As her birthday present Caithlin had a mechanical toy fish, which she at first wached with a bit scepticism. It was definitely not edible, but maybe a bit dangerous, when it wriggles...

Dushara Cathal Caithlin (Somali cat), 04.12.2022.

Olympus OMD EM5 Digital Camera

from Nelli, looking at the New Year with a mixture of eager anticipation and some (probably justified) scepticism ...

Welcome 2022!

Tiggerlilly

It has been four, really long weeks that I have been sequestered to the house. I have developed a good routine though - I go from my bed, to the couch that is immersed in the healing warmth of the sun, and then onto the chair in front of the fire, then back to bed again.

The dogs watch me with a mix of scepticism, disbelief, and perhaps even a bit of sympathy. Their leashes lay dormant.

It won't be long before we will be out enjoying our coveted walks again. In the meantime, I can relive the many wonderful, rich memories through the photos I have taken in the past.

This is one of them.

Eyebrows don't lie: Scepticism

Rue de Vaugirard at Square Adolphe et Jean Chérioux (15e)

Paris, France 16.02.2023

The Butterfly House is always a sanctuary to me especially in chilly and foggy weather such as yesterday's. I noted that our Lacewing must be on the very verge of death. It fluttered a bit, lower and lower, and finally crept about on the concrete floor, unsure where it was going, not afraid of approaching Olymp.

The scientific name 'Cethosia' derives, according to famous biologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), Nomenclator Zoologicus, from a Greek word for 'mourning': "κῆδος, luctus, kêdos = lutto". I'm not entirely convinced he's correct because mostly Butterflies are named for the heroes and heroines of Classical Antiquity. Anyway, these Lacewings often have a 'funereal' look - regard here that quite black fringe. So perhaps my slight scepticism is out of place.

My last post for a few days I am having a small break to do very little.

I think this was the first photograph I took when I arrived in Tromso last December. It’s only an electrical shop but it did look so pretty in the permanent gloom of the Arctic winter. I knew as I took it that it would serve well as a Christmas card…so that’s what it is.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas have a wonderful one. For those who celebrate anything else I hope you enjoy it. Finally for those of you who like me just let the Christmas thing drift by us enjoy the drifting. I intend to do some walking and reread the excellent quartet of novels by Richard Ford about the life and times of Frank Bascombe. I like this character a lot he has a good heart and a healthy amount of scepticism useful qualities these days.

I shall be off Flickr for a few days but will catch up with you all before the New Year arrives. So whatever you do, have a good one.

PS it’s the winter solstice so at least the light starts to return

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED.

IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW MY STREAM I SUGGEST YOU OUGHT TO READ MY PROFILE FIRST

keeping hope and enthusiasm alive in the 2nd Spring.... how do you do it?

Gridrow Heights at Elysion

“What of Art?

-It is a malady.

--Love?

-An Illusion.

--Religion?

-The fashionable substitute for Belief.

--You are a sceptic.

-Never! Scepticism is the beginning of Faith.

--What are you?

-To define is to limit.”

― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

… herring gull (not 100% sure) at a Baltic Sea beach.

1.

uncertainty about what is happening, intended, or required.

"there seems to be some confusion about which system does what"

synonyms:uncertainty, lack of certainty, unsureness, indecision, hesitation, hesitancy, scepticism, doubt, ignorance,a situation of panic or disorder.

2.

the state of being bewildered or unclear in one's mind about something.

Entered in

"AWESOME ABSTRACTS" - SOTN

www.flickr.com/groups/1344849@N25/discuss/721576797139244...

seen in Goslar/ Harz in the morning, when all Europeans were ordered to return to their home, churches were closed and hospitals were full.

To believe on kismet, karma,fate, god's will or devil's revenge allow to live a somnambulic life. Science, scepticism, principle of scientific falsification, public control of scientific findings, democratic separation of powers are relevant to give next generations a chance to live in dignity.

This road of grace is not always easy to discover. When you are really at peace, listening to the heart is not difficult. But there are also moments of weariness and emptiness, of scepticism and almost of despair, when it takes courage to enter the barren landscape of one’s soul. The bitterness of existence can hit you in all sorts of ways. Don’t be too surprised when such shadows come. They will not last. They are never the whole story. Dawn will come after every darkness. And that emergence into light is one of the signs of the Spirit at work. It is more than ‘natural’. It is a healing liberation that comes from the artistry of God within us. In countless ways you experience God even though you may not realise it.

-FAITH MAPS Ten religious explorers from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger Michael Paul Gallagher SJ, chapter 3:

Karl Rahner: the magnetism of mystery

OBSERVE collective

Lilleshall Abbey , Shropshire, England

Lilleshall Abbey Coordinates... 52°43′29″N 2°23′23″W

Lilleshall Abbey was an Augustinian abbey in Shropshire, England, today located 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Telford. It was founded between 1145 and 1148 and followed the austere customs and observance of the Abbey of Arrouaise in northern France. It suffered from chronic financial difficulties and narrowly escaped the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries in 1536, before going into voluntary dissolution in 1538.

Lilleshall was one of a small number of monasteries in England belonging to the rigorist Arrouaisian branch of the Augustinians. A persistent tale, possibly stemming from William Dugdale, the pioneering 17th century historian of Britain's monasteries, claims that there was an Anglo-Saxon church at Lilleshall, dedicated to St Alkmund. Even Dugdale sounded a note of scepticism, and by 1825, when Hugh Owen and John Brickdale Blakeway wrote their history of Shrewsbury, the scepticism was dominant and they would allow only they “could not disprove” the existence of the Anglo-Saxon foundation.

Click the pic to view explore ❤️

Enlightenment Also known as "The Age of Reason".

It was thought during the Enlightenment that human reasoning could discover truths about the world, religion, and politics and could be used to improve the lives of humankind. Scepticism about received wisdom was another important idea; everything was to be subjected to testing and rational analysis.

Nothing rational about Glastonbury.

Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.

Mynydd y Dinas, from Fishguard - Sir Benfro/ Pembrokeshire - www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/things-to-do/walking-in-the-...

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"[Yng Ngasa], ychydig iawn a newidiodd er pan gafwyd y "cadoediad' a drefnwyd gan Trump ac a ddaeth i rym yn Hydref 2025.

Mae'r rhan fwyaf o Balesteiniaid yn dal i gael trafferth i fwydo eu teuluoedd, ac erys y Llain heb fawr ddim cyfleusterau iechyd, heb fawr ddim addysg a heb nemor ddim carthffosiaeth,

Mae Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gasa yn dweud i fwy na 600 o Balesteiniaid farw am iddyn nhw gael eu saethu gan Israel, Roedd y bobl wedi gobeithio y byddai hynny'n dod i ben wedi mwy na dwy flynedd o ryfel hil-laddiadol a laddodd dros 72,000 o bobl, yn ôl yr ystadegau swyddogol."

▪️

"Very little has changed since the 'ceasefire' agreement brokered by Trump went into effect in October last year.

Most Palestinians are still struggling to feed their families, while health, education and sanitary services are almost nonexistent.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health has said that more than 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the truce, which Palestinians had hoped would end more than two years of genocidal war that has killed more than 72,000 people, according to official statistics." - www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/2/20/in-gaza-trumps-board...

I visited Battersea to experience the newly opened £9bn Power Station redevelopment. The architecture is awe-inspiring, especially the Frank Gehry-designed apartments. The Power station has been beautifully restored, with lots of lovely steel and brickwork on display.

Has the development tempered my initial scepticism? Unfortunately, no. Firstly only 9% of the housing is affordable, 40% less than initially planned. The usage of the Power Station is pretty uninspiring, lacking any real imagination or cultural value. Despite looking impressive, it's pretty much a glorified shopping centre at its heart, a weird hybrid between Westfield and the Coal Drop Yards.

A very nice example of an old Fiat 500 in Macclesfield. This one wears the iconic scorpion logo of renowned Fiat tuners Abarth... but not the Abarth front grill, so forgive my scepticism!

It's still very cute!

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Brussels, Belgium, 2024.

So, the state lies to us, does it? Who can tell? In this increasingly confusing world, no one can ever be too sure. Some people want to believe what the state keeps telling us because they just don't want to worry to much. Others don't believe everything they are told and project their scepticism to the political statements of the governments. And still others want to believe that the state is lying to us because they need it as justification for their own crude world view, for which they themselves are happy to lie.

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with its message, the text should serve as a reminder that a healthy dose of scepticism and critical thinking is one of the key qualifications of democratic and informed citizens.

I am concerned about the widespread praise of artificial intelligence as a groundbreaking technology. Many people fail to see that relying on AI for tasks such as reading, summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, and forming educated opinions may lead to a decline in our own skills over time. If we become overly dependent on AI for these abilities, it could make it easier for dishonest politicians from both the government and the opposition to deceive us. There’s value in doing things yourself. It keeps our sense sharp and our skills honed.

There's more on www.chm-photography.com.

Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w25xghugIdg&feature=related

Hey Frederick/ The Jefferson Airplane

"How old do you have to be to stop your believing..."

Volunteers

"Either go away or go all the way in

Look at what you hold

Come back down on a spear of silence

When it flies

You go on through

You come on through

The ridiculous no

Oh no

One more pair of

Loving eyes look down on you

Sheets and a pillow

How old will you have to be before you

Stop believing

That those eyes will look down on you

That way forever

There you sit mouth wide open

Animals nipping at your sides

On wire wheels the four stroke man

Opens wide

The marching sound

The constant ride

On the gasket is mine

All mine

One more pair of

Wire wheels bear down on you

Gear stripping the willow

How many machine men will you see before you

Stop believing that speed

Will slide down on you

Like breaks in bad weather..."

digital art

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Autumn is a bit of a lottery in Cornwall. Blink and you'll miss it around here. With the mildest climate in the UK the colours arrive later than anywhere else, often at the same time as the storm season, which rips them from the branches before they really get going. Around where I live the only real signs of the season are found on the Beeches, most of it in the canopy. It's a pain in the neck - quite literally. The Sycamores in the garden simply go brown and dump their foliage messily across the lawn. Already, most of the trees around us are bare, without having bothered to put on a show.

So Lee and I headed for Golitha Falls with no small degree of scepticism over what we might find, our reservations being replaced by almost boundless optimism as we drove the last few miles through the orange and gold glow of the Glynn Valley. It seemed we'd discovered an oasis of vibrance amid the drab greys and browns and the stubborn greens along the way. With our destination so close at hand it seemed a certainty that we'd be rewarded for our hundred mile round trip; but of course it never works like that does it? In retrospect we should have parked in a layby along the main road and set out tripods up right there. We might have got some funny looks from the endless flow of passing motorists, but we might have got some better pictures too. On arrival at the visitors' hotspot the colours were all over the ground and noticeably absent from the branches around us. We'd arranged to meet our friend Hudson, the only person I know with his own Wikipedia entry, and while we waited we queued at Inkies, the artisan fast food outlet that would prove to be the highlight of the day. As we ate enormous protein products nestling within huge hunks of bread, we watched the action at the bird feeding station, getting particuarly excited by a beautiful Nuthatch that was helping itself to the goodies on offer. When we'd finished eating I announced I might stay right where I was and try photographing the Nuthatch instead, unconvinced by the lack of autumn in the trees as I was. But instead I dragged myself towards the wood, full of bread and brisket to spend three hours stumbling around on slippery surfaces, wiping rain spots from filters and cursing mildly as I tinkered with the histogram on the back of the camera. Quite how any of my equipment didn't end up racing down the boulder strewn falls in a bid for freedom remains a mystery to me.

After lots of grumbling and a brief discussion as to whether we should abort our mission and head for nearby Respryn I began to see compositions and settled into my zone, entering the rushing water as far as my wellies would allow me to go. Convinced I was beginning to make sense of things I relaxed and started to enjoy myself. At some point in the afternoon my phone made an unheard noise from somewhere in the depths of the bag to tell me that Lee had returned to the cafe. Hudson had departed already for his appointment with someone from the medical profession wielding a booster jab. At the point I realised an attempt to make contact with me had been made, I was engaged in an ultimately fruitless focus stack at the bottom of a waterfall and said I'd be a while. Gradually I made my way back towards the top of the falls, gazing vacantly into the space, often wandering in and out of the river to try and grab a composition with some colourful leaves and mostly failing. But I felt that I'd got something worthwhile from the outing at least. Or at least until I got home and downloaded the raw files onto my computer. My progress back to the car was delayed by an encounter with a fellow photographer whom it seemed would be able to talk the hind legs off a Brontosaurus if he were allowed to, and so I eventually stumbled out of the woods to find Lee waiting by the car. I really ought to give him the spare key next time, but he was clearly quite contented, having helped himself to an ice cream at the cafe and he'd kept himself entertained by watching the activity at the bird feeders. Apparently the Nuthatch had been joined by a Woodpecker and some Blackcaps, so I stopped feeling guilty about keeping him waiting. A few hours later I was feeling pretty underwhelmed by the results of the day's efforts. Too many cluttered scenes and too much over exposed water. At least in this shot there were no black shadows and no clipped highlights. Perhaps I should have had an ice cream and taken a picture of a Nuthatch instead.

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.

There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.

My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.

Our group of Friends from Venlo living in Amsterdam decided to have an outing on the Amstel River. So we divided ourselves between two motor boats - 8 apiece - and from Amsterdam's Kromhoutwerf we steered upriver to the picturesque town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel to picnic in the shade of two magnificent Horse Chestnut trees in back of the protestant church (in the right of the photo).

The church is a monumental neoclassical structure designed by Jacob Eduard de Witte (1738-1809). Building commenced in 1773, a year or so after he was appointed Director-General of the Municipal Buildings of the city of Amsterdam under the jurisdiction of which Ouderkerk still resided. The church wasn't completed until 1809 and under another architect because De Witte was caught in a building fraud and promptly fired already in 1777.

This was all within municipal history, but Ouderkerk has a more cosmopolitan side too.

Just behind the church on the other side of the street is the entrance to the huge Jewish cemetery Beth Haim (= House of Life). It was established in 1614 and is the last resting place of many whose influence reached much further than Amsterdam. Allow me as someone interested in the history of scepticism to mention only Menasseh ben Israel (1604-1657) and the parents of great Benedictus Spinoza (1632-1677), who himself was buried in a Christian churchyard in The Hague.

And again - given the present animadversions between the governments of Morocco and The Netherlands - let me also mention that fascinating diplomat, the Moroccan Jew Samuel Pallache (ca.1550-1616). Pallache was a go-between for Sultan Mawlay Zidan el Nasir (?-1627) of Morocco and the Dutch. He was instrumental in preparing one of the first treaties between a European Christian nation and a Muslim government (1609).

So as we picnicked, these men wandered through my mind while the Sun was setting in multi-colored hues.

The Valley of the Rocks is a section of the coastline on the northern edge of Exmoor, Devon, England.

For me with a "scepticism" towards heights not the best spot, but somehow I appear to be drawn to these locations nevertheless. For everyone without that specific problem, a comfortable asphalted path for a walk with a fantastic view…

It was already quite windy, though, a day before storm "Ciara"/Sabine" started (have storms always been named per nation? Why??), making me even less comfortable up there.

Salford Quays

A little bit of background history... The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, within Greater Manchester. It is named after the early 20th century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England and was officially opened on 12th October 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II.

To redevelop the derelict Salford docks, Salford City Council developed a regeneration plan in 1988 for the brown field site highlighting the leisure, cultural and tourism potential of the area, and included a flagship development that would involve the creation of a performing arts centre. The initial proposals were for two theatres and an art gallery on the prominent Pier 8 site.

Between 1990 and 1991 a competition was launched and architects James Stirling Michael Wilford Associates was selected. After the death of James Stirling in June 1992 Michael Wilford continued the project. The city council bid for Millennium and other British and European funds and private sector finance to progress the project. Funding was secured in 1996 and The Lowry Trust became responsible for the project which comprised The Lowry Centre, the plaza, a footbridge, a retail outlet shopping mall and Digital World Centre. The National Lottery provided over £21 million of funding towards its construction. The project was completed in 1999 at a cost of £106 million. The Lowry name was adopted in honour of the local artist, L. S. Lowry.

Another from the night visit with Muddy Boots UK.

For me this is the real heart of the Quays complex and if this is my 45th photographic trip then I must have visited well over a hundred times for theatre events since its opening. Countless comedians, touring West End productions, lectures and the odd classic of Shakespeare, opera and ballet, although once is enough for those, but as they say... don't knock it till you've tried it! And not forgetting the permanent display of Lowry's work... always worth a visit.

I've said in the past, good architecture and design is good for the human soul and every visit is a joy for me. The wacky design - there's not a straight line in the place, and as for the colour scheme - yellow, orange and purple, it's a full on attack of the senses. It's hard to be down-hearted the moment you walk into the foyer. I've heard it described as "not quite Salford's Guggenheim" and maybe not, but for me this is my Sydney Opera House... both dared to be different in concept and design, and after the public's initial scepticism are very much loved buildings today.

I've always wanted to capture this bold " in yer face" version of the Lowry, but I've never been happy with past efforts for one reason or another. Yes, it should be a cliché image, but considering the tens of thousands of pictures taken around the Quays over the years, it's surprisingly overlooked. It has always played havoc with my sense of symmetry, but I'll forgive it for that. This may be my best effort to date and the illuminated trees a bonus as I've not often seen them. I'll settle for this for the time being, but there's always visit 46!

London, “Dark secrets” exhibition, November 2025.

The Metascience Foundation, founded by American engineer George Meek, was dedicated to scientific research on the survival of consciousness after death. Its most famous project was Spiricom, an electronic device for direct communication with the dead. Developed together with medium William O’Neil, the instrument used 13 radio frequences to create an “audio bridge”.

Meek and O’Neil claimed to have recorded the voice of a deceased scientist guiding them from beyond the grave in the construction of the device. Although Spiricom became widely known, its results were never replicated by independent researchers, provoking criticism and scepticism. Nevertheless, it remains one of the earliest examples of Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC).

We exchanged some camera talk... and by the end we’re laughing and shaking hands!

Read chapter 1 here.

A Glow in the Mist - Chapter 2: Hasekura’s Lighthouse

After an hour of navigating, a faint light began to pierce the veil of clouds. Hasekura’s lighthouse stood as a sentinel, marking the entrance to a perilous zone where thousands of islands, scattered in all shapes and sizes, posed a constant threat to unwary sailors. In winter, when visibility plummeted and fierce winds raged, the lighthouse became an essential beacon. Despite the biting cold, Hasekura was already waiting for his grandson on the front porch.

Before Matsuura left, Hasekura presented him with an ancient book he had discovered in the depths of the attic—a weathered tome detailing the traditions and myths of the region. Matsuura, though respectful, greeted these types of stories with scepticism. To him, these were nothing more than the fantasies of an aging man, a mind slowly yielding to time. Nevertheless, he accepted the book out of courtesy, and bid farewell to the lighthouse. As he set sail, his thoughts were already on the fishing grounds that awaited him the next day.

Une Lueur dans la Brume - Chapitre 2 : Le Phare de Hasekura

Après une heure de navigation, une lueur finit par émerger à travers l’épais manteau de nuages. Le phare de Hasekura se dressait, immuable, signalant l’entrée dans une zone périlleuse : une multitude d’îles, éparpillées comme autant de pièges, menaçaient les navigateurs imprudents. En hiver, lorsque la visibilité chutait et que les vents violents déchaînaient leur fureur, ce phare devenait un repère indispensable. Malgré le froid mordant, Hasekura attendait son petit-fils sur le seuil.

Avant que Matsuura reparte, Hasekura lui tendit un viel ouvrage qu’il avait déniché au fond du grenier. Le livre regorgeait de légendes et de mythes sur la région. Matsuura, bien que respectueux, accueillait ce type d’histoires avec scepticisme. Pour lui, il ne s’agissait que des divagations d’un vieil homme, dont l’esprit commençait à vaciller sous le poids des années. Néanmoins, il accepta le grimoire par politesse, salua son grand-père, et quitta le phare, l’esprit déjà tourné vers les eaux poissonneuses où il jetterait ses filets le lendemain.

---

Built for Wandering Skies Contest 2024, in the "Seasonal Bliss" category.

Stay tuned for the final chapter!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/loic.glbr

On a close but cloudy day last May, a pair of hikers take little notice of GBRf 'Celebrity' Shed, 66721, as she restarts the 11.25am Arcow Quarry - Pendleton Brindle Heath (6M37) loaded limestone from the Blea Moor loop.

The locomotive is named "Harry Beck" after a draughtsman who worked for the London Underground Signals Office and who, in his spare time (and uncommissioned), drew up a schematic map of the system in 1931.

Despite LU's initial scepticism for his proposal, it was tentatively introduced to the public by way of a small pamphlet in 1933 where it proved an immediate hit. Successive London Underground maps, right through to the present day, use Harry Beck's style to depict the system.

In addition to carrying his name, the locomotive has been finished to incorporate a section of the London Underground map to properly commemorate Harry's achievement - as can be seen in this shot.

(Background info courtesy of Wikipedia)

12.27pm, 30th May 2018

'Don't think I'm talking rubbish!'

Gossip and scepticism in the Jardin du Palais-Royal (1er)

Paris, France 20.09.2021

"Denke nicht, ich rede Blödsinn!"

Tratsch und Skepsis im Jardin du Palais-Royal (1er)

Paris, Frankreich 20.09.2021

To view more of my images, of Danesfield House, please click "here" !

Currently, a Private Hotel, Danesfield House, is part of an estate, which previously belonged to the Ministry of Defence (Air); namely, Royal Air Force Station Medmenham!

Please, no group invites; thank you!

Most of the following information was extracted from Wikipedia, with addition of some personal knowledge!

RAF Medmenham history commenced in April 1941, when the RAF photographic Interpretation Unit (PIU) moved to Danesfield House. This unit, over time, merged with other organisations, performing similar functions, and was renamed the Central Interpretation Unit (CIU). During 1942 and 1943 the CIU gradually expanded and was involved in the planning stages of practically every operation of the war, and in every aspect of intelligence. In 1945 daily intake of material averaged 25,000 negatives and 60,000 prints. By VE-day the print library, which documented and stored worldwide cover, held 5,000,000 prints from which 40,000 reports had been produced. Of particular significance in the success of the work of Medmenham was the use of "stereoscopic images", using a between plate overlap of exactly 60%. Having overcome the initial scepticism of Lord Cherwell, to the possibility of the new rocket technology, major operations made possible by the work at Medmenham included, on 17 and 18 August 1943, an offensive against the V-2 rocket development plant at Peenemunde. Later offensives were also made against potential launch sites at Wizernes and 96 other launch sites in Northern France. It is claimed that greatest operational success of Medmenham was with Operation Crossbow which, from 23 December 1943, destroyed the V-1 infrastructure in Northern France.

In 1952, 591 Signals Unit moved to RAF Medmenham and stayed until 1955 when it moved to RAF Digby. It was during its stay at Medmenham that the unit's crest was conceived; a Kingfisher, watching over the river Thames, representing the unit's watch over the integrity and security of RAF communications.

On 3 November 1958, RAF Signals Command (HQSC) (Motto: Aetherem Vincere - "To Conquer the Aether") was formed at Medmenham by raising No 90 Signals Group, RAF to Command status under Air Vice Marshal Leslie Dalton-Morris. It was a relatively short-lived Command, lasting only until 1 January 1969, when it was absorbed by Headquarters Strike Command (HQSTC) and reduced to Group status. At this time, RAF Signals Command was renamed to the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment (RAFSEE), moving temporarily to RAF Benson, until permanent accommodation was established at RAF Henlow!

To view more of my images, of Danesfield House, please click "here" !

Currently, a Private Hotel, Danesfield House, is part of an estate, which previously belonged to the Ministry of Defence (Air); namely, Royal Air Force Station Medmenham.

A place that I served at, as a civilian engineer as a member of HQ Signals Command!

Most of the following information was extracted from Wikipedia, with addition of some personal knowledge!

RAF Medmenham history commenced in April 1941, when the RAF photographic Interpretation Unit (PIU) moved to Danesfield House. This unit, over time, merged with other organisations, performing similar functions, and was renamed the Central Interpretation Unit (CIU). During 1942 and 1943 the CIU gradually expanded and was involved in the planning stages of practically every operation of the war, and in every aspect of intelligence. In 1945 daily intake of material averaged 25,000 negatives and 60,000 prints. By VE-day the print library, which documented and stored worldwide cover, held 5,000,000 prints from which 40,000 reports had been produced. Of particular significance in the success of the work of Medmenham was the use of stereoscopic images, using a between plate overlap of exactly 60%. Having overcome the initial scepticism of Lord Cherwell, to the possibility of the new rocket technology, major operations made possible by the work at Medmenham included, on 17 and 18 August 1943, an offensive against the V-2 rocket development plant at Peenemunde. Later offensives were also made against potential launch sites at Wizernes and 96 other launch sites in Northern France. It is claimed that greatest operational success of Medmenham was with Operation Crossbow which, from 23 December 1943, destroyed the V-1 infrastructure in Northern France. In 1952, 591 Signals Unit moved to RAF Medmenham and stayed until 1955 when it moved to RAF Digby. It was during its stay at Medmenham that the unit's crest was conceived; a Kingfisher, watching over the river Thames, representing the unit's watch over the integrity and security of RAF communications. On 3 November 1958, RAF Signals Command (HQSC) (Motto: Aetherem Vincere - "To Conquer the Aether") was formed at Medmenham by raising No 90 Signals Group, RAF to Command status under Air Vice Marshal Leslie Dalton-Morris. It was a relatively short-lived Command, lasting only until 1 January 1969, when it was absorbed by Headquarters Strike Command (HQSTC) and reduced to Group status. At this time, RAF Signals Command was renamed to the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment (RAFSEE), moving temporarily to RAF Benson, until permanent accommodation was established at RAF Henlow!

Leaving Berlin:

Sold a car on Saturday.

Lost some faith on Sunday.

My team got smashed on Monday.

Wouldn Have it any other way.

------

Via Instagram, so excuse the compression, and the sharpening.

Go check out my

Instagram

if you want to see more of my photo stuff

or check out my website www.christopherratter.com

There are two false attitudes to reason, according to Pascal. One is overconfidence in reason, which often leads to barren scepticism. The other is resignation to stupidity coming from laziness or disinterest. Truth is reached by avoiding these two pitfalls.

-PAUL GLYNN A Song for Nagasaki The Story of Takashi Nagai Scientist, Convert and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

Faded.

Beschuldigende demonen overmatige geluiden psychedelische vreugden het ontdekken van innerlijke geheimen groeiende stemmen internationale dichter glimlacht zachtjes zachtjes als engelenvleugels,

beatitudo insignis, studia superaestimata, colores synthetici emergentiae, descriptiones insignes, effectus insignes.,

pseudonymes rêves lettré chroniqueur notes impressions pittoresque temps mené expériences imagination beau,

subconștient preluând diavoli grotești aproape de scepticism viață suspectând dimensiuni cotitură absurdități lipsite de grație trosnind oase,

dhúisigh dé-bhith streachailt neamhthaitneamhach feiniméan buaic na réime imill phriosmacha cúiteamh gealaí gan teorainn thíos,

le creature che remano e navigano nel territorio ricreativo, le ombre che girano e urlano, l'estasi sognante, il perpetuo svago,

疲労、笑い、過去の旅の終わり、不注意な教訓、遅れて響き渡る教え、意識、崩れゆく山々、牧師、近くの眠り.

Steve.D.Hammond.

I had planned to make a Part 2 to my Steetley Pier video ([youtu.be/_0j40Ktm_rA](youtu.be/_0j40Ktm_rA)), which would have included this location, but for whatever reason I just never got around to recording much footage. It's still worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

I think it came down to a combination of exhaustion and the rather challenging climb down the cliffs to reach the shoreline. A few slips here and there, combined with the thought of breaking a bone (or worse, smashing camera gear), does tend to take the enthusiasm out of filming.

And, of course, I have another excuse... the light wasn't particularly inspiring. Heavy mid-morning overcast conditions would have been perfect for photographing flowers, but not so much for dramatic seascapes.

These weathered relics only reveal themselves during an exceptionally low tide, and our timing couldn't have been better.

At first glance, they didn't seem like much—just rusted metal blending almost seamlessly into the barnacle-covered rocks. Compositions felt awkward, and you could sense a shared scepticism among the group. Was this really worth the effort?

But patience has a way of rewarding those who wait.

As the tide slowly crept back in, the scene began to transform. From the cliff tops, I'm sure we must have looked like a curious spectacle—six photographers in wellies, shuffling around this forgotten piece of history, each searching for the perfect composition.

Then the moment arrived. The waves wrapped themselves around the rusted frame, adding movement, texture and life to the scene. Suddenly everything clicked into place, and every one of us walked away with an image that captured a fleeting reminder of how time and tide can elevate even the most unassuming subjects.

Logic can either operate as part of an intellection, or else, on the contrary, put itself at the service of an error; moreover unintelligence can diminish or even nullify logic, so that philosophy can in fact become the vehicle of almost anything: it can be an Aristotelianism carrying ontological insights, just as it can degenerate into an "existentialism" in which logic has become a mere shadow of itself, a blind and unreal operation.

Indeed, what can be said of a "metaphysic" which idiotically posits man at the centre of the Real, like a sack of coal, and which operates with such blatantly subjective and conjectural concepts as "worry" and "anguish"? When unintelligence (and the variety we mean here is in no wise incompatible with what passes for intelligence in "worldly" circles) and passion prostitute logic, it is impossible to escape from that mental satanism which is so frequently to be found in contemporary thought.

The validity of a logical demonstration thus depends on the knowledge which we, as demonstrators, have of the subject in view, and it is evidently wrong to take as our starting-point not this direct knowledge but pure and simple logic.

When man has no "visionary" knowledge of Being, and merely "thinks" with his "brain" instead of "seeing" with his "heart", all his logic is useless to him, because it starts out from an initial fallacy. Moreover, the validity of a demonstration must be distinguished from its dialectical efficacy; the latter evidently depends on the intuitive disposition available for the recognition of truth when demonstrated, and therefore on an intellectual capacity.

Logic is nothing but the science of mental co-ordination and of arriving at rational conclusions; it cannot, therefore, attain the transcendent through its own resources; a supralogical -not an illogical- dialectic, based on symbolism and analogy, and therefore descriptive rather than ratiocinative, may be harder for some people to assimilate, but it conforms more closely to transcendent Reality.

Contemporary philosophy, on the other hand, really amounts to a decapitated logic: what is intellectually evident it calls "prejudice"; wishing to free itself from servitude to the mental, it sinks into infralogic; shutting itself off from the intellectual light above, it exposes itself to the obscurity of the lowest "subconscious" beneath.

Philosophic scepticism takes itself for a healthy attitude and for an absence of "prejudices", whereas it is in fact something completely artificial; it proceeds, not from real knowledge, but from sheer ignorance, and for this reason it is as alien to intelligence as it is to reality.

---

Frithjof Schuon

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Quoted in: The Essential Frithjof Schuon (edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)

Having walked over the aquaduct I drove down to the base to look back up.

The aqueduct, built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop in 1805 , is 1,007 ft (307 m) long, 11 ft (3.4 m) wide and 5.25 ft (1.60 m) deep. It consists of a cast iron trough supported 126 ft (38 m) above the river on iron arched ribs carried on nineteen hollow masonry piers (pillars). Each span is 53 ft (16 m) wide. Despite considerable public scepticism, Telford was confident the construction method would work: he had previously built at least one cast iron trough aqueduct – the Longdon-on-Tern aqueduct on the Shrewsbury Canal.

Februar 2017

Amselmann Kurti ist wieder da und beäugt misstrauisch die Kamera. Er vertilgt jeden Tag ein Birne, wofür er ca. fünf Stunden braucht. Danach legt er eine Verdauungspause ein! - Blackbird Kurti is back und watches with great scepticism the camera. He is consuming every day a pear, which takes around five hours. After that he takes a digestion break.

Scepticism

Antagonism

The more I learned and knew the more I had problems to make a decision.

All things in life come out 50/50…

I could never do it right.

But I could never do it wrong.

So what to do?

Nothing.

Whatever I do is ok...

HKD

Psychology

The intellectual aspect of doubt is caused by A5.

Example: Is Nietzsche right, when he says: God is dead? Yes and no can be the answer…

The emotional aspect of doubt is caused by B1.

Example: Do I love him? Yes and no may be the answer…

HKD

Zwiespalt

Der endlose Zweifel.

Antagonismus

HKD

Falls Psychologie interessiert:

Den hier abgebildeten Zweifel nenne ich auch den „Hamlet-Faktor“. Selbstzweifel und Unsicherheit auf der emotionalen Ebene werden von der Motivationsenergie B1 hervorgerufen. Auf der intellektuellen Ebene ist A5 dafür verantwortlich.

Welchen Weg könnte ich gehen? Skeptizismus kann sehr hilfreich sein, wenn man Fehler vermeiden möchte, doch er hemmt die Handlungsfähikgeit bis hin zur Lähmung.

Antagonismus - in dem obigen Bild zeige ich ihn - man bewegt sich in entgegengesetzte Richtungen gleichzeitig und befindet sich damit im Widerspruch.

Bis zur Auflösung dieses psychologischen "Dramas" musste ich auf meinem Weg einige Jahre in diesem inneren Zwiespalt verbleiben. Die Erlösung brachte der Wechsel in den widerstandslosen Fluss der Dinge. Der intellektuelle und emotionale Skeptizismus versiegte nachdem er für die notwendige Ausbildung des Verstandes und der Bewusstheit gesorgt hatte. Zweifel und Skeptizismus entstehen bei der Ausbildung des Logos.

Sobald man darauf verzichten kann, "klare" Entscheidungen zu treffen oder "Fünfe gerade sein lassen kann", ist der Spuk des Zweifels vorbei. Die Akzeptanz des "Nichtwissens" (was richtig und was falsch ist) lässt mich stets in die richtige Richtung gehen.

HKD

Confucius (551–479 BCE) is seen as the pre-eminent Chinese sage, and the most influential person in China’s great history. He is the embodiment of all that has come to be associated with the religion that grew up around his teachings. The development of Confucianism is seen to have occurred during a period known to scholars as “The Axial Age”. This was a time of significant moral and spiritual development for humanity. The term was first coined by Swiss philosopher and psychiatrist Karl Jaspers (1883-1969). In a nutshell Jaspers summed up “The Axial Age” starting with the Chinese masters:

“Confucius and Lao-Tse were living in China, all the schools of Chinese philosophy came into being, including those of Mo Ti, Chuang Tse, Lieh Tzu and a host of others; India produced the Upanishads and Buddha and, like China, ran the whole gamut of philosophical possibilities down to materialism, scepticism and nihilism; in Iran, Zarathustra taught a challenging view of the world as a struggle between good and evil; in Palestine the prophets made their appearance from Elijah by way of Isaiah and Jeremiah to Deutero-Isaiah; Greece witnessed the appearance of Homer, of the philosophers—Parmenides, Heraclitus and Plato,—of the tragedians, of Thucydides and Archimedes. Everything implied by these names developed during these few centuries almost simultaneously in China, India and the West."

— Karl Jaspers, "Origin and Goal of History", (p.2)

Confucius had no idea that his ideas would become so influential in Chinese history. He failed to convince the politicians of his own day to see the virtue in his teachings about respect and harmony. Moreover, he had to endure a life of considerable hardship, even poverty. But through it all he gained to himself some loyal followers who after his death collected his principal sayings and developed the rudiments of a philosophy that some consider almost a religion. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism

There is a very readable biography on Confucius by Meher McArthur published in 2010. And here is a nice little summary by Alain De Botton and his School of Life: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUhGRh4vdb8

There is a long documentary by Dan Snow including major interviews with scholars on “The Story of The Real Confucius”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaFDr11g4Rg

* We don't know what the real Confucius looked like, so this porcelain figure of a wise man from China can stand in for the sage.