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Nicholas (Salos) of Pskov
The Blessed Nicholas (Salos) of Pskov, the Fool-for-Christ, was an ascetic of the sixteenth century, known as Mikula the Fool, and, who during his lifetime, was revered by the people of Pskov as a saint, even calling him Mikula, the saintly. He is commemorated on February 28.
Little is known of his early life. Nicholas lived the life of a holy fool for more than three decades. During his lifetime he acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit and was granted the gifts of wonderworking and of prophecy. It is for his confrontation with Tsar Ivan the Terrible that the Blessed Nicholas is remembered.
After a devastating campaign against Novgorod, Tsar Ivan moved in February 1570 against the city of Pskov, suspecting its inhabitants of treason. As the Pskov Chronicler relates, "the Tsar came ... with great fierceness, like a roaring lion, to tear apart innocent people and to shed much blood." On the first Saturday of Great Lent, the whole city prayed to be delivered from the wrath of Tsar Ivan. After hearing the peal of the bell for Matins in Pskov, Ivan's heart softened when he read the inscription on the fifteenth century wonderworking Liubyatov Icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness[1] in the Monastery of St. Nicholas at Lubyatov. "Be tender of heart," he said to his soldiers. "Blunt your swords upon the stones, and let there be an end to killing."
As the Tsar entered the city, all the inhabitants of Pskov came out upon the streets where each family knelt at the gate of their house, bearing bread and salt to the meet him. On one of the streets the Blessed Nicholas ran toward Tsar Ivan astride a stick as though riding a horse, and cried out: "Ivanushko, Ivanushko, eat our bread and salt, and not Christian blood." The Tsar gave orders to capture the holy fool, but he disappeared.
Though he had forbidden his men to kill, Tsar Ivan still intended to sack the city. As the Tsar attended a Molieben at the Trinity cathedral and venerated the relics of holy Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel, he expressed his wish to receive the blessing of the holy fool Nicholas. St. Nicholas instructed the Tsar, "by many terrible sayings," to stop the killing and not to plunder the holy churches of God. But, not heeding the holy saint, Ivan gave orders to remove the bell from the Trinity cathedral. Then, as St. Nicholas prophesied, the Tsar's finest horse fell dead.
The Blessed Nicholas invited the Tsar to visit his cell under the bell tower. When the Tsar arrived at his cell the saint said, "Hush, come in and have a drink of water from us, there is no reason you should shun it." Then, the holy fool offered Tsar Ivan a piece of raw meat to which Ivan responded, "I am a Christian and do not eat meat during Lent". To which the saint replied, "But you drink human blood".
Thus, frightened by the fulfillment of the saint's prophecy and denounced for his wicked deeds, Ivan ordered a stop to the looting and fled from the city. The Oprichniki having witnessing this, wrote, "The mighty tyrant ... departed beaten and shamed, driven off as though by an enemy. Thus did a worthless beggar terrify and drive off the Tsar with his multitude of a thousand soldiers."
Blessed Nicholas died on February 28, 1576. He was buried in the Trinity cathedral of Pskov, the city he had saved, an honor granted only to the princes of Pskov, and later on, to bishops.
The local veneration of Nicholas Fool-For-Christ began five years after his death. In the year 1581, during a siege of Pskov by the soldiers of the Polish king Stephen Bathory, the Mother of God appeared to the blacksmith Dorotheus together with a number of Pskov saints praying for the city. Among these was the Blessed Nicholas.
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Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod media player, the iPhone smartphone, the iPad tablet computer, and the Apple Watch smartwatch. Its online services include iCloud, the iTunes Store, and the App Store. Apple's consumer software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites.
The scenes I witnessed at the opening of the new Apple store in London's Covent Garden were more like an evangelical prayer meeting than a chance to buy a phone or a laptop.
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, to develop and sell personal computers. It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977, and was renamed as Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007, to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer electronics. Apple joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average on March 19, 2015.


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Unique, Elegant, Stylish & Folds Flat All our gift boxes fold completely flat for minimal storage, designed to make your life easier but with no compromise on quality. We use the highest quality materials to produce uniquely sty
We will keep on devoting ourselves to manufacturing the products which are of high quality and competitive price, and we will struggle for being the leading enterprise in cardboard cupcake display stand all over the world.
Partnering with internationally trusted logistic service providers such as DHL, EMS and UPS, Cardboard display ships to over 200 countries around the world. A variety of expedited shipping methods means there's a convenient deliv


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November 4, 2010
An estimated 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur annually in the U.S., resulting in damages of about $1 billion, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist.
And deer aren't the only large mammal apt to cross against traffic. Research has shown feral hog-vehicle collisions may occur at an average rate of about 1 percent of the hog population or more yearly, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist.
"This means an estimated 10,000 hog-vehicle collisions for each one million hogs," he said.
Though there have been "guess-timates" published on the number of feral hogs in Texas, no one really knows how many there are, Higginbotham said.
"If anyone quotes you a number, then they're lying, because it's all conjecture," he said.
Deer collision more likely
While car collisions with feral hogs are a constant threat, drivers are more likely to have a too-close encounter with whitetailed deer during the animals' breeding season, called the "rut" than any other time of the year. Rut begins in early November in Texas.
"November and December mark the breeding season for whitetail deer for most of the state of Texas," Higginbotham said. "It can run through Christmas in Deep South Texas.
"This is the time of year when drivers need to be particularly vigilant as they drive in rural areas or any area that has high deer populations."
During the breeding season whitetail bucks "throw caution to the wind" as they chase does, he said. This is why drivers often see a deer cross the road safely ahead of them, usually a doe, but then get hit by the buck that's blindly pursuing the doe.
The peak of the breeding period varies from one region of Texas to another, but there's one sure way to know when it's happening in your area, he said.
"If there's any doubt when the peak of the breeding season is in your area check with the local auto-body shops," he said. "That's when the number of deer accidents usually top out."
Feral-hog vehicle collisions are more likely in late summer or late winter as the animals cross and feed along roadways and rural roads in search of food, Higginbotham said. The risk is not tied to a specific breeding season because hogs breed 12 months out of the year.
But there's no question that hog-car encounters are always a danger, and the incidences are increasing yearly, he said.
Trend is upward
"I think we've steadily trended upward in terms of hog and vehicle collisions over the last 10 years," Higginbotham said. "There's a much higher incidence now than there was five years ago. And five years ago, it was greatly increased over the five years before."
The growing trend is strictly a matter of statistical odds as, from all indications, the feral hog population is increasing, he said.
Typically, feral hog sows will have a litter a year, and the litter size averages five. Though they can have litters of their own earlier, the female piglets will usually have their first when they are about 13 months old, Higginbotham said.
"Feral hogs are the most prolific large mammal on the face of the Earth," he said. "There's no question about that."
Higginbotham was recently invited to give a presentation at the eighth annual International Symposium on Wild Boar in the United Kingdom. He learned from his international colleagues that as bad as the problem is in Texas, the situation is worse in some other countries.
"France and Germany each estimate that the annual collision rate is 2 percent to 2.5 percent of the population," Higginbotham said. "Therefore, they estimate 20,000 to 25,000 collisions per million hogs."
In Sweden, wild pig collisions have quadrupled since 2005, he said, and research indicates that rate of incidents is tied to specific levels of vehicular traffic. Light traffic means fewer accidents, of course, but with higher levels of traffic, numbers of collisions reduced.
"The peak collision rate occurred when traffic was at 86 cars per hour," he said. "The conjecture was that higher noise levels associated with more car traffic made the hogs more wary. Less traffic and the numbers decreased."
Higginbotham offered the following guidelines for reducing the risk of deer or hog collisions:
Stay alert and slow down, particularly when driving between dusk and dawn for the animals are nocturnal.
Don't relax after a deer passes the road ahead of you without incident. Deer travel in groups. It is not the one you see that's the problem, it is the ones following it.
At night, travel behind another vehicle at a safe distance but where you can easily see the car in your headlights. Allow the car in front to run interference for you, Higginbotham said.
Deer and hog crossing signs are there for a reason; pay attention to them.
The damage of a hog or deer collision isn't always confined to the animal and the vehicle, Higginbotham said. A 2007 study by John Mayer, Washington Savannah River Company, Aiken, S.C., and Paul Johns, Carolina Wildlife Consultants, found that during a 38-year period on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, 6 percent of the accidents caused human injuries.
"It's very much a human-health issue," Higginbotham said.
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- Delivered today (order Mon-Fri before 12:00, delivery between 17:00 and 22:00)
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Redragon merchandise offers loyal gamers an opportunity to express themselves anytime anywhere. The Redragon Samurai T-Shirt allows gamers to show their allegiance in comfort and style. Its unique design features the iconic Redragon logo on the back and a Redragon tag on the front as well as a custom-designed front print of a samurai helmet. Made from 100% cotton materials, the t-shirt gives you a quality feel with a lightweight and breathable design that offers all-day comfort and is easy to clean. The unique front print imagery will add to your style and allow you to stand out from the crowd. Just like the peripherals, Redragon merchandise is designed with every gamer in mind. Now you can finally get the same high-quality in the Redragon Gamer clothing line.
- Unique Design with Samurai Print on the Front
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- Redragon Samurai T-shirt XXL – White/Red x1
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- For hygiene reasons, unfortunately buffs may not be returned or exchanged.
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KELLOGG, Iowa - An Iowa man is searching for answers after his dog was shot with an arrow on his property on Saturday afternoon.
Andrew Worrell lives in the country outside of Kellogg and owns four collies, including one named Scooby. Worrell found Scooby under his deck on Saturday with an arrow going through his torso, according to WHO.
The dog was taken to the vet to have emergency surgery, where part of his stomach and half a lung were removed.
Scooby was recovering on Sunday night, but the surgery cost Worrell several thousand dollars.
Worrell encourages the person responsible to come forward and hopes the awareness will prevent similar situations from happening in the future.


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Researchers at BlackBerry Cylance have discovered a new and dangerous strain of ransomware in the wild dubbed "Zeppelin".
It has been used to target small numbers of healthcare and technology-related companies in the US, Canada and Europe in recent weeks. An analysis of the code reveals that Zeppelin is related to, but distinct from the VegaLocker ransomware family.
The code has been heavily modified and enhanced though, to the point that the researchers felt confident in calling it a brand-new strain.
The new threat is primarily spread in supply-chain attacks via Managed Security Service Providers, which makes it functionally similar to the Sodinokibi ransomware family. Of interest, the code is incredibly configurable. Researchers surmise that it's being offered in underground forums as a "Software as Service," with third-party hackers paying for the right to use it, then customizing it to their needs.
Zeppelin was first compiled in early November 2019, and since that time, it has been used on a limited basis against what the researchers describe as "a few carefully selected targets".
They also had this to say about their recent discovery:
"There seem to be a limited number of victims, and we haven't seen the malware being used in any wide-spread distribution campaign so far, therefore it looks like the threat actors are rather careful in whom they are targeting...one of the possibilities is that the campaign didn't yet fully take off and the current victims are only the 'patient zero' in some kind of test run.
The advice is the same as always: use a comprehensive security solution, maintain up-to-date operating systems, perform regular backups - and keep them on mediums that are usually disconnected from the network, educate your personnel on basic security guidelines, stay cautious and vigilant."
It's very good advice. Although not yet widespread, Zeppelin poses a serious threat indeed.


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The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) has released board-wide and individual school results from the School Climate Survey conducted April 1-12, 2019. The survey gathered input from students in Grades 4-12, staff and parents/guardians to assist with planning programs and decision-making related to supporting safe and inclusive school environments.
A total of 8,356 students in Grades 4-12 participated in the online surveys, along with 1,674 parents/guardians and 693 staff. The surveys included a variety of questions on topics such as eating and sleeping habits to mental health, well-being and bullying. The surveys were developed with input from students, parents/guardians; school and Board administration, including Mental Health, Safe Schools and Indigenous Education representatives, and Chatham-Kent Public Health and Lambton Public Health. The LKDSB's Multi-Disciplinary Teams, which include principals, teachers and education workers, are reviewing individual school results to develop plans to support students and promote positive school climates.
Visit the School Climate Survey webpage under the "About" section of the school website for more information and to review the overall school results.
To review the Board-wide results, visit https://www.lkdsb.net/Board/Community/SafeSchools/SchoolClimateSurvey/Pages/default.aspx#/=


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Superhandles has been accused of being more show than go. Certainly he knows how to wow a crowd. After viewing tons of Tim Hardaway crossover footage, I felt nobody broke down the move better than Superhandles. The key is to get lower than your opponent. Most crossover moves I see performed by today's young players are not low enough. Our summer camps and private training will teach thise move made famous by Tim Hardaway.
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Tonight's Movie: A Millionaire for Christy (1951)
A MILLIONAIRE FOR CHRISTY is a mildly diverting romantic comedy, but the bright cast can't overcome the so-so script.
Lovely Eleanor Parker plays Christy, a San Francisco legal secretary sent to Los Angeles to inform Peter Lockwood (Fred MacMurray) that he's inherited two million dollars.
Christy, who's just had her fur coat repossessed, would love to marry a millionaire, but Peter's about to marry June (Kay Buckley) -- much to the chagrin of Peter's best friend, Dr. Roland Culver (Richard Carlson), who loves June himself. And incidentally, Christy can never seem to quite convince Peter she's telling the truth about his inheritance!
Anyone who's seen just a few romantic comedies can guess where all this is going. The movie has some fun moments, particularly when Christy and Peter end up spending the night in a boxcar with a bunch of Mexican laborers. (It's a long story...) Eleanor Parker is quite a sight wrapped in a blanket learning to drink tequila shots! Unfortunately the movie lurches along in fits and starts, with some truly funny moments alternating with sluggish stretches.
Parker plays a giddy character somewhat akin to her role in THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE (1947), although not quite as appealing. I'm a MacMurray fan, but I actually thought Carlson milked more laughs out of his smaller role; however, MacMurray's thunderstruck reaction when Parker kisses him on a beach is priceless.
The movie's plus factors include the use of the standard "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" as the movie's theme song; I was fascinated to learn Bing Crosby cowrote the lyrics with Ned Washington. Victor Young, who composed the song's music in 1932, also scored the movie.
The film has a nice outdoorsy feel, shot at various locations around Southern California, although I couldn't place any of them; I'd especially love to know more about the restaurant where MacMurray and Parker stop for a few minutes. The La Jolla hotel near the end of the movie is never shown in its entirety, but perhaps it was meant to be the famous Hotel del Coronado.
Parker has a lovely wardrobe by Elois Jenssen -- although I was struck that Christy must hurry in order to catch a 12:00 plane in San Francisco, yet when she gets off the plane in Los Angeles that afternoon, she's wearing a completely different dress and hat! Did she stop off at home to change on the way to the airport?!
Una Merkel is woefully underutilized, appearing only in the opening sequence as Christy's coworker. Their boss is played by Douglass Dumbrille. The cast also includes Chris-Pin Martin, Nestor Paiva, and Raymond Greenleaf.
The movie was directed by George Marshall. The black and white photography was by Harry Stradling Sr. It runs 91 minutes.
A MILLIONAIRE FOR CHRISTY isn't on DVD or video, but it is shown periodically on Turner Classic Movies.
Update: This film is now available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive.


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Brandon West, Contributor
Waking Times
Every human being has an energy field around their body. Some people call it the aura, or the luminous energy field, or simply the human energy field. The purpose of this article is not only to prove the existence of the human energy field, but also to explore the function of our DNA, the interaction between DNA and the unified field, and the influence of the human energy field on that relationship.
Ultimately, if the science is indeed correct, this is a first step to health, healing, and possibly human evolution.
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." – Nikola Tesla
Human Energy Field and DNA – The Origin of Health
In the Western world our doctors go through almost a decade of schooling, and in that time they become masters of human biology, anatomy, and physiology. They become adept at understanding disease, and diagnosing all forms of illness, yet in a large majority of cases, what is their prescription? Drugs or Surgery.
All illness has a spiritual/energetic origin. When you do not cleanse your human energy field your energetic field becomes distorted, stagnant, and impure. It becomes extremely imbalanced and charged with low-energy vibrations which cause disease in mind, and spirit, and eventually in our bodies. But why?
The reason why this occurs is because one of the major functions of our DNA is that it receives and transmits energy. This has been shown to be one of the major functions of 'junk DNA' (which make up about 95% of the human genome) which is what it was called before they understood what it was all about, but now it is beginning to be shown as thean essential component of our biology and DNA.
One of the new discoveries in DNA as Bruce Lipton talks about is epigenetic control, which means literally "above-genetic" control. Thus the new understanding of DNA is that the genes which our DNA codes is dictated as a response to the environment. In essence we are in a perpetual process of adaptation, which means that we have the potential for continuous evolution in our environment, moreover, spontaneous evolution.
More specifically, what is it that our DNA responds to in order to determine the nature of our environment? Our DNA does not have eyes, or ears, so it cannot see or hear what is going on. Instead it determines the environment by 'reading' the energy. It receives energetic signals from the environment and interacts directly with the information and codes encoded within the unified field, reads them, and then our DNA codes and/or activates the appropriate genes suitable for the environment we are in.
What do you think happens to DNA when the human energy field is all polluted by negative energies? To answer this question, we have to look to water.
Consciousness and Water
Dr. Masaru Emoto from Japan for the last number of years has been doing some truly revolutionary work with water. What he is doing is researching the effects of human thought, emotion, andintention (directed attention) on the structure of water. (The source for this section is The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masaru Emoto, and it is a truly enlightening book.)
His tests involve him sending specific thoughts to water (or getting others to do so), and then he flash freezes that water so that he can take a look at the crystal formed, and examine the relationship between the energy/thought/emotion sent to the water, and the crystals that are formed as a result.
Amazingly he found that when positive thoughts, energies, and words were directed to the water, they formed beautiful, highly coherent crystals. Whereas when negative, angry, or hateful thoughts and emotions were directed towards the water, or in some cases with words directly, he found that there was no more coherent structure, and that the crystals froze with no sacred geometrical pattern. In other words, there was no coherence.
This work proves two things: (1) That our thoughts and emotions influence reality directly; and (2) That the type of energy matters.
What is going on with these water crystals is that when an individual thinks a certain thought, speaks a certain word, or feels in a certain way, their energy is oscillating the human energy field which restructures the geometric patterns within space according to that energy.
Then the frequency of our energy radiates throughout space (or it is transmitted non-locally – I truly have no idea) and it restructures the field in accordance with our energy, and this restructures the field – the space – around the water molecules because atoms are 99.9999% empty space. Then when the water is flash frozen, it freezes along the geometric pattern created in the space around its molecules by human thought, emotion, and intention.
As we have seen from the images, the highest emotions of love, kindness, joy, and gratitude create highly coherent geometrical patterns in the field which creates crystals that are truly perfect, beautiful, and harmonic which resonate those emotions within us as we observe them.
Negative energies on the other hand seem to distort the natural structure of the field, vibrating the field in a discordant fashion, which create crystals that radiate a sense of ugliness, imperfection, dis-coherence, and in essence, disease. If it is possible for water crystals to look sick, ill, and literally diseased, it is these ones.
So if our bodies are 75% water, and if our genes are bio-oscillating crystalline structures which read and interpret energy, and if we are 99.999% space, then how do you think the energies within the human energy field are impacting our DNA, and most relevant of all, our health?
As I said before, the latest, and possibly the cutting edge of genetic sciences is working with epi-genetic control, meaning that our DNA and the genes which are coded are determined by the energy of our environment. Well, what determines our environment?
It is not what is out there which has the greatest impact, it is our perception of what is out there. In other words, what we believe, think, and feel to be true about our environment determines how we perceive our environment. So if we think the world is negative, it becomes negative to us. But the opposite is also true. If we live in a state of love, happiness, and inner peace, then we perceive our environment to be the same and thus what we attract is much different.
The human energy field directly informs our DNA and is directly responsible for the genes coded, our health, any illness or disease which may appear in our body, and even our intelligence, memory, and ability to heal is directly affected. All aspects of our lives are determined by the quality of our consciousness.
The Phantom DNA Effect
Another important piece of evidence that helps us to understand really what is going on when our DNA interacts with the unified field and with consciousness is known as the Phantom DNA Effect. It was discovered by Dr. Peter Gariaev who put DNA in a tiny quartz container and zapped it with a mild laser. He then observed the DNA with equipment so sensitive it could detect a single photon. He found the DNA acted like a sponge, and absorbed the photons storing them in a cork-screw shaped spiral.
After he finished his experiments he removed the quartz vial with the DNA in it and left. Yet to his utter amazement when he returned to his lab he discovered that the machines were still detecting the photons of light spiraling in the same cork-screw spiral as if the DNA was still present, even though he had removed it from the machine! The spiral was visibly for a further 30 days.
(Source: p.160-163 of The Source Field Investigations by David Wilcock)
What does this mean?
I believe that we can safely make these deductions based off of the evidence at hand:
- The structure of the vacuum, the unified field, actually stores information, energy, and light, which in reality are all the same thing.
- This strongly suggests that the DNA molecule and structure is resonant with the structure of space-time. In other words its structure is somehow coherent as to cause the field to interact with it in this way once it is charged with energy, in this case a mild laser. Could it be the field responding with the codes necessary for the DNA molecule to adapt to its new environment?
- This process infers that to some degree the DNA molecule is like a biological computer chip, an interface between our biology and the unified field. It means that an interesting function of DNA is to store light (which is information), and that this structure leaves a particularly strongenergetic imprint onto the fabric of space-time. Maybe even that the process of the DNA storing energy activated an energetic construct already present in the unified field.
- The evidence also suggests that there is communication going on between our DNA which stores energy/information/light, but it also seems that our DNA is not just informing the field and leaving an energetic imprint on the human energy field, but that the field is informing our DNA right back.
As a continually growing body of information related to energetically driven evolution is suggesting, all the codes, imprints, and information may very well be stored directly in the energetic field which creation emanates from; in essence, within light itself.
And when we are young or when our energetic fields are pure and unpolluted, our energy resonates most clearly with the universe in this state causing an unobstructed communication between our consciousness and universal consciousness, and between our DNA and the field. When this communication is undistributed, we become the epitome of mental, spiritual, and physical health.
If our emotions were negative or incoherent, that would be disrupting the communication between the field and our DNA, and it is this above all which evidence is suggesting is the source of all disease.
The field of intention, conscious awareness, energy, the universal mind, whatever you choose to call the infinite energy density of the vacuum, the fact remains that the energy of space all around us, is infinite. In other words, it is love, for that is the highest energy that we have a name for.
As Masaru Emoto's work shows, the more positive, loving, and compassionate the person's energy, the higher the degree of coherence in the water crystals. Imagine what these positive energies do to our bodies which are 75% water, and imagine the effect of that highly coherent energy on our DNA. When we align with this energy, with our source, and thus with our higher self, we are embodying this energy which clears all the negativity and energetic disturbance within us manifesting health in mind, body, and spirit.
"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality that you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy, this is physics." – Albert Einstein
About the Author
Brandon West is the creator of Project Global Awakening. A website dedicated to the research of a variety of scientific and spiritual disciplines, and applying that knowledge to help you live an inspired life and change the world. Follow Project Global Awakening on Facebook, and Twitter.
This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It's okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.


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Citizenship question on census came from gerrymandering guru
| New York
A Republican redistricting expert advocated for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census to give an electoral edge to white people and Republicans, opponents of the move alleged in a court filing Thursday.
The filing in Manhattan federal court said a trove of newly discovered documents revealed that Thomas Hofeller, a longtime Republican gerrymandering guru, played a key role in pushing the Trump administration to include a citizenship question on the census for the first time since 1950.
Lawyers for opponents of adding the question said the files, found on Mr. Hofeller's computer drives after he died last year, also showed that he contributed vital language to a Justice Department letter used to justify the question on the grounds that it was needed to protect minority voting rights.
In reality, the lawyers argued, the documents show the census change is part of a wider Republican effort to restrict the political power of Democrats and Latino communities.
"The new evidence reveals that Dr. Thomas Hofeller, the longtime Republican redistricting specialist, played a significant role in orchestrating the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 Decennial Census in order to create a structural electoral advantage for, in his own words, 'Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites,' and that defendants obscured his role through affirmative misrepresentations," the filing said.
The Justice Department denied those allegations in a statement released late Thursday, calling them an "an unfortunate last-ditch effort" to derail a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the legality of adding the citizenship question.
The change, announced in spring 2018, seems poised for approval by the court, which heard arguments in April and is likely to rule by July.
It's not yet clear if the Hofeller documents might affect the case, though the American Civil Liberties Union apprised the high court of the latest developments Thursday in a letter signed by Dale Ho, director of the group's voting rights project and a lawyer who argued against adding the question before the top court.
States, cities, and rights groups had sued in New York and elsewhere, arguing that the question would suppress the count of immigrants and strengthen congressional representation and funding for areas where mostly Republicans reside. States with large numbers of immigrants tend to vote Democratic.
Lawyers for President Donald Trump's administration say the commerce secretary has wide discretion to design the census questionnaire.
On Thursday, lawyers for groups including the ACLU said that the files show that a Justice Department official and a transition official for Trump testified falsely by hiding Hofeller's role in asking for the question. They asked U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to issue sanctions or consider finding individuals in contempt.
Mr. Ho, of the ACLU, said documents found after Mr. Hofeller's death last year, including a 2015 study that the redistricting expert had done, revealed the administration's "goal was to dilute the voting power of minority communities. That's literally the diametric opposite of what the administration has been saying all along."
Mr. Furman gave the Justice Department until Monday to respond and set a hearing in the case for June 5.
The Justice Department said in its statement that "these eleventh-hour allegations by the plaintiffs, including an accusation of dishonesty against a senior Department of Justice official, are false."
"That study played no role in the Department's December 2017 request to reinstate a citizenship question to the 2020 decennial census," it said. "The Department looks forward to responding in greater detail to these baseless accusations in its filing on Monday."
The Hofeller documents cited by lawyers were discovered when his estranged daughter found four external computer hard drives and 18 thumb drives in her father's Raleigh, North Carolina, home after his death last summer.
The New York Times reported that she contacted Common Cause, which had recently sued in state court to challenge North Carolina's legislative districts, which had been drawn by Mr. Hofeller.
Mr. Furman, the federal judge, ruled in January that the question could not be included on the census, saying fewer people would respond to the census and that the process used to add it was faulty. Federal judges in California and Maryland reached similar conclusions in separate lawsuits.
Besides the citizenship question, the Supreme Court also is expected to decide within weeks, in cases from North Carolina and Maryland, whether to set limits for the first time on drawing districts for partisan advantage.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Sherman reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Emery P. Dalesio in Raleigh, North Carolina, also contributed to this report.


text: Orthodoxy for the Non-Orthodox is a concise and clear introduction to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Orthodoxy stands outside of the Protestant/Catholic polarization, and is a mystery to many Western Christians, some of whom have started to search Orthodoxy for new light on their own traditions. Here you will find a survey of the differences between the Eastern and Western churches (as well as their shared teachings), a summary of Orthodox belief, a description of the Orthodox liturgy and the feasts of the church, an introduction to Orthodox spirituality, and a survey of some questions facing Orthodoxy in the contemporary world. This is an excellent "first stop" for anyone who wants to know more about one of the world's largest (and still largely unknown) Christian churches. John Garvey is a priest of the Orthodox Church in America and a columnist for Commonweal.


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Orthodox Church Fathers: Patristic Christian Theology Classics Search Engine
Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem.
[a.d. 185-196.] He was a noted character among Christians, according to Eusebius; living, according to Jerome, under Commodus and Severus. He wrote on the inveterate question concerning the Origin of Evil; and the fragment here translated, as given by Eusebius, is also textually cited by Origen against the Marcionites,1 if that Dialogue be his. The reader will not fail to recollect that liberal citations out of this work are also to be found in Methodius, On Free-Will.2 But all who desire fuller information on the subject will be gratified by the learned prolegomena and notes of Routh, to which I refer them.3 Whether Maximus was the bishop of Jerusalem (a.d. 185) mentioned by Eusebius as presiding in that See in the sixth year of Commodus, seems to be uncertain.
From the Book Concerning Matter, or in Defence of the Proposition that Matter is Created, and is Not the Cause of Evil.1
"That there cannot exist two uncreated substances at one and the same time, I presume that you hold equally with myself. You appear, however, very decidedly to have assumed, and to have introduced into the argument, this principle, that we must of unavoidable necessity maintain one of two things: either that God is separate from matter; or else, on the contrary, that He is indissolubly connected with it.
"If, then, any one should choose to assert that He exists in union with matter, that would be saying that there is only one uncreated substance. For either of the two must constitute a part of the other; and, since they form parts of each other, they cannot be two uncreated substances. Just as, in speaking of man, we do not describe him as subdivided into a number of distinct parts, each forming a separate created substance, but, as reason requires us to do, assert that he was made by God a single created substance consisting of many parts,-so, in like manner, if God is not separate from matter, we are driven to the conclusion that there is only one uncreated substance.
"If, on the other hand, it be affirmed that He is separate from matter, it necessarily follows that there is some other substance intermediate between the two, by which their separation is made apparent. For it is impossible that one thing should be shown to be severed by an interval from another, unless there be something else by which the interval between the two is produced. This principle, too, holds good not only with regard to this or any other single case, but in any number of cases you please For the same argument which we have employed in dealing with the two uncreated substances must in like manner be valid if the substances in question be given as three. For in regard to these also I should have to inquire whether they are separate from one another, or whether, on the contrary, each of them is united to its fellow. For, if you should say that they are united, you would hear from me the same argument as before; but if, on the contrary, you should say that they are separate, you could not escape the unavoidable assumption of a separating medium.
"If, again, perchance any one should think that there is a third view which may be consistently maintained with regard to uncreated substances,-namely, that God is not separate from matter, nor yet, on the other hand, united to it as a part, but that God exists in matter as in a place, or possibly matter exists in God,-let such a person observe the consequence:-
"That, if we make matter God's place, we must of necessity admit that He can be contained,2 and that He is circumscribed by matter. Nay, further, he must grant that He is, in the same way as matter, driven about hither and thither, unable to maintain His place and to stay where He is, since that in which He exists is perpetually being driven about in one direction or another. Beside this, he must also admit that God has had His place among the worst kind of elements. For if matter was once in disorder, and if he reduced it to order for the purpose of rendering it better, there was a time when God existed among the disordered elements of matter.
"I might also fairly put this question: whether God filled the whole of matter, or was in some part of it. If any one should choose to say that God was in some part of matter, he would be making Him indefinitely smaller than matter, inasmuch as a part of it contained the whole of Him;3 but, if he maintained that He pervaded the whole of matter, I need to be informed how He became the Fashioner of this matter. For we must necessarily assume, either that there was on the part of God a contraction,4 so to speak, of Himself, and a withdrawal from matter, whereupon He proceeded to fashion that from which He bad retired; or else that He fashioned Himself in conjunction with matter, in consequence of having no place to retire to.
"But suppose it to be maintained, on the other hand, that matter is in God, it will behove us similarly to inquire, whether we are to understand by this that He is sundered from Himself, and that, just like the air, which contains various kinds of animals, so is He sundered and divided into parts for the reception of those creatures which from time to time exist in5 Him; or whether matter is in God as in a place,-for instance, as water is contained in earth. For should we say `as in air, 'we should perforce be speaking of God as divisible into parts; but if `as water in earth, 'and if matter was, as is admitted, in confusion and disorder, and moreover also contained what was evil, we should have to admit that God is the place of disorder and evil. But this it does not seem to me consistent with reverence to say, but hazardous rather. For you contend that matter is uncreated,6 that you may not have to admit that God is the author of evil; and yet, while aiming to escape this difficulty, you make Him the receptacle of evil.
"If you had stated that your suspicion that matter was uncreated arose from the nature of created things as we find them,7 I should have employed abundant argument in proof that it cannot be so. But, since you have spoken of the existence of evil as the cause of such suspicion, I am disposed to enter upon a separate examination of this point. For, when once it has been made clear how it is that evil exists, and when it is seen to be impossible to deny that God is the author of evil, in consequence of His having had recourse to matter for His materials,8 it seems to me that a suspicion of this kind disappears.
"You assert, then, that matter, destitute of all qualities good or bad, co-existed at the outset with God, and that out of it He fashioned the world as we now find it."
"Such is my opinion."
"Well, then, if matter was without any qualities, and the world has come into existence from God, and if the world possesses qualities, the author of those qualities must be God."
"Exactly so."
"Since, too, I heard you say yourself just now that out of nothing9 nothing can possibly come, give me an answer to the question I am about to ask you. You seem to me to think that the qualities of the world have not sprung from pre-existing10 qualities, and moreover that they are something different from the substances themselves."
"I do."
"If, therefore, God did not produce the qualities in question from qualities already existing, nor yet from substances, by reason that they are not substances, the conclusion is inevitable, that they were made by God out of nothing. So that you seemed to me to affirm more than you were warranted to do, when you said that it had been proved impossible to hold the opinion11 that anything was made by God out of nothing.
"But let us put the matter thus. We see persons among ourselves making certain things out of nothing, however true it may be that they make them by means of something.12 Let us take our illustration, say, from builders. These men do not make cities out of cities; nor, similarly, temples out of temples. Nay, if you suppose that, because the substances necessary for these constructions are already provided, therefore they make them out of that which already exists, your reasoning is fallacious. For it is not the substance that makes the city or the temples, but the art which is employed about the substance. Neither, again, does the art proceed from any art inhering in the substances, but it arises independently of any such art in them.
"But I fancy you will meet the argument by saying that the artist produces the art which is manifest in the substance he has fashioned out of the art which he himself already has. In reply to this, however, I think it may be fairly said, that neither in man does art spring from any already existing art. For we cannot possibly allow that art exists by itself, since it belongs to the class of things which are accidentals, and which receive their existence only when they appear in connection with substance. For man will exist though there should be no architecture, but the latter will have no existence unless there be first of all man. Thus we cannot avoid the conclusion, that it is the nature of art to spring up in man out of nothing. If, then, we have shown that this is the case with man, we surely must allow that God can make not only the qualities of substances out of nothing, but also the substances themselves. For, if it appears possible that anything whatever can be made out of nothing, it is proved that this may be the case with substances also.
"But, since you are specially desirous of inquiring about the origin of evil, I will proceed to the discussion of this topic. And I should like to ask you a few questions. Is it your opinion that things evil are substances, or that they are qualities of substances? "
"Qualities of substances, I am disposed to say."
"But matter was destitute of qualities and of form: this I assumed at the outset of the discussion. Therefore, if things evil are qualities of substances, and matter was destitute of qualities, and you have called God the author of qualities, God will also be the former of that which is evil. Since, then, it is not possible, on this supposition any more than on the other, to speak of God as not the cause of evil, it seems to me superfluous to add matter to Him, as if that were the cause of evil. If you have any reply to make to this, begin your argument."
"If, indeed, our discussion had arisen from a love of contention, I should not be willing to have the inquiry raised a second time about the origin of evil; but, since we are prompted rather by friendship and the good of our neighbour to engage in controversy, I readily consent to have the question raised afresh on this subject. You have no doubt long been aware of the character of my mind, and of the object at which I aim in dispute: that I have no wish to vanquish falsehood by plausible reasoning, but rather that truth should be established in connection with thorough investigation. You yourself, too, are of the same mind, I am well assured. Whatever method, therefore, you deem successful for the discovery of truth, do not shrink from using it. For, by following a better course of argument, you will not only confer a benefit on yourself, but most assuredly on me also, instructing me concerning matters of which I am ignorant."
"You seem clearly to agree with13 me, that things evil are in some sort substances:14 for, apart from substances, I do not see them to have any existence. Since, then, my good friend, you say that things evil are substances, it is necessary to inquire into the nature of substance. Is it your opinion that substance is a kind of bodily structure? "15
"It is."
"And does that bodily structure exist by itself, without the need of any one to come and give it existence? "
"And does it seem to you that things evil are connected with certain courses of action? "
"That is my belief."
"And do actions come into existence only when an actor is there? "
"And, when there is no actor, neither will his action ever take place? "
"It will not."
"If, therefore, substance is a kind of bodily structure, and this does not stand in need of some one in and through whom it may receive its existence, and if things evil are actions of some one, and actions require some one in and through whom they receive their existence, -things evil will `not' be substances. And if things evil are not substances, and murder is an evil, and is the action of some one, it follows that murder is not a substance. But, if you insist that agents are substance, then I myself agree with you. A man, for instance, who is a murderer, is, in so far as he is a man, a substance; but the murder which he commits is not a substance, but a work of the substance. Moreover, we speak of a man sometimes as had because he commits murder; and sometimes, again, because he performs acts of beneficence, as good: and these names adhere to the substance, in consequence of the things which are accidents of it, which, however, are not the substance itself. For neither is the substance murder, nor, again, is it adultery, nor is it any other similar evil. But, just as the grammarian derives his name from grammar, and the orator from oratory, and the physician from physic, though the substance is not physic, nor yet oratory, nor grammar, but receives its appellation from the things which are accidents of it, from which it popularly receives its name, though it is not any one of them,-so in like manner it appears to me that the substance receives name from things regarded as evil, though it is not itself any one of them.
"I must beg you also to consider that, if you represent some other being as the cause of evil to men, he also, in so far as he acts in them, and incites them to do evil, is himself evil, by reason of the things he does. For he too is said to be evil, for the simple reason that he is the doer of evil things; but the things which a being does are not the being himself, but his actions, from which he receives his appellation, and is called evil. For if we should say that the things he does are himself, and these consist in murder, and adultery, and theft, and such-like, these things will be himself. And if these things are himself, and if when they take place they get to have a substantial existence,16 but by not taking place they also cease to exist, and if these things are done by men,-men will be the doers of these things, and the causes of existing and of no longer existing. But, if you affirm that these things are his actions, he gets to be evil from the things he does, not from those things of which the substance of him consists.
"Moreover, we have said that he is called evil from those things which are accidents of the substance, which are not themselves the substance: as a physician from the art of physic. But, if he receives the beginning of his existence from the actions he performs, he too began to be evil, and these evil things likewise began to exist. And, if so, an evil being will not be without a beginning, nor will evil things be unoriginated, since we have said that they are originated by him."
"The argument relating to the opinion I before expressed, you seem to me, my friend, to have handled satisfactorily: for, from the premises you assumed in the discussion, I think you have drawn a fair conclusion. For, beyond doubt, if matter was at first destitute of qualities, and if God is the fashioner of the qualities it now has, and if evil things are qualities, God is the author of those evil things. The argument, then, relating to that opinion we may consider as well discussed, and to me it now seems false to speak of matter as destitute of qualities. For it is not possible to say of any substance17 whatsoever that it is without qualities. For, in the very act of saying that it is destitute of qualities, you do in fact indicate its quality, representing of what kind matter is, which of course is ascribing to it a species of quality. Wherefore, if it is agreeable to you, rehearse the argument to me from the beginning: for, to me, matter seems to have had qualifies from all eternity.18 For in this way I can affirm that evil things also come from it in the way of emanation, so that the cause of evil things may not be ascribed to God, but that matter may be regarded as the cause of all such things."
"I approve your desire, my friend, and praise the zeal you manifest in the discussion of opinions. For it assuredly becomes every one who is desirous of knowledge, not simply and out of hand to agree with what is said, but to make a careful examination of the arguments adduced. For, though a disputant, by laying down false premises, may make his opponent draw the conclusion he wishes, yet he will not convince a hearer of this; but only when he says that which19 it seems possible to say with fairness. So that one of two things will happen: either he will, as he listens, be decisively helped to reach that conclusion towards which he already feels himself impelled, or he will convict his adversary of not speaking the truth.
"Now, it seems to me that you have not sufficiently discussed the statement that matter has qualities from the first. For, if this is the case, what will God be the maker of? For, if we speak of substances, we affirm these to exist beforehand; or if again of qualities, we declare these also to exist already. Since, therefore both substance and qualities exist, it seems to me unreasonable to call God a creator.
"But, lest I should seem to be constructing an argument to suit my purpose, be so good as to answer the question: In what way do you assert God to be a creator? Is He such because He changed the substances, so that they should no longer be the same as they had once been but become different from what they were; or because, while He kept the substances the same as they were before that period, He changed their qualities? "
"I do not at all think that any alteration took place in substances: for it appears to me absurd to say this. But I affirm that a certain change was made in their qualities; and it is in respect of these that I speak of God as a creator. Just as we might happen to speak of a house as made out of stones, in which case we could not say that the stones no longer continue to be stones as regards their substance, now that they are made into a house (for I affirm that the house owes its existence to the quality of its construction, forasmuch as the previous quality of the stones has been changed),-so does it seem to me that God, while the substance remains the same, has made a certain change in its qualities; and it is in respect of such change that I speak of the origin of this world as having come from God."
"Since, then, you maintain that a certain change-namely, of qualifies-has been produced by God, answer me briefly what I am desirous to ask you."
"Proceed, pray, with your question."
"Do you agree in the opinion that evil things are qualities of substances? "
"I do."
"Were these qualities in matter from the first, or did they begin to be? "
"I hold that these qualifies existed in combination with matter, without being originated."
"But do you not affirm that God has made a certain change in the qualities? "
"That is what I affirm."
"For the better, or for the worse? "
"For the better, I should say."
"Well, then, if evil things are qualities of matter, and if the Lord of all changed its qualities for the better, whence, it behoves us to ask, come evil things? For either the qualities remained the same in their nature as they previously were, or, if they were not evil before, but you assert that, in consequence of a change wrought on them by God, the first qualities of this kind came into existence in connection with matter,-God will be the author of evil, inasmuch as He changed the qualities which were not evil, so as to make them evil.
"Possibly, however, it is not your view that God changed evil qualities for the better; but you mean that all those other qualities which happened to be neither good nor bad,20 were changed by God with a view to the adornment of the creation."
"That has been my opinion from the outset."
"How, then, can you say that He has left the qualities of bad things just as they were? Is it that, although He was able to destroy those qualities as well as the others, He was not willing; or did He refrain because He had not the power? For, if you say He had the power, but not the will, you must admit Him to be the cause of these qualities: since, when He could have put a stop to the existence of evil, He chose to let it remain as it was, and that, too, at the very time when He began to fashion matter. For, if He had not concerned Himself at all with matter, He would not have been the cause of those things which He allowed to remain. But, seeing that He fashioned a certain part of it, and left a certain part as we have described it, although He could have changed that also for the better, it seems to me that He deserves to have the blame cast on Him, for having permitted a part of matter to be evil, to the ruin of that other part which He fashioned.
"Nay, more, it seems to me that the most serious wrong has been committed as regards this part, in that He constituted this part of matter so as to be now affected by evil. For, if we were to examine carefully into things, we should find that the condition of matter is worse now than in its former state, before it was reduced to order. For, before it was separated into parts, it had no sense of evil; but now every one of its parts is afflicted with a sense of evil.
"Take an illustration from man. Before he was fashioned, and became a living being through the art of the Creator, he was by nature exempt from any contact whatever with evil; but, as soon as ever he was made by God a man, he became liable to the sense of even approaching evil: and thus that very thing which you say was brought about by God for the benefit of matter,21 is found to have turned out rather to its detriment.
"But, if you say that evil has not been put a stop to, because God was unable to do away with it, you will be making God powerless. But, if He is powerless, it will be either because He is weak by nature, or because He is overcome by fear, and reduced to subjection by a stronger. If, then, you go so far as to say that God is weak by nature, it seems to me that you imperil your salvation itself; but, if you say that He is weak through being overcome by fear of a greater, things evil will be greater than God, since they frustrate the carrying out of His purpose. But this, as it seems to me, it would be absurd to say of God. For why should not `they' rather be considered gods, since according to your account they are able to overcome God: if, that is to say, we mean by God that which has a controlling power over all things?
"But I wish to ask you a few questions concerning matter itself. Pray tell me, therefore, whether matter was something simple or compound. I am induced to adopt this method of investigating the subject before us by considering the diversity that obtains in existing things. For, if perchance matter was something simple and uniform, how comes it that the world is compound,22 and consists of, divers substances and combinations? For by `compound' we denote a mixture of certain simple elements. But if, on the contrary, you prefer to call matter compound, you will, of course, be asserting that it is compounded of certain simple elements. And, if it was compounded of simple elements, these simple elements must have existed at some time or other separately by themselves, and when they were compounded together matter came into being: from which it of course follows that matter is created. For, if matter is compound, and compound things are constituted from simple, there was once a time when matter had no existence,-namely, before the simple elements came together. And, if there was once a time when matter was not, and there was never a time when the uncreated was not, matter cannot be uncreated. And hence there will be many uncreated substances. For, if God was uncreated, and the simple elements out of which matter was compounded were also uncreated, there will not be two uncreated things only,-not to discuss the question what it is which constitutes objects simple, whether matter or form.
"Is it, further, your opinion that nothing in existence is opposed to itself? "
"It is."
"Is water, then, opposed to fire? "
"So it appears to me."
"Similarly, is darkness opposed to light, and warm to cold, and moreover moist to dry? "
"It seems to me to be so."
"Well, then, if nothing in existence is opposed to itself, and these things are opposed to each other, they cannot be one and the same matter; no, nor yet be made out of one and the same matter.
"I wish further to ask your opinion on a matter kindred to that of which we have been speaking. Do you believe that the parts of a thing are not mutually destructive? "
"I do."
"And you believe that fire and water, and so on, are parts of matter? "
"Quite so."
"Do you not also believe that water is subversive of fire, and light of darkness, and so of all similar things? "
"Well, then, if the parts of a whole are not mutually destructive, and yet the parts of matter are mutually destructive, they cannot be parts of one matter. And, if they are not parts of one another, they cannot be composed of one and the same matter; nay, they cannot be matter at all, since nothing in existence is destructive of itself, as we learn from the doctrine of opposites: for nothing is opposed to itself-an opposite being by nature opposed to something else. White, for example, is not opposed to itself, but is said to be the opposite of black; and, similarly, light is shown not to be opposed to itself, but is considered an opposite in relation to darkness; and so of a very great number of things besides. If, then, matter were some one thing, it could not be opposed to itself. This, then, being the nature of opposites, it is proved that matter has no existence."


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Just another thank you from Jake and Dan to all who helped, followed, enjoyed and posed for the web cams over the years. It's been an amazing experience for one and all.
Thanks to Martin for posing one last time with a sign in front of the cameras. One sign for the WebCam faithful, and another for Jake.


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Posts Tagged 'Macro'
Thailand's Miniature World – Part Two
Photographing Mother Nature's little creatures
Close-up and macro photography: Additional photographs
After more than 15 years of taking wildlife close-ups and macro shots, the following photographs are a collection assembled for this post. Some are from my old film archives and others are recent digital captures. It is hoped these images will instill upon others the positive aspect of photographing nature; whether its the little critters all the way up to the majestic elephant.
However, the message is the same: wildlife photographs are a way of expressing the need to protect and save Mother Nature's wonderful creations through exposure, education and conservation awareness at all levels of society. The more people learn about the Kingdom's natural heritage, the better its chances of survival into the future!
Birdwing butterfly in Lampang province
Orb spider at Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Changeable lizard in Chiang Mai province
Blue crested lizard in Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary
Oakleaf butterfly in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary
Lantern bug in Chiang Mai province
Short-horned grasshopper in Chiang Mai
Bombay locust in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary
Foilage spider in Lamphun province
Skipper butterfly in Chiang Mai province
Lime butterfly in Thap Lan National Park
Bird-eating spider in Phu Khieo
Carpenter ants in Thung Yai
Common rose and blue tiger butterflies in Thung Yai
Cruiser butterfly in Sai Yok
Damselfly in Salak Phra
Dragonfly in Thung Yai
Dragonfly in Suphan Buri province
Hawk moths mating in Huai Kha Khaeng
Rhinoceros beetle in Salak Phra
Green-bellied pit viper in Kaeng Krachan
Wild hibiscus flower in Huai Kha Khaeng
Thailand's Miniature World – Part One
Photographing Mother Nature's little creatures
Close-up and macro photography: Intricate elements and gear
Yellow-bellied pit viper and carpenter ant in Kaeng Krachan
It is the rainy season and the day is cloudy like most during this time of the year. The rains have stopped temporarily, and the sun peeks through the clouds. Insects, spiders and other creatures such as reptiles and amphibians are extremely active in the forest when precipitation is at its highest.
While walking down a streambed in Kaeng Krachan National Park, southwest Thailand, a yellow-bellied pit viper found on a tree branch is perfect for some serious close-up photography. However, pit vipers can be deadly and extremely quick to strike.
Yellow-bellied pit viper slithering up a tree branch
I keep my distance as the serpent hangs motionless in a coiled position ready to sink its fangs into any victim. I quickly set-up my tripod and my favorite close-up rig at the time, a Minolta D7 digital camera and 200mm f 2.8 lens with a 1.4 tele-converter for an overall length of 280mm.
The most appealing feature of this lens is it can be used further away from the subject than a shorter lens, while flattening the perspective by bringing the foreground and background together. When a wide aperture is used, it will isolate the subject against a blurred background. The 280mm was also handy in the field.
Green-bellied pit viper on forest leaf litter in Kaeng Krachan
I was able to photograph the dangerous reptile from a safe distance. It was a two-day walk to the road and if bitten, I might not make it to the nearest hospital in time. Vipers are not aggressive unless provoked.
While photographing the snake, a one-inch long carpenter ant moved into the frame while I snapped a series of images. It was surely exciting, and two species in one photograph is always a neat experience. In the forest nearby, a green-bellied pit viper in fallen leaves hunting for prey is found. Pit vipers are very common in Kaeng Krachan.
Giant tree frog in a stream in Kaeng Krachan
Along this same stream a day later, we bumped into a rare green tree frog, the largest of this genus. It stayed in place long enough for some good shots but eventually jumped away. A couple days later, I also photographed a river toad further down stream.
River toad in a stream in Kaeng Krachan
While setting-up camera-traps at a mineral lick just off this same stream, a king cobra showed up. Now that was a heart stopper as the big snake rose up. I softly told everyone to stay absolutely still. It then lowered itself and slid back the way it had come. Everyone in the team had the jitters. I had absolutely no time to get any photos and was relieved the 'king' was gone. We decided to name this place the 'King Cobra' mineral lick.
King cobra hunting by the Phetchaburi River in Kaeng Krachan
However, I once photographed a king cobra near the headwaters of the Phetchaburi River in Kaeng Krachan, and managed a few off-hand close-up shots with my Minolta before it disappeared into the forest in a split-second. Some photographs are just not worth the risk but this happened so quickly that I snapped away oblivious to the danger. The undisputed 'king of the forest' is definitely not a recommended subject for close-up photography.
King cobra just before disappearing into the forest
When I began shooting wildlife with a camera, close-up or sometimes called 'macro photography' grabbed my attention. It seemed like the perfect solution to spend time when the large mammals and birds were scarce or while around camp. I reckoned Thailand's miniature wild world was just as important as the big flora and fauna. Now, it is one of my favorite pass times. Sometimes, chasing the little creatures is not that easy and many variables come into play.
Forest crested lizard in Kaeng Krachan
My first macro lens was a Nikon 60mm that was great for flowers and stationary subjects but not very good for lively butterflies and such. I quickly up-graded to a Nikon 80-200 f 2.8 zoom with a close-up lens attachment which screws on the front of the lens. I also used extension tubes between the camera and lens. This allowed closer focusing throughout the entire zoom range. I photographed many small bugs, spiders, and other subjects of interest including flowers and natural abstracts using this combo.
Tortoise beetle in Kaeng Krachan
Since my early beginnings, I have purchased many cameras and lenses over the years. For close-ups and macro shots, I now carry my trusty Nikon D700 camera (full-frame sensor) and two lenses: a fixed Nikon 105mm f 2.8 VR (vibration reduction) and an older fixed Nikon Micro 200mm f 4. I also use a Nikon D5000 camera (1.5X sensor) with a Sigma 70-300mm Macro lens (effectively a 105-450mm) for more reach, and because it is much lighter than the D700 camera in some situations.
Champange mushrooms in Kaeng Krachan
My favorite lens now is the Nikon 200mm that I find perfect for just about everything and the focal length yields a good working distance. It allows close work on distant subjects that are skittish like butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Bees, hornets and wasps are best photographed from a distance for obvious reasons, as are snakes that are poisonous mentioned earlier. If the subject is stationary like beetles, dew-laden insects and spiders, flowers and abstracts, I prefer the Nikon 105mm lens.
Little map butterflies mating in Kaeng Krachan
Whenever I travel and stop by the highway for a rest or nature's call, or when at base camp in the forest, I always have my camera and close-up lenses with me. You never know when you might bump into a good photo opportunity. This rig is also set-up with a bracket and an off-camera flash with a sync cable that is needed for certain situations. I shoot this off-hand and the flash allows stop-action and sharp images.
Thairus butterfly in a stream in Kaeng Krachan
The difference between close-up and macro photography needs to be clarified to get an understanding of the two terms. 'Close-up' photography is usually applied to any situation where the subject is around one-tenth of life size or greater on the image sensor or film frame. The pit viper at the beginning is classified as a close-up.
Shield-backed bug in Lamphun province
'Macro' photography on the other hand, is when the subject is reproduced at a magnification of life size (1:1 ratio) or greater with an appropriate camera and lens. Up to four or five times (4:1 – 5:1 ratio) is possible with modern SLR (film) and DSLR (digital) cameras and some lenses, or a combination of lenses and accessories can capture very small subjects.
Stag beetle in Doi Inthanon National Park
Anything smaller than that is possible by using a camera attached to a microscope and is classified as 'micro' photography. For example: a photograph of an ant's eye, a pinhead or smaller. However, this technique is beyond the scope of this story.
Scarab beetle at the top of Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain
To better understand reproduction ratios, the following is a simple formula to get an indication of magnification: If a 25mm-long subject is focused so that it fits on a 25mm sensor, the reproduction ratio is 1:1 or 1x; that is, it is reproduced on the sensor at life-size. If a 50mm-long subject is focused so that it fits on a 25mm sensor, then it is reproduced at half-life size, or a ratio of 1:2 or ½x. And finally, if a 12.5mm subject is focused on a 25mm sensor, then it will be reproduced as a magnification of twice life-size, or a ratio of 2:1, or 2x, and so on. A bit technical but it gives an understanding of magnification in close-up and macro photography.
Carpenter bee landing on a perch in Sai Yok National Park
Depth of field, lighting and shutter speed is the three most important elements of close-up/macro photography. Depth of field is the zone in front and behind the point of focus that is sharp. Controlling depth of field is one of the most crucial rudiments in photography and can be checked by using a depth-of-field preview button available on some SLR and DSLR cameras. The use of the lens aperture (f-stop) and the amount of light using the ISO setting to determine shutter speed at the time the photograph is taken is important for sharp and properly exposed images.
Carpenter bee on its favorite perch in Sai Yok
There are many books and magazine stories on the subject of close-up/macro photography available from some bookstores, and these should be sought out to get a better idea what techniques and equipment is needed. Considered the 'bible' by many of this form of photography is a book entitled 'Closeups in Nature' by John Shaw, and even though this tome was written during the film era, it still teaches all the basics needed to get great shots of the small critters and their environment, and the equipment needed.
Carpenter bee in Tak province
Cameras may include some of the newer digital compact 'point-and-shoot' types that have close-up capabilities, and are probably the most reasonable option for beginners. The next step-up is the bridge cameras or SLR-style digital compacts. With the right accessories, close-up and macro photography is possible while the cost is still below the standard single-lens-reflex cameras that can be expensive at the pro-level.
Wood-boring beetle in Sai Yok
But the number one choice for serious amateurs and professional photographers who shoot the miniature world use a SLR or DSLR mentioned previously. There are many models and it all boils down to budget, plus the will to get the best images as the number one priority on the purchase of a camera body. Weight and bulk is also a factor. Most of the newer digital cameras are offering 12 megapixels or more.
Coppery-bordered ground beetle in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary
If you are a beginner, there are many brands and models to choose from. It is best to check them out at your local camera store and make a choice based on your own criteria. Talk to fellow photographers for advice and read as much as possible to get an idea what you need.
Wasp spider in Thung Yai
If you are shooting a SLR-type camera, the lens and technique is very important for crisp images. Brand names lenses are expensive whereas aftermarket ones can work just as well. Again, shopping for close-up/macro equipment is a matter of choice.
Wasp spider in Chiang Mai province
Lenses for this field exist almost exclusively as fixed focal length. On image quality, they are superior to a standard zoom lens. A high-quality close-up or macro lens can be a companion for life. The focal length you choose depends solely on the type of images you want. The Nikon 105 AF-S VR previously mentioned stands out in its class, because it is the first lens to offer an image stabilizer in the macro range. Other manufactures also offer high-tech bells and whistles, and its up to the photographer to choose.
Tunnel spider in Sai Yok
Extension tubes and some tele-converters that fit between the camera and lens can increase subject size. These can be found easily in most camera shops. Another option that I like is to install a close-up lens in the filter threads of a prime lens. These are not very expensive and add very little weight. However, they are not that readily available but a few specialty firms offer them through the Internet. I use a Nikon 6T close-up lens that is no longer manufactured for both my 105mm and 200mm that have a 62mm filter size.
Tunnel spider in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
Another way to get into the macro range with a standard lens, say like a 50mm, is to install a reversing ring. Another option is to stack lenses such as a manual 200mm with a 50mm reversed using a stacking ring and this can really get down into the 2:1 to 3:1 life sizes.
Jumping spider in Khao Ang Rue Nai
Other options are a bellows unit with a lens installed either normally or reversed. Depending on the extension and type of lens used, bellows devices allow for magnification ratios up to 6:1. But this is better suited for a studio set-up.
Robber fly with prey in Khao Ang Rue Nai
A sturdy tripod and ball head is very important along with an electronic shutter release for sharp images. But they are not always practical where a tripod leg can knock foliage and disturb the subject that will fly or jump away. A monopod will control up and down movement and is easier to set in place but should be used in conjunction with a diffused flash. It is my favorite set-up when I go afield looking for miniature subjects.
Robber fly with prey in Tak province
Natural light is the best choice for close-up/macro photography but not always possible and hence, a flash comes into play. Most flashes today have TTL (through the lens) metering that allows precise flash output. Many new cameras have a pop-up flash that can also be used as long as it can be adjusted for output, and are all right for most applications but should be used with some sort of diffuser like tissue paper in several layers taped over the flash lens to avoid harsh light.
Skipper butterfly in Chiang Mai province
An off-camera flash with a slip-on diffuser plus a bracket and sync cord is tops for close-up photography. It can be adjusted for distance to subject, shot off-hand, and is quick to use. A ring flash is another option for shadow-less lighting and off-hand work.
Lemon pansi on a wild cat scat in Thung Yai
As we pass the first decade of the 21st Century, more and more people are taking up photography as a hobby or profession. The camera and lens manufacturers are constantly bringing out newer and better makes and models, and it is confusing at times.
Water drops on a plant in Eastern Thailand
However, it is an excellent pass time and the world of close-up and macro photography is only limited by one's own imagination. Get out with camera in hand, even if it is your own back yard, and give it a try. It could become a passion and one that I am thoroughly hooked on. I hope to capture as much wildlife on digital as possible, so that others can also appreciate the wonderful world of nature in miniature.


text:
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Something for babY
9 comments:
- Becca at Motherhood "perfected" said...
OOOOOH! I just LOVE that fabric!! So pretty, and I bet it is so soft! I don't sew either but you have inspired me to put to use the sewing machine and yards of fabric piling up in my "some day" corner.
- 3/31/2011
- Tonii said...
I am a new follower and am in LOVE with your blog! I am currently on bedrest waiting for my 4th little one to come (girl also) so I have lots of time to look at all your amazing projects and things you do. I am feeling very inspired, so thank you!!
- 3/31/2011
- Em @ Inspired Coincidences said...
I LOVE it!!! I have 2 sons and when/if we have a 3rd and its a girl I will definitely be making her a blanket as well! And like you, I'd be totally winging it with my sewing machine, but look how awesome yours turned out! Wow, I am completely impressed, especially with the embellishments! Did I say I love it yet!?
- 3/31/2011
Where did you find the blue damask-like fabric? I've been looking for blue fabrics this color and can't find it anywhere? And I'm guessing the blue ruffled fabric came from your extra pillow sham?
- 3/31/2011
- Erin {A Girl and Her Craftbox Designs} said...
I love your Blog! I am giving you an award! Come check it out!
agirlandhercraftbox.blogspot.com - 3/31/2011
I love the fabric, and the flowers were a great touch!
- 3/31/2011
- Lindsay said...
This blanket is so cute! Did you follow a tutorial to make it or just wing it? I too, don't sew but would love to make a cute blanket like this!
- 4/11/2011
- Mary @ Redo 101 said...
I really love that blanket - I have the same fabric from Hob Lob - I made a shower curtain out of it :) Sorry the sewing was so difficult but it really paid off - you did really good! Thanks for sharing,
Mary - 7/04/2011
Those look lovely!!! With the blankets, did you just sew inside out, flip and finish?
- 9/28/2011


text:
When his love he doth espy, let her shine as gloriously as the Venus of the sky
It wasn't the flickering light in the upper storey window that drew the Watcher's attention, for many lights vied for his attention that evening. It was a melody drifting upwards through the gradually darkening sky. A rose-gold sun set the western horizon alight as the lone figure made slow, wide circles in the radiant atmosphere.
Drawn by her irresistible presence below, he descended to the place where she now dwelt. The flame of a candle within licked gently at the surrounding air and a heady scent was carried up to him with the rising music. Deeply he inspired, considering the soul within. She was stretched like a cat upon the bed, with an open book face-down beside her on the pillow. His eye was now fixed.
One golden glance of what should be.
A powerful gust of wind blew the window open and she jumped out of her skin, shaken from her hazy reverie by the sudden noise and rush of cool air. Moving like quicksilver he silently slipped inside, permeating the chamber with a magnificent aura, the robe of divine beauty. He watched as her eyes slowly scanned the space, seeking what or whomsoever had electrified the ether, almost fully aware of the almost unexpected arrival of the thrice-descended master.
With curious concentration she listened to the voice entering her room via the radio that now seemed remarkably significant. A drama was set to unfold, of that she could be sure. Doubtless there was a kind of magic taking place right there and then, with her at the centre of its endlessly opening and closing circle. Luscious chords swelled like the rising ocean, sweeping over her body in sensuous waves. The lost history of time unfolded in his fathomless mind.
She was wearing gold-coloured sandals – shoes that were a gift from her father – and a midnight blue dress. Around her wrist was a bracelet full of charms and with his bright, ancient eyes, he saw that the necklace at her throat was made from the stuff of magic, a gift from her mystery-loving mother.
Once again he had challenged the doors of time to reach her and the wait had seemed an eternity. 2,628 years had passed since she had last been this close to him. On that occasion the moon had been perfectly halved by the shadow of the Earth. Jupiter, then, was at the same point in its orbit as it would be in precisely three and a half minutes that self-same night.
He looked over his shoulder at the gigantic sphere, which slowly turned through the expanding cosmos with an intricately complex, haunting melody. A ray of its light fell upon her in that moment and the ageless diamond of her soul began to dissolve in his mercurial presence.
One shaft of light that showed the way
A sense of fervent devotion rose up inside her like the flames of a secret fire as he stretched out his hands to touch her outspread hair.
This flame that burns inside of me is here in secret harmonies
She had dreams; he could see every colour of every scene.
One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal
With a silent whisper he reminded her of the truth:
No mortal man can win this day.
He drew a flickering moment of eternity into the infinite space between them and exhaled into her parted lips.
The radio crackled and grew fainter, framing the esoteric silence like a braid of wheat, magnetising all background interference until the air grew taut as a lens, magnifying live reactions as if they were in a scene from a lyric master's play.
Still you will always be with me, your name constantly on my lips, never forgotten
With quotes from William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Freddie Mercury, A Kind of Magic and a Hymn of Orpheus


text:
Unarmed and extremely dangerous
Back of DVD:
In this explosive martial arts action adventure, college student Jake Lo (Brandon Lee) is pursued by smugglers, mobsters and crooked federal agents after he witnesses a murder by a Mafia King-pin. When the witness protection program fails, he has to protect himself with his only weapons - his hands. Determined to survive, he takes on Chicago's warring drug lords with the assistance of a renegade cop (Powers Booth) and his beautiful partner.
Movie Review:
This was a tidy little gem I hadn't heard of. Like most my age, I am familiar with Brandon Lee because he is Bruce Lee's son and because he was The Crow. I also know that that he was tragically killed when filming that movie when a live round was accidentally inserted into a stunt pistol. Early this year I also discovered that he starred along side Dolph Lundgren in the buddy cop action-fest Showdown in Little Tokyo which I enjoyed him in very much. So I decided to check out what else the guy had done, which unfortunately due to his untimely death was not much. His second last movie was Rapid Fire.
We start in China as Italian-American mob boss Tony Serrano (Nick Mancuso) and his cronies (and Al Leong, but more on him later) arrive at a heroin port to meet with counterpart Kinman Tau (Tzi Ma) to discuss trade. More than that, Tony has a bug up his arse and says Tau owes him for all the support he has shown him in getting established as an underworld figure. Tau is unimpressed and fights three guys with a stick to prove his manliness, then sends Tony packing.
Back in America, Brandon Lee (playing Jake Lo) is quietly going about his day when he sees a student protest about the Tiananmen Square massacre going on ("Free China!"). This gives Lee flashbacks of his father being attacked by police on the June Fourth Incident and he tells the protest leader to get bent. Lee is a budding artist and goes to his art class where he draws a nude blonde, improvised with a dragon for some reason ("It's what I see when I look at her."). The model must like being associated with a dragon and asks him out. That's a good trick - draw ladies in the nuddy with a dragon and you'll get a date out of it.
When Lee arrives at an art gallery for his date he realises it's a con as the guy from the protest is there going on about freeing China again. The model convinces him to stay for a drink and he does. However at the same party is Chang, Tau's business partner, who briefly meets with Lee then goes upstairs to his office. Waiting inside however is Tony Serrano and his pals. This time Tony is trying his muscle on Chang. What a tool; he couldn't beat the boss so he goes after the second-in-command. Pretty weak. If the shit didn't hit the fan he would probably go after the cleaning lady, but when Chang refuses to hand over his drug deals, Tony blows him away through a glass window.
Unfortunately Lee was there at the time and saw the whole thing. Tony realises and takes a few shots at him but Lee unleashes his martial arts fury on everyone, breaking much glass in the process, then even trashing the place with his motorbike. Tony flees but Lee is arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, though is convinced (re: blackmailed) by FBI agent Frank Stewart to be a witness to the murder of Chang by Tony. Lee is put into protective custody in Chicago but that was just a setup by crooked FBI agents who kill his entourage and try to take out him as well. Lee pulls his martial-artsness again and channels a bit of Jackie Chan, using refrigerator doors as weapons etc.
Brandon Lee is pretty good at the various styles he puts on show, though I got the feeling during Rapid Fire that he had slowed it all down on purpose. I could be wrong, but I reckon he was actually much faster than what we got to see in this. It's not like the movie was slow, but the title "Rapid Fire" isn't that accurate. More accurate would be "Quickened Pace Fire", or "Faster than you but still not as fast as it could be Fire". It's all pretty enjoyable though, with cliched Italian-American crims, car chases and shootouts aplenty - and the obligatory awful sex scene with 80's power ballad soundtrack.
Though double-crossed by the FBI, Lee agrees to help the local Chicago police who have more of an interest in Tau than in Tony Serrano, but they'll take what they can get. He first meets the local detective by chance; Lee had gone to meet FBI agent Frank Stewart when Mace Ryan (Powers Boothe - great name) arrives on the scene. Frank's henchmen start shooting and Lee and Mace Ryan escape, shooting back and blowing shit up (queue explosions) and Lee gets a handle on twin pistols, guns akimbo style. Mace Ryan is one of those hard-arsed cops that when pissed at his poor bowling game shoots the pins (yes, he actually does this).
There's a bar/restaurant brawl that is pretty awesome actually with its display of machine gun carnage, but the real gold is the final sting where Lee dresses up as a Chinese labour worker by simply putting on a head bandanna and a pair of glasses and infiltrates Tau's operations in Chicago. Lee demonstrates his flawless Cantonese (he was expert by age eight, apparently) and knowledge of Chinese culture, but most importantly he has a fight with Al Leong! Leong is great; he turns up in all the best 80's/90's action fare as the henchman of some other Chinese guy. He doesn't utter a single line in Rapid Fire but gets a good exit by getting smacked around by Lee and stabbed in the stomach.
Overall this is a good piece of fun. There's nothing outstanding in Rapid Fire but it's definitely solid and well polished action, with just a bit of light comedy thrown in. It's a real shame that Brandon Lee departed this Earth so soon as I think he would have had a great career in action/martial arts movies.
The Video:
I reviewed the R4 DVD from 20th Century Fox and all was well here. A nice sharp 16:9 enhanced widescreen presentation with a clean stereo soundtrack that makes this 1992 movie look and sound as good as it can. I read on another review that the R4 is slightly censored, having been based on the R2 UK master. Apparently it is missing a nun-chuck fight scene; I certainly don't recall seeing this so it must be true, but I didn't notice any clumsy edits either. Runtime 92 minutes.
Sourced From:
eBay for a couple of bucks
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