specific photos on Flickr

"Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels" by HIROKO TABUCHI via NYT https://t.co/prAVgzZkvo by Felipe Massone

"Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels" by HIROKO TABUCHI via NYT t.co/prAVgzZkvo (via Twitter twitter.com/felipemassone/status/659046658248998912)

Artem's Laguna Seca Blue BMW F82 M4 Heritage Edition with 18" ARC-8 Wheels in Anthracite by Apex Wheels

F8X- specific wheels required for brake clearance: www.apexraceparts.com/store/wheels/arc-8-wheels/18x10-et2...

Front: 18x9.5" ET22 with 275/35-18 Nitto NT01

Rear: 18x11" ET44 with 305/35-18 Nitto NT01

Factory M4 Competition Package Alignment Specs

Lowered on Macht Schnell Competition Springs w/ Factory EDC

Owner:

www.instagram.com/ruskii_m4

STUDIO SECTION 2009-2015—Dorothy Laughing by rdlv1

MAQUETTE FOR THE END OF TIME

Detail: Central figure, "Death Was Never Our Conclusion"

No specific event in the history of mankind has so

concerned Robert Cremean as that memorialized in

MAQUETTE FOR THE END OF TIME. It is not only a

continuing analysis of 8/6/45, the dropping of the bomb on

Hiroshima from which date he has declared “All the

metaphors have changed.” It is a summation of that event

previously portrayed and analyzed in numerous completed

sculptures, studio sections, books and lectures including:

STUDIO SECTION 1981-1983—Terminus; THE SEVENTH

LECTURE—Terminus: Notes to the Music of Johann Sebastian

Bach On His Birthday, 1985; THE PROCRUSTES TRILOGY,

1992-2002; THE TENTH ARCH—A SEQUEL TO VATICAN

CORRIDOR, A Non-Specific Autobiography, 1996; STUDIO

SECTION 1998-2002—Dialogues of the True Cross—A Polemic

in the Form of a Triptych and The Winter Notebooks; STUDIO

SECTION 2002-2005—Marsyas/Myself; STUDIO SECTION

2006-2007; and in STUDIO SECTION 2008-2009. All of these

are fully documented and the writings transcribed within

the photographic record both preceding and following this recording

on Flickr.com. But the event is most succinctly

described in the beginning of the Blue Triangle that descends

the jotting wall of Procrustes In Situ, the first part of THE

PROCRUSTES TRILOGY:

“We live in an age of miracles...August 6th, 1945. Born

in a searing flash of light, god himself signed his

magnificent demise with the most enormous phallic

plume the world had ever seen. Terminus.... Fifty years

have passed since the death of god...fifty years of the

most miraculous discoveries, inventions and

accomplishments—and fifty years of denial and deceit.

We live in an age of miracles and refuse to accept the

authorship of, hence responsibility for, the miracles

themselves. We persist in denying our resplendency

and responsibilities within the concept of a new

age—a new age with a new concept of time, finite and

creative. An Age of Miracles. Thousands upon thousands

of men, women and children were consumed in

this cataclysmic change of metaphors. God, like an

ancient ruler incarnate, adorned his death with

innocents, and their blood colors this new age. How

old he was! As old as human fear. And though fear still

holds us enthralled, we are no longer free to worship

it. God is dead and, with him, men in His image.

Patriarchy’s grave lies in the blood and rubble of

Hiroshima, beneath a poisoned cock of smoke.”

No. 9: The Journey of Marmalade 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) |

Golden Gromit Outside the Music Department by Matthew Wells

Would you like a take a shortcut to a specific Gromit?

Final Piece by Sam Davies

Site specific sculpture - plaster, yoghurt, chicken wire.

A site specific sculpture rises from the soil in the woods. Covered in yoghurt, it is gradually colonized by fungi, mould and vegetation. As the plaster rots and the chicken wire rusts, the form disintegrates, becoming one with it's environment. A walking stick, concealed in it's supporting arm is the only remaining fragment.

Artem's Laguna Seca Blue BMW F82 M4 Heritage Edition with 18" ARC-8 Wheels in Anthracite by Apex Wheels

F8X- specific wheels required for brake clearance: www.apexraceparts.com/store/wheels/arc-8-wheels/18x10-et2...

Front: 18x9.5" ET22 with 275/35-18 Nitto NT01

Rear: 18x11" ET44 with 305/35-18 Nitto NT01

Factory M4 Competition Package Alignment Specs

Lowered on Macht Schnell Competition Springs w/ Factory EDC

Owner:

www.instagram.com/ruskii_m4

Bronx - NYBG: KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature - Flower Obsession by Wally Gobetz

2

Flower Obsession, a site specific interactive installation, was designed by Yayao Kusama in 2020. First developed for children as part of the Queensland Art Gallery's APT 2002: Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in 2002, Kusama's obliteration rooms are simple in design--every visitor is given sheet of stickers that they are asked to place wherever they want in the room. The rooms have been part of her repertoire ever since, but this is the first time she extended the idea to a greenhouse.

KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, on display from April through October 2021 following a Covid-related postponement, showcases contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's lifelong fascination with the natural world beginning with her childhood spent in the greenhouses and fields of her family’s seed nursery.

The New York Botanical Garden, spanning some 250 acres of Bronx Park, was founded in 1891 on part of the grounds of the Belmont Estate, formerly owned by the tobacco magnate Pierre Lorillard, after a fund-raising campaign led by Columbia University botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton, who was inspired to emulate the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. It contains 48 different gardens and plant collections.

West Lake Cruise by tomei168@ymail.com

West Lake Xi Hu

Ripping water shimmering on sunny day,

Misty mountains shrouded the rain;

Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;

West Lake is always alluring.

These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. These poetic sentiments leave one in no doubt of the glory of the scenery that inspired them.

Originally a shallow sea inlet, due to the laying down of silt this 5.68 square kilometers (about 1,404 acres) of water became the famous West Lake. With an average depth of just five feet the lake comprises five distinct sections. The largest part is known as the Outer Lake and it is bounded by the North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake. Held in the embrace of hilly peaks on three sides, this water wonderland has been an attraction for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a favourite imperial retreat. The lake and its environs have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden but on a grand scale. The natural setting of strangely shaped peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and a myriad of blossoms especially in springtime are enhanced by a treasury of sculpture and architectural features. Whatever the season, the panorama is pleasing to the eye and the nuances of light shade together with the moods of the weather present an ever-changing picture that justifiably has been described as 'intoxicating'.

A number of specific features can be singled out as worthy of particular note. To the south of centre of the Outer Lake is a man made island known as the Island of Little Oceans, that encloses four small lakes. From here one can view the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon when at night candles are lit in stone lanterns jutting out of the water thus creating the impression of the reflections of three moons. The scene is truly magical on the night of the Autumn Moon Festival. Solitary Hill Island lies between the Outer Lake and the north Inner Lake and is an ideal spot from which to admire the vista. The nearby Two Peaks Embracing the Sky is another impressive sight, especially when crossing the lake by boat.

Near to the lake can be found the Ling Yin Temple in its woodland setting near to Fei Lai Feng (Peak Flown From Afar). Legend has it that this limestone peak flew from India where it had formed part of a holy mountain. These are of particular interest to Buddhists and those who have a love of sculpture and art. The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei is a monument to the patriot who was murdered in 1141 at the behest of his archrival Qin Hui, the Song prime minister. These buildings like others in the vicinity of the lake such as the slender Six Harmonies Pagoda add to the calm and beauty of their surroundings.

No visitor to the West Lake and Hangzhou can fail to learn something of this city's most famous products, namely silk and Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907) silk products from Hangzhou have found their way all over the world. The National Silk Museum is the first Chinese national museum to be dedicated to silk culture and is the largest of its kind in the world. A similar museum is dedicated as homage to tea. Located at the West Lake Dragon Well Tea Plantation, the National Tea Museum provides a fascinating insight into the history and production of Chinese tea. Often referred to as the 'wonders of West Lake' Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and Hupao (Running Tiger) Fountain is each worthy of the attention of the visitor.

Another natural spectacle to be found here is the tidal bore of the Qiantang River that has enthralled people for centuries. Overlooking the river estuary stands the 13 storey high Six Harmonies Pagoda. Dating from 970 and built on the site of an earlier pagoda that served as a lighthouse, the name refers to the six codes of Buddhism i.e. harmony of the body, speech and thought and the renunciation of personal pleasure, opinions and wealth. A climb to the top of the pagoda carries the reward of an impressive view over the river.

Crossing the river is the Qiantang River Bridge. This is the first two-tier bridge to have been designed and built by Chinese engineers in modern times. The other great feat of much earlier engineering is the Grand Canal. Linking Hangzhou in the south with Beijing in the north, this is the longest man-made waterway in China and surpasses both the Suez and Panama canals.

We hope that this introduction to the delights of the area surrounding the West Lake will tempt you to visit them for yourself. You can be assured that the splendid and diverse landscape will remain long in your memory as you call to mind tour sites to be found south of the Yangtze River.

Think Green, Think Clean! by Orland Park Birdie Girl

2

The Waste Management fleet of trucks each are assigned to pick up specific types of waste: non-recyclable materials, recyclable materials, and green waste. They service 48 states within the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

"Waste Management, Inc., doing business as WM, [ is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company operating in North America. Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in the Bank of America Tower in Houston, Texas."

"The company's network includes 346 transfer stations, 293 active landfill disposal sites, 146 recycling plants, 111 beneficial-use landfill gas projects and six independent power production plants. Waste Management offers environmental services to nearly 21 million residential, industrial, municipal and commercial customers in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. With 26,000 collection and transfer vehicles, the company has the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry. Together with its competitor Republic Services, Inc, the two handle more than half of all garbage collection in the United States."

"As of 2017, Waste Management, Inc. employed more than 42,300 people."

"In February 2022, Waste Management announced the company would be rebranding to be referred to simply as WM. This comes with an increased emphasis of WM's strategy to focus on sustainability and environmental services and not just waste collection and disposal." (Wikipedia)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Management_(company)#History

www.wm.com/us/en/inside-wm/environmental-stewardship

Asylum#15 by Mary Adrenaline

2

Candid shot captured during "Asylum", the first immersive, site-specific, interactive theatrical play in the style of Punch Drunk’s "Sleep No More", taking place in Phoenix Arizona. The show is produced by Vessel, co-directed by Rachel Bowditch and Eileen Standley, designed by a team of six designers featuring 5 dancers, 4 actors, and an aerialist.

VESSEL PROJECT

Location: The Ice House

St. Matthew by G Nolan

3

Un faisceau de lumière qui pointe vers une zone spécifique à l'intérieur de l'église abandonnée de St-Matthew. La légende pourrait-elle être vraie?

A beam of light pointing to a specific area inside the abandoned church of St-Matthew. Could the legend be true?

L’église anglicane St. Matthew trône mystérieusement au milieu d’un champ près d’un boisé délaissé, sur la route 209, à 2,7 km du village de Saint-Chrysostome, non loin de Sainte-Clotilde-de-Châteauguay en Montérégie. Construite en 1847 au lieu-dit d’Edwardstown, la petite église fait étran gement dos à la route, mais face au soleil couchant. Fait plus curieux encore, les pierres tombales de son cimetière font plutôt face au soleil levant. Depuis toutes ces années, les environs de l’église St. Matthew suscitent toutes sortes de ouï-dire à l’effet qu’ils seraient hantés. Certaines nuits, des témoins sont convaincus d’avoir aperçu des silhouettes vaporeuses circuler près de la vieille église, d’autres auraient éprouvé des sensations désagréables d’étouffement à quelques mètres seulement du bâtiment. Quelques téméraires ayant pénétré illicitement à l’intérieur auraient même photographiés de multiples orbes et des brouil lards laiteux. Le vieux sanctuaire serait-il vraiment hanté ? Malgré les sérieuses interdictions de fréquenter les lieux, ceux-ci se révèlent bien inspirants pour les imaginations fertiles.

monlivredesombres.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/lobscur-secret...

St. Matthew Anglican Church mysteriously sits in the middle of a field near a deserted woodland on Route 209, 2.7 km from the village of Saint-Chrysostome, Québec. Built in 1847 at the place of Edwardstown, the small church is strangely not facing the road, but facing the setting sun. Even more curiously, the gravestones of his cemetery face rather the rising sun. For the past several years, the vicinity of St. Matthew Church has said to be haunted. Some nights, witnesses are convinced of having seen vaporous silhouettes circulating near the old church, others would have experienced unpleasant sensations of choking just a few meters from the building. Some reckless ones who had penetrated illegally inside would have even photographed multiple orbs and milky bumps. Would the old sanctuary really be haunted? In spite of the serious prohibitions of frequenting the places, these are proving very inspiring for the fertile imaginations.

No. 4: Bearing Up by Taylor Wimpey 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) |

Wien, 1. Bezirk (historic buildings in the core of downtown Vienna), Wiener Börse, Vienna Stock Exchange, Borsa di Vienna, Bolsa de Viena, Bourse de Vienne, Wiedeńska Giełda Papierów Wartościowych (Schottenring/Wipplingerstraße) by Alfred Lex

The Vienna Stock Exchange, founded in 1771 as one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world, is now a modern, customer- and market-based financial services company. It not only operates the only securities exchange in Austria, but the Austrian electricity EXAA and the CEGH Gas Exchange of the Vienna Stock Exchange. The main business areas include trading in the cash market (equity market, bond market), at the futures market and in structured products. Additional services include sales data, index development and management, and financial market specific seminars and courses. The Vienna Stock Exchange is the initiator and as well as the stock exchanges of Budapest, Ljubljana and Prague, a 100 % subsidiary of the CEE Stock Exchange Group (CEESEG), the largest exchange group in Central and Eastern Europe.

History

The Vienna Stock Exchange was founded by Maria Theresa and is one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world. Initially, only bonds, bills and foreign exchanges were traded. The Austrian National Bank was in 1818 the first public company listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.

In the middle of the 19th Century, the growing industrialization brought a huge economic boom and many companies financed themselves with stock issues on the bourse. A liberal economic policy favored hasty and sometimes unsound business ventures. These factors set off a wave of speculations that on 9 May 1873 with the Vienna stock market crash ended abruptly. About half of public companies disappeared from the exchanges. It took years till the stock market of the Vienna Stock Exchange recovered from this setback .

Old stock exchange building in Vienna's Ringstrasse, built in 1877 by Theophil von Hansen.

New regulations and stock exchange laws had become necessary in order to handle the increasingly lively trade in an orderly fashion. 1875 third exchange law was enacted in the history of the Vienna Stock Exchange, which guaranteed the complete autonomy of the Vienna Stock Exchange and a smooth trading process. 1877, the by Theophil von Hansen designed historic stock exchange building on Scots ring (Schottenring) was inaugurated.

From the end of the 19th Century until the outbreak of the First World War, the situation on the capital market further consolidated. During the First World War, the stock market was closed. Not until the end of 1919, the official stock trading was resumed and the Vienna Stock Exchange experienced again a strong inflow and a boom, which ended abruptly with a crash in March, 1924. Share prices rebounded in Vienna in the following years just slowy. However, the fall in prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929 had no significant impact on Vienna.

Although the position of the Vienna Stock Exchange was severely diminished as a financial center by the fall of the monarchy, it kept for South Eastern Europe continued importance. Among the 205 shares that were traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange in 1937, yet there were 75 from the Succession States.

With the annexation of Austria to the German Reich in 1938, the Vienna Stock Exchange lost its independence and was subordinated to the German stock exchange law. Securities trading itself was - albeit very limited - continued until shortly before the end of the Second World War. In 1948 the stock market was reopened. The stock market suffered after the war by the nationalization of individual industries a certain narrowing. The bond market, however, had recovered after the currency reform in 1952.

A major fire on 13 April 1956 destroyed a part of the exchange building. The building was re-opened in December, 1959.

While the bond market of the Vienna Stock Exchange grew steadily, the stock trading continued to lead a shadowy existence. The big change came only in 1985, when an American analyst triggered a stock market boom by drewing the attention to the extremely high potential of the Austrian capital market. After two decades of stagnant rates, it came to price increases of 130 %. Revenues increased six-fold. That changed the hitherto rather subdued setting of economic policy to the stock market. A number of large companies in the following years went on the market, such as RHI, OMV (1987), Austrian Airlines, Verbund (1988), EVN (1989). From mid-1988 on the Vienna stock exchange once again began a stock market boom, which lasted until August 1990.

In December 1997, the Vienna Stock Exchange with the Austrian Futures and Options Exchange (ÖTOB) was fused to the new Wiener Börse AG.

In January 1998, the Vienna Stock Exchange moved to premises of the OeKB at Strauchgasse 1-3 and in the Wallnerstraße 8, 1014 Vienna.

Following the decision to privatize the Vienna Stock Exchange, the Exchange Chamber was dissolved in June 1999 and the ownership shares (50% of the shares) the Austrian issuers (except banks) offered to buy.

Since November 1999, the trade in securities takes place via the fully electronic trading system Xetra ®.

End of 2001, the Vienna Stock Exchange moved to the Palais Caprara-Geymüller.

The Vienna Stock Exchange had remained untouched by the market declines, as the major international exchanges experienced in late 2002. 2003, the cash market of the Vienna Stock Exchange began to revive. Austrian companies managed to position themselves after the EU enlargement in Eastern Europe well, which had a positive impact on the performance of the ATX. The rise of the Vienna Stock Exchange increased the interest of both domestic and international investors in the Austrian capital market.

An Austrian consortium of Austrian banks, the Vienna Stock Exchange, and OeKB, acquired in 2004 the majority of the Budapest Stock Exchange. This partnership was the foundation for an exchange network that has been steadily expanded through cooperation agreements with many exchanges in the Southeast European region, such as Bucharest, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia, Sarajevo, Montenegro, Macedonia and Banja Luka.

In July 2004, climbed the ATX, which represents the 20 largest listed companies in Austria, for the first time over the 2,000 point mark, in June 2005, it reached the 3,000-point mark and in May 2006 the ATX broke through the 4,000-point mark. In 2008, the Vienna Stock Exchange was unable to escape the turmoil in the international financial markets. Especially in the second half of the year had the ATX experienced large losses and closed at 1,750.83 points by the end of 2008. Was 2009 at the beginning of the year still overshadowed by the financial and economic crisis, which had in the previous year reached its peak, began after repeated strong losses from mid-March a rally. The boom on the Vienna Stock Exchange turned out in comparison to other international financial centers even significantly above average, and although the ATX in recent months tended sideways, it closed in 2009 with an increase of approximately 42.5 % at 2,495.56 points.

After the acquisition of majority stakes in the three neighboring exchanges of Budapest, Ljubljana and Prague in June 2008, the Vienna Stock Exchange in 2009 devoted to the intensive formation of the CEE Stock Exchange Group - initially in the form of a common brand. On 14 January 2010, the holding company CEESEG was entered in the commercial register. Subordinaded to it are now the stock exchanges of Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Prague equally as affiliates. Sole shareholder of Wiener Börse AG is now the CEESEG, the previous shareholders of Wiener Börse AG are now shareholders of CEESEG.

Corporate Structure

The Vienna Stock Exchange is a 100 % subsidiary of CEESEG. This is 52% of Austrian banks and 48% of Austrian companies.

Largest securities offerings

Biggest IPOs:

2007: Strabag SE, € 1,325.4 million

2005: Raiffeisen International, € 1,113.8 million

2000: Telekom Austria, € 1,008 million

2003: Bank Austria Creditanstalt, € 957.9 million

2006: Austrian Post, € 651.7 million

Largest capital:

2006: First Bank, € 2,918 million

2007: IMMOEaST, € 2,835 million

2006: IMMOEaST, € 2,752 million

2009: First Group, € 1,740 million

2007: Raiffeisen International, € 1,237 million

Indices

Wiener Börse calculates and distributes a number of indices, including several Eastern European indices which are known under the name "CECE indices".

The most important index calculated by the Vienna Stock Exchange is the trade flow index ATX, which comprises the 20 most liquid Vienna values.

CEE stock indexes are available for the Czech Republic (CTX - Czech Traded Index), Hungary (HTX - Hungarian Traded Index), Poland (PTX - Polish Traded Index), Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria as well as indexes for the entire region (CECE Composite Index, SETX, CECE CECE MID , NTX). Furthermore significant, a total of 10 CIS indices.

In addition, the Vienna Stock Exchange is calculating the China Traded Index (CNX) from the closing prices (about 8:45 clock).

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_B%C3%B6rse

Asylum#11 by Mary Adrenaline

2

Lauren Breunig performing in "Asylum", the first immersive, site-specific, interactive theatrical play in the style of Punch Drunk’s "Sleep No More", taking place in Phoenix Arizona. The show is produced by Vessel, co-directed by Rachel Bowditch and Eileen Standley, designed by a team of six designers featuring 5 dancers, 4 actors, and an aerialist.

VESSEL PROJECT

Location: The Ice House

Lauren Breunig, circus artist.

Cool Brewing Coffee images by Joseph Cettina

2

A few nice Brewing Coffee images I found:Kosher for Passover (1936) ...Make Homemade Iced Coffee That Tastes as Good as Store-Bought - CREAMY COLD CAPPUCCINO (dairy) (Jul 11th, 2012) ...Image by marsmet545The following recipes all have specific amounts for the ingredients, but know with a coffee drink some will prefer a stronge tasting beverage and others will like it creamier. Feel free to play with the amounts of milk to coffee to sugar to flavoring if you taste buds tell you the recipe needs a little tweaking. You won’t ruin anything; in fact, you may just invent a new way to serve yourself a cup of Joe.........***** All images are copyrighted by their respective authors ............................................................................................................................................................................................................item 1).... ORTHODOX UNION ... www.ou.org/life/food/recipes ... Enhancing Jewish Life ...Make Homemade Iced Coffee That Tastes as Good as Store-BoughtBy Eileen Goltz | Jul 11th, 2012www.ou.org/life/food/recipes/make-homemade-iced-coffee-ta...Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog or web site.When is it too hot to drink hot coffee? My guess is that most people would say RIGHT NOW. When doesn’t it make sense to pay over .00 for an iced coffee drink? Again, my answer would have to be RIGHT NOW.I am by no means suggesting that anyone give up hot coffee forever or occasionally stopping by your favorite java joint to indulge in a treat. I am suggesting that we take our love for that addictive bitter brew and turn it into something that isn’t making us unnecessarily hot (isn’t the heat wave enough?) and costing us an arm and a leg every time we buy it.So that leaves us with: homemade iced coffee.For true iced coffee you do not, I repeat, do not want to just brew up a pot of your regular blend and let it get cold. Hot brewed or leftover coffee will give you a bitter iced coffee. Rather you want to cold brew your coffee. By cold brewing your coffee base you will get a smoother, less bitter beverage that is perfect for combining with a variety of ingredients.For the most part you want to use a coarsely ground coffee to make your cold brewed coffee, and for those of you with a favorite blend or brand, go right ahead and use it. Caffeine or no caffeine, your choice. However, since most of the time cold coffee is combined with other ingredients, you can use a less expensive brand and still have the flavor of the bean come through.The follow recipes can all be mad pareve if you want to serve them after a meat meal or if you’re allergic to dairy or have lactose intolerance. I would suggest you use rice milk, almond milk or soy milk rather than the coffee creamers, which a) for the most part are dairy and b) have bunches of additives and chemicals in their ingredients.The following recipes all have specific amounts for the ingredients, but know with a coffee drink some will prefer a stronge tasting beverage and others will like it creamier. Feel free to play with the amounts of milk to coffee to sugar to flavoring if you taste buds tell you the recipe needs a little tweaking. You won’t ruin anything; in fact, you may just invent a new way to serve yourself a cup of Joe.Note: several recipes call for instant coffee instead of brewed coffee. The taste is a little less robust but it works just fine...-----COLD BREWED COFFEE (pareve)Ingredients:1 gallon cold water1 lb bag of your favorite coarse ground coffeeCoffee filtersStrainerDirections:Pour a gallon of water into a large bowl. Add the coffee and stir until the coffee iscompletely wet. Cover and let the mixture sit for at least 12 hours (I always do this early in the evening and it’s ready to go in the morning).Line your strainer with coffee filters and place it in a large bowl. Gently pour the coffee over the filters, making sure not to have too much of the coffee grounds pour out at once. You may want to do this in stages, replacing the filters once or twice during the straining. When you’re done you can put the cold coffee in a container with a lid; it keeps for up to 4 weeks (it makes A LOT of cold coffee).My files, source unknown...-----MOCHA WHIPPED COFFEE (dairy or pareve)This recipe can be doubled or tripled.......................................img code photo ... MOCHA WHIPPED COFFEE (dairy or pareve)www.ou.org/life/files/iStock_000011771370XSmall-200x300.jpg......................................Servings: 4Ingredients:6 cups cold coffee (stronger is better)2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional cocoa powder for garnish2 cups milk or non-dairy substituteCan of whipped cream or whipped topping (optional)Chocolate syrup or cocoa powder (optional)Directions:Fill ice-cube trays with 3 cups of the coffee and freeze them. Place the remaining 3 cups of coffee in blender and process until smooth. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate. When the coffee cubes are frozen place 1/2 of them in a blender and process until they are crushed. Place the crushed coffee cubes in the pitcher with the coffee and cocoa and mix to combine. Place the remaining coffee cubes in the blender and process until crushed. Divide the crushed ice between 4 glasses and then pour the coffee and cocoa mixture between the glasses. Top with whipped cream and cocoa powder or syrup.Modified from gourmetsleuth.com... -----CINNAMON AND CARAMEL ICED COFFEE (dairy)For this recipe you will need hot coffee to start the process.Ingredients:1 1/2 to 2 cups hot coffee (the stronger the better)1/3 to 1/2 cup caramel dessert topping2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, to tasteIce cubes1 1/2 cups cold milkWhipped cream, for garnish (optional)Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)Extra caramel sauce for garnish (optional)Directions:In a bowl combine the hot coffee and the caramel topping (you can fudge the amounts if you prefer a more caramel or coffee flavor). Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the mixture is cold. When you’re ready to serve, fill 2 tall glasses with crushed ice and fill about 1/3 of each glass (or more if you prefer) with milk. Then fill the glass with the coffee mixture and stir to combine. You can top with whipped cream, extra caramel sauce or a dash of cinnamon.My files, source unknown... -----CREAMY COLD CAPPUCCINO (dairy)Servings: 4Ingredients:1 1/2 cups cold coffee (the stronger the better)1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk1/2 cup half-and-half cream1/2 teaspoon vanillaDirections:In a pitcher combine the coffee and milk. Whisk in half-and-half and vanilla. Fill 4 glasses with crushed ice and pour the coffee and milk mixture over the ice.Modified from smittenkitten.com... -----INSTANT VANILLA ICED COFFEE (dairy or pareve)Servings: 1Ingredients:2 teaspoons instant coffee1 1/2 teaspoons vanillaSugar to taste (I use brown sugar)2 teaspoons cold water1 1/4 cups milk or non dairy substituteChocolate sprinkles (optional)Directions:In a blender combine the instant coffee, vanilla, sugar, water and milk. Process until smooth and the pour into a tall glass with crushed ice. Garnish with sprinkles.Note: you can always add the ice to the blender if you prefer more of a slushie.Submitted by Angie McDonald of Kalamazoo, MI... -----ORANGE ICED COFFEE (pareve)Ingredients:1/2 cup Maxwell House Instant Coffee1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar6 orange zest strips (each 2×1/2 inch)1/2 teaspoon ground allspice1/2 teaspoon cinnamon8 cups boiling waterDirections:Mix all ingredients except boiling water in medium bowl. Add boiling water; stir until coffee granules are completely dissolved and mixture is well blended. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve over ice cubes in eight tall glasses.Modified from kraft.com... -----MOCHA BANANA FRAPEE (dairy or pareve)Servings: 2Ingredients:1 ripe banana2 tablespoons instant coffee powder or 1/2 cup cold coffee (or more to taste)2 tablespoons instant cocoa mix (or more to taste)8 to 10 ice cubes1 1/2 to 2 cups milk (or non-dairy substitute)Directions:Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. You many need to add more milk or ice depending on the consistency you prefer. Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Website. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Group, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit Free Press and Woman’s World Magazine. You can visit Eileen’s blog by clicking: Cuisine by Eileen.SHARE................................................................................................................................................................................................Brewed Coffee by Mc CafeImage by upto6only.comnice way to start your day with a freshly brewed coffee at Mc Donalds + a good book, Before Ever After

Artem's Laguna Seca Blue BMW F82 M4 Heritage Edition with 18" ARC-8 Wheels in Anthracite by Apex Wheels

F8X- specific wheels required for brake clearance: www.apexraceparts.com/store/wheels/arc-8-wheels/18x10-et2...

Front: 18x9.5" ET22 with 275/35-18 Nitto NT01

Rear: 18x11" ET44 with 305/35-18 Nitto NT01

Factory M4 Competition Package Alignment Specs

Lowered on Macht Schnell Competition Springs w/ Factory EDC

Owner:

www.instagram.com/ruskii_m4

Defenstration - San Francisco by Konrad Summers

1

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.

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

Paws in the Duke of York Square 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) |

Defenstration - San Francisco by Konrad Summers

1

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.

To be specific Matilda asked for rainbow colored gloves encrusted with sequins and rhinestones. Nothing less would do . . . All work posted here is copyrighted by rhodyart1960. Do not use for wallpaper, profile pictures, and the like without my permission by lin collette

25AU5855WZ-SharpenAI-Focus-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise by Bruce Symington

2

Sow Thistle

s specific epithet oleraceus means "vegetable/herbal".[9][10][a] The common name 'sow thistle' refers to its attractiveness to pigs, and the similarity of the leaf to younger thistle plants. The common name 'hare's thistle' refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits.[11]

Invasiveness

Annual sowthistle is considered an invasive species due to its rapid growth, prolific seed production, and wide dispersal. The plant thrives in disturbed environments, such as roadsides and agricultural fields, spreading aggressively through wind-dispersed seeds. It forms dense populations that outcompete native vegetation by quickly establishing in open areas, particularly after soil disturbance. Sowthistle's resilience to various soil types and its ability to reseed itself make it difficult to control in many regions.[12][13][14]

In Australia it is a common and widespread invasive species, with large infestations a serious problem in crops.[15]

Uses

Green salad with carrot, cucumber, onion, sowthistle leaves, and tomato slices

The leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach. This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as kŭcài (苦菜; lit. bitter vegetable).[citation needed] The younger leaves are less bitter and better to eat raw. Steaming can remove the bitterness of older leaves.[16] The younger roots are also edible and can suffice as a coffee substitute.[17]

Nutrition

Nutritional analysis reveals 30–40 mg of vitamin C per 100g of plant, 1.2% protein, 0.3% fat, 2.4% carbohydrate. Leaf dry matter analysis per 100 g (likely to vary with growing conditions) shows: 45 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 22 g ash, 5.9 g fibre, 4.5 g fat; in all, providing 265 calories.

Minerals

Calcium: 1500 mg

Phosphorus: 500 mg

Iron: 45.6 mg

Magnesium: 0 mg

Sodium: 0 mg

Potassium: 0 mg

Zinc: 0 mg

Vitamins

A: 35 mg

Thiamine (B1): 1.5 mg

Riboflavin (B2): 5 mg

Niacin: 5 mg

B6: 0 mg

C: 60 mg

Herbalism

Sonchus oleraceus has a variety of uses in herbalism. It also has been ascribed medicinal qualities similar to dandelion and succory.[11] When the plant was introduced to New Zealand, the Māori people found it similar to and as palatable as their native pūhā or S. kirkii (also known as raurōroa),[4] thus also picked up S. oleraceus (since also named rauriki) for similar food and medical use.[18][19]

Native Americans had many uses for this plant. Pima used its gum as a "cure for the opium habit," as a cathartic, and as a food, where the "{l}eaves and stems {were} rubbed between the palms of the hands and eaten raw" and sometimes "boiled." The Yaqui used the plant as a vegetable, where the "{t}ender, young leaves boiled in salted water with chile and eaten as greens." The Kamia (Kumeyaay) "boiled {the} leaves {and} used {it} for food as greens." The {Houma} used it as an abortifacient where an "{i}nfusion of {the} plant {was} taken to 'make tardy menstruation come;'" an antidiarrheal; for children that were teething; and as hog feed.[20]

The Samaritans eat the leafs of this bitter plant on the feast of passover. The bitter leafs are eaten together with Paschal lamb and unleavened bread, as dictated by the Bible (Exodus 12, 8): “ They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Thus, the Samaritans identify Sonchus oleraceus with the bitter herbs.

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

4

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.

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

Photo taken via Nikon Gears on 30.07.2017

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

specific goal by Mac-xime

1 3

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) |

2019-07-09 @16.33.38.65 ~ Haleakala Crater by Sansei247

Haleakala Crater hike on 7/9/2019

I caught the first Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui from Oahu which left at 5:05 am, arrival at 5:44 am.

I took a carryon duffel bag and a photo backpack ( no checked bags )

Picked up my rental car from Alamo and first stopped at 7-Eleven for water, food and snacks.

Maui Airport has changed. All the car rental companies moved to one central location reachable by tram. Additonally a specific Airport Access road was constructed and in use by this trip.

7:40 am left 7-Eleven for Haleakala.

7:30 am arrived at park entrance. $25 entrance fee by credit card only.

8:00 am arrived at Halemau'u trail head parking lot. Filled my CamelBak bladder with 3L of water, redistributed my equipment and used the bathroom to add a thermal underwear layer for the cold.

8:40 am left the parking lot and went to the Hitchhiking spot to wait for a ride. I was picked up by the 3rd car to come along. A single young male on vacation by himself. As I was grabbing my things to get into his car a mother and young son came up and asked to share the ride. I only waited maybe 5 minutes to catch a ride.

9:00 am arrived at the Summit Visitor Center parking lot. The driver had never been up to Haleakala even after visiting Maui a couple of times before, and he was considering doing a short hike while up there. I would be passed by him and the other hitch hiker about a mile down the trail later.

9:15 am after a short look around at the lookout and tightening up my boot laces, I started on Keonehe'ehe'e ( Sliding Sands Trail )

11:51 am I would get to the bottom of the crater and the trail for Holua cabins or Kapaloa, Paliku cabins. Ate lunch of one Spam musube.

12:06 pm I would start on the trial to Holua Cabin

12:59 pm top of the ascent to "Ka Moa o Pele"

1:24 pm trail juncture on the left of "Halali'i"

2:14 pm Silver Sword loop begin ( did not take the loop )

2:22 pm Silver Sword loop end

3:05 pm Holua Cabin - rested

3:32 pm left Holua Cabin and headed out on Halemau'u trail and the crater rim.

4:13 pm arrived at base of crater rim and the start of the switchbacks up the crater wall. rested and stretched.

4:27 pm started up the crater rim switch backs.

6:56 pm I would reach the flat narrow spot I consider the end of the switchbacks.

7:00 pm the temperature would be 56 degrees and dropping down to 52 degrees ( not including windchill )

7:10 pm Sunset, and I was hiking in dark shadow. Too dark to take meaningful pictures or pics of my watch.

8:00 pm I would reach the Halemau'u parking lot and my car.

8:30 pm I would finish unloading and repacking bags for going to my hotel and possibly doing some astro photography.

8:45 pm arrive at Kalahaku overlook to check out the possibility of astro photography. The 50% moon washed out the Milky way too much, stars were visible and I was starting to yawn. So I didn't, and I left at 9:05 pm for Kahului and a shower.

I used up all my water, when I got to my hotel and check, the hydration bladder was flat. Possibly one or two sips left in the tube. This was the 2nd time hiking this trail. Both times I brought a collapsable water bag w/filter to refil water at Holua and did not. If I do this again I really, REALLY need to refill water at Holua cabin.

The weather reports for the previous week were about the possibility of hurricane Barbera hitting the islands the day before my trip. Fortunately Barbera down graded and by the time of my trip and predictions for the summit were somewhat cloudy with occasional showers. While hiking I only encountered a few light drizzle/drops from the clouds that didn't require me to break out any of the rain gear I brought or to stow my cameras from rain.

The weather at the summit was cloudy and approximately 65 degrees with windchill. Along the hike until the ascent up the crater rim at the end, the temperature would not seem as cold as I expected or remember from my previous hike a couple of years ago. Possibly due to my wearing thermal underwear, hiking pants, a medium thick long sleeve athletic shirt beneath a button long sleeve hiking shirt and my broad brimmed hat of course. While moving I felt cool and relatively comfortable temperature wise, while raising a slight glistening sweat. At least it wasn't dripping into my eyes.

Keeping to my expected and normal average hiking pace of around 1 mph or less going down hill and across the flats, I would take pictures about every 1-2 hundred feet of the trail. Boring, but I like to document the trail condition. In addition to any interesting views, scenery or recording the weather.

I kept one of my watches attached to my sleeve so it would not be in skin contact and would mostly dangle in my body shade. This would give me a way of tracking my elevation and mostly the temperature.

There were many more day hikers actually crossing the crater along the same route I was going. Most notable was the mother and son that caught a ride with me. They met up with her husband and other son who caught another ride a bit later.

Probably all the hikers that were crossing the crater caught up to me and passed me, and they all started later than I did. The only people who caught up but didn't pass me were 3 female park rangers on their way to Holua Cabin and pretty much started doing their park ranger stuff in the area where they caught up to me and didn't catch up again.

I was constantly annoyed by the hikers I would see taking short cuts along the trail. I had to remind myself to not get pissy with them. I'm tempted to think the only other hikers on the trail that did not take short cuts were the park rangers I met.

Personally, I started the hike with a kinda sharp lower back pain, which had been ongoing since the previous week. But since this hike was already book and paid for I wasn't going to cancel. All thru the hike my back would be in constant pain and I would continually think I might have to give up hiking if my back doesn't get better. It was most painful going down hill, while the flats and going up weren't as bad.

I was hoping the strain and constant back movement would loosen up my lower back and aleviate my pain. Supprisingly, while getting on my stomach with all my gear still on me, when I got up my lower back was better. The pain would come and go, but could now be aleviated for short periods of time by taking off all my gear and bending over to stretch my back. When I would get home, my lower back pain issues would return to "normal"

Evidently, the dry cold air and constant breeze caused my face and lips to chap, which showed up a day after I got home.

Once again I brought chapstick but didn't use it.

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

CamelBak Octane 16X Hydration Pack (3L Hydration bladder)

3 liters of water = 6.6 pounds

1x Nikon D700 w/battery grip - Nikon 28-300mm

1x Nikon D700 w/out grip - Rokinon 12mm f2.8 fisheye

Tokina 16-28mm f2.8

Camera & lens weight = 12 pounds

I brought both cameras to reduce the amount of time spent changing lenses and the possibility of getting grit on the camera sensors. Turns out I never changed to the 16-28 so never removed any lens. Yay, no spots in my pictures, Bo, lugged another heavy lens around for nothing. At least I left the 100mm macro in the car already.

Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico sn2841SA - 1961 by Peter Blackert

1

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.

“Untitled (It)” by Barbara Kruger by Natasha Marco

2

Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Canada

by navema

www.navemastudios.com

A site-specific work by American artist Barbara Kruger was currently on display along the façade of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto. The public installation was located on the north facade of the Frank Gehry designed gallery as part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival. The piece was created by Kruger in response to the festival’s theme ‘pervasive influence’. The work consists of a series of found images and statements that includes ‘shove it’, ‘love it’, ‘kiss it’, believe it’ and ‘shame it’. The project aims to explore ‘how photography informs and transforms human behavior, especially via the medium’s connections to mass media, advertising, consumerism, and propaganda.’ The installation was on view from May 1, 2010 until August 30, 2010.

For more info, visit: scotiabankcontactphoto.com/events/185

ABOUT BARBARA KRUGER:

Since the 1980s, the American conceptual artist Barbara Kruger has deftly dissected the visual and graphic codes of advertising, consumerism, marketing and propaganda. Her bold works – declarative texts juxtaposed with found images – question the assumptions embedded in advertising and the limits of individual agency in a consumer society. Kruger’s works highlight photography’s complicity in reinforcing ideologies of power and control; in maintaining gender stereotypes; and in stimulating consumer desire. The message of her work remains relevant, and her critical stance remains potent as the boundaries between advertising, journalism, and entertainment continue to shift and blur. She has said, “I work with pictures and words because they have the ability to determine who we are and who we aren’t.”

Kruger was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1945, and studied at Syracuse University, the School of Visual Arts, and Parsons School of Design, New York. Her work is in the collections of major national and international museums, and she has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Palazzo delle Papesse, Centro Arte Contemporanea, Siena, Italy; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; and Mary Boone Gallery, New York. The artist lives in Los Angeles, where she is a professor at UCLA, and New York City.

Much of Kruger's graphic work consists of black-and-white photographs with overlaid captions set in white-on-red Futura Bold Oblique. The phrases included in her work are usually declarative, and make common use of such pronouns as "you", "I", "we", and "they". The juxtaposition of imagery and text containing criticism of sexism and the circulation of power within cultures is a recurring motif in Kruger's work. The text in her works of the 1980s includes such phrases as "Your comfort is my silence" (1981), "You invest in the divinity of the masterpiece" (1982), and "I shop therefore I am" (1987). She has said that "I work with pictures and words because they have the ability to determine who we are and who we aren’t.

Kruger's words and pictures have been displayed in both galleries and public spaces, as well as framed and unframed photographs, posters, postcards, t-shirts, electronic signboards, billboards and on a train station platform in Strasbourg, France. For the past decade Kruger has created installations of video, film, audio and projection. Enveloping the viewer with the seductions of direct address, her work is consistently about the kindnesses and brutalities of social life: about how we are to one another.

For more info, visit: www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kru...

20131211-OSEC-LSC-0107 by U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden present the Secretary’s Honor Award to Forest Service (FS), Hilo, HI employee M. Tracy Johnson, Ph.D., for his outstanding leadership in delivering to the State of Hawaii an effective host-specific biological control agent against the invasive species, strawberry guave at the 2013 Secretary's Honor Awards in the Jefferson Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres by Marc Wathieu

1

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

Project specific pad at Patan momo place by alexander_stein_taech

9

Nepal- studies of lioness inside

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

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

Bird in Tree Project by Jesse Wagstaff

6 3

This was for my Site Specific Design Course. Yes, that is really a 17" CRT computer monitor hanging there in the tree. This plays on the idea of how a digital image (something you would not normally expect to find in a tree) would replace a bird, something you would expect to find outdoors in a tree.

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.

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

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.

Most Popular

Acne

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

June 9, 2020

Acne, Types of Acne

Pimples on the Temple: Causes and Treatment

June 9, 2020

Acne, Causes

Acne Causes, Signs, Treatment and Home Remedies

June 9, 2020

Acne, Home Remedies

Acne Apple Cider Vinegar – A Natural Remedy

June 9, 2020

Acne

What is Acne and It’s Treatment?

June 9, 2020

Acne

Acne – Behaviors and Treatments

June 9, 2020

Tips

How to Take Care of My Skin Under Mask?

June 9, 2020

Types of Acne

How to Prevent and Treat Hormonal Acne?

June 9, 2020

Home Remedies

Waiting for the Summer? Its Finally Coming

June 9, 2020

Acne, Treatment

How to Get Rid of Acne on the Back?

June 9, 2020

Tips

How to Prevent Wrinkles – Expert Advice

June 6, 2020

Home Remedies

Nutritional Supplements – 15 Most Effective Nutritional Supplements

June 6, 2020

Home Remedies

Natural Skin Care Secrets for Radiant Glowing Skin

June 6, 2020

Treatment, Types of Acne

Fungal Acne – The Fastest Way to Treat Fungal Acne

June 5, 2020

The post Acne Around the Mouth: What Is the Cause of Their Appearance? appeared first on Acne Vulgaris.

via Acne Vugaris ift.tt/2AaUyGU

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

The Photographer's Shadow by Henry L.

8 35

While giving directions.

Black + White Romantic Wedding by DWC

2

Colors: Blush Pink, Black, White + Ivory

What inspired me to produce this specific look and feel came from a set of J.Crew necklaces. It's featured in the 2nd board on the black sweep. Like usual, I fall in love with jewelry; but this time it was for the layered baguette crystal and pearl strands.

The style and mood that seemed to emanate from the necklace was something romantic, modern & European. For the color palette, I went with classical, soft pinkish hues to soften the strong black and white tones. Delicate fabrics like the lace featured on the Vera Wang bridal gown below certainly plays up the romance factor. The bedroom, to the right, totally complements the mood that I am going for.

The perfect flowers to accompany this decor are the white & pink anemones. The soft, frilly petals contrast its dark, graphic center. If you want some matching glitz for the reception tables, check out some of ZGallerie's tabletop accessories like the jeweled tealight holder seen below.

To see more inspiring design projects, visit www.designwithchon.com

Like me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/DesignWithChon

.............................

Design With Chon (DWC), a boutique design studio with defined niches in (1) visual communication, (2) event design and (3) interiors. Each of these industries are huge in themselves, but DWC has an understanding that bridges them together — color, balance, texture, order and a good eye for design. DWC’s goal is to achieve good design in all its various forms, whether it’s from the branding of your business to saying “I do” to transforming a dwelling in your home. Let me, “Chon," be your go-to person for good design, color, great photography and art. A balanced environment makes you feel good, and I am here to inspire your surroundings.

If you’re interested in sharing an idea or a project, drop me a line at designwithchon[at]gmail.com to start the conversation.

Asylum#2 by Mary Adrenaline

2

Candid shot captured during "Asylum", the first immersive, site-specific, interactive theatrical play in the style of Punch Drunk’s "Sleep No More", taking place in Phoenix Arizona. The show is produced by Vessel, co-directed by Rachel Bowditch and Eileen Standley, designed by a team of six designers featuring 5 dancers, 4 actors, and an aerialist.

VESSEL PROJECT

Location: The Ice House

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

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.

2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, Graduation | CST 2023 by U.S. Army Cadet Command (Army ROTC)

1

Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp graduate at Fort Knox Ky., July 9, 2023. Specific cadets were given awards for various achievements throughout Advanced Camp. |Photo by Emily Hudson, Murray State University, Public Affairs Office

Asylum#9 by Mary Adrenaline

1

Candid shot captured during "Asylum", the first immersive, site-specific, interactive theatrical play in the style of Punch Drunk’s "Sleep No More", taking place in Phoenix Arizona. The show is produced by Vessel, co-directed by Rachel Bowditch and Eileen Standley, designed by a team of six designers featuring 5 dancers, 4 actors, and an aerialist.

VESSEL PROJECT

Location: The Ice House

Bike Stacks by New York City Department of Transportation

1

"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/

Tags specific

View allAll Photos Tagged specific