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Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.
Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.
Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.
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Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.
Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.
Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.
Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.
Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.
Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.
Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.
by Cherie Carter-Scott
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FORD EXPLORER 1996 – 2009 YEAR – SPECIFIC SERVICE WORKSHOP REPAIR MANUAL t.co/jVKO1YvGf7 t.co/oK88HA7Y0V (via Twitter twitter.com/ManualsPRO/status/805738315823677444)
Number 42, a white 1995 Subaru Impreza - M690 YBV - driven by Geoff Twemlow, seen making a run at Doune Hill Climb, September 2018.
Any additional information clarifying the vehicle's make, model, modifications made and its specific history will be welcomed.
Press "L" to view large.
This is another instance of something which I have included in the 2025 round-up – in fact it’s this specific vehicle – LJ16 NMX seemingly being one of the better examples that I’d see around fairly often. In this view on 5.12.24 it is speeding up a damp Clifton Boulevard with the Medilink 1 journey that runs through from Queens Drive.
Back in the summer I did a summary of the BYDs which I tried to keep concise and readable, however now it’s time for the full-blown waffling version...
In 2016 the situation for battery electric buses looked nothing like it does today, as they were a considerably more niche product. Nottingham City Council were not desperately cash strapped like they currently are, and (quite rightly) liked to throw considerable sums of money at public transport projects. As a result, a large fleet of Optare Solo and Versa EVs ran on the Council’s extensive network of ‘Linkbus’ routes; Medilink; Locallink; Centrelink; Worklink etc.
That year saw a couple of major changes to the network. Centrelink was merged with the Citylink 1 Park & Ride route to create Centrelink P&R, and Citylink 2 was replaced by Ecolink P&R... not to be confused with the previous Ecolink branding from Nottingham City Transport route 30 and its ethanol powered buses. Larger battery electric single deckers were needed for the P&R routes and so the City Council purchased a batch of 13 BYD K9UR single deckers. IIRC they seated about 35.
This was a year or two before BYD partnered with Alexander Dennis to build electric Enviro 200s, so the Nottingham 13 were unusual examples of earlier BYD integrals. At that time they were a relatively unknown manufacturer in the UK and had little else than a few trial single deckers in London. The new electrics were launched at Showbus 2016 with an unregistered and unbranded example in base blue livery.
When the buses received their branding, there were three styles; Centrelink P&R, Ecolink P&R, and a few which simply said P&R Link for use on either route. All were the same two-tone blue as the Medilink, and for some unfathomable reason the branding for Ecolink and P&R Link contained the Medilink’s heart-monitor pulse line graphics, despite neither serving any hospitals. Unlike the striking red of old Centrelink, turquoise of Citylink 1 and yellow of Citylink 2, the livery introduced with the BYDs made a poor distinction between the new routes.
The buses were operated on the council’s behalf by CT4N – who were still called Nottingham Community transport at that time. For 2017’s Showbus, the P&R BYDs ran the event shuttle service to East Midlands Parkway and were still being touted as the exciting new investment in Nottingham’s sustainable transport. However the whole setup was to be remarkably short lived, with the Centrelink/Ecolink P&R routes ceasing at the end of August 2019 and replaced by new Nottingham City Transport routes 49, 50 and an amended 44.
In late 2019 two buses, 986 and 987, were repainted red and black for use on a shuttle at East Midlands Gateway, while the rest of the fleet were stored with occasional use and the branding removed. Six months later the Covid pandemic hit and the country ground to a halt for a while. When things started to pick back up in late 2020, the K9URs reappeared as replacements for the slightly smaller and older Solo EVs and Versa EVs on the Medilink, allowing more space for (anti)social distancing.
Perhaps it was the City Council’s intention to move the BYDs onto the Medilink anyway, pandemic notwithstanding? Of course the obvious course of action would be to take the BYDs, already in base Medilink blue, and apply branding identical to that of the Versa EVs. But ohh, that just makes TOO MUCH sense, so they did something completely different and utterly pathetic. I don’t know if it was the City Council or CT4N that was responsible for the idea, but a completely new livery was invented for the Medilink with lime/white/blue applied diagonally.
The livery itself wasn’t so bad, except for the fact it was a total waste of time because A) they never even got round to repainting all the buses and B) they didn’t bother with ANY BRANDING AT ALL. After a year or so, half hearted Medilink logos were slapped onto the otherwise bare livery. So from late 2020 onwards the Medilink was a mixture of K9URs in plain P&R Link blue, plain dishwasher tablet packet colour, dishwasher tablet with a Medilink logo, or whatever Optare diesel CT4N were fielding to plug a shortfall. Meanwhile the ex-Medilink Versa EVs were going around on Locallink routes in fully branded Medilink livery.
This is where things started to go downhill for the K9URs in terms of availability. They were built when ‘heavy duty’ battery powered electric buses were still in their infancy and had reached five years of age. Having been developed with early 2010s EV battery technology, they were effectively on the way out, and allegedly couldn’t last a full day on the Medilink on a single charge. Unfortunately the City Council never bothered to install live vehicle tracking which makes the Medilink’s previous PVR unknown, but even with an excess number of electric vehicles available there would always be at least one or two CT4N Commercial diesels covering.
Time went on and the ‘one or two’ diesels covering became three or four... or more. After getting rid of the Optare Tempos, CT4N bought five Versas from Go North East and used the pair of longer, 62 plate examples almost exclusively on the Medilink (and sometimes their Nottingham High School routes). Throw in one or two of their ex-Blackpool Solos and one of the smaller Versas, which was the typical diesel allocation on the ML around 2023/4, and there was an average of around 5-6 buses filling in for unavailable BYDs on a daily basis.
By 2025 the Scania Omnidekkas, which were nominally school buses, were making regular appearances on the Medilink 2. At some stage I don’t remember the ML was split into the ML1 between City Hospital and QMC, and the ML2 between QMC and Queens Drive, because of unreliable running times on the whole joined up route. The ML1/ML2 reverted back to the conventional Medilink again in summer 2025 in readiness for Skills taking it over from the 1st of September.
Meanwhile, one of the Gateway Shuttle BYDs had returned and been painted into dishwasher tablet Medilink livery, but did little to help the numbers of serviceable EVs. Another randomly got sold off to Blackburn Private Hire, and I think at least one more just got dumped in one of the City Council’s compounds and was left to rot. On the 31st of August 2025 – exactly 6 years after the Centrelink/Ecolink had been withdrawn – the whole K9UR fleet was quietly stood down.
Since then the City Council listed them for sale on some obscure commercial fleet sales website... I’ll have to try and find it again. Most of them were for spares or repair and suggested the majority were not in working order. At least one more was bought by Blackburn Private Hire, but as far as I know nothing has happened to the rest and they’re stored in a yard up Ilkeston way somewhere. And that is, as far as I know, the story of Nottingham’s BYD K9UR battery electric buses.
I told you this was going to be a long one!
A-Level - Smaller oil pastel study based upon my own image. Linked to my exploration into forgotten places/objects. This specific artwork was observationally drawn from part of a bird table.
So we had this "scavenger hunt" today of photos. We 24 specific shots we were after. We pulled numbers and were in groups of three. These are my 7 shots that contributed to the team. The title of each image was the shot we had to capture. We were not allowed to edit the images outside of basic contrast and black and white conversion. It had to be about the image and not our photoshop skills. We had two hours to shoot, and we had a BLAST shooting!!! We had a great model and lots of fun pics!!!!
Picture Taken Of Brand New NYPD Car #5952-16 - 2016 Dodge Charger Assigned To The Highway Patrol Unit. It Is Not Assigned To Any Specific Highway Patrol Unit But Is Escorting United Nations Delegates Around New York City During The United Nations 72nd General Assembly. Photo Taken Tuesday September 19, 2017.
IMG2147
iPhone 7 Plus
That new attack chopper is unbelievable. It's like something straight out of some crazy futuristic post-apocalypse movie. Then again so's basically everything else we have for this whole Bloodfall thing. The coolest thing about it is that it comes with this advanced A.I. It's responsive, like we can talk to it and give it specific orders and it'll listen while it flies the helicopter itself. As long as it doesn't go Terminator on us, I'm totally fine with this. J says I'm a natural pilot, better than he ever was. If anything that's just because when I was a teenager the computer me and my mom had at our house had a copy of Flight Simulator 2000 that I threw away way too many hours of my life on because I was too scared to ever go outside or make friends or anything. Before I met J I already had a decent enough idea of how a helicopter works and how to fly it. Hell, if I never met J I might've gone for a commercial pilot career. Not that this life ain't fun or anything. A couple days after we got the chopper, we got word of a hilariously illegal weapons shipment stopping by an old slaughterhouse near Port Adams. A block away I could already smell the rotting meat. Didn't take away from my excitement, though. because tonight I brought the Xeno Cannon with me. Might be overkill, but I don't care because I really wanna see what this'll do. And I knew I'd be using it because when we got to the gate the first thing I saw was a goddamn mercenary guarding the door next to some crates. Mercenaries are rarely decent people to start, and this one's in on illegal arms trafficking. I wasn't gonna feel too bad about making him my test dummy, but J had to ruin the moment and throw his blade at him, sliding him right in half at the waist.
"You dick! I had a perfect shot on him!"
"Sorry. Always wanted to do that."
"Goddammit, J..."
"...hm, military-grade body armor and a matching AR. An AUG to boot. Arnie loves those."
"What's in the crates? They look pretty new."
"Let's find out....holy shit, M72s? I love these!"
"They're massively illegal, though, so..."
"I'm pretty sure every congressional prick is just all for you having that laser cannon you're just oh-so casually leaning on right now."
"Could say the same about your minigun, or what did you call it? You gave it this little name, it was soooo cute! What was it?..."
"One; screw you. Two; Sasha."
"Pffffthehehehehe...."
"....and behind curtain number two is?!....ah shit..."
"...hey, I-I know that stuff.....venom, right?"
"Yep, and there's probably more inside."
"The guy who pushed this crap, though, uh...Bane, right? You killed him."
"And his operation got shut down shortly after. Looks like what's left of his crew's trying to start thing's back up. Figured shithead with the AUG here looked familiar."
"Well, they're back in Gotham, let's give them the proper welcome...."
The Quran (English pronunciation: /kɔrˈɑːn/ kor-AHN , Arabic: القرآن al-qur'ān, IPA: [qurˈʔaːn], literally meaning "the recitation", also romanised Qur'an or Koran) is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God (Arabic: الله, Allah). Its scriptural status among a world-spanning religious community, and its major place within world literature generally, has led to a great deal of secondary literature on the Quran. Quranic chapters are called suras and verses are called ayahs.
Muslims believe that the Quran was verbally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632 CE, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. They consider the Quran to be the only revealed book that has been protected by God from distortion or corruption.
According to the traditional narrative, several companions of Muhammad served as scribes and were responsible for writing down the revelations. Shortly after Muhammad's death, the Quran was compiled by his companions who wrote down and memorized parts of it. These codices had differences that motivated the Caliph Uthman to establish a standard version now known as Uthman's codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran we have today. However, the existence of variant readings, with mostly minor and some significant variations, and the early unvocalized Arabic script mean the relationship between Uthman's codex to both the text of today's Quran and to the revelations of Muhammad's time is still unclear.
The Quran assumes familiarity with major narratives recounted in the Jewish and Christian scriptures. It summarizes some, dwells at length on others and, in some cases, presents alternative accounts and interpretations of events. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance. It sometimes offers detailed accounts of specific historical events, and it often emphasizes the moral significance of an event over its narrative sequence. The Quran is used along with the hadith to interpret sharia law. During prayers, the Quran is recited only in Arabic.
Someone who has memorized the entire Quran is called a hafiz. Some Muslims read Quranic ayahs (verses) with elocution, which is often called tajwīd. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims typically complete the recitation of the whole Quran during tarawih prayers. In order to extrapolate the meaning of a particular Quranic verse, most Muslims rely on the tafsir.
ETYMOLOGY & MEANING
The word qurʼān appears about 70 times in the Quran itself, assuming various meanings. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) of the Arabic verb qaraʼa (قرأ), meaning "he read" or "he recited". The Syriac equivalent is (ܩܪܝܢܐ) qeryānā, which refers to "scripture reading" or "lesson". While some Western scholars consider the word to be derived from the Syriac, the majority of Muslim authorities hold the origin of the word is qaraʼa itself. Regardless, it had become an Arabic term by Muhammad's lifetime. An important meaning of the word is the "act of reciting", as reflected in an early Quranic passage: "It is for Us to collect it and to recite it (qurʼānahu)."
In other verses, the word refers to "an individual passage recited [by Muhammad]". Its liturgical context is seen in a number of passages, for example: "So when al-qurʼān is recited, listen to it and keep silent." The word may also assume the meaning of a codified scripture when mentioned with other scriptures such as the Torah and Gospel.
The term also has closely related synonyms that are employed throughout the Quran. Each synonym possesses its own distinct meaning, but its use may converge with that of qurʼān in certain contexts. Such terms include kitāb (book); āyah (sign); and sūrah (scripture). The latter two terms also denote units of revelation. In the large majority of contexts, usually with a definite article (al-), the word is referred to as the "revelation" (waḥy), that which has been "sent down" (tanzīl) at intervals. Other related words are: dhikr (remembrance), used to refer to the Quran in the sense of a reminder and warning, and ḥikmah (wisdom), sometimes referring to the revelation or part of it.
The Quran describes itself as "the discernment or the criterion between truth and falsehood" (al-furqān), "the mother book" (umm al-kitāb), "the guide" (huda), "the wisdom" (hikmah), "the remembrance" (dhikr) and "the revelation" (tanzīl; something sent down, signifying the descent of an object from a higher place to lower place). Another term is al-kitāb (the book), though it is also used in the Arabic language for other scriptures, such as the Torah and the Gospels. The adjective of "Quran" has multiple transliterations including "quranic," "koranic" and "qur'anic," or capitalised as "Qur'anic," "Koranic" and "Quranic." The term muṣḥaf ('written work') is often used to refer to particular Quranic manuscripts but is also used in the Quran to identify earlier revealed books. Other transliterations of "Quran" include "al-Coran", "Coran", "Kuran" and "al-Qurʼan".
HISTORY
PROPHETIC ERA
Islamic tradition relates that Muhammad received his first revelation in the Cave of Hira during one of his isolated retreats to the mountains. Thereafter, he received revelations over a period of 23 years. According to hadith and Muslim history, after Muhammad emigrated to Medina and formed an independent Muslim community, he ordered many of his companions to recite the Quran and to learn and teach the laws, which were revealed daily. It is related that some of the Quraish who were taken prisoners at the battle of Badr regained their freedom after they had taught some of the Muslims the simple writing of the time. Thus a group of Muslims gradually became literate. As it was initially spoken, the Quran was recorded on tablets, bones, and the wide, flat ends of date palm fronds. Most suras were in use amongst early Muslims since they are mentioned in numerous sayings by both Sunni and Shia sources, relating Muhammad's use of the Quran as a call to Islam, the making of prayer and the manner of recitation. However, the Quran did not exist in book form at the time of Muhammad's death in 632 CE. There is agreement among scholars that Muhammad himself did not write down the revelation.
Sahih al-Bukhari narrates Muhammad describing the revelations as, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell" and Aisha reported, "I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over)." Muhammad's first revelation, according to the Quran, was accompanied with a vision. The agent of revelation is mentioned as the "one mighty in power", the one who "grew clear to view when he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he drew nigh and came down till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer." The Islamic studies scholar Welch states in the Encyclopaedia of Islam that he believes the graphic descriptions of Muhammad's condition at these moments may be regarded as genuine, because he was severely disturbed after these revelations. According to Welch, these seizures would have been seen by those around him as convincing evidence for the superhuman origin of Muhammad's inspirations. However, Muhammad's critics accused him of being a possessed man, a soothsayer or a magician since his experiences were similar to those claimed by such figures well known in ancient Arabia. Welch additionally states that it remains uncertain whether these experiences occurred before or after Muhammad's initial claim of prophethood. The Quran describes Muhammad as "ummi", which is traditionally interpreted as "illiterate," but the meaning is rather more complex. The medieval commentators such as Al-Tabari maintained that the term induced two meanings: first, the inability to read or write in general; second, the inexperience or ignorance of the previous books or scriptures (but they gave priority to the first meaning). Besides, Muhammad's illiteracy was taken as a sign of the genuineness of his prophethood. For example, according to Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, if Muhammad had mastered writing and reading he possibly would have been suspected of having studied the books of the ancestors. Some scholars such as Watt prefer the second meaning.
COMPILATION
Based on earlier transmitted reports, in the year 632 CE, after Muhammad died and a number of his companions who knew the Quran by heart were killed in a battle by Musaylimah, the first caliph Abu Bakr (d. 634CE) decided to collect the book in one volume so that it could be preserved. Zayd ibn Thabit (d. 655CE) was the person to collect the Quran since "he used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Apostle". Thus, a group of scribes, most importantly Zayd, collected the verses and produced a hand-written manuscript of the complete book. The manuscript according to Zayd remained with Abu Bakr until he died. Zayd's reaction to the task and the difficulties in collecting the Quranic material from parchments, palm-leaf stalks, thin stones and from men who knew it by heart is recorded in earlier narratives. After Abu Bakr, Hafsa bint Umar, Muhammad's widow, was entrusted with the manuscript. In about 650 CE, the third Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (d. 656CE) began noticing slight differences in pronunciation of the Quran as Islam expanded beyond the Arabian peninsula into Persia, the Levant, and North Africa. In order to preserve the sanctity of the text, he ordered a committee headed by Zayd to use Abu Bakr's copy and prepare a standard copy of the Quran. Thus, within 20 years of Muhammad's death, the Quran was committed to written form. That text became the model from which copies were made and promulgated throughout the urban centers of the Muslim world, and other versions are believed to have been destroyed. The present form of the Quran text is accepted by Muslim scholars to be the original version compiled by Abu Bakr.
According to Shia and some Sunni scholars, Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 661CE) compiled a complete version of the Quran shortly after Muhammad's death. The order of this text differed from that gathered later during Uthman's era in that this version had been collected in chronological order. Despite this, he made no objection against the standardized Quran and accepted the Quran in circulation. Other personal copies of the Quran might have existed including Ibn Mas'ud's and Ubayy ibn Kab's codex, none of which exist today.
The Quran most likely existed in scattered written form during Muhammad's lifetime. Several sources indicate that during Muhammad's lifetime a large number of his companions had memorized the revelations. Early commentaries and Islamic historical sources support the above-mentioned understanding of the Quran's early development. The Quran in its present form is generally considered by academic scholars to record the words spoken by Muhammad because the search for variants has not yielded any differences of great significance. Although most variant readings of the text of the Quran have ceased to be transmitted, some still are. There has been no critical text produced on which a scholarly reconstruction of the Quranic text could be based. Historically, controversy over the Quran's content has rarely become an issue, although debates continue on the subject.
In 1972, in a mosque in the city of Sana'a, Yemen, manuscripts were discovered that were later proved to be the most ancient Quranic text known to exist. The Sana'a manuscripts contain palimpsests, a manuscript page from which the text has been washed off to make the parchment reusable again - a practice which was common in ancient times due to scarcity of writing material. However, the faint washed-off underlying text (scriptio inferior) is still barely visible and believed to be "pre-Uthmanic" Quranic content, while the text written on top (scriptio superior) is believed to belong to Uthmanic time. Studies using radiocarbon dating indicate that the parchments are dated to the period before 671 AD with a 99 percent probability.
SIGNIFICANCE IN ISLAM
WORSHIP
Muslims believe the Quran to be the book of divine guidance revealed from God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years and view the Quran as God's final revelation to humanity. They also believe that the Quran has solutions to all the problems of humanity irrespective of how complex they may be and in what age they occur.
Revelation in Islamic and Quranic concept means the act of God addressing an individual, conveying a message for a greater number of recipients. The process by which the divine message comes to the heart of a messenger of God is tanzil (to send down) or nuzūl (to come down). As the Quran says, "With the truth we (God) have sent it down and with the truth it has come down."
The Quran frequently asserts in its text that it is divinely ordained. Some verses in the Quran seem to imply that even those who do not speak Arabic would understand the Quran if it were recited to them. The Quran refers to a written pre-text, "the preserved tablet", that records God's speech even before it was sent down.
The issue of whether the Quran is eternal or created became a theological debate (Quran's createdness) in the ninth century. Mu'tazilas, an Islamic school of theology based on reason and rational thought, held that the Quran was created while the most widespread varieties of Muslim theologians considered the Quran to be co-eternal with God and therefore uncreated. Sufi philosophers view the question as artificial or wrongly framed.
Muslims believe that the present wording of the Quran corresponds to that revealed to Muhammad, and according to their interpretation of Quran 15:9, it is protected from corruption ("Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian."). Muslims consider the Quran to be a guide, a sign of the prophethood of Muhammad and the truth of the religion. They argue it is not possible for a human to produce a book like the Quran, as the Quran itself maintains.
Muslims commemorate annually the beginning of Quran's revelation on the Night of Destiny (Laylat al-Qadr), during the last 10 days of Ramadan, the month during which they fast from sunrise until sunset.
The first sura of the Quran is repeated in daily prayers and in other occasions. This sura, which consists of seven verses, is the most often recited sura of the Quran:
"All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Universe, the Beneficent, the Merciful and Master of the Day of Judgment, You alone We do worship and from You alone we do seek assistance, guide us to the right path, the path of those to whom You have granted blessings, those who are neither subject to Your anger nor have gone astray."
Respect for the written text of the Quran is an important element of religious faith by many Muslims, and the Quran is treated with reverence. Based on tradition and a literal interpretation of Quran 56:79 ("none shall touch but those who are clean"), some Muslims believe that they must perform a ritual cleansing with water before touching a copy of the Quran, although this view is not universal. Worn-out copies of the Quran are wrapped in a cloth and stored indefinitely in a safe place, buried in a mosque or a Muslim cemetery, or burned and the ashes buried or scattered over water.
In Islam, most intellectual disciplines, including Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism and Jurisprudence, have been concerned with the Quran or have their foundation in its teachings. Muslims believe that the preaching or reading of the Quran is rewarded with divine rewards variously called ajr, thawab or hasanat.
IN ISLAMIC ART
The Quran also inspired Islamic arts and specifically the so-called Quranic arts of calligraphy and illumination.[1] The Quran is never decorated with figurative images, but many Qurans have been highly decorated with decorative patterns in the margins of the page, or between the lines or at the start of suras. Islamic verses appear in many other media, on buildings and on objects of all sizes, such as mosque lamps, metal work, pottery and single pages of calligraphy for muraqqas or albums.
INIMITABILITY
Inimitability of the Quran (or "I'jaz") is the belief that no human speech can match the Quran in its content and form. The Quran is considered an inimitable miracle by Muslims, effective until the Day of Resurrection - and, thereby, the central proof granted to Muhammad in authentication of his prophetic status. The concept of inimitability originates in the Quran where in five different verses opponents are challenged to produce something like the Quran: "If men and sprites banded together to produce the like of this Quran they would never produce its like not though they backed one another."[61] So the suggestion is that if there are doubts concerning the divine authorship of the Quran, come forward and create something like it. From the ninth century, numerous works appeared which studied the Quran and examined its style and content. Medieval Muslim scholars including al-Jurjani (d. 1078CE) and al-Baqillani (d. 1013CE) have written treatises on the subject, discussed its various aspects, and used linguistic approaches to study the Quran. Others argue that the Quran contains noble ideas, has inner meanings, maintained its freshness through the ages and has caused great transformations in individual level and in the history. Some scholars state that the Quran contains scientific information that agrees with modern science. The doctrine of miraculousness of the Quran is further emphasized by Muhammad's illiteracy since the unlettered prophet could not have been suspected of composing the Quran.
TEXT & ARRANGEMENT
The Quran consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sura. Suras are classified as Meccan or Medinan, depending on whether the verses were revealed before or after the migration of Muhammad to the city of Medina. However, a sura classified as Medinan may contain Meccan verses in it and vice versa. Sura titles are derived from a name or quality discussed in the text, or from the first letters or words of the surah. Suras are arranged roughly in order of decreasing size. The sura arrangement is thus not connected to the sequence of revelation. Each sura except the ninth starts with the Bismillah (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) an Arabic phrase meaning 'In the name of God.' There are, however, still 114 occurrences of the Bismillah in the Quran, due to its presence in Quran 27:30 as the opening of Solomon's letter to the Queen of Sheba.
Each sura consists of several verses, known as ayat, which originally means a 'sign' or 'evidence' sent by God. The number of verses differs from sura to sura. An individual verse may be just a few letters or several lines. The total number of verses in the Quran is 6236, however, the number varies if the bismillahs are counted separately.
In addition to and independent of the division into suras, there are various ways of dividing the Quran into parts of approximately equal length for convenience in reading. The 30 juz' (plural ajzāʼ) can be used to read through the entire Quran in a month. Some of these parts are known by names - which are the first few words by which the juzʼ starts. A juz' is sometimes further divided into two ḥizb (plural aḥzāb), and each hizb subdivided into four rubʻ al-ahzab. The Quran is also divided into seven approximately equal parts, manzil (plural manāzil), for it to be recited in a week.
Muqatta'at, or the Quranic initials, are 14 different letter combinations of 14 Arabic letters that appear in the beginning of 29 suras of the Quran. The meanings of these initials remain unclear.
According to one estimate the Quran consists of 77,430 words, 18,994 unique words, 12,183 stems, 3,382 lemmas and 1,685 roots.
CONTENTS
The Quranic content is concerned with the basic beliefs of Islam which include the existence of God and the resurrection. Narratives of the early prophets, ethical and legal subjects, historical events of Muhammad's time, charity and prayer also appear in the Quran. The Quranic verses contain general exhortations regarding right and wrong and the historical events are related to outline general moral lessons. Verses pertaining to natural phenomena have been interpreted by Muslims as an indication of the authenticity of the Quranic message.
MONOTHEISM
The central theme of the Quran is monotheism. God is depicted as living, eternal, omniscient and omnipotent (see, e.g., Quran 2:20, 2:29, 2:255). God's omnipotence appears above all in his power to create. He is the creator of everything, of the heavens and the earth and what is between them (see, e.g., Quran 13:16, 50:38, etc.). All human beings are equal in their utter dependence upon God, and their well-being depends upon their acknowledging that fact and living accordingly.
The Quran uses cosmological and contingency arguments in various verses without referring to the terms to prove the existence of God. Therefore, the universe is originated and needs an originator, and whatever exists must have a sufficient cause for its existence. Besides, the design of the universe, is frequently referred to as a point of contemplation: "It is He who has created seven heavens in harmony. You cannot see any fault in God's creation; then look again: Can you see any flaw?"
ESCHATOLOGY
The doctrine of the last day and eschatology (the final fate of the universe) may be reckoned as the second great doctrine of the Quran. It is estimated that around a full one-third of the Quran is eschatological, dealing with the afterlife in the next world and with the day of judgment at the end of time. There is a reference of the afterlife on most pages of the Quran and the belief in the afterlife is often referred to in conjunction with belief in God as in the common expression: "Believe in God and the last day". A number of suras such as 44, 56, 75, 78, 81 and 101 are directly related to the afterlife and its preparations. Some of the suras indicate the closeness of the event and warn people to be prepared for the imminent day. For instance, the first verses of Sura 22, which deal with the mighty earthquake and the situations of people on that day, represent this style of divine address: "O People! Be respectful to your Lord. The earthquake of the Hour is a mighty thing."
The Quran is often vivid in its depiction of what will happen at the end time. Watt describes the Quranic view of End Time:
"The climax of history, when the present world comes to an end, is referred to in various ways. It is 'the Day of Judgment,' 'the Last Day,' 'the Day of Resurrection,' or simply 'the Hour.' Less frequently it is 'the Day of Distinction' (when the good are separated from the evil), 'the Day of the Gathering' (of men to the presence of God) or 'the Day of the Meeting' (of men with God). The Hour comes suddenly. It is heralded by a shout, by a thunderclap, or by the blast of a trumpet. A cosmic upheaval then takes place. The mountains dissolve into dust, the seas boil up, the sun is darkened, the stars fall and the sky is rolled up. God appears as Judge, but his presence is hinted at rather than described. [...] The central interest, of course, is in the gathering of all mankind before the Judge. Human beings of all ages, restored to life, join the throng. To the scoffing objection of the unbelievers that former generations had been dead a long time and were now dust and mouldering bones, the reply is that God is nevertheless able to restore them to life."
The Quran does not assert a natural immortality of the human soul, since man's existence is dependent on the will of God: when he wills, he causes man to die; and when he wills, he raises him to life again in a bodily resurrection.[68]
PROPHETS
According to the Quran, God communicated with man and made his will known through signs and revelations. Prophets, or 'Messengers of God', received revelations and delivered them to humanity. The message has been identical and for all humankind. "Nothing is said to you that was not said to the messengers before you, that your lord has at his Command forgiveness as well as a most Grievous Penalty." The revelation does not come directly from God to the prophets. Angels acting as God's messengers deliver the divine revelation to them. This comes out in Quran 42:51, in which it is stated: "It is not for any mortal that God should speak to them, except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by his permission whatsoever He will."
ETHICO-RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS
Belief is the center of the sphere of positive moral properties in the Quran. A number of scholars have tried to determine the semantic contents of the words meaning 'belief' and 'believer' in the Quran [70] The Ethico-legal concepts and exhortations dealing with righteous conduct are linked to a profound awareness of God, thereby emphasizing the importance of faith, accountability and the belief in each human's ultimate encounter with God. People are invited to perform acts of charity, especially for the needy. Believers who "spend of their wealth by night and by day, in secret and in public" are promised that they "shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve" It also affirms family life by legislating on matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance. A number of practices such as usury and gambling are prohibited. The Quran is one of the fundamental sources of the Islamic law, or sharia. Some formal religious practices receive significant attention in the Quran including the formal prayers and fasting in the month of Ramadan. As for the manner in which the prayer is to be conducted, the Quran refers to prostration. The term used for charity, Zakat, actually means purification. Charity, according to the Quran, is a means of self-purification.
LITERARY STYLE
The Quran's message is conveyed with various literary structures and devices. In the original Arabic, the suras and verses employ phonetic and thematic structures that assist the audience's efforts to recall the message of the text. Muslims[who?] assert (according to the Quran itself) that the Quranic content and style is inimitable.
The language of the Quran has been described as "rhymed prose" as it partakes of both poetry and prose, however, this description runs the risk of compromising the rhythmic quality of Quranic language, which is certainly more poetic in some parts and more prose-like in others. Rhyme, while found throughout the Quran, is conspicuous in many of the earlier Meccan suras, in which relatively short verses throw the rhyming words into prominence. The effectiveness of such a form is evident for instance in Sura 81, and there can be no doubt that these passages impressed the conscience of the hearers. Frequently a change of rhyme from one set of verses to another signals a change in the subject of discussion. Later sections also preserve this form but the style is more expository.
The Quranic text seems to have no beginning, middle, or end, its nonlinear structure being akin to a web or net. The textual arrangement is sometimes considered to have lack of continuity, absence of any chronological or thematic order and presence of repetition. Michael Sells, citing the work of the critic Norman O. Brown, acknowledges Brown's observation that the seeming disorganization of Quranic literary expression – its scattered or fragmented mode of composition in Sells's phrase – is in fact a literary device capable of delivering profound effects as if the intensity of the prophetic message were shattering the vehicle of human language in which it was being communicated. Sells also addresses the much-discussed repetitiveness of the Quran, seeing this, too, as a literary device.
A text is self-referential when it speaks about itself and makes reference to itself. According to Stefan Wild the Quran demonstrates this meta-textuality by explaining, classifying, interpreting and justifying the words to be transmitted. Self-referentiality is evident in those passages when the Quran refers to itself as revelation (tanzil), remembrance (dhikr), news (naba'), criterion (furqan) in a self-designating manner (explicitly asserting its Divinity, "And this is a blessed Remembrance that We have sent down; so are you now denying it?"), or in the frequent appearance of the 'Say' tags, when Muhammad is commanded to speak (e.g. "Say: 'God's guidance is the true guidance' ", "Say: 'Would you then dispute with us concerning God?' "). According to Wild the Quran is highly self-referential. The feature is more evident in early Meccan suras.
INTERPRETATION
The Quran has sparked a huge body of commentary and explication (tafsīr), aimed at explaining the "meanings of the Quranic verses, clarifying their import and finding out their significance".
Tafsir is one of the earliest academic activities of Muslims. According to the Quran, Muhammad was the first person who described the meanings of verses for early Muslims. Other early exegetes included a few Companions of Muhammad, like ʻAli ibn Abi Talib, ʻAbdullah ibn Abbas, ʻAbdullah ibn Umar and Ubayy ibn Kaʻb. Exegesis in those days was confined to the explanation of literary aspects of the verse, the background of its revelation and, occasionally, interpretation of one verse with the help of the other. If the verse was about a historical event, then sometimes a few traditions (hadith) of Muhammad were narrated to make its meaning clear.
Because the Quran is spoken in classical Arabic, many of the later converts to Islam (mostly non-Arabs) did not always understand the Quranic Arabic, they did not catch allusions that were clear to early Muslims fluent in Arabic and they were concerned with reconciling apparent conflict of themes in the Quran. Commentators erudite in Arabic explained the allusions, and perhaps most importantly, explained which Quranic verses had been revealed early in Muhammad's prophetic career, as being appropriate to the very earliest Muslim community, and which had been revealed later, canceling out or "abrogating" (nāsikh) the earlier text (mansūkh). Other scholars, however, maintain that no abrogation has taken place in the Quran. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has published a 10-volume Urdu commentary on the Quran, with the name Tafseer e Kabir.
ESOTERIC INTERPRETATION
Esoteric or Sufi interpretation attempts to unveil the inner meanings of the Quran. Sufism moves beyond the apparent (zahir) point of the verses and instead relates Quranic verses to the inner or esoteric (batin) and metaphysical dimensions of consciousness and existence. According to Sands, esoteric interpretations are more suggestive than declarative, they are 'allusions' (isharat) rather than explanations (tafsir). They indicate possibilities as much as they demonstrate the insights of each writer.
Sufi interpretation, according to Annabel Keeler, also exemplifies the use of the theme of love, as for instance can seen in Qushayri's interpretation of the Quran. Quran 7:143 says:
"when Moses came at the time we appointed, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, 'My Lord, show yourself to me! Let me see you!' He said, 'you shall not see me but look at that mountain, if it remains standing firm you will see me.' When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble. Moses fell down unconscious. When he recovered, he said, 'Glory be to you! I repent to you! I am the first to believe!'"
Moses, in 7:143, comes the way of those who are in love, he asks for a vision but his desire is denied, he is made to suffer by being commanded to look at other than the Beloved while the mountain is able to see God. The mountain crumbles and Moses faints at the sight of God's manifestation upon the mountain. In Qushayri's words, Moses came like thousands of men who traveled great distances, and there was nothing left to Moses of Moses. In that state of annihilation from himself, Moses was granted the unveiling of the realities. From the Sufi point of view, God is the always the beloved and the wayfarer's longing and suffering lead to realization of the truths.[90]
Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei says that according to the popular explanation among the later exegetes, ta'wil indicates the particular meaning a verse is directed towards. The meaning of revelation (tanzil), as opposed to ta'wil, is clear in its accordance to the obvious meaning of the words as they were revealed. But this explanation has become so widespread that, at present, it has become the primary meaning of ta'wil, which originally meant "to return" or "the returning place". In Tabatabaei's view, what has been rightly called ta'wil, or hermeneutic interpretation of the Quran, is not concerned simply with the denotation of words. Rather, it is concerned with certain truths and realities that transcend the comprehension of the common run of men; yet it is from these truths and realities that the principles of doctrine and the practical injunctions of the Quran issue forth. Interpretation is not the meaning of the verse - rather it transpires through that meaning, in a special sort of transpiration. There is a spiritual reality - which is the main objective of ordaining a law, or the basic aim in describing a divine attribute - and then there is an actual significance that a Quranic story refers to.
According to Shia beliefs, those who are firmly rooted in knowledge like Muhammad and the imams know the secrets of the Quran. According to Tabatabaei, the statement "none knows its interpretation except God" remains valid, without any opposing or qualifying clause. Therefore, so far as this verse is concerned, the knowledge of the Quran's interpretation is reserved for God. But Tabatabaei uses other verses and concludes that those who are purified by God know the interpretation of the Quran to a certain extent.
According to Tabatabaei, there are acceptable and unacceptable esoteric interpretations. Acceptable ta'wil refers to the meaning of a verse beyond its literal meaning; rather the implicit meaning, which ultimately is known only to God and can't be comprehended directly through human thought alone. The verses in question here refer to the human qualities of coming, going, sitting, satisfaction, anger and sorrow, which are apparently attributed to God. Unacceptable ta'wil is where one "transfers" the apparent meaning of a verse to a different meaning by means of a proof; this method is not without obvious inconsistencies. Although this unacceptable ta'wil has gained considerable acceptance, it is incorrect and cannot be applied to the Quranic verses. The correct interpretation is that reality a verse refers to. It is found in all verses, the decisive and the ambiguous alike; it is not a sort of a meaning of the word; it is a fact that is too sublime for words. God has dressed them with words to bring them a bit nearer to our minds; in this respect they are like proverbs that are used to create a picture in the mind, and thus help the hearer to clearly grasp the intended idea.
HISTORY OF SUFI COMMENTARIES
One of the notable authors of esoteric interpretation prior to the 12th century is Sulami (d. 1021 CE) without whose work the majority of very early Sufi commentaries would not have been preserved. Sulami's major commentary is a book named haqaiq al-tafsir ("Truths of Exegesis") which is a compilation of commentaries of earlier Sufis. From the 11th century onwards several other works appear, including commentaries by Qushayri (d. 1074), Daylami (d. 1193), Shirazi (d. 1209) and Suhrawardi (d. 1234). These works include material from Sulami's books plus the author's contributions. Many works are written in Persian such as the works of Maybudi (d. 1135) kash al-asrar ("the unveiling of the secrets"). Rumi (d. 1273) wrote a vast amount of mystical poetry in his book Mathnawi. Rumi makes heavy use of the Quran in his poetry, a feature that is sometimes omitted in translations of Rumi's work. A large number of Quranic passages can be found in Mathnawi, which some consider a kind of Sufi interpretation of the Quran. Rumi's book is not exceptional for containing citations from and elaboration on the Quran, however, Rumi does mention Quran more frequently. Simnani (d. 1336) wrote two influential works of esoteric exegesis on the Quran. He reconciled notions of God's manifestation through and in the physical world with the sentiments of Sunni Islam. Comprehensive Sufi commentaries appears in the 18th century such as the work of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (d. 1725). His work ruh al-Bayan (the Spirit of Elucidation) is a voluminous exegesis. Written in Arabic, it combines the author's own ideas with those of his predecessors (notably Ibn Arabi and Ghazali), all woven together in Hafiz, a Persian poetry form.
LEVELS OF MEANING
Unlike the Salafis and Zahiri, Shias and Sufis as well as some other Muslim philosophers believe the meaning of the Quran is not restricted to the literal aspect. For them, it is an essential idea that the Quran also has inward aspects. Henry Corbin narrates a hadith that goes back to Muhammad:
"The Quran possesses an external appearance and a hidden depth, an exoteric meaning and an esoteric meaning. This esoteric meaning in turn conceals an esoteric meaning (this depth possesses a depth, after the image of the celestial Spheres, which are enclosed within each other). So it goes on for seven esoteric meanings (seven depths of hidden depth)."
According to this view, it has also become evident that the inner meaning of the Quran does not eradicate or invalidate its outward meaning. Rather, it is like the soul, which gives life to the body. Corbin considers the Quran to play a part in Islamic philosophy, because gnosiology itself goes hand in hand with prophetology.
Commentaries dealing with the zahir (outward aspects) of the text are called tafsir, and hermeneutic and esoteric commentaries dealing with the batin are called ta'wil ("interpretation" or "explanation"), which involves taking the text back to its beginning. Commentators with an esoteric slant believe that the ultimate meaning of the Quran is known only to God. In contrast, Quranic literalism, followed by Salafis and Zahiris, is the belief that the Quran should only be taken at its apparent meaning.
TRANSLATIONS
Translation of the Quran has always been a problematic and difficult issue. Many argue that the Quranic text cannot be reproduced in another language or form. Furthermore, an Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on the context, making an accurate translation even more difficult.
Nevertheless, the Quran has been translated into most African, Asian and European languages. The first translator of the Quran was Salman the Persian, who translated surat al-Fatiha into Persian during the seventh century. Another translation of the Quran was completed in 884 CE in Alwar (Sindh, India now Pakistan) by the orders of Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Aziz on the request of the Hindu Raja Mehruk.
The first fully attested complete translations of the Quran were done between the 10th and 12th centuries in Persian language. The Samanid king, Mansur I (961-976), ordered a group of scholars from Khorasan to translate the Tafsir al-Tabari, originally in Arabic, into Persian. Later in the 11th century, one of the students of Abu Mansur Abdullah al-Ansari wrote a complete tafsir of the Quran in Persian. In the 12th century, Najm al-Din Abu Hafs al-Nasafi translated the Quran into Persian. The manuscripts of all three books have survived and have been published several times.
Islamic tradition also holds that translations were made for Emperor Negus of Abyssinia and Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, as both received letters by Muhammad containing verses from the Quran. In early centuries, the permissibility of translations was not an issue, but whether one could use translations in prayer.
In 1936, translations in 102 languages were known. In 2010, the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review reported that the Quran was presented in 112 languages at the 18th International Quran Exhibition in Tehran.
That very moment when you need to call a specific agency to get an information or help and no one answers the phone.
This is a picture I wish I would never have had the opportunity to take... I've done a lot of thinking about it since yesterday when I took it. As sad as this is, it is nature and the alligator is doing what he has to do to survive..And there is nothing we can or should do about it.
What I find much sadder, is the human behavior I have seen in the last few months. Bobcat hunting and trapping is legal in many places, but not in this specific wildlife area. A while back a poacher was suspected of going into this area at night to get the bobcats. The wildlife authorities were spending nights there trying to catch them. Yet there are people right here on Flickr posting address information on where these gentle bobcats are located so that poachers searching the Internet can easily find a whole family of easy target bobcats in one place. As well as find the hours the park is open. (So they can be alone after hours).
I've been writing to many of the people who had posted this information and most are the nicest people you'd ever want to meet...After hearing about the situation, and knowing the risk is small but real, they immediately removed the exact location. Those people have my undying respect and admiration. They are the photographers I look up to as great examples of humankind and what a nature photographer should be. Then there are those who even after hearing about the problem, refuse to remove the information. Now THAT is sad... Much, much sadder than a gator eating to live.... Seeing photographers who care more about promoting their photos or being found in a Flickr search than possibility being responsible for the horrid fate of a trapped bobcat to be made into a fur coat or shot simply for the "sport" of it, is REALLY upsetting to me... A hundred times more upsetting than a gator eating to live.
To see what a horrible fate a trapped bobcat goes through, do a Flickr search for 'trapped bobcat'... Born Free has some undercover photos of trapped animals when the trapper finally returns... Lets just say that if the animal has not already died a long slow death, they are about to. They have undercover footage of a trapper who does not like to waste money on bullets when they can stomp it death for free. And like I said, it's all perfectly legal, in the right places. Check out the huge stacks of dead bobcats this man is proud to have trapped. He claims over a hundred every year. bobcatlureandbait.com/?cat=3 Bobcats are the highest priced furs on the US market. Some pelts go for upwards of 1,500. $6,500 for a bobcat fur coat.. www.usafoxx.com/index.php?route=product/product&produ... and the popularity of bobcat fur coats has increased in the last several years... Making them a highly sought after commodity.
Please read this short page: www.bigwildlife.org/front_animal_page.php?page=17
I would think in this day and age people would have evolved past the point where we do not need to cause so much suffering to animals to make ourselves feel more beautiful or rich by wearing their fur. Or feel more like 'a man' because we can conquer some poor innocent animal with steel traps, bullets or bow and arrow to make a few dollars. And I have barely touched on the subject of hunting for "sport". Which is a huge industry, and may actually be an even bigger threat.
Shame on those photographers who know about this problem and yet care more about themselves and getting some imaginary attention for their photography, than the actual nature they photograph. It's very sad.
An endangered Florida Panther was just shot and killed in the Everglades by a poacher in early 2014. Many endangered whooping cranes are poached every year. Two half-tame deer at another local nature center, (in a large fenced in area) were shot with bow and arrow a while back. The deer had to be dismembered, taken over the fence and carted away in pieces. Yet those poachers boldly carried out their mission, one mile from a Sheriff station, in the night when no one was around. A bobcat could easily be carried away. Poaching happens everywhere in the USA. " Wildlife officials say that legal hunters kill tens of millions of animals every year. For each of those animals, another is killed illegally, perhaps on closed land or out of season, leaving orphaned young to starve. Few poachers are caught or punished."
www.humanesociety.org/issues/poaching/?credit=web_id86162658
Another threat is irrational fear from people living in nearby communities. When these people see photos posted with a location close to their home, it stirs them into action. I hear of many bobcats caught by trappers every year. According to Big Cat Rescue most Florida bobcats cannot be legally relocated. But if they are, either they or the bobcat whose territory it's released onto will die. This is a very important article to read especially the beginning and end : bigcatrescue.org/relocating-bobcats-and-cougars/
And as I have come to realize, photographers themselves can pose the BIGGEST threat to wildlife of all. The crowds caused by posting location online, can be a serious problem in themselves. I have seen mob mentality overpower otherwise rational people. I've seen it many times.
Photographers PLEASE don't post location information of sensitive species on the internet. Especially to those places where wildlife has lost its fear of man. Not all people on the internet are animal lovers.
To see more photos: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2280450/Curiosity-kills-...
Specific Perfection ENB www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/62978/?
10x better snow----couldn't find the link :/
Baboon
Baboons are Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae which are found natively in very specific areas of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The five species are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrilland the drill are larger. Previously, the closely related gelada (genus Theropithecus) and the two species (mandrill and drill) of genus Mandrillus were grouped in the same genus, and these Old World monkeys are still often referred to as baboons in everyday speech. They range in size and weight depending on species. The Guinea baboon is 50 cm (20 in) and weighs only 14 kg (31 lb), while the largest chacma baboon can be 120 cm (47 in) and weigh 40 kg (88 lb).
Source: Wikipedia
Babuíno
Os babuínos são macacos do Velho Mundo pertencentes ao gênero Papio, parte da subfamília Cercopithecinae, encontrada nativamente em áreas muito específicas da África e da Península Arábica. As cinco espécies são alguns dos maiores membros não hominóides da ordem dos primatas; somente o mandril e a broca são maiores. Anteriormente, a gelada (gênero Theropithecus) e as duas espécies (mandril e broca) do gênero Mandrillus estavam agrupadas no mesmo gênero, e esses macacos do Velho Mundo ainda são freqüentemente chamados de babuínos na fala cotidiana. Eles variam em tamanho e peso, dependendo da espécie. O babuíno guiné tem 50 cm (20 pol) e pesa apenas 14 kg (31 lb), enquanto o maior babuíno chacma pode ter 120 cm (47 pol) e pesar 40 kg (88 lb).
Fonte: Wikipedia (tradução livre)
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of around 20,000 square kilometres in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 kilometres (220 mi) from north to south and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from east to west.
Source: Wikipedia
Parque Nacional Kruger
O Parque Nacional Kruger é a maior área protegida de fauna bravia da África do Sul, cobrindo cerca de 20 000 km2. Está localizado no nordeste do país, nas províncias de Mpumalanga e Limpopo e tem uma extensão de cerca de 360 km de norte a sul e 65 km de leste a oeste.
Os parques nacionais africanos, nas regiões da savana africana são importantes pelo turismo com safári de observação e fotográfico.
O seu nome foi dado em homenagem a Stephanus Johannes Paul Kruger, último presidente da República Sul-Africana bôere. Foi criado em 31 de Maio de 1926
Fonte: Wikipedia
Joé Juneau: Team Canada's 1992 Olympic Star
This image captures Canadian ice hockey player Joé Juneau in his iconic Team Canada uniform, wearing jersey number 9. This specific jersey style, featuring the large maple leaf crest, was worn by the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team during the early 1990s, most notably at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. This specific photograph is an autographed piece of memorabilia, commemorating his time as an Olympic hero.
Juneau postponed his professional NHL career to represent his country, a decision that proved historic. At the 1992 Games, he was the standout player, leading the entire tournament in points with six goals and nine assists in just eight games. His exceptional play was a key factor in Canada winning a silver medal, the nation's first Olympic hockey medal in 24 years.
Player Profile
Full Name: Joseph "Joé" Juneau
Position: Centre
Nationality: Canadian
Olympic Achievement: Silver Medal (1992 Winter Olympics)
Notable Career Fact: In his rookie NHL season immediately following the Olympics, Juneau set an NHL record for assists by a left winger and amassed an incredible 102 points with the Boston Bruins. He earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, known for balancing high academics with elite athletics.
LINK to video - 1992 Gold Medal Hockey Game - Canada vs Unified Team Albertville winter Olympics - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjDV8fGWQ5c
LINK to video - Great Canadians: Joé Juneau - www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_x9tBqL1eQ
Joé Juneau played a total of 78 games for Team Canada (including exhibition and Olympic tournament play) across the years 1989 to 1992. He famously led Canada to a silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, where he was the tournament's leading scorer.
1989/90 - 3 games
1990/91 - 7 games
1991/92 - 60 games
1992 - Winter Olympics - 8 games
The uniform he is wearing is not from the 1992 Winter Olympics Games - Does anybody know where and when this photo was taken? And what the advertisement on the boards says - BE / ANT / BRA ?
Joé Juneau was an ice hockey star. In 1991, the native of Pont-Rouge, Quebec postponed a confirmed trip to the National Hockey League so he could play on Canada’s national team. Clutching a new degree in aeronautical engineering, Juneau suited up for Team Canada and his impact was immediate. In 60 exhibition games, Juneau scored 69 points – but only a prelude to the Olympic tournament in 1992. At the Olympic Winter Games that year in Albertville, France, Juneau led a team composed of amateur players. Canada won a silver medal and not only did Juneau lead the team in points, he led the entire tournament. In eight games, the centre had six goals and nine assists for 15 points. LINK - develop.olympic.ca/2009/09/10/all-about-joe-juneau/
In the NHL, Juneau carved a memorable career. In his rookie season of 1992-1993, Juneau scored 102 points as a member of the Boston Bruins. His professional hockey career took him through Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa, Phoenix and Montreal. Juneau played in the Stanley Cup final twice, in 1998 with Washington and in 1999 with Buffalo. Upon retiring in 2004, Juneau had amassed 156 goals and 572 points in 828 career games.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
At the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, Juneau led a team composed of amateur players.Canada won a silver medal and not only did Juneau lead the team in points, he led the entire tournament – in eight games, the centre had six goals and nine assists for 15 points.
In his NHL rookie season of 1992-1993, Juneau scored 102 points as a member of the Boston Bruins.
His professional hockey career took him through Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa, Phoenix and Montreal. Juneau played in the Stanley Cup final twice, in 1998 with Washington and in 1999 with Buffalo.
Upon retiring in 2004, Juneau had amassed 156 goals and 572 points in 828 career games.
@algonquinoutfit : RT @OntarioTravel: The beautiful skate trail at Arrowhead caught the eye of @TravelLeisure! t.co/k39wHpVHxD t.co/rtffltEhJr (via Twitter twitter.com/algonquinoutfit/status/824982832439255042)
Specific Perfection ENB www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/62978/?
SFO v. 1.91 www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/141/?
Unique Grass and ground covers www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/42370/
Model "Trailer Tr1 MkII type T2" is build with LEGO® in scale 1:17,5 and motorized using LEGO® Power Functions. It is not build after a specific brand or type of trailer. This build represents a two axle reefer (refrigerated) trailer with tandem axle slider.
The trailer features: solid axle suspension on all axles, three sets of lights, a kingpin, remotely controlled landing gear and parking break, remotely controlled tandem axle slider, and many details.
Scale: 1:17,5
Length: 826 mm
Weight: 2,78 kg
Parts: 1710
It’s color scheme matches that of „Truck T2 MkII” extremely well. The trailer’s weight is reduced by a light weight constructions of both the walls and roof and also by reducing it’s frame. The „container” is strong enough by itself so the frame is only used to attach necessities. These include the tandem axle slider, Power Functions and landing gear.
This model is another custom design by Ingmar Spijkhoven AKA 2LegoOrNot2Lego that comes with building instructions and inventory/parts list!
You can build it yourself! To do so you can buy the Building Instructions. Early in the building process you will see what it is that you are building. You will be very excited from the moment you start the build of "Trailer Tr1 MkII" till you finish it with about 220 different parts totaling 1710 pieces.
What is particularly new to this model is the avoidance of the hard to get Black Technic Steering Arm Small (BrickLink ID 6571). The newly designed rear axle now uses another part instead which will be available for many years!
To adjust the weight on different axle groups the trailer’s tandem axle group can slide along the trailer. The tandem axle group can be moved forwards and backwards to put the axles where the weight is best distributed. With this the distance between the kingpin and the axle group can be altered. This is referred to as the trailer wheelbase. The longer the trailer wheelbase, the less maneuverable the truck-trailer combination.
The village weaver also known as the spotted-backed weaver or black-headed weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi open habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages, and hotel grounds. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward-facing entrance, which is suspended from a branch in a tree. Two or three eggs are laid. Village weavers are colonial breeders, so many nests may hang from one tree.
Bristol Zoo Project, formerly known as Wild Place Project, is a wildlife conservation park in South Gloucestershire. It is run by Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) and was the sister site of Bristol Zoo Gardens until closure of that site in 2022. In summer 2023, Wild Place Project rebranded as "Bristol Zoo Project" following the transition of Bristol Zoo Gardens from their Clifton site. The park has been designed to link specific ecosystems and conservation programmes around the world, current areas include: Bear Wood, Benoué National Park and Discover Madagascar.
Such a specific atmosphere in my room, especially near the picture of Salvador Dali. Unbelievable energy. I'm so blessed!
By the way, it is the first time I levitated :)
| blog
While dental hygiene is not a priority in the rural parts of Shan State, Burma where the locals chew betel nut, this very friendly local with a beaming smile hosted us in his home for lunch. Each village in Burma has its own character, way of life, and usually hosts a specific ethnic group with the trappings of their culture, religion, and political allegiances. Village life is much slower than the city and Western lifestyle. It is refreshing to experience and can recenter one if you slow down to embrace the change in pace.
New hairs will have the following features:
> Flexi-specific innovation
> New color scheme
> Higher resolution texture
> Personal customization
> Hair-specific add-ons
> HUD-based control
Old hairs will also be upgraded in stages.
In-world Store:
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fashion%20Boulevard/84/131/1949
SL marketplace:
This very elegant Baroque church belonged to the now dissolved Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (or Trinitarians for short). They were founded in 1198 with the specific purpose of ransoming Christian captives in Muslim lands. The most immediate cause of the order's foundation was probably the fall in 1187 of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem to Saladin, after which perhaps 20,000 residents who could not purchase their own freedom were sold into slavery (in 1099, when the Crusaders first captured Jerusalem, they had infamously slaughtered thousands of its Muslim and Jewish residents). But all of the various Crusades in the Middle East and on the Iberian Peninsula (the Reconquista) inevitably led to large numbers of European Christians being taken captive in war. The royals, nobles, and commoners who donated to the order did so because it provided a system by which captives could be repatriated, and the donors hoped the Trinitarians would bring their people home. By rule, the order devoted one-third of its income to the monks' support, one-third to the poor, and one-third to ransoming captives. This last service was a very dangerous mission, as they had to gather up wealth and travel with it to hostile lands, where they negotiated for ransom of European Christians and often served themselves as hostages for payment of agreed ransoms.
The scale of the problem only increased with expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th through 16th centuries. The Ottomans consolidated control over the Middle East and much of North Africa, and expanded rapidly across the Balkans and into Central Europe, seizing parts of Hungary and threatening Bratislava and Vienna. In fact, in 1529 the neighborhood in Bratislava (then Pressburg) where this church now stands was demolished by city leaders in an effort to make the city more defensible against an expected Ottoman siege. Now it was not just Europeans who went as pilgrims or crusaders to the Holy Land who might fall captive. Instead, corsairs seized Europeans from Mediterranean ships or coasts, and European cities were falling to the Ottomans.
This church was consecrated in 1727, a few decades after the tide of Ottoman expansion had been turned and the Ottomans were expelled from Hungary. Soon, the growing power of European states and the declining power of the Ottomans made the Trinitarian mission less urgent. In 1782 the order was suppressed in Habsburg lands as part of a reform program by Joseph II. Over its lifetime, the order had ransomed tens of thousands of European captives, the most famous of whom was Miguel de Cervantes, a soldier in the Habsburg-Ottoman wars who was captured, held captive for five years, and ransomed by the Trinitarians in 1580. He later incorporated some of these experiences into his famous novel, Don Quixote.
The Trinitarian Church in Bratislava, Slovakia.
“Seven Magic Mountains is an artwork of thresholds and crossings, of balanced marvels and excessive colors, of casting and gathering and the contrary air between the desert and the city lights.” — Ugo Rondinone, artist
Seven Magic Mountains is a large-scale, site-specific public artwork by artist Ugo Rondinone, located south of Las Vegas. The installation opened in 2016 on a portion of the Mojave Desert managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Each totem is 30-35 feet high and contains 3-6 locally-sourced limestone boulders.
From a sign at the site:
“The artwork extends Rondinone’s long-running interest in natural phenomena and their reformulation in art. Inspired by naturally occurring Hoodoos and balancing rock formations, the stacks also evoke the art of meditative rock balancing. The works appear poised between monumentality and collapse—seeming to defy gravity in their teetering formations, but equally to depend on it.”
3D red/cyan anaglyph from the glass plate negatives at the Library of Congress, with missing sections restored from the left side of a stereo card version posted online by the Getty Museum.
Link to the Library of Congress negatives, “James River, Va. Sailors relaxing on deck of U.S.S. Monitor,” at: www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/civwar/item/2018666819/
Link to the Getty Museum stereo card, “Crew of the Original "Monitor" on her Deck,” at: www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/1079B2
Stereograph Date: July 9, 1862
Photographer: James F. Gibson (1828 - )
Notes: A stereoscopic portrait of 24 sailors, out of a total crew (including officers) of about 65, posing on the deck of “The Monitor,” while at anchor at Harrison's Landing on the James River. The Monitor was providing protection for the Union army which had retreated to the James, after Lee drove McClellan away from Richmond. This is the original monitor, as improved versions continued to be built during the Civil War, and although these later boats had specific ship names, they were also referred to as “monitors.”
This historic stereograph, and a handful of others, were all taken on the same day, July 9, 1862, by photographer James F. Gibson, and are the only known photographs ever taken of this most famous and very first monitor vessel.
The ironclad Monitor was revolutionary in design, built in just a little over 3 months, and after battling the Merrimac to a standstill at Hampton Roads in March 1862, the ship and crew were hailed as the saviors of the Union. The crew was an all volunteer crew, and although they were fairly safe inside it during battle, environmental conditions while serving on board could be atrocious, and worst of all, the ship was not sea-worthy. Six months after this photo was taken, the Monitor sank in a gale off Cape Hatteras, taking sixteen crew members with it to the bottom.
Some of the lost crew are perhaps pictured here, and after finding the skeletal remains of two sailors within the turret in 2002, there was some research and informed speculation as to exactly which two seamen in this photograph they might be. The tall sailor with his arms crossed at the extreme right was one candidate (Robert Williams), and the other (William Bryan) was thought to possibly be the man facing the camera, in a crouch, with his right arm stretched forth towards the checker board nearest the center. This research to identify the two sailors was found to be inconclusive, although it was determined that they were not officers. The two recovered sailors were from the crew - two of "The Monitor Boys," the moniker the crew (non-officers) gave to themselves.
The excerpts and links below provide some additional background information on the recruitment of the crew, the environmental conditions the crew had to endure, the battle with the Merrimac, the Monitor's sinking, and the possible identity of the two sailors, whose remains were found in 2002.
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Below are excerpts from an article by Commander Samuel Dana Greene, which appeared in an 1885 edition of Century Magazine. The editor makes note of Greene’s recent death – Commander Greene had committed suicide the previous December, at age 44. There was speculation that it was either temporary insanity or that he was upset at some perceived criticisms of his role in the famous battle with the Merrimac. In fact, Greene was really one of the Union heroes in the battle, manning and firing the Monitor’s 11 inch guns (which fired 180-pound shot) and taking over for Captain Worden after he was blinded by a direct hit on the pilot house.
It's a wonder that the men in the Monitor’s turret were able to withstand the tremendous noise and force of these huge guns being fired while in that restricted space - and in Greene's case, perhaps he didn’t fare too well. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) suggests that long term mental health issues can stem from concussions caused by "chronic exposure to low-level blast waves," from the firing of "heavy caliber weapons." If interested, here’s the link: www.dvidshub.net/news/270814/chronic-exposure-low-level-b...
In a letter written shortly after the battle, Greene summed up his condition: "My men and myself were perfectly black with smoke and powder. All my underclothes were perfectly black, and my person was in the same condition.... I had been up so long, and been under such a state of excitement, that my nervous system was completely run down. . . . My nerves and muscles twitched as though electric shocks were continually passing through them.... I lay down and tried to sleep - I might as well have tried to fly.”
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Century Magazine 1885 Vol. 7
In the “Monitor” Turret
By Commander S. Dana Greene
"The keel of the most famous vessel of modern times, Captain Ericsson’s first iron-clad, was laid in the shipyard of Thomas F. Rowland, at Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in October, 1861, and on the 30th of January, 1862, the novel craft was launched. On the 25th of February she was commissioned and turned over to the Government, and nine days later left New York for Hampton Roads, where, on the 9th of March, occurred the memorable contest with the Merrimac. On her next venture on the open sea she foundered off Cape Hatteras in a gale of wind (December 29). During her career of less than a year, she had no fewer than five different commanders; but it was the fortune of the writer to serve as her only executive officer, standing upon her deck when she was launched, and leaving it but a few minutes before she sank.
So hurried was the preparation of the Monitor that the mechanics worked upon her night and day up to the hour of her departure, and little opportunity was offered to drill the crew at the guns, to work the turret, and to become familiar with the other unusual features of the vessel. The crew was, in fact, composed of volunteers. Lieutenant Worden, having been authorized by the Navy Department to select his men from any ship-of-war in New York harbor, addressed the crews of the North Carolina and Sabine., stating fully to them the probable dangers of the passage to Hampton Roads and the certainty of having important service to perform after arriving. The sailors responded enthusiastically, many more volunteering than were required. Of the crew selected, Captain Worden said, in his official report of the engagement, '' A better one no naval commander ever had the honor to command.”
We left New York in tow of the tug-boat Seth Low at 11 a. m. of Thursday, the 6th of March. On the following day a moderate breeze was encountered, and it was at once evident that the Monitor was unfit for a sea-going craft. Nothing but the subsidence of the wind prevented her from being shipwrecked before she reached Hampton Roads. The berth-deck hatch leaked in spite of all we could do, and the water came down under the turret like a waterfall. It would strike the pilot-house and go over the turret in beautiful curves, and it came through the narrow eye-holes in the pilot-house with such force as to knock the helmsman completely round from the wheel.
The waves also broke over the blower-pipes, and the water came down through them in such quantities that the belts of the blower-engines slipped, and the engines consequently stopped for lack of artificial draught, without which, in such a confined place, the fires could not get air for combustion. Newton and Stimers, followed by the engineer’s force, gallantly rushed into the engine-room and fire- room to remedy the evil, but they were unable to check the inflowing water, and were nearly suffocated with escaping gas. They were dragged out more dead than alive, and carried to the top of the turret, where the fresh air gradually revived them. The water continued to pour through the hawser-hole, and over and down the smoke-stacks and blower-pipes, in such quantities that there was imminent danger that the ship would founder. The steam-pumps could not be operated because the fires had been nearly extinguished, and the engine-room was uninhabitable on account of the suffocating gas with which it was filled.
The hand-pumps were then rigged and worked, but they had not enough force to throw the water out through the top of the turret,—the only opening,— and it was useless to bail, as we had to pass the buckets up through the turret, which made it a very long operation. Fortunately, towards evening the wind and sea subsided, and, being again in smooth water, the engine was put in operation. But at midnight, in passing over a shoal, rough water was again encountered, and our troubles were renewed, complicated this time with the jamming of the wheel-ropes, so that the safety of the ship depended entirely on the strength of the hawser which connected her with the tug-boat. The hawser, being new, held fast; but during the greater part of the night we were constantly engaged in fighting the leaks, until we reached smooth water again, just before daylight.
It was at the close of this dispiriting trial trip, in which all hands had been exhausted in their efforts to keep the novel craft afloat, that the Monitor' passed Cape Henry at 4 p. m. on Saturday, March 8th. At this point was heard the distant booming of heavy guns, which our captain rightly judged to be an engagement with the Merrimac twenty miles away. He at once ordered the vessel stripped of her sea-rig, the turret keyed up, and every preparation made for battle. As we approached Hampton Roads we could see the fine old Congress burning brightly, and soon a pilot came on board and told of the arrival of the Merrimac the disaster to the Cumberland and the Congress, and the dismay of the Union forces.
The Monitor was pushed with all haste, and reached the Roanoke (Captain Marston), anchored in the Roads, at 9 p. m. Worden immediately reported his arrival to Captain Marston, who suggested that he should go to the assistance of the Minnesota, then aground off Newport News. As no pilot was available, Captain Worden accepted the volunteer services of Acting Master Samuel Howard, who earnestly sought the duty. An atmosphere of gloom pervaded the fleet, and the pygmy aspect of the new-comer did not inspire confidence among those who had witnessed the destruction of the day before.
Skillfully piloted by Howard, we proceeded on our way, our path illumined by the blaze of the Congress. Reaching the Minnesota, hard and fast aground, near midnight, we anchored, and Worden reported to Captain Van Brunt. Between 1 and 2 a. m. the Congress blew up, not instantaneously, but successively; her powder-tanks seemed to explode, each shower of sparks rivaling the other in its height, until they appeared to reach the zenith — a grand but mournful sight. Near us, too, lay the Cumberland at the bottom of the river, with her silent crew of brave men, who died while fighting their guns to the water’s edge, and whose colors were still flying at the peak.
The dreary night dragged slowly on; the officers and crew were up and alert, to be ready for any emergency. At daylight on Sunday the Merrimac and her consorts were discovered at anchor near Sewall’s Point. At about half-past seven o’clock the enemy’s vessels got under way and steered in the direction of the Minnesota. At the same time the Monitor got under way, and her officers and crew took their stations for battle. Captain Van Brunt officially reports, “I made signal to the Monitor to attack the enemy,” but the signal was not seen by us; other work was in hand, and Worden required no signal.....
Worden took his station in the pilot-house, and by his side were Howard, the pilot, and Peter Williams, quartermaster, who steered the vessel throughout the engagement. My place was in the turret, to work and fight the guns; with me were Stodder and Stimers and sixteen brawny men, eight to each gun. John Stocking, boatswain’s mate, and Thomas Lochrane, seaman, were gun-captains. Newton and his assistants were in the engine and fire rooms, to manipulate the boilers and engines, and most admirably did they perform this important service from the beginning to the close of the action. Webber had charge of the powder division on the berth-deck, and Joseph Crown, gunner’s mate, rendered valuable service in connection with this duty.
The physical condition of the officers and men of the two ships at this time was in striking contrast. The Merrimac had passed the night quietly near Sewall’s Point, her people enjoying rest and sleep, elated by thoughts of the victory they had achieved that day, and cheered by the prospects of another easy victory on the morrow. The Monitor had barely escaped shipwreck twice within the last thirty-six hours, and since Friday morning, forty-eight hours before, few if any of those on board had closed their eyes in sleep or had anything to eat but hard bread, as cooking was impossible; she was surrounded by wrecks and disaster, and her efficiency in action had yet to be proved.
Worden lost no time in bringing it to test. Getting his ship under way, he steered direct for the enemy’s vessels, in order to meet and engage them as far as possible from the Minnesota. As he approached, the wooden vessels quickly turned and left. Our captain, to the ‘‘ astonishment” of Captain Van Brunt (as he states in his official report), made straight for the Merrimac which had already commenced firing; and when he came within short range, he changed his course so as to come alongside of her, stopped the engine, and gave the order, Commence firing! ” I triced up the port, ran out the gun, and, taking deliberate aim, pulled the lockstring. The Merrimac was quick to reply, returning a rattling broadside (for she had ten guns to our two), and the battle fairly began. The turret and other parts of the ship were heavily struck, but the shots did not penetrate; the tower was intact, and it continued to revolve. A look of confidence passed over the men’s faces, and we believed the Merrimac would not repeat the work she had accomplished the day before.
The fight continued with the exchange of broadsides as fast as the guns could be served and at very short range, the distance between the vessels frequently being not more than a few yards. Worden skillfully maneuvered his quick-turning vessel, trying to find some vulnerable point in his adversary. Once he made a dash at her stern, hoping to disable her screw, which he thinks he missed by not more than two feet. Our shots ripped the iron of the Merrimac, while the reverberation of her shots against the tower caused anything but a pleasant sensation. While Stodder, who was stationed at the machine which controlled the revolving motion of the turret, was incautiously leaning against the side of the tower, a large shot struck in the vicinity and disabled him. He left the turret and went below, and Stimers, who had assisted him, continued to do the work.
The drawbacks to the position of the pilot-house were soon realized. We could not fire ahead nor within several points of the bow, since the blast from our own guns would have injured the people in the pilot-house, only a few yards off. Keeler and Toffey passed the captain’s orders and messages to me, and my inquiries and answers to him, the speaking-tube from the pilot-house to the turret having been broken early in the action. They performed their work with zeal and alacrity, but, both being landsmen, our technical communications sometimes miscarried. The situation was novel: a vessel of war was engaged in desperate combat with a powerful foe; the captain, commanding and guiding all, was inclosed in one place, and the executive officer, working and fighting the guns, was shut up in another, and communication between them was difficult and uncertain.....
As the engagement continued, the working of the turret was not altogether satisfactory. It was difficult to start it revolving, or, when once started, to stop it, on account of the imperfections of the novel machinery, which was now undergoing its first trial. Stimers was an active, muscular man, and did his utmost to control the motion of the turret; but, in spite of his efforts, it was difficult if not impossible to secure accurate firing. The conditions were very different from those of an ordinary broadside gun, under which we had been trained on wooden ships. My only view of the world outside of the tower was over the muzzles of the guns, which cleared the ports by a few inches only.....
The effect upon one shut up in a revolving drum is perplexing, and it is not a simple matter to keep the bearings. White marks had been placed upon the stationary deck immediately below the turret to indicate the direction of the starboard and port sides, and the bow and stern; but these marks were obliterated early in the action. I would continually ask the captain, How does the Merrimac bear ? ” He replied, “ On the starboard-beam,” or on the port-quarter,” as the case might be. Then the difficulty was to determine the direction of the starboard-beam, or port-quarter, or any other bearing. It finally resulted, that when a gun was ready for firing, the turret would be started on its revolving journey in search of the target, and when found it was taken on the fly,” because the turret could not be accurately controlled.
Once the Merrimac tried to ram us; but Worden avoided the direct impact by the skillful use of the helm, and she struck a glancing blow, which did no damage. At the instant of collision I planted a solid one-hundred-and-eighty-pound shot fair and square upon the forward part of her casemate. Had the gun been loaded with thirty pounds of powder, which was the charge subsequently used with similar guns, it is probable that this shot would have penetrated her armor; but the charge being limited to fifteen pounds, in accordance with peremptory orders to that effect from the Navy Department, the shot rebounded without doing any more damage than possibly to start some of the beams of her armor-backing....
The battle continued at close quarters without apparent damage to either side......Soon after noon a shell from the enemy’s gun, the muzzle not ten yards distant, struck the forward side of the pilot-house directly in the sight-hole, or slit, and exploded,. cracking the second iron log and partly lifting the top, leaving an opening. Worden was standing immediately behind this spot, and received in his face the force of the blow, which partly stunned him, and, filling his eyes with powder, utterly blinded him. The injury was known only to those in the pilot-house and its immediate vicinity. The flood of light rushing through the top of the pilot-house, now partly open, caused Worden, blind as he was, to believe that the pilot-house was seriously injured, if not destroyed; he therefore gave orders to put the helm to starboard and “sheer off.” Thus the Monitor retired temporarily from the action, in order to ascertain the extent of the injuries she had received. At the same time Worden sent for me, and leaving Stimers the only officer in the turret, I went forward at once, and found him standing at the foot of the ladder leading to the pilot-house.
He was a ghastly sight, with his eyes closed and the blood apparently rushing from every pore in the upper part of his face. He told me that he was seriously wounded, and directed me to take command. I assisted in leading him to a sofa in his cabin, where he was tenderly cared for by Doctor Logue, and then I assumed command. Blind and suffering as he was, Worden’s fortitude never forsook him; he frequently asked from his bed of pain of the progress of affairs, and when told that the Minnesota was saved, he said, "Then I can die happy.”
......During this time the Merrimac, which was leaking badly, had started in the direction of the Elizabeth River; and, on taking my station in the pilot-house and turning the vessel’s head in the direction of the Merrimac, I saw that she was already in retreat. A few shots were fired at the retiring vessel and she continued on to Norfolk. I returned with the Monitor to the side of the Minnesota where preparations were being made to abandon the ship, which was still aground. Shortly afterward Worden was transferred to a tug, and that night he was carried to Washington.
The fight was over. We of the Monitor thought, and still think, that we had gained a great victory. This the Confederates have denied. But it has never been denied that the object of the Merrimac on the 9th of March was to complete the destruction of the Union fleet in Hampton Roads, and that in this she was completely foiled and driven off by the Monitor; nor has it been denied that at the close of the engagement the Merrimac retreated to Norfolk, leaving the Monitor in possession of the field.
.....For the next two months we lay at Hampton Roads. Twice the Merrimac came out of the Elizabeth River, but did not attack. We, on our side, had received positive orders not to attack in the comparatively shoal waters above Hampton Roads, where the Union fleet could not manoeuvre. The Merrimac protected the James River, and the Monitor protected the Chesapeake. Neither side had an iron-clad in reserve, and neither wished to bring on an engagement which might disable its only armored naval defense in those waters.
With the evacuation of Norfolk and the destruction of the Merrimac, the Monitor moved up the James River with the squadron under the command of Commander John Rodgers, in connection with McClellan’s advance upon Richmond by the Peninsula. We were engaged for four hours at Fort Darling, but were unable to silence the guns or destroy the earthworks.
Probably no ship was ever devised which was so uncomfortable for her crew, and certainly no sailor ever led a more disagreeable life than we did on the James River, suffocated with heat and bad air if we remained below, and a target for sharp-shooters if we came on deck.
With the withdrawal of McClellan’s army, we returned to Hampton Roads, and in the autumn were ordered to Washington, where the vessel was repaired. We returned to Hampton Roads in November, and sailed thence (December 29) in tow of the steamer Rhode Island, bound for Beaufort, N.C. Between 11 p. M. and midnight on the following night the Monitor went down in a gale, a few miles south of Cape Hatteras,. Four officers and twelve men were drowned, fortynine people being saved by the boats of the steamer. It was impossible to keep the vessel free of water, and we presumed that the upper and lower hulls thumped themselves apart.
No ship in the world’s history has a more imperishable place in naval annals than the Monitor. Not only by her providential arrival at the right moment did she secure the safety of Hampton Roads and all that depended on it, but the ideas which she embodied revolutionized the system of naval warfare which had existed from the earliest recorded history. The name of the Monitor became generic, representing a new type; and, crude and defective as was her construction in some of its details, she yet contained the idea of the turret, which is to-day the central idea of the most powerful armored vessels."
S. D. Greene,
Commander U. S. Navy
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Findagrave link for Samuel Dana Greene: www.findagrave.com/memorial/6017440/samuel-dana-greene
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Link to CNN article and video pertaining to the two sailors whose remains were found in the turret in 2002. Towards the end of the video possible names and faces are matched up. This received a lot of publicity at the time, but note that official sources connected to the recovery and effort to identify the two men seemed to have completely backed away from the possible ID's.
CNN Link: www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/us/monitor-sailors-buried/index.html
Link to a second article pointing to the two men: www.huffpost.com/entry/uss-monitor-anniversary_b_2372051
The two sailors were eventually buried with full military honors as "two unidentified crew members" at Arlington National Cemetery, see link: www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Blog/Post/10995/The-Monitor-Is-...
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Red/Cyan (not red/blue) glasses of the proper density must be used to view 3D effect without ghosting. Anaglyph prepared using red cyan glasses from The Center For Civil War Photography / American Battlefield Trust. CCWP Link: www.civilwarphotography.org/
The work of graffiti artist Thoery is along for the ride as Norfolk Southern train 10A makes its way up the Buffalo Line for Northumberland, PA. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern covered hopper was bombed with "General Specific" last year if the date is accurate.
DiB 03/17/16
Specific type of Gull has been determined.
With the help of those on whatbird.com, this is a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
The red spot on the bill can be seen on Adults during the winter, and the rump and tail feathers seem to indicate it may be in its 3rd winter, using the Stokes Field Guide photographs.
This is a van, this specific van was parked in to lower parts of the art centre Ocean One the Chocolate Factory house of culture, I was a trainee or working there at the end of the 1990´s or was it mid 90´s?
...anyhow it was a place an old factory turned in to a house of culture, with Visual arts, Theater and a club-scene...
I was working there as a trainee, first we got the old factory´s gigantic rooms ready for art exhibitions and when it opened I was either some sort of guide or a minder of the paintings and art...
...some days there would also be live music at the lowest level, after one such gig ( I think it was Cortney pine? and his mixed fusion project)
...anyhow, after his gig we ended up in this van drinking and partying then people started pulling joints up, I had never tried any illegal substances at that time and didn´t then either, but I was sitting in this cramped van, full of smoking people, I got really dizzy and had to lie down sleeping for a bit, I had drunken beer so it could have been that but still I felt really weird...
I know that you are not suppose to be able to get stone by second hand smoke, but this was such a cramped space and all the other people was smoking cannabis like chimneys...
...I can´t remember who´s van it was, could have been one of the artists or musicians?
...anyhow this pic is taken either before or after that day, when I had some free time, I would usually wander about in the rest of the abandoned factory, that is the parts not used for art and theater and snap industrial pictures with my systematic camera... I do wonder where all those pictures are now, most of them I haven´t seen in years or decades???
Peace and Noise!
/ MushrooomBrain "I did inhale, but only the air!"
Beamish Museum is the first regional open-air museum, in England, located at Beamish, near the town of Stanley, in County Durham, England. Beamish pioneered the concept of a living museum. By displaying duplicates or replaceable items, it was also an early example of the now commonplace practice of museums allowing visitors to touch objects.
The museum's guiding principle is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early 20th century. Much of the restoration and interpretation is specific to the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, together with portions of countryside under the influence of Industrial Revolution from 1825. On its 350 acres (140 ha) estate it uses a mixture of translocated, original and replica buildings, a large collection of artefacts, working vehicles and equipment, as well as livestock and costumed interpreters.
The museum has received a number of awards since it opened to visitors in 1972 and has influenced other living museums.[citation needed] It is an educational resource, and also helps to preserve some traditional and rare north-country livestock breeds.
In 1958, days after starting as director of the Bowes Museum, inspired by Scandinavian folk museums, and realising the North East's traditional industries and communities were disappearing, Frank Atkinson presented a report to Durham County Council urging that a collection of items of everyday history on a large scale should begin as soon as possible, so that eventually an open air museum could be established. As well as objects, Atkinson was also aiming to preserve the region's customs and dialect. He stated the new museum should "attempt to make the history of the region live" and illustrate the way of life of ordinary people. He hoped the museum would be run by, be about and exist for the local populace, desiring them to see the museum as theirs, featuring items collected from them.
Fearing it was now almost too late, Atkinson adopted a policy of "unselective collecting" — "you offer it to us and we will collect it." Donations ranged in size from small items to locomotives and shops, and Atkinson initially took advantage of a surplus of space available in the 19th-century French chateau-style building housing the Bowes Museum to store items donated for the open air museum. With this space soon filled, a former British Army tank depot at Brancepeth was taken over, although in just a short time its entire complement of 22 huts and hangars had been filled, too.
In 1966, a working party was established to set up a museum "for the purpose of studying, collecting, preserving and exhibiting buildings, machinery, objects and information illustrating the development of industry and the way of life of the north of England", and it selected Beamish Hall, having been vacated by the National Coal Board, as a suitable location.
In August 1970, with Atkinson appointed as its first full-time director together with three staff members, the museum was first established by moving some of the collections into the hall. In 1971, an introductory exhibition, "Museum in the Making" opened at the hall.
The museum was opened to visitors on its current site for the first time in 1972, with the first translocated buildings (the railway station and colliery winding engine) being erected the following year. The first trams began operating on a short demonstration line in 1973. The Town station was formally opened in 1976, the same year the reconstruction of the colliery winding engine house was completed, and the miners' cottages were relocated. Opening of the drift mine as an exhibit followed in 1979.
In 1975 the museum was visited by the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and by Anne, Princess Royal, in 2002. In 2006, as the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, The Duke of Kent visited, to open the town masonic lodge.
With the Co-op having opened in 1984, the town area was officially opened in 1985. The pub had opened in the same year, with Ravensworth Terrace having been reconstructed from 1980 to 1985. The newspaper branch office had also been built in the mid-1980s. Elsewhere, the farm on the west side of the site (which became Home Farm) opened in 1983. The present arrangement of visitors entering from the south was introduced in 1986.
At the beginning of the 1990s, further developments in the Pit Village were opened, the chapel in 1990, and the board school in 1992. The whole tram circle was in operation by 1993. Further additions to the Town came in 1994 with the opening of the sweet shop and motor garage,Beamish Museum 2014 followed by the bank in 1999. The first Georgian component of the museum arrived when Pockerley Old Hall opened in 1995, followed by the Pockerley Waggonway in 2001.
In the early 2000s two large modern buildings were added, to augment the museum's operations and storage capacity - the Regional Resource Centre on the west side opened in 2001, followed by the Regional Museums Store next to the railway station in 2002. Due to its proximity, the latter has been cosmetically presented as Beamish Waggon and Iron Works. Additions to display areas came in the form of the Masonic lodge (2006) and the Lamp Cabin in the Colliery (2009). In 2010, the entrance building and tea rooms were refurbished.
Into the 2010s, further buildings were added - the fish and chip shop (opened 2011) band hall (opened 2013) and pit pony stables (built 2013/14) in the Pit Village, plus a bakery (opened 2013) and chemist and photographers (opened 2016) being added to the town. St Helen's Church, in the Georgian landscape, opened in November 2015.
Why Chinese always want to rest? After so many times spent in China, I still not get a proper answer, except that "it is part of the culture"... I have my proper idea which is linked to the one child policy but here is not the right place to talk about it.
As the Xingguo temple is located on the top of the Qianfo Shan, It follow the geographical constraints related to it. Many stairs need to be climbed to reach the highest pavillon. This kind of situation can offer some great perspective for photographers. I was staying dow the last stair part and find an aperture offered by a tree. A very good place to capture one part of the temple and people with a specific angle. Here is a group of 3 friends having a rest, before going to burn some incense sticks in the temple.
This is not the regular Superleggera, this specific model has been ordered with a special paint job called Oro Elios which is a gold color from the Murcielago line. It originated on the 2001 Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 SE (Special Edition). This Lamborghini was special ordered by Lamborghini Houston who said "We special ordered this Superleggera in this color because we were wanting something different, yet very good looking! ", and I agree such a beautiful combo
Over the next few weeks of February and March 2020, I made lots of trips to the VA hospital to see my doctor, my cardiologist, and more testing gear. I had ultrasound and CT scans of my heart followed by consultations on what they saw. They say that surgery will probably not be necessary but prescribed more meds. My doctor decided to get me a heart monitor to wear for several weeks. They showed me how to apply the sensors, hook up and turn on the gear, and take it off for wet personal hygiene and showers.
There are four sensors that are placed in specific places that are wired to a small RF transmitter on a lanyard around my neck. The transmitter talks to a modified cell phone that has to be within ten feet or so and sends the data to a medical monitoring station near Chicago. A couple of times a tech called me up to ask why my heartrate was up. The first time was probably due to a stubborn shit that needed urging. The second time I felt nothing and had no explanation. Ultimately, the three week test proved that I did have occasional rapid heartrate episodes at random times.
Besides having to take time to unhook every time I needed to get cleaned up and then hook up again, I had to keep the monitor phone at my bedside, in my purse, on a belt holster, or on the kitchen countertop, dinner table, vanity table, etc. If you click to magnify the photo, you can see icons on the phone that match white, red, green, or black sensor locations.
I was issued the monitor set in March just before the COVID lockdown. I remember hearing BBC reports of a mysterious virus in China during the Christmas 2019 holidays. By January the epidemic was in full swing in China, but the US was paralyzed in its response due to incompetence by Trumputin. I wondered how my VA hospital was going to react to what was obviously a pandemic that would strike Houston.
During my first morning in the hospital, I complimented the guy cleaning my room. I told him I noticed how clean everything was, and that his job would soon be part of a life or death situation. I said I spent as much time in the Army with a broom, mop, and toilet brush as with a rifle and machinegun. He was an Army vet, too and laughed. I said the Army makes a fetish out of cleanliness because in most wars, disease kills more people than battle. I wished him luck because I knew that in a few weeks, lots of patients would be dying, and he would have to clean up after them. I was right.
Harris County has lost more than 8900 people to COVID. Texas has lost more than 69,000 people mostly due to Governor Abbott's bungling and interference with local officials trying to enact public health measures like masking in public places. That's more than we lost in the Vietnam War and all of our useless oil wars in the Middle East combined. Nationwide, the US has lost more than 732,000 deaths due to the Trumputin Covfefe Virus pandemic because Trump and his fellow RepUGLUcan idiots didn't believe in science and wanted to kill as many poor and non-white people in the cities as possible. It is evident that "conservatism" is simply another word for BACKWARDNESS because they oppose all public health measure like mask mandates, prohibitions against indoor crowds, and mandatory vaccinations that could have controlled this disease many months ago.
at that specific day , I took My canon with me to take photos for my cousins and the bowling game that we were going to play later . and because all lines of the bowling were occupied , we gave our name to be added on the list of waitings and went to the place were this handsome man was playing his billiard game. a month ago ,, ive created my Google+ account and joined an awesome group that's called (STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS).
Didn't know much about this type of photography ,, (street photography) , and i still do . But what i do know for sure , that : |[ its all about Capturing the decisive moments ]| , So ,,, Here is Mine ^^" !
Urbex Benelux revisited -
The air sampler pump draws in air and deposits microscopic airborne particles on a culture medium. The medium is cultured in a laboratory and the fungal genus and species are determined by visual microscopic observation. Laboratory results also quantify fungal growth by way of a spore count for comparison among samples. The pump operation time is recorded and when multiplied by pump flow rate results in a specific volume of air obtained. Although a small volume of air is actually analyzed, common laboratory reports extrapolate the spore count data to estimate spores that would be present in a cubic meter of air.
It's Freight Car Friday but instead of a specific car this week is just a simple view of the classic all American mixed freight train. It's heavy with boxcars including older Plate C cars and modern high cube Plate Fs along with a nice mix of gondolas, tank cars, covered hoppers, coiled steel cars, and center beam flat cars....a true modelers delight.
This is Norfolk Southern train 14Z, a Knoxville to Allentown manifest that came off the Pulaski District from Bristol and points south at Walton just a couple miles behind them.
They are approaching the Switchback Road grade crossing on Main 1 of modern day NS' Christianburg District at about MP N295.5 as they pass beneath the famous Vicker coal tower. This imposing structure was built in 1951 as a further example of the N&W's commitment to steam far longer than many other Class 1s. Alas it only served a short nine years before the last fire was dropped in May 1960. Prior to this being built there was a fascinating balloon loop trestle and loaded coal hoppers were spotted atop it to load coal directly from the railcar into the tender of a steam locomotive below.
Montgomery County, Virginia
Saturday March 30, 2024
There is something special about this specific place, something mysterious that it calls the traveller back to take another yet entierly different view. Zar abad is one place just like that.
On the other side of the river, it seems like there is another world. World which has been carved for million of years to give the impression of nature's forces at play to shape the dimension of this world.
Two years ago, it was totally a differnt view. The clouds were shedding rain and there were no peaks that can be viewed. But this time it was an exception, I was blessed with the complete view of Other Universe.
Taken: Zar Abad, Hussaini, Gojal, Upper Hunza Valley, Pakistan
The Disconcerting
Part 1
Midnight Shadows
Maybe is because of the specific role-play games my twin and I grew up playing. Maybe it’s also because of My love of dressing up in elegant attire and the wearing of jewellery. Or just maybe I am one of those mystic magnets of a soul that attracts this sort of thing to happen?
I had actually written this one out a year after it happened because someone suggested to me to do so, but wish now I had done so right after it happened so I would have a more descriptive memory of it.
It’s brief because the actual incident as it played out, happened so fast that it all was such a blur, there are no real recollections as far as detailed descriptions go.
Not even sure if it fits in with this collection of stories based on role play and similar games from youth and young adulthood.
For it may have been a game, but it certainly was not one of ours.
££££££££££
This rather harrowing experience occurred on the evening of a fancy dress Girl’s only party I attended some years ago.
My twin brother I were 22 years old at the time, as was my best friend Ginny.
The party mentioned was a BAFTA themed get together held in the nearby city.
Ginny and I were both attired for the party as though we were attending the real thing, which was the idea. And we were not alone in dressing up like that.
For at this annual party held by a university chum’s older sister, everyone attending was mandated to dress up like an actress attending the awards ceremony.
Ginny, as always when she does fancy proper, was drop-dead gorgeous.
She looked smashing, poured into her shimmering, off one shoulder gown of thin silk, silver with copper threads woven in. The gown really had a nice sexy fluid flow as she moved. Long elbow-length gloves of a dark copper satin, finished the effect.
She was wearing her good earrings. A pierced ear style set with real diamonds(1/2 Carat diamond with a dangling a pear-shaped 1 1/2 carat diamond), a diamond rhinestone choker, a matching rhinestone bracelet, and two cocktail rings. The 2 carat earrings and one of her rings were real, the rest good quality antique rhinestones.
Her silky hair, a darker natural red than mine, was worn up with an elegant bun held with a long silver clip on one side. Several strands purposely fell alongside her freckled face, adding a rather far too cute effect.
Myself, I was wearing a pretty party dress of Mum’s. One that I (and Papa) felt she looked breathtakingly beautiful wearing it on a night out.
It was a solid coloured sky blue taffeta dress that shone with a tight sleekness down along my figure. Maybe a bit too tight for it outlined my every curve, making me look sexier than I knew I was. The skirt was higher in front( touching just below my knees) than in the back where it swished a few inches above my ankles and my deep blue silk stiletto heels. The neckline of the dress was of a long open scoop and had wavy ruffles running along with its opening, the sleeves went to my elbows, ending in ruffles. With it, I was also wearing deep blue 3/4 length satin gloves.
For jewellery, I wore mum’s full set of enticingly sparkling rhinestones. The pricey imitation diamonds that Papa teased he needed sunglasses to look at her whenever Mum wore them out, which was a lot.
The centerpiece of the set was undoubtedly the long glittery necklace that looked like an upside-down,loosely attached, elongated pyramid filled with blazing diamond-like stones.
This eye-catcher hung down low along the open neck of the dress, swaying a few inches up from my (small)cleavage.
The set also had a matching bracelet, long earrings, and a ring. I added two more of my real gemstone rings for effect.
My own freshly washed long, naturally red hair was pulled back in a plait and I had a thin diamond chip encrusted silver Tiara to hold it all in place.
Please get a good mental picture of how Ginny and I were dressed up for the affair before reading on( and I hope you will read on) it should add a little clarity to the story.
Part 2
Midnight Ball (Faux)
To fit in with the party theme my twin brother actually was able to again borrow papa’s friend’s elegant antique car. An old dark purple Rolls Royce.
My brother dressed the part as a chauffeur( at Ginny and my puppy-eyed request), wearing a suit, formal shirt, and bow tie. He refused to wear the white gloves or hat though.
He thoroughly was into playing his role, opening the door for each of us as we were helped into the back, with him sitting alone upfront.
The party was at a house 30 minutes away in the city, with about 25 guests expected to attend.
All of whom had gone wild with their fancy dress ideas.
Gowns and formal dresses, many of which were old bridesmaids affairs, flowed, shined, and shimmered along with our fellow guest's youthful female figures.
Copious amounts of Gemstones, mostly rhinestone with more than a few real ones, were glittering with amazing brilliance from their mistresses.
As you can imagine, I was really into that atmosphere and it was really for me, a quite enjoyable and engaging experience.
The party itself was a lot of fun and very enjoyable for all in attendance. This was the pre-cell phone era, so we all were quite focused on the party.
On and off we watched the awards show, but the main attraction was the drinking and guessing games we played.
We also had a fashion show with a makeshift red carpet that everyone did a catwalk along.
My mum’s rhinestone attracted a lot of notice, they sparkled so much.
And yes, once when mum was wearing them out a lady actually asked if they were real. We all had a good laugh over that.
My brother and even Ginny commented on how they would sparkle in the city street lamps as we drove under them on the way in.
By the time the party was winding down we all
were feeling pretty well lit, and very huggy.
All too soon it was time to go.
After my twin brother had dropped us off, he waiting for us at the riverside pub named Poet and the Peasant.
He told us to call at the pub and then wait inside the house for him to arrive. The neighborhood was nice enough, but still, it was the city, so he felt more comfortable if we were to not be out wandering.
He would honk the Roll’s horn at the curb to let us know when he was there.
We called from the house after midnight when ready and he told us he’d be there in about 15 minutes after leaving the pub where he was playing darts with a few lads.
We had told others about the Rolls Royce, and some had asked to see it. So, ignoring my brother’s request, we all gathered outside to wait.
Twenty minutes later my brother drove up, spying our group he honked the horn as he pulled up curbside.
Playing the part in front of so many well-dressed ladies, my brother was in his glory as helped each of us slip into the back seat of the rolls Royce, closing our doors like a gentleman, before hopping back in the driver's seat to take us home. Honking the horn again to the few remaining jealous admirers who waved us on.
We felt like real movie stars at that.
And like real movie stars, we soon had a following.
Part 3
Midnight Followers
It was after my brother turned off the street where the party house was located, that he first noticed the red auto behind us.
He was not sure where it had come from, but, something he could never put a finger on, made him think that it was a deliberate appearance
The red auto, keeping about two car lengths behind, began to match my brother’s turns as he began to take his usual way home. The car never signaled its turns he noticed.
Not saying anything to us chattering away in the back leather seats, he turned off into a side street at random to see what would happen. The auto turned down the same street following, again no turn signal.
My brother then turned down another street and pulled the Rolls over midway along it, stopping at the curb directly in front of a house, so the auto could pass if he also turned In behind.
It did come around the same corner, but instead of passing the parked Rolls, the red auto ominously pulled to the curb about three houses behind us, leaving its lights on.
Ginny and I had been chatting happily in the back seat, my brother stopping the Rolls Royce first drew our attention that something was up.
When asked what’s going on, he said that he thinks someone in an automobile is following us.
We laughed at him, thinking he was trying to play games with us.
On the way to the party, he kept teasing us on how sparkly our jewels were in the rearview mirror when illuminated by street lights.
I had snickered saying
“it’s a good thing your here to protect us then Luv.”
He had looked back at me with a wicked smile in his eyes. “Ah, true lass, but what if I was a thief in disguise?”
So now we both thought he was just trying to put a scare into us playing off on those remarks.
Not smiling at our taunts, he sternly told us to just turn around and watch the auto parked down the road with the headlights on.
Part 4
Midnight Apprehension
We both turned in our seats, surprised to see that he was right.
“Who do you think it is?” Ginny asked reasonably.
“Really don’t know, Luv?” He answered putting the Rolls in gear.
He pulled away, and after a few seconds so did the auto with the headlights on.
My brother then took two more random turns down roads and we realized he was really telling the bloody truth.
We knew then it wasn’t something my brother had dreamed up as role-play with his lads. He would not stoop this low and besides, to tell the truth, he was not all that good of an actor to pull it off.
The auto kept pace, matching
us turn for turn.
I would think by then whoever was in the red Auto knew that we realized they were tailing us. But they still kept following.
I remember as we watched from the back, Ginny and I turning to look at each other, both of us not really knowing what to do if even there was anything we could have done?
I can also clearly recollect how Ginny’s diamond earrings were glimmering as I looked into her concerned face. But bit my tongue.
I did not want to alarm her with my thoughts. Knowing how expensive her earrings were. That, plus the fact most of the jewellery I was wearing belonged to Mum, really gave me worries. Still, I knew Ginny was also harboring similar unsaid concerns.
Neither of us daring to give voice to those worries, lest it became a reality.
But two elegantly clad young ladies being driven around inside a Rolls Royce with a chauffeur at the wheel could say the least, easily attract notice. Something we had not given any thought to as we planned out this evening.
Inviting attention, both when arriving in the city, and as well as when they were leaving it.
Both of us turned back to look out the window.
Again watching the bright headlights, I shuddered at another thought that popped into my head.
What if the occupants of the red auto had followed us in, and while we were enjoying the party, had been waiting patiently for us to leave it?
That really creeped me out and I shivered.
My brother, silent with unspoken worries of his own, was keeping to the well lit, residential streets while trying to think of how to get out of this if he needed to.
It could be just two joyriders doing this on a lark after all.
A second issue was that the big Rolls Royce was a lumbering beast not made to outspeed pursuit.
Then there was a third issue: He also did not want to lead our shadowers near to where Ginny or we both lived.
We still lived in a rambling country cottage with my parents. Ginny lived a few houses over in the old stone house that had once been a summer home for a large, prewar, estate owner.
Not voicing any of these concerns to his passengers, my brother stayed in the city, which he knew quite well.
Turning up a boulevard he saw a traffic light ahead.
We pulled up to it and the Red Auto stopped about a car length back.
We could make out the shadowy figures of two unmistakable males, talking to each other as they were pointing fingers.
They were not just pointing at us, but past us. That gave me the creeps as I told my brother what the occupants were doing.
The light turned green, and without signaling, he turned the Rolls to the right, entering a Main Street.
The red auto did the same, not signaling either.
Approaching another light as it was turning red, my brother ran it, cutting off a lurching double-decker just coming into the intersection.
As we received a blast of horns for our transgression, my brother shifted into a higher gear and forced the whining old Rolls into its top speed.
All I remember at that point, was thinking we were not going fast enough at all.
But this maneuver held up the red auto only long enough for us to turn down an alley between two businesses about 3/4 of a block past the red light. I was watching our rear and I knew the red auto, just leaving the intersection, had seen us turn.
My brother knew that the alleys on this street all let out onto a road that ran along the grounds of a rugby stadium.
There were street lamps on the opposite side of the road from the stadium. There were no lights on at all on the stadium side, making the area darker at night than India ink.
We pulled out of the alleyway without seeing any following headlights yet coming in behind us.
“There is usually a patrol car parked along the stadium at night, “my brother said.
“Keep an eye out”
But of course, tonight was the exception, no cars were parked there.
I was looking back at the alleyway we had left and I saw headlights casting along the brick walls.
I gave warning, but it came out as a girlish shriek.
“I see it.” My brother said, he had killed the headlights and was already turning into the exit end of the stadium’s long parking lot
My twin pulled the Rolls under the shadows of some trees that lined the inner side of the parking lot, facing the way we had come.
We all scrunched down and waited.
Part 5
Midnight Escape
A few very long seconds later, the red auto, driving slowly, appeared at the end of the alley and stopped.
Then, without signal,
it slowly turned off onto the street and started going in the opposite direction, at a crawl.
Looking For our Rolls Royce we probably rightly suspected.
Our hearts were pounding and I believe we were all holding our breaths with disquieting
trepidation.
The red auto went down past that end of the stadium.
My heart leaped into my throat as I put a hand to my beating breasts, watching it turn up the next street leading back to the intersection with the red light we had blown through.
My brother put in the clutch, keeping the headlamps off, he slowly turned the auto around.
Ginny and I sat up and watched behind us.
We turned off the parking lot went back the opposite of where our pursuers had gone.
Once in the street my brother turned on the headlamps and gave the old engine some gas. We turned up the next street and then some side streets.
Nervously we watched the streets behind us. But only saw a few headlights coming on the road, and they were all false alarms.
Finally circling around we made it back to the Main Street that led to the highway turnoff.
Nervously all three of us scanned the cars parked along both sides of the streets. But no one pulled out behind us that seemingly going on forever stretch of road.
Apparently, we had lost our shadower’s in the red auto.
We made it to the turnoff without further mischief befalling us and went onto the highway and headed back home.
We never saw the red auto again.
Ginny and I were spending the rest of the weekend in her basemen bedroom at her house, her parents bring out of town.
Neither of us was ashamed to admit we accepted my brother’s offer to spend the night upstairs.
When we got to her place, Ginny helped us raid Uncle’s small bar in the basement. We sat up for the rest of the early morning, still fully dressed, talking it over.
We all believed was no lark, hoax, or a joke being played on us. The occupants of that red auto seemed all too intent on something.
To this very day, none of us have any real idea of what that intent may have been, just only our speculation.
I do remember that we had come up with a whole gauntlet of theories before turning in.
But we are all quite ok with not finding out which theory was the correct one that night.
And Like me, I’m sure we all finally drifted off to sleep considering what may have played out if...?
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Would love to hear thoughts on this in the comments below. Especially if anyone has ever had a similar experience.
The thing about being a star at Studio 54 is that it requires a very specific kind of amnesia. You have to completely forget that two hours ago you were standing on a subway platform in Corona, Queens, smelling things no human being should ever have to catalog.
Take, for instance, the girl currently vibrating under the strobe lights. She has hair so blonde and so long it functions less as a feature and more as a liability, and she is wearing a sequined mini-dress that is essentially a very expensive cry for help. It is the kind of garment that suggests she has a deep, personal vendetta against the concept of sitting down.
She is perched atop five-inch platform heels. Now, I have always felt that if nature had intended for us to be five inches taller, it would have provided us with longer bones, not precarious blocks of Lucite. Walking in them is not so much a mode of transport as it is a constant, public negotiation with gravity.
But here, under the neon moon, she isn’t from the 7 train. She is a "discovery." She is currently dancing with a "Celebrity"—a term that, in this room, is applied to anyone who has managed to stay awake since Tuesday and owns a blazer with shoulder pads wider than their own sense of self.
I’ve often observed that the problem with being a "star" in a discotheque is the shelf life. It’s a very fleeting sort of fame. By 6:00 AM, the sequins will have lost their luster, the blonde hair will be more of a "suggestion" than a reality, and she will have to navigate those platforms back toward Queens. It is a long journey from the center of the universe to a borough where people still expect you to show up for work on time.
I suppose there is something to be said for the effort, though I personally prefer to do my observing from a comfortable chair, which is the only piece of furniture Studio 54 seems to have successfully banned.
The First Specific Reference That Has Been Found To Bear-Baiting On Bankside Is In An Order Of Henry VIII Dated 13th April, 1546, To The Mayor And Sheriffs Of London, To Proclaim The Abolition Of The Stews On Bankside And Of Bear-Baiting "In That Row Or In Any Place On That Side London bridge...Wow And Now Its Even Wider...
Model "US Truck T1 MkII" is build with LEGO® in scale 1:17,5 and motorized using LEGO® Power Functions. It is not build after a specific brand or type of truck. This build represents the more aerodynamic US truck models like for example the Freightliner Cascadia.
The truck features: solid axle suspension on all axles, PF powered driving with power transmitted independently to both rear axles, Ackerman geometry on steering axle, Servo powered steering, fully functional fifth wheel, modeled engine, detailed cabin interior and 3 light units.
Also can you build it yourself. To do so you can buy the building instructions and check the inventory/parts lists!.
The LEGO® Power Functions® Servo is used to enable the steering. Aligned with the trucks chassis the Servo is sitting inside of the cabin right behind the modeled engine in between both seats. With a 90 degrees conversion the motion of the Servo is transferred to the steering axle.
This truck model is powered by a CAT® CT15 which is revealed with the hood opened and its yellow color makes is an eye catcher. This power source is an inline 6 cylinder engine with a displacement of 15.21L. With a horsepower range from 450 up to 550 HP and this engine has a torque range from 1550 to 1850 lb-ft. (1202 - 2508 Nm) at 1200 rpm peak torque.
The modeled engine is a small object that really improves the realism of this model. The engine is very nice to build and to give it those realistic looks a total number of about 120 parts is used. Engine is detailed with for example engine oil dipstick, fan, fan belt, pulleys, hoses, oil filters including by-pass oil filter, turbo, exhaust manifold and so on. Together with much more engine bay details which are added the looks are phenomenal. These include break fluid reservoir, windshield washer container, internal air cleaner system and steering shaft.
A lot of detail is added to the cabin's interior as well in the colors Tan and Dark Bluish Gray. By opening this model’s doors one can access the cabin. Openable doors give the model very realistic looks and makes the detailed interior visible. The interior's colors really standout because of the rather dark color scheme of the truck's body work.
Dark Bluish Gray is used for both the interior and the exterior in order to link both color palettes. For the driver's comfort the interior has gauges, switches, speakers, cup holders, comfortable seats. Other details are a glove compartment, more compartments in both doors, angled dash and gauge panel, a steering wheel and a gear shift.
Site-specific interactive installation at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center in Silver Spring, MD in conjunction with the Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair. 2010.
I was given a stack of German lifestyle/design magazines from the mid-60's. On a work table in the middle of the room, I laid out the magazines so that participants could cut out individual pages. After cutting out a page, participants were asked to put the page into one of 8 categories dealing with the traditional physical and narrative structure of the book: protagonist, title page, fiction, conflict, climax, non-fiction, resolution, and appendix.
Danish Army Specific: The Mercedes 240GD/24 superseded the M151A1 (Ford Mutt), the VW 181 ("Jagdwagen"), and the Land Rover 88 in the Danish Army.
First deliverance took place in 1985 and more than 1.300 has been put in service.
Historical: Production of the GD started in 1980 by Gelaendewagen Gesellschaft (GFG), a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch. 1981 Steyr-Daimler-Puch bought out Mercedes-Benz of the GFG company.
The main components of the vehicle, except the transfer case, are from Mercedes-Benz car and light truck series production.
The Austrian group continues to to manufacture the vehicle on contract for Mercedes-Benz at it´s works at Graz.
It´s offered with 2.4 m wheelbase (GD/24), 2.85 m wheelbase (GD/28) or, as a late introduction, 3.40 m wheelbase (GD/34).
License-produced in Greece by Hellenic Vehicle Industry SA (formerly Steyr-Hellas) and produced as P4 by Peugeot from 1982 for the French Army to replace the Hotchkiss M201.
In widespread service with armed forces world-wide.
Length: 4.01 m (156 inches).
Width: 1.70 m (66 inches).
Height: 2.10 m (82 inches).
Weight: 2.700 kg (5.940 lb.).
Engine: Own 4-cylinder, type OM 616.9, 2.399 cm3 (146 cubic inches) displacement, liquid cooled.
Horsepower: 72 at 4.400 rpm.
Transmission: 4-speed G1/17-4 (711.2) gearbox.
Transfer case: 2-speed VG 080 (750.6).
Electrical system: 24 volt, negative ground.
Brakes: Hydraulic, dual circuit with vacuum booster.
Tyres: 7.50 - 16.
Fording depth:
without preparation: 0.6 m (23 inches).
with deep water fording kit: N/A.
Fuel type: Diesel.
Fuel capacity: 70 liter (15 gallons).
Range: 350 km (218 miles).
Crew: 1 + 2.
Additional: Differential-locks in front- and rear-axle.
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If you would like to use THIS picture in any sort of media elsewhere (such as newspaper or article), please send me a Flickrmail or send me an email at natehenderson6@gmail.com
Massive upload incoming!
- - - little disclaimer - These images are shot for specific scenes that fit in the story on my blog - - -
It's done and published! I am so happy it's finally done, it was one helluva job! Please take a peak at it over at SkyrimTales, the story is really written in a nice detailed style. And drop some feedback, critique if you feel like it!
Tordis - The Lone Strider of Bruma - Part I
And with this I would also like to show off my new fancy blog design. SkyrimTales got a sleek new look, thanks to Blogger and my wife for assisting me with all those means and nasty codes! <3 Love you!
This is the Collab project I was working on all this time, and it's finally finished. We wanted to do something with Tordis and Uther for a long time. We will probably make a second part that you will hopefully see appear around next week.
We hope you really enjoyed it and I hope you guys all have a great weekend. :)
The Universal Modules are widely applicable carrier modules designed to accommodate many different tools. The versatility of these modules makes configuring the cutting system for specific cutting needs very easy and cost-effective.
Further details: www.zund.com/en/universal-module