View allAll Photos Tagged resentment...
Cotttonwood trees abound in the central United States. The usually grow near water. They release large numbers of seeds with float on a cotton-appearing web.
"Human nature itself is evermore an advocate for liberty. There is also in human nature a resentment of injury, and indignation against wrong. A love of truth and a veneration of virtue. These amiable passions, are the 'latent spark'... If the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling the differences between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?" --John Adams, the Novanglus, 1775
Damn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentment
Some of us scared, some of us defensive
And most of us aren't even paying attention
It seems like we're more concerned with being called racist
Than we actually are with racism
I've heard that silences are action
and God knows that I've been passive
What if I actually read a article, actually had a dialogue
Actually looked at myself, actually got involved?
White supremacy protects the privilege I hold
White supremacy is the soil, the foundation, the cement
and the flag that flies outside of my home
White supremacy is our country's lineage,
designed for us to be indifferent
My success is the product of the same system
that let off Darren Wilson – guilty
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like,
yet we just stand by
We take all we want from black culture,
but will we show up for black lives?
- White Privilege II by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
________________________________________
Check out my store: society6.com/tooobi
I was walking this ridgeline last week; hoping to get a nice sunset but there wasn’t a cloud to be found. This week the sky filled with them, gave every step a whole new perspective. Now through the 4th of July Holiday weekend I’ll be sharing them with you. This ridgeline is south of Olmstead Point, runs south and finishes with a beautiful vista; overlooking the north side of Half Dome. The west side of the ridge is easier to navigate; the east has better views, but also heavy brush, deep crevices and gaps. Trying to walk the center you will have to switch back and forth.
Hiking this trek I’m lost in its majestic beauty; my thoughts drifting to my past and its journey that brings me here. A Peregrine Falcon dives to my right and disappears among the ledges and rock. I think of my Grandfather; the gently giant that inspired my love for the great outdoors. As I reach for my lens brush in my cargo pocket, I think of my daughter; this wonderful being that taught me the meaning of unconditional love. The person that gifted me these cargo pants for Fathers’ Day. Each step binging me closer to them, wishing they were here to share these moments of awe. I pull out my cell phone, snap a quick picture and send to my daughter before I lose my signal. This composition comes to eye, I set up my tripod and here you have me Reaching for Clouds.
•The truth about Yosemite: www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sexual-Harassment-Common-in...
After a beautiful day in the mountains, I pull into my housing parking lot to have some of my half-witted neighbors waiting for me. They’ll setup to expose me to their cigarette smoke or car exhaust as I unload my gear and head for my room. As I walk down the long hallway they will click their door locks, I smile because of their utter stupidity and immaturity. I unload my backpack and hang it on the wall, see my work uniforms and am reminded of my 20 some year old coworkers intentionally blocking me all day, yesterday; blocking me at almost every doorway, corner and hallway. I think of my immoral, incompetent managers whom watch, encourage and participate in this workplace harassment and mobbing. I think of Yosemite’s Superintendent and the Law Enforcement that allows this and in turn empowers them to have no boundaries. I gather things from my frig for a late dinner, smile and think of the wonderful day I’ve had and how pathetic some of my neighbors are for having nothing better to do with their lives; than to wait around to harass someone. Then another smile as I think to myself; we could see these same people fighting in a shampoo aisle at Walmart
With Independents Day approaching; there are many in America that have no independents. There are people harassed all day every day at work; this is called Workplace Mobbing. This could be because of resentment for their good work ethics, whistleblowing, or something as simple as their indifference. There are Americans that are harassed, stalked, watched, civil and constitutional rights violated, their personal property tampered with and destroyed, blacklisted, in their communities and neighborhoods every day; this is called Gang Stalking, Community Stalking. This could because of something as simple as pissing off the wrong person, whistleblowing, their indifference. This is total repression, this is how those that don’t go with the statuesque are kept in check.
People; Gang Stalking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing are real. These immoral and illegal acts destroy the lives of people, their families and livelihood every day. I could care less of what people think of me, but I do care about the impact these immoral parasite have on our children, society and this country. As those that have the power and authority (Yosemite’s Superintendent, Law Enforcement) to stop this do nothing; I will continue to speak out and expose these atrocities.
Gang Staking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing are thriving in Yosemite National Park. These immoral and illegal acts are carried out by my coworkers, neighbors, residents and contractors. They are allowed by Yosemite’s Law Enforcement and Superintendent.
Thank you for visiting my Photostream.
taken by : me
model : 3zoz
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Well I thought I knew you, thinkin' that you were true
Guess I, I couldn't trust called your bluff time is up
'Cause I've had enough
You were there by my side, always down for the ride
But your joy ride just came down in flames
'Cause your greed sold me out of shame
After all of the stealing and cheating you probably think that
I hold resentment for you..'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do, I wouldn't know
Just how capable I am to pull through
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
Makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing
Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I'd realize your game
I heard you're goin' round playin', the victim now
But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame
'Cause you dug your own grave
After all of the fights and the lies 'cause you're wanting to haunt me
But that won't work anymore,
It's over
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down
Thought I would forget, but I
I remember...........
***************************************
this words Dedicated
If you are not really at peace with what has happened in your life, then you have not truly accepted
responsibility for the events themselves, and for your response to them. Any lingering
resentment or regret simply means that you still want to lay blame, either at your own door or
someone else's.
Robert White
I am not me when
you are not you
I just seem to be unable
to find something to do.
My heart aches,
my mind wont listen
because its blue.
How do I control it when my
body fights these things too.
I know I can go on,
I know I am strong and true
but I am not me without you.
I am not me when
you are not you.
I want to run into your arms
for the hugs to ensue.
For our bodies to entangle
and the hearts to renew.
What once was lost
can always be found,
if we can see the cue
Heaven or hell I will
always be there for you
because I am not me
when you are not you.
I am not me when
you are not you
Everyone knows that time
can change one's view
and sometimes our dreams
get a little askew
but these things too depend
on which way our hearts flew.
If we remember to keep our
bearings honest and true
I will be me when
you are you.
I am not me when
you are not you
Everyone wonders about the
path untaken and the new
but when we look away from home,
our minds create a coup.
one starts to see the bad,
the wallow and brew
but stay the course,
follow things through,
for I am not me when
you are not you
I'm not me when
you are not you
Marriage and love are a
special cause, only to two.
There can be no regrets,
not even a few.
Hurt and resentment must
be weeded too,
so love can continue to
shine through
That's what married
couples do.
Its why they become
a me and you.
...........................................
Photograph of our morning coffee as the milk mixes with the hot coffee. Inverted, mirrored or "flipped" 6 times
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
Hpa-An (Burmese: ဘားအံမြို့; MLCTS: bha: am mrui. [pʰə ʔàɴ mjo̰]; S'gaw Karen: ဖးအါ, also spelled Pa-An) is the capital of Kayin State (also known as Karen State), Myanmar (Burma). The population of Hpa-An as of the 2014 census is 421,575. Most of the people in Hpa-An are of the Karen ethnic group.
Climate
Hpa-An has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although maximum temperatures are somewhat depressed in the monsoon season due to heavy cloud and rain. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October). Torrential rain falls from June to August, with over 1,100 millimetres (43 in) falling in August alone.
+++++
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
From the other bank
Always
Friendly overtures
The sea has stayed still
However
Waves are
Ruminations of resentment
Of
Everybody against everybody
All
Made inaudible
Seven grains of sand
Long
In
The violence of the moment
The sea has stayed still
However
Fromont, 2013
(Sorry for the translation in my way)
El maestro narró a sus discípulos el siguiente relato:
- Un hombre que iba por el camino tropezó con una gran piedra. La recogió y la llevó consigo. Poco después tropezó con otra, igualmente la cargó. Todas las piedras con que iba tropezando las cargaba, hasta que aquel peso se volvió tan grande que el hombre ya no pudo caminar.
¿Qué piensan ustedes de ese hombre? Preguntó el maestro
- Que es un necio -respondió uno de los discípulos- ¿Para qué cargaba las piedras con que tropezaba?
Dijo el maestro: - Eso es lo que hacen aquellos que cargan las ofensas que otros les han hecho, los agravios sufridos, y aun la amargura de las propias equivocaciones. Todo eso lo debemos dejar atrás, y no cargar las pesadas piedras del rencor contra los demás o contra nosotros mismos.
Si hacemos a un lado esa inútil carga, si no la llevamos con nosotros, nuestro camino será más ligero y nuestro paso más seguro.
Así dijo el Maestro, y los discípulos se hicieron el propósito de no cargar nunca el peso del odio o del resentimiento.
Lux, Pax
The teacher told his disciples the following account:
- A man who was on the way stumbled upon a large stone. He picked it up and carried it. Shortly afterwards met with an equally loaded it. All the stones with which to face the charges was, until that weight became so great that the man could no longer walk.
What do you think of this man? Asked the teacher
- What is a fool, "said one of his disciples Why was carrying the stones encountered?
Said the master: - That's what makes those who carry them offenses that others have made, the grievances, and even the bitterness of their own mistakes. All this we must let go, and not to load the heavy stones of resentment against others or against ourselves.
If we leave aside the useless burden, if not carry with us, our way will be lighter and more secure our passage.
So said the Master, and the disciples were not intended to carry the weight never hatred or resentment.
Chaudefour ("hot_furnace") valley with the "dent de la rancune" ("tooth of the resentment") in the center... find it. (Nov 2015)
What I haven't mentioned about Melk is its total domination by Melk Abbey (Stift-Melk). Originally founded in 1089 as a Benedictine monastery, today's baroque abbey was built in the beginning of the 18th century. It is a major tourist attraction being among the world's most famous monastic sites. I am not sure whether the town's inhabitants would have thought of it as an object of admiration or resentment. I shall be uploading interior shots later on this week.
In the aftermath of the Third Great War, the International Reclamation Mission was created by the new Global Federation to help clean up battlefields of psionic anomalies and rampant genetically engineered fungi and flora deployed by the warring nations.
Pressurised trucks, nicknamed "snails", provided a mobile base of operations and shelter against spore storms for Reclamation agents in the field. This was particularly vital due to the rudimentary nature of the agents' protective gear, which often left the face unprotected.
Most Reclamation Agents were soldiers of the last Great War. The poor conditions drove many to banditry or an early death. Much of the resentment was passed onto their children and grandchildren. The anger of these people rammed into dilapidated space stations and seemingly abandoned by the terrestrial elite, caused the First Space War to become almost inevitable.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however we are at Glynes, the grand Georgian family seat of the Chetwynds in Wiltshire, and the home of Lettice’s parents, the presiding Viscount and Countess of Wrexham and the heir, their eldest son Leslie. Lettice is visiting her old family home for the wedding of Leslie to Arabella, the daughter of their neighbours, Lord Sherbourne and Lady Isobel Tyrwhitt. Today is the big day, and earlier in the morning Lettice was amongst the guests to watch her brother and his now wife exchange vows at the chapel in Glynes village. Now the wedding guests have repaired to the grand country house where the couple’s wedding breakfast* is being held in the Glynes grand dining room.
“I say, Sadie has been busy!” exclaims Gerald as he walks through the doors of the dining room.
“The whole household has been busy.” corrects Lettice as she walks proudly on his arm. “I could barely get a cup of tea, a slice of toast and a scraping of jam for breakfast,” she moans. “Which I had to take in my room because in here was out-of-bounds.”
The Glynes dining room, a large space, has been transformed into an indoor winter garden with tributes to the house’s gardeners with hothouse flower arrangements everywhere. Cascades of soft lilac wisteria, white blossom and pastel roses spill from vases on the mantlepiece and from jardinières on stands placed around the walls. The usual dining table used by the Chetwynds for dinners and banquets has been transformed into the bridal table, whilst several other smaller oblong tables have been brought in to serve as places for the other wedding breakfast guests. Each table is covered in crisp snowy white linen tablecloths taken from the Glynes great Elizabethan oak linen chests and pressed by housekeeper Mrs. Casterton’s staff, and upon their surfaces fine gilt white china, glassware and silver gleam, with each place setting carefully arranged by Bramley, the Chetwynd’s butler and Marsden, the first footman. Each table is graced with more fresh floral arrangements created by Lady Sadie herself and the parlour maid Emmery, whom the Countess has discovered has an aptitude for flower arranging. On the bridal table stands a grand three-tier wedding fruitcake made by Mrs. Honeychurch, the Chetwynd’s cook, its white royal icing edges decorated with pale yellow icing swirls and golden orange sugar roses.
“They look so happy,” Gerald remarks as they walk in front of the bridal table where Leslie and Isabella sit before the cake.
“I think Bella’s is your best wedding frock yet, Gerald.”
“Oh, do you really think so, Lettice?”
“I do.” she concurs proudly as they pass the bride and groom, admiring the creamy white satin boat neck of Bella’s wedding gown, trimmed with accents of antique lace, a gift to Isabella from Lady Sadie, taken from her own wedding dress.
‘Well, Bella was perfect to fit.” The pair move around to the table adjunct to the bridal table where they take their places. “She already had her ideas, which, unlike some women I see, were good ones, and I just had to bring them to life. She’s never has been a girl into fuss, and let’s be honest, she has so much natural beauty that no matter what I made for her would look wonderful on her.”
“And of course, I love my outfit too, Gerald.” Lettice smooths the pale buttery yellow crêpe of her frock which matches the pretty rose decorated wide brimmed straw hat made for her by Gerald’s friend Harriet.
“I should hope you do!” Gerald replies as he settles himself into his Chippendale style dining chair.
The pair watch as the country wedding guests, a mixture of family from both the Chetwynd and the Tyrwhitt clans, county society, guests from London and a smattering of local village folk, leisurely wend their way to their places, each marked with a handwritten card in Lady Sadie’s elegant copperplate script.
“I must say Lettice darling, I am grateful that you managed to convince Sadie to lift her embargo on me after the Hunt Ball and allow me to come.” Gerald remarks as he and Lettice nod at two of her distant spinster cousins from Guernsey as they make their way around them to their place much further down the table Lettice and Gerald are near the head of.
“Oh don’t thank me, Gerald.” Lettice replies. “Thank Leslie. He’s the one who confronted Mater and said that if he had to have cousins Eurphronia and Ethelreda from Guernsey,” She nods to the two rather horsey looking ladies now taking their places at the far end of the table. “Whom we haven’t seen nor heard from since Lally was married, then he and Bella were entitled to invite whichever guests they wanted, without question. And of course that included you.”
“Gosh! I must thank Leslie later then.”
“I still don’t know,” Lettice queries. “What was it you said to Mater that night of Hunt Ball that set her so against you. I’ve never known her to take against anyone so vehemently, except perhaps Aunt Egg.”
Gerald blushes, remembering the altercation he had with Lettice’s mother, Lady Sadie, at the ball. In a slightly inebriated state he told her that neither she nor Lettice had any sway over Selwyn Spencely’s choice of a wife, any more than Selwyn did himself, explaining that it was his mother, the Duchess of Mumford, Lady Zinnia, who would choose a wife for him. “I keep telling you, darling girl. I really don’t remember,” he replies awkwardly, covering his tracks as best as he can. “If you remember, I was rather tight** that night on your father’s champagne.”
“And I hope you will do so again today.” Lettice says cheekily, picking up the freshly poured glass of champagne set at her place just prior to her arrival.
“Try and stop me, darling!” Gerald picks up his glass and the two clink their glasses together in a conspiratorial toast.
“Lettice! Lettice stop that!” hisses her father, the Viscount, from his seat next to his wife at the bridal table, flapping his hand at her in an effort to gain her attention and growing red faced in the process. “Not until I make my speech.”
Lettice rolls her eyes and shakes her head, and like two admonished children, she and Gerald return their glasses, untouched, to their places with lowered heads.
“I am glad that Aunt Isobel was well enough to see Bella get married.” Lettice says with a satisfied sigh.
“Yes, I am too.” Gerald looks over the top of the wedding cake to see Isabella’s mother, whom they all call ‘Aunt Isobel’ despite her not being a blood relation, smiling proudly next to her husband, Sherbourne, as she looks down the table to her daughter and new son-in-law. “The radiotherapy*** seems to be having a positive impact on her health. Although evidently not enough for the Tyrwhitts to host the wedding breakfast.” he notes a little critically.
“Well, Mater thought it might tire poor Aunt Isobel out to arrange the wedding breakfast by herself, so she offered, and Isobel was probably too unwell at the time to refuse her.”
“Who would dare contradict Sadie’s wishes? Look, she is positively in her element, playing Lady Bountiful****, lording herself over all her minions, the great and good of the county.” Gerald says, nodding to Lettice’s beaming mother swathed in romantic soft pink floral silk de chiné wearing a floppy picture hat covered in satin roses in a matching shade.
“I do think Uncle Sherbourne looks rather tired though, don’t you Gerald?”
“Well, it isn’t every day that one loses one’s only daughter,” Gerald says dismissively. “He’s probably had a few sleepless nights worrying about her dowery and whether she has made the right decision.”
“Gerald!” Lettice slaps her friend playfully with her pale yellow kid gloves. “You surely can’t be suggesting that Leslie is a cad!” she laughs.
He chuckles in return and flashes her a beaming smile.
Returning her gloves to her lap, she glances up and over to where her eldest brother sits proudly in his morning suit gazing with fondness and laughing with his bride. Glowing can be the only adjective suitable to describe Leslie and Isabella as they radiate happiness.
“You must feel a little jealous,” Lettice remarks discreetly as she observes a slightly wistful look in her dear friend’s eyes as he too observes the happy couple.
“Of the sanctity of marriage?” Gerald scoffs with a dismissive snort. “Pray save me from that hell, Lettice darling!”
“You know what I mean, Gerald,” Lettice retorts. “Now that you’ve finally met someone.” she adds in a hushed tone.
Lettice bore witness to an exchange of affection between Gerald and a young oboe player named Cyril whilst visiting Gerald’s friend Harriet in Putney recently. As well as making hats, Harriet runs a boarding house for theatrical gentlemen where Cyril resides, and it is through her that Gerald met the handsome young musician.
“I hardly think we are at the marriage stage yet, Lettice darling.” Gerald whispers sagely. “Not that we could, mind you. We’ve only recently met. Anyway,” He glances meaningfully again at Leslie. “What’s the point in wishing for something you know you cannot have.”
Lettice reaches across to Gerald’s lap beneath the crisp white linen tablecloth and places her hand atop her friend’s, giving it a consoling squeeze. She sometimes forgets how her friend pined for many years with unrequited love for her eldest brother. Gerald has no more chance of marrying Cyril even if he does return Gerald’s affections, and Lettice can only imagine how careful her friend needs to be to avoid the authorities punishing him with imprisonment with hard labour just for loving another man.
“I wish Selwyn was here.” Lettice continues softly, casting her eyes down into her lap as she feels the sting of tears.
“What?” Gerald asks with a melodramatic gasp, quickly noticing Lettice’s sudden rush of emotion and trying to keep her from crying in front of her family and the rest of the county’s and the village’s society. “Am I not good enough for you as your squire?” He pouts at her and bats his long, dark eyelashes.
Lettice cannot help but let out a burst of laughter at his sad puppy dog face. “Oh Gerald! You know I don’t man that.”
“I know.” he says with a melancholy smile.
“You’re so good to me.”
“Agreed.” he nods. He then proceeds to add as a joking after thought, “Far better than you deserve.”
When Lettice laughs a little sadly, Gerald returns Lettice’s squeeze comfortingly. “I know you want Selwyn here. However,” he adds seriously. “You know it would be improper for him to be at such an intimate family occasion as your guest unless there has been a formal intention of marriage.”
“I know.” Lettice sighs.
“And Selwyn hasn’t made any such overtures, has he?”
Lettice looks down again. “Not yet.” she mumbles glumly.
“Well then. You shall simply have to settle for me, Lettice darling. I know I’m a poor second, and probably not even that. However, I will just have to do.”
“And you do splendidly, Gerald darling. You always know how to pick my spirits up when I’m feeling glum.”
“Isn’t that what best friends and chums of old are supposed to do?”
“Exactly right, Gerald.” Lettice replies, withdrawing her hands and discreetly dabbing the corners of her eyes with her pale yellow kid gloves. “What a pair we are, Gerald.” She sniffs. “Both of us crying for what we cannot have.”
“Don’t worry, everyone will think you are crying tears of joy for the happy couple, and that is how it should be. But don’t make a habit of blubbing when there is no conceivable reason to be crying, will you?”
“How do you do it, Gerald darling?”
“Do what?”
“Not break down and cry, sometimes?”
“Well, aren’t men supposed to be the superior race?” Gerald asks, mockingly. “It’s always a stiff upper lip and all that, don’t you know?” He smiles sadly at his friend and companion. “I suppose the truth of the matter is that Father probably beat it out of me as a child. I knew if I blubbed at the wrong time, I was in for a thrashing, or Roland would tell Father I was blubbing, so I was in for a thrashing, so I kept it hidden until I was alone.”
“I’m sorry Gerald.” Lettice mutters.
“Oh don’t be, Lettice darling. This is a wedding for heaven’s sake. Were supposed to be happy, not sad. No,” Gerald continues with a stoic sniff. “I’m happy for them and wish them well. Truly I do. It was inevitable really. They have always been destined to be together. Bella and Leslie are well suited for one another. They are both country folk. She loves riding and is interested in animal husbandry and all that awfully dirty estate business.” He waves his free left hand dismissively with a look of disgust at the thought of pigs in their muddy styes. “Whereas what I find best about the country is when we leave it to go back to the comfort and bright lights of London.”
“Don’t even mention animal husbandry, Gerald!” Lettice gasps, a shudder of revulsion running through her as she remembers the conversation she and her hated older brother Lionel had in Lady Sadie’s morning room a few days ago, when he spoke of women as fillies and mares, waiting to be sired by stallions.
“Oh, sorry Lettice darling!” Gerald apologises with a sombre glance at her. “I forgot.”
“I certainly can’t, even though I want to.”
“I knew things must have been looking bloody***** for you here when you sent that note across to me asking me to meet you at the Folly****** after dinner.”
“I can barely stand to even be in the same room as Lionel.” Lettice bristles as she looks across the Glynes dining room to the table set up on the opposite side of the bridal table, where her brother Lionel sits between their Aunt Eglantine, their father’s beloved younger sister, and Aunt Gladys, their mother’s parsimonious widowed elder sister. Emboldened by his imminent departure back to his place of exile in Kenya, he doesn’t even try and disguise his boredom at whatever the self-absorbed Gladys is saying to him.
“How can Aunt Egg stand to sit next to him?” Gerald asks.
“Because she doesn’t know about Lionel’s fathering of three illegitimate children in 1918.” Lettice elucidates quietly. “Lally and I joke openly about being Aunt Egg’s favourite niece depending upon the way the wind blows, but when it comes to her favourite nephew, there is no doubt as to who it is.”
“But why?” Gerald’s eyes grow wide in surprise. “I mean, she’s so lovely, artistic, and kind. And Lionel…” He shudders. “Lionel is such a… a…”
“A beast, Gerald?” She shrugs. “I guess there is no accounting for taste sometimes, even in our families. No, it would break her heart if she really knew what Lionel was like.”
“But that’s not fair to Leslie.”
“Oh, but Leslie is complicit in the subterfuge, Gerald. He’s so good and kind himself that he doesn’t want Aunt Egg upset by the truth. Besides, if she was upset, then Pater would be upset, and if he was upset, we all would be in for a beastly time.”
“How do you all do it?”
“Luckily Aunt Egg is safely ensconced with her own life in London, and with Lionel in Kenya, he’s barely ever mentioned. And if Aunt Egg does ask after him, we always glaze all the beastliness over with tales of derring-do******* from his sporadic letters to Mater and Pater, or what we’ve heard from friends who have passed through Nairobi and seen him.”
“I have to say that the Viscount and Sadie don’t seem too concerned about having him here.” Gerald observes as he glances in the direction of Lettice’s father and mother.
“Oh don’t be fooled,” Lettice elucidates as she glances at the smiling face of her father and her mother as she proudly plays mother-of-the-groom and gracious hostess to all the guests. “It’s all bravado: a show for Bella and the wedding guests. No-one wants to see a monster like Lionel spoil Bella and Leslie’s big day, except perhaps Lionel of course.”
“He always was unscrupulous.”
“Well, the last three years in exile certainly haven’t tempered his feelings of resentment and anger towards all of us, me especially.”
“But it was his own foolish philandering that got him banished to Africa.”
“Lionel doesn’t see it that way. As usual, he thinks that if I hadn’t told Mater and Pater about,” Lettice blushes at the thought. “About his indiscretion with Nelly, then those with Margaret and that poor simpleton Dora wouldn’t have come out and he would have gotten away with it.”
“It seems to me he did get away with it, and lightly.” Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper he adds. “Banishment and the absolution for three illegitimate children, all paid for by your father. It’s a rather splendid deal if you ask me. He could have done far worse.”
“Lionel doesn’t think so, and we’re all sick of his digs and barbs which he inflicts on us every chance he gets. Pater and Mater have been on pins and needles ever since Lionel arrived. I had to speak to Mrs. Casterton about cautioning the maids, and I still had to warn Moira, whom I caught making cow eyes******* at him.”
“That would certainly have encouraged him, the cad.”
“I’m sure it did, even though he swears to me that he’s only interested in older women now, and married ones at that.”
“Good god!” Gerald rolls his eyes and then stares harshly at Lionel who remains bored between his two aunts, totally unaware that he is being spoken of and scrutinised. “Can he get any more rakish?”
“Lally refused to come and stay as she finds him so abhorrent, and she doesn’t want the children exposed to his wickedness.”
“He wouldn’t…” Gerald scarlessly dares to speak the words. “Well, Lionel wouldn’t hurt the little dears, would he?”
“With Lionel,” Lettice shrugs. “You never can quite tell what his scheming and perverse little mind is planning next.” She sighs heavily. “That’s half the problem. Just when you think you have him worked out, and know his next move, he does something unexpected that throws you.”
“And the unexpected from Lionel is always nasty.” says Gerald wearily, remembering how horrible Lionel was to him as a little boy.
“Always. He’s so unpredictable, except in his predictability of being mean, nasty, spiteful or hurtful.”
“Well, he’ll be on board a train back to London tomorrow morning.” Gerald says with a sigh of relief. “When does he set sail?”
“The Walmer Castle******** leaves Southampton for Cape Town on Friday, and not a moment too soon with Lionel on board, if you ask me.”
The hubbub of the light chatter of the guests filling the dining room is suddenly shattered by the sharp and repetitious rap of metal against glass, silencing everyone as heads turn towards the bridal table, where Lettice’s father, Viscount Wrexham has raised himself to his feet, tapping his crystal champagne flute with a silver knife.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could ask you all to take your places please,” the Viscount calls out loudly with his booming orator’s voice, usually reserved for the House of Lords. “As host for today’s wedding breakfast, I would just like to say a few words as the first course is served.”
Lettice and Gerald settle back into their seats as the Viscount commences his welcome speech to the assembled guests, all of whom pay attention to him, except for his eldest son Leslie and his new bride Isabella, who only have eyes for one another as they sit, smiling at one another in the centre of the bridal table.
*A wedding breakfast is a feast given to the newlyweds and guests after the wedding, making it equivalent to a wedding reception that serves a meal. The phrase is still used in British English, as opposed to the description of reception, which is American in derivation. Before the beginning of the Twentieth Century they were traditionally held in the morning, but this fashion began to change after the Great War when they became a luncheon. Regardless of when it was, a wedding breakfast in no way looked like a typical breakfast, with fine savoury food and sweet cakes being served. Wedding breakfasts were at their most lavish in the Edwardian era through to the Second World War.
**’Tight’ is an old fashioned upper-class euphemism for drunk.
**By the 1920s radiotherapy was well developed with the use of X-rays and radium. There was an increasing realisation of the importance of accurately measuring the dose of radiation and this was hampered by the lack of good apparatus. The science of radiobiology was still in its infancy and increasing knowledge of the biology of cancer and the effects of radiation on normal and pathological tissues made an enormous difference to treatment. Treatment planning began in this period with the use of multiple external beams. The X-ray tubes were also developing with replacement of the earlier gas tubes with the modern Coolidge hot-cathode vacuum tubes. The voltage that the tubes operated at also increased and it became possible to practice ‘deep X-ray treatment’ at 250 kV. Sir Stanford Cade published his influential book “Treatment of Cancer by Radium” in 1928 and this was one of the last major books on radiotherapy that was written by a surgeon.
****The old fashioned British term “looking bloody” was a way of indicating how dour or serious a person or occasion looks.
*****Lady Bountiful is a term used to describe a woman who engages in ostentatious acts of charity to impress others, and was often used in Edwardian times by titled ladies to describe themselves when conducting their charity or ministering works.
******In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings.
*******The phrase derring-do comes from Middle English, dorring don meant simply "daring to do." The phrase was misprinted as derrynge do in a 15th-century work by poet John Lydgate, and Edmund Spenser took it up from there. A glossary to Spenser's work defined it as "manhood and chevalrie.") Literary author Sir Walter Scott and others brought the noun into modern use.
********The RMS Walmer Castle was a passenger ship for Union-Castle Line, launched on the 6th of July 1901 and completed on the 20th of February 1902. The British government requisitioned her in 1917 and she then served as a troop ship in the North Atlantic. She returned to mercantile service, including sailings between Southampton and Cape Town after the war. She was scrapped in 1932.
Contrary to what your eyes might tell you, this upper-class country house wedding is actually made up entirely of 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures, some of which come from my own childhood.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
The Chippendale dining room bridal table - covered by a fine linen tablecloth - and matching chairs are very special pieces. They came from the Petite Elite Miniature Museum, later rededicated as the Carol and Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures, which ran between 1992 and 2012 on Los Angeles’ bustling Wiltshire Boulevard. One of the chairs still has a sticker under its cushion identifying which room of which dollhouse it came. The Petite Elite Miniature Museum specialised in exquisite and high end 1:12 miniatures. The furnishings are taken from a real Chippendale design.
In centre stage on the bridal table stands a three tier wedding cake covered in white icing, decorated with yellow swirls of icing and orange roses. The cake is made entirely of plaster, and I have had it since I was given it for a Christmas gift when I was seven.
The bridal table is set correctly for a five course Edwardian wedding breakfast, using cutlery and glassware from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering in the United Kingdom. Each glass is hand blown using real glass. The cutlery set is made of polished metal. The crockery is made by an unknown English company and each piece has been gilded by hand. The linen napkins and napkin rings were made by Karen Ladybug Miniatures in the United Kingdom. The Georgian silver water jug in front of the floral arrangement and the cruet set which peeps from behind it, have been made with great attention to detail, and come from Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. The flower arrangement on the table in the gilt double handled vase comes from M.W. Reutter Porzellanfabrik in Germany, who specialise in making high quality porcelain miniatures.
The Georgian style fireplace I have had since I was a teenager and is made from moulded plaster. On its mantlepiece stand two 1950s Limoges vases. Both are stamped with a small green Limoges mark to the bottom. These treasures I found in an overcrowded cabinet at the Mill Markets in Geelong. Also standing on the mantlepiece are two miniature diecast lead Meissen figurines: the Lady with the Canary and the Gentleman with the Butterfly, hand painted and gilded by me. There is also a dome anniversary clock in the middle of the mantlepiece which I bought the same day that I bought the fireplace.
The pink and white roses in the Limoges vases were made by hand by Beautifully Handmade Miniatures, whilst the larger floral arrangements of roses and cascading wisteria to either side of the fireplace come from Kathleen Knight’s Doll House in the United Kingdom.
To the left of the photo stands a demilune table upon which stands a wine cooler also made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland. The bottle of Deutz and Geldermann champagne in it is an artisan miniature and made of glass and has real foil wrapped around its neck. It was made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. The other bottles of wine, also made of glass with great attention to their lables, come from Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures.
All the paintings around the Glynes dining room in their gilded frames are 1:12 artisan pieces made by Amber’s Miniatures in the United States and the wallpaper is an authentic copy of hand-painted Georgian wallpaper from the 1770s.
Holi festival, also sometimes called as the festival of love as on this day people get to unite together forgetting all resentments and all types of bad feeling towards each other.
Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival considered as one of the most revered and celebrated festivals of India and it is celebrated in almost every part of the country.
Yesterday, Christmas was celebrated in Nazareth. I was invited on a press tour for journalists to see what was happening and to talk with Arabs in Nazareth.
Nazareth, like Haifa, has a very mixed society: Arab Christians, Arab Muslims, Jews, and many Russian-speaking immigrants. All the Arabs we met yesterday said the same thing: we are happy to live in Israel; we just want to be equal, we want to develop our culture, we want to cooperate. We want to be equal members of society.
There is no apartheid in Israel. But I cannot say that everything is smooth. I am an immigrant here. I do not feel like a stranger, but I also cannot say that I have fully integrated into Israeli society. First of all, because of the language. I already speak and understand a little Hebrew, but it is not enough. The immigrant’s bread is hard. It is truly a trial—when, at one moment, you are thrown out of your country where you lived, where you had friends, relatives, and housing, after all. You did not prepare for emigration. You did not have money set aside for it. I am not complaining, but I would like to state clearly that emigration is a hard thing, especially forced emigration.
As for Arabs, I understand them very well. They have resentment toward Jews—historically formed. At the same time, over and over again I see how, even in the police, all nationalities are mixed: a Jewish police officer in a kippah hugs an Arab police officer and says to him, “akhi, brother, how are you?” But the millennia-old conflict on this land cannot be erased. There is always war in Israel. I am new here and trying to understand what is happening. There is also conflict between Arab Christians and Arab Muslims.
Nevertheless, both in Haifa and in Nazareth, the population is mixed, and despite grievances, people live quite peacefully. Jews have their own grievances toward Arabs—some distrust and a constant expectation of terrorist attacks. This was discussed a lot yesterday. It was said that one of the most important ways to build friendship is education: providing good education from childhood and raising the standard of living. When you are educated, when you have a purpose in life and an interesting job, you will not go and commit a terrorist attack; you will not become a suicide bomber. Israeli universities have quotas for Arabs, and many Arab school graduates enter medical universities—and that is very good.
Sorry for the long text. As a person who had to leave Moscow because of the war unleashed by Putin and move to Israel, where a war unleashed by Hamas began, I keep thinking about how all these conflicts could be resolved. And apart from the thought make the world around you better, I have no other answers—except help your neighbor, help whoever you can, or at least do no harm. Merry Christmas to all those celebrating, with greetings from the Holy Land.
Born Carl Lucas and raised in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, he spends his youth in a gang called the Rivals. With his friend Willis Stryker, he fights rival gangs and commits petty crimes.
In and out of juvenile homes throughout his teens, Lucas dreams of becoming a major New York racketeer until he finally realizes how his actions are hurting his family. He seeks to better himself as an adult by finding legitimate employment.
Meanwhile, Stryker rises through the ranks of crime, but the two men remain friends. When Stryker's activities anger the Maggia crime syndicate, he is badly beaten in a mob hit, saved only by Lucas's intervention. When Stryker's girlfriend, Reva Connors, breaks up with him in fear of his violent work, she seeks solace with Lucas.
Stryker is convinced that Lucas is responsible for the breakup, so he plants heroin in Lucas's apartment and tips off the police. Lucas is arrested and sent to prison where contact with his family is sparse due to the resentment of his brother James Lucas Jr., who intercepts Lucas's letters to their father James and eventually leads each to believe the other is dead. During this time, Reva is killed by members of the Maggia, whose drugs Stryker had stolen to frame Lucas in the first place.
Lucas is consumed by rage over Stryker's betrayal and his father's supposed death, engaging in frequent brawls and escape attempts. Eventually transferred to Seagate Prison off the coast of Georgia, he becomes the favorite target of racist corrections officer Albert "Billy Bob" Rackham, whose sadistic brutality ultimately leads to a demotion that he blames on Lucas.
Research scientist Dr. Noah Burstein recruits Lucas as a volunteer for a cellular regeneration experiment based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process he had previously used to empower Warhawk. This experiment would later be revealed to be part of the Weapon Plus program, specifically, Weapon VI.
Burstein immerses Lucas in an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound; then he leaves Lucas unattended, Rackham alters the experiment's controls, hoping to maim or kill Lucas.
Lucas' treatment is accelerated past its intended limits, inducing body-wide enhancements that give him superhuman strength and durability. He uses his new power to escape Seagate and makes his way back to New York, where a chance encounter with criminals inspires him to use his new powers for profit.
Adopting the alias Luke Cage and donning a distinctive costume, he launches a career as a Hero for Hire, helping anyone who can meet his price. He soon establishes an office above Times Square's Gem Theater, where he befriends film student D.W. Griffith.
Burstein, aware of his friend's innocence, also relocates to New York and opens a medical clinic, assisted by Dr. Claire Temple, whom Cage begins dating. Although Cage is content to battle strictly conventional criminals, he soon learns that New York is hardly the place to do so. Stryker himself has become a Maggia agent known as Diamondback and dies battling Cage.
Although Cage has little in common with most of New York's other superhumans, an ill-conceived attempt to collect a fee from a reneging Doctor Doom leads him to befriend the Fantastic Four.[17] Via a later retcon, Cage also befriends Jessica Jones, a young woman whose superhuman strength and unconventional style match his own.[18] During a mission in which Cage and Iron Man track down Orville Smythe, who had duped him into stealing an experimental starsuit from Stark International, Cage follows the example of his new peers and takes the codename of Power Man.[19] Cage battles a rogue Erik Josten for the use of the Power Man name, winning the right.[20]
Shortly afterward, Luke Cage begins associating with the loose-knit super-team the Defenders, alongside whom he battles the Wrecking Crew and the Sons of the Serpent.
Called to assist the Defenders against the Plantman, Cage begins to complain that his participation in their group is interfering with his paying work. Wealthy Defenders member Nighthawk solves this problem by placing Power Man on retainer, giving Luke a steady paycheck for his Defenders activities.
For some time thereafter, Power Man serves as a core member of the Defenders. Together, they defeat minor threats including the Eel and the Porcupine, and major menaces such as the Headmen, Nebulon, Egghead's Emissaries of Evil, and the Red Rajah; but Cage feels out of place in the often-bizarre exploits of the Defenders and eventually resigns.
Having obtained proof of Cage's innocence in his original drug charges, the criminal Bushmaster abducts Burstein and Temple, using their safety and the hope of acquittal to blackmail Cage into abducting detective Misty Knight, who humiliated Bushmaster in an earlier encounter.
Cage's efforts lead to a fight with Knight's boyfriend, the martial artist Iron Fist, who had spent most of his life in the extra-dimensional city of K'un-L'un and was unfamiliar with Earth society.
Upon learning of Cage's situation, Iron Fist and Knight help him defeat Bushmaster and rescue his friends. Cleared of criminal charges, Power Man legally changes his name to "Lucas Cage".
He briefly works for Misty Knight and Colleen Wing's detective agency, Nightwing Restorations, but soon elects to join Iron Fist in a two-man team, Heroes for Hire, founded by attorney Jeryn Hogarth and staffed by administrative wunderkind Jennie Royce.
Although the streetwise Power Man and the unworldly Iron Fist seem to have little in common, they soon become the best of friends. Cage's relationship with Claire Temple proves less durable, and he instead begins dating model Harmony Young.
Power Man and Iron Fist achieve great success with Heroes for Hire, earning an international reputation and fighting a wide variety of criminals.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Luke Cage
Publisher: Marvel
First appearance: Hero for Hire #1 (March, 1972)
Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, John Romita Sr
Luke Cage seen with Iron Fist in BP 2020 Day !
So, this is something I haven't done in a while, but hopefully will become more frequent. I won't lie, I'm doubtful I'll ever finish the JL:O story, at least to the 'quality' it was before. Still, I can continue to expand the universe, and, finally, do something explaining the Millennium war. So, here are the causes. Darkseid and his forces. So, let's delve right on in (L to R)
Mister Miracle - Wasn't too sure about him to be honest, but I needed another person for the left side, and he fit nicely. He fights alongside Darkseids vast armies, obeying his every command. At least on the outside. Inside he is struggling with his loyalties, and is working on a plan to escape Darkseids clutches. Over the year of the war, Scott became more and more troubled. Finally, he escaped, fleeing across the galaxy, putting as much distance between Apokolips and himself as he could.
Big Barda - As leader of the Furies, Barda lead her forces into battle against the meta-humans of Earth. She was confident that even if they could not match them in power, they could overwhelm them with numbers. She led her furies into battle, focussing on one or two 'heroes' at a time, swiftly eliminating them, overwhelming them with their advanced skill and savagery. This was until the Amazons arrived. She had been warned about an Amazon who went by name 'Wonder woman'. She was said to be a fearsome warrior, but Barda was confident she could beat her. She was wrong. After Wonder woman had slain Stompa and crippled Lashina, she came for Barda. Barda was taken prisoner, and locked away in Supermans fortress of solitude. She resides there to this day.
Granny Goodness - As lead trainer of Darkseids forces, Granny didn't think she would be needed on the front lines. Her children were out on the battlefield of Earth, while Granny remained safely on Apokolips. Until halfway through the war, Darkseid summoned her to the frontlines. Though it had been a while, she was eager to taste the blood of her enemies. Though she fought valiantly, slaying many of the so-called heroes of Earth, she finally came up against a power she could not match. The unrelenting power of a Kryptonian. Though severely injured, she was able to escape back to Apokolips.
Darkseid - Darkseid finally entered the war about a month after the initial wave of invasions. Launching himself through the boom tube, he took down three heroes (Doctor Light, who collided mid-air with Darkseid, Starfire, who was the first to taste Darkseids Omega beams. and Animal man, who was the first to taste his blade) before he even touched the ground. Once on the ground he was unrelenting, and was only stopped towards the end of the war, when the core members of the Justice league regrouped, and were able to push Darkseid back through the Boom tube. Though defeated, he was not done with Earth. Though he moved on with time, he still held a great resentment for the planet that beat him.
Kalibak - After his initial defeat to the Earth heroes 10 years prior, Kalibak was, to say the least, apprehensive about returning. He had lost his hand the last time he fought the so-called Justice league, and was scared of what he would lose this time. Still, he fought bravely, vanquishing many a foe. Though he was eventually defeated by his own forces, after they turned on him as he tried to flee back to Apokolips. They tore him limb from limb. His head was later taken to Darkseid, who put a spike through it, and mounted it on his castle wall, as a warning to anyone who dared desert, and thus betray, Darkseid.
Steppenwolf - Eager to taste the blood of his enemies, Steppenwolf led the first wave of Apokolips warriors to Earth, intent on taking the Planet, and seeing it evolve into a new Apokolips, one which he may rule over. After many disappointing battles, with lesser meta-humans, he finally came upon one who he thought could provide him a good fight: Wonder woman. He was right in thinking she could give him a good fight, but wrong in thinking she could best him. After a long tiring battle, he defeated her, his sword tearing through her chest as she looked back at him, helpless. But then a strange thing happened. As he walked away he found himself unable to move, seemingly paralysed. His chest grew warm, a searing pain coursing through him. He looked down to see a blade, darkened, and alight with green flames. He fell, but as he fell he glimpsed a hellish creature, that resembled the Amazon he had slain just moments ago.
Desaad - (Quick note, lady Desaad, just 'cos I could. Not sure if that's allowed though...) Desaad was brought to Earth towards the end of the war. Darkseid was desperately in need of new troops, and he needed them fast. Though Parademon production was quick, it was not quick enough. A full human to Parademon conversion could take up to a month, resulting in periods where there were simply not enough troops. Darkseid wanted this fixed, so sent for Desaad. Though initially sent for her brains, her brawn came in useful too, after all, she took power from suffering, and the war had brought great suffering to Earth. After a mere week, she was functioning at a level she had only experienced a few times. She solved the Parademon issue by creating a parasitic form of her genetic reprogramming technology, that could be launched as an airborne attack, converting humans on the battlefield, and forcing them to attack their own comrades within minutes. This power would surely have won the war, if the humans hadn't found the facility she was working from, destroyed all her research, and taken her prisoner. She now resides, unbeknownst to her, in the fortress of Solitude maximum confinement level, the same level as her former comrade Big Barda. Though she has heard talks of Supermans need for her as he forms a new government. She may be soon have a new master...
Parademons - Genetically engineered warriors, made from converted natives of invaded planets, purged of their weakness, and reformed as elite warriors for Darkseid. During the Millennium war, it is thought that up to a billion Parademons entered through boom tubes across the world. Their bodies litter the planet, and after the reconstruction efforts, clean up was the biggest use of resources. After all, one cannot have genetically engineered soldier remains falling into the wrong hands.
So, that's some of the story of the Millennium war. Not much about specific events, but I hope that's enough to tide over anyone who wanted to know. I've also got the Furies put together, so they should be uploaded in a day or two. As always, please lemme know what you think, and if you'd like to see more from the Overlords-verse in the future :D
Fred has been homeless here 20 years. He lost his job back then and hasn't worked since. They live under a bridge on the south side of the city all year long. Even in the wintertime, they're out there. They have a tent and a tarp and a gas stove and they try to raise money to by gas for their stove and food. Fred told me about the new ID cards they got from City Hall identifying them as homeless (their ID card doesn't have an address on it). He was very proud of that. Fred is a very friendly positive guy. No resentment in him at all. He just "takes what he can get", and appreciates everything he gets. He was very eager to talk and we chatted for at least ten minutes about life as a homeless person. Fred said that the people who "really" need help and truly hopeless are those people who sleep in doorways on cardboard on the ground. He knew there was always someone worse off than him and he had empathy for their plight. Fred said some days are good and others are bad, but he accepts them both. If someone is down or depressed he tells them to think about the positive things in your life, don't be down. Fred said he and his brother don't do drugs or anything like that. The only things he drinks are water, coffee, and pop all day and they are making money for their camp. Some people leave things messy, but Fred said they they keep their camp very clean and orderly. Again, they take pride in what they do. Fred's dream is to just have a place to live. Fred was eager and willing to talk and enjoyed sharing about his life. You can find him on the Madison Street bridge, just east of Ogilvie Transportation Center.
Life Before The Third Reich
Hall Display
Jewish Community Center
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Ten million Jews lived in Europe in the late 1930s
It was a continent overtaken by economic depression and racial/religious resentment.
Jews in Europe existed along a religious spectrum from strictly orthodox to highly secular; and along an economic spectrum from the crushing poverty of the vast majority to a small well to do elite of successful entrepreneurs.
IMG_6998 - Version 2
My Wild River Reflection On Ice...!!!
« I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the world leaders, Parliamentarians, NGOs and public who have expressed their concern over the recent deeply saddening and tragic events in Tibet. We are also grateful for their efforts in persuading the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the peaceful protesters, while at the same time calling for meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue.
I believe the recent demonstrations and protests are a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment not only of the Tibetan people in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), but also in the outlying traditional Tibetan areas now incorporated into Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, where there exist substantial ethnic Tibetans.
According to reliable sources, the Chinese authorities have deployed large contingents of troops in these traditional Tibetan regions and have not only started to crack down heavily on the Tibetans allegedly involved in the unrest, but also sealed off the areas where protests have taken place.
I therefore appeal for your continued support in calling for an immediate end to the current crackdown, the release of all those who have been arrested and detained, and the provision of proper medical treatment. We are particularly concerned about the provision of adequate medical facilities, as there are reports of many injured Tibetans being afraid to go to Chinese-run hospitals and clinics.
I would also request you to encourage the sending of an independent international body, to investigate the unrest and its underlying causes, as well as allow the media and international medical teams to visit the affected areas. Their presence will not only instill a sense of reassurance in the Tibetan people, but will also exercise a restraining influence on the Chinese authorities. »
THE DALAI LAMA
I think I sparked a lot of curiosity from my previous post about what exactly happened the night I was accosted in LA a few hours after I arrived from Seattle. I appreciate your concern and good wishes. It was not meant to be alarming or dramatic by any means. It’s just a matter of fact, and not a story I have shared because I could have easily let it taint my entire view of Los Angeles, and I did not want to do that.
The story is rather involved, so I’ve described the experience in my official blog. Similar to Sam Antonio’s interview, please click on “TIA Blogger” below and select the first image (of the LA skyline) and you can read exactly what happened.
This scene of downtown LA was the image I captured shortly before the incident. This happened over a year ago, and I hope my blog entry will give it some closure. We’ve all experienced negative situations with numskulls, and my personal objective is not to dwell on them as it’s unhealthy for my psyche. I have a lot more for which to be grateful than gloomy.
Again, thanks for your concern and good wishes! Onwards. . .
TIA INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY / TIA Facebook / TIA Twitter / TIA Blogger
Titan Pipeline Defence
I joined the Octan Security Services straight out of the Spaceforce. After a four year tour on Earth's moon trying to keep the locals under control while resentment of Earth-gov control became endemic. The final uprising, caused by a Spaceforce ship crashing into a school bus was nasty and I saw things. Things no one should see, things I won't talk about.
So here I am on Titan, sixth moon of Saturn, where the rocks are made of water, hard as granite and the rivers and lakes are liquid hydrocarbons, methane and ethane, all the 'thanes' as Gunther puts it. Gunther is my boss here, he basically sits in the control room and tells us where the Meth-Roaches are swarming, he's okay, pretty messed up from stuff he saw on the moon too though.
Meth-Roaches? Yeah, well when humans got here to Titan there was no life, not even bacteria. Great for the oil companies of course, nothing for the hippies to protest about. The Mars settlers wanted to burn hydrocarbons to create an atmosphere, the oil companies had a nice new supply of them. All great, but 'life finds a way' as that old movie put it. The bacteria mutated first, but we weren't watching for that then the roaches first learned to cope with the intense cold, then somehow their mitochondrial DNA started to run on methane instead of oxygen. The scientists tell me it was probably from eating the bacteria. Then they took the moon for themselves, titanic Roaches on Titan. Almost funny.
Most of them eat the bacteria or each other, the problem is the pipelines are slightly warmer, so the bacteria grow more around them, the Methane Roaches (Meth-Roaches) chomp on it, lots of leaks follow.
So I'm a bug squisher! We can shoot them if there's good cause, but firing lasers has a small chance of igniting the landscape (if we hit a pocket of frozen oxygen) and the gattling-railgun is hard to get ammunition for, so we generally stamp on them, they crunch quite satisfyingly. The pays pretty good, too and there are no Lunar-citizens throwing IED's at me. In another five years when my contract is done I should be able to buy a house in an area of Earth where the environment is still reasonable or maybe Mars, lots of room on Mars. Life is good.
This sheep really didn't want to be sheared, in spite of the warm weather. Her look seems to say, "How dare you just stand there and take a picture!"
Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, Arnhem, May 2018.
Canon AE-1 + 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C.
Ilford XP2 Super 400
Scanned with Epson V550
Even though I try my best
I still end up feelin' like this
Why am I so damn helpless?
What's going on in my head?
Build up stress and self resentment
I just need some air
It all adds up and I break down, I wish I didn't care
Dear Self
Be kind to yourself,
as you are with others
You have these grand expectations
of yourself
and at times,
those around you
It's good to have goals
and a hunger for
betterment,
but you must also be
vigilant
to keep them realistic
Because, while you are indeed fierce
& strong-willed,
you are also soft
& at times, fragile
You are human.
But that doesn't mean
you are without
superpowers
Your sensitivity is your greatest gift,
but without training,
can also be your greatest downfall
You must learn to master your craft.
This means to be patient with yourself
as you would with others,
to show compassion
as you would with others,
to show love,
grace,
& humility,
to yourself
This in practice,
is to truly understand,
& epitomise,
that self-care is not selfish
That it is okay to say no,
or to ask for help,
or to be truly vulnerable
To embrace the lows,
for making the highs even
sweeter
To acknowledge that fear is
the root cause
of bitterness
& resentment
To let the good wash
over you
the same as the bad,
& embrace the micro changes,
as the meta stays the same
To believe you are worthy,
of a great love,
the same as you believe
another's worthy of
yours
To embody the idiom
that one can only truly
love another,
after they learn to love
themself,
& thus allow yourself
the hard-earned victory
of grounded, stable
understanding
To know the difference between
support
& advice,
love
& lust,
friendships
& partnerships
To have faith
that you will
find your way,
because you will;
because you live your life
with generosity
& authenticity
This is my vision for you,
that you will make this,
your reality.
Likely impeachment against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff for manipulating government accounts ...
Brazilians have had enough - but what happens if they fire the politicians?
Brazil is heading into political chaos. President Dilma Rousseff made probably impeached, but accusations of corruption adheres also to her potential successors in office.
Everything went well in Brazil in 2014.
As one of the few countries in the world, and particularly in the latitudes of South America, the economy of the country in growth and growth constantly increasing. After many years of inflation and political instability, the exchange rate was reversed. Helped by rising oil and commodity prices and a hefty boost in exports to the Chinese market.
In the midst of this success story - are also included, the unemployment rate was historically low and middle class in the great country with one had much money in his hands - stood Dilma Rousseff. The popular president of the Labour Party PT and the successor to people hero 'Lula' da Silva.
But nothing lasts forever. Shortly after Brazil this year had been the head of an otherwise relatively smooth organization of the World Cup in football, things started to crumble. And so it went quickly.
Everything indicates impeachment.
We turn the run-up to Sunday evening. After the longest debate ever in the Brazilian House of Commons, should members of Congress one by one vote for or against the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.
The now faded president accused of whitewashing the key figures in the Brazilian economy up to elections in 2014. Specifically, she must have moved money from several state-owned banks over to national accounts and thus have had a budget deficit look less bad than it was .
367 members in the House voted for impeachment. 137 voted against.
As such, the same question - probably within a month - to a vote in the upper house Senate. And most political analysts expect it here will be a vote for the impeachment of the incumbent president.
If this is the outcome, suspended Dilma Rousseff with immediate effect for 180 days.
"The politicians in Brazil are good to read the community, and they can feel that people want her (Dilma Rousseff, ed.) Out," said Paulo Sotero, head of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington , to the New York Times.
In other words, there is strong evidence that Dilma Rousseff is complete.
Or as Steen Fryba Christensen, associate professor at the Department of Culture and Global Studies at Aalborg University, says it:
»Dilma Rousseff has gradually gained an image as an anonymous president. She does not have a clear idea of what Brazil need to do to perform well. Therefore, burning her former alliance partners bridges to her. The crisis in the country has been going on for two years, and things are going badly with the economy. Added these scandals and corruption allegations, there are now many who do not want to be associated with her government. "
Operation Carwash public concern.
But how is it all gone so far?
Several places in the media in Brazil identifies precisely that Dilma Rousseff has long since lost control of both his own party, but also in the political landscape in general.
Rousseff has been too arrogant and headstrong, she has been too poor to engage in dialogue, it said. And when it starts to go bad with the economy, so the people are not slow to rebel against the rulers, shows the history of the country.
Where Brazil before was a beacon among developing countries, the economy the past two years have been worse than most could have predicted. Growth has fallen by more than 3.5 percent each year and countless Brazilians have been fired from their jobs.
"People are fed up with mismanagement and of Dilmas economic mistakes and corruption and arrogance of the Labour Party. But no one is nevertheless optimistic about the what's next, "says Raul Juste Lores, editor of a leading Brazilian newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo.
"She has taken too many resources from the private sector, she was arrogant to Congress for a long time, and her economic policy was wrong," said Luciano Dias, a political consultant in the capital Brasilia, to The New York Times.
On top of all this must be added that Dilma Rousseff - and especially her mentor, former President 'Lula' da Silva - linked to the scandal that goes under the name 'Operação Lava Jato', the Danish 'Operation Car Wash'. The case is basically that the state oil company Petrobras must have channeled millions of dollars into campaigns for 'Lula and Dilma Rousseffs Workers Party.
'Operation Car Wash' is the biggest corruption case in Brazil ever and has threads to large international companies like Samsung, Rolls-Royce and A. P. Moller - Maersk. These companies all suspected to have paid large sums in bribes to have bartered giant orders for equipment with concessions or contracts to sail with oil.
"The current situation is mainly due to Brazil's dependence on export prices. Commodity prices have fallen a lot, but after the past year's diverse scandals of corruption, the economic picture has become even more aggravated. There are budget deficits and balance of payments. Interest rates have gone up, and the demand has gone down. Many have been unemployed. There is also a lack of clarity about who exactly will be responsible for the political management of the country, and it has been natural for the opposition to milk the situation, so to speak, so they can get a regime change after the fourth period with the same government "says Steen Fryba Christensen from Aalborg University.
After Effects is also under indictment.
On Sunday evening after the vote in the lower house in Brasilia went thousands of protesters on the street, both in the capital and cities in the rest of the country.
Most require that Dilma Rousseff and 'Lula' da Silva put on the gate. The President and her mentor self-recrimination reverse the opposition to carry out a coup.
In any event, the people that cleaned up the too-close ties between the political establishment and businesses.
The problem is that the people who stand to possibly having to replace Dilma Rousseff, even been accused of corruption.
Vice President Michel Temer expected to replace Rousseff temporarily if she should be brought to impeachment. Temer is a leading member of the party PMDB - the largest party in the coalition that has struggled to get the impeachment of Rousseff voted through. He is 75 years and accused of having been involved in a skandalesag the government's purchase of illegal ethanol.
The next in line, can replace Dilma Rousseff, is Renan Calheiros, leader of the Senate. Also he is under investigation in connection with 'Operation Car Wash' and the scandal surrounding Petrobras.
The following mentioned as a possible replacement for the current president, Eduardo Cunha, the powerful leader of the lower house. He is accused of using a Swiss bank account to hide up to $ 40 million in bribes.
»Eduardo Cunha, you're a gangster, and the only thing that keeps you on the record, is the smell of sulfur," said therefore Glauber Braga, a member of the Social Liberal Party, during the hearing in the lower house up to Sunday's vote.
The people are rebelling.
One of those who were on the streets and demonstrate in front of the Congress in Brasilia immediately after the vote, was Patricia Santos, a 52-year-old business owner.
"I'm happy because I think Dilma will have to go by, but I am also sad that it has come to this and also really worried that the next president may be even worse," she said to the news agency AP.
Many others among the 200 million inhabitants of South America's largest country shares the position. They believe that heads must roll among corrupt politicians. But unfortunately for the residents there is no quick fix that can remedy the chaos unfolding in Brazil right now.
"Many are accused of corruption in parliament. Therefore, we see a large degree of political alienation in the population. It turns out time and again that many of the politicians are corrupt. Now it was believed just that there were new for that were not so corrupt. But those could we not believe. Therefore, the situation in Brazil right now expression of popular protest. For the people's resentment against the government. But it's actually quite surprising how deeply rooted culture of corruption in Brazil. It makes it hard to change, "says Associate Professor Steen Fryba Christensen from Aalborg University.
Anders Hjort, Journalist from the Danish newspaper "Politiken"
At the retail giant's peak, there were upwards of 2,300 Kmart discount stores located in the United States alone. Today however, that number has plummeted to just under 30 stores remaining open, with most of those chains existing in the State of New York. The side effect of all those closures mean that there are literally thousands of vacant and abandoned Kmart box stores scattered all across the country. In some instances the former stores have been demolished or repurposed by another retailer, yet the stark reality exists that many of the stores are just rotting away; hundreds of thousands of square footage of empty retail space surrounded by a sea of asphalt parking lots.
It has been my experience that many of these massive shuttered storefronts have simply been left to rot, often becoming illegal dumping grounds for household trash and construction debris as the storefronts themselves are often left unsecured or haphazardly boarded up. The expansive parking lots have become choked with weeds happily sprouting up through cracks within the tattered asphalt as plastic bags and other man-made detritus blow across the deserted blacktop like artificial tumble weeds before becoming lodged within a disheveled bush or swept down a storm drain by a gust of wind. I've noticed on more than one occasion that vehicles have been abandoned beneath the ghostly insignia of a Kmart sign, still legible as the brick-and-mortar facade has been discolored with the outline of the logo even though the physical big red letters have long since been removed.
However, it is these apocalyptic retail sights that instill a sense of resentment within me. A fact as American as apple pie and diabetes is that corporations are simply allowed to just dissolve, often leaving behind a decaying environmental mess to become someone else's problem. Kmart it seems has never been held accountable for the stores they have shuttered and vacated, many of which have now become defacto landfills and magnets for societal decay, remaining as nothing more than urban blight and tax blackholes for the towns and cities that once cherished their existence. The retail apocalypse is upon us and within these capitalist collapses it becomes blatantly obvious that corporations do not give a damn about humanity nor cleaning up the scars they have left behind. Kmart and all unfairly regulated capitalism is, and has always been, the true apocalypse. Yet, we as the consumers still the product and now that Kmart is just about dead, they still have one last thing to sells us; and that's the plague of rotting storefronts and the mess they've let fester in towns and neighborhoods they once proclaimed to care about. The ultimate Blue Light Special.
Behind every mega-corporation there are very real humans pulling the strings and rolling in the cash whom rarely are held accountable for their greed. It's time for that nonsense to change. These CEOs are worth millions regardless of their failures and bankruptcies and it's about time we hold them hostage for their money forcing them to pay to cleanup the scars they've left behind. For the true organized retail crime is not the people looting the stores, it's the corporations looting us.
Hey fatbottom, don't think I don't see you coveting the kitten's rich, tasty kitten food. So knock it off, cuz you ain't gettin' any.
You can hatch evil plans to acquire that scrumptious food all you want, but let me remind you... you're a cat, and your strategies have been, at best, dismal failures. Let's refresh, shall we?
First, you headbutted the kitten away from her food. This was your best strategy to date, and you actually got to snarf down some of the good stuff until I caught you and you were greeted by your arch nemesis, Captain Squirtgun and his sidekick Lieutenant My-Foot-To-Yo-Fat-Butt. Me 1, Tubbins 0.
Brute force no longer an option, you decide to try stealth. Lurking - waiting for the kitten to wander off, you swoop in on a high speed raid. That didn't work out so well for you either, did it? Why not? Because at 20 something pounds, you don't 'swoop' very stealthily. There's a reason Raccoons and Possums hunt at night- because they'd starve otherwise... just like you're doing now. Me 2, Sumo-cat 0.
Taking no chances, and sick of having to guard the kitten bowl until she's done, I decide kitten gets to eat on top of the counter. You hate that more than anything don't you? I can see the resentment in your pudgy face. "Why does she get to eat steak up there, when I'm eating compressed dust down here," you wonder? Because I know you can't get up to the counter without a loud distinctive grunt and making a calamity trying to wiggle your pear-shaped ass between the wall and the toaster. Me 3, Fatty 0.
Clearly I own you - in every sense.
You really ought to just get used to the Vet's prescribed food; you're gonna be eating it for at least a decade - which is forever as far as you're concerned. Of course, It's for your own good. And you may hate me for it sometimes, but I know you - you can't hold a grudge. One scratch behind the ears and you're like putty in my hands. I know it's tough love. But it IS love nonetheless. I love my big, dumb, sweet orange kitty and I've been charged with your care. Luckily for you, it's a duty I don't take lightly. We're going to be together for a long, long time. I think that evens the score. No, that's ok - you can thank me later...
So, I was thinking how this seems like the earliest Easter ever, and about how the date of Easter is set.
The date for Easer, a moveable feast, is so wonderfully pagan -- Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring. The vernal equinox took place this week -- the day when darkness and light are of equal length -- and Spring began. And because there is a full moon tonight, that means that this Sunday is Easter.
For a lot of reasons (which you don't need to care about), the major Easter themes seem big to me this year -- redemption and rebirth. Christ, the Bible says, died to forgive you your sins. And he was born again three days later, and the fundamentalists believe that you must be born again to truly live in Christ.
I'm not religious. I am spiritual, but that's mostly because there's no escaping some sensibility of mysticism if you are raised a Catholic. Your spiritual batteries get fully charged at a very young age, and you spend a lot of time the rest of your life trying to get them up to full charge again, especially when a belief in God, or at least a belief that you have a special knowledge about what it means to be right and good, is ingrained at an early age.
When that confidence that you have knowledge of the one true way fades, as it did for me, you are left with a vacuum of spirituality that sometimes gets filled up in odd ways. Take Marin County, California, for example.
In any case, the full moon and the arrival of Easter led me to wonder about the concepts of sin, or wrongdoing, and forgiveness in religions other than Christianity. It seemed logical to assume that the issues were addressed universally.
Fr. Joseph S. O'Leary, an Irish theologian, writes about how Buddhism confronts the topics in this way:
"(Early) Buddhism does not conceive of ultimate truth in the guise of a personal God. ... The Buddhist solution to unwholesome dispositions is to overcome them by following the path that leads to release; acts of pardon and grace have little to do with it. In some early Buddhist texts, the emphasis falls not on forgiving, but on the foolishness of taking offense in the first place."
Forgive my naivety, but I applaud the leap there: There's no need to trouble yourself with wrongdoing and forgiveness, because evil exists only if you let it. I love the radicalism. There's no offense if you don't take it.
O'Leary goes on:
"Buddhism queries the reality of the passions that make forgiveness necessary and also queries the reality of the objects of those passions. My anger, resentment, and hatred are delusions, and so is the crime or offense the other is thought to have committed against me. Indeed, my very concept of "myself" and of "other" is pervaded by delusion and fixation."
---
Jewish thought, as I understand it, does not hold that a divine being grants the forgiveness of all sins. Your evil ways directed at others must be taken care of with those others, and your sins against God are between you and God, and need to be addressed there. From a Catholic perspective, you do not get to climb into the confessional, confess your sins, say three Our Fathers and emerge a new person.
Rabbi David R. Blumenthal, a professor of Judaic studies at Emory University, writes:
"Teshuv is the key concept in the rabbinic view of sin, repentance, and forgiveness. The tradition is not of one mind on the steps one must take to repent of one's sins. However, almost all agree that repentance requires five elements: recognition of one's sins as sins, remorse, desisting from sin, restitution where possible, and confession."
---
Muslims believe similarly, that no man has the authority to forgive sin. There are no stand-ins for Allah. Good works in life are the way to achieve forgiveness for sins, which, by the way, are inevitable. Ultimately, forgiveness is between you and Allah, in all his many names in the Qur'an. Islam teaches that repentance is the true way back to God. The term Tawbah in Arabic literally means "to return."
---
So. Full of such thoughts, I headed to Mount Davidson in San Francisco to watch the first full moon of Spring rise over the city by the Bay. It was a beautiful evening, but it was also windy and cold and lonesome.
It's too bad this photo is so ordinary (someday I'll get a nice long lens and make my moonshots sing), and it's too bad it has so much motion blur in it. But I'm posting it anyway, dammit.
And happy early Easter to all of us sinners and saints.
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Burmese: ကျိုက်ထီးရိုးဘုရား, pronounced [tɕaiʔtʰíjó pʰəjá]; Mon: ကျာ်သိယဵု, [tɕaiʔ sɔeʔ jɜ̀]; also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda (7.3 metres (24 ft)) built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male devotees.
According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. The rock and the pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. Another legend states that a Buddhist priest impressed the celestial king with his asceticism and the celestial king used his supernatural powers to carry the rock to its current place, specifically choosing the rock as the resemblance to the monks head. It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda.[1][2][3][4]
Currently, women are not allowed into the inner sanctuary of the rocks vicinity, maintained by an employed security guard who watches over the gated entrance. Women are permitted in the outer balcony and the lower courtyard of the rock.
C
Etymology
In the Mon language, the word 'kyaik' (ကျာ်) means "pagoda" and 'yo' (ယဵု) means "to carry on the hermit's head". The word 'ithi' (ဣသိ in Mon (from Pali ရိသိ, risi) means "hermit". Thus, 'Kyaik-htiyo' means "pagoda upon a hermit's head".[5][6]
Legend
The legend associated with the pagoda is that the Buddha, on one of his many visits, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The hermit, who had tucked it in the tuft of his hair safely, in turn gave the strand to the king, with the wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder shaped like the hermit's head. The king had inherited supernatural powers from his father Zawgyi, a proficient alchemist), and his mother, a naga serpent dragon princess. They found the rock at the bottom of the sea. With the help of the Thagyamin, the king of Tawadeintha Heaven in Buddhist cosmology, found the perfect place at Kyaiktiyo for locating the golden rock and built a pagoda, where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. The boat, which was used to transport the rock, turned into a stone. This is also worshiped by pilgrims at a location about 300 metres (980 ft) from the golden rock. It is known as the Kyaukthanban Pagoda or stupa (literal meaning: stone boat stupa).[1][6][7]
Legends also mention that pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp three times consecutively in a year will be blessed with wealth and recognition.[8]
Left: Stereoscopic view in 1900. Right: Night view in 2007
Geography
The pagoda is located near Kyaikto in Mon State in the northern part of the Tenasserim coast. The Golden Rock is situated at an elevation of 1,100 m (3,609 ft) above mean sea level, on top of the Kyaiktiyo hill (also known as Kelasa hills or Eastern Yoma mountains); it is on the Paung-laung ridge of the Eastern Yoma mountains. It is at a distance of 210 kilometres (130 mi) from Yangon and 140 kilometers (86 mi) north of Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State.[9][10] The Kinpun village 16 km (10 mi) is at the base of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. It is the closest to the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. From Kyaiktiyo, the foot trail or road starts for the Golden rock. On this approach, there are numerous granite boulders on the mountain, perched in precarious condition. Near the top of the mountain, there are two large lions guarding the entrance to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. From this location, known as Yatetaung (the last point for vehicular traffic), pilgrims and visitors have to climb to the Golden Rock barefoot, after leaving their footwear behind, as per Burmese custom.[1][3][7][11] The paved mountain track, built in 1999, from the bus terminal at Yatetaung, is along a dusty section with kiosks on both sides and the climb of 1.2 km up to the Golden Rock is stiff and takes about one hour to reach.[1] From the base camp at Kinpun, the hiking trek to the pagoda is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) and many devotees do this trek as part of the pilgrimage rites.[12] There are also many temples and pagodas, which have been built recently on other hills in the vicinity of the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda that are visited by pilgrims and tourists by trekking along foot tracks.[8]
Structures
The boulder, which gleams golden and popularly known as the Golden Rock on which the small Kyaiktiyo Pagoda has been built, is about 25 feet (7.6 m) in height and has a circumference of 50 feet (15 m). The Pagoda above the rock is about 7.3 metres (24 ft) in height. The boulder sits on a natural rock platform that appears to have been naturally formed to act as the base to build the pagoda. This granite boulder lies on an inclined plane and the area of contact is extremely small. The golden rock or boulder and the rock table on which it is resting are independent of each other; the golden rock has an overhang of half its length and is perched at the extreme end of the sloping surface of the rock. There is a sheer vertical drop in the rock face, into the valley below. A lotus shape is painted in gold leaf, encircling the base of the rock. It appears as though the boulder will crash down at any moment. A staircase leads to the pagoda complex that houses several viewing platforms, pagodas, Buddha shrines, and nats (spirits worshipped in Burma in conjunction with Buddhism shrines). However, the Golden Rock is the main attraction for the pilgrims who offer prayers and also stick golden leaves on the rock in reverence. A short distance away, there is a circle of gongs with four statues of nats and angels in the centre.[1][3][4][7][8][11][12]
A main square close to the golden rock has many establishments that deal in religious paraphernalia for worship and offerings made by the pilgrims. Adjoining the plaza area is the Potemkin village where restaurants, gift shops, and guest houses are located. A new terrace has been built at a lower level from which visitors can get a good view of the rock and the pagoda.[1]
Pilgrimage
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda or Golden Rock has become a popular pilgrimage and also tourist attraction. At the peak of the pilgrimage season, during November to March, an atmosphere of devotion is witnessed at Kyaikhtiyo pagoda. As the golden rock gleams in different shades from dawn to dusk (the sight at dawn and at sunset are unique), pilgrims' chants reverberate in the precincts of the shrine. Lighting of candles, meditation and offerings to the Buddha continues throughout the night. Men cross over a bridge across an abyss to affix golden leaves (square in shape) on the face of the Golden Rock, in deep veneration. However, women are not allowed to touch the rock so cannot cross the bridge. Pilgrims visit the pagoda, from all regions of Myanmar; a few foreign tourists also visit the pagoda. Even disabled persons who are staunch devotees of Buddha visit the pagoda, walking up the track on crutches. Old people, who can not climb, are carried on stretchers by porters to the Pagoda to offer prayers to Buddha.[2][4][13] The Full Moon day of Tabaung in March, is a special occasion for pilgrims who visit the shrine. On this day, the platform of the pagoda is lighted with ninety thousand candles as reverential offering to the Lord Buddha. The devotees visiting the pagoda also offer fruits, food and incense to the Buddha.[6][14]
Currently, women are not allowed into the inner sanctuary of the rocks vicinity, maintained by an employed security guard who watches over the gated entrance. Women are permitted in the outer balcony and the lower courtyard of the rock. The belief stems from the practice of women forbidden to make physical contact with male monks, who are vowed under chastity as the rock itself represents of the Buddhist monk resembling its head.
+++++
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Once upon a time, and indeed, a very long time ago, there lived a tiny bird. He lived in a village surrounded by magnificent, fertile land. His presence throughout the village in which he called home, however, went entirely unnoticed. Everyday, the tiny bird woke up, and with renewed vigour set out to accomplish the sole task of trying to make the village people acknowledge him. Everyday, he failed. His tactics, though stellar, and quite unselfish, and well conceived, proved unsuccessful. The tiny bird never gave up though. Tomorrow was another opportunity to fulfill his quest.
Despite his insignificance, the tiny bird lived a validated life, and thus, happily, with much fulfillment amongst the village people. He loved them so.
The tiny bird resided in a particularly tall tree that towered high above the rooftops and from a small hollow, he could while away the hours of the day and watch with very keen interest, and growing admiration, the comings, and goings on of the bustling village.
There was always a flurry of activity down below. As time passed, the tiny bird was able to decipher different families, and learn their individual idiosyncrasies. He knew who belonged to who. He saw their routines, and could predict with accuracy the events that would unfold every day.
The regime began in the early hours of the morning.
The men, having had their fill of hot porridge and tea, would leave the sleepy village and with quiet stealth head for the fields.
Every night they would return, tired and bedraggled from the days labour. They jostled, and laughed with each other as they made their way back home, anticipating, with great eagerness, the satisfying meal that would be waiting for them.
The tiny bird watched as the women folk would gather in the courtyard every morning. They would trade their abundance of wares with each other. One woman baked pies; another bread; another bartered her exquisite quilts. Friendly, and polite conversation ensued as the women quickly negotiated. It was a finely tuned, orchestrated event, and the tiny bird marvelled at the speed in which it took place. Time was valuable, and there was much to do back at home before the men returned.
Everyone had a role in the community - even the children. They too, had expectations to fulfill in this wonderfully scripted performance. Daily chores included milking of the cows, and goats, gathering of eggs, sweeping, and collecting wood for the fire that would eventually greet their fathers home. After the chores were completed the children did what children do - they played.
The tiny bird took immense pleasure as a spectator during this time of the day. He sat high up in the tree, watching the noisy, liberated joy, and the camaraderie the children shared with each other. It was the best time of the day.
Everyone participated - except one. Her name was Maggie. He could not figure out why, but the children treated her differently, or rather, ignored her. She did not take part in the games. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The children neglected to include her and every time she made motions to join in, they rejected her. Consequently, Maggie would sit in quiet resignation, and watch with longing as her peers frolicked about.
It tore the tiny bird apart to see the same scenario replay everyday. It caused him much anguish as he witnessed the injustice that the children administered, and with such callous, flippant disregard. He could not understand how this could happen in his happy, perfect village. He grew to love Maggie and watched her in silent fellowship.
It was very early one morning when the tiny bird woke up. He recognized that he was losing the joy in his life, and that the reasons for getting up in the morning were slowly diminishing. Nevertheless, he was at a loss as to what he could do to make a difference in Maggie’s life. The tiny bird was tiny but he had great wisdom and discernment. He knew that he could not continue living with so much anger and resentment towards the children. They were foolish and ignorant as to the pain they inflicted on one of their very own. He looked down at his beloved village. It was so quiet. He watched as the smoke from every chimney silently curled upward, then merge, dancing as one ethereal plume and drift off into the early morn.
It did not take very much longer for the sleeping villagers to finish the last of their dreams, and as the sun heralded another day the village awoke. With purpose, the villager’s routine began to unfold.
The men left. The women attended to their trades. The children finished their chores, and began to congregate. One by one, they emerged from their homes, and filled the village square with much anticipation, and enthusiasm.
Maggie appeared. The tiny bird watched her, as she, like a hundred times before, tried to engage with the children in their playtime. Again, they snubbed her.
Downcast, Maggie walked away and leaned against a fence post, and once again, resumed her position as spectator.
The tiny bird was incensed. Enough was enough! He flew from the hollow in the tree. Like an angry lightening bolt, and with the same intent to inflict, he dove down into the children.
Up and down he pelted his rage upon them. Over and over he dove. However, it was to no avail! The children did not see him - after-all, he was just a tiny bird.
Utterly depleted, the tiny bird flew over to the fence post where Maggie stood alone. He looked at her. To his disbelief, Maggie looked back at him, and for the very first time, he knew that she could see him!
She clapped her hands in glee. The tiny bird was smitten. He was so elated that he took a deep breathe and puffed up his chest as much as he could. He opened his tiny beak and to his utter dismay the sweetest song came belting out from deep within the depths of his tiny heart. He could not believe it! His very first song! Oh such joy! Maggie stood, with wonder, and delight, as she watched the tiny bird sing - just for her.
In time, the tiny bird recognized that he could not make the village children accountable, nor could he change them. He knew in their ignorance they did not have the eyes to see, the ears to hear or possess hearts with the capacity for unconditional love.
Perhaps, one day, that would change…
So it was - everyday, as morning broke across the horizon, the tiny bird would rise up from the safety of his hollow, and perch himself on a tree just outside of Maggie’s bedroom window. He would puff up his tiny chest with as much tenacity as he could muster, and sing his tiny song to Maggie, and he did that, for the rest of his tiny life.
The Mongol Empire was at its peak. The grandsons of Genghis Khan have expanded it from Hungary to Korea. The most powerful was Kublai Khan as his prestige was boosted by his conquest of Southern China and Korea. At his peak he decided that he would conquer Japan. The Mongols believed that it was their divine right given to them by Tengri to rule the world under the great blue sky. The Mongols however were not experts when it came to naval warfare, so they had to develop their own navy with the help of South Chinese and Koreans who still had some resentment.
The Mongols did send envoys to the Japanese to tell them to surrender but they refused. In 1274, the Mongols invaded. They would be met by the numerous Samurai Clans that would battle them on the beaches. The Japanese were prepared as an old seawall stretched along the coast, but this wasn't enough. The Mongols did make some ground, but losses were too high. The Mongols would withdraw. During this withdrawal their ships were destroyed by a typhoon that would become known as "kamikaze" or "divine wind".
These same events would repeat itself in 1281. The Mongols were defeated once again and the idea of Mongol invincibility was diminished. Kublai would also lose his prestige and would embark on even more outrageous conquests such as invading Java, Vietnam, and Burma, all of which failed. Kublai would become more withdrawn from rule and turned to eating and drinking. He would suffer from obesity and gout. Kublai would eventually die in 1291 A.D. in a now more divided Mongol Empire. The Mongol invasion of Japan seems like a minor footnote in history, but its consequences were immense.
Even though all I did was provide figures for this collab, it was fun seeing it all come together and meeting literally everyone involved in it for the first time. Big congrats to the members of the collab for getting best Battle Scene. Cant wait for what we're going to do next year!
A Chinese soldier is holding a dadao (giant sword), while the rest of his comrades are looking on it. This picture represent almost every Chinese soldier variant I came up with. This picture also symbolish the unity of the Chinese army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, an united front against the Japanese expansional aggression in China. Both nationalist and communist armies are depicted in this shot as well as troops who were serving their warlords, loyal to the KMT.
The sword also symbolish the unity of China.
On 12 December 1936, Zhang Xueliang kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek in Xi'an to force an end to the conflict between KMT and CCP. As Chiang's policy of policy of "internal pacification before external resistance’’ was very unpopular with the Chinese populace, which caused widespread resentment against the ruling KMT leadership and its regional warlord allies. To secure the release of Chiang, the KMT was forced to agree to a temporary end to the Chinese Civil War and the forming of a united front between the CCP and KMT against the Empire Of Japan on 24 December 1936.
he China Democratic League, an umbrella organization for three political parties and three political pressure groups, also agreed to take part in the united front formed by KMT and CCP.
As a result of the truce between KMT and CPC, the Red Army was reorganized into the New Fourth Army and the 8th Route Army, which were placed under the command of the National Revolutionary Army. The CPC agreed to accept the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, and began to receive some financial support from the central government run by KMT.
After the commencement of full-scale war between China and Japan, the Communists forces fought in alliance with the KMT forces during the Battle of Taiyuan, and the high point of their cooperation came in 1938 during the Battle of Wuhan.
However, the Communists submission to the chain of command of the National Revolutionary Army was in name only. The Communists acted independently and hardly ever engaged the Japanese in conventional battles but proved efficient in guerrilla warfare. The level of actual coordination between the CPC and KMT during the Second Sino-Japanese War was minimal.
Although it was united front on paper. There was friction between Nationalist and Communist Forces, which intensified in the fall of 1940, culminating in the New Fourth Army Incident with a full-fledged battle between the New Fourth Army and KMT National Revolutionary Army forces. Up until that point, most of the battles had been skirmishes.
This was a concept that never made it into the brickfilm about the Second Sino-Japanese War, but despite that this concept was reused in another brickfilm of mine called: Lego WWII: The Little Match Girl.
Custom: Dadao/gear/helmets: Brickarms
Custom: Torso: Brickmania
Custom hat’s: Unknown Chinese knock-off.
Link to the project where this concept was designed for:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQfZf7B0pr0
Link to Lego WWII: The Little Match Girl:
The Ruby
115 Studs in length
After the defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Good Witch of the North helped Dorothy Gale return home to Kansas. The Land of Oz was left, by the Wizard, in the capable hands of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion. Although they lead the people of Oz with grace and wisdom, the lands were so large that even they could not keep everything in check. Oz began to fall to ruin...
The Winkies, once slaves to the Wicked Witch’s whims, attempted to rebuild their society, but were hampered by the prejudice they faced from other citizens of Oz. The Munchkins could not relate to them given their history with the Wicked Witch of the East; the citizens of the Emerald City looked down on them as gullible puppets; even the Gillikins of the North, under the guidance of Glinda, held on to their resentment. The Tin Man tried to teach his people compassion, but their hearts could not be changed.
The three leaders decided that Dorothy was needed in Oz once more. Through her leadership, they would work to restore Oz to not only what it once was, but what it could truly be. The Scarecrow devised a way to contact her, and she agreed to return to them. Once back in the Emerald City, she took on the title of General, and began working on a plan to unite the people of Oz. Dorothy first went to the Munchkins, who welcomed her back as the hero she once was. The Munchkin people, she had heard, had moved on from their agricultural roots and had been delving into engineering and technologies. She requested of them a vehicle capable to her task.
The Munchkins constructed the MK-78, which Dorothy nicknamed The Ruby. This craft would allow General Gale and her team to travel across the Land of Oz, finding refugee Winkies and teaching tolerance to the other citizens. Two removable containers (one communication, one a mobile garage) could remain in an area while the ship continued searching for those in need. If difficulty occurs, the ship is equipped with a small fighter dubbed the ”Flying Monkey” to protect both it and those they are trying to help, while the bridge-module also serves as a shuttle. Three Munchkin engineers travel with the ship to keep it operational.
Through her work, Dorothy has been able to bring the Winkies together with the Quadlings, the Rlys and the Hilanders who helped shelter them and guide them on the path to a functional society. Dorothy remains at the helm of The Ruby, bringing the people of Oz together, one brick at a time.
(She thinks Molly is the killer...) A great simple game to bring out sarcasm and resentment in family and friends...
Title.
Door.
( LUMIX G3 shot )
Manhattan. New York. USA. 2017. … 6 / 6
(Today's photo. It was previously published, but I re-edited it.)
Images:
Drake - Laugh Now Cry Later ft. Lil Durk
youtu.be/JFm7YDVlqnI?si=a9_Ovo-jmTB8Wnef
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My new novel
B♭ (B Flat)
Volume 13 😄
The following is still in its draft stage and will be revised further.
Key parts are not disclosed.
The order of the content shown here is mixed.
(Of course, this is not the final version.)
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My new novel
B♭ (B Flat)
The Republican Party had chosen Justin Bradford as its presidential candidate.
In response, the Democrats put forward Ryan Bennett.
Ryan sat in a room of his white-walled mansion on South Beverly Drive, gazing out at the manicured garden and tree-lined street. His mind drifted back to his childhood. He had always lived within a carefully calculated order. His days followed a strict timetable; his homework was flawless. Teachers praised him, while classmates kept their distance. To Ryan, being a model student was both a source of pride and a burden of solitude.
In the hush of the library, he first brushed against the realm of politics. During student council debates, his logic seldom drew applause, and often invited cold stares. People were moved by instinct and emotion. Reason alone could not stir the crowd—this he came to understand.
It was in that abyss of loneliness that Sophia appeared. A gentle voice, steady eyes, and a generosity that never rejected his logic but embraced it instead. They exchanged words, they shared silences, and in each other’s presence they found solace. Sophia was not only the one who steadied his reason, but also the light that warmed his solitude.
After graduating from UCLA, Ryan stepped onto the path of politics. First as a state legislator, then as a member of Congress, he rose without falter. Yet the public gaze remained cold. His patrician face, his meticulous speeches, his flawless reasoning—all these bred distance and resentment. People whispered, “Another elite come to lecture us.”
In that harsh world, his running mate, Alex Murphy, stood by him. Eight years his senior, Murphy possessed a seasoned intuition and decisiveness. He bridged the gap between Ryan’s logic and the people’s emotions, reading the shifting tides of resentment and expectation.
Then came the day when former Democratic president Owen Reed was struck by a sniper’s bullet during a speech. The shot did not take his life, but Ryan felt, with a shudder, the cruelty of the political stage. That night, alone in his study, he stared at the shadow cast by the streetlamp beyond his window. The long silhouette mirrored the solitude and the weight of order he had carried all his life.
Doubt flickered in his eyes, reflecting the city’s lights. Should he follow reason and order, or turn toward the people’s emotions? Having walked the path of the elite, he now saw that logic alone could not redeem reality. Without Sophia’s warmth and Murphy’s intuition, he might not have been able to take another step forward.
Sophia quietly took his hand. “You are not alone. We are here.”
Ryan gave the faintest nod, feeling the chains of solitude loosen, little by little, in the depths of his heart.
During his university years, Ryan had often felt estranged from the public. The scarce applause at debates, the cool reception of his political essays, the smirks at his street speeches. His arguments were correct, but people yearned for emotion. Logic alone could not move them.
Sophia understood her role as the wife of a politician. She stayed by Ryan’s side when public duties drained him, offering the warmth of home. On quiet nights, they would simply sit together, thinking wordlessly of the future.
Murphy, by contrast, acted on instinct. In moments of crisis, he guided Ryan—the tightening of security after the shooting, the handling of the media, the appeal to the public. Where reason could not reach, experience took over. Ryan came to rely on him, and to trust him deeply.
His solitude was also the weight of politics itself. Cool analysis, flawless planning, correct judgment. Yet often, the people could not understand. A reason stripped of feeling drew criticism, and deepened his isolation.
And yet, Sophia made him human. She gave warmth to cold logic, and the power to reach hearts. Murphy, with his decisiveness and experience, built a bridge between reason and emotion.
When the news of the shooting reached him, Ryan felt fear as something tangible for the first time. Politics could not be defended by theory from a study alone. Confusion, the crack of gunfire, the press of terror—faced with them, he knew his own helplessness.
Streetlamps reflected in his eyes; bloodstains on rubble, neighbors clasping hands, mothers crying out. Reality pressed itself upon him. Reason alone could not save, nor logic alone preserve order. Compassion, empathy—these were what people needed.
Sophia spoke softly. “Logic matters. But now is the time to show your heart. People are seeking empathy.”
Ryan smiled faintly and set down his pen. The alignment of order was paused; he resolved to entrust himself to the waves of feeling.
Murphy looked out the window and nodded gently. “Do not fear, Ryan. Your reason, my intuition, Sophia’s warmth—together, they will keep us true.”
Buoyed by those words, Ryan slowly cast aside the shadow of solitude.
The attempt on Owen Reed’s life was both terror and warning. Yet it was also a teacher, revealing the reality of the political stage. Ryan grasped its weight, and steeled himself to go forward.
On the street corner, trembling citizens; beneath the rubble, neighbors holding hands; a mother’s anguished cry. As he listened, Ryan was tested—not only as a politician, but as a human being. Torn between reason and emotion, he found in Sophia and Murphy an unshakable support.
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My new novel:
B♭ (B-flat)
There’s still more to come. 😃
(This is not the final draft.)
Set in New York City.
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Soundtrack.
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack/pl.u-47...
Note: I gave a brief explanation of this novel in the following video:
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b/pl.u-47DJGhopxMD
My new novel:
B♭ (B-flat)
Notes
1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"
•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.
•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).
•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.
•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.
2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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Title.
Door.
( LUMIX G3 shot )
マンハッタン。ニューヨーク。アメリカ。2017. … 6 / 6
(今日の写真。それは過去に発表しました。しかし、再編集しました。)
Images:
Drake - Laugh Now Cry Later ft. Lil Durk
youtu.be/JFm7YDVlqnI?si=a9_Ovo-jmTB8Wnef
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
第13弾。 😄
以下は、まだ初稿の段階です。まだ推敲します。
重要な部分は公開していません。
公開している内容の順番はバラバラです。
(もちろん最終稿ではありません。)
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
共和党大統領候補のジャスティン・ブラッドフォードに対し、民主党は、ライアン・ベネットを選出していた。
ライアン・ベネットは、サウス・ベヴァリー・ドライブ沿いの白壁の豪邸の一室に座り、窓の外に広がる手入れの行き届いた庭園と並木道を見つめながら、子供の頃の自分を思い出していた。幼い日の彼は、常に計算された秩序の中にいた。時間割通りに生活し、宿題も常に完璧に仕上げた。教師は彼を褒め、同級生は距離を置いた。彼にとって、優等生であることは誇りであると同時に孤独でもあった。
図書館の静寂の中で、彼は初めて政治の片鱗に触れた。学生自治会の討論で、彼の論理は拍手を浴びることはなく、しばしば冷たい視線に晒された。人々は直感や感情で動く。理屈だけでは、群衆の心を動かせないのだと、彼は知った。
その孤独の淵に、ソフィアが現れた。柔らかい声、落ち着いた眼差し、そして彼の論理を拒むことなく受け止める包容力。二人は言葉を交わし、沈黙を共有し、互いの存在に慰めを見いだした。ソフィアは、ライアンの理性を支えるだけでなく、彼の孤独を温める光でもあった。
カリフォルニア大学ロサンゼルス校卒業後、ライアンは政治の道を歩み始めた。州議会議員として、そして連邦議会議員として、彼は順調に昇りつめた。だが、国民の視線は常に冷たかった。エリートの顔つき、整然とした演説、完璧すぎる論理は、多くの人々に距離感と反感を与えた。人々はつぶやく。「また、エリートが我々に説教するのか」と。
副大統領候補のアレックス・マーフィーは、その冷徹な世界にあって、ライアンを支える存在であった。八歳年上の彼は、経験に裏打ちされた直感と決断力を持つ。ライアンの論理と感情の間に立ち、国民の反感や期待の波を読み解く力があった。
民主党前大統領オーウェン・リードが演説中に狙撃された。弾丸は命を奪わなかったが、政治の舞台の残酷さをライアンは身をもって知った。その夜、ライアンは自室の書斎で、窓の外の街灯に映る自らの影を見つめた。長い影は、これまでの人生で背負ってきた孤独と秩序の重さを映していた。
街の灯りに反射する瞳の中には迷いがあった。理性と秩序に従うのか、それとも国民の感情に寄り添うのか。エリートの道を歩んできた彼の目には、論理だけでは救えない現実が見えていた。ソフィアの温もりとマーフィーの直感がなければ、彼は前に進むことさえできなかったかもしれない。
ソフィアはそっと彼の手を握った。「あなたは一人じゃない。私たちがいる」と。
ライアンは微かに肯いた。心の奥で、孤独の鎖が少しずつほどけていくのを感じた。
大学時代、ライアンは何度も国民との乖離を体感した。討論会での拍手の少なさ、政治論文の冷たい評価、街頭演説での冷笑。論理は正しくとも、人々は感情を求める。理屈だけでは、人は動かない。
ソフィアは、政治家の妻としての役割を理解していた。公務で疲弊したライアンに寄り添い、家庭の温もりを提供した。静かな夜、二人はただ座り、言葉少なに未来を思った。
マーフィーは直感で動き、危機的な場面ではライアンを導いた。銃撃事件後の警備調整、メディア対応、国民への呼びかけ。理性だけでは追いつかない現場を、彼は経験で補った。ライアンはその存在を頼りにし、信頼した。
ライアンの孤独は政治の重さでもあった。冷静な分析、完璧な計画、正しい判断。それらが国民に理解されないこともあった。感情に欠ける理性は、時として非難を招き、孤独を深める。
だが、ソフィアの存在が、ライアンを人間らしくした。冷たい論理に温度を与え、心に寄り添う力を持たせた。マーフィーは行動力と経験で、論理と感情の橋渡しを行った。
狙撃事件のニュースを聞いたとき、ライアンは初めて恐怖を身近に感じた。政治は書斎の理論だけでは守れない。瞬間の混乱、銃声、恐怖。それらを前にして、彼は自らの無力を知った。
街角の光、瓦礫の中の血痕、避難する人々。全てが現実として彼の前にあった。理性だけでは救えない、理屈だけでは秩序を維持できない。感情に寄り添い、共感を示すことが必要だった。
ソフィアは静かに語る。「論理は重要。でも今は心を示すとき。人々は共感を求めている」
ライアンは微かに笑い、ペンを置いた。秩序の整列は一旦休止し、感情の波に身を任せる覚悟を決めた。
マーフィーは窓の外を見つめ、微かに肯いた。「恐れるな、ライアン。君の理性、私の直感、ソフィアの温もり。全てがあれば、我々は道を誤らない」
ライアンはその言葉に支えられ、孤独の影を少しずつ振り払った。
オーウェン・リードの狙撃事件は、恐怖であり警告でもあった。だがそれは同時に、政治の舞台の現実を教える教師でもあった。ライアンはその重さを理解し、前に進む決意を固めた。
街角で震える人々、瓦礫の下で手を取り合う隣人、泣き叫ぶ母親。その声に耳を傾け、ライアンは政治家として、そして人間としての判断を試されていた。理性と感情の間で揺れる彼の心に、ソフィアとマーフィーは揺るがぬ支えとして存在していた。
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僕の新しい小説。
B♭ （ビーフラット）
舞台はニューヨークです。
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Soundtrack.
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack/pl.u-47...
追記 この小説を多少説明しました。
youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV
メモ
1
「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」
•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。
•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。
•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。
•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。
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2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』
youtu.be/SOUH8iVqSOI?si=Ju-Y728irtcWR71K
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Shots fired at Trump rally
youtu.be/1ejfAkzjEhk?si=ASqJwEmkY-2rW_hT
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EXPLORED #89
I just want to apologize for having not been around to comment on your threads. I've been a little blue. I think my broken ankle and the stinking boot that goes along with it are really starting to wear me down. Doing any little thing seems to be a MAJOR ordeal. I still have two more weeks of wearing the boot but at least my ankle does seem to be healing........FINALLY! You know what they say......."Doctors and nurses make the worst patients." I admit it! ;0) It's true! LOL!
Also? I reached a milestone in Explore yesterday with my hummingbird photo (200 of my photos have made it into Explore) and I want to thank you all for your friendships, views, comments, faves, and invites. I couldn't have done it without all of you. Thank you all so much!!!!!
I hope you all have a beautiful day and I will be around to catch up on your photostreams today! Big hugs!
For Gorgeous Green Thursday
envy . . . a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
Kendrick said I could only upload 3. okay, so maybe she said two, but I'm interpreting it to mean 3 because lets be honest, this is just funny. ...except to those fathers who were trying to enjoy a nice fathers day at the inner harbor carousel with their small children. The way I see it, the kids are too young to remember anyway. And if they still hold some weird resentment towards zombies after they've grown up... well, maybe that's normal.
The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge was a Whipple through truss bridge that was the first road bridge to cross the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was replaced in 1966 by the Interstate 480 girder bridge.
Originally called the Douglas Street Bridge, the bridge was built by the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company in 1888 at a cost of $500,000. It was designed to handle streetcars and replaced a ferry service that had opened in 1854. It was originally built as a single bridge. Due to increased demand, they built a twin sister bridge next to the existing one. It was the Lincoln Highway bridge from 1913 to 1930. (Notice the L for Lincoln Highway in the picture.) It was then the Highway 30 bridge, then Highway 30A, then Highway 30 S until its destruction.
It was a toll bridge. As automobiles became more popular, there were resentments about the tolls. In 1895, a group of businessmen formed the "Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben" ("Nebraska" spelled backward). In 1938, they sold bonds to finance the purchase of the bridge for $2,350,000. They continued to charge tolls until 1947, at which point the bonds were paid off and the structure, along with the South Omaha Bridge, became free bridges. The hated toll booths were paraded through Omaha before a crowd of 35,000 observers to celebrate Free Bridge Day on September 24, 1947. The estimated traffic on the bridge doubled the following year.
It was replaced in November 1966 with an unnamed I-480 girder bridge (I-480 was to go on and be named the "Gerald R. Ford Freeway" after the native son President). Attempts were made to salvage the bridge as a pedestrian walkway, but it was demolished in 1968 although the east pier remains in the river just south of the interstate on the Council Bluffs side.
U.S. Route 6 overlaps the interstate to cross the river.
"Miss Taggart, do you know the hallmark of the second-rater? It's resentment of another man's achievement. Those touchy mediocrities who sit trembling lest someone's work prove greater than their own--they have no inkling of the loneliness that comes when you reach the top. The loneliness for an equal--for a mind to respect and an achievement to admire. They bare their teeth at you from out of their rat holes, thinking that you take pleasure in letting your brilliance dim them--while you'd give a year of your life to see a flicker of talent anywhere among them. They envy achievement, and their dream of greatness is a world where all men have become their acknowledged inferiors. They don't know that that dream is the infallible proof of mediocrity, because that sort of world is what the man of achievement would not be able to bear. They have no way of knowing what he feels when surrounded by inferiors--hatred? no, not hatred, but boredom--the terrible, hopeless, draining, paralyzing boredom. Of what account are praise and adulation from men whom you don't respect? Have you ever felt the longing for someone you could admire? For something, not to look down at, but up to?"
Full name: Florence Lynn Wyndham
Aliases: Florence/Flor, Switch, Cpt Wyndham
Age: 29
Nationality: English
Bio: Florence is the half sister of Rowena Nix. Born to a same father but raised by different mothers, she harbours a bit of resentment and acts as Nix’s foil. Joining the MPS at a young age, she made her way through the ranks with a doctorate in security and intelligence studies. But as the economy failed globally, she left and was asked to head a team alongside her former partners, and created Vertex, the new law enforcement and partial PMC.
Upon being one of the heads of Vertex, Florence has solved many cases in crimes, magic and technology. She has crossed many paths with her sister, and recently leading down to conflict.
Personality, powers and abilities: Strict, cynical and headstrong. Often tough as nails makes her a good leader. A decision matters a lot to her. Born with the ability to control density, she can alter herself at will and apply the same to various objects, if not the entirety yet part of it.
Equipment: Wears standard police gear with upgraded technology and armour. Often carries a sharp cutlass and wields a shotgun.