is modern, digital, and thought-provoking, evoking themes of artificial intelligence and human-machine integration. The image is in UHD, 8K resolution.
Final page. I considered doing a lot more, but this quote on my studio desk stood out and so I embellished a piece of notebook paper, cut into a frame, and hand lettered the quote.
Made for Dawn Sokol's Art Journal Stimulus Project. (www.dblogala.com/)
Prompt: a very loose pencil sketchy sketch, done in the style of Karl Kopinski, of a Scottish Terrier dog and West Highland Terrier dog, side by side, looking to the distance, drawn on cool Grey toned paper --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6.1
volcano located in Guatemala that has been inactive since the mid 16th century. At 3,760 metres, Agua volcano towers more than 3,500 metres above the Pacific coastal plain to the south and 2,000 metres above the Guatemalan highlands to the north. It dominates the local landscape except when hidden by cloud cover. The volcano is within 5 to 10 kilometres of Antigua Guatemala and several other large towns situated on its northern apron. These towns have a combined population of nearly 100,000. It is within about 20 km of Escuintla (population, ca .100,000) to the south. Coffee is grown on the volcano's lower slopes.
The local Cakchikel people have always called the volcano Hunapú "place of flowers". The Spanish conquistadors also called it Hunapú until a mudflow from the volcano in 1541 destroyed the original capital of Guatemala (now known as Ciudad Vieja) and the city was moved to the current Antigua Guatemala following this disaster. As the lahar produced a destructive flood of water, this prompted the modern name "Volcán de Agua" meaning "Volcano of Water", in contrast to the nearby "Volcán de Fuego" or "Volcano of Fire". The Cakchikels call Volcan de Fuego Chi Gag, which translates to "where the fire is".
Though the volcano has not been active since the mid 16th century, it has the potential to produce debris flows (watery flows of mud, rock, and debris — also known as lahars when they occur on a volcano) that could inundate these nearby populated areas.
Bruges in English French and Catalonian; Brugge in Dutch, Brügge in German and Brujas in Spanish is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.
The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), of which around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km² and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.
Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North". Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port. At one time, it was the "chief commercial city" of the world.
The place-name Bruges is first mentioned as Bruggas, Brvggas, Brvccia in 840 - 875, then Bruciam, Bruociam in 892, Brutgis uico end 9th century, in portu Bruggensi around 1010, Bruggis in 1012, Bricge in 1037 (Anglo-Saxon chronicle), Brugensis in 1046, Brycge 1049 - 1052 (ASC), Brugias in 1072, Bruges in 1080 - 1085, Bruggas around 1084, Brugis in 1089, Brugge in 1116
Probably from Old Dutch, cf. Middle Dutch brucge, brugge (or brugghe, brigghe, bregghe, brogghe). cf. Dutch bruggehoofd "bridgehead", Dutch Brug "bridge"), The Dutch word brug(ghe) would be variant form from the south. from Proto-Germanic *brugjō- "bridge", "harbour bridge", "veenbrug" (cf. English bridge)
Very few traces of human activity in Bruges date from the Pre-Roman Gaul era. The first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar's conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect the coastal area against pirates. The Franks took over the whole region from the Gallo-Romans around the 4th century and administered it as the Pagus Flandrensis. The Viking incursions of the ninth century prompted Baldwin I, Count of Flanders to reinforce the Roman fortifications; trade soon resumed with England and Scandinavia.
Bruges received its city charter on July 27, 1128, and new walls and canals were built. Since about 1050, gradual silting had caused the city to lose its direct access to the sea. A storm in 1134, however, re-established this access, through the creation of a natural channel at the Zwin. The new sea arm stretched all the way to Damme, a city that became the commercial outpost for Bruges.
Bruges had a strategic location at the crossroads of the northern Hanseatic League trade and the southern trade routes. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish and French cloth fairs at the beginning of the 13th century, but when the old system of fairs broke down the entrepreneurs of Bruges innovated. They developed, or borrowed from Italy, new forms of merchant capitalism, whereby several merchants would share the risks and profits and pool their knowledge of markets. They employed new forms of economic exchange, including bills of exchange (i.e. promissory notes) and letters of credit. The city eagerly welcomed foreign traders, most notably the Portuguese pepper and spice traders.
With the reawakening of town life in the twelfth century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry, and the market for cloth all profited from the shelter of city walls, where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the counts of Flanders. The city's entrepreneurs reached out to make economic colonies of England and Scotland's wool-producing districts. English contacts brought Normandy grain and Gascon wines.
Hanseatic ships filled the harbor, which had to be expanded beyond Damme to Sluys to accommodate the new cog-ships. In 1277, the first merchant fleet from Genoa appeared in the port of Bruges, first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean. This development opened not only the trade in spices from the Levant, but also advanced commercial and financial techniques and a flood of capital that soon took over the banking of Bruges. The Bourse opened in 1309 (most likely the first stock exchange in the world) and developed into the most sophisticated money market of the Low Countries in the 14th century. By the time Venetian galleys first appeared, in 1314, they were latecomers. Numerous foreign merchants were welcomed in Bruges, such as the Castilian wool merchants who first arrived in the 13th century. The foreign merchants expanded the city's trading zones. They maintained separate communities governed by their own laws until the economic collapse after 1700.
Such wealth gave rise to social upheavals, which were for the most part harshly contained by the militia. In 1302, however, after the Bruges Matins (the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by the members of the local Flemish militia on 18 May 1302), the population joined forces with the Count of Flanders against the French, culminating in the victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs, fought near Kortrijk on July 11. The statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, the leaders of the uprising, can still be seen on the Big Market square. The city maintained a militia as a permanent paramilitary body. It gained flexibility and high prestige by close ties to a guild of organized militia, comprising professionals and specialized units. Militia men bought and maintained their own weapons and armour, according to their family status and wealth.
At the end of the 14th century, Bruges became one of the Four Members, along with Franc of Bruges, Ghent and Ypres. Together they formed a parliament, however they frequently quarrelled amongst themselves.
In the 15th century, Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, set up court in Bruges, as well as Brussels and Lille, attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe. The weavers and spinners of Bruges were thought to be the best in the world, and the population of Bruges grew to 200,000 inhabitants at this time.
The new Flemish-school, oil-painting techniques gained world renown. The first book in English ever printed was published in Bruges by William Caxton. This is also the time when Edward IV and Richard III of England spent time in exile here.
Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, which had given the city its prosperity, also started silting. The city soon fell behind Antwerp as the economic flagship of the Low Countries. During the 17th century, the lace industry took off, and various efforts to bring back the glorious past were made. During the 1650s, the city was the base for Charles II of England and his court in exile.[17] The maritime infrastructure was modernized, and new connections with the sea were built, but without much success, as Antwerp became increasingly dominant. Bruges became impoverished and gradually faded in importance; its population dwindling from 200,000 to 50,000 by 1900.
The symbolist novelist George Rodenbach even made the sleepy city into a character in his novel Bruges-la-Morte, meaning "Bruges-the-dead", which was adapted into Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera, Die tote Stadt (The Dead City)
In the last half of the 19th century, Bruges became one of the world's first tourist destinations attracting wealthy British and French tourists. By 1909 it had in operation an association called 'Bruges Forward: Society to Improve Tourism.' After 1965 the original medieval city experienced a renaissance. Restorations of residential and commercial structures, historic monuments, and churches generated a surge in tourism and economic activity in the ancient downtown area. International tourism has boomed, and new efforts have resulted in Bruges being designated 'European Capital of Culture' in 2002. It attracts some 2 million tourists annually.
The port of Zeebrugge was built in 1907. The Germans used it for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports.
Prompt
RAW photo, a rhinoceros, standing in shallow water, big smile with human-like teeth, acacia trees in background, daytime, sunny with some clouds BREAK wildlife photography, humorous, fisheye lens effect BREAK dramatic lighting, warm tones BREAK 8k uhd, sharp focus, high quality, photorealistic, highly detailed
Here is the story that has prompted me to post this photo, though any of you guys who know me know I don’t do this kind of shot, as a rule, but this time . . . yeah, I’m doing it. This is going to be a diatribe for justice, so skip right over this if you want. It’s probably boring to anyone who’d never had to deal with this kind of thing.
This photo was taken back in December of 2002, in Decatur, AL, with a little Sony Mavika, so it's pretty poor quality. This particular branch actually had key lights out on their sign, which prompted us to drive back by for a second disbelieving look and a shot!
Many of you know that Ken & I have been working day and night with our home remodel, trying to get a refinance for the last year – roll some loans together, do a payoff and have money to finish work on the house, since I have not worked since Jamie passed away, and things are tight. We’ve done almost ALL of the work ourselves- like tiling. (HA! in spite of a broken arm AND sitting in grout!) We have persevered; we have worked hard. We finally finished work on the kitchen and on the small bathroom that we totally gutted. FINALLY met the details demanded by the appraiser and the bank. (3rd time’s a charm, right?)
SO! Here’s the deal- almost a year later and we closed on our refinance loan last week. We expected we would be taking a check with us at closing, or at least a deposit slip - instead, we were told No, the bank (“ass Bank”- aka “Compass Bank”) would not release the funds for several days- yes, AFTER Christmas – well how nice . . . SO . . . We requested a direct deposit. Ken checked our account online again yesterday- a deposit had been made but the amount was short by almost $4000!! WTF??!
They have held up our money already, and now the amount is wrong?! Our funds and loans are insignificant to them; they are monumental to us.
Ken emailed and called our bank representative to tell her that the payoff amount was incorrect, which made the deposit to us incorrect. She agreed that it seemed like a large difference and we should check with the closing attorney’s office. Yes, we DID! The closing attorney said the amount deposited was what the bank had sent through them due to a change in one of the figures- that our loan payoffs were more than what was shown, so the deposit amount to us was less. HUH? Our loan payoff amount had NOT changed!!
Are you sensing further scuffling? We were advised to call another lady in another part of the bank. She said she had no idea where the lawyer’s office had gotten the figure. Hmmmm- they got it from the bank! Of course! (Read “ass bank” here!)
Ken checked our account again- checked what the payoff for our loan consolidations showed there- yet a different number appeared as the payoff amount! NO JOKE!
Making a further call to the payoff departmen, Ken was advised that yes, that appeared to be some error “somewhere,” and probably with the attorney’s office . . . Are you getting this? and then this guy gave Ken a 4th and different amount!!
We try to be careful with our money, try to be aware of what goes where and how much it was. Aren’t banks PAID for that sort of thing? Numbers, amounts?
Now, I don’t know about you guys, but if I shorted the bank by $4000, you can bet they would have their money back, collect interest AND double interest in the quickest manner possible! If you were a teller or window clerk at the bank and made a mistake of that size, your job would be in jeopardy. But if they short you, you will have to battle for money that was already YOURS! You will NOT pass GO- you will NOT Collect $100 (or $4000) until the “ass Bank” says you will!
OH! And yes, a correction “of some sort” will be made by the “ass Bank.” Yes, they will cut a check this time and mail it- no direct deposit for errors- even of $4000 worth. And Oh Yeah- it should get to us within three weeks, or please let us know . . . !! You have got to be kidding me! I am sure there will be no "I'm really sorry we don't have our act together" message. No shame in doing a shoddy crappy job at what they are paid to do! Just amazing!
Do you know how much money financial institutions must be making in interest from money they withhold from costumers EVERY day, for a day, a week, 3 weeks? If they are doing it to us, they are doing it to many more people, and though we’re a drop in the bucket, drops add up to streams and rivers and FLOODS, and that adds up to millions of dollars they are stealing from us all!
Know the figures in your accounts, know what documents you sign, what you owe, what you pay, because the “ass Banks” of the world will not hesitate to make the mistake in their favor EVERY time! Be aware, be wary, and be SURE.
I mean, I’m just saying . . .