Orchid amazing flower
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Orchid, (family Orchidaceae), any of nearly 1,000 genera and more than 25,000 species of attractively flowered plants distributed throughout the world, especially in wet tropics. Orchidaceae is a member of Asparagales, an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants that also includes the asparagus and iris families. The word orchid is derived from the Greek word (orchis) for testicle because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of the genus Orchis. These nonwoody perennial plants are generally terrestrial or epiphytic herbs (i.e., growing on other plants rather than rooted in soil). Those attached to other plants often are vine like and have a spongy root covering called the velamen that absorbs water from the surrounding air. Most species manufacture their own food, but some live on dead organic material (saprophytic) or are helped to obtain nourishment by a fungus living in their roots. A single Orchid seedpod can contain millions of Orchid seeds that can be easily compared to the size of a speck of dust that is only visible when under a microscope. This is why it is sort of challenging to grow and cultivate these pretty flowers.
www.flickr.com/photos/184806716@N02/52295679651/in/pool-i...
One special attribute of the orchid flower is that the female parts are fused to the so called column and the male parts are fused together to a pollinarium that sits protected under the anther cap. Three Sepals (outer circle of flower petals) and three Petals (inner circle of flower petals) form the flower.
A newly published study documents evidence of an orchid fossil trapped in Baltic amber that dates back some 45 million years to 55 million years ago, shattering the previous record for an orchid fossil found in Dominican amber some 20-30 million years old.
The word orchid is derived from the Greek word (orchis) for testicle because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of the genus Orchis.
www.flickr.com/photos/184806716@N02/51973189118/in/pool-i...
Orchid, (family Orchidaceae), any of nearly 1,000 genera and more than 25,000 species of attractively flowered plants distributed throughout the world, especially in wet tropics. Orchidaceae is a member of Asparagales, an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants that also includes the asparagus and iris families. The word orchid is derived from the Greek word (orchis) for testicle because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of the genus Orchis. These nonwoody perennial plants are generally terrestrial or epiphytic herbs (i.e., growing on other plants rather than rooted in soil). Those attached to other plants often are vine like and have a spongy root covering called the velamen that absorbs water from the surrounding air. Most species manufacture their own food, but some live on dead organic material (saprophytic) or are helped to obtain nourishment by a fungus living in their roots. A single Orchid seedpod can contain millions of Orchid seeds that can be easily compared to the size of a speck of dust that is only visible when under a microscope. This is why it is sort of challenging to grow and cultivate these pretty flowers.
Magnus, Murdo and Mac had a bit of an axe to grind since Fraser the farmer crushed their testicles and made them into stirks. But this, being Scotland still allowed them to identify as young bulls, although Murdo was talking, even though he didn't have a woman womb, about transitioning into a woman bull (after all it was his right). This did not go down well with his mother who apparently was now a TERF although Murdo, for the life of him, couldn't understand what she had to do with the sodden, well grazed earth he now trampled on. But life out here near Fintry was still pretty good although he and his mates were well looking forward to Friday night, and a pint or two, down at the Fintry Inn. He reckoned all ten of them in his field could get down there, have a good time, and be back by the time before Fraser did his rounds in the morning. If any of them showed any signs of being worse for wear, at least they had no tackle left he could crush as punishment. In other words, they didn't give a bollocks. And that made them bullishly optimistic for the weekend.
La Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II est une galerie commerçante historique de prestige de style néo-classique à tendance baroque du xixe siècle du centre de Milan. Surnommée le « salon de Milan », elle constitue un passage entre la place du dôme de Milan et la Scala. Elle a été baptisée du nom du roi Victor-Emmanuel II d'Italie.
La galerie est due à l'architecte Giuseppe Mengoni. Son projet a été sélectionné au terme d'un concours, parmi plus de 200 propositions au total. Malheureusement, l'architecte ne verra pas la fin de la construction, puisqu'il perd la vie avant que la structure soit achevée.
Sa construction dura onze ans, de 1867 à 1878 et se termina par l'arc de triomphe donnant sur la place du Dôme.
La galleria Vittorio Emanuele II est un des lieux milanais les plus importants du centre-ville pour sa beauté et son prestige. Elle est occupée par de nombreuses boutiques, librairies dont Éditions Feltrinelli, antiquaires, cafés, restaurants, boutiques de luxe dont Armani, Borsalino, Prada et Tod's.
La galerie adopte la forme d'une croix dont les bras s'interceptent en leur centre. L'allée longitudinale, orientée du nord au sud, a une longueur de 196,62 m, tandis que l'allée transversale, plus courte, mesure 105,10 m. Elles présentent une largeur identique égale à 14,50 m.
Elles sont couvertes par une verrière impressionnante. Un arc de triomphe est situé à l'extrémité qui donne sur la place du Dôme.
La galerie est composée d'une structure en partie métallique et surtout de ciment naturel moulé, de couleur ocre. C'est un des plus beaux exemples de l'architecture cimentière, en ciment prompt naturel, du xixe siècle.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy's oldest active shopping arcade and a major landmark of Milan. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the centre of town, the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.
The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades, such as the Burlington Arcade in London, which was the prototype for larger glazed shopping arcades, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels (opened in 1847), the Passazh in St Petersburg (opened in 1848), the Galleria Umberto I in Naples (opened in 1890), and the Budapest Galleria.
The central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome. The Milanese Galleria was larger in scale than its predecessors and was an important step in the evolution of the modern glazed and enclosed shopping mall, of which it was the direct progenitor. It has inspired the use of the term galleria for many other shopping arcades and malls.
On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan's. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals.
The Galleria connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks: The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala, but the Galleria is a landmark in its own right.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
_5D44679
La Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II est une galerie commerçante historique de prestige de style néo-classique à tendance baroque du xixe siècle du centre de Milan. Surnommée le « salon de Milan », elle constitue un passage entre la place du dôme de Milan et la Scala. Elle a été baptisée du nom du roi Victor-Emmanuel II d'Italie.
La galerie est due à l'architecte Giuseppe Mengoni. Son projet a été sélectionné au terme d'un concours, parmi plus de 200 propositions au total. Malheureusement, l'architecte ne verra pas la fin de la construction, puisqu'il perd la vie avant que la structure soit achevée.
Sa construction dura onze ans, de 1867 à 1878 et se termina par l'arc de triomphe donnant sur la place du Dôme.
La galleria Vittorio Emanuele II est un des lieux milanais les plus importants du centre-ville pour sa beauté et son prestige. Elle est occupée par de nombreuses boutiques, librairies dont Éditions Feltrinelli, antiquaires, cafés, restaurants, boutiques de luxe dont Armani, Borsalino, Prada et Tod's.
La galerie adopte la forme d'une croix dont les bras s'interceptent en leur centre. L'allée longitudinale, orientée du nord au sud, a une longueur de 196,62 m, tandis que l'allée transversale, plus courte, mesure 105,10 m. Elles présentent une largeur identique égale à 14,50 m.
Elles sont couvertes par une verrière impressionnante. Un arc de triomphe est situé à l'extrémité qui donne sur la place du Dôme.
La galerie est composée d'une structure en partie métallique et surtout de ciment naturel moulé, de couleur ocre. C'est un des plus beaux exemples de l'architecture cimentière, en ciment prompt naturel, du xixe siècle.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy's oldest active shopping arcade and a major landmark of Milan. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the centre of town, the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.
The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades, such as the Burlington Arcade in London, which was the prototype for larger glazed shopping arcades, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels (opened in 1847), the Passazh in St Petersburg (opened in 1848), the Galleria Umberto I in Naples (opened in 1890), and the Budapest Galleria.
The central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome. The Milanese Galleria was larger in scale than its predecessors and was an important step in the evolution of the modern glazed and enclosed shopping mall, of which it was the direct progenitor. It has inspired the use of the term galleria for many other shopping arcades and malls.
On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan's. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals.
The Galleria connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks: The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala, but the Galleria is a landmark in its own right.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
_5D44629
I have an interesting story that has nothing to do with this photo. Some people noticed that my account was blocked. The photo The Secret of Barbaro was deemed unsafe because Flickr decided that the (green) testicles were real testicles, when in fact they are prickly cucumbers (a rare species).
Nine years ago, I posted a photo of two eggs with lace between them. Flickr decided that my photo contained obvious nudity and that the photo was unsafe. So I had to argue that the eggs were not real buttocks, and that the prickly cucumbers were not real testicles. The saddest part of this story is that I asked an AI to describe the two photos, and the AI replied that the eggs were indeed eggs and that the testicles were indeed limes (not very intelligent), even though they were cucumbers. Thank you for reading and for spending your day reading everything, as this description is very long.
A colorful locomotive consist leads Burlington Northern Santa Fe HKCKPAS westbound through Rock Creek between Bonita and Clinton, Montana, over MRL’s Third Subdivision on October 15, 2000. MRL No. 301, a former Clinchfield/CSX SD45-2 leads the train. Trailing are BN SD60M No. 9214, BNSF GP39M No. 2876, former Santa Fe SD45-2 No. 6471 and GE B40-8 No. 8616. The empty grade between the train and the Clark Fork is Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Extension right-of-way. For 35 years until 2018, Rock Creek was popular in some circles for its annual ‘Testicle Festival’ known as ‘Testy Fest’ each summer at the Rock Creek Lodge, that featured a wild celebration surrounding music, beer and consumption of ‘Rocky Mountain Oysters.’ Their advertising once stated, “You’ll have a ball! If you miss it, you’re nuts!”
A MRL ballast train thunders through the Jefferson River Canyon by Cardwell. It was hot this day, was so tempted to jump in the river. I've never shot a train along this line, seeing them load at Pipestone was a welcome site, especially when they said the had six cars left to load and would be going towards Logan shortly.
We chased the train east, and got another shot at WIllow Creek where I tripped and nearly tore my testicles off on a barbed wired fence. Thankfully the only damage was a small tear in my shorts.
Conwy ▪️ youtu.be/zECTmQdcUcg?si=i08mFiXc_MoApFkl "I knew I was going to see malnutrition. I knew I was going to see relentless mass casualties, but it was just so much worse than I thought. The malnutrition was deeply distressing to witness. Watching newborn babies die of malnutrition, watching children die of malnutrition, watching adults who l'd operate on die of malnutrition..." Casualties: "...many of these kids being brought in were going to food distribution sites, and and the particularly distressing thing was the the the clustering of particular body part shootings on particular days. So one day, for example, we'd see these young boys coming in with predominantly gunshot wounds to the head. Another day gunshot wounds to the neck. Another day gunshot wounds to the chest or the abdomen. One day, even two and a half weeks ago, we saw four young teenage boys, all of whom brought in at the same time with gunshot wounds to the testicles... ... it was inconceivable that it was coincidence. And it just made us all believe this was some sort of obscene target practice, some games being played by the Israeli soldiers." -- PROSCRIBE THE IDF - you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/yvette-cooper-proscribe-th...
"That's so bad guys can't see me bleed."
I was inspired by a lot of Deadpools out there, and the main two were TheLostMinifig and Lightning Bricks on Instagram, because of their awesome emotion heads. I thought mine looked very bland without the wink. Testicle with teeth was inspired by our holy Flickr god. Also, I stole Senor Brick's Quote from his Deadpool pic. Go check all of these out. :)
This was fully painted/sculpted as per everything else on my stream.
I'm happy with this guy, so I'd really appreciate it if you left a comment below. :)
Hope you like it!
-Jared
El tema de la igualdad de género se soluciona rápido.
Si un hombre no hace las tareas del hogar por el hecho de tener testículos, se le cortan y fín del problema.
8 M: Gender equality.
The issue of gender equality is quickly resolved.
If a man does not do housework just because he has testicles, they will be cut off and the problem is over.
This is a boundary marker on the border of northern Montana and southern Saskatchewan. I'm not saying where. Here's a friend - I won't say who - straddling our two countries, perhaps illegally, perhaps not. I won't hazard a guess.
Whether the marker is on the precise borderline or not, I do not know. On the other side of the fence, 50 feet to the left, that's definitely Montana grass. No one need worry. We could easily slip under the wire, but there's nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, and anyway we aren't interested, because we like living on our own side.
But on the lighter side... I just found this in an external drive; a friend sent it to me. I guess it was making the rounds a few years ago. Titled "You Know You've Lived in Saskatchewan Too Long When" - and here are a few excerpts:
- Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor and combine crew on the highway.
- You know who has to pay for the damage to your truck and the dead cow when you hit one.
- You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
- You realize all the festivals across the province are named after fruits, vegetables, grain or testicles.
- You install security lights on your house and barn and leave both unlocked.
- You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
- Driving is better in winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
- Driving in winter is often simply a matter of staying between the fence posts.
- You have never owned a vehicle that did not have cracks in the windshield.
- You find -20* "a little chilly".
- You know someone who has shot themselves accidentally.
- You know someone who's lost their license due to an impaired charge and have seen their tractor or snowmobile parked at the local bar.
To be honest, these are not far from the truth. Actually they ARE true. I became very upset one day when I had to wait for TWO cars to pass while backing out of my driveway.
Photographed in the middle of nowhere, in at least one country but possibly two. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2025 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
You Don't Know What Awkward Is Until The Nurse Examining Your Testicles Tells You To Stop Running Your Fingers Through Her Hair.
City Hall is a building in Southwark, London, which previously served as the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) between July 2002 and December 2021. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. In June 2020, the GLA started a consultation on proposals to vacate City Hall and move to The Crystal, a GLA-owned property in Newham, at the end of 2021. The decision was confirmed on 3 November 2020 and the GLA vacated City Hall on 2 December 2021. The Southwark location is ultimately owned by the government of Kuwait.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall,_London_(Southwark)
Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in July 2002.The building has an unusual bulbous shape, intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg, a human scrotum, a woodlouse or a motorcycle helmet. Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle".
architectuul.com/architecture/london-city-hall
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100x: The 2024 Edition
68/100 London landmarks by night
Apologies for the multiple posts, I don't usually like to spam people's feeds but the mathematically sound will have worked out that there are not enough days left in the year for me to complete this challenge at my current posting rate of one per day..
Image stitched from two camera jpegs
captainkimo.com/cow-testicle-curry-soup-phnom-phen-cambodia
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The Vervet monkey is of medium to large size and has a black-tipped tail which is often longer than its body. Its fur is olive or gray, lighter on the underside. Its hands and feet are black, as are its ears and face. Its face has a white band above it, framed with white cheek tufts. Its arms and legs are long, about the same length as each other, to enable the monkey to walk with ease on all fours while on the ground, and this actually makes it quite speedy when running. The males tend to be bigger than the females and are easily distinguishable, with their bright blue testicles.
The small monkey’s society is built on complex but stable social groups (called troops) of ten to 50 individuals — mainly adult females and their offspring. There is a strict social hierarchy among troop members. The hierarchical system controls feeding, mating, fighting, friendships, survival, and even grooming — an important part of the vervet’s life.
Newborns have black hair and a pink face, and it takes three or four months before they acquire adult coloration. Infants spend the first week of life clinging to their mother's stomach. After about the third week, they begin to move about by themselves and attempt to play with other young monkeys.
Leaves and young shoots are most important in their diet, but bark, flowers, fruit, bulbs, roots, and grass seeds are also consumed. Their mainly vegetarian diet is supplemented with insects, grubs, eggs, baby birds, and sometimes rodents and hares. Vervets rarely drink water. (Wikipedia)
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A lovely find! A small troupe of this monkeys were near the entrance to the gardens. This mother and her baby strolled by, giving us a great first mammal for our first trip to Africa.
Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Uganda. January 2017.
captainkimo.com/thai-guy-selling-grilled-bbq-pork-balls
These aren't pig testicles but pork meet rolled into ball form. Like sausages but smaller and ball shaped instead of the tradition sausage shape. I gave it a try and didn't like it. It had way too much grease and fat. These country folks love eating fat.
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Men “check” their testicles on average seven times a day, a survey suggests. Two thousand men were asked how often they touch themselves “down there”. While seven was the average, nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to putting their hands down their boxers at least 10 times a day.
- - - Who does this sort of research ?
Market stalls, Barcelona, Spain.
Was in the hospital last year for tests and such. They had me on oxygen with one of those masks over my face. The nurse came in and I mumbled "Nurse, are my testicles black?" She came over to the bed and raised my gown, held my penis in one hand and my testicles in the other while leaning down real close to inspect them and said, "There's nothing wrong with them, Sir." I took off the oxygen mask and smiled at her while speaking very slowly, "Thanks for that. That was great But listen very, very carefully...Are my test results back?"
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy's oldest active shopping mall and a major landmark of Milan, Italy. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the center of town,[1] the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.
The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades, such as the Burlington Arcade in London, which was the prototype for larger glazed shopping arcades, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels (opened in 1847), the Passazh in St Petersburg (opened in 1848), the Galleria Umberto I in Naples (opened in 1890) and the Budapest Galleria.
The central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome. The Milanese Galleria was larger in scale than its predecessors and was an important step in the evolution of the modern glazed and enclosed shopping mall, of which it was the direct progenitor. It has inspired the use of the term galleria for many other shopping arcades and malls.[citation needed]
On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan's. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals.[citation needed]
The Galleria connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks: The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala, but the Galleria is a landmark in its own right.
my instinct is to get cynical and depressing in situations like this. i was going to link you to the wikipedia entry on john brinkley who suckered a lot of people into surgically attaching goat testicles to enhance sexual performance (men and women alike). the bamboozling parallels are amazing until you realize these snake oil salesmen have been around forever and always will be. oops....i just went too far into the darkside. sorry, i really do feel that good will win out. please vote if you haven't already.
In the Spanish Cortes there are two male lions but with the peculiarity that one has testicles and the other one does not.
The lions are called Daoíz (without testicles) and Velarde (with them). Both names, Daoíz and Velarde, were put in reference to the captains Luis Daoiz and Torres and Pedro Velarde, officers of artillery and heroes of the rise of 2nd May in 1808.
The fact that only Velarde is appropriately endowed was discovered only within the last few years.
The Government has decided to leave Daoíz without testicles. They do it for his good, so that he does not suffer more damages after remaining more than a century in the open air, listening to what happens through the career of San Jerónimo.
I wanted one last shot showing how low the River Shiel has become, and including the lovely rhododendrons that are flowering everywhere. I went through the gate that leads to the old bridge across the river, past a holiday let house, when an enormous muscular mountain mastiff dog of some sort came bounding out with its witchy looking grey collie with scary white eyes. They rushed at me in the fraction of a second I tried to remember what I would do if ever attacked by killer dogs. My arm was raised to smash several kilos of solid Nikon D750 down on the big dog's head as my other hand went to fend off gnashing teeth from my nether regions. It actually got my hand in its mouth as I decided hitting it on its head might send it into a fighting frenzy, but in the next second a very large Essex lady arrived to pull her dogs back. Thankfully. No, the picture wasn't worth the fright. I shall check they are safely locked up before I ever return. And also re-evaluate a Plan B of what to do if the dogs don't have testicles.
Best to be viewed in large size format.
The orchid is a peculiar plant and shows the most developed and the widest variety of types. Unlike the roses, which are always symmetric and of the same type. The very word orchid has a aphrodisiac connotation, because it comes from the Greek word orchis (testicle) and for the first Greeks botanics the shape of the species in the region resembled the male reproductive organ.
As a member of the infamous Rouge Squadron (no, not Rogue Squadron), pilot Eunuch Horn has always been fond of his starfighter, an early test design of the E-Wing. It's supple shaping and unique cooling features allow it to run hot into enemy fortifications and deliver heavy loads of white hot ordinance to just the right spot. He is usually joined by this prickly astromech R3-PUb, who is not entirely needed to fly the testEs, but certainly adds extra protection and style to Eunuch and Rouge Squadron.
My then-coworker Heather spotted this sign in nearby Mulvane, and I just had to get a picture. The "U" and the backwards dollar sign make it even better than I would've thought from her description.
A bit of explanation is in order for those who don't live in the American South or Midwest. The "Testicle Fest" isn’t some kind of small-town orgy; it's actually an all-you-can-eat fundraiser serving prairie oysters -- bull's balls. Yeah, I don’t get it either.
Update (8/2/2006): Last week I heard a radio ad for another "testicle festival" in Wichita, KS. My God, I think it's spreading!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)
Hijra (for translations, see [n 1]) is a term used in South Asia – particularly in India and Pakistan – to refer to trans women (male-to-female transgender individuals).[1][2] In different areas of Pakistan and India, transgender people are also known as Aravani, Aruvani or Jagappa.[3]
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the hijras are officially recognized as third gender by the government,[4][5] being neither completely male nor female. In India also, transgender people have been given the status of third gender and are protected as per the law despite the social ostracism. The term more commonly advocated by social workers and transgender community members themselves is khwaja sira (Urdu: خواجہ سرا) and can identify the individual as a transsexual person, transgender person (khusras), cross-dresser (zenanas) or eunuch (narnbans).[6][7]
Hijras have a recorded history in the Indian subcontinent from antiquity onwards as suggested by the Kama Sutra period. This history features a number of well-known roles within subcontinental cultures, part gender-liminal, part spiritual and part survival.
In South Asia, many hijras live in well-defined and organised all-hijra communities, led by a guru.[8][9] These communities have sustained themselves over generations by "adopting" boys who are in abject poverty, rejected by, or flee, their family of origin.[10] Many work as sex workers for survival.[11]
The word "hijra" is an Urdu word derived from the Semitic Arabic root hjr in its sense of "leaving one's tribe,"[12] and has been borrowed into Hindi. The Indian usage has traditionally been translated into English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite," where "the irregularity of the male genitalia is central to the definition."[13] However, in general hijras are born with typically male physiology, only a few having been born with intersex variations.[14] Some Hijras undergo an initiation rite into the hijra community called nirwaan, which refers to the removal of the penis, scrotum and testicles.[11]
Since the late 20th century, some hijra activists and Western non-government organizations (NGOs) have lobbied for official recognition of the hijra as a kind of "third sex" or "third gender," as neither man nor woman.[15] Hijras have successfully gained this recognition in Bangladesh and are eligible for priority in education.[16] In India, the Supreme Court in April 2014 recognised hijra and transgender people as a 'third gender' in law.[17][18][19]
Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh have all legally recognized the existence of a third gender, including on passports and other official documents.
Terminology
The Urdu and Hindi word hijra may alternately be romanized as hijira, hijda, hijada, hijara, hijrah and is pronounced [ˈɦɪdʒɽaː]. This term is generally considered derogatory in Urdu and the word Khwaja Sara is used instead. Another such term is khasuaa (खसुआ) or khusaraa (खुसरा). In Bengali hijra is called হিজড়া, hijra, hijla, hijre, hizra, or hizre.
A number of terms across the culturally and linguistically diverse Indian subcontinent represent similar sex or gender categories. While these are rough synonyms, they may be better understood as separate identities due to regional cultural differences. In Odia, a hijra is referred to as hinjida, hinjda or napunsaka, in Telugu, as napunsakudu (నపుంసకుడు), kojja (కొజ్జ) or maada (మాడ), in Tamil Nadu, Thiru nangai (mister woman), Ali, aravanni, aravani, or aruvani, in Punjabi, khusra and jankha, in Sindhi khadra, in Gujarati, pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા).
In North India, the goddess Bahuchara Mata is worshipped by Pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા). In South India, the goddess Renuka is believed to have the power to change one's sex. Male devotees in female clothing are known as Jogappa. They perform similar roles to hijra, such as dancing and singing at birth ceremonies and weddings.[21]
The word kothi (or koti) is common across India, similar to the Kathoey of Thailand, although kothis are often distinguished from hijras. Kothis are regarded as feminine men or boys who take a feminine role in sex with men, but do not live in the kind of intentional communities that hijras usually live in. Additionally, not all kothis have undergone initiation rites or the body modification steps to become a hijra.[22] Local equivalents include durani (Kolkata), menaka (Cochin),[23] meti (Nepal), and zenana (Pakistan).
Hijra used to be translated in English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite,"[13] although LGBT historians or human rights activists have sought to include them as being transgender.[24] In a series of meetings convened between October 2013 and Jan 2014 by the transgender experts committee of India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, hijra and other trans activists asked that the term "eunuch" be discontinued from usage in government documents, as it is not a term with which the communities identify.
Gender and sexuality
These identities have no exact match in the modern Western taxonomy of gender and sexual orientation,[24] and challenge Western ideas of sex and gender.[11]
In India, some Hijras do not define themselves by specific sexual orientation, but rather by renouncing sexuality altogether. Sexual energy is transformed into sacred powers. However, these notions can come in conflict with the practical, which is that hijras are often employed as prostitutes.[25] Furthermore, in India a feminine male who takes a "receptive" role in sex with a man will often identify as a kothi (or the local equivalent term). While kothis are usually distinguished from hijras as a separate gender identity, they often dress as women and act in a feminine manner in public spaces, even using feminine language to refer to themselves and each other. The usual partners of hijras and kothis are men who consider themselves heterosexual as they are the ones who penetrate.[26] These male partners are often married, and any relationships or sex with "kothis" or hijras are usually kept secret from the community at large. Some hijras may form relationships with men and even marry,[27] although their marriage is not usually recognized by law or religion. Hijras and kothis often have a name for these masculine sexual or romantic partners; for example, panthi in Bangladesh, giriya in Delhi or sridhar in Cochin.[23]
Social status and economic circumstances
Most hijras live at the margins of society with very low status; the very word "hijra" is sometimes used in a derogatory manner. The Indian lawyer and author Rajesh Talwar has written a book highlighting the human rights abuses suffered by the community titled 'The Third Sex and Human Rights.'[28] Few employment opportunities are available to hijras. Many get their income from extortion (forced payment by disrupting work/life using demonstrations and interference), performing at ceremonies (toli), begging (dheengna), or sex work ('raarha')—an occupation of eunuchs also recorded in premodern times. Violence against hijras, especially hijra sex workers, is often brutal, and occurs in public spaces, police stations, prisons, and their homes.[29] As with transgender people in most of the world, they face extreme discrimination in health, housing, education, employment, immigration, law, and any bureaucracy that is unable to place them into male or female gender categories.[30]
In 2008, HIV prevalence was 27.6% amongst hijra sex workers in Larkana.[6] The general prevalence of HIV among the adult Pakistani population is estimated at 0.1%.[31]
In October 2013, Pakistani Christians and Muslims (Shia and Sunni) put pressure on the landlords of Imamia Colony to evict any transgender residents. "Generally in Pakistan, Khwaja Sira are not under threat. But they are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province because of a 'new Islam' under way", I.A. Rehman, the director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.[32]
In a study of Bangladeshi hijras, participants reported not being allowed to seek healthcare at the private chambers of doctors, and experiencing abuse if they go to government hospitals.[33]
Beginning in 2006, hijras were engaged to accompany Patna city revenue officials to collect unpaid taxes, receiving a 4-percent commission.[34]
Since India's Supreme Court re-criminalized homosexual sex on 13 December 2013, there has been a sharp increase in the physical, psychological and sexual violence against the transgender community by the Indian Police Service, nor are they investigating even when sexual assault against them is reported.[35]
On 15 April 2014, in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, the Supreme Court of India ruled that transgender people should be treated as a third category of gender or as a socially and economically "backward" class entitled to proportional access and representation in education and jobs.[36]
Language
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The hijra community due to its peculiar place in sub-continental society which entailed marginalisation yet royal privileges developed a secret language known as Hijra Farsi. The language has a sentence structure loosely based on Urdu and a unique vocabulary of at least a thousand words. Beyond the Urdu-Hindi speaking areas of subcontinent the vocabulary is still used by the hijra community within their own native languages.
In South Asian politics
In 2013, transgender people in Pakistan were given their first opportunity to stand for election.[37] Sanam Fakir, a 32-year-old hijra, ran as an independent candidate for Sukkur, Pakistan's general election in May.[38]
The governments of both India (1994)[39] and Pakistan (2009)[40] have recognized hijras as a "third sex", thus granting them the basic civil rights of every citizen. In India, hijras now have the option to identify as a eunuch ("E") on passports and on certain government documents. They are not, however, fully accommodated; in order to vote, for example, citizens must identify as either male or female. There is also further discrimination from the government. In the 2009 general election, India's election committee denied three hijras candidature unless they identified themselves as either male or female.
In April 2014, Justice KS Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law, in a case brought by the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) against Union of India and others.[17][18][19] The ruling said:[41]
Seldom, our society realises or cares to realise the trauma, agony and pain which the members of Transgender community undergo, nor appreciates the innate feelings of the members of the Transgender community, especially of those whose mind and body disown their biological sex. Our society often ridicules and abuses the Transgender community and in public places like railway stations, bus stands, schools, workplaces, malls, theatres, hospitals, they are sidelined and treated as untouchables, forgetting the fact that the moral failure lies in the society's unwillingness to contain or embrace different gender identities and expressions, a mindset which we have to change.
Justice Radhakrishnan said that transgender people should be treated consistently with other minorities under the law, enabling them to access jobs, healthcare and education.[42] He framed the issue as one of human rights, saying that, "These TGs, even though insignificant in numbers, are still human beings and therefore they have every right to enjoy their human rights", concluding by declaring that:[41]
Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature.
Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.
A bill supported by all political parties was tabled in Indian parliament to ensure transgender people get benefits akin reserved communities like SC/STs and is taking steps to see that they get enrollment in schools and jobs in government besides protection from sexual harassment.[43]
History
The ancient Kama Sutra mentions the performance of fellatio by feminine people of a third sex (tritiya prakriti).[44] This passage has been variously interpreted as referring to men who desired other men, so-called eunuchs ("those disguised as males, and those that are disguised as females"[45]), male and female trans people ("the male takes on the appearance of a female and the female takes on the appearance of the male"),[46] or two kinds of biological males, one dressed as a woman, the other as a man.[47]
During the era of the British Raj, authorities attempted to eradicate hijras, whom they saw as "a breach of public decency."[48] Anti-hijra laws were repealed; but a law outlawing castration, a central part of the hijra community, was left intact, though rarely enforced. Also during British rule in India they were placed under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871 and labelled a "criminal tribe," hence subjected to compulsory registration, strict monitoring and stigmatized for a long time; after independence however they were denotified in 1952, though the centuries-old stigma continues.[49]
In religion
The Indian transgender hijras or Aravanis ritually marry the Hindu god Aravan and then mourn his ritual death (seen) in an 18-day festival in Koovagam, India.
Many practice a form of syncretism that draws on multiple religions; seeing themselves to be neither men nor women, hijras practice rituals for both men and women.
Hijras belong to a special caste. They are usually devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, Lord Shiva, or both.
Hijras and Bahuchara Mata
Bahuchara Mata is a Hindu goddess with two unrelated stories both associated with transgender behavior. One story is that she appeared in the avatar of a princess who castrated her husband because he would run in the woods and act like a woman rather than have sex with her. Another story is that a man tried to rape her, so she cursed him with impotence. When the man begged her forgiveness to have the curse removed, she relented only after he agreed to run in the woods and act like a woman. The primary temple to this goddess is located in Gujarat[50] and it is a place of pilgrimage for hijras, who see Bahucahara Mata as a patroness.
Hijras and Lord Shiva
One of the forms of Lord Shiva is a merging with Parvati where together they are Ardhanari, a god that is half Shiva and Half Parvati. Ardhanari has special significance as a patron of hijras, who identify with the gender ambiguity.[50]
Hijras in the Ramayana
In some versions of the Ramayana,[51] when Rama leaves Ayodhya for his 14-year exile, a crowd of his subjects follow him into the forest because of their devotion to him. Soon Rama notices this, and gathers them to tell them not to mourn, and that all the "men and women" of his kingdom should return to their places in Ayodhya. Rama then leaves and has adventures for 14 years. When he returns to Ayodhya, he finds that the hijras, being neither men nor women, have not moved from the place where he gave his speech. Impressed with their devotion, Rama grants hijras the boon to confer blessings on people during auspicious inaugural occasions like childbirth and weddings. This boon is the origin of badhai in which hijras sing, dance, and give blessings.[
Hijras in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata includes an episode in which Arjun, a hero of the epic, is sent into an exile. There he assumes an identity of a eunuch-transvestite and performs rituals during weddings and childbirths that are now performed by hijras.[53]
In the Mahabharata, before the Kurukshetra War, Iravan offers his lifeblood to goddess Kali to ensure the victory of the Pandavas, and Kali agrees to grant him power. On the night before the battle, Iravan expresses a desire to get married before he dies. No woman was willing to marry a man doomed to die in a few hours, so Arjuna as Brihinala marries him. In South India, hijras claim Iravan as their progenitor and call themselves "aravanis."[52]
"Sangam literature use ' word 'Pedi' to refer to people born with Intersex condition, it also refers to antharlinga hijras and various Hijra, The Aravan cult in Koovagam village of Tamil Nadu is a folk tradition of the transwomen, where the members enact the legend during an annual three-day festival. "This is completely different from the sakibeki cult of West Bengal, where transwomen don't have to undergo sex change surgery or shave off their facial hair. They dress as women still retaining their masculine features and sing in praise of Lord Krishna,". "Whereas, since the Tamil society is more conservative and hetero-normative, transwomen completely change themselves as women. In the ancient times, even religion has its own way of accepting these fringe communities." The Bachura Devi worship in Gujarat and Jogappa cult of Karanataka are the other examples.the kinds of dialects and languages spoken by these community in different parts of the country and the socio-cultural impact on the lingo. 'Hijra Farsi' is the transgender dialect, a mix of Urdu, Hindi and Persian spoken in the northern belt of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and 'Kothi Baashai' is spoken by the transgender community in Karnataka, Andhra, Orissa and parts of Tamil Nadu. "They even have sign languages and typical mannerisms to communicate. The peculiar clap is one such"
—Gopi Shankar Madurai, National Queer Conference 2013[54][55]
Each year in Tamil Nadu, during April and May, hijras celebrate an eighteen-day religious festival. The aravani temple is located in the village Koovagam in the Ulundurpet taluk in Villupuram district, and is devoted to the deity Koothandavar, who is identified with Aravan. During the festival, the aravanis reenact a story of the wedding of Lord Krishna and Lord Aravan, followed by Aravan's subsequent sacrifice. They then mourn Aravan's death through ritualistic dances and by breaking their bangles. An annual beauty pageant is also held, as well as various health and HIV or AIDS seminars. Hijras from all over the country travel to this festival. A personal experience of the hijras in this festival is shown in the BBC Three documentary India's Ladyboys and also in the National Geographic Channel television series Taboo.
Hijras in Islam
There is evidence that Indian hijras identifying as Muslim also incorporate aspects of Hinduism. Still, despite this syncretism, Reddy (2005) notes that a hijra does not practice Islam differently from other Muslims and argues that their syncretism does not make them any less Muslim. Reddy (2003) also documents an example of how this syncretism manifests: in Hyderabad, India a group of Muslim converts were circumcised, something seen as the quintessential marker of male Muslim identity.[clarification needed]
In films and literature
Bangladesh
The film Common Gender (2012) relates the story of the Bangladesh hijra and their struggle for survival.
India
Hijras have been portrayed on screen in Indian cinema since its inception, historically as comic relief. A notable turning point occurred in 1974 when real hijras appeared during a song-and-dance sequence in Kunwaara Baap ("The Unmarried Father"). There are also hijras in the Hindi movie Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) who accompany one of the heroes, Akbar (Rishi Kapoor), in a song entitled "Tayyab Ali Pyar Ka Dushman" ("Tayyab Ali, the Enemy of Love"). One of the first sympathetic hijra portrayals was in Mani Ratnam's Bombay (1995). 1997's Tamanna[56] starred male actor Paresh Rawal in a central role as "Tiku", a hijra who raises a young orphan. Pooja Bhatt produced and also starred in the movie, with her father Mahesh Bhatt co-writing and directing. Deepa Mehta's Water features the hijra character "Gulabi" (played by Raghubir Yadav), who has taken to introducing the downtrodden, outcast widows of Varanasi to prostitution. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the film generated much controversy. There is a brief appearance of hijras in the 2004 Gurinder Chadha film Bride & Prejudice, singing to a bride-to-be in the marketplace. There's also a loose reference, in the guise of "Rocky" ("Rokini") in Deepha Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood.
The 1997 Hindi film Darmiyaan: In Between directed & co-written by Kalpana Lajmi is based on the subject of Hijra, wherein a fictitious story of an actress bearing a son that turns out to be neuter.
In the 2000 Tamil film Appu directed by Vasanth, a remake of the Hindi film Sadak, the antagonist is a brothel-owning hijra played by Prakash Raj. (In Sadak, the brothel-owning character was played by Sadashiv Amrapurkar under the name "Maharani".)
In 2005, a fiction feature film titled Shabnam Mausi was made on the life of a eunuch politician Shabnam Mausi. It was directed by Yogesh Bharadwaj and the title role played by Ashutosh Rana.
Jogwa, a 2009 Marathi film, depicts the story of a man forced to be hijra under certain circumstances. The movie has received several accolades.[57]
In Soorma Bhopali, Jagdeep encounters a troupe of hijra on his arrival in Bombay. The leader of this pack is also played by Jagdeep himself.
In Anil Kapoor's Nayak, Johnny Lever, who plays the role of the hero's assistant, gets beaten up by hijras, when he is caught calling them "hijra" (he is in habit of calling almost everyone who bothers him by this pejorative and no one cares much, except this once ironically, as the addressees are literally what he is calling them.)
One of the main characters in Khushwant Singh's novel Delhi, Bhagmati is a hijra. She makes a living as a semi-prostitute and is wanted in the diplomatic circles of the city.
Vijay TV's Ippadikku Rose, a Tamil show conducted by postgraduate educated transgender woman Rose is a very successfully running program that discusses various issues faced by youth in Tamil Nadu, where she also gives her own experiences.
In addition to numerous other themes, the 2008 movie Welcome to Sajjanpur by Shyam Benegal explores the role of hijras in Indian society.
In the Malayalam movie Ardhanaari, released on 23 November 2012, director Santhosh Sowparnika tries to depict the life of a transgender person. Manoj K Jayan, Thilakan, Sukumari and Maniyanpilla Raju perform leading roles.
In August, 2015, a music video featuring 7 hijras dressed in outfits or uniforms of various professions and singing the National Anthem of India created by a YouTube channel Yathartha Pictures went viral for being the first National Anthem video sung by hijras in India.[58][59] The hijras featured in the video were brought together by the Humsafar Trust, a Mumbai-based NGO which promotes LGBT rights.[60][61]
Tamil
Vaadamalli by novelist Su.Samuthiram is the first Tamil novel about Aravaani community in Tamil Nadu, published in 1994. Later transgender activist A. Revathi became first Hijra to write about transgender issues and gender politics in Tamil, her works have been translated in more than 8 languages and acting as a primary resources on Gender Studies in Asia. Her book is part of research project for more than 100 universities. She is the author of Unarvum Uruvamum (Feelings of the Entire Body); is the first of its kind in English from a member of the hijra community.[62][63][64] She also acted,directed several stage plays on Gender and Sexuality issues in Tamil and Kannada."The Truth about Me: A Hijra Life Story" by Transgender A.Revathi[65] is part of the syllabus for Final Year students of The American College in Madurai. Later Naan Saravanan Alla" (2007) and Vidya's "I am Vidya" (2008) became first transwoman autobiography.[66][67]
Pakistan
The 1992 film Immaculate Conception[68] by Jamil Dehlavi is based upon the culture-clash between a western Jewish couple seeking fertility at a Karachi shrine known to be blessed by a Sufi fakir called 'Gulab Shah' and the group of Pakistani eunuchs who guard it.
Murad (which means desire; the English title was Eunuch's Motherhood), was an award winning biographical Telefilm drama made by Evergreen Media Europe for Pakistan's television channel Indus TV that aired in 2003. The cast had the country's top male television actors playing "hijras": Sohail Asghar, Nabeel, Qazi Wajid, Kamran Jilani. It was directed by Kamran Qureshi, written by Zafar Mairaj and produced by Iram Qureshi. It won both Best TeleFilm and Best Director awards at 2003 Indus Telefilm Festival.[69][70] The story revolves around "Saima", a trans woman, who adopts a helpless child "Murad" and her relationship with him against the backdrop of her struggling throughout her life and her "desire" for her son. She has sent him away to live at a hostel so she can earn a living as a dancer, after her son gets cross with her, due to teasing (verbal and sexual) they face while dancing. This was the first time that influential male actors came out to support "hijra" rights during interviews; noting that in Pakistani English at that time eunuch was the term to describe a transgender person, and "khwaja sara" (also khwaja sira) had not yet replaced what is now considered a derogatory term due to decades of heckling and name calling, "hijra".[71][72]
In 2004, Kamran Qureshi directed a trans drama, Moorat ("effigy," however, the English title was Eunuch's Wedding. It was produced by famous actor and producer Humayun Saeed and Abdullah Kadwani with more than a dozen star-studded cast members for a 33-episode series.[73][74] It was nominated for Best Drama Serial, Abid Ali for Best Actor, and Maria Wasti for Best Actress at the Lux Style Awards 2005.[69][75] The show was credited for making people understand the pain and abuse that khwaja sara (hijra) constantly endure when people make fun of the way they look or dress without knowing them or how they were naturally born this way. The story involves a young lady who is arranged to marry. It turns out her husband is transgender. The story unfolds trans community and their deprived and isolated world. It portrays eloquently how they, too, are not far away from the human emotions and feelings and their world not much different from the heterosexual community. Even though they are in plain sight, they are tthey are taboo subjects and are not taken seriously. This makes them suffer endlessly in silence wrapped in slurs. The 33-episode series therefore touches on transgender abuse, women abuse, poverty, immorality of arranged marriages, and child abuse.[76]
Bol (Urdu: بول meaning Speak), is a 2011 Urdu-language social drama Pakistani film. It concerns a patriarch, Hakim, who is a misogynist, a domestic abuser, a bigot, and a zealot who forces religion on his family. They face financial difficulties due to Hakim wanting a son. He rejects his transgender daughter, Saifi, as he wanted an heir and she identifies as a girl. Saifi is deeply loved by the rest of her family. As she grows up, men want to take advantage of her and she does not understand at first. However, her oldest sister intervenes and teaches Saifi about what kind of touching is inappropriate. As Saifi grows older, she is not allowed to leave the house. She finds her sister's dresses compelling and tries them on, revealing her gender identity. A neighbour played by famous South Asian singer Atif Aslam, who is in love with one of the sisters, gets Saifi a job at a place where they paint trucks, with the blessing of Saifi's sisters and mother. Saifi dresses like a boy; however, other boys sense her lack of self-esteem and eventually gang-rape her. She is saved when another transgender person, played by Almas Bobby (a transgender actor), finds her and takes her home. Hakim overhears Saifi telling her mother and Zainab what happened. When everybody is asleep, Hakim locks the room and suffocates his child for luring the men for the "shame" he would have to bear if the story got out.[77] It received several positive reviews from critics and went on to win the Best Hindi film award in IRDS Film awards 2011 by Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS).[78]
Outside South Asia
The novel Bombay Ice by Leslie Forbes features an important subplot involving the main character's investigation of the deaths of several hijra sex-workers.
The novel City of Djinns by William Dalrymple also features a chapter on hijras.
The novel A Son of the Circus by John Irving features a plot-line involving hijras.
In the graphic novel Habibi by Craig Thompson, the protagonist, Zam, is adopted by a group of hijras.
In the 2009 Brazilian soap opera Caminho das Índias (Portuguese: "The way to India"), hijras are shown in some occasions, especially at weddings and other ceremonies where they are paid for their blessing.
In the TV comedy Outsourced (2011), a hijra is hired by Charlie as a stripper for Rajiv's "bachelor party", much to Rajiv's utter horror.
A short film, under the direction of Jim Roberts, is being made by Rock Star Productions in which the protagonist is portrayed as a hijra. This film is set to be released on 1 May.[year needed][citation needed]
Kamran Ahmed Mirza is a popular gender performance artist in Oregon, United States.
Documentaries
Jareena, Portrait of a Hijda (1990)
Ladyboys (1992)
Bombay Eunuch (2001)
The Hijras: India's Third Gender (2001)
India's Ladyboys (2003)
Between the Lines: India's Third Gender (2005)
Middle Sexes (HBO documentary includes segment on modern Hijda) (2005)
Shabnam Mausi (2005)
The Hijras of India (BBC radio documentary)
Kiss the Moon (2009)
Call me Salma (2009)
Mohammed to Maya also titled Rites of Passage (2012)
As you all know this is my youngest springer Razzle Dazzle.
Razz has a grade 4 heart murmur and an abnormally formed valve. He has reoccurring SRMA and to top it off he has undescended testicles of which cant be operated on because he's on too high dose of steroids and other medication! We cant take him out for long walks or walks in the warmth as he has collapsing episodes! He is the most happy beautiful boy who loves everything and everybody, and he gives the best hugs in the world!
His life expectancy given was 18months .... he is now 2yrs 8months old and looking forward to another Christmas xxx
Like other right whales, the Southern Right Whale is readily distinguished from other whales by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. The body of the whale is very dark grey or black, occasionally with some white patches on the belly. The right whale's callosities appear white, not due to skin pigmentation, but to large colonies of cyamids or whale lice.
The Southern Right Whale is almost indistinguishable from the closely related North Atlantic and the North Pacific Right Whales, with only some minor skull differences. It may have fewer callosities on its head and more on its lower lips than the northern species. The maximum size of an adult female is 18.5 m (61 ft) and approximately 130 tons.
The testicles of right whales are likely to be the largest of any animal, each weighing around 500 kg (1,100 lb). This suggests that sperm competition is important in the mating process.
Wikipedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Right_Whale
PUBLISHED:
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www.sparc-knowledge.org/themes-0
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The chimpanzees’ natural home range spans from Senegal on the West African coast, through the central forested belt of Africa, to Uganda. They are not native to Kenya, but when a rescue centre in Burundi had to be closed due to the civil war outbreak in 1993 – Ol Pejeta opened its doors.
The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established with an agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Jane Goodall Institute. The aim – to provide lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees from West and Central Africa. Over the last decade, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary has been compelled to keep accepting chimpanzees rescued from traumatic situations - bringing the total number of chimpanzees in the Sanctuary to 39. Many are confiscated from cramped and unnatural living conditions, and many arrive with horrific injuries sustained from abuse at the hands of humans. Here at Sweetwaters, they get a chance to start over.
With 24-hour veterinary support and a stimulating quarantine enclosure, chimpanzees arriving at the Sanctuary are carefully nursed back to health. When they are ready, they are introduced into one of the two large groups at the Sanctuary, who live in vast natural enclosures separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River. The chimps have set feeding times, and return to their indoor enclosures at night – but other than that they spend their days exploring, climbing, socialising, and learning to be chimpanzees all over again.
Sweetwaters is a chartered member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), an alliance of 18 sanctuaries in 12 African countries; currently caring for over 800 orphaned and/or confiscated chimpanzees. PASA’s role is to help conserve chimpanzees and other primates and their habitats through public education and lobbying for political goodwill.
www.olpejetaconservancy.org/wildlife/chimpanzees/sweetwat...
Dear Flickr staff,
This is a photograph of a sculpture that is on public display in a central courtyard in Greve in Chianti, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy. Please don't tell me that this is the reason why my account is flagged as restricted. This is a legitimate piece of art that's legitimately displayed for viewing by anyone who visits and surely it's not the only picture that's been posted of this work.
Please do not ask me to censor art. Content filters may be appropriate for some things, but a sculpture? Really?! Should we also restrict photos of classical sculptures and paintings? What's next?
The point of art is to make an impression on the viewer. Please do not censor legitimate art.
Mahalo nui loa,
Mateo
Pt came in with pain and mass in right testicle. Scheduled for removal the next day, but he was very disappointed in the fact that he would not be allowed to see it, as it had to go to pathology, so he asked me to take a picture for him. Images and testicle taken with patient's permission.
Common Palm Civets is a common mammal found in Sri Lanka. They can be seen in urban areas in ceilings of houses. Common Palm Civet is a nocturnal omnivore. They are active in night. Both male and female have scent glands underneath the tail that resemble testicles. It can spray a harmful secretion from these glands. They are solitary, nocturnal and arboreal. They can be seen in urban areas in ceilings of houses. Common Palm Civet is a nocturnal omnivore. Its primary food source is fruit. They also eat reptiles, eggs and insects as well.
Rich storms into the middle of a fierce fire-fight to offer a few snacks, and Simon takes a paintball in the testicles.
These really tiny flies - perhaps 2.5 to 3 mm - are now in the Easter air! And they're set on multiplication. On the inset bottom left you'll see a male with his swollen everted yellow testicles. All about their function isn't clear. Obviously they're meant for multiplication but apparently, too, they emit a pheromene that attracts females such as the one in the inset on the bottom right. The main picture shows what happens when they meet...
Note the black dots in the upper dental arch of this Broad-snouted caiman.
They are leeches.
They are often found in fresh water; they have 10 stomachs, 32 brains, 9 pairs of testicles and several hundred teeth.
Aspen leaves tarry in a small pool near the banks of the Crystal River, as the Sheep Mountain Powerstation perches on its iconic rock outcrop, Elk Range, Colorado. The station once supplied the high pressure water that was used to power hydraulic tools, and aid in extracting precious metals from a mine several thousand feet up the nearby Sheep Mountain.
I imagine that over 100 years ago, this scene would have looked utterly different, saddled more heavily then with the weight of 19th century extractive industry. Today, this scene looks deceptively tranquil - let me flesh it out a bit more in writing, and the photographer's sleight of hand when it comes to erasing one's fellow humans will become obvious. A small but boisterous group of beer-drinking twenty-something white guys had stripped down to their undershorts, and were jumping into the testicle-shrinking cold of the deep emerald pool at the foot of the small falls you see here. Some were doing front-flips, while others simply attempted the classic cannon ball. It looks like about an 8-foot drop. Another enterprising soul had brought a small inflatable dinghy, and was drifting lazily around the eddy toward the right of the penstock, shouting encouragement to his mates between sips from his can. A third fiddled with the volume of a portable music player. And, there was more than one photographer.
It's always tempting to imagine oneself with solitude, enraptured with the trees and the sound of the river, sharing the wonder with just your family or friends. The reality is that these beautiful places have a fame and allure that brings fellow humans from all around, and it would be difficult to prescribe a 'proper' way of enjoying them. However, to foolishly enable one's unrealistic expectations, it's still possible to make it look like nobody was there with a judiciously timed trip of the shutter.
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Did you know that if you rest your testicles on top of a empty beer bottle, and hold a naked flame at the base, it eventually gets sucked inside?
If you did know this, and you know how to get it out, please message me...URGENTLY!
Salep wild flower at Aspendos
Salep (Turkish: salep from Arabic: سحلب saḥlab, cf. Hebrew: סחלב sakhlav) referring to both orchid as well as the salep drink. It is a flour made from grinding the dried tubers of Orchis mascula, Orchis militaris and related species of orchids, which contain a nutritious starch-like polysaccharide called bassorin.
The name salep comes from the Arabic expression ḥasyu al-tha`lab "fox testicles"—a graphic description of the appearance of orchid tubers; compare the classical Greek word ὄρχις, which means both "testicle" and "orchid" (and is of course the etymon of the English word).[1] The comparison to testes, naturally, accounts for salep being considered an aphrodisiac. The Hebrew סחלב sakhlav is a borrowing from the Arabic term.
Regno Unito, Londra, City Hall, Estate 2014
City Hall è la sede della “Greater London Authority”, che comprende il sindaco di Londra e l’asseblea. Si trova sulla riva sud del Tamigi vicino al Tower Bridge ed è stato aperto nel luglio 2002. L'edificio ha una forma insolita e rotondeggiante, presumibilmente destinata a ridurre la sua superficie e quindi migliorare l'efficienza energetica, anche se gli eccessivi consumi di energia causati dall'uso esclusivo del vetro hanno vanificato i vantaggi della forma. E’ stato paragonato al casco di Darth Vader, ad un uovo deforme e ad un casco da motociclista. L'ex sindaco Ken Livingstone lo chiamava il "testicolo di vetro", mentre l'attuale sindaco, Boris Johnson, lo ha definito più educatamente come "la cipolla". Una passerella elicoidale di 500 metri, che ricorda quella del museo Guggenheim di New York, si arrampica per l'intera altezza dell'edificio.
City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority, which comprises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. It is located on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. It was opened in July 2002. The building has an unusual, bulbous shape, purportedly intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency, although the excess energy consumption caused by the exclusive use of glass overwhelms the benefit of shape. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg and a motorcycle helmet. Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle", while the present mayor, Boris Johnson, has referred to it more politely as "The Onion". A 500-metre helical walkway, reminiscent of that in New York's Guggenheim Museum, ascends the full height of the building.
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Hey, I am the free ride, when you already paid... Corban.
I have wanted to use this song for a while, I have been a fan of Stevie Nicks for a long time. Obviously I wasn't even a twinkle in my fathers testicles when Fleetwood Mac were formed, or even when they made their comeback, but growing up my Dad (not the biological donor, but the man who was my Dad by choice) was very much a lover of music, in my teens he actually became a DJ for local pubs and taverns and it was part of how he made his living. I have many people from my childhood that influenced my taste in music, obviously my mom and dad were the most influential from Rock to Reggae there was always something playing in the house and even now when I go visit my Mom she has Smooth FM playing as background noise.
Intrigued aren't you... well come check out the full post including credits @ Corbans Cabinet of Curiosities
Nature wished me Merry Christmas
Die Natur wünschte mir Frohe Weihnachten
Early in the morning on the way to the supermarket, fridge update for the festive season was aimed at, I took one of the cameras with me, thinking that it could be that nature somehow and somewhere, perhaps very hidden, thanked me for my tender, sometimes thoroughly voyeuristic and always non-destructive observations of her marvels.
I am a testicle-less (sic!) optimist, so purely not taken in by myself 😎
And lo and behold...
I first found a solitary buttercup and later this rose formation, the Edixa Xenar and I pounced enthusiastically on both.
The buttercup will (perhaps) be added in the next few days, at the moment I only have one picture left...
Maybe nature also wanted to greet you and wish you happy holidays.
At least I am with this, stay healthy and, like me, optimistic! 😛That's what bothers all the scumbags the most. 😂
In aller Frühe auf dem Weg zum Supermarkt, Kühlschrank-Update für die Festtage war angestrebt, nahm ich in dem Gedanken eine der Kameras mit, es könnte schließlich sein, die Natur bedanke sich irgendwie und irgendwo, vielleicht sehr versteckt, für meine zärtlichen, zuweilen durchweg voyeuristisch und immer zerstörungsarmen Betrachtungen ihrer Wunderwerke.
Ich bin ein hodenloser (sic!) Optimist, so rein gar nicht von mir selber eingenommen 😎
Und siehe da...
Ich fand zunächst ein einsames Butterblümchen und später noch diese Rosenformation, das Edixa-Xenar und ich stürzten uns begeistert auf beides.
Das Butterblümchen kommt (vielleicht) noch in den kommenden Tagen, zur Zeit hab ich nur noch ein Bild frei...
Kann sein, die Natur wollte Euch auch grüßen und frohe Festtage wünschen.
Zumindest ich tue das hiermit, bleibt gesund und, wie ich, optimistisch! 😛 Das stört all die Drecksäcke am meisten. 😂
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