specific photos on Flickr

((lens: Canon EF 135 mm f2 L USM))

Busójárás means Buso-walking in Hungarian, and it's an age-old annual tradition and event specific to the town of Mohács.

The History Behind Busójárás (Buso-Walking)

In 1526, Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman Empire marched his pompous army into Europe with the sole intention to crush and conquer everything in his path. Having defeated the peoples of the Balkan, the Sultan who liked to be referred to as "The Magnificent," reached the borders of the then flourishing Kingdom of Hungary. He decided to take his campaign to the next level by entering what was then considered to be civilized Europe.

Royal Hungary, perceiving that the Ottomans were not unassailable and intending to withstand their onslaught, built up an immense army that employed the technology of King Frances I of France. The bulk of the army consisted of heavily armored medieval knights and cavalry made up of adventurous mercenaries for the main. They faced the significantly larger army of Suleiman, which was the most modern and professional army of the time.

Owing to their outdated technology, the Hungarian army was crushed in many battles, Mohács being the decisive one.

Historical Facts

Mohács is known for two famous battles in Hungarian history:

The first battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 between the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia and the army of the Ottoman Empire commanded by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. It resulted in the defeat of Hungary.

This defeat eventually led to the partition of Hungary for centuries to come between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Principality of Transylvania.

The second battle of Mohács, 1687, a.k.a. the Battle of Berg Harsány, happened between the army of Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire, and the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, led by Charles of Lorraine.

This battle resulted in a devastating defeat for the Turks. These two battles marked the beginning and end of the Ottoman occupation of Hungarian territory.

The Legend Behind Busójárás (Buso-Walking)

According to legend, after the defeat the Hungarian people fled the battlefield and the town of Mohács to seek refuge in the nearby woods and swamps and lay hidden. On one night, while they were sitting around the campfire and discussing how to make new league against the Turkish foes, they were visited by a Šokci man who gave them counsel.

"On a dark, stormy night that is soon to come, you can return home with a vengeance and restore peace to the land. Craft new weapons and carve hideous devil masks for your people, and wait for the night when a masked warrior will come to you and lead you to victory."

A few days later, as promised by the old man, there came a dark, stormy night, and a masked warrior of tall and robust stature marched into camp. The people stood in readiness to put on their masks made of gnarled wood, and follow the command of the newcomer. They lit fires and swarmed into Mohács making as much noise as they could.

Upon seeing this, the Turks were terrified and thought that they invaded the land of imps and demons and fled the town in hysterical fright before the sun came up.

This possibly fictitious event gave birth to the tradition of Busójárás (Buso-Walking) that Hungarians celebrate in February every year. It is like a pagan ritual whose purpose is to chase away winter and let the sunny season set in.

Buso-Walking, The Festival

Buso-walking is a yearly folk festival held in February in the town of Mohács, usually lasting from Thursday to Tuesday. It signifies the end of the carnival season before Ash Wednesday. The biggest celebration occurs on Sunday and the festival ends two days later with a symbolic ritual called 'The Burial of Farsang,' 'Shrove Tuesday,' or 'Mardi Gras.'

The celebrations feature Busós, folk music performances, masquerading, parading, and dancing. It all beings with a landing on the opposite bank of the river, followed by a parade from Kóló Square to Main Square. The festivities include saying farewell to winter by burning a pyre, which is the equivalent of burning winter itself, and also dancing in circles around the pyre.

Busójárás is attended by groups of performers and visitors alike from many neighboring countries like Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Poland and Bulgaria, where similar celebrations are held for many different reasons.

Defenstration - San Francisco by Konrad Summers

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1997-present

(Site-specific installation on the corner of 6th and Howard St. in San Francisco)

This multi-disciplinary sculptural mural involves seemingly animated furniture; tables, chairs, lamps, grandfather clocks, a refrigerator, and couches, their bodies bent like centipedes, fastened to the walls and window-sills, their insect-like legs seeming to grasp the surfaces. Against society’s expectations, these everyday objects flood out of windows like escapees, out onto available ledges, up and down the walls, onto the fire escapes and off the roof. “DEFENESTRATION” was created by Brian Goggin with the help of over 100 volunteers.

The concept of “DEFENESTRATION”, a word literally meaning “to throw out of a window,” is embodied by both the site and staging of this installation. Located at the corner of Sixth and Howard Streets in San Francisco in an abandoned four-story tenement building, the site is part of a neighborhood that historically has faced economic challenges and has often endured the stigma of skid row status. Reflecting the harsh experience of many members of the community, the furniture is of the streets, cast-off and unappreciated. The simple, unpretentious beauty and humanity of these downtrodden objects is reawakened through the action of the piece. The act of “throwing out” becomes an uplifting gesture of release, inviting reflection on the spirit of the people we live with, the objects we encounter, and the places in which we live.

The ground level has served as a rotating gallery for the vibrant artwork of street muralists.

Kaarina Kaikkonen by NYC No Longer Empty

Something Out of Nothing

Organization: No Longer Empty

Location:Invisible Dog Art Center

51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn

October 3 - Nov 14, 2009

Beware: “The Invisible Dog“ is unleashed this Saturday, October 3rd! The latest group exhibition produced by No Longer Empty, “The Dog” is a show “out of nothing” in a warmly decrepit out-of-use belt factory on Bergen Street in Brooklyn.

Following the tails of the Improv Everywhere stunt last week, the show presents a multitude of site-specific works reflecting both the history of the space and the profound beauty of the Invisible Dog. A rift on the 70’s gag, it’s a void object waiting for creative minds and hands to bring it to life.

Here in the factory, artists grabbed the many trimmings, reels of fabric, leather and other materials and transformed them into something new. The artist duo Steven and William created a “chandelier” of abandoned belt buckles. Guerra del la Paz amassed tons of discarded clothing, one color at a time. Here, la Paz’s “trashy” tribute becomes an imposing, yurt-shaped spectral prism. In the neighborhood spirit, Tom Sanford brings Jonathan Lethem’s novel “Motherless Brooklyn”-- which takes place on this block, to life via a fantastic, larger than life mural. Even the freight elevator is transformed: here, Giuseppe Stampone takes us on a trip from Hell to Heaven al Dante.

The Invisible Dog Art Center | Click Here

The Invisible Dog, a new three-story art center in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, is an exuberant example of the integration of forward thinking and care for the past. The art center, admittedly, had a leg up: its home came equipped with an irresistable history. Built in the late nineteenth century, the 20,000 square-foot factory went through a number of industrial incarnations before its owners struck gold in the 1970s with the invisible dog trick: a stiff lease and collar surrounding the empty space where a dog would be. A mixture of party-hearty silliness and tongue-in-cheek trompe l’oeil, the trick became an icon of its era. But eventually public taste moved on; meanwhile, over the years, the Brooklyn neighborhood was changing. The factory closed its doors in the late 1990s; the boarded-up building was a blight on its quiet Brooklyn block.

What happened then is a kind of urban fairytale. In December 2008, Muriel Guépin leased the storefront and turned it into Shop Art Gallery, a small gallery with decidedly democratic spirit. Soon after, Lucien Zayan, a recent New York immigrant, stumbled upon Shop Art and inquired after the building behind it. Zayan knew he had hit on something when he heard the building’s history: he’d spent his life working in the French theater, including the Aix-en-Provence festival and Paris’s renowned Théàtre de Odeon and Théàtre de la Madeleine, and he recognized the perfect mise-en-scène. With the support of the building’s current owners, he decided to turn the space into a large-scale art center.

Less than a year later, the Invisible Dog is up and running. The building has been restored for safety and cleaned, but otherwise preserved intact. The rawness of the unfinished space is integral to the Invisible Dog’s identity: Zayan wanted a place that artists could really use, not a pristine renovation without personality. The ceiling on the third floor was restored using floor boards found in other parts of the building, and the enormous elevator shaft (the elevator removed) will be left open, as a unique exhibition space. Everywhere, the commitment to collaboration and community is clear. The ground floor, with its 14-foot ceilings, will be used for public events, performances, educational programs, and exhibitions, organized by guest curators from around the world. The second floor, divided into studios, is already occupied by nine specially-selected artists on one-year leases. They meet regularly with Zayan to discuss their work and the project. The third floor, light-filled and spacious designed by Anne Attal, will be available for flexible rental by the general public.

Artists:

Thomas Bell

Ryan Brennan

Amanda Browder

Rosane Chamecki, Andrea Lerner & Phil Harder

Gina Czarnecki

Jeanette Doyle

Steve DeFrank

Richard Garet

Guerra de la Paz

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Kaarina Kaikkonen

Giles Lyon

Miguel Palma

José Parlá

Rey Parlá

Tom Sanford

Keith Schweitzer

Francesco Simeti

Alfred Steiner

Giuseppe Stampone

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

View at Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Specific Objects without Specific Form" retrospective at Wiels, february 2010.

WIELS premieres a major traveling retrospective of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ oeuvre, including both rarely seen and more known artworks, while proposing an experimental form for the exhibition that is indebted to the artist’s own radical conception of the artwork.

Gonzalez-Torres (American, b. Cuba 1957-1996), one of the most influential artists of his generation, settled in New York in the early 1980s, where he studied art and began his practice as an artist before his untimely death of AIDS related complications. His work can be seen in critical relationship to Conceptual art and Minimalism, mixing political activism, emotional affect, and deep formal concerns in a wide range of media, including drawings, sculpture, and public billboards*, often using ordinary objects as a starting point—clocks, mirrors, light fixtures. Amongst his most famous artworks are his piles of candy and paper stacks from which viewers are allowed to take away a piece. They are premised, like so much of what he did, on instability and potential for change: artworks without an already preset or specific form. The result is a profoundly human body of work, intimate and vulnerable even as it destabilizes so many seemingly unshakable certainties (the artwork as fixed, the exhibition as a place to look but not touch, the author as the ultimate form-giver).

To present the oeuvre of an artist who put fragility, the passage of time, and the questioning of authority at the center of his artworks, the exhibition will be entirely re-installed at each of its venues halfway through its duration by a different invited artist whose practice has been informed by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work. A first version of Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Specific Objects without Specific Form by curator Elena Filipovic will open to the public and on March 5, 2010, the artist Danh Vo will re-install the exhibition, effectively making an entirely new show.

Text source :

www.wiels.org/site2/event.php?event_id=160

Babui (baya weaver) bird by Shot by Nitya

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Babui (baya weaver) birds make a nest on a tree in Haryana, just outskirts of the Delhi.

With the reduction of specific trees in the country, the birds are losing their habitats.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Read this extinction story from Neighboring Country of ours. Same is happening everywhere

( www.daily-sun.com/post/417327/Stop-extinction-of-Babui-th... )

Babui or baya, the little bird whose genius of making grass-made homes considered a miracle and in the words of poet Rajanikantha Sen no less than “mansion,” was slowly becoming rarer in Bangladesh due to ecological changes and could lead to its extinction unless urgent steps are taken to save the species, experts said.

The nests of weaver birds hanging from palm trees was a common scene along with the bucolic beauty of Bangladesh and many collected them to decorate their homes. Even textbooks carried information or stories about the Babui, signifying the happiness of liberty and industrious attitude.

In Rajanikantha Sen’s Swadinatar Sukh (the joy of independence) poem, he writes-

Says the Sparrow to the Weaver Bird

“Look where I live – a mansion, no less!

While your nest barely shields you from the wind and the rain.

Yet you prize it as art?”

The Weaver Bird smiles, “There is no doubt,

that my nest sways in the slightest wind,

but I live in it gladly,

for unlike the mansion you share with humans my house is mine and mine alone

Experts said due to rapid ecological changes the Babui bird is gradually becoming extinct.

Bird experts narrated two major reasons including manmade and natural reason. They said that continuous deforestation, poaching and lack of palm trees have pushed away this crafting bird to the verge of extinct.

They apprehended that if natural balance gets jeopardised, many species including the weaver bird, may soon become a part of history.

Babui builds their exceptional home, said to be the only of its kind in the nature, by weaving collected grass which hangs from the leafs of palm trees

They make home in a group on the same tree and the most amazing part of these grass-made homes are its two or three windows or doors for their access, light and ventilation —- indeed a miracle of their genius nature.

Babui crafts their nest in dividing two parts. In one portion they lay eggs and bring up its offsprings in the other part, which basically has the hole used as a door.

They collect dry grass, but not all kinds, but those which are light in weight and longer than most other varities of grass.

Alongside its architect characteristics, it is said that Babui use to catch fireflies, lightning bugs, at night to get lighten up their hanging nest on top of the palm trees.

According to the books and bird experts, three kinds of Babui have been seen in Bangladesh which locally called as Deshi Babui, Dagi Babui and Bangla Babui.

Not only Babui, Bangladesh once was the house of many varieties of birds with different kinds, sizes, colours and habitual aspects. Being a big part of natural ecology, birds are not only an ornamental species of environment, but their necessity in maintaining the balance of nature and environment is a recognised factor.

Experts stressed for undertaking a pragmatic approach of concerned government departments so that this kind of beautiful birds do not become extinct.

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Photo taken via Nikon Gears on 30.07.2017

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Peru's Wonders of the World by Matthew Wells

Welcome fellow Paddington Bear spotter! My photostream features all 50 Paddingtons. If you would like to shortcut to a specific one, please use the links below

No. 1: Love, Paddington X (Lulu Guinness) |

No. 5: Brick Bear by Robin Partington & Partners by Matthew Wells

Welcome fellow Paddington Bear spotter! My photostream features all 50 Paddingtons. If you would like to shortcut to a specific one, please use the links below

No. 1: Love, Paddington X (Lulu Guinness) |

Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico sn2841SA - 1961 by Peter Blackert

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For a full rundown on this specific car, please see the following link from Sotherbys:

rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az17/arizona/lots/r194-1961-fe...

In summary, however, is that in the old days, Ferrari (man and company) obsessively built racing cars to win. The modest number of super-wealthy regularly sought out cars from Ferrari to drive on the road, with which he reluctantly complied.

Early on, these were barely different to the race cars, such as the 166, 212, and then 250 series. Once the 250 series was producing cars such as the 250 GT Lusso and GTE, the volumes were relatively high (in the hundreds), and so one could purchase a Ferrari by being merely very rich. For those clients who were more special, a series of low volume cars were still available, sold in single, or low double figures.

The 1961 400 Superamerica car shown here is a good example. Produced during the period of significant increase in Ferrari road car production, the 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico saw 17 cars produced.

The 400 saw a switch to the long-block Columbo V12 engine, as opposed to the Lampredi V12 seen in the preceding 410 Superamerica (which was rarer still). The last 410s visually linked the newer 400s, particularly the 'Superfast' cars.

Larger than it initially appears (and larger that 250/275/330 Ferraris of the period), this Lego model is a redo of an earlier attempt. Notable for the inclusion now of the large Technic piston engine.

1:72 North American P-51D Mustang; ‘F-319' (ex 44-13045); 3 Skuadron, Angatan Udara Republik Indonesia (AURI); probably Padang Air Field, mid 1958, during CIA operation “Haik” - WiP by Dizzyfugu

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The model and its assembly:

Believe it or not, but this is a real life background and also the model of a real P-51D. I came across this specific airplane rather accidently, but found its unique, improvised camouflage rather challenging – esp. when you build kits with enamels and brush like me. I still had a Hobby Boss P-51D in my vast kit pile, and so I decided to tackle this aircraft as a side project while waiting for parts for another project, since the kit could be built almost OOB, just the decals had to be puzzled together.

I only did minor changes to the kit. One addition is a pilot figure in order to cover the cockpit "bathtub", and a dashboard cover under the windshield inside of the cockpit was added, too. A pitot (made from a piece of wire) was added under the port wing, as well as a retractable landing light inside of the starboard main gear well.

Despite being of simple construction, the Hobby Boss kit shows good surface details, including engraved panel lines. It’s quickly built – the fuselage and the wings are both just single, massive(!) pieces. Due this construction, though, the kit is not a good choice for conversions. And one major flaw is the fact that the canopy frame is a fixed part of the fuselage, even though two canopies are supplies – a single piece for closed position, and separate windshield and hatch for a potentially open cockpit. But the latter can actually not be built, and separating the canopy frame from the massive fuselage is IMHO a messy task, and that’s the reason why I left the cockpit closed… Anyway, it is IMO still a good kit for the money, and a good choice as a basis for a simple livery alternative.

Beyond that, this model comes “clean” without any ordnance. Since I could not find any reference that would show or mention external loads under AURI Mustangs (not even drop tanks), I left the model this way, what underlines the Mustang's clean lines.

Painting and markings

Here, things become more interesting. My model depicts Angatan Udara Republik Indonesia’s F-51D “F-319” and is based (only) on aircraft profiles and sketches, which were themselves only prepared on the basis of poor photographs of AURI Mustangs during late operations against AUREV.

AURI Mustang F-319 (44-13045) took, according to an article in Air Enthusiast No.82, actively part in the fighting of 1958, and it is one of the few (maybe even the only) Mustang to sport a cammo scheme. In general, the AURI P-51Ds were left in a bare metal finish, with colored spinners and a black anti glare panel, sometimes decorated with huge shark teeth. Actually, these aircraft were inherited from Dutch forces after Indonesia' independence, and the national insignia just replaced with the AURI pentagon. Even the tactical codes were kept.

F-319 was obviously hastily camouflaged, and only on the upper sides and wrapped around the lower fuselage, probably in two shades of green, or in green and brown. The exact colors remain unknown, but any profile I found depicts F-319 in two shades of green, so I stuck with it, and it’s a nice color combo. F-319 was reportedly damaged during the attack against Amahai on 10 May 1958, after that the track is lost.

Anyway, key objective of this kit was to replicate that improvised cammo and weathered look that one might expect under harsh climate conditions and frequent use with poor maintenance in front line service.

All interior surfaces were painted in a zinc chromate green finish. I used Humbrol 150 as a basis color and added dry-brushed Testors 1715 on top of that. The landing gear was kept in Aluminum (HUmbrol 56). Everything "standard".

The model's lower sides were painted with 'Polished Aluminum' Metallizer from Testors. The upper surfaces, which would later be concealed by camouflage, were painted with acrylic paint, 'Aluminum' from Revell. The same color was also used for some contrast panels on the lower surfaces. Onto this basic finish, the decals were applied as a next step. AURI F-319 appears to have had its cammo scheme painted around its original markings and some access hatches, and simulating this would be IMHO achieved the easiest way by simply duplicating the process on the kit!

The decals themselves were puzzled together from several aftermarket sheets. The AURI insignia/national markings come from a generic TL Modellbau sheet, the tactical code and the “AURI” letters under the wing were cut and re-arranged from "USAF" letters in 1:72 scale. Improvisation rules, and the frugal modeler.

After the decals had been applied ans secured under a thin coat of clear, acryllic varnish, I used water and salt to mask panel lines and leading edges with tiny mottles and irregular "spot clusters". It’s actually a method that works well when you simulate rust and flaking paint on 1:35 tanks and such with an air brush, but I thought that it might also work here, too, since I wanted to let a lot of bare metal shine through the rather thin cammo paint.

Project specific pad at Patan momo place by alexander_stein_taech

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Nepal- studies of lioness inside

John Brown's Sharps Rifle by National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution

Description

Physical Description

Sharps sporting percussion rifle, .44 caliber.

Specific History

This Sharps rifle was made especially for John Brown, though it bears no maker’s mark. Brown carried this weapon on his Kansas campaign in 1856 and later presented it to Charles Blair of Collinsville, Connecticut. In 1857, Brown contracted Blair to forge pikes for the clandestine slave insurrection he was planning for Harpers Ferry.

General History

As a boy of five, John Brown witnessed a slave his own age being beaten with a fire shovel. He vowed to become a foe of slavery. By the mid-1800s, Brown was fulfilling his vow. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed the two states to decide the issue of slavery by a popular ballot. The fight in Kansas was so intense that the state earned the nickname “Bleeding Kansas.” As Missouri pro-slavery “Ruffians” flocked to Kansas, the New England abolitionists bankrolled “Free-Soilers” to move to the settlement of Lawrence, Kansas. Henry Ward Beecher raised money to purchase Sharps rifles for use by antislavery forces in Kansas. Rifles, said Beecher, are “a greater moral agency than the Bible” in the fight against slavery. The guns were packed in crates labeled "Bibles" so they would not arouse suspicion. Soon the Sharps rifles sent to Kansas were referred to as “Beecher’s Bibles.” In 1856, after abolitionists were attacked in Lawrence, John Brown led a raid on scattered cabins along the Pottawatomie Creek, killing five people. Kansas would not become a state until 1861, after the Confederate states seceded. John Brown had another plan to bring about an end to slavery, a slave uprising. Brown contracted with Charles Blair, a forge master in Collinsville, Connecticut, to make 950 pikes for a dollar apiece. Brown would issue the pikes to the slaves as they revolted. On October 16, 1859, Brown led his group to Harpers Ferry where he took over the arsenal and waited for the slaves to revolt. The revolt never came. Two days later Robert E. Lee and his troops overran the raiders and captured John Brown. Brown was found guilty of murder, treason, and inciting slave insurrection and was hanged on December 2, 1859.

Object Name

rifle

user

Brown, John

Physical Description

steel (overall material)

wood (overall material)

brass (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 123.3424 cm; x 48 9/16 in

Place Made

United States

used in

United States: Kansas

associated place

United States: Missouri

ID Number

1982.0025.01

accession number

1982.0025

catalog number

1982.0025.01

subject

Military

Firearms

ThinkFinity

event

Kansas Struggle

Expansion and Reform

See more items in

Armed Forces History: Armed Forces History, General

ThinkFinity

Exhibition

"The Price of Freedom: Americans at War"

Data Source

National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center

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Choreography- Locating dance by Lincoln School of Creative Arts

Site specific performances by 3rd year BA dance students, taken place in different locations around the University Campus: John Banks Laboratories, rooftop of the Art & Design building, and science ‘dry’ lab in the MHT building.

date: 3/12/2015

photo by Fenia Kotsopoulou

Multnomah Falls lower platform by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region

The lower viewing platform opened back up March 20, 2018 after post eagle creek fire hazards were mitigated for that specific viewing area.

What is Ritual Slaughter (Qurbani Ki Tareef) by DawateIslami

Sacrificing specific animal in specified days with the intention of pleasing Allah is called Qurbani (Ritual Slaughter) and sometimes the animal being sacrificed is termed as Ritual Slaughter. Ritual Slaughter is the Sunnah of Sayyiduna Ibrahim that has been retained for this Ummah and our Blessed Prophet (May Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was ordered to execute ritual slaughter. Allah has stated:

Translation: So offer the Salah for your Rab and execute the ritual slaughter. (Surah Kausar, Ayat-2, Parah-30)

(Bahar e Shariat, Vol-III, Page-327)

www.dawateislami.net

Acne Around the Mouth: What Is the Cause of Their Appearance? by Megan Abbott

In this article, we will talk about acne around the mouth: what is the cause of their appearance and how to get rid of them.

Why Should Acne Around the Mouth Be Treated Immediately?

As a rule, acne does not affect a specific area of the skin, but the entire face. But if pimples affect one specific area, then you should think about it.

After all, most often this occurs due to violations in the work of some internal organs or entire mechanisms of the body.

And acne around the mouth is a serious cosmetic problem. Often, they are very painful, but they take a long time. However, if you understand the cause, you can eliminate it, which means that you can get rid of acne.

It is worth immediately saying why such acne should be treated as soon as possible. Aesthetically, pimples in this area do not look very good. Of course, you can cover them with makeup. And here we talked about how to do it correctly. But this is not a complete solution to the problem. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of rashes.

Acne Around the Mouth: Causes

If Your skin is still causing problems, it may be time to listen to what it has to say to us in this way. Acne around the mouth can have various causes. Oily skin, clogged pores, permanent acne or an outbreak of hormonal rashes are signals that something bad is happening to Your health.

First, you need to find out why acne appears in this place. Where they are located can tell you exactly why.

Which Organ Is Responsible for Them?

Acne in this area sometimes occurs for the same reasons as in other areas of the face. In other words, this includes non-compliance with hygiene rules, improper skin care, and violations in the work of internal organs.

But it is worth telling about this in more detail. You can learn more about this thanks to our map of acne on the face.

This map shows how acne in a certain area indicates a violation in the work of a certain organ. And if you look at it, it immediately becomes clear — the gastrointestinal tract is responsible for acne near the lips.

We can say that violations of its functioning in principle spoil the appearance of the skin. If the intestines are clogged, acne can cover any area of the face with small subcutaneous pimples.

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Is It Caused by Hormones?

Hormonal acne includes pustules, cysts, and subcutaneous cysts. The so-called “hormonal changes” are mainly located on the sides of the face, chin, upper neck, and even on the back of the neck or scalp. More often they affect women due to fluctuations in hormone levels. Approximately 60-70% of women experience acne exacerbation during the menstrual period. With the most noticeable changes around the mouth and chin.

Similar rashes can also occur after stopping the use of contraceptives. There is also a group of diseases in which impaired hormone metabolism is the main cause of acne.

A special form of hormonal acne is acne caused by the use of anabolic steroids for therapeutic purposes. And so-called acne from bodybuilding, which is caused by the use of anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass and improve physical condition. These are usually severe forms of acne. They leave unsightly scars, and their treatment is difficult and time-consuming.

Treatment of hormonal acne often requires the cooperation of a dermatologist, gynecologist, and endocrinologist. A thorough interview should be conducted regarding medications taken, regular menstrual cycles, and additional tests.

Causes that can be Eliminated Quickly

But it is worth understanding that external causes also affect the appearance of acne around the mouth. The area near it is especially often exposed to negative external influences. You can often smear your lips with all kinds of lipsticks and glosses. And they are very likely to get on the skin. As a result, acne appears around the mouth.

Also, the process of food consumption is not without sin. If you eat sloppily, some part of the sauce or broth will definitely fall on the area around the mouth. And even after wiping it with a napkin, the food particles will remain. And as a result, there will be pimples around the lips.

Therefore, after eating, it is recommended to wipe the area around the mouth with a wet cloth with an antibacterial effect. You can also wash your face completely. But in this case, there is a chance to dry skin.

• Touch your face with your hands. In particular, the area around the mouth;

• Eating wrong;

• Do not follow the rules of skin care;

Therefore, if you decide to finally clean your skin once and for all, you have come to the right place. Check what spots on your face mean and find out how to prevent them.

What Health Problems Do Pimples in This Area Indicate?

Imperfection of the face can appear at different stages of life. More and more adult women suffer from acne. They often believe that it is impossible to get rid of acne.

But it turns out that it is very important to be able to “read” everything on Your face. Chinese face reading has been practiced for thousands of years and allows you to detect and diagnose various diseases. Therefore, pimples in the area around the mouth and lips are a warning sign. Thus, learning Chinese will help you take the right measures to achieve a clear complexion.

“The face never lies” – this is the assumption of Chinese practice. The face is a mirror that reflects our health. Therefore, if you suffer from acne on the face, oily skin, wrinkles, lack of elasticity or hypersensitivity of the skin. This may mean that you are not properly caring for her or suffer from disorders in the functioning of the body.

Vitamins

Acne around the mouth can indicate a lack of b vitamins, so if they are your problem, try to include more whole grains, lean meat, and green leafy vegetables in your diet.

Season

We often blame the weather for dry, chapped lips, but in most cases the problem is diet, not wind or cold. It is worth paying attention to what we eat when the season changes. Then the body experiences so-called stomach stress.

Dehydration

Dehydration can be another cause of dry skin around the mouth and acne in this part of the face. Therefore, pay attention to the amount of water in your diet.

Pimples Around the Mouth: How Do I Get Rid of It?

First of all, let’s say that you need to eliminate the reason why you have these pimples. Therefore, before starting treatment, we recommend:

⦁ switch to proper nutrition. If you are not familiar with these principles, it is enough just to reduce the number of products that provoke the appearance of acne. We recommend that you read our list of prohibited products;

⦁ start wiping your mouth after eating. Many people forget about this, although it is banal hygiene;

⦁ to abandon the use of poor-quality cosmetics for lips. If the budget does not allow you to use more expensive lipsticks and glosses, then you should stop applying them at all. Health is still more expensive;

⦁ cease to apply balm on the lips, which this is not required.

In addition, it is recommended to start caring for your lips properly. Otherwise, many micro-cracks may appear on their surface, which are easily clogged with bacteria. As a result, pimples may also appear. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the delicate skin of the lips from the negative influence of the environment.

How to Cure These Pimples?

And only then can you proceed to treatment. But you should understand that if none of these methods will give a long-term result, then you need to contact a specialist. This will mean that the appearance of acne in the area around the mouth is caused by skin diseases that should be treated by a doctor. If You do not know which specialist to contact, we recommend reading this article. In it, we talked in detail about who is still able to help cope with acne-a cosmetologist or dermatologist.

And at home, to get rid of acne around the mouth and around the lips is possible by such methods:

Benzyl Peroxide. This is a substance that affects the bacteria that cause acne – Propionibacterium acnes and Malassezia. Drugs containing benzoyl peroxide are used for mild forms of acne. Benzoyl peroxide has both keratolytic and bactericidal effects, killing P. acnes. Benzoyl peroxide does not cause bacterial resistance. But its frequent use causes skin drying, local irritation and redness. You can also use triclosan, but it is less effective.

Apply this product to pimples point-by-point. It dries blackheads and disinfects damaged skin.

We recommend making ice cubes from a decoction of chamomile or calendula, and wipe the damaged area with them.

Unguentum Zinc. This is a very popular remedy for herpes, which can cope with ordinary pimples. But you need to use it very carefully, since the drug can greatly dry the skin when abused;

Steam bath. Steam baths push out dirt and bacteria, leaving the pores clean. We have already written about how to make steam baths correctly.

Of course, these are not the only methods to combat acne. However, they are the most popular and users consider them the most effective. In addition to their use, we recommend eliminating the root causes of acne around the mouth to avoid relapse.

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The pretty small signal..... by niek opdam

5

...specific type of signal due to the signal box standing at the platform end. A 23 rumbles in with an evening rush hour commuter train (11/4/1974)

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

View at Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Specific Objects without Specific Form" retrospective at Wiels, february 2010.

WIELS premieres a major traveling retrospective of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ oeuvre, including both rarely seen and more known artworks, while proposing an experimental form for the exhibition that is indebted to the artist’s own radical conception of the artwork.

Gonzalez-Torres (American, b. Cuba 1957-1996), one of the most influential artists of his generation, settled in New York in the early 1980s, where he studied art and began his practice as an artist before his untimely death of AIDS related complications. His work can be seen in critical relationship to Conceptual art and Minimalism, mixing political activism, emotional affect, and deep formal concerns in a wide range of media, including drawings, sculpture, and public billboards*, often using ordinary objects as a starting point—clocks, mirrors, light fixtures. Amongst his most famous artworks are his piles of candy and paper stacks from which viewers are allowed to take away a piece. They are premised, like so much of what he did, on instability and potential for change: artworks without an already preset or specific form. The result is a profoundly human body of work, intimate and vulnerable even as it destabilizes so many seemingly unshakable certainties (the artwork as fixed, the exhibition as a place to look but not touch, the author as the ultimate form-giver).

To present the oeuvre of an artist who put fragility, the passage of time, and the questioning of authority at the center of his artworks, the exhibition will be entirely re-installed at each of its venues halfway through its duration by a different invited artist whose practice has been informed by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work. A first version of Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Specific Objects without Specific Form by curator Elena Filipovic will open to the public and on March 5, 2010, the artist Danh Vo will re-install the exhibition, effectively making an entirely new show.

Text source :

www.wiels.org/site2/event.php?event_id=160

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

View at Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Specific Objects without Specific Form" retrospective at Wiels, february 2010.

WIELS premieres a major traveling retrospective of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ oeuvre, including both rarely seen and more known artworks, while proposing an experimental form for the exhibition that is indebted to the artist’s own radical conception of the artwork.

Gonzalez-Torres (American, b. Cuba 1957-1996), one of the most influential artists of his generation, settled in New York in the early 1980s, where he studied art and began his practice as an artist before his untimely death of AIDS related complications. His work can be seen in critical relationship to Conceptual art and Minimalism, mixing political activism, emotional affect, and deep formal concerns in a wide range of media, including drawings, sculpture, and public billboards*, often using ordinary objects as a starting point—clocks, mirrors, light fixtures. Amongst his most famous artworks are his piles of candy and paper stacks from which viewers are allowed to take away a piece. They are premised, like so much of what he did, on instability and potential for change: artworks without an already preset or specific form. The result is a profoundly human body of work, intimate and vulnerable even as it destabilizes so many seemingly unshakable certainties (the artwork as fixed, the exhibition as a place to look but not touch, the author as the ultimate form-giver).

To present the oeuvre of an artist who put fragility, the passage of time, and the questioning of authority at the center of his artworks, the exhibition will be entirely re-installed at each of its venues halfway through its duration by a different invited artist whose practice has been informed by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work. A first version of Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Specific Objects without Specific Form by curator Elena Filipovic will open to the public and on March 5, 2010, the artist Danh Vo will re-install the exhibition, effectively making an entirely new show.

Text source :

www.wiels.org/site2/event.php?event_id=160

NIS by Buie

4 1

A specific tribute to my new followers in the UK. I know it's not the coaches that you normally share with us, but I hope you'll accept a night view of one of our light rail trains on the Canada Line, between YVR airport and Waterfront station in Vancouver.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

View at Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Specific Objects without Specific Form" retrospective at Wiels, february 2010.

WIELS premieres a major traveling retrospective of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ oeuvre, including both rarely seen and more known artworks, while proposing an experimental form for the exhibition that is indebted to the artist’s own radical conception of the artwork.

Gonzalez-Torres (American, b. Cuba 1957-1996), one of the most influential artists of his generation, settled in New York in the early 1980s, where he studied art and began his practice as an artist before his untimely death of AIDS related complications. His work can be seen in critical relationship to Conceptual art and Minimalism, mixing political activism, emotional affect, and deep formal concerns in a wide range of media, including drawings, sculpture, and public billboards*, often using ordinary objects as a starting point—clocks, mirrors, light fixtures. Amongst his most famous artworks are his piles of candy and paper stacks from which viewers are allowed to take away a piece. They are premised, like so much of what he did, on instability and potential for change: artworks without an already preset or specific form. The result is a profoundly human body of work, intimate and vulnerable even as it destabilizes so many seemingly unshakable certainties (the artwork as fixed, the exhibition as a place to look but not touch, the author as the ultimate form-giver).

To present the oeuvre of an artist who put fragility, the passage of time, and the questioning of authority at the center of his artworks, the exhibition will be entirely re-installed at each of its venues halfway through its duration by a different invited artist whose practice has been informed by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work. A first version of Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Specific Objects without Specific Form by curator Elena Filipovic will open to the public and on March 5, 2010, the artist Danh Vo will re-install the exhibition, effectively making an entirely new show.

Text source :

www.wiels.org/site2/event.php?event_id=160

clock by Leo Reynolds

1

Melanie Gibson: Site-specific installation

Norwich Fringe Festival, Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK

Fringe at The Factory

7-22 October 2006

The Photographer's Shadow by Henry L.

8 35

While giving directions.

Visions of America: Amériques by Refik Anadol

Visions of America: Amériques

Audio/Visual Performance conducted by Esa-pekka Salonen, performed by Los Angeles Philharmonic

6th of November, 2014

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles

_

'The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s multimedia presentation of Edgard Varèse’s Amériques launched the new in/SIGHT series at Walt Disney Concert Hall,The presentation of Amériques is accompanied by the new Anadol site-specific architectural video installation, which was developed to illuminate and enhance the Varèse's composition and to activate the architecture of Walt Disney Concert Hall. The dynamic visual program created by Anadol uses custom-built algorithmic sound analysis to listen and respond to the music in real time, using architecture as a canvas and light as a material. Additionally, the movements of Salonen, as he conducts, will be captured by next generation Microsoft Kinect hardware and 3-D depth camera analysis to inform the visuals displayed. The result was a powerful and immersive experience for the audience that engaged their visual and auditory senses.'

Launching in/SIGHT – the LA Phil's groundbreaking series of concerts with video – this program embodies the vision of the New World as a place of unlimited artistic freedom. Amériques was the first musical piece that Varèse composed upon coming to New York and this project is fittingly the first site-specific audio-visual performance that I produce in the U.S. I approached this collaboration from the standpoint of a non-linear and ephemeral interaction between Salonen, Varèse, and me, and hope that I will be able to transform Varèse’s timeless musical fiction into an immersive visual medium through which a new kind of storytelling will occur. Rather than approaching this medium as a means of escape into some disembodied techno-utopian fantasy, this project sees itself as a means of return. It aims to facilitate a temporary release from our habitual

perceptions and culturally biased assumptions about being in the world, and to enable us, however momentarily, to perceive our own stories and the stories around us freshly.

In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, Anadol stated regarding this work, “Instead of creating a media screen, there will be a story inside the space. What happens if you add a video layer that speaks to the audience in a whole new experience? We're exploring the boundaries of what is real, what is physical, what is virtual…”

I would like to sincerely thank everyone who made this project possible. This project would never have been possible without the tremendous and generous support of Los Angeles Philharmonic, President and CEO Deborah Borda; Vice President of Artistic Planning Chad Smith; Artistic Administrator Meghan Martineau and Concert Operations Manager Taylor Saleeby. I would also like to thank for their open-handed support the University California, Los Angeles, Department of Media Arts’ faculty members, Microsoft Research, and Lili Cheng, Finally and specially I would like to thank Frank Gehry for his dreamful canvas and Esa-Pekka Salonen for his open-minded collaboration with me to discover “New Worlds.”

CREDITS

Video Artist: Refik Anadol

Artistic Management: Dave Hunt

Executive Producer: Efsun Erkilic

Senior Generative Designers: Sebastian Neitsch & Woeishi Lean

Senior 3D Designer: Raman K. Mustafa

Senior Animator: Simon Russell

Junior Animators: Bahadir Dagdelen, Michael Hsiu, Kian Khiaban, Toby Heinemann,

Laurence Menor.

Research Assistant: Jarad Solomon

Site Specific (The Collection & Usher Gallery) by Lincoln School of Creative Arts

Site specific performances by BA Drama students at "The Collection" and "Usher Gallery".

Date: 9 May 2015

Time: 11am -3pm

photo by Fenia Kotsopoulou

Camp Zama Community competes during Army Birthday Week - June 13-15, 2016 by USARJ NCO CORPS

CAMP ZAMA, Japan - Hundreds of Soldiers, Airmen, civilians and their families from the Camp Zama community kicked off Army Birthday Week with sports, games and tournaments designed to build camaraderie and esprit de corps throughout U.S. Army Japan Command. For five days dozens of units from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will compete in various challenges to test their cumulative strength, speed, endurance and dexterity. From team sports, golf scrambles and swim relays to bowling tournaments, relay races and free throw competitions, the Army Birthday Week events offer a variety of team competitions and individual contests that maximize appeal across the entire sports spectrum.

The “Not in My Squad” challenge offered the most unique competition appearing in this week’s lineup. Nine representatives from Camp Zama’s Army and Air Force units endured a series of physically draining events spread along a three-mile route. The teams worked together to carry five-gallon cans of water to each event where they performed various exercises comprising hundreds of pushups, situps, pullups, tire flips and kettle bell curls. The challenge concluded with a role-play scenario that tested the teams’ cumulative knowledge about how to handle a sexual harassment incident.

A unit that wins first place in a specific event earns five points, while second and third place finishes earn three and two points respectively. Every unit that participates in an event earns one point.

As of June 15, 2016, U.S. Army Aviation Battalion maintains the lead with 35 points. The 441st Military Intelligence Battalion holds second place with 29 points and Medical Department Activity-Japan pulled into third place with 27 points. U.S. Army Japan (USARJ) remains in fourth place with 23 points. Since Monday USARJ has earned third place in the soccer tournament, second place in the "Not in My Squad" challenge, and first place in the swim relay.

On Friday, June 17, all teams will convene at the Camp Zama High School sports complex to compete to foot races and cheer on their comrades in the annual tug-of-war bout and soccer match between the JGSDF’s Central Readiness Force U.S. service members stationed Camp Zama.

U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, U.S. Army Japan

DSC_3654 by Guy M Wong

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abq2427

Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection drives cross-variant neutralization and memory B cell formation against conserved epitopes

Abstract

Omicron is the evolutionarily most distinct SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) to date. We report that Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection in BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals resulted in strong neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, but not against the Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5. BA.1 breakthrough infection induced a robust recall response, primarily expanding BMEM cells against epitopes shared broadly amongst variants, rather than inducing BA.1-specific B cells. The vaccination-imprinted BMEM cell pool had sufficient plasticity to be remodeled by heterologous SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein exposure. While selective amplification of BMEM cells recognizing shared epitopes allows for effective neutralization of most variants that evade previously established immunity, susceptibility to escape by variants that acquire alterations at hitherto conserved sites may be heightened.

INTRODUCTION

Containment of the COVID-19 pandemic requires the generation of durable and sufficiently broad immunity to provide protection against current and future variants of SARS-CoV-2. The titer of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, and the binding of antibodies to the spike (S) glycoprotein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) are considered correlates of protection against infection (1, 2). Currently available vaccines are based on the S glycoprotein of the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain and induce antibodies with a neutralizing capacity that exceeds the breadth elicited by infection with the Wuhan strain, or with variants of concern (VOCs) (3). However, protective titers wane over time (4–7) and routine booster vaccinations are thought to be needed to trigger recall immunity and maintain efficacy against new VOCs (8–11).

Long-lived memory B (BMEM) cells are the basis for the recall response upon antigen re-encounter either by infection or booster vaccination. They play an important role in the maintenance and evolution of the antiviral antibody response against variants, since low-affinity selection mechanisms during the germinal center reaction and continued hypermutation of BMEM cells over several months following antigen exposure expand the breadth of viral variant recognition (12, 13).

To date, over 1 billion people worldwide have been vaccinated with the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 and have received the primary 2-dose series or further boosters (14). Thus, BNT162b2 vaccination is contributing substantially to the pattern of population immunity in many regions of the world.

How vaccine-mediated protective immunity will evolve over time and will be modified by iterations of exposure to COVID-19 vaccines and to infections with increasingly divergent viral variants remains poorly understood, and is of particular relevance with the emergence of antigenically distinct VOCs. Omicron is the evolutionary most distant reported VOC to date, with a hitherto unprecedented number of amino acid alterations in its S glycoprotein, including at least 15 amino acid changes in the RBD and extensive changes in the N-terminal domain (NTD) (15). These alterations are predicted to affect most neutralizing antibody epitopes (16–20). In addition, Omicron is highly transmissible, has outcompeted Delta within weeks to become the dominant circulating VOC, and has given rise to multiple sublineages, starting with BA.1 and BA.2, that are spreading rapidly across the globe (21, 22). New Omicron sublineages that harbor further alterations in the S glycoprotein continue to arise, with BA.4 and BA.5 deemed VOCs by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on the 12th May 2022 (23).

To characterize the effect of Omicron breakthrough infection on the magnitude and breadth of serum neutralizing activity and BMEM cells, we studied blood samples from individuals that were double- or triple-vaccinated with BNT162b2, including cohorts that experienced breakthrough infection between November 2021 and mid-January 2022, a period when the BA.1 lineage was dominant in Germany (24). As an understanding of the antigen-specific B cell memory pool is a critical determinant of an individual’s ability to respond to newly emerging variants, our data will help to guide further vaccine development.

RESULTS

Cohorts and sampling

Blood samples were sourced from the biosample collection of BNT162b2 vaccine trials, and a biobank of prospectively collected samples from vaccinated individuals with subsequent SARS-CoV-2 Omicron breakthrough infection experienced in a period of Omicron sublineage BA.1 dominance, and we therefore refer to “BA.1 breakthrough infection” herein. Samples were selected to investigate biomarkers in four independent groups, namely individuals who were (i) double- or (ii) triple-vaccinated with BNT162b2 without a prior or breakthrough infection at the time of sample collection (BNT162b22, BNT162b23) and individuals who were (iii) double- or (iv) triple-vaccinated with BNT162b2 and who experienced breakthrough infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after a median of approximately 5 months or 4 weeks, respectively (BNT162b22 + Omi, BNT162b23 + Omi). Median ages of the cohorts were similar (32-39 years), except for the BNT162b22 cohort, which had a mildly increased median age of 52, albeit with only two individuals >65 yrs of age. Immune sera were used to characterize Omicron infection-associated changes to the magnitude and the breadth of serum neutralizing activity. PBMCs were used to characterize the VOC-specificity of peripheral BMEM cells recognizing the respective full-length SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein or its RBD.

Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection after BNT162b2 vaccination induces broad neutralization against Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and other VOCs, but not against BA.4 and BA.5

To evaluate the neutralizing activity of immune sera, we used two orthogonal test systems: a well-characterized pseudovirus neutralization test (pVNT) (25, 26) to investigate the breadth of inhibition of virus entry in a propagation-deficient set-up, as well as a live SARS-CoV-2 neutralization test (VNT) designed to evaluate neutralization during multicycle replication of authentic virus with the antibodies maintained throughout the entire test period. For the former, we applied pseudoviruses bearing the S glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan, Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and of the recently emerged Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 to assess neutralization breadth. As BA.4 and BA.5 share an identical S glycoprotein sequence, including key alterations L452R and F486V, we herein refer to them as BA.4/5. In addition, we assayed SARS-CoV (herein referred to as SARS-CoV-1) to detect potential pan-sarbecovirus neutralizing activity (27).

As reported previously (25, 28, 29), in Omicron-naïve double-vaccinated individuals 50% pseudovirus neutralization (pVN50) geometric mean titers (GMTs) of Beta and Delta VOCs were reduced, and neutralization of Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and BA.4/5 was virtually undetectable. In Omicron-naïve triple-vaccinated individuals, pVN50 GMTs against all tested VOCs were substantially higher with robust neutralization of Alpha, Beta and Delta. While GMTs against Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were already considerably lower as compared with Wuhan (GMT 160 and 211 vs 398), neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.4/5 was even further reduced (GMT 74), corresponding to a 5-fold lower titer as compared to the Wuhan strain.

Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection had a marked effect on magnitude and breadth of the neutralizing antibody response of both double- and triple-vaccinated individuals, with slightly higher pVN50 GMTs observed in the triple-vaccinated individuals (Fig. 2a, fig. S1b, Table S6). The pVN50 GMT of double-vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infection against Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and BA.4/5 was more than 100-fold, 35-fold and 15-fold above the GMTs of Omicron-naïve double-vaccinated individuals. Immune sera from double-vaccinated individuals with BA.1 breakthrough infection had broad neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, with higher pVN50 GMTs against Beta and Delta than observed in Omicron-naïve triple-vaccinated individuals (GMT 740 vs. 222 and 571 vs. 370). In contrast, Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection had only a minor boost effect on neutralization of BA.4/5 with pVN50 GMTs against Omicron BA.4/5 being significantly below those against Wuhan (GMT 135 vs. 740).

We observed a similar pattern when studying the neutralization of these variants with BA.1 convalescent and control sera from triple-vaccinated individuals. BA.1 convalescent sera exhibited high pVN50 GMTs against the previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, including Beta (1182), Omicron BA.1 (1029), and BA.2 (836) that were close to the Wuhan reference (1182). Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection only moderately increased neutralization of BA.4/5 in triple-vaccinated individuals with pVN50 GMTs of 197, remaining 6-fold lower than against the Wuhan strain.

Of note, in all cohorts, neutralizing titers against BA.4/5 were closer to the low level observed against the phylogenetically more distant SARS-CoV-1 than that seen against Wuhan (Fig. 2a, Table S4 to S6). Looking at the ratios of SARS-CoV-2 VOC and SARS-CoV-1 pVN50 GMTs normalized against Wuhan, it is remarkable that breakthrough infection with Omicron BA.1 does not lead to more efficient cross-neutralization of Omicron BA.4/5 in double- and triple-vaccinated individuals as compared with triple-vaccinated Omicron-naïve individuals.

Authentic live SARS-CoV-2 virus neutralization assays conducted with Wuhan, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA.1 confirmed the observation that BA.1 breakthrough infection boosted broad immunity against BA.1 and previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs (Fig. 2c, fig. S1c, d, Tables S7 to S9). In BNT162b2 double- and triple-vaccinated individuals, Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection was associated with a strongly increased neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.1, with 50% virus neutralization (VN50) GMTs in the same range as against the Wuhan strain (Fig. 2c; GMT 493 vs. 381 and GMT 538 vs. 613). Similarly, BA.1 convalescent double- and triple-vaccinated individuals showed comparable levels of neutralization against other variants as well (e.g., GMT 493 and 729 against Beta), indicating a wide breadth of neutralizing activity, a finding further supported by the calculated ratios of SARS-CoV-2 VOC VN50 GMTs normalized against the Wuhan strain (Fig. 2d). While double- and to a lesser extent also triple-BNT162b2 vaccinated Omicron-naïve individuals displayed reduced neutralization proficiency against VOCs, neutralization activity of Omicron BA.1 convalescent subjects reached almost the same range of high performance against all live SARS-CoV-2 variant strains tested. Likewise, Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection similarly augmented broad neutralization in individuals vaccinated with other approved COVID-19 vaccines or heterologous regimens, but with significantly reduced potency against Omicron BA.4/5 (fig. S2, Table S11). In aggregate, these data demonstrate that Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection of vaccine-experienced individuals mediates broadly neutralizing activity against BA.1, BA.2 and several previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, but not for BA.4/5.

BMEM cells of BNT162b2 double- and triple-vaccinated individuals broadly recognize VOCs and are further boosted by Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection.

Next, we investigated the phenotype and quantity of SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein-specific B cells in these individuals. To this aim, we employed flow cytometry-based B cell phenotyping assays for differential detection of variant-specific S glycoprotein-binding B cells in bulk PBMCs. We found that all S glycoprotein- and RBD-specific B cells in the peripheral blood were of a BMEM phenotype (BMEM; CD20highCD38int/neg, fig. S3a). Antigen-specific plasmablasts or naïve B cells were not detected. The assays allowed us to identify BMEM cells recognizing the S glycoprotein (fig S3b) or RBD (fig S3c) of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan, Alpha, Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants.

As expected, the overall frequency of antigen-specific BMEM cells varied across the different groups. Consistent with prior reports (30), the frequency of BMEM cells in Omicron-naïve double-vaccinated individuals was low at an early time point after vaccination and increased over time: At 5 months as compared to 3 weeks after the second BNT162b2 dose, S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cells almost quadrupled, and RBD-specific ones tripled across all VOCs thereby reaching quantities similar to those observed in Omicron-naïve triple-vaccinated individuals.

Double or triple BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection exhibited a strongly increased frequency of S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cells, which was higher than those of Omicron-naïve triple-vaccinated individuals.

In all groups, including Omicron-naïve and Omicron BA.1 infected individuals, BMEM cells against Omicron BA.1 S glycoprotein were detectable at frequencies comparable to those against Wuhan and other tested VOCs (Fig. 3b, d), whereas the frequency of BMEM cells against Omicron BA.1 RBD was slightly lower compared to the other variants (Fig. 3c, e, fig. S4f-j, m, n). We then compared the ratios of RBD- to S glycoprotein-binding BMEM cells within the different groups and found that they are biased toward S glycoprotein recognition for the Omicron BA.1 VOC, particularly in the Omicron-naïve groups (Fig. 3f). In the Omicron BA.1 convalescent groups this ratio was higher, indicating that an Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection improved Omicron BA.1 RBD recognition.

Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection after BNT162b2 vaccination boosts BMEM cells against epitopes broadly conserved across S glycoproteins of Wuhan and other VOCs.

Our findings imply that Omicron BA.1 infection in vaccinated individuals boosts not only neutralizing activity and BMEM cells against Omicron BA.1, but broadly augments immunity against various VOCs. To investigate the specificity of antibody responses at a cellular level, we performed multi-parameter analyses of BMEM cells stained with fluorescently labeled variant-specific S or RBD proteins. By applying a combinatorial gating strategy, we sought to distinguish between BMEM cell subsets that could identify epitopes specific to a single variant only (either Wuhan, Alpha, Delta or Omicron BA.1) versus those that could identify epitopes shared by any given combination of these variants.

In a first analysis, we evaluated BMEM cell recognition of Wuhan and Omicron BA.1 S and RBD proteins (Fig. 4b-d). Staining with full length S glycoproteins showed that the largest proportion of BMEM cells from Omicron-naïve double-vaccinated individuals, and even more predominantly from triple-vaccinated individuals were directed against epitopes shared by both Wuhan and Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants. Consistent with the fact that vaccination with BNT162b2 can elicit immune responses against Wuhan epitopes that do not recognize the corresponding altered epitopes in the Omicron BA.1 S glycoprotein (Fig. 4b, c, fig. S5a), we found in most individuals a smaller but clearly detectable proportion of BMEM cells that recognized only Wuhan S glycoprotein or RBD. Consistent with the lack of exposure, almost no BMEM cells binding exclusively to Omicron BA.1 S or RBD protein were detected in these Omicron-naïve individuals.

In Omicron BA.1 convalescent individuals, frequencies of BMEM cells recognizing S glycoprotein epitopes shared between Wuhan and Omicron BA.1 were considerably higher than in the Omicron-naïve ones (Fig. 4b, c). This was particularly pronounced for double-vaccinated individuals. In most of these subjects, we also found a small proportion of exclusively Wuhan S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cells, as well as a moderately lower frequency of exclusively Omicron BA.1 variant S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cells.

A slightly different pattern was observed by B cell staining with labeled RBD proteins (Fig. 4b, d, Fig. S5b). Again, Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection of double-/triple-vaccinated individuals was found to primarily boost BMEM cells reactive against conserved epitopes. A moderate boost of Wuhan-specific reactivities was observed; however, we detected only small populations of BMEM cells specific to the Omicron BA.1-RBD in the tested individuals.

Next, we employed the combinatorial gating approach to identify the subsets of S glycoprotein or RBD binding BMEM cells that either bind exclusively to Wuhan or Omicron BA.1, or to common epitopes conserved broadly throughout all four variants, Wuhan, Alpha, Delta and Omicron BA.1 (Fig. 4e). Across all four cohorts, we found that the frequency of BMEM cells recognizing S glycoprotein-conserved epitopes accounted for the largest fraction of the pool of S glycoprotein-binding BMEM cells (Fig. 4f, all 4+ve). The S glycoprotein of the Wuhan strain does not have an exclusive amino acid change that distinguishes it from the S glycoproteins of the Alpha, Delta, or Omicron BA.1 VOCs. Accordingly, we hardly detected BMEM cells exclusively recognizing the Wuhan S glycoprotein in any individual (Fig. 4f). In several individuals with Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection, we detected a small proportion of BMEM cells that bound exclusively to Omicron BA.1 S glycoprotein (Fig. 4f), whereas almost none of the individuals displayed a strictly Omicron BA.1 RBD-specific response (Fig. 4 g). Our findings indicate that Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection in vaccinated individuals primarily expands a broad BMEM cell repertoire against conserved S glycoprotein and RBD epitopes rather than inducing large numbers of Omicron BA.1-specific BMEM cells.

To further dissect the nuances of this response, we characterized the BMEM subsets directed against the RBD in both double- and triple-vaccinated Omicron BA.1 convalescent individuals. We used the combinatorial Boolean gating approach to discern BMEM cells with distinct binding patterns in the spectrum of strictly variant-specific and common epitopes shared by several variants. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that the Omicron BA.1 RBD diverges from the RBD sequence regions conserved in Wuhan, Alpha, and Delta by 13 single amino acid alterations (fig. S6). The most prominent BMEM cell population that we detected in BA.1 convalescent individuals recognized Wuhan, Alpha as well as the Delta RBDs, but not Omicron BA.1 RBD (Fig. 4h). Contrary to expectations, the population of BMEM cells exclusively reactive with Omicron BA.1 RBD was small in most of those individuals. We did not detect BMEM cells that exclusively recognized epitopes shared by both the Omicron BA.1 and Alpha RBDs, or by the Omicron BA.1 and Delta RBDs.

Furthermore, in all individuals we identified two additional subsets of RBD-specific BMEM cells, (in bold in Fig. 4h). One subset was characterized by binding to the RBDs of Wuhan, Alpha as well as Omicron BA.1, but not the Delta RBD. The other population exhibited binding to Wuhan and Alpha but not Omicron BA.1 or Delta RBD. Sequence alignment identified L452R as the only RBD alteration unique for Delta that is not shared by the other 3 variant RBDs (Fig. 4i top). Similarly, the only RBD site conserved in Wuhan and Alpha but altered in Delta and Omicron BA.1 was found to be T478K (Fig. 4i bottom). Both L452R and T478K alterations are known to be associated with the evasion of vaccine induced neutralizing antibody responses (31, 32). Position L452 is in fact mutated in the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 (33). Of note, only minor BMEM cell frequencies were detected in those combinatorial subgroups in which multiple sequence alignment failed to identify unique epitopes in the RBD sequence (e.g., Wuhan only or Wuhan and Omicron BA.1, but not Alpha, Delta). These observations indicate that the BMEM cell response against RBD is driven by specificities induced through prior vaccination with BNT162b2 and not substantially redirected against new RBD epitopes displayed by the infecting Omicron BA.1 variant.

DISCUSSION

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 is a partial immune escape variant with an unprecedented number of amino acid alterations in the S glycoprotein at sites of neutralizing antibody binding (15). Neutralizing antibody mapping and molecular modeling studies strongly support the functional relevance of these alterations (20, 34), that is confirmed by the fact that double-vaccinated individuals have no detectable neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (25, 35).

In line with concurrently published reports (36, 37), we show that Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection of BNT162b2 vaccinated individuals augments broadly neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and previous VOCs to similar levels observed against the Wuhan strain. However, neutralization of the latest Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 was not enhanced, with titers rather comparable to those against the phylogenetically more distant SARS-CoV-1. While our study focused on individuals vaccinated with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, in individuals vaccinated with CoronaVac similar observations suggest that Omicron BA.4/5 can bypass BA.1 infection-mediated boosting of humoral immunity (33).

Our study provides insights into how immunity against multiple variants is achieved and why Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages can partially escape neutralization. It suggests that initial exposure to the Wuhan strain S glycoprotein may have shaped the formation of BMEM cells and imprinted against novel BMEM cell responses recognizing epitopes distinctive for the Omicron BA.1 variant. Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection in BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals primarily expands a broad BMEM cell repertoire against conserved S glycoprotein and RBD epitopes, rather than inducing strictly Omicron BA.1-specific BMEM cells. Similar observations have been reported from vaccinated individuals who experienced breakthrough infections with the Delta variant and with the Omicron BA.1 sublineage (3, 33).

As compared to the immune response induced by a homologous vaccine booster, an Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection leads to a more substantial increase in antibody neutralization titers against Omicron and a robust cross-neutralization of many SARS CoV-2 variants. These effects are particularly striking in double-vaccinated individuals.

Three findings may point to potentially complementary and synergistic underlying mechanisms. The first is induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies. We found that the majority of sera from Omicron BA.1-convalescent but not from Omicron-naïve vaccinated individuals robustly neutralize previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs including BA.1 and BA.2, and to a far lesser extent also SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 and SARS-CoV-1. This indicates that Omicron BA.1 infection in vaccinated individuals stimulates BMEM cells that produce neutralizing antibodies against S glycoprotein epitopes conserved in the SARS-CoV-2 variants up to and including Omicron BA.2, but that have mostly been lost in BA.4/5 and are for the most part not shared by SARS-CoV-1. Over the last two years, broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies have been isolated from both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 convalescent and/or vaccinated individuals (20, 27, 38) and are known to target highly conserved S glycoprotein domains (39, 40). The greater antigenic distance of the Omicron BA.1 S glycoprotein from earlier SARS-CoV-2 strains may promote targeting of conserved subdominant neutralizing epitopes as recently described to be located, e.g., in cryptic sites within the RBD distinct from the receptor-binding motif (41, 42) or in the membrane proximal S glycoprotein subunit designated S2 (43–45).

The second finding is a bias toward RBD-specific BMEM cell responses. Omicron BA.1-infected individuals appear to have a significantly higher RBD/S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cell ratio as compared to vaccinated Omicron-naïve individuals. Omicron BA.1 carries multiple S glycoprotein alterations such as del69/70 and del143-145 in key neutralizing antibody binding sites of the NTD that dramatically reduce the targeting surface for memory B cell responses in this region. Although the Omicron BA.1 RBD harbors multiple alterations, there are some unaffected neutralizing antibody binding sites left (20). An expansion of BMEM cells that produce neutralizing antibodies against RBD epitopes that are not altered in Omicron BA.1, such as those at position L452 as indicated in our study, could help to rapidly restore neutralization of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. Importantly, the strong neutralization of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 should not mask the fact that the neutralizing BMEM immune response in Omicron BA.1 convalescent vaccinated individuals is driven by a smaller number of epitopes. The significantly reduced neutralizing activity against the Omicron BA.4/5 pseudovirus, which harbors the additional alterations L452R and F486V in the RBD, demonstrates the mechanism of immune evasion by loss of the few remaining conserved epitopes. Meanwhile, further sublineages with L452 alterations (e.g., BA.2.12.1) are being reported to evade humoral immunity elicited by BA.1 breakthrough infection (33).

The third finding is an overall increase of S glycoprotein-specific BMEM cells. Omicron BA.1-convalescent double-vaccinated individuals appear to have a higher frequency of BMEM cells and higher neutralizing antibody titers against previous VOCs as compared to triple-vaccinated individuals. Studies on other VOCs have not shown breakthrough infections in double-vaccinated individuals to be superior to a third vaccine dose in eliciting neutralizing activity (4, 36). This may be explained by poor neutralization of the partial escape Omicron BA.1 variant in the initial phase of infection, which may result in greater or prolonged antigen exposure of the immune system to the altered S glycoprotein.

In aggregate, our results suggest that despite potential imprinting of the immune response by previous vaccination, the preformed B cell memory pool can be refocused and quantitatively remodeled by exposure to heterologous S glycoproteins to allow neutralization of variants that evade a previously established neutralizing antibody response. However, our data also suggest that the immunity in the early stage of Omicron BA.1 infection in vaccinated individuals is based on recognition of conserved epitopes and is narrowly focused on a small number of neutralizing sites that are not altered in Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. Such a narrow immune response bears a high risk that those few epitopes may be lost by acquisition of further alterations in the course of the ongoing evolution of Omicron and may result in immune escape, as being experienced with sublineages BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 (33, 46). Importantly, Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection does not appear to reduce the overall spectrum of (Wuhan) S glycoprotein-specific memory B cells, as memory B cells that do not recognize Omicron BA.1 S remain detectable in blood at similar frequencies. We consistently detected Wuhan-specific (non-Omicron BA.1 reactive) BMEM cells in Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infected individuals at levels similar to those in Omicron-naïve double-/triple-vaccinated individuals. Our data therefore suggest an increase of the total BMEM cell repertoire by selective amplification of BMEM cells that recognize shared epitopes.

Our findings raise a number of questions, e.g., to what extent induced BMEM responses are functional and directed against neutralizing domains. A recent study examined more than 600 neutralizing antibodies isolated from triple-CoronaVac vaccinated individuals who subsequently experienced BA.1 breakthrough infection. Consistent with our findings, the study showed that BA.1 infection in vaccinated individuals primarily retrieves Wuhan S glycoprotein-induced B cell memory and elicits cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies against RBD epitopes that neutralize both the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan as well as the Omicron BA.1 variant (33). Also, it is not yet clear whether the BMEM cells against conserved epitopes that we observed after Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection are newly recruited cross-reactive naïve B cells, or rather expanded from the pre-existent memory B cell pool. A recent study investigating a third vaccine booster suggests that both mechanisms are relevant (47). Further, we cannot exclude that strictly Omicron-BA.1 specific BMEM cells are in fact being efficiently generated but had just not been exported from the germinal center at the time point of our analysis. These questions can be addressed by comprehensive studies of the B cell repertoire at later time points (> 3months) after breakthrough infection, including BCR repertoire analysis by single cell Ig gene sequencing of antigen-specific BMEM cells, extended to the cloning, expression and characterization of monoclonal antibodies with regard to specificity, functional properties, and affinity.

Our findings are based on retrospective analyses of samples derived from different studies. Therefore, the sample sizes were relatively small and cohorts were not fully adjusted with regard to immunization intervals, sampling time points and demographic characteristics such as age and sex of individuals. Another limitation is that the analysis was restricted to BMEM cells; long-lived bone marrow-derived plasma cells (BMPCs), which are known to be BNT162b2 vaccination induced (48), were not investigated as they cannot be cryopreserved.

A key motivation for our study was to inform our vaccine adaptation program. We expect that the currently ongoing vaccine adaptations to the Omicron BA.1 S glycoprotein, similar to the Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection that we studied, may reshape the B cell memory repertoire and provide broad protection against previous VOCs. However, given the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, other sublineages of Omicron that antigenically deviate from BA.1 even more than the immune escape variants BA.4/5, may have emerged by the time of potential authorization of those vaccines later this year. In a pandemic in which a highly transmissible VOC feeds dynamic and rapid evolution of altered variants, an effective strategy may be to leverage the full potential of mRNA vaccine technology, which allows production and release of new vaccines in less than three months. To enable adapted vaccines that truly reflect relevant VOCs at licensure, it would be prudent to build on decades of experience with seasonal influenza vaccines and implement timely, rapid licensure procedures that use the latest epidemiologic data to

select COVID-19 vaccine strains.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study design

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection on the cross-variant neutralization capacity of human sera, and how repeat SARS-CoV-2 antigen exposure modulates BMEM cell specificity in individuals vaccinated with BNT162b2. We compared immune responses in Omicron-naïve individuals double- or triple-vaccinated with BNT162b2, to that of individuals double- or triple-vaccinated with BNT162b2 with a confirmed subsequent breakthrough infection with Omicron during a period of Omicron sublineage BA.1 dominance. Serum neutralizing capability was characterized using live and pseudovirus neutralization assays, and flow cytometry was used to detect and characterize SARS-CoV-2-specific B cells in bulk PBMCs. Cross neutralization of variants was further characterized in a cohort vaccinated with other approved COVID-19 vaccines or mixed regimens, that experienced subsequent Omicron breakthrough infection. All participants had no documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination.

Recruitment of participants and sample collection

Individuals from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-naïve BNT162b2 double-vaccinated (BNT162b22) and triple-vaccinated (BNT162b23) cohorts provided informed consent as part of their participation in a clinical trial (the Phase 1/2 trial BNT162-01 [NCT04380701] (29), the Phase 2 rollover trial BNT162-14 [NCT04949490], or as part of the BNT162-17 [NCT05004181] trial).

Participants from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron convalescent double- and triple-vaccinated cohorts (BNT162b22 + Omi and BNT162b23 + Omi cohorts, respectively) and individuals vaccinated with other approved COVID-19 vaccines or mixed regimens with subsequent Omicron breakthrough infection were recruited from University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt as part of a research program that recruited patients who had experienced Omicron breakthrough infection following vaccination for COVID-19, to provide blood samples and clinical data for research. Omicron infections were confirmed with variant-specific PCR between November 2021 and mid-January 2022, at a time when sublineage BA.1 was dominant (24). The infections of 7 participants in this study were further characterized by genome sequencing, 5 of whom were in the BNT162b2-vaccinated cohorts, and 2 in the cohort with participants vaccinated with other approved COVID-19 vaccines or mixed regimens. In all 7 cases, genome sequencing confirmed Omicron BA.1 infection.

Participants were free of symptoms at the time of blood collection. The study protocol for this research program was approved by the Ethics Board of the University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt (No. 2021-560). Demographic and clinical information for all participants as well as sampling timepoints are provided in Tables S1-S3 and S10, and Fig. 1. Serum was isolated by centrifugation 2000 × g for 10 min and cryopreserved until use. Li-Heparin blood samples were isolated by density gradient centrifugation using Ficoll-Paque PLUS (Cytiva) and were subsequently cryopreserved until use.

Statistical analysis

The statistical method of aggregation used for the analysis of antibody titers is the geometric mean and for the ratio of SARS-CoV-2 VOC titer and Wuhan titer the geometric mean and the corresponding 95% confidence interval. The use of the geometric mean accounts for the non-normal distribution of antibody titers, which span several orders of magnitude. The Friedman test with Dunn’s correction for multiple comparisons was used to conduct pairwise signed-rank tests of group geometric mean neutralizing antibody titers with a common control group. Flow cytometric frequencies were analyzed with and tables were exported from FlowJo software (Version 10.7.1.). Statistical analysis of cumulative memory B cell frequencies was the mean and standard error of the mean (SEM). Statistical significance was tested for using the nonparametric Friedman test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons correction. All statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism software version 9.

Bike Stacks by New York City Department of Transportation

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"Each a specific bicycle; together a collective symbol of joyful empowerment."

Taliah Lempert’s designs of uniquely fashioned bicycles playfully ride alongside cyclists headed down the Greenway. The barriers, that separate cyclists and pedestrians from vehicular traffic, measure approximately 1400 feet in length.

NYCDOT Urban Art Program, Barrier Beautification

Bike Stacks by Taliah Lempert

Presented with New York Cares

Barrier Site, Spring 2011-Spring 2012

Flushing Ave between Williamsburg St W and Washington Ave, Brooklyn

www.nyc.gov/urbanart

www.bicyclepaintings.com/

Students collaborate on a geo-location exercise using an internal compass and GPS on their mobile phones by Anthro136k Who Owns the Past

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The students were given specific coordinates for locations in the Presidio with the assignment to track and match the two together.

Photo by: Erica Pallo

Image name: RET_SFPresidio_071911_EPiPhone4_1749_JPG

Original filename: IMG_1749

Photographs in this collection have been produced by Erica Pallo and Connor Rowe in order to chronicle the course activities of the students of UC Berkeley Summer 2011 Anthropology 136E class, under the direction of professors Ruth Tringham and Michael Ashley, as they digitally document and interpret the cultural heritage of El Presidio de San Francisco (the Presidio of San Francisco) from the 18th to the early 19th Centuries.

The purpose of the course is to focus on the real world challenge of documenting archaeological places through the creation of interpretive walks and non-invasive site installations, specifically at the Presidio of San Francisco. The course focuses on the tangible remains and documents of the past, but also the intangible heritage in the form of memories, knowledge, performance, and skills of the past of the San Francisco Presidio and El Polin Spring (Tennessee Hollow Watershed).

The course involves the design, field trial, and documentation of these different formats of representation of cultural heritage places, with an emphasis on practical digital field recording combined with geo-temporal databases. The aim is to seek alternatives to permanent markers of information about places, and their tangible and intangible heritage, especially in sensitive sites, such as national or regional parks. The course takes advantage of the many specialists in these technologies in the Bay Area, especially the Presidio Archaeology Lab of the Presidio Trust, with whom the class has contact and who have offered to contribute their help to the course.

The San Francisco Presidio (37°47'N, 122°27'W) and surrounding areas (like the Mission Dolores) was a military-occupied fortification controlled by various empires/governments throughout history including Spain (1776-1821), Mexico (1822-1846), and the United States of America (1846-1994 as an Army post, with the ownership of the park to be fully transitioned to the National Park Service by 2013). Archaeological excavations began on the site in 1993 after development expansion projects unearthed parts of the original stone foundation of El Presidio's Spanish fort beneath the Funston Avenue Officers’ Quarters by archaeological consultants working for the the U.S. Army.

Photographs in this collection were shot between July 5-August 12, 2011 during the hours of 9am-4pm Pacific Time under a multitude of atmospheric conditions. Photos were captured on the following cameras: Apple iPhone 4 with an external lens device attached called the OWLE Bubo, Canon DSLR XSi/T2i, S95, Sony Cybershot, Canon Powershot. Lenses used include: Macro 60mm, Telephoto 70-200, Canon 18-55mm, Canon 17-85mm. A tripod was used for Gigapan, telephoto, and HDR shots. Various types of mobile phones were also used for documentation shots and Geo-tagging. The photos were post-processed in Apple iPhoto and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.

Description written by Erica Pallo with excerpts originally prepared by Ruth Tringham.

All photos Copyright ©2011 Center for Digital Archaeology, Berkeley CA, licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 3.0 For more information, contact Center for Digital Archaeology, Berkeley, CA, 94720 or visit: www.codifi.info

For more information about El Presidio de San Francisco, visit: www.presidio.gov, or the Presidio Archaeology Lab of the Presidio Trust at: www.presidio.gov/history/archaeology.

Gomira Mask Dancers of Bengal by pallab seth

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Situated amidst the calming greenery, a village steeped in ancient animism and rituals, is the home of about 250 artisans carrying forward the tradition of ecstatic wooden mask making for generations. The craft of Gomira dance masks is practiced in a specific area in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal state, India, in and around the village of Mahisbathan (Khunia Danga, Kushmandi Block) located approximately 50km south-east of Raiganj, the district headquarter.

The mask dance (or Mukha Khel) is usually organized in between mid-April to mid-July though there are no fixed dates, but each village in the area organizes at least one Gomira dance during this period according to their convenience, at a central location.

The Gomira dances have distinct forms. The Gomira format is the predominant one, which has characters with strong links to the animist tradition. It is performed to propitiate Gram-Chandi, the female deity, usher in the 'good forces' and drive out the 'evil forces'. Traditionally, the Gomira dance starts with the entry of two characters, Buro-Buri, (old couple). After the initial round of dancing, characters are called on to the arena or stage. They dance to the accompaniment of Dhak (percussion drum ethnic to rural Bengal) and Kansar (bell-metal disk used as cymbal). There are no songs or chants. The dancers choose their own movements, which include rotations and hops.

The craft of Gomira mask-making, in its pristine form, catered to the needs of the dancers (and any villager wishing to give a mask as an offering to the village deity). The masks make part of the costume of the traditional Gomira dance. Themes of the masks are usually spiritual, historic and religious.

Originally, the Gomira masks are crafted from neem wood, as per Hindu mythology. Later locally available cheaper wood such as gamhar, pakur, kadam, mango, and teak came to be used. The village craftsmen are very conscious of the environment and always plant one tree for trees cut down, usually of the same species.

The mask making begins with cutting the log and then immersed in water for seasoning. Once the basic shape has emerged, they use the broad chisel and heaviest hammer to bring out the final shape. The reverse side of the mask is scooped out very carefully. For finer finishing, narrower chisels, sand papers of various grades are being used and a coat or two of varnish, which provides smoothness to the mask and ensures durability. Formerly, the masks were hand-painted with natural dyes. Slowly the use of chemical dyes and even enamel paints have gained acceptance mainly because of ready availability and permanence.

The Gomira craftsmen are from Rajbongshi community and do not belong to any particular caste. The women folk have never been a part of mask-making. For most of the artisans, mask making is a supplementary source of income.

In association with UNESCO, Government of West Bengal's Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises & Textiles has developed a Rural Craft Hub at Mahisbathan to resurrect this art form, by giving the craftsmen a place to work. The Mahisbathan Gramin Hasta Shilpa Samabay Samiti Limited (a cooperative of craftsmen and artisans who live in the nearby villages) runs the centre; ensures payments for work done and promotes the sale of masks and other wooden artefacts. The Samiti delivers more than 100 masks per month, where the selling price varies from Rs. 700 (USD $10) to Rs. 3500 (USD $50), depending on the complexity.

The Samity also runs a Folk Art Centre which is also equipped with accommodation facility for guests. One can participate in workshops, learn about the history of the community and craft, nuances of the mask making and the fascinating associated stories.

More, Gomira Dance Mask by Tulip Sinha - The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design

Beautiful Bengal, India

HUGO ARCIER "DUPLICATE HOUSE. SERIAL OBJECTS." by Hugo ARCIER

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I am fascinated by 3D computer graphics. In each of my series, I try to explore the essence and specificities of this technique of image creation.

In this specific series, my research focuses on duplication. It is a function that can be more generally associated to the digital world.

An object, once created (modeled) in 3D, can be infinitely duplicated. The concept of the original is no longer relevant. More precisely, I would say that the original no longer exists, as each instance is absolutely identical.

The object loses its ability to fascinate. It is taken out of context and becomes a mere shell. It is now only an atom, only the whole matters. The objects are made of a uniform material that appears to blend into the underlying expanse. By a strange mitosis phenomenon, the objects proliferate infinitely, at the expense of all that is natural and human. This proliferation levels and sterilizes everything in its way.

Each image is built from the same 3D scene, except that one object simply replaces another. The same framing, the same lighting, the same number of objects, the same arrangement, the same material that is purposely not that of the real object.

Each object is chosen for reasons that are foremost esthetic. The objects must visually lend themselves to duplication – in terms of shape and proportion.

The choice of the orientation of the objects is also crucial to the final result. Several criteria are relevant and are linked to the object itself (lighting, visible part of the object, etc) and to the entirety of the image (use of space, production of lines, etc.).

Beyond thinking about the media itself, the series implicitly conjures up industrialization, the mass production of objects. Warhol first confronted and then wedded artwork (until then unique) to mass production. It is not the subject that interests me in this series. To me, duplication always relates to a political and cultural realm, to the standardization of our society and of how it thinks.

hugoarcier.com/en/duplicate-serial-objects/

----------------------------------------------

Dans chacune de mes séries je réfléchis sur les images de synthèse (3d), cette technique de création d'images qui me fascine. Je cherche ce qui la constitue.

Dans cette série précisément, ma recherche se focalise sur la fonction de duplication. Caractéristique que l'on peut d'ailleurs associer plus largement au monde du numérique dans son ensemble.

Un objet, une fois créé (modélisé) en 3d, peut être dupliqué à l'infini. La notion d'original disparaît complètement, je dirais plus exactement qu'elle n'existe pas, chaque exemplaire étant rigoureusement identique.

L'objet en lui-même perd alors son pouvoir de fascination. Il est sorti de son contexte, dématérialisé. Il n'est plus qu'un atome, seul importe l'ensemble. La matière uniforme des objets semble déteindre sur le support lui-même. Par un étrange phénomène de mitose, ils prolifèrent à l'infini au détriment de la nature et de l'humain. Prolifération qui nivelle et stérilise tout sur son passage.

Chaque image est construite à partir de la même scène 3d, un objet étant simplement remplacé par un autre. Même cadrage, même lumière, même nombre d'objets, mêmes emplacements, même matière qui volontairement n'est pas celle de l'objet véritable.

Chaque objet est choisi pour des raisons avant tout plastiques. Il faut que ces objets se prêtent visuellement à la duplication - en termes de formes et de proportions.

Le choix de l'orientation des objets est aussi déterminant dans le résultat final. Plusieurs critères interviennent, liés à l'objet en lui-même (prise de lumière, forme visible, etc.) et à la globalité de l'image (composition de l'espace, génération de lignes, etc.).

Au-delà de la réflexion sur le média lui-même, la série évoque implicitement l'industrialisation, la fabrication d'objets en série. Warhol avait confronté puis marié l'œuvre d'art (jusqu'alors unique) à la fabrication en série. Ce n'est pas vraiment le sujet qui m'intéresse dans cette série, et au-delà de ce postulat, la fonction de duplication renvoie pour moi immanquablement à une dimension politique et culturelle, à l'uniformisation de notre société et de sa pensée.

hugoarcier.com/en/duplicate-serial-objects/

NODE10 3818 John Powers by Marius Watz

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John Powers: God's Comic., 2010, poystyrene blocks. Site-specific sculpture.

PREPARATORY STUDY FOR VATICAN CORRIDOR, A Non-Specific Autobiography by rdlv1

Page 7

NOTE: The paragraph in brackets are those of the artist:

THE FIRST ARCH 1949–1951 Ages 17–18–19

Of all of the arches of VATICAN CORRIDOR, A Non-Specific

Autobiography, the events that occurred within this particular

arch are perhaps the most important in that they set indelibly

the direction of the life of the artist emotionally, intellectually,

and creatively. Prior to his seventeenth birthday, there were

many indications of who he was and of what he would

ultimately become. Like the majority of his peers, as a child

and as an adolescent he experienced the familiar problems,

joys, anger, frustration, sexual experimentation, familial

estrangement, and sibling rivalry commensurate with his age.

But he possessed an unbridled and unquenchable curiosity

about nearly everything he encountered and read. He made

toys and sculpted innumerable animals in clay. In high school,

he was an avid and accomplished student admired and praised

by his teachers and was socially adept with and honored by

his peers.

He proved a tenacious and talented art student in high

school. At age seventeen, he received from his art teacher,

Hazel Bartley, his first commission. The resultant INFANT

OF PRAGUE may be considered his first actual sculpture.

Using the coal-fired furnace to melt the copper required,

he cast the sculpture in the basement of his family home in

Toledo, Ohio, burning out the furnace in the process.

After graduation from high school, he left home to attend

Alfred University. In the Preparatory Study, he notes

"the necessity/decision/desire to “become;” 17. Leaving

home. The ‘who’ is very strong–young, vital, sexual,

beautiful, naive, fearless, boundless energy, a late emergence

from puberty. David? Theseus?"

With the exception of the INFANT OF PRAGUE, all

other actual work executed by him during that three year

period was the result of specific student assignments, only

rare examples of which have been photographed or are

otherwise recorded. They were purely experimental both of

ideas and materials and reflective of the “styles” and

metaphors of the time. Yet some of those experiments gave

hint of the artist he would become. In later life he spoke

of the period of the First Arch as an awaking from the

emotional and intellectual restraints imposed upon him by

his parents who only wished for him a “normal” life in

which he would use his education at Alfred University to

prepare him to enter a recognized trade, return to the family

fold, marry, reproduce and derive pleasure from playing the

piano and tennis. But his eyes were opening, his imagination

expanding, and the challenges ever more formidable and

freeing. He said: “Compared to the Jewish girls from New

York City, I was merely ignorant, unread, and inexperienced.”

The years at Alfred University proved invaluable

for it was there he recognized the impossibility of pursuing

a course antithetical to his emerging what. Numerous of his

student notebooks and essays have been preserved and these, more than anything else, indicate the formulation of the

ideas and concepts that have been subsequently analyzed and

developed and expanded by him during the decades thereafter. Some of the ideas in gestation during the years

seventeen through twenty, and even until the present, are

addressed by the then forty-two year old artist in the

contemplation of the creation of the First Arch:

[How does “whatness” occur? Does it begin to develop

simultaneously with the developing “who”? Is it created

because of or in spite of an initial flaw within the identity

of the “who”? I would like to believe that the inner-self, the

“what,” is born out of the “who’s” non-acceptance of the

doctrine of linear time–a non-acceptance of death—a desire

to create out of oneself a sphere whose inner walls reflect

the inner desire of all men regardless of time or space. This

would mean an acceptance of all man’s behavior. Nothing

would exist as external to the sphere—neither “good” nor

“evil”—one man=all men. Acceptance eliminates the

doctrine of linear time, and with it the theory of

oppositeness. Within the sphere, “good” or “bad” have no

meaning—neither do life or death; rather, there exists

synonymity, a relating and reflecting of oneself in terms and

degree of the evolving “what.” The possibility for the

creation of “whatness” exists in all men, but it seems such a

fragile and destructible thing. I believe that Everyman at one

point or another within the linear life-span of the “who” is

confronted by the initial choice for the creation of his

“whatness”—and because it is a choice, there are men who

choose not to create, but rather to remain within the

doctrine of linear time—within the theory of

oppositeness…to become historical artifacts stored within

the ever-changing metaphors of the absolute “who.” They

kill and are killed—an endless repetition of the murder of

their own “whatness.” These presences, too, must be

included in Vatican Corridor—but they will exist within the

spaces between the arches.

[If an initial moment of choice must be selected for the

creation of a second or non-linear self, perhaps that moment

would be when “who” one is detaches itself from what one

was in terms of the linear matrix? “Son of…” “Daughter

of…” etc. Because of this detachment and vulnerability of

the “who,” a choice is presented—a reinforcement of the

linear “who” through a posture of “I am me because I am

not you,” or a transposition of linear into spherical

“whatness:” One man=all men…“I am me because I am

you.” The inner wall of the First Arch must somehow carry

the significance of the initial choice—or rather, what it is

that confronts the “who” at the moment of initial

choice——: A blank? An undisturbed volume? A vision existing within a block? A kind of geometric “perfection”? A void? A vacant arch? Shadows of possibilities? A block barely opened or in the act of opening? A concave reflection of the outer-wall? A gestured void corresponding to the convex and volumetric “who”? Certain volumes to exist within the concavity as an indication of some sort of predetermined limitation upon

the “what” in reference to the influences imposed upon the

“who” in terms of the “who’s” linear “whatness”? A kind of

imposed pre-choice identity? In terms of non-specific

autobiography, could or would this imposition be sexual?

Should this indication of pre-choice identity take the form

of a brutalization through the arches until it, too, is

assimilated and accepted in terms of the evolving “what”?

[In this, the First Arch, there are no transpositions from

the outer to the inner walls. It is a statement more of “this is

the way it is” with only two elements specifically to be noted:

the arm of the figure in the outer wall is held back firmly by

the hand of restraint; the hand of the parents, society, the

church, anyone and everything that would disallow a

departure, an escape, from familiar and restrictive traditions,

perhaps. The other is the uncarved top of the head, clearly

indicating that the soon to begin emerging what already is in

possession of the one element that would make full transposition possible: whatness, the universality of Desire.]

At the conclusion of the preparatory study for the inner

wall of the First Arch, Robert Cremean wrote:

[Perhaps gestured outline of concave volumes should relate

to outer wall in terms of a more mature image—a reflection

of the outer wall’s vision rather than a mirrored duplication

of the actual “who” at the specific time of initial choice? The

gestured outline of the concave volumes would thus remain

static as a mature presence or receptacle throughout the series of arches. Would this mean then that the “what” exists as an established form—timeless and unchangeable—a constant

alternative to the mortality of the linear directed “who”?

Would this then also mean that choice is a constant possibility

for Everyman at any stage throughout the evolution of the

“who”? Then the choice for “whatness” is omnipresent? That

“whatness” by its very nature is omnipresent regardless of the

particularized “who”?

[The question of this “omnipresent” “whatness” persists

throughout the entire VATICAN CORRIDOR. For, if the

concept of “whatness” is present but not recognized and

embraced, which of the other transpositions are possible?

And if it is recognized but only partially understood and

accepted, is it possible to progress the full length of the

corridor or are we, as individuals sharing this “non-specific

autobiography,” ultimately locked into a particular “arch”

within this “corridor” of the self?]

The following is written in the Fourth Arch:

Within the evolution of the Inner Wall—the “what”—there

could exist an equation with the First Arch Outer Wall and

the Inner Wall of the Fourth Arch: An awareness of

“beyondness,” an expansion through exposure. The “what”

is very strong—young, vital, sensual, beautiful, naive,

fearless—boundless energy…

Vera Eva Ham by Mario Bastos

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Performance site specific "Magdalena Solve et Coagula"

Sociedade Musical Capricho Setubalense 16 Jul 2016

Canon 5D (Mk1) + 50mm f:1.4

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

View at Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Specific Objects without Specific Form" retrospective at Wiels, february 2010.

WIELS premieres a major traveling retrospective of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ oeuvre, including both rarely seen and more known artworks, while proposing an experimental form for the exhibition that is indebted to the artist’s own radical conception of the artwork.

Gonzalez-Torres (American, b. Cuba 1957-1996), one of the most influential artists of his generation, settled in New York in the early 1980s, where he studied art and began his practice as an artist before his untimely death of AIDS related complications. His work can be seen in critical relationship to Conceptual art and Minimalism, mixing political activism, emotional affect, and deep formal concerns in a wide range of media, including drawings, sculpture, and public billboards*, often using ordinary objects as a starting point—clocks, mirrors, light fixtures. Amongst his most famous artworks are his piles of candy and paper stacks from which viewers are allowed to take away a piece. They are premised, like so much of what he did, on instability and potential for change: artworks without an already preset or specific form. The result is a profoundly human body of work, intimate and vulnerable even as it destabilizes so many seemingly unshakable certainties (the artwork as fixed, the exhibition as a place to look but not touch, the author as the ultimate form-giver).

To present the oeuvre of an artist who put fragility, the passage of time, and the questioning of authority at the center of his artworks, the exhibition will be entirely re-installed at each of its venues halfway through its duration by a different invited artist whose practice has been informed by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work. A first version of Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Specific Objects without Specific Form by curator Elena Filipovic will open to the public and on March 5, 2010, the artist Danh Vo will re-install the exhibition, effectively making an entirely new show.

Text source :

www.wiels.org/site2/event.php?event_id=160

No. 47: Sticky Wicket by Matthew Wells

Welcome fellow Paddington Bear spotter! My photostream features all 50 Paddingtons. If you would like to shortcut to a specific one, please use the links below

No. 1: Love, Paddington X (Lulu Guinness) |

Brands Hatch Legends Of Brands Hatch Superprix DAY 3 11/07/21 by Ross Denyer

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The Final Day of Racing At Brands Hatch for The Superprix Weekend and After a Really Busy and Scattered Set Of Races The Previous day it was time to see which of the Drivers could Brave the Circuit One Last Time and Take Home Either a Championship Win or a Victory in their Specific Race.

Lets Get Straight to the Results.

Classic Formula Ford/Historic Formula 3 (Race 2 Result)

Classic Formula Ford and Historic Formula 3 Were up First and it was Time to see who could be The one to take the Checkered Flag First when they crossed the Line.

In First Place was (Cameron Jackson) in his Winkelmann WDF2 with a Lap Time of 1:39.257 and a Top Speed of 86.59mph. A Fantastic Victory Cameron Showing Incredible Car Control and Commitment to Win the Race.

In Second Place was (Ben Tinkler) in his Van Diemen RF80 with a Lap Time of 1:39.986 and a Top Speed of 85.77mph. A Really Great Drive from Ben to stay so close to Cameron and Keep Him on his toes the entire Time while Fighting for the Lead of the Race.

In Third Place was (Jordan Harrison) in his Lola T540E with a Lap Time of 1:39.994 and a Top Speed of 85.54mph. A Really Wonderfully Deserved Third Place for Jordan Pushing that Lola for everything it Has got to gain Third Place. Well Done.

Three Fantastically Fast Drivers all with Incredible Speed and Talent Showcasing The Best of what they Bring to Brands Hatch Every Year. An Amazing Last Race to Witness. Congratulations to The Race Winner and Keep Trying Hard Everyone Else.

HGPCA Pre 66 Grand Prix Cars (Race 20)

Next It was The Historic Grand Prix Cars and with a Massive Turn out for them it looks like Another Cracking Race to see from Start till Finish. Lets see who came out on Top.

In First Place was (Sam Wilson) in his Lotus 18 with a Lap Time of 1:39.384 and a Top Speed of 86.55mph. Amazing Work Sam Showing Colin Chapman How it Should be Done. He would have been Proud to Witness that Victory.

In Second Place was (Peter Horsman) in his Lotus 18/21 with a Lap Time of 1:41.296 and A Top Speed of 84.90mph. A Fantastic Drive by Peter to take Second Place in the Race.

In Third Place was (Miles Griffiths) in his Scarab Offenhauser with A Lap Time of 1:41.501 and A Top Speed of 84.38mph A Really Good Job there Miles Almost Matching Lap Times with Peter and Showing Some Incredible Car Control during The Race.

Another Fantastic Race for The Historic Grand Prix Cars and a Huge Congratulations to Sam for Taking Victory in the Last Race. Avery Well Done to Both Peter and Miles as well.

HSCC 70's Road Sports (Race 19)

Historic Road Sports took to the Track next and with some Legendary Cars from the Likes of Lotus Morgan and TVR it was Time to see who Had Stormed to Victory in the Last Race and Taken the Victory.

In First Place was (William Plant) in his Morgan Plus 8 with A Lap Time of 1:45.768 and A Top Speed of 70.67mph. Congratulations William on the Victory it was so Good to See a Morgan Take First Place while Watching this Exciting Race. An Amazing Drive.

In Second Place was (Jim Dean) in his Lotus Europa with A Lap Time of 1:46.411 and A Top Speed of 70.66mph. Another Incredible Drive from Jim to Take Second Place. Well Done

In Third Place was (Richard Plant) in his Morgan Plus 8 with A Lap Time of 1:47.697 and a Top Speed of 70.31mph. A Very Committed Drive from Richard and a Fantastic Third Place Finish that I'm sure the Whole Family will be Proud of.

Fantastic Racing from the 70's Road Sports to Finish the Days Racing for them Congratulations to William, Jim and Richard. Hope to see you Three Battling it out Again Soon.

Aurora Trophy With Geoff Lees Trophy

The Arora Trophy Roared onto the Grand Prix Circuit Next with Powerful V8 Engines thease Racing Cars could make the Ground Shake as they Thunder their way around the Race Track. Lets see who Managed to take that All Important Victory for their Final Race.

In First Place was (Martin Stretton) in his March 712 with a Lap Time of 1:25.976 and A Top Speed of 101mph. A Very Brave and Committed drive from Martin to Take Victory, Really Pushing the March to its Limits and hanging onto the Lead thought the Race.

In Second Place was (Mathew Wrigley) in his March 782 with a Lap Time of 1:25.127 and A Top Speed of 100.96mph. Another Incredible Driver Taking his Machinery to New heights and Keeping the March Name Alive in Historic Racing. Amazing Work Mathew.

In Third Place was (Samuel Harrison) in his Dallara 389 with A Lap Time of 1:29.552 and A Top Speed of 95.04mph. Amazing work Sam showing Insane Car Control even when Racing so Fast and for such A Long Time. Congratulations.

Another Amazing Race to Keep the Day going and showing the Amazing work that Each Team Does to ensure that their Driver and His Car are Ready to go. Well Done to all of the Teams and to the First Second and Third Place Winners as well. Looking Forward To seeing more Action this Year from the Aurora Trophy.

Guards Trophy (Race 21)

Next Up Guards Trophy with Another Range of Racing Machines from the Likes of Brabham Chevron and Lotus Lets see what will Happen and Who will be able to Drive their way to Victory in This Race.

In First Place was (Andy Newall) in his Chevron B6 with A Lap Time of 1:38.258 and A Top Speed of 83.84mph. Very Well Driven and Raced by Andy Showcasing the Power of the Chevron and taking it too its Limits in terms of Raw Speed and Performance.

In Second Place was the Duo of (Jackson S and Jackson C) in their Lenham P70 with A Lap Time of 1:38.008 and A Top Speed of 83.45mph. Fantastic Work to The Two Jacks who Really showed what Working Together Can Achieve during A Race. Well Done

In Third Place was the Duo of (Mitchell W and Mitchell B) in their Chevron B8 with A Lap Time of 1:38.368 and A Top Speed of 82.49mph. Another Amazing Duo who Have Taken Third Place and Kept the Fight Alive in their Respective Championship. Amazing work.

A Fantastic Race for the Guards Trophy Showing the Power of Each Race Car and what they Are Capable of When put into The Hands of the Right Drivers. Congratulations to Andy Mitchell W and Mitchell B as well as Jackson S and Jackson C for putting on One Hell of a Race. Keep up the Good Work Everyone Else and Never Stop Fighting for your Own Victories.

Historic Formula Ford (Race 16)

Next Up was Historic Formula Ford and some very Twitchy and Tricky Cars to be Driven Round the Circuit at Hight Speed. With Light Weight Chassis and Small Cockpits this was going to be a Very Exciting Race to Watch. Lets see who Came out Best of the Rest.

In First Place was (Cameron Jackson) in his Winkelmann WDF2 with A Lap Time of 1:38.596 and A Top Speed of 87.95mph. Another Incredible Drive From Cameron to Take Victory and show what A Truly Committed and Self Determined Driver is. He is an Inspiration to All Up Coming Formula Ford Racers.

In Second Place was (Tom Macarthur) in his Titan MK3 with A Lap Time of 1:38.484 and A Top Speed of 87.94mph. Another Really Brave and Heroic Driver Pushing His Formula Ford to its Limits and Keeping his Eye's on the Race Track. Amazing Work Tom.

In Third Place was (Horatio Fitzsimon) in his Merlin MK20A with A Lap Time of 1:38.513 And A Top Speed of 87.90mph. Very Well Done Horatio Fantastic Driving and A Well Deserved Third Place.

An Amazing Final Heat Race for the Formula Fords with Everyone Pushing As Hard as they Could for Victory. Keep Working Hard Everyone and Congratulations to Cameron Tom and Horatio.

Historic Road Sports (Race 17)

Historic Road Sports Next and it was Time to see what Each Driver could do in their Respective Race Car. Lets see how things Stacked up and who Came out on Top in the Race.

In First Place was (Kevin Kivlochan) in his AC Cobra with a Lap Time of 1:46.891 and A Top Speed of 72.19mph. What A Drive From Kevin to Take Victory Keeping that Cobra Far Ahead of the Rest of the Pack and Taking A Dominant Victory. Carol Shelby would have Loved to See That.

In Second Place was (John Davidson) in his Lotus Elan S1 with A Lap Time of 1:46.052 And A Top Speed of 72.16mph. Amazing Work John Keeping that Lotus on the Tarmac and Putting on One Hell of a Race for Everyone. Amazing Job.

In Third Place was (Rupert Ashdown) in his Lotus Elan S1 with A Lap Time of 1:47.481and A Top Speed of 71.61mph. Another Incredible Drive by Rupert Taking Third Place Very Well Deserved.

Historic Road Sports putting on Another Superb Race for the Season and Congratulations to Kevin John and Rupert on their Victories. Hope to see More of that This Year and Good Luck to Everyone Else Racing too.

Historic Touring Cars (Race 22)

The Final Race of The Day was Here and The Historic Touring Car Club did not Disappoint with Lotus Cortina's Mini Cooper S's and Ford Mustangs This was going to be a Final Battle of Titans. Lets See Who Managed to Take that Last Checkered Flag of the Day.

In First Place was (Steve Soper) in his Ford Mustang with A Lap Time of 1.47.084 and A Top Speed of 71.51mph. Awesome Drive Steve Fantastic to see that He Still has it in him After all The Years of Racing.

In Second Place was (Rob Fen) in his Ford Mustang with A Lap Time of 1:49.031 and A Top Speed of 70.93mph. Amazing Work Rob Pushing that Mustang Far and Wide to Hang onto that Second Place. Excellent Drive.

In Third Place was (Mark Martin in his Ford Lotus Cortina with A Lap Time of 1:49.905 and A Top Speed of 70.70mph. Very Well Done Mark Great Driving and Even a Wheel in the Air on Some Occasions Heading onto the Grand Prix Loop. What A Sight that Was to See.

And With that The Days Events came to an End for another year of Superprix Racing at Brands Hatch Amazing work to all of the Organisers and Race Drivers who took Part and Congratulations once again to all of the Race Winners. Keep Fighting Keep Wining and I'm Sure we will do it All Again Next Year.

Specific_Media_28P by K2 Space

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A meeting room at the Soho office of media agency Specific Media

Ruins of Vrabinec Castle by Thomas T.

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Remains of a specific medieval fortress, which was built into four basalt towers, which are the remains of an ancient volcano. It was a guard castle with a large tower, which stood high above the landscape with a great outlook at the delta of Elbe river, an important trade route at that time. The original wooden castle stood at least in the 11th Century, and was modified to a stone castle sometimes in the 12th Century. It was expanded in the late 14th Century, attacked in 1444 and damaged, improvized repairs have been done but in the next year another enemies burned the castle down and killed all the men defending it (they were buried under the castle in a mass grave, which is still there). The castle is mentioned as abandoned in 1515, but the buildings under the core were used until WW2. Most of the stone walls sacked down the hill, creating still visible debris fields, today the basalt towers are pretty well accessible, and it is possible to climb to the highest point and have a beautiful look around the landscape.

Solange: An Ode To by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

On May 18, Solange performed "An Ode To," an interdisciplinary performance piece and meditation, that examined themes from "A Seat at the Table." Through movement, installation, and experimentation with reconstructed musical arrangements, Solange transformed the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright rotunda with her mesmerizing site-specific performance and melodic vocals. This performance was part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival.

Photos: Carys Huws, Stacy Kranitz, and Krisanne Johnson

screen installation 2005 on Vimeo by jorge young

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screen, lighting instalation, site specific for the gallery

elastic wire, 3 bulbs par 38 RGB, 3 dimmer

codar gallery, reñaca, viña del mar, chile, 2005

the screen project is a lighting instalation for a site specific (gallery), an elastic wire operating like a screen for the projection of three chromatic fields (RGB) and generating an actual network of colored shadows over the walls of the gallery. the calibration of this three chromatic fields, in aditive mixture, are operated by spectator, becoming an active spectrator who can decide the aspect of the work and take moreover a color bath into the montage.

screen is a reflexion over the thinking of art becoming both projection and obstruction of mind.

screen, instalación luminosa para el espacio de la galería

cable elástico, 3 focos par 38 RGB, 3 potenciómetros

montado en galería codar, reñaca, viña del mar, chile, 2005

el proyecto screen es una instalación luminosa para el lugar específico de la galería, una trama de cables elásticos que operan como una pantalla para la proyección de tres campos cromáticos (RGB) que genera una trama de sombras coloreadas sobre el muro de la sala. la calibración de estos tres campos cromáticos es operada por el espectador, quien decide el aspecto de la obra manipulando los dimmer transformandose en un espectrador activo que puede introducirse en el montaje tomándo un baño de color.

screen es una reflexión sobre el pensamiento en arte, como proyección y también obstrucción de la mente.

This is a frame from a video. You can watch it on Vimeo.

Horse (Equus Ferus Caballus) by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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The horse (Equus caballus) is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, which are horses that never have been domesticated. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Horses are adapted to run, allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess an excellent sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.

Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities such as police work, agriculture, entertainment, and therapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using many different styles of equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water, and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as veterinarians and farriers.

Lifespan and life stages

Depending on breed, management and environment, the modern domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Uncommonly, a few animals live into their 40s and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy", a 19th-century horse that lived to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living pony, died in 2007 at age 56.

Regardless of a horse or pony's actual birth date, for most competition purposes a year is added to its age each January 1 of each year in the Northern Hemisphere and each August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. The exception is in endurance riding, where the minimum age to compete is based on the animal's actual calendar age.

The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages:

Foal

A horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling, and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at five to seven months of age, although foals can be weaned at four months with no adverse physical effects.

Yearling

A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.

Colt

A male horse under the age of four. A common terminology error is to call any young horse a "colt", when the term actually only refers to young male horses.

Filly

A female horse under the age of four.

Mare

A female horse four years old and older.

Stallion

A non-castrated male horse four years old and older.The term "horse" is sometimes used colloquially to refer specifically to a stallion.

Gelding

A castrated male horse of any age.

In horse racing, these definitions may differ: For example, in the British Isles, Thoroughbred horse racing defines colts and fillies as less than five years old. However, Australian Thoroughbred racing defines colts and fillies as less than four years old.

Size and measurement

The height of horses is measured at the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. This point is used because it is a stable point of the anatomy, unlike the head or neck, which move up and down in relation to the body of the horse.

Size varies greatly among horse breeds, as with this full-sized horse and small pony.

In English-speaking countries, the height of horses is often stated in units of hands and inches: one hand is equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). The height is expressed as the number of full hands, followed by a point, then the number of additional inches, and ending with the abbreviation "h" or "hh" (for "hands high"). Thus, a horse described as "15.2 h" is 15 hands plus 2 inches, for a total of 62 inches (157.5 cm) in height.

The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition. Light-riding horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,210 lb). Larger-riding horses usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,320 lb). Heavy or draft horses are usually at least 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high and can be as tall as 18 hands (72 inches, 183 cm) high. They can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,540 to 2,200 lb).

The largest horse in recorded history was probably a Shire horse named Mammoth, who was born in 1848. He stood 21.2 1⁄4 hands (86.25 inches, 219 cm) high and his peak weight was estimated at 1,524 kilograms (3,360 lb). The record holder for the smallest horse ever is Thumbelina, a fully mature miniature horse affected by dwarfism. She was 43 centimetres; 4.1 hands (17 in) tall and weighed 26 kg (57 lb).

Ponies

Main article: Pony

Ponies are taxonomically the same animals as horses. The distinction between a horse and pony is commonly drawn on the basis of height, especially for competition purposes. However, height alone is not dispositive; the difference between horses and ponies may also include aspects of phenotype, including conformation and temperament.

The traditional standard for height of a horse or a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). An animal 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) or over is usually considered to be a horse and one less than 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) a pony, but there are many exceptions to the traditional standard. In Australia, ponies are considered to be those under 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm). For competition in the Western division of the United States Equestrian Federation, the cutoff is 14.1 hands (57 inches, 145 cm). The International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the world governing body for horse sport, uses metric measurements and defines a pony as being any horse measuring less than 148 centimetres (58.27 in) at the withers without shoes, which is just over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), and 149 centimetres (58.66 in; 14.2+1⁄2 hands), with shoes.

Height is not the sole criterion for distinguishing horses from ponies. Breed registries for horses that typically produce individuals both under and over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) consider all animals of that breed to be horses regardless of their height. Conversely, some pony breeds may have features in common with horses, and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), but are still considered to be ponies.

Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails, and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They may have calmer temperaments than horses and also a high level of intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers. Small size, by itself, is not an exclusive determinant. For example, the Shetland pony which averages 10 hands (40 inches, 102 cm), is considered a pony. Conversely, breeds such as the Falabella and other miniature horses, which can be no taller than 76 centimetres; 7.2 hands (30 in), are classified by their registries as very small horses, not ponies.

Genetics

Horses have 64 chromosomes. The horse genome was sequenced in 2007. It contains 2.7 billion DNA base pairs, which is larger than the dog genome, but smaller than the human genome or the bovine genome.

Colors and markings

Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, described by a specialized vocabulary. Often, a horse is classified first by its coat color, before breed or sex. Horses of the same color may be distinguished from one another by white markings, which, along with various spotting patterns, are inherited separately from coat color.

Many genes that create horse coat colors and patterns have been identified. Current genetic tests can identify at least 13 different alleles influencing coat color, and research continues to discover new genes linked to specific traits. The basic coat colors of chestnut and black are determined by the gene controlled by the Melanocortin 1 receptor, also known as the "extension gene" or "red factor", as its recessive form is "red" (chestnut) and its dominant form is black. Additional genes control suppression of black color to point coloration that results in a bay, spotting patterns such as pinto or leopard, dilution genes such as palomino or dun, as well as greying, and all the other factors that create the many possible coat colors found in horses.

Horses that have a white coat color are often mislabeled; a horse that looks "white" is usually a middle-aged or older gray. Grays are born a darker shade, get lighter as they age, but usually keep black skin underneath their white hair coat (with the exception of pink skin under white markings). The only horses properly called white are born with a predominantly white hair coat and pink skin, a fairly rare occurrence. Different and unrelated genetic factors can produce white coat colors in horses, including several different alleles of dominant white and the sabino-1 gene. However, there are no "albino" horses, defined as having both pink skin and red eyes.

Reproduction and development

Gestation lasts approximately 340 days, with an average range 320–370 days, and usually results in one foal; twins are rare. Horses are a precocial species, and foals are capable of standing and running within a short time following birth. Foals are usually born in the spring. The estrous cycle of a mare occurs roughly every 19–22 days and occurs from early spring into autumn. Most mares enter an anestrus period during the winter and thus do not cycle in this period. Foals are generally weaned from their mothers between four and six months of age.

Horses, particularly colts, are sometimes physically capable of reproduction at about 18 months, but domesticated horses are rarely allowed to breed before the age of three, especially females. Horses four years old are considered mature, although the skeleton normally continues to develop until the age of six; maturation also depends on the horse's size, breed, sex, and quality of care. Larger horses have larger bones; therefore, not only do the bones take longer to form bone tissue, but the epiphyseal plates are larger and take longer to convert from cartilage to bone. These plates convert after the other parts of the bones, and are crucial to development.

Depending on maturity, breed, and work expected, horses are usually put under saddle and trained to be ridden between the ages of two and four. Although Thoroughbred race horses are put on the track as young as the age of two in some countries, horses specifically bred for sports such as dressage are generally not put under saddle until they are three or four years old, because their bones and muscles are not solidly developed. For endurance riding competition, horses are not deemed mature enough to compete until they are a full 60 calendar months (five years) old.

Anatomy

The horse skeleton averages 205 bones. A significant difference between the horse skeleton and that of a human is the lack of a collarbone—the horse's forelimbs are attached to the spinal column by a powerful set of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that attach the shoulder blade to the torso. The horse's four legs and hooves are also unique structures. Their leg bones are proportioned differently from those of a human. For example, the body part that is called a horse's "knee" is actually made up of the carpal bones that correspond to the human wrist. Similarly, the hock contains bones equivalent to those in the human ankle and heel. The lower leg bones of a horse correspond to the bones of the human hand or foot, and the fetlock (incorrectly called the "ankle") is actually the proximal sesamoid bones between the cannon bones (a single equivalent to the human metacarpal or metatarsal bones) and the proximal phalanges, located where one finds the "knuckles" of a human. A horse also has no muscles in its legs below the knees and hocks, only skin, hair, bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the assorted specialized tissues that make up the hoof.

Hooves

Main articles: Horse hoof, Horseshoe, and Farrier

The critical importance of the feet and legs is summed up by the traditional adage, "no foot, no horse". The horse hoof begins with the distal phalanges, the equivalent of the human fingertip or tip of the toe, surrounded by cartilage and other specialized, blood-rich soft tissues such as the laminae. The exterior hoof wall and horn of the sole is made of keratin, the same material as a human fingernail. The result is that a horse, weighing on average 500 kilograms (1,100 lb), travels on the same bones as would a human on tiptoe. For the protection of the hoof under certain conditions, some horses have horseshoes placed on their feet by a professional farrier. The hoof continually grows, and in most domesticated horses needs to be trimmed (and horseshoes reset, if used) every five to eight weeks, though the hooves of horses in the wild wear down and regrow at a rate suitable for their terrain.

Teeth

Main article: Horse teeth

Horses are adapted to grazing. In an adult horse, there are 12 incisors at the front of the mouth, adapted to biting off the grass or other vegetation. There are 24 teeth adapted for chewing, the premolars and molars, at the back of the mouth. Stallions and geldings have four additional teeth just behind the incisors, a type of canine teeth called "tushes". Some horses, both male and female, will also develop one to four very small vestigial teeth in front of the molars, known as "wolf" teeth, which are generally removed because they can interfere with the bit. There is an empty interdental space between the incisors and the molars where the bit rests directly on the gums, or "bars" of the horse's mouth when the horse is bridled.

An estimate of a horse's age can be made from looking at its teeth. The teeth continue to erupt throughout life and are worn down by grazing. Therefore, the incisors show changes as the horse ages; they develop a distinct wear pattern, changes in tooth shape, and changes in the angle at which the chewing surfaces meet. This allows a very rough estimate of a horse's age, although diet and veterinary care can also affect the rate of tooth wear.

Digestion

Main articles: Equine digestive system and Equine nutrition

Horses are herbivores with a digestive system adapted to a forage diet of grasses and other plant material, consumed steadily throughout the day. Therefore, compared to humans, they have a relatively small stomach but very long intestines to facilitate a steady flow of nutrients. A 450-kilogram (990 lb) horse will eat 7 to 11 kilograms (15 to 24 lb) of food per day and, under normal use, drink 38 to 45 litres (8.4 to 9.9 imp gal; 10 to 12 US gal) of water. Horses are not ruminants, they have only one stomach, like humans, but unlike humans, they can digest cellulose, a major component of grass. Horses are hindgut fermenters. Cellulose fermentation by symbiotic bacteria occurs in the cecum, or "water gut", which food goes through before reaching the large intestine. Horses cannot vomit, so digestion problems can quickly cause colic, a leading cause of death. Horses do not have a gallbladder; however, they seem to tolerate high amounts of fat in their diet despite lack of a gallbladder.

Senses

The horses' senses are based on their status as prey animals, where they must be aware of their surroundings at all times. They have the largest eyes of any land mammal, and are lateral-eyed, meaning that their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads. This means that horses have a range of vision of more than 350°, with approximately 65° of this being binocular vision and the remaining 285° monocular vision. Horses have excellent day and night vision, but they have two-color, or dichromatic vision; their color vision is somewhat like red-green color blindness in humans, where certain colors, especially red and related colors, appear as a shade of green.

Their sense of smell, while much better than that of humans, is not quite as good as that of a dog. It is believed to play a key role in the social interactions of horses as well as detecting other key scents in the environment. Horses have two olfactory centers. The first system is in the nostrils and nasal cavity, which analyze a wide range of odors. The second, located under the nasal cavity, are the vomeronasal organs, also called Jacobson's organs. These have a separate nerve pathway to the brain and appear to primarily analyze pheromones.

A horse's hearing is good, and the pinna of each ear can rotate up to 180°, giving the potential for 360° hearing without having to move the head. Noise impacts the behavior of horses and certain kinds of noise may contribute to stress: a 2013 study in the UK indicated that stabled horses were calmest in a quiet setting, or if listening to country or classical music, but displayed signs of nervousness when listening to jazz or rock music. This study also recommended keeping music under a volume of 21 decibels. An Australian study found that stabled racehorses listening to talk radio had a higher rate of gastric ulcers than horses listening to music, and racehorses stabled where a radio was played had a higher overall rate of ulceration than horses stabled where there was no radio playing.

Horses have a great sense of balance, due partly to their ability to feel their footing and partly to highly developed proprioception—the unconscious sense of where the body and limbs are at all times. A horse's sense of touch is well-developed. The most sensitive areas are around the eyes, ears, and nose. Horses are able to sense contact as subtle as an insect landing anywhere on the body.

Horses have an advanced sense of taste, which allows them to sort through fodder and choose what they would most like to eat, and their prehensile lips can easily sort even small grains. Horses generally will not eat poisonous plants, however, there are exceptions; horses will occasionally eat toxic amounts of poisonous plants even when there is adequate healthy food.

Movement

All horses move naturally with four basic gaits:

the four-beat walk, which averages 6.4 kilometres per hour (4.0 mph);

the two-beat trot or jog at 13 to 19 kilometres per hour (8.1 to 11.8 mph) (faster for harness racing horses);

the canter or lope, a three-beat gait that is 19 to 24 kilometres per hour (12 to 15 mph);

the gallop, which averages 40 to 48 kilometres per hour (25 to 30 mph), but the world record for a horse galloping over a short, sprint distance is 70.76 kilometres per hour (43.97 mph).

Besides these basic gaits, some horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. There also are several four-beat 'ambling' gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Ambling gaits are often genetic in some breeds, known collectively as gaited horses. These horses replace the trot with one of the ambling gaits.

Behavior

Horses are prey animals with a strong fight-or-flight response. Their first reaction to a threat is to startle and usually flee, although they will stand their ground and defend themselves when flight is impossible or if their young are threatened. They also tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors. However, through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain draft horses.

Horses fighting as part of herd dominance behaviour

Horses are herd animals, with a clear hierarchy of rank, led by a dominant individual, usually a mare. They are also social creatures that are able to form companionship attachments to their own species and to other animals, including humans. They communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering or whinnying, mutual grooming, and body language. Many horses will become difficult to manage if they are isolated, but with training, horses can learn to accept a human as a companion, and thus be comfortable away from other horses. However, when confined with insufficient companionship, exercise, or stimulation, individuals may develop stable vices, an assortment of bad habits, mostly stereotypies of psychological origin, that include wood chewing, wall kicking, "weaving" (rocking back and forth), and other problems.

Intelligence and learning

Studies have indicated that horses perform a number of cognitive tasks on a daily basis, meeting mental challenges that include food procurement and identification of individuals within a social system. They also have good spatial discrimination abilities. They are naturally curious and apt to investigate things they have not seen before. Studies have assessed equine intelligence in areas such as problem solving, speed of learning, and memory. Horses excel at simple learning, but also are able to use more advanced cognitive abilities that involve categorization and concept learning. They can learn using habituation, desensitization, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning, and positive and negative reinforcement. One study has indicated that horses can differentiate between "more or less" if the quantity involved is less than four.

Domesticated horses may face greater mental challenges than wild horses, because they live in artificial environments that prevent instinctive behavior whilst also learning tasks that are not natural. Horses are animals of habit that respond well to regimentation, and respond best when the same routines and techniques are used consistently. One trainer believes that "intelligent" horses are reflections of intelligent trainers who effectively use response conditioning techniques and positive reinforcement to train in the style that best fits with an individual animal's natural inclinations.

Temperament

Horses are mammals, and as such are warm-blooded, or endothermic creatures, as opposed to cold-blooded, or poikilothermic animals. However, these words have developed a separate meaning in the context of equine terminology, used to describe temperament, not body temperature. For example, the "hot-bloods", such as many race horses, exhibit more sensitivity and energy, while the "cold-bloods", such as most draft breeds, are quieter and calmer. Sometimes "hot-bloods" are classified as "light horses" or "riding horses", with the "cold-bloods" classified as "draft horses" or "work horses".

a sepia-toned engraving from an old book, showing 11 horses of different breeds and sizes in nine different illustrations

Illustration of assorted breeds; slim, light hotbloods, medium-sized warmbloods and draft and pony-type coldblood breeds

"Hot blooded" breeds include "oriental horses" such as the Akhal-Teke, Arabian horse, Barb, and now-extinct Turkoman horse, as well as the Thoroughbred, a breed developed in England from the older oriental breeds. Hot bloods tend to be spirited, bold, and learn quickly. They are bred for agility and speed. They tend to be physically refined—thin-skinned, slim, and long-legged. The original oriental breeds were brought to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa when European breeders wished to infuse these traits into racing and light cavalry horses.

Muscular, heavy draft horses are known as "cold bloods", as they are bred not only for strength, but also to have the calm, patient temperament needed to pull a plow or a heavy carriage full of people. They are sometimes nicknamed "gentle giants". Well-known draft breeds include the Belgian and the Clydesdale. Some, like the Percheron, are lighter and livelier, developed to pull carriages or to plow large fields in drier climates. Others, such as the Shire, are slower and more powerful, bred to plow fields with heavy, clay-based soils. The cold-blooded group also includes some pony breeds.

"Warmblood" breeds, such as the Trakehner or Hanoverian, developed when European carriage and war horses were crossed with Arabians or Thoroughbreds, producing a riding horse with more refinement than a draft horse, but greater size and milder temperament than a lighter breed. Certain pony breeds with warmblood characteristics have been developed for smaller riders. Warmbloods are considered a "light horse" or "riding horse".

Today, the term "Warmblood" refers to a specific subset of sport horse breeds that are used for competition in dressage and show jumping. Strictly speaking, the term "warm blood" refers to any cross between cold-blooded and hot-blooded breeds. Examples include breeds such as the Irish Draught or the Cleveland Bay. The term was once used to refer to breeds of light riding horse other than Thoroughbreds or Arabians, such as the Morgan horse.

Sleep patterns

When horses lie down to sleep, others in the herd remain standing, awake, or in a light doze, keeping watch.

Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. In an adaptation from life in the wild, horses are able to enter light sleep by using a "stay apparatus" in their legs, allowing them to doze without collapsing. Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. A horse kept alone will not sleep well because its instincts are to keep a constant eye out for danger.

Unlike humans, horses do not sleep in a solid, unbroken period of time, but take many short periods of rest. Horses spend four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. Total sleep time in a 24-hour period may range from several minutes to a couple of hours, mostly in short intervals of about 15 minutes each. The average sleep time of a domestic horse is said to be 2.9 hours per day.

Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep. They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements. However, if a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived, and in rare cases may suddenly collapse as it involuntarily slips into REM sleep while still standing. This condition differs from narcolepsy, although horses may also suffer from that disorder.

Taxonomy and evolution

The horse adapted to survive in areas of wide-open terrain with sparse vegetation, surviving in an ecosystem where other large grazing animals, especially ruminants, could not. Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla, a group of mammals dominant during the Tertiary period. In the past, this order contained 14 families, but only three—Equidae (the horse and related species), Tapiridae (the tapir), and Rhinocerotidae (the rhinoceroses)—have survived to the present day.

The earliest known member of the family Equidae was the Hyracotherium, which lived between 45 and 55 million years ago, during the Eocene period. It had 4 toes on each front foot, and 3 toes on each back foot. The extra toe on the front feet soon disappeared with the Mesohippus, which lived 32 to 37 million years ago. Over time, the extra side toes shrank in size until they vanished. All that remains of them in modern horses is a set of small vestigial bones on the leg below the knee, known informally as splint bones. Their legs also lengthened as their toes disappeared until they were a hooved animal capable of running at great speed. By about 5 million years ago, the modern Equus had evolved. Equid teeth also evolved from browsing on soft, tropical plants to adapt to browsing of drier plant material, then to grazing of tougher plains grasses. Thus proto-horses changed from leaf-eating forest-dwellers to grass-eating inhabitants of semi-arid regions worldwide, including the steppes of Eurasia and the Great Plains of North America.

By about 15,000 years ago, Equus ferus was a widespread holarctic species. Horse bones from this time period, the late Pleistocene, are found in Europe, Eurasia, Beringia, and North America. Yet between 10,000 and 7,600 years ago, the horse became extinct in North America. The reasons for this extinction are not fully known, but one theory notes that extinction in North America paralleled human arrival. Another theory points to climate change, noting that approximately 12,500 years ago, the grasses characteristic of a steppe ecosystem gave way to shrub tundra, which was covered with unpalatable plants.

Wild species surviving into modern times

Three tan-colored horses with upright manes. Two horses nip and paw at each other, while the third moves towards the camera. They stand in an open, rocky grassland, with forests in the distance.

Main article: Wild horse

A truly wild horse is a species or subspecies with no ancestors that were ever successfully domesticated. Therefore, most "wild" horses today are actually feral horses, animals that escaped or were turned loose from domestic herds and the descendants of those animals. Only two wild subspecies, the tarpan and the Przewalski's horse, survived into recorded history and only the latter survives today.

The Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), named after the Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky, is a rare Asian animal. It is also known as the Mongolian wild horse; Mongolian people know it as the taki, and the Kyrgyz people call it a kirtag. The subspecies was presumed extinct in the wild between 1969 and 1992, while a small breeding population survived in zoos around the world. In 1992, it was reestablished in the wild by the conservation efforts of numerous zoos. Today, a small wild breeding population exists in Mongolia. There are additional animals still maintained at zoos throughout the world.

The question of whether the Przewalski's horse was ever domesticated was challenged in 2018 when DNA studies of horses found at Botai culture sites revealed captured animals with DNA markers of an ancestor to the Przewalski's horse. The study concluded that the Botai animals appear to have been an independent domestication attempt and apparently unsuccessful, as these genetic markers do not appear in modern domesticated horses. However, the question of whether all Przewalski's horses descend from this population is also unresolved, as only one of seven modern Przewalski's horses in the study shared this ancestry.

The tarpan or European wild horse (Equus ferus ferus) was found in Europe and much of Asia. It survived into the historical era, but became extinct in 1909, when the last captive died in a Russian zoo. Thus, the genetic line was lost. Attempts have been made to recreate the tarpan, which resulted in horses with outward physical similarities, but nonetheless descended from domesticated ancestors and not true wild horses.

Periodically, populations of horses in isolated areas are speculated to be relict populations of wild horses, but generally have been proven to be feral or domestic. For example, the Riwoche horse of Tibet was proposed as such, but testing did not reveal genetic differences from domesticated horses. Similarly, the Sorraia of Portugal was proposed as a direct descendant of the Tarpan on the basis of shared characteristics, but genetic studies have shown that the Sorraia is more closely related to other horse breeds, and that the outward similarity is an unreliable measure of relatedness.

Other modern equids

Main article: Equus (genus)

Besides the horse, there are six other species of genus Equus in the Equidae family. These are the ass or donkey, Equus asinus; the mountain zebra, Equus zebra; plains zebra, Equus quagga; Grévy's Zebra, Equus grevyi; the kiang, Equus kiang; and the onager, Equus hemionus.

Horses can crossbreed with other members of their genus. The most common hybrid is the mule, a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and a mare. A related hybrid, a hinny, is a cross between a stallion and a "jenny" (female donkey). Other hybrids include the zorse, a cross between a zebra and a horse. With rare exceptions, most hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce.

Main articles: History of horse domestication theories and Domestication of the horse

Domestication of the horse most likely took place in central Asia prior to 3500 BCE. Two major sources of information are used to determine where and when the horse was first domesticated and how the domesticated horse spread around the world. The first source is based on palaeological and archaeological discoveries; the second source is a comparison of DNA obtained from modern horses to that from bones and teeth of ancient horse remains.

The earliest archaeological evidence for the domestication of the horse comes from sites in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, dating to approximately 4000–3500 BCE. By 3000 BCE, the horse was completely domesticated and by 2000 BCE there was a sharp increase in the number of horse bones found in human settlements in northwestern Europe, indicating the spread of domesticated horses throughout the continent. The most recent, but most irrefutable evidence of domestication comes from sites where horse remains were interred with chariots in graves of the Sintashta and Petrovka cultures c. 2100 BCE.

A 2021 genetic study suggested that most modern domestic horses descend from the lower Volga-Don region. Ancient horse genomes indicate that these populations influenced almost all local populations as they expanded rapidly throughout Eurasia, beginning about 4,200 years ago. It also shows that certain adaptations were strongly selected due to riding, and that equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots spread with the horse itself.

Domestication is also studied by using the genetic material of present-day horses and comparing it with the genetic material present in the bones and teeth of horse remains found in archaeological and palaeological excavations. The variation in the genetic material shows that very few wild stallions contributed to the domestic horse, while many mares were part of early domesticated herds. This is reflected in the difference in genetic variation between the DNA that is passed on along the paternal, or sire line (Y-chromosome) versus that passed on along the maternal, or dam line (mitochondrial DNA). There are very low levels of Y-chromosome variability, but a great deal of genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA. There is also regional variation in mitochondrial DNA due to the inclusion of wild mares in domestic herds. Another characteristic of domestication is an increase in coat color variation. In horses, this increased dramatically between 5000 and 3000 BCE.

Before the availability of DNA techniques to resolve the questions related to the domestication of the horse, various hypotheses were proposed. One classification was based on body types and conformation, suggesting the presence of four basic prototypes that had adapted to their environment prior to domestication. Another hypothesis held that the four prototypes originated from a single wild species and that all different body types were entirely a result of selective breeding after domestication. However, the lack of a detectable substructure in the horse has resulted in a rejection of both hypotheses.

Main article: Feral horse

Feral horses are born and live in the wild, but are descended from domesticated animals. Many populations of feral horses exist throughout the world. Studies of feral herds have provided useful insights into the behavior of prehistoric horses, as well as greater understanding of the instincts and behaviors that drive horses that live in domesticated conditions.

There are also semi-feral horses in many parts of the world, such as Dartmoor and the New Forest in the UK, where the animals are all privately owned but live for significant amounts of time in "wild" conditions on undeveloped, often public, lands. Owners of such animals often pay a fee for grazing rights.

Main articles: Horse breed, List of horse breeds, and Horse breeding

The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry has come to be particularly significant and important in modern times. Sometimes purebred horses are incorrectly or inaccurately called "thoroughbreds". Thoroughbred is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by a breed registry. Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation, color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits result from a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin, who had a reputation for careful practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. These pedigrees were originally transmitted via an oral tradition. In the 14th century, Carthusian monks of southern Spain kept meticulous pedigrees of bloodstock lineages still found today in the Andalusian horse.

Breeds developed due to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain characteristics in order to perform a particular type of work. Thus, a powerful but refined breed such as the Andalusian developed as riding horses with an aptitude for dressage. Heavy draft horses were developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Other horse breeds had been developed specifically for light agricultural work, carriage and road work, various sport disciplines, or simply as pets. Some breeds developed through centuries of crossing other breeds, while others descended from a single foundation sire, or other limited or restricted foundation bloodstock. One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the foundation bloodstock for the breed. There are more than 300 horse breeds in the world today.

Interaction with humans

Worldwide, horses play a role within human cultures and have done so for millennia. Horses are used for leisure activities, sports, and working purposes. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that in 2008, there were almost 59,000,000 horses in the world, with around 33,500,000 in the Americas, 13,800,000 in Asia and 6,300,000 in Europe and smaller portions in Africa and Oceania. There are estimated to be 9,500,000 horses in the United States alone. The American Horse Council estimates that horse-related activities have a direct impact on the economy of the United States of over $39 billion, and when indirect spending is considered, the impact is over $102 billion. In a 2004 "poll" conducted by Animal Planet, more than 50,000 viewers from 73 countries voted for the horse as the world's 4th favorite animal.

Communication between human and horse is paramount in any equestrian activity; to aid this process horses are usually ridden with a saddle on their backs to assist the rider with balance and positioning, and a bridle or related headgear to assist the rider in maintaining control. Sometimes horses are ridden without a saddle, and occasionally, horses are trained to perform without a bridle or other headgear. Many horses are also driven, which requires a harness, bridle, and some type of vehicle.

Main articles: Equestrianism, Horse racing, Horse training, and Horse tack

Historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races. Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent horsemanship that was needed in battle. Many sports, such as dressage, eventing, and show jumping, have origins in military training, which were focused on control and balance of both horse and rider. Other sports, such as rodeo, developed from practical skills such as those needed on working ranches and stations. Sport hunting from horseback evolved from earlier practical hunting techniques. Horse racing of all types evolved from impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. All forms of competition, requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted in the systematic development of specialized breeds and equipment for each sport. The popularity of equestrian sports through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses stopped being used in combat.

Horses are trained to be ridden or driven in a variety of sporting competitions. Examples include show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, competitive driving, endurance riding, gymkhana, rodeos, and fox hunting. Horse shows, which have their origins in medieval European fairs, are held around the world. They host a huge range of classes, covering all of the mounted and harness disciplines, as well as "In-hand" classes where the horses are led, rather than ridden, to be evaluated on their conformation. The method of judging varies with the discipline, but winning usually depends on style and ability of both horse and rider. Sports such as polo do not judge the horse itself, but rather use the horse as a partner for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the horse requires specialized training to participate, the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the rider's actions—be it getting a ball through a goal or some other task. Examples of these sports of partnership between human and horse include jousting, in which the main goal is for one rider to unseat the other, and buzkashi, a team game played throughout Central Asia, the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on horseback.

Horse racing is an equestrian sport and major international industry, watched in almost every nation of the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; steeplechasing, i.e. racing over jumps; and harness racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky. A major part of horse racing's economic importance lies in the gambling associated with it.

Work

There are certain jobs that horses do very well, and no technology has yet developed to fully replace them. For example, mounted police horses are still effective for certain types of patrol duties and crowd control. Cattle ranches still require riders on horseback to round up cattle that are scattered across remote, rugged terrain. Search and rescue organizations in some countries depend upon mounted teams to locate people, particularly hikers and children, and to provide disaster relief assistance. Horses can also be used in areas where it is necessary to avoid vehicular disruption to delicate soil, such as nature reserves. They may also be the only form of transport allowed in wilderness areas. Horses are quieter than motorized vehicles. Law enforcement officers such as park rangers or game wardens may use horses for patrols, and horses or mules may also be used for clearing trails or other work in areas of rough terrain where vehicles are less effective.

Although machinery has replaced horses in many parts of the world, an estimated 100 million horses, donkeys and mules are still used for agriculture and transportation in less developed areas. This number includes around 27 million working animals in Africa alone. Some land management practices such as cultivating and logging can be efficiently performed with horses. In agriculture, less fossil fuel is used and increased environmental conservation occurs over time with the use of draft animals such as horses. Logging with horses can result in reduced damage to soil structure and less damage to trees due to more selective logging.

Main article: Horses in warfare

Horses have been used in warfare for most of recorded history. The first archaeological evidence of horses used in warfare dates to between 4000 and 3000 BCE, and the use of horses in warfare was widespread by the end of the Bronze Age. Although mechanization has largely replaced the horse as a weapon of war, horses are still seen today in limited military uses, mostly for ceremonial purposes, or for reconnaissance and transport activities in areas of rough terrain where motorized vehicles are ineffective. Horses have been used in the 21st century by the Janjaweed militias in the War in Darfur.

Entertainment and culture

Modern horses are often used to reenact many of their historical work purposes. Horses are used, complete with equipment that is authentic or a meticulously recreated replica, in various live action historical reenactments of specific periods of history, especially recreations of famous battles. Horses are also used to preserve cultural traditions and for ceremonial purposes. Countries such as the United Kingdom still use horse-drawn carriages to convey royalty and other VIPs to and from certain culturally significant events. Public exhibitions are another example, such as the Budweiser Clydesdales, seen in parades and other public settings, a team of draft horses that pull a beer wagon similar to that used before the invention of the modern motorized truck.

Horses are frequently used in television, films and literature. They are sometimes featured as a major character in films about particular animals, but also used as visual elements that assure the accuracy of historical stories. Both live horses and iconic images of horses are used in advertising to promote a variety of products. The horse frequently appears in coats of arms in heraldry, in a variety of poses and equipment. The mythologies of many cultures, including Greco-Roman, Hindu, Islamic, and Germanic, include references to both normal horses and those with wings or additional limbs, and multiple myths also call upon the horse to draw the chariots of the Moon and Sun. The horse also appears in the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

Horses serve as the inspiration for many modern automobile names and logos, including the Ford Pinto, Ford Bronco, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Equus, Hyundai Pony, Mitsubishi Starion, Subaru Brumby, Mitsubishi Colt/Dodge Colt, Pinzgauer, Steyr-Puch Haflinger, Pegaso, Porsche, Rolls-Royce Camargue, Ferrari, Carlsson, Kamaz, Corre La Licorne, Iran Khodro, Eicher, and Baojun. Indian TVS Motor Company also uses a horse on their motorcycles & scooters.

Therapeutic use

People of all ages with physical and mental disabilities obtain beneficial results from an association with horses. Therapeutic riding is used to mentally and physically stimulate disabled persons and help them improve their lives through improved balance and coordination, increased self-confidence, and a greater feeling of freedom and independence. The benefits of equestrian activity for people with disabilities has also been recognized with the addition of equestrian events to the Paralympic Games and recognition of para-equestrian events by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). Hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding are names for different physical, occupational, and speech therapy treatment strategies that use equine movement. In hippotherapy, a therapist uses the horse's movement to improve their patient's cognitive, coordination, balance, and fine motor skills, whereas therapeutic horseback riding uses specific riding skills.

Horses also provide psychological benefits to people whether they actually ride or not. "Equine-assisted" or "equine-facilitated" therapy is a form of experiential psychotherapy that uses horses as companion animals to assist people with mental illness, including anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, behavioral difficulties, and those who are going through major life changes. There are also experimental programs using horses in prison settings. Exposure to horses appears to improve the behavior of inmates and help reduce recidivism when they leave.

Products

Horses are raw material for many products made by humans throughout history, including byproducts from the slaughter of horses as well as materials collected from living horses.

Products collected from living horses include mare's milk, used by people with large horse herds, such as the Mongols, who let it ferment to produce kumis. Horse blood was once used as food by the Mongols and other nomadic tribes, who found it a convenient source of nutrition when traveling. Drinking their own horses' blood allowed the Mongols to ride for extended periods of time without stopping to eat. The drug Premarin is a mixture of estrogens extracted from the urine of pregnant mares (pregnant mares' urine), and was previously a widely used drug for hormone replacement therapy. The tail hair of horses can be used for making bows for string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

Horse meat has been used as food for humans and carnivorous animals throughout the ages. Approximately 5 million horses are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide. It is eaten in many parts of the world, though consumption is taboo in some cultures, and a subject of political controversy in others. Horsehide leather has been used for boots, gloves, jackets, baseballs, and baseball gloves. Horse hooves can also be used to produce animal glue. Horse bones can be used to make implements. Specifically, in Italian cuisine, the horse tibia is sharpened into a probe called a spinto, which is used to test the readiness of a (pig) ham as it cures. In Asia, the saba is a horsehide vessel used in the production of kumis.

Main article: Horse care

Checking teeth and other physical examinations are an important part of horse care.

Horses are grazing animals, and their major source of nutrients is good-quality forage from hay or pasture. They can consume approximately 2% to 2.5% of their body weight in dry feed each day. Therefore, a 450-kilogram (990 lb) adult horse could eat up to 11 kilograms (24 lb) of food. Sometimes, concentrated feed such as grain is fed in addition to pasture or hay, especially when the animal is very active. When grain is fed, equine nutritionists recommend that 50% or more of the animal's diet by weight should still be forage.

Horses require a plentiful supply of clean water, a minimum of 38 to 45 litres (10 to 12 US gal) per day. Although horses are adapted to live outside, they require shelter from the wind and precipitation, which can range from a simple shed or shelter to an elaborate stable.

Horses require routine hoof care from a farrier, as well as vaccinations to protect against various diseases, and dental examinations from a veterinarian or a specialized equine dentist. If horses are kept inside in a barn, they require regular daily exercise for their physical health and mental well-being. When turned outside, they require well-maintained, sturdy fences to be safely contained. Regular grooming is also helpful to help the horse maintain good health of the hair coat and underlying skin.

Climate change

As of 2019, there are around 17 million horses in the world. Healthy body temperature for adult horses is in the range between 37.5 and 38.5 °C (99.5 and 101.3 °F), which they can maintain while ambient temperatures are between 5 and 25 °C (41 and 77 °F). However, strenuous exercise increases core body temperature by 1 °C (1.8 °F)/minute, as 80% of the energy used by equine muscles is released as heat. Along with bovines and primates, equines are the only animal group which use sweating as their primary method of thermoregulation: in fact, it can account for up to 70% of their heat loss, and horses sweat three times more than humans while undergoing comparably strenuous physical activity. Unlike humans, this sweat is created not by eccrine glands but by apocrine glands. In hot conditions, horses during three hours of moderate-intersity exercise can loss 30 to 35 L of water and 100g of sodium, 198 g of choloride and 45 g of potassium. In another difference from humans, their sweat is hypertonic, and contains a protein called latherin, which enables it to spread across their body easier, and to foam, rather than to drip off. These adaptations are partly to compensate for their lower body surface-to-mass ratio, which makes it more difficult for horses to passively radiate heat. Yet, prolonged exposure to very hot and/or humid conditions will lead to consequences such as anhidrosis, heat stroke, or brain damage, potentially culminating in death if not addressed with measures like cold water applications. Additionally, around 10% of incidents associated with horse transport have been attributed to heat stress. These issues are expected to worsen in the future.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral illness with a mortality close to 90% in horses, and 50% in mules. A midge, Culicoides imicola, is the primary vector of AHS, and its spread is expected to benefit from climate change. The spillover of Hendra virus from its flying fox hosts to horses is also likely to increase, as future warming would expand the hosts' geographic range. It has been estimated that under the "moderate" and high climate change scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the number of threatened horses would increase by 110,000 and 165,000, respectively, or by 175 and 260%

EN SILENCIO | SANDRA CINTO by Matadero Madrid

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En Silencio es una instalación site specific realizada por la artista brasileña Sandra Cinto y comisariada por David Barro para el programa Gran Escala de Matadero Madrid. Un programa que propone a una serie de artistas abordar un espacio de naturaleza industrial y grandes dimensiones, ahora resuelto por Sandra Cinto como un paisaje imaginario, íntimo y rotundo, aunque se estructure desde lo frágil. Si por un lado se reivindica el silencio en una sociedad invadida por el ruido, por otro esa tentativa, silenciada, individual, se resuelve expandida, rotunda, colectiva. La experiencia es física, pero sobre todo psíquica, mental.

El espacio abismal de Matadero se convierte ahora en una habitación dominada por una mesa donde Sandra Cinto, escenifica un sentimiento, el de la dificultad de la creación, de componer, de manifestarse. En Silencio hace que el tiempo se pare como cuando estamos ante una fotografía antigua. Como cuando la música no suena, la creación es un callejón sin salida, igual que cuando una escalera no conduce a ningún lugar o cuando los libros no se pueden abrir.

Sandra Cinto. Nacida en Santo André (Brasil) en 1968, Sandra Cinto vive y trabaja en São Paulo, donde codirige el espacio-taller de artistas Ateliê Fidalga. Además de las habituales muestras en las galerías que la representan, como Casa Triângulo en São Paulo y Tanya Bonakdar en Nueva York, ha realizado exposiciones individuales en el Museo de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, Seattle Art Museum, Instituto Tomie Ohtake o, actualmente, en el Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, así como colectivas como las celebradas en Museum of Contemporary Art de Miami, Museum of Contemporary Art de San Diego o el Centre Georges Pompidou. Seleccionada en importantes proyectos editoriales como Vitamin D (Phaidon), su obra se encuentra en colecciones como la Fundación ARCO, Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Museo de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, Centro de Arte Contemporânea de Inhotim o The Philips Collection.

SEAT 600 L Especial - 1972 by TRABANTINO

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Spain : 1972 - 1973 for this specific model. The L series are the very last 600 made in Spain. Some were exported and rebadged as FIAT.

Total production since 1957 :

815.549 units

4 cylinder 767cc rear engine

32 HP DIN @ 5000 rpm

4 speed manual gearbox

Length : 3,29m

Weight : 615 kg

Speed : 115 km/h

Site Specific (The Collection & Usher Gallery) by Lincoln School of Creative Arts

Site specific performances by BA Drama students at "The Collection" and "Usher Gallery".

Date: 9 May 2015

Time: 11am -3pm

photo by Fenia Kotsopoulou

Cuyo, Suba, bangkas by Arian Zwegers

Suba, bangkas

A bangka is a specific type of outrigger boat used in the Philippines. Outrigger boats are various watercraft featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. In the Philippines, bangkas are typically equipped with outriggers on both sides of the main hull.

Unlike a single-hulled vessel, an outrigger or double-hull vessel generates stability as a result of the distance between its hulls rather than due to the shape of each individual hull. As such, the hulls of outrigger or double-hull boats are typically longer, narrower and more hydrodynamically efficient than those of single-hull vessels.

These vessels were the first true sea-going ships, and are an important part of the Austronesian heritage. They were the vessels that enabled the Austronesian Expansion from Taiwan into the islands of both the Indian and Pacific Ocean from around 3000 BC. They comprise the bulk of traditional boats in Island Southeast Asia, Island Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar.

Cuyo Island is the largest island of the Cuyo Archipelago. The Cuyo Archipelago or Cuyo Islands, is a group of about 45 islands lying to the northeast of the island of Palawan, and part of the province of Palawan, Philippines. Altogether, over 45,000 people inhabit the Cuyo Archipelago. It is centered on the largest island of the archipelago, Cuyo Island, which is about 13 kilometres long, 7.5 kilometres wide, and with an area of 57 square kilometres. Cuyo Island is volcanic. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Cuyo and Magsaysay.

Cuyo is the oldest town in Palawan with a culture of its own, which was preserved for more than 350 years. During the Spanish colonisation of the Philippines, Cuyo became the second capital of Palawan from 1873 to 1903. Cuyo town and its cultural and natural environs are being considered to be nominated in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration in the future. Dominating the town centre is Cuyo's church, convent, and fort built by the Spanish and finished in 1680.

(sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outrigger_boat and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuyo_Archipelago)

Ant & Dec's Paddington Bear by Matthew Wells

Welcome fellow Paddington Bear spotter! My photostream features all 50 Paddingtons. If you would like to shortcut to a specific one, please use the links below

No. 1: Love, Paddington X (Lulu Guinness) |

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost - 1922 - 5dd by Manfred Sommer

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost name refers both to a car model and one specific car from that series.

Originally named the "40/50 h.p." the chassis was first made at Royce's Manchester works, with production moving to Derby in July 1908, and also, between 1921 and 1926, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Chassis no. 60551, registered AX 201, was the car that was originally given the name "Silver Ghost." Other 40/50 hp cars were also given names, but the Silver Ghost title was taken up by the press, and soon all 40/50s were called by the name, a fact not officially recognised by Rolls-Royce until 1925, when the Phantom range was launched.

The Silver Ghost was the origin of Rolls-Royce's claim of making the "Best car in the world" – a phrase coined not by themselves, but by the prestigious publication Autocar in 1907.

The chassis and engine were also used as the basis of a range of Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars.

HISTORY

In 1906, Rolls-Royce produced four chassis to be shown at the Olympia car show, two existing models, a four-cylinder 20 hp and a six-cylinder 30 hp, and two examples of a new car designated the 40/50 hp. The 40/50 hp was so new that the show cars were not fully finished, and examples were not provided to the press for testing until March 1907.

The car at first had a new side-valve, six-cylinder, 7036 cc engine (7428 cc from 1910) with the cylinders cast in two units of three cylinders each as opposed to the triple two-cylinder units on the earlier six. A three-speed transmission was fitted at first with four-speed units used from 1913. The seven-bearing crankshaft had full pressure lubrication, and the centre main bearing was made especially large to remove vibration, essentially splitting the engine into two three-cylinder units. Two spark plugs were fitted to each cylinder with, from 1921, a choice of magneto or coil ignition. The earliest cars had used a trembler coil to produce the spark with a magneto as an optional extra which soon became standard - the instruction was to start the engine on the trembler/battery and then switch to magneto. Continuous development allowed power output to be increased from 48 bhp (36 kW) at 1,250 rpm to 80 bhp (60 kW) at 2,250 rpm. Electric lighting became an option in 1914 and was standardised in 1919.[1] Electric starting was fitted from 1919 along with electric lights to replace the older ones that used acetylene or oil.

Development of the Silver Ghost was suspended during World War I, although the chassis and engine were supplied for use in Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars.

The chassis had rigid front and rear axles and leaf springs all round. Early cars only had brakes on the rear wheels operated by a hand lever, with a pedal-operated transmission brake acting on the propeller shaft. The footbrake system moved to drums on the rear axle in 1913. Four-wheel servo-assisted brakes became optional in 1923.

Despite these improvements the performance of the Silver Ghost's competitors had improved to the extent that its previous superiority had been eroded by the early 1920s. Sales declined from 742 in 1913 to 430 in 1922. The company decided to launch its replacement which was introduced in 1925 as the New Phantom. After this, older 40/50 models were called Silver Ghosts to avoid confusion.

A total of 7874 Silver Ghost cars were produced from 1907 to 1926, including 1701 from the American Springfield factory. Many of them still run today. A fine example is on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

THE ALPINE EAGLES

A 40/50 was privately entered in the prestigious 1912 Austrian Alpine Trial by James Radley, but its 3-speed gearbox proved inadequate for the ascent of the Katschberg Pass. A factory team of four cars were prepared for the 1913 event with four-speed gearboxes, and engine power increased from 60 to 75 bhp (56 kW) by an increase in compression ratio and larger carburettor. The team gained six awards including the Archduke Leopold Cup. Replicas of the victorious cars were put into production and sold officially as Continental models, but they were called Alpine Eagles by chief test driver (and later Rolls-Royce Managing Director) Ernest Hives, and this is the name that they have kept.

THE SILVER GHOST

In 1907 Claude Johnson, Commercial and Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, ordered a car to be used as a demonstrator by the company. With chassis no. 60551 and registered AX 201, it was the 12th 40/50 hp to be made, and was painted in aluminium paint with silver-plated fittings. The car was named the "Silver Ghost" to emphasise its ghost-like quietness, and a plaque bearing this name adorned the bulkhead. An open-top Roi-des-Belges body by coachbuilder Barker was fitted, and the car readied for the Scottish reliability trials of 1907 and, immediately afterwards, another 24,000 km test which included driving between London and Glasgow 27 times.

The aim was to raise public awareness of the new company and to show the reliability and quietness of their new car. This was a risky idea: cars of this time were notoriously unreliable, and roads of the day could be horrendous. Nevertheless, the car set off on trials, and with press aboard, broke record upon record. Even after 11,000 km, the cost to service the car was a negligible £2 2s 7d (£2.13). The reputation of the 40/50, and Rolls-Royce, was established.

AX201 was sold in 1908 to a private customer, who used it for his annual vacation to Italy, and recovered by the company in 1948. Since then, it has been used as a publicity car and travelled worldwide. In 1989, the car was restored by SC Gordon Coachbuilders Luton, and P&A Wood, London, UK. It is now owned by Bentley Motors.

In 1984, the car was photographed in great detail whilst in storage in Luton by precision model makers Franklin Mint. This die-cast model went on to become one of their best-selling products.

The Silver Ghost is considered the most valuable car in the world; in 2005 its insured value was placed at US$35 million.

WIKIPEDIA

Woodpecker Golden-tail by Michael Heyns

Goudstert speg

(Campethera abingoni)

Goudstertspeg

(Campehtera abigoni)

The golden-tailed woodpecker (Campethera abingoni) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. Its specific name commemorates the 5th Earl of Abingdon. It belongs to a species complex that includes the Knysna woodpecker to the south of its range, and the mostly allopatric Mombasa woodpecker to the northeast, with which it perhaps hybridizes.

The combination of barred, greenish upper part plumage, and streaked underparts is distinctive. Their golden-olive tails do not differ markedly from those of several related or sympatric woodpecker species, but their single, strident call-note is characteristic.

It measures 20[3] to 21 cm from bill tip to tail tip. The southern races weigh about 70 g, but the northern race C. a. chrysura, only about 55 g. Males are on average larger and heavier than females. The sexes are best distinguished by their head markings, as the red and brown fore-crowns of males differ unmistakably from those of females that are black and spotted white. The malar stripes of males are red and that of females mottled black and white. The iris is usually dark red but variable, the mandibles slate grey, and the legs and feet greenish-olive. Juveniles are heavily streaked on the throat and breast and barred on the belly. They and have mottled malar stripes, and a brown to brownish-grey iris.

There are 6 to 7 accepted races. C. a. chrysura (Swainson, 1837) occurs from Senegambia to western Uganda. It is quite green above, has streaked ear coverts and is smaller in size than either C. a. suahelica or C. a. abingoni, without overlap. The tropical race C. a. kavirondensis van Someren, 1926 is olive-green above and more broadly barred, with thinner streaking below. C. a. suahelica (Reichenow, 1902) which occurs from the Kilimanjaro region to northern Swaziland, is similar to the former but has a yellower toned upper parts. The nominate race is widespread in arid and mesic woodlands of southern Africa, and has denser throat streaking than C. a. suahelica. C. a. anderssoni (Roberts, 1936) occurs from southwestern Angola to northwestern South Africa. It has very dense throat and breast streaking, locally verging on solid black. C. a. constricta Clancey, 1965 which occurs from southern Mozambique to KwaZulu-Natal, is smaller than the nominate race, and has the upper part plumage greener and under part plumage more yellowish.

Wikipedia

Dua To Get Married to a Specific Person by Dua For Istikhara

"Do you want to marry the person you like? But you are facing many problems. In such a situation 'Dua For Getting Married To The Person You Want' can help you. It is a very powerful dua to get married to someone you love.

To know more, You can read this article about Dua To Get Married To A Specific Person You Want. duaforistikhara.com/dua-to-get-married-to-specific-person/

You can also take help from an Islamic expert who can help you to perform this dua in a proper way. If you are looking for such a person you can contact Ghulam Ali Dehlavi by calling at 91-9041350758 (Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber)."

Rape oil? by 1987porsche944

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"Honey, can you go grab the rape oil from the pantry?"

What?!?!

Submitting this to Engrish.com (retracted from the site, since it's apparently a real thing?!?!)

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