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The Friends of Wellington station were formed just over 12 months ago. I was fortunate with 2 mates to be given a guided tour of what used to be a major junction station and remains an impressive building.
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
The NSPCC Childline White Hat Ball held at the Lancaster Hotel, London. With special appearances by Esther Rantzen, Fiona Phillips and Clive Room. Entertainment by Session One, 27th January 2017
Photography by Fergus Burnett
Accreditation required with all use.
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.
Sampson has been our buddy since 2004. In the winter of 2008, he suffered a severe perineal hernia that required a $2000 surgery to repair it. At the time of the surgery, we were told that due to the severity of the hernia that it was likely to reoccur. As predicted, it has reoccurred and he desperately needs more surgery before 2012. Other than the hernia, he is a happy, healthy and active dog who should live to his mid to late teens. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience end his life prematurely. I have also contacted a Corgi rescue in hopes that he could be adopted to a family that is more financially able to care for him. However, since my husband and I can't have children, giving him up for adoption because of health issues seems as ridiculous to us as giving up our 9 year old child for adoption because we can't keep up with the medical expenses. We work in the service industry, living paycheck to paycheck and our credit is not good enough to get a care credit card that would allow us to make payments. To help us pay for Sampson's surgery, we have set up a ChipIn donation site to raise funds for Sampson's surgery. So please consider donating whatever small amount you can to help keep Sampson with the family that loves him. If you can't make a donation, please pass this info along to friends who may be able to help. Sampson, his Corgi buddies Shiloh & Rusty and his human family thank you! Click on the link below to go to Sampson's ChipIn.com page to make your donation. THANK YOU!!
corgisampson.chipin.com/sampson-the-corgis-hernia-surgery...
11.11.11 Update: A big thank you to all you wonderful flickr friends! We've received several generous donations from flickr members pushing us over the 13% mark of our goal. Since I've been promoting Sampson's photos, I've found several of them used on websites & blogs. I hold a creative commons license because I'm not a professional photographer and if people like my photos and want to use them, I don't want them to be limited by an exorbitant fee. However, I have a pup in trouble and he needs your help, so, if you like my Corgi photos or save them as favorites, please donate $1; if you use any of my Corgi or animal photos on your website or blog, please donate $5 to: corgisampson.chipin.com/sampson-the-corgis-hernia-surgery...
It's a small price to pay compared to a pro's fee, and it helps a much loved dog in need. Again, we appreciate all efforts & donations, and Sampson & the Corgi Clan thank you!
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
The fifth day (and last time I’ll see Mao unless I go back to Siem Reap again) started just the same as my birthday. Chhiengmai brought me a ham & cheese omelette at the hotel, then Mao picked me up and off we went.
Following the same route to Banteay Kdei, we took a right and headed out on the grand loop. The first stop was at Pre Rup, which I’d seen in May, but wanted to photograph again this time around. I love the May shots because it’s in afternoon light, so there are some nice silhouette shots in there. This time, however, was early morning. We didn’t shoot as extensively as we did in May; only staying on the eastern side of the temple and not ascending it. Still, it’s a rather striking temple and worth seeing, even with the restoration that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since May – and didn’t look like it was being touched then, either.
Pre Rup is on the southeast corner of the Grand Loop. From there, continue north. Right before you reach East Mebon is a road going east. (This is the road that would lead you to Banteay Samré if taken straight, or Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen, and Kbal Spean, if you turn left at the first intersection about 1 kilometer east from here.)
Our second destination, though, was Phnom Bok. To reach here, continue east on the aforementioned road – pass Banteay Samré – taking the first left, then continuing north about 5-10 minutes. All in all, it’s about 20 minutes from the Grand Loop road.
Having seen snow-capped mountains enough in my life, I chuckle to call these mountains instead of hills. However, Angkor is in a large plain, as you can see in these pictures, so any hill looks like a mountain. In the same breath, these aren’t baby hills.
Mao’s wife and daughter stayed with the tuktuk while we went clambering up the hill. I was giving Mao a good ribbing about him not being my friend for making me climb a mountain in tropical heat, but it really wasn’t too bad. He said, “there are only 100 stairs to the top!” I laughed and said there’s no way that’s a mountain then. We walked up a hill for about five minutes before getting to the bottom of the staircase on the south side of the mountain that goes to the summit. He still insisted it was only 100 steps. I counted, just for fun. Turns out, there are 626 steps, give or take one, to the top of the hill and, even when you get to the top, you still have to climb up…a little farther.
As I mentioned, though, it wasn’t a bad climb. The first 400 or so steps are forested, so you’re in shade, though it’s hot and humid. After that, the views of the surrounding plains open up which are quite nice. Mostly, you can see to the south or southeast. I couldn’t see any of the main temples which would be southwest from here. (I couldn’t see them from the peak when looking southwest, though, either…)
At the top of Phnom Bok, there’s a little shelter/rest area where you can sit and buy ice cold drinks. There’s a new Hindu temple up there, and also the ruins of an Angkor-era temple. Sadly, there are also remnants of the Khmer Rouge era, too; machine gun mounts and the like, surrounding the temple.
After 30-45 minutes on the mountaintop, we went back down and I was glad to have a rest in the tuktuk while we made our way back to the Grand Loop. It was a good chance to rest up and enjoy the scenery (in addition to waving like a fool at every passerby as I’m wont to do).
Upon returning to the Grand Loop road, we made a quick right heading north for about 200 meters to the East Mebon. In May, we stopped here, but didn’t do anything other than climb the main stairs, take a few shots, and head off to lunch. (We were tired by that point.)
Because of that, I told Mao I wanted to take time to extensively go around the East Mebon. It’s a surprisingly nice temple mount. (I don’t know how the West Mebon compares; unlike this one, there is still water in the west baray, and I didn’t go out there.) All told, Mao and I wandered our separate ways here for about half an hour or so. I got back to the tuktuk right before one of the daily summer downpours. Mao was stuck out in the rain, but had my backpack, P&S, and umbrella, so was fine.
After a 5-10 minute rest, a Coke and a smile later, the four of us went back on our way around the Grand Loop continuing clockwise. We bypassed Ta Seo (which I’d shot well enough in May) and stopped for a very quick shoot at Prasat Krol Ko. This is a very small temple built in the late 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. It looks like many of the other temples, so most don’t stop here as it’s not terribly interesting. It’s a temple surrounded by two concentric enclosures, in the Bayon style, and rather small. However, it’s near Neak Pean and Preah Khan, so there’s no reason not to stop. This is a Hindu (I believe) temple, as it’s named/dedicated to a cow. I enjoyed it.
The next stop – Neak Pean – was less than two minutes down the road. (Again, no reason not to stop at both. Neak Pean (sometimes spelled “Neak Poan” and pronounced “neek poh-an”) is architecturally different than most of the other sites, as is the setting. Neak Pean is a cruciform arrangement of ponds that centers on a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle. Currently, access is limited and you can’t go all the way around it. You approach from the north over a boardwalk – this crosses over the Jayatataka baray, which offers some nice panoramic views of Phnom Bok about 5 kilometers to the east – and finally arrive at the north end of the monument. You can walk around either side to the eastern and western corners, but can go no farther. There are (were) four different sculpted animals on each of the four small ponds around the sanctuary. Eavesdropping a tour guide, he said the four ponds represent earth, air, fire, and water. I had read somewhere what the four animals were, but can’t seem to find that information now. I was very pleased with this stop, too, mainly because it offered a little variety.
After the nice stroll over the boardwalk back to the tuktuk, we continued heading west. At the turn off for Preah Khan (which I skipped this time since we spent a bit of time here in May), there are also two other nearby, rarely visited temples: Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These are immediately north of Preah Khan on the outside of the Loop road. Preah Khan is about 200 meters south on the inside of the loop. Neither of these two temples are listed in either LP Cambodia or my Ancient Angkor guidebook, so I unfortunately can’t tell you a thing about them, but would venture to say they were probably built by Jayavarman VII…but, that’s pure conjecture. They were both rather nice to see, and in a fair state of decomposition, so it lent to nice photography. As they are so close to Preah Khan, again…I don’t see why you wouldn’t visit here. You can see both temples in about 20 minutes without going out of your way to do so.
The next stop on today’s private tour is Krol Romeas. This is a very unassuming structure that is less than five minutes outside the North Gate of Angkor Thom. I’m a little confused about what “romeas” means. At first Mao’s wife told me it meant sheep. Then I believe she said it meant hippopotamus. Either way, this structure was an animal pen for one of those. Given the size and depth, I’ll say hippo enclosure is probably correct. Currently, it’s just a very nice setting in the forest. It’s a round enclosure about 20 meters in diameter, just east of the Grand Loop road.
After Krol Romeas, our next stops were the remaining (for me) gates of Angkor Thom: first, the North Gate for a very quick shoot, then down to Bayon and due west on a relaxing, rarely traveled road to the West Gate. The West Gate is supposed to be the one in the most pristine (unrestored) state, though I thought it looked fine. The setting was good.
By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon, probably around 4:00. The next – and last – stop of the day was south of town, away from the majority of Angkor sites. Going south from the Night Market area of Siem Reap along the river, there are two sites of interest: The main one Is the third of the “major” hills – Phnom Krom. This is supposed to be a nice place to see the sunset. However, from having climbed Phnom Bok earlier in the day, I wasn’t inclined to go here, though it was on my original “wish list” that I gave to Mao. Instead, we just went to the other temple in the area: Wat Athvea (sometimes also written Athwea). This is a very tranquil temple and is great in the late afternoon. It’s attached to a functioning monastery, but isn’t noisy. There is a pagoda built on the site of an ancient temple here. What you see here is a 12th century Hindu temple. There is a cemetery adjacent, but that’s not included in this set.
Upon finishing for the day, Mao dropped me back off at my guesthouse. This would be the last time I saw Mao on this trip, though his wife and daughter insisted on taking me to the airport on Tuesday, so I would see them one more time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mao’s a good man (Cambodian Mao, that is…)
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet THUNDERBIRDS
Mission
Officially, the Thunderbirds are known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron.
The squadron’s mission is to plan and present precision aerial maneuvers to exhibit the capabilities of modern, high-performance aircraft and the high degree of professional skill required to operate those aircraft.
Within this broad mission, the team has five primary objectives: − Support Air Force recruiting and retention programs − Reinforce public confidence in the Air Force and to demonstrate to the public the professional competence of Air Force members − Strengthen morale and esprit de corps among Air Force members − Support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs − Represent the United States and its armed forces to foreign nations and project international goodwill
The Team
The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and more than 100 enlisted personnel performing in almost 30 job specialties.
A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The four-jet diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the lead and opposing solo aircraft highlight some of the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including the ground show and air demonstration, lasts about 75 minutes. The season typically starts in March and ends in November, with the winter months used to train new members.
Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four.
The squadron performs no more than 80 air demonstrations each year and has never canceled a demonstration due to maintenance difficulty. More than 280 million people in all 50 states and 57 foreign countries have seen the red, white and blue Thunderbirds jets in more than 3,500 aerial demonstrations.
In addition to their responsibilities as the Air Force’s premier jet demonstration team, the Thunderbirds are part of our combat force. If required, the team's personnel and aircraft can be rapidly integrated into a fighter unit at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Since the aircraft are only slightly modified, they can be made combat-ready in less than 72 hours.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon represents the full range of capabilities possessed by the Air Force's tactical fighters. This highly-maneuverable multi-role fighter has proved to be one of the world's best precision tactical bombers and air-to-air combat aircraft. The only modifications needed to prepare aircraft for air demonstrations are a smoke-generating system and painting in Thunderbird colors. Additional information about the F-16 can be found at www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/1....
History
The Thunderbirds were officially activated June 1, 1953, as the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit at Luke AFB, Ariz. The unit was nicknamed the “Stardusters.” Their first aircraft was the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjet, a combat fighter-bomber that had seen action in Korea. Early in 1955, the team transitioned to the swept-winged F-84F Thunderstreak.
In June 1956, the team moved to its current home at Nellis. At the same time the Thunderbirds traded the veteran F-84 for the world's first supersonic fighter, the F-100 Super Sabre -- an aerial platform that would serve the Thunderbirds for 13 years. More than 1,000 demonstrations were flown in the Super Sabre, thrilling spectators around the world. In 1964, the team changed briefly to the F-105B Thunderchief, but an in-flight mishap revealed a problem with that airframe’s design. So, after only six shows, the Thunderbirds returned to the F-100.
From 1969 to 1973, the Thunderbirds flew the Air Force's front-line fighter, the F-4E Phantom II. In 1974, the Thunderbirds converted to the T-38 Talon, the world's first supersonic trainer. The T-38 was more fuel-efficient and less costly to maintain, which made it an ideal choice during the oil crisis of the 1970s.
Early in 1983, the Thunderbirds reinstituted their traditional role of demonstrating the Air Force's front-line fighter capabilities. Transition to the F-16A allowed the team to retain manpower and fuel efficiency while demonstrating to spectators the latest in fighter technology.
For additional information on our team, visit www.afthunderbirds.com.
Point of Contact
USAF Thunderbirds, Public Affairs Office; 4445 Tyndall Ave.; Nellis AFB, NV 89191-6079; DSN 682-6776 or (702) 652-6776; e-mail: USAF.Thunderbirds@nellis.af.mil
Good morning to all my dear friends. I hope you have a great day today!
This shot is from Abram's Falls and I decided to do in black and white because I thought it had a perfect feel this way!
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MIJAS NATURAL (Beauty & Hair), Centro de BELLEZA en Mijas Pueblo (Málaga - España) / Estética - Estilismo (Peluquería) - Asesoría de Imagen - Solarium - LPG - Micropigmentación - Fotodepilación - Plataforma Vibratoria - Dietética y Nutrición - Psicología - Técnicas Corporales (Pilates) ift.tt/NtOUix info@mijasnatural.com Tfno. 952 590 823
Petra's largest monument, El Deir ('the Monastery') requires some stamina to visit (a long, hard climb up narrow mountainous pathways) but is worth every effort as its stupendous facade will richly reward the most weary of travellers at their journey's end.
The facade is literally breathtaking, on a far larger scale than any of the site's compatible monuments, and like the Treasury in a fine state of preservation. A huge section of the mountainside had to be hewn away before work even began on carving the intricate edifice. As is usual with Petra's rock-carved monuments the interior is small in comparison the the vast scale of the work, a simple square chamber with a plain niche at the rear (some help is required to enter, as the doorstep is some 5ft up from the ground!).
Some believe this may have been intended as a temple rather than tomb, certainly provision was made for images in the huge niches of the facade, though unlike the Treasury, these were not carved in situ in relief but must have been free-standing figures (possibly in bronze), and have long since disappeared.
It may require significant time and effort to reach, but is one of the must-see sights of Petra, once experienced, never forgotten. It is just incredible that such an enormous edifice can remain so well hidden from view until one is literally within a few metres of it!
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, 2017
constitute a unique opportunity to advance sustainable, inclusive and responsible tourism. The SDGs and national
agendas worldwide require a shift towards more integrated policy across economic, social and environmental
domains. This, in turn, must be underpinned by more integrated data. Developing a statistical framework to measure
sustainable tourism is thus essential in fostering a common understanding for tracking progress and directing policy
efforts. Ministers from around the globe will discuss the opportunities and challenges that sustainable tourism brings
to their countries, and how the use of more integrated data is supporting them in paving the way towards a more
sustainable future.
Moderator: Ms. Anita Mendiratta, Strategic Advisor to CNN International for T.A.S.K Group
Introductory remarks by Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General
Panel of Ministers
• H.E. Mrs. Wanda Tulfo-Teo, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Philippines
• H.E. Mr. John Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs, Sri Lanka
• H.E. Mr. Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Zimbabwe
• H.E. Ms. Kobkam Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand
• Mr. Pali J. Lehohla, Statistician-General, South Africa
• H.E. Mr. Juan Pablo Nieto Cotera, Vice Minister of Tourism, Guatemala
• Ms. Anne Lafortune, Principal Secretary for Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Civil, Aviation, Ports and Marine, Seychelles
• H.E. Mr. I Gde Pitana, Deputy Minister for International Marketing, Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia
• Mr. Navitalai Tuivuniwai, Trade Commissioner, Fiji
• Ms. Young-Shim Dho, Chairperson, Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (STEP)
• Mr. Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
• Mr. Hwang Seong Un, Director General for International Tourism Policy, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism,
Republic of Korea
• Mr. Dai Bin, President of China Tourism Academy and Director of the CNTA Tourism Data Center, China
• Mr. Sérgio Guerreiro, Director, Knowledge Management & Corporate Affairs, Turismo de Portugal and Representing
the European Travel Commission
• Ms. Beatriz Marco Arce, Deputy Director for Tourism Intelligence, Spain Tourism Board (Turespaña), Spain
• Mr. Alain Dupeyras, Head of Tourism, OECD
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
Day 2 of The Indy KA500 and After a Fantastic First Day of Racing and Celebrations now is where the Real Hard Work Begins as The Entire Field of 46 KA'S were in the Garages with Drivers Teams and Engineers at The Ready as they were about to tackle 8 Hours of the Indy Circuit.
With an 8 Hour Race anything can Happen and with such a Large Field of Cars a lot of Overtakes and Careful Navigation will be Required to Ensure Victory.
With The Start of The Race About to get underway Its Time to See Who will be able to Hold out the Longest and Take the Title of IndyKa500 Endurance Champion for 2021.
Hour 1 (11:04AM)
As The Field of 46 KA'S Completed the Formation Lap and Slowly made their way Towards the Start Finish Straight The Lights went Green and at Exactly 11:04AM the Race Had Begun.
Racing Down Towards Paddock Hill Bend it was The KA of Team (IP Racing's Adam Blair Scott Parkin Oliver Wilmot and Mark Witherington) Who took the Lead Followed Closely by Team (Octane Junkies Adam Smith Martyn Smith and Bazza Ward) in Second Place and Team (Alex Read Motorsport's Chris Reade Sam Luke's Carlito Miracco and Luke Read) in Third Place as they Thundered Up the Hill Towards The Tops of Druids and Back Down Again through Bottom Bend where Team (Ferguson Motorsport's Damon Astin Billy Ferguson Joe Ferguson and Daniel Ferguson) took the Lead from (Octane Junkies) before Flying Around The Track to Complete Lap 1 of 500.
As The Cars came Round Paddock for The Second Time The KA of (Ferguson Motorsport) Now Leads by a Heathy Margin While Further Back (IP Racing) and (Octane Junkies) Have A Fantastic Scrap over Second Place with The Two of Them Swapping The Lead Over and Over again. Car Number 55 of (Al Most Racers Alistair Hardie Alistair McDonald Lee Conway and Will Denny) was Seen Getting Air of The Inside Curb on the Exit of Paddock Hill Bend making for a Spectacular Sight.
Hour 2 (11:54AM)
Hour 2 and All 46 KA'S are Still Alive and Well with Each Driver Pushing Hard to Maintain their Advantage as the Tyres Begin to Warm Up and Start to Grip the Track More.
KA Number 56 Team (Hard And Enthusiastic Martyn Dilworth Mark Figes and Mike Hickey) are Locked in a Tight Battle at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend with KA Number 27 Team (Semprini Racing's Jeremy Evans James Hart Phil Hart and William Puttergill) as they Fight it Out Between the Two Cars for a Position.
Further Down the Field KA Number 23 Team (Kastrol's Michael Keegan Tim Keegan and David Murfitt) is Having its Own Battle with KA Number 4 of Team (Alex Read Motorsport) as The Two Teams Have a Go at One Another Thought the Course of The Lap trying Hard to Hold onto that Position they Worked so Hard for.
Another Battle at Paddock is the KA Number 3 of Team (Wingdat Racing's Andy Chapman Jonathan Barret and Wayne Jackson) Having to Fend off The KA Number 16 of Team (M and D Racing's Alex Martin Daniel Martin Tony Perfect and Mathew Rowling) as they Also were Looking to be in an Intense Battle Thought the Lap with Many Other Teams and Drivers Now Settling into a Rhythm. at The Endo f The Second Hour The KA't Mobile Number 49 of Team (LDR Performance Tuning's David Bywater Adrian Clarke Andy Grear Hardy and Sammy Bryan) is Seen Making its way Through Paddock Hill Bend and Through the Gravel Trap but Manages to Get Out Unaided and Safely.
At 12:12PM a Huge and Very Loud Crash is Heard at The Bottom of Paddock Hill Bend and Seen Rowling Through The Gravel Trap and Ending up on its Wheels is the KA Number 3 of Team (Windgat Racing) Bringing out the First Safety Car of The Endurance Race. Lucky The Driver was Fine and After a Few Minutes Due to The Recovery Taking Place they Are Back out in the Race But with a Lot of Catching Up to do.
Hour 3 (13:08PM)
With the Safety Car Now in the Race gets Back Underway and Already each Driver was Pushing Even Harder trying to either Create a Gap or Make Up for Lost Time Due to The Safety Car Intervention.
At The Top of Paddock Hill Bend a Fierce Battle is Taking Place Between the Two Teams of KA Number 13 and KA Number 155 Team (Deranged Motorsport's Jason Pelosi Josh Larkin and Alex Kelby) and Team (JRS's Nick Walker Alex Day and William Foster) as they Duel Thought the Whole of Paddock Hill Bend Starting at The Top and Still Keeping the Fight Going Right Up towards Druids in The End Deranged Motorsport Wins Out and Takes The Position Away from JRS.
At 13:24PM The Fighting Between each Team Continues at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend which is Proving to be the Best Overtaking Area as Each Car has Only 73 Break Horse Power so Carrying as Much Speed as Possible from the Main Straight Towards Paddock is Essential for a Successful Overtake.
Team (Piston Heads Peter Dignan Oliver Lewis Benjamin Lowden and Sam Sheehan) Battles it out with Team (LDR Performance Tuning's Laurence Davey Mike Paul James Parker and Glen Copeland) as The Two Cars Do Battle for All to See with Team LDR Taking The Position Away.
At 13:39PM A Set of 4 KA's are Seen Fighting Their Way up Towards Druids with All Four Teams not Giving up the Fight as they Swap Positions Relentlessly with not One Driver Willing to Give Up his Position.
The 98 55 53 and 13 All Really Having a Good Go at One Another Thought their Fight. As The Sun Starts its Slow Dissent Down Over The Hills and Valleys that Surround The Circuit Bottom Bend was Providing Some More Opportunities for Drivers to do Battle with One Another. A Four way Fight Between KA's Number 56 51 44 and 64 was Occurring with Number 56 Holding Strong at The Front of This Fight and Leading them on Towards Clearways.
Finally at 13:48PM An Epic Battle Between KA's Number 64 and 44 was Witnessed Through Bottom Bend with The Likes of The Number 64 Bouncing a Wheel Into The Air as The Car Took the Tight Racing Line making for an Amazing Picture and a Superb bit of Car Control To Keep that KA Pointing The Right Way.
Hour 4 (14:02PM)
The Fourth Hour and Pit Stops and Driver Changes were Imminent with Many Teams Choosing to Go into The Pits to Change Both Drivers and Top Up the Fuel as Well as Change Tyres if Necessary. Every Team was Running to a Different Strategy Depending Upon the Amount of Drivers they Had with Teams of Four Drivers Taking 2 Hours in the Car Each While Teams of Three or Less would Have to Take on Longer Stints of 3 To Maybe Even 4 Hours in the Car Hoping that Having to do Fewer Driver Changes would Mean they could make Up The Difference on Track.
Back on The Track at 14:02PM More Battles were Commencing Through Pilgrims Drop With KA's Number 81 Team (GM Performance's Gary Mitchell and Ian Mitchell) Going Head to Head with KA Number 46 Team (JDC Motorsport's Stu Neal Andy Gaugler and Simon Walker Hensell) with The KA of GM Performance Narrowly Taking The Place From JDC Motorsport on the Run towards Clearways.
At 14:20PM a Fantastic Battle Between KA Number's 18 100 127 3 55 and 115 was Seen as they Powered their Way onto Clearways with 155 Leading Followed by 55 and 3 127 100 and 18 All Slowly Gaining Ground to the Two Leading KA's at The Front of This Train.
Shortly After This Train of Cars Came Through Another Train of 5 KA's was not Far Behind this Time Being Lead by Number 13 Deranged Motorsport with 131 (Team Viking's Mark Holme Harry Nunn and Nick Nunn) Then came Number 4 Alex Read Motorsport with 98 Piston Heads and 41 (Rowe Rage Motorsport's Alex Butler Greg Caswell Jason Handcock and Sam Rowe) As they All Fought Hard to Catch One Another Thought their Fight.
KA's Number 98 4 and 64 were Also Seen at 14:48PM Having a Really Good Three Way Fight with 64 and 98 Side by Side down Pilgrims Drop with The Number 4 Car Closing Fast.
At 14:54PM A Final Battle was Seen on the Run Up Towards Clearways with The KA's of Number 60 (Powerflex's David Power Paul Cowland and Dom David) Battling Hard with KA's Number 7 (G and B Finch's Joe Bragg Lee Finch Steve Finch Benjamin Smith and Arthur Thurtle) and Number 127 (Fat Boys Racing's Charlie Jackson and Matt Pinny) with The Number 7 KA Leading The Trio On Towards Clearways as The Sun Began to Set.
Hour 5 (15:25PM)
The Fith Hour and a Swarm of KA's were Seen Storming Down the Main Straight towards Paddock Hill Bend with the Number 131 Car of (Team Viking) in the Lead by Some Distance Followed by Number 64 125 18 81 and 155 as they All Made their Way Towards Paddock for another Chance at an Overtake.
Another Battle Followed Closely Behind with KA Numbers 11 18 49 and 111 All Fighting as Well in order to Maintain or Improve their Positions as The Race Went on.
At 15:28PM The Safety Car was Out again While Another KA Somewhere on Track was Being Recovered and The Leading car Number 36 IP Racing's (Adam Blair Scott Parkin Oliver Wilmot and Mark Witherington's Lead Evaporates as the Field is Once again Bunched up.
Behind Them are KA's Number 44 (Mini Challenges Max Coates Dominic Wheatley Lewis Saunders and Dan Zelos) Looking to Make a More Once the Safety Car Period Ends The 14 of (Frugal Racing) and 51 of (Barwell Autosport's Taylor Norton Kamran Tunio Ryan Brinsted and Kester Cook) Also Looking to Take the Lead of This Endurance Race.
At 15:36PM The Car that Had Caused The Safety Car was Seen Being Recovered into the Outer Garage Area where cars are Held Before the Start of Each Race. KA Number 46 (JDC Motorsport) Had Made Contact Somewhere on the Circuit and Looked to Have a Broken Front Left Steering Arm with the Wheel Being Completely Bend Backwards into The Car with the Car Heading Back to the Garage for Repairs Before Rendering The Race Quite a Few Laps Down.
15:38PM and The Two KA's of Positive Motorsport's Andrew Rogerson Samuel Rendon and Ryan Frith Battle it Out with Number 13 Deranged Motorsport Through Westfield Towards Dingle dell with The Number 13 Beautifully Sweeping Around the Outside to Take The Position Away.
Another Battle was Seen at 15:38PM with (Alex Read Motorsport) Number 4 Battling Number 64 (Auto Teach Motorsport's Reece Kellow Andrew Howell Luca Ataccini Anzanello and Megan) through Westfields Side by Side on Towards Dingle dell.
Finally at 15:57PM Another KA Had Fallen Victim to an Issue with the Number 23 Car of (PSR's Carl Beresford Russel Danzey Tom Gilbert and Jack Wood) Being Taken on the Back of the Recovery Truck to The Garages for Repairs Before Going back Out into The Race as Night Began to Fall Upon The Indy Circuit.
Hour 6 (16:15PM)
As The Light Slowly began to Fade Away from the Indy Circuit Many Drivers were Now starting to use their Headlights as The Lighting Conditions got Darker and Darker as Time went by.
At 16:15PM A Massive Group of Cars came Flying Down Through Paddock Hill Bend with KA Number 55 Al Most Racers on the Inside Line 127 Fat Boys Racing on the Middle Line and 39 Kameleon Racing's Chris Bright Richard Cox Steve Goldsmith and Leigh Youles Michael on the Outside Line as they Fought their way Through the Bend and Up Towards Druids.
At 16:21PM Piston Heads Racing KA Number 98 was Seen Leading another Group of Cars Through Paddock Hill Bend with Numbers 41 52 33 and 2 All Fighting for Places as they Came Towards Paddock Hill Bend.
16:24PM and The Paddock Hill Bend Gravel Trap Claims Another Victim This Time the Number 131 KA of Team Viking Had Ended up Taking a Trip Through it Before a Half Spin Left Him Facing the Marshalls Post Opposite before Returning to the Track after Losing a Few Places. Recovery Teams set to work Once Again with The Safety Car Being Called into Action for The Third Time.
16:40PM and at The Top of Paddock Hill Bend a Three way Fight Becomes a Two Way Fight as The Number 127 KA of Fat Boys Racing Goes for a Spin after Trying to Get a Run on the Number 19 KA of LDR Performance Tuning with The Number 14 Car of Frugal Racing Just Narrowly Missing The Spinning Car.
16:42PM and a Final Intense Battle Between the Number 44 KA and The Number 1 KA of Burton Power Racing's Andy Burton Kyle Sagar Tom Valentine and Sammy Venables as They Fight Hard to try and Take that Position away from Mini Challenge to Round off The 6th Hour.
Hour 7 (16:50PM)
The Seventh Hour and at The Bottom of Surtees a Massive Crash is Heard as The KA's of Number 42 The K Teams (Paul Simmons Edward Simmons Glen Woodbridge Damo) is Seen Running off Track with Number 13 Deranged Motorsport Onto The Grass and Number 81 GM Performance Being Spun Out Trying to Avoid The Carnage in Front. All Drivers Okay and They Get back on Track and Continue on As Day Turns into Night.
17:02PM and a Top of Druids The Ka's of Number 72 Misty Racings (Adam Bonham and Simon Bonham) are Fighting Hard to Keep their Position from the Number 49 Car of LDR Performance Tuning as well as Number 7 of G and B Finch Trying to Find a Way Through on the Outside of Druids. The 98 of Piston Heads is also Closing in by This Stage with Headlights A Blaze.
17:05PM and Coming Towards Druids is a Sea of KA's All With Headlights A Blaze as they Fight for Positions Cars Number 60 3 19 and 39 All in Different Positions and Yet Still Fighting to try and Gain an Advantage that Could Swine this Endurance Race in Any of the Teams Favours. Further Back 127 and 140 Are Doing Battle on the Run Up Towards Druids.
17:09PM Once Again Another Battle at Druids This Time its The Trio of Number 127 36 and 60 That are All Trying to Better One Another in their Attempt to Gain a Place with Number 36 IP Racing Leading The Way.
17:14PM One Final Battle is Seen Coming Up towards Druids with The Number's 18 44 55 and 2 Fighting it Out Number 2 Kastrol's Has The Lead of This Group of Cars with Blazing Bright Headlights to Aid the Drivers Around The Circuit.
17:27PM and Now Darkness was Everywhere Making Visibility Very Difficult and Yet this did not Stop the Likes of Cars Number 128 JTR's Eliot Mason Nick Tandy David Mason and James Rhodes from Battling with Car Number 16 M and D Racing's Alex Martin Daniel Martin Tony Perfect and Mathew Rowling. In a Daring Move in the Pitch Black Darkness The Two Cars Go Side by Side Trying to Gain One over The Other Before JTR's Takes The Inside Line and The Position.
17:30PM Another Daring Battle is Captured Between The Number 180 Car of (Shine Auto motive's Colin French Mathew Eldridge and Wayne Clelland) and Number 44 (Mini Challenge's Max Coates Dominic Whitely Lewis Saunders and Dan Zelos) Defending The Outside Line as Best as they Can but Ultimately Shine Automotive Makes their way Through.
17:51PM A KA is Seen Flying Down Through The Bottom of Druids and into a Cloud of Dust Caused by Another KA Going off The KA is Just Barely Visible Showing The Dangers of what can Happen at Night When Visibility Becomes Low or Obstructed. Other KA's Soon Followed Through the Dust Cloud as Well with Many Backing off Slightly In case a Car was Stuck out on The Track but Thankfully All was Good as Hour 7 Ended.
Hour 8 (17:56PM) (THE FINAL HOUR)
The FINAL Hour of The 8 Hour Indy KA 500 and With Every Driver Now Getting into a Rhythm it was Up to Each Teams Last Driver to Strap in and Go for it to the Checkered Flag. However not All had gone to Plan for every Driver as The Number 29 KA of LDR Performance Tuning Found Out Slipping into the Gravel and Costing Them a Ridge Back to the Pits for Repairs with Less than 1 Hour to go.
18:00PM and The Number 2 KA of Kastrol's was Captured Racing Through Paddock Hill Bend During The Night Pushing Incredibly Hard to Ensure a Good Top 25 Finnish in the Points with Headlights Illuminating their way Around Paddock Hill Bend as The Car Flew Through The Bend.
18:30PM The Safety Car was Out for The Last Time During The Race and was Captured Leading a whole Train of KA's Through Pilgrims Drop and Onto Clearways with Each Driver Poised and Ready to Get Going Once the Safety Car Had Come In.
19:07PM An Amazing Sight to Behold with Just 15 Minutes Left on the Clock a Huge Rush of KA's Flooded their way Down The Main Straight and Past The Start Finnish Straight with Headlights on Full Beam to Aid in Visibility. The Number 8 KA Leads The way in This Group of Cars with The Number 18 CHR Hoonikan Car of Stratton MacKay Dave Mayer and Paul Robson Closing in Behind.
19:09PM And The Green Flag is Dropped for The Final Time as The Safety Car Comes into the Pitlane All 44 Remaining KA's Race Towards Druids with the Field so Bunched up this is Anyone's Race to both Win or Lose at This Stage.
The Number 42 KA of The K Teams Paul Simmons Edward Simmons and Glen Woodbridge Damo takes off Leading from Number 20 A Reeve's Motorsport Aron Reeve Stuart Lane and Andy Godfrey while The Number 127 of Fat Boys Racing Chases Them Down into a Nail Biting Finnish at The Centre of The Field.
19:13PM A Group of Six KA's are Captured Having an Intense Battle with Only 5 Minutes Left to Run The Likes of KA Number 127 36 and 128 All Putting Up One Hell of a Good Fight in The Closing Stages of The Endurance Race with Some Drives Having Driven for 4 Hours Straight.
19:21PM and after 8 Hours of Continuous Racing and 5 KA's Out of The Race The Checkered Flag was Ready and Waiting as The Number 81 KA of GM Performance's Gary Mitchell and Ian Mitchell Takes the Victory at The 2021 8 Hour Indy Car 500!!!! Followed Closely by The Number 72 Car Misty Racing's Adam Bonham and Simon Bonham in Second Place with KA Number 14 Frugal Racing's Jim McDougal Callum McDougal Mike Marais and Leon Bidgeway Taking Third Place.
A Huge Congratulations to The Overall Top Three Winners and to All of the other Teams and Competitors for Showing some Incredible Racing To End of The 2021 Motorsport Season. From
Historic Formula 1 to Classic Touring Cars To The Indy KA 500 This Season Has been One of The Best to Date.
See You All Again Next Year Where We Will do it All Over Again.
This cake was required to be upright by the lady who requested it, she also wanted it to to serve a large party. The only way to do this was make it life size. as you can see, it is upright, and even supported by an actual guitar stand.
Currently, as I look out at the miserable autumn sky in Suffolk, last summer seems a long, long time ago.
A "Behind The Build" interview with Sirens-of-Titan
ka-go.net/blog/behind-the-build/an-epic-realm-of-brick-fa...
Uploaded by SA
Fairy Stone State Park info: www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/fairy-stone#general_info...
© All rights reserved. Written permission is required for use of any of my images on websites, blogs, or other media.
On April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, exploded at 01:23 AM local time. The workers were performing an experiment with the reactor's safety systems. Problems occurred during the tests, the reactor did not receive enough coolant, had built up too much heat in the core and had fully withdrawn control rods, all of which contributed to a very unstable and unpredictable reactor operation. When the control rods were reinserted in an attempt to regain control of the unstable reactor, there was a sudden increase in reactivity, caused by the design of the RBMK reactor and its control rods, and an uncontrollable runaway reaction occurred. The reactor produced tremendous amounts of steam, eventually causing a steam break/explosion, which destroyed part of the reactor. After the explosion, graphite fires broke out, due to the high temperatures of the reactor and the graphite's exposure to oxygen. Radioactive debris was flung several miles, and smoke containing radioactive contaminants from the burning graphite traveled as far as Belarus.
All residents were evacuated.
Chernobyl, Ukraine — A new report has revealed that the full consequences of the Chernobyl disaster could top a quarter of a million cancer cases and nearly 100,000 fatal cancers.
Our report involved 52 respected scientists and includes information never before published in English. It challenges the UN International Atomic Energy Agency Chernobyl Forum report, which predicted 4,000 additional deaths attributable to the accident as a gross simplification of the real breadth of human suffering.
Very lucky to have seen at least 15 individual puffins on our visit to Fowlsheugh today. - A great day. Sadly didn't see any landing with food in their beaks.
"Some assembly required" - Build update on the second alt posed version of "The Beast" - ALIEN 79 - 1:18 scale. Okay, more like A LOT of assembly is required HA! I began assembling the semi-articulated version of the "squatting" alien yesterday. Hollowed out the upper and lower halves of the torso so the pieces, when merged, will bend with the use of a heat gun. Did the same for the upper/lower legs and ankles.
It's tricky - too hot, the resin crumbles. Not enough heat, the resin cracks under the stress. Just right, the resin folds like cloth...for just a few seconds! HA! Gotta be quick.
I was worried about the balance of the figure in this squatting position - so far, so good. It's able to stand on it's own.
Added ball joints to the shoulders and will articulate the elbows and wrists tonight. The neck contains a ball joint as well and the head has a wide range of movement.
So, progress has been made smile emoticon This series of three may be "fixed" posed pieces for the most part but I think they'll look very good when complete. More to come! #alien #aliens #bigchap #actionfigure #custom #art #resin #smoothon #nostromo
Do you know how hard it is to shoot kids on a merry-go-round in low light situations with a slow digital camera?
Well, it ain't easy. But it's still fun!
(2008-08-16-ellie-go-round-00243-new)
This was a hard edit. First of all, the facial angles were tough, to say the least, and to get the level of detail I wanted, I had to use an advanced HDR filter, which brought out and amplified every freckle, wrinkle, and flaw to the point of aging me about 30 years! So, that required using the wrinkle remover tool to smooth the skin back down. That tool is really tricky, and super difficult to use in places like the skin that shows through eyelashes on the eyelid! The brilliant, afternoon sun and semi-squinting expression made things even more complex.
Once again, I added the cloned irises, which seem to really enhance the color and blend well. I am going to play around until I figure out a way to change the color of the clones for more interest.
I'm still painfully behind in my commenting, Folks, so bear with me. I'm playing catch up and it's going to take a while.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend! As for me, I'll be working.
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.
7/16/16 photo by Candy Thomson, Natural Resources Police Public Information Officer
Massively popular, Sandy Point often requires temporary closures during summer months. In 2015, the park reached capacity every single weekend from Memorial Day-Labor Day.
Key Requirements for Outdoor Ceremonies & Services
- Masks are required for all persons onsite
- Chairs will be a minimum of 6 feet apart in all directions
- Assigned seating and a final guest list with first and last names will be required
- Guests must not linger or socialize in lobbies, common areas, restrooms, etc.
- Indoor backup locations are the Red Barn or Ordway Shelter
Approved to host ceremonies sites:
- Bee & Pollinator Center Overlook (16 people or less)
- Tea Room Terrace (16 people or less)
- Garden for Wildlife (40 people or less)
- Ornamental Grass Collection - (50 people or less)
- Event Lawn at Farm @ The Arb - (50 people or less)
- Any ceremony 51 or more is not permitted
- Limited decoration will be allowed to be brought on site
- No changing rooms available at this time
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.
Necesitas gafas rojo-cyan para verla.
Red/Cyan glasses required for viewing
Una camara, dos disparos a mano alzada.
One camera, two shots hand-held(or cha-cha method).
Mis otras fotos 3D de la exposición...
www.flickr.com/photos/48946474@N06/sets/72157624084844807/
EXPOSICIÓN DEL NINOT
NINOTS EXHIBITION
Un Ninot es una figura con apariencia humana. Son figuras que normalmente se situan en la base del monumento fogueril, con caracter de crítica o burla. Hay dos categorías: ninot infantil y ninot(grande).
Antes de comenzar las Hogueras de San Juan se realiza la Exposición del Ninot, donde todas las Comisiones de Hogueras aportan un Ninot, de cada categoría, de su monumento, para que el público elija "el ninot indultat", que será la figura que se salvará del fuego. Antes los ninots se fabricaban con cartón, pero actualmente el corcho blanco es bastante común.
(Sorry for my bad English, I'm learning it)
The Ninot is a figure with human appearance. They are figures that usually are placed, with critic character or mockery, at the base of the monument(Hoguera). There are two categories of ninots: ninot infantile and ninot(big).
The Exhibition of Ninots is realised before the beginning of the festival "Fogueres de Sant Joan"; all the Commissions contribute with two Ninot, infantile and big. People choose a Ninot, for each category, to grant a pardon; the Ninot winner is "El ninot indultat"(Ninot pardoned), and it's going to be the figure that will be saved of the fire.
Before, most of the Ninots were making with papier mâché, but nowadays the white foam is so common.
To know more about the festival of "Hogueras"...
www.alicante-live.com/fiestas/celebrations.htm
www.spain.info/vive/fiestas/alicante/hogueras_de_san_juan...
www.spain.info/reportajes/las_hogueras_de_san_juan_un_sim...
www.alicanteturismo.com/AdaptingShop/usuario/productos/fi...
And my video: Anthem of Hogueras...
Different scenes requires different settings. Here I got a bit excited and wanted to to take a moving shot of this airplane taxying on taxyway whisky, but in the action forgot I just had shot a Airbus parked to the gate with long shutter.
However I think the picture got a nice touch, - you can see Freddie Mercury a number of times, and the taxyway signs. It's one of my OS backgrounds for the moment.
---
Airline: Norwegian
Reg: LN-ENP
Aircraft: Boeing 737-8JP
Serial: 42090
September 30, 2013- Orient- Governor Cuomo sends a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and General Services Administration (GSA) calling for both agencies to submit to a consent order requiring them to present a comprehensive environmental cleanup plan for Plum Island in Suffolk County and giving the State final review of the Island’s conditions before it is put up for sale. In April 2010, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) notified the federal government that a number of serious environmental issues had to be addressed before the property could be sold or transferred.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The North American P-51 Mustang is widely considered to be the best American fighter of World War II. However, if it were not for the British Royal Air Force, the Mustang would never have been built. In January, 1940, the British approached several American aircraft companies with their requirements for a new fighter and required that a prototype be ready within 120 days.
North American Aviation responded with the Mustang. The early versions of the aircraft proved to be underpowered at high altitudes, but when it was redesigned to use the excellent Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the Mustang soon proved to be a superb fighter at all altitudes.
The P-51D features a cut down rear fuselage and a bubble canopy to improve rearward visibility, and six .50 caliber machine guns in the wings in place of the four guns present in most earlier versions.
The Mustang remained in military service in the United States Air Force until 1957, and the last combat Mustang was retired by the Dominican Air Force in 1984. Mustangs remain popular in civilian aviation with nearly 100 flying in private hands and fetching prices of over two million US dollars.
This P-51 has been constructed from a combination of original parts of various Mustangs and newly manufactured parts made by the Pima Air & Space Museum’s aircraft restoration staff and volunteers. Approximately 60% of the aircraft is original North American Aviation built parts. The paint scheme represents the aircraft flown by Louis E. Curdes with the 3rd Air Commando Group in the Philippines in 1945.
Technical Specifications
Wingspan: 37 ft
Length: 32 ft 3 in
Height: 12 ft 2 in
Weight: 16,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum speed: 437 mph
Service Ceiling: 41,900 ft
Range: 950 miles (without drop tanks)
Engine: Packard V1650-7 Merlin, 1,490 hp
Crew: 1
Pilot Lt. Louis E. Curdes
Louis Curdes was born November 2, 1919 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He joined the Army in March 1942 and graduated from pilot training at Luke Field, Arizona on December 3rd, 1942. Curdes was assigned to the 82nd Fighter Group, 95th Fighter Squadron, flying P-38 Lightnings over the Mediterranean and southern Europe. He arrived at the unit on April 17, 1943 and shot down three Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters on April 29th. He destroyed two more Bf109s on May 19th to become an ace in only a little over a month of combat. Over the next three months he shot down an Italian Mc. 202 fighter and two more Messerschmitts before he was himself shot down by a German fighter on August 27, 1943 over Salerno, Italy.
Curdes was captured and interned in a POW camp near Rome. Only a few days later, Italy surrendered and he and several other American pilots escaped from the camp before the Germans could take over. He made his way out of German occupied Italy, arriving back in Allied controlled territory on May 27, 1944. After a brief leave Curdes volunteered for another combat tour. He was assigned to the 3rd Air Commando Group, 4th Fighter Squadron in the Philippines, flying the P-51 Mustang. Curdes arrived in the Pacific Theater on November 19, 1944. On February 7, 1945, he shot down a Mitsubishi Ki46 "Dinah" reconnaissance plane near Formosa, making him one of only three Americans to have kills against Germany, Italy, and Japan.
While attacking the Japanese held island of Batan, between the Philippines and Formosa, one of Curdes' wingmen was shot down. Curdes stayed in the area to guide a rescue plane and protect the downed pilot. While they were circling, Curdes noticed an aircraft approaching to land at the Japanese base. Upon investigating he saw that it was a Douglas C-47 and that it carried American markings. After several attempts to direct the Dakota away from the island Curdes decided that he had no choice but to take drastic measures. Carefully lining up behind the transport, he shot out first one and then the other engine. The C-47 ditched in the ocean only about 50 yards from the pilot Curdes had been protecting. As darkness descended, Curdes and his wingman were forced to return to base. The next morning, he returned and flew cover while a PBY picked up the downed Mustang pilot and the twelve passengers and crew from the wayward C-47, including two female nurses. For his actions, Curdes was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, making him, perhaps, the only pilot to receive a medal for shooting down a friendly aircraft.
AM I PAYING TO BE PROMOTED?
No. You are paying for the seminars, and while I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars, it is not required. You may show up for the second half only. But, again, I strongly encourage everyone to be present for the seminars. It helps us with organization, expresses to the instructors that you are interested in learning, and fosters a team oriented environment.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR BEING PROMOTED?
Under the Capital flag you must demonstrate the 3 Ts: time on the mat, toughness and technique. Visualize a triangle, where technique is on top. On the bottom are time and toughness. Those who are very tough might have the time requirement reduced (but not below the minimum). Those with a great deal of time might have the toughness requirement reduced. Also, other variables may be taken into consideration. For example, one of our newest members is beginning his Jiu-Jitsu journey at 70 years young! Modifications will be made to ensure his journey is both challenge and rewarding!
WHAT ARE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS?
A blue belt takes an average of 1.5 years. A purple belt takes an average of 5 years. A brown belt takes an average of 7 years. A black belt takes an average of 10+ years. Most of the practitioners who tested for black belt had between 12 and 17 years of experience, and the pass rate was about 50%.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR ADVANCEMENT?
Three instructors, including at least one black belt, must approve any promotion.
WHY DOES THE FORMAT KEEP CHANGING?
It’s been consistent for the last two years. However, we do expect that slight changes will be made as time goes on. We always seek feedback from students, peers and our instructors to make things better. The current format is: seminars (optional), sparring, promotions, gauntlet (optional), and group picture.
ETIQUETTE
At promotions events every practitioner should wear a laundered Capital branded white training kimono. This is the equivalent of wearing formal attire for a special occasion, like a wedding. Also, it is extremely impolite to ask an instructor about being promoted.
WHAT DOES THE NAVY BLUE BAR MEAN?
Royce Gracie and the Valente Brothers wanted to honor Helio Gracie’s life and legacy by wearing the navy blue belt that Helio wore. Going forward they are asking representatives to wear the navy bar (excluding white belts and new black belts). For more information about Grandmaster Helio Gracie’s decision to wear the navy belt visit: graciekentucky.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-grandmaster-h...
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PUTTING A NAVY BAR ON MY BELT?
The easiest thing to do is purchase athletic tape: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&...
I BELIEVE YOU MADE AN ERROR REGARDING MEMBER X, BY PROMOTING/NOT PROMOTING HIM….
Think about a Jiu-Jitsu competition. Is it possible, from time to time, for the referee to make an error? Of course! It is also possible for the decision makers at our semiannual gatherings to make errors. However, as practitioners progress, more scrutiny is applied to their rank, and ultimately 40 - 60 black belts will test them. At that time practitioners must demonstrate the complete stand-up self-defense curriculum, striking, clinching, grappling and philosophy (the 753 Code).
I caution those who dwell on the rank progress of others, especially as it compares to their own. Instead I encourage you to apply your vigilance to your own journey in the gentile art.
DO I NEED TO BE AT THE PROMOTIONS EVENT?
To be promoted to the next color belt, yes. Technically, to be promoted with stripes on the purple and brown belt, also yes. However, we needed to honor time constraints at Saturday's event, and stripes for deserving practitioners will be awarded this week and in January.
IS THE GAUNTLET HAZING?
What is the difference between a healthy ritual and hazing? What in fact is hazing? According to Wikipedia: "Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.” Does the gauntlet qualify?
Couldn’t we define the gauntlet as a rite of passage? Google defines a rite of passage as, "a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” While I don’t know of any peer reviewed research articles, the overwhelming consensus is that there are tremendous psychological benefits to being included in a rite of passage.
There’s also acknowledging that our ritual is far less dangerous than the activities which led to it. Whether it’s the rigorous exercise, intense sparring rounds, competitions or the black belt test. In fact, Professor Pedro Valente noted that we are training to be effective in a proven fighting system. To take a hit is not only to be initiated, it's an essential component of our training.
I am not familiar with many of the reasons why people haze, and personally, I have never been involved in a hazing ritual. The gauntlet is our rite of passage; a tradition handed down to us by our elders. I am opposed to taking away or intensifying the gauntlet tradition. Our tradition is about the student, and I don’t believe that practitioners at Capital MMA experience some perverse pleasure in seeing people suffer. Rather, we are celebrating with the newly inducted.
I believe that the gauntlet tradition should only be carried on in the presence of the black belt instructors, exclusively at our semiannual promotions events. Also, it is our charge as black belts to educate junior members of our tradition, and how we conduct ourselves during the rite of passage. Injury, abuse and humiliation are never our objectives.
Finally, this tradition is, and always will be, optional. However, our requirements for being promoted are not. The rigor, intensity, and sacrifice experienced by senior practitioners is significant.