Cadair Berwyn

Cadair Berwyn, originally uploaded by Mark_Twells.

Along the Berwyns Ridge.

Photo by Mark Twells, Shrewsbury - UK.

Broken Church

Broken Church, originally uploaded by Ichor.

Photo by Cormac Scanlan, Ipswich - ENGLAND.

Old trap

old trap, originally uploaded by tearapen.

Experimenting with Gaussian blur.

Photo by Will Snap

Crossing the chasm...

Crossing the chasm..., originally uploaded by Hawkeye39.

Bridge over the Tamagawa River, Japan.

Photo by Hawkeye39, Tokyo - JAPAN.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem, originally uploaded by AnomalousNYC.

The view of Bethlehem is now obscured by the massive Apartheid Wall which Israel has built in and around the city. Beit Lahama was founded by ancient Palestinians - Canaanites - more than 5,000 years ago. Egyptian merchants on their way to the great trading centers of Syria stayed in Bethlehem a millenia before Jesus was born here.

In Occupied Palestine, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported in mid-2004 that roughly 70% of Palestinian Children have had to undergo some degree of psychiatric treatment for trauma.

The report described the prevalance of various symptoms reported by care-givers for children aged 5-17. the symptoms they listed and ranked included: overnervousness, constant fear of darkness, bad mod, depression, unexplainable attacks of crying, fear of leaving the house, inability to concentrate, inability to sleep except with parents or siblings, constant fear of loneliness, nightmares, frequent thoughts of death and dying. This and other reports from the same period described a whole host of other symptoms of trauma: bedwetting, sleepwalking, fire-starting, attacking other children, swearing, smoking, isolation and distancing from family and friends.

Most horrifying to me was the PCBS report of a symptom experienced by 11% of Palestinian children: a symptom described only as "Constant screaming."

With each passing day, the virulent anti-Arab racism of normal Israelis grows more violent and psychotic.

30 years ago, in 1974, when the Jews News Weekly first carried out its polls on Jewish Israeli attutudes towards Arabs, 32% of Jewish youth in Israel said they "hated Arabs." By 1988 that number had grown to 39%.

By 1997, despite a supposed "peace process" taking place in the 1990s (during which time the number of Jewish settlers actualyl doubled), the numbers had jumped considerably: 40% of Jewish youth in israel said they "hated Arabs", and an alarming 60% said that they "want revenge."

15 years later, today, those hate-filled and revenge-seeking children are now in positions of power, and the everyday racism of Israelis has mutated into something almost unrecognizably worse. More than 90% of Jewish Israelis say the mass incarceration of millions of Palestinian civilians inside these disconnected maximum security prisons is "necessary for Jewish security."

As reported in Israel's Ha'aretz Daily, a poll of Jewish Israelis conducted in March of 2005 found that 59% of Jewish Israelis felt that the state of Israeli should pressure its 1 million Arab citizens to leave the country.

65% of Jewish Israelis said they would reject any "peace deal" that involved withdrawal to its 1967 borders (a withdrawal demanded by every country on earth and required by international law).

This explosion of racial animus is getting more violent all the time. What we are seeing is a controlled, state-sponsored movement towards genocide. This is a diagnosis shared by a number of the world's foremost genocide monitoring groups.
GENOCIDE WATCH currently ranks Israel as a Stage 6 genocide - the "preparation" stage which immediately precedes an outbreak of mass killing.

Please visit:
VOICES FROM THE BETHLEHEM GHETTO
and STOP THE WALL

ORIGINAL PHOTO: Maan Independent news
IMAGE ALTERATION: AnomalousNYC, New York City - USA.

Christmas At The Cemetery

Christmas At The Cementery, originally uploaded by | HD |.

An endless number of candles illuminating grave after grave in this Southern Oregon memorial park, to extend the spirit of christmas.

Photo by Hamad Darwish, Kuwaiti in Medford, OR. - USA

Brazil Streets Song - part III

Brazil_streets_song_03, originally uploaded by carf.

Come on, wake up, let’s smile, let’s sing,
Let’s make a new world in this sad story.
Without children on the streets,
either asking for alms or begging thieves.

Brazil, Brazil, Brazil, it’s time to wake up! Yeah!

Extract from a song by 15-year old Edi of the Banda Beija-Flor

A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR



Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African / Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian: Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri-Azerbaijan: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese (Cantonese): Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese (Mandarin): Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Chinese (Catonese): Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
Dutch (Netherlands): Prettig Kerstfeest
Eskimo: (Inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic (Irish): Nolag mhaith Dhuit Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise
Gaelic (Scots): Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian: Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese: Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Romanian (in Moldova Republic): La Anul si La Multi Ani
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slavey (a Dene Language from the Northwest Territories in Canada): Teyatie Gonezu
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese (Micronesian): Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!



Photos and manipulation by Gregory J. Smith - CARF, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

Basket Ball Courts

basket ball courts, originally uploaded by wizmo.

One of the three courts had a huge tree growing right in the middle of it.

Blog Moderator's Note:
Wow! How our kids would loved to have such a decent basketball court. If it was under our "command", it would have been put back in order and put to use!
Shame one can't simply transport such things from those privileged societies that don't seem to care much for the benefits they have, and deliver them to others more needy.
When will we start caring for what we have?

Photo by Susan Bein, Monterey Peninsula - USA.

Los Cabitos Jail, Ayacucho ' 91

Los Cabitos Jail, Ayacucho 91, originally uploaded by Marcelo Montecino.

Photo by Marcelo Montecino, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Watching Hyde Park

Watching Hyde Park, originally uploaded by Mr. Yuk.

Photo by Eric Grimes.

There used to be ghosts in this house.

there used to be ghosts in this house., originally uploaded by gin_able.

Spooky, not only by fog...

Photo by Gin Able, GERMANY.

Julia

Julia, originally uploaded by jiwasz.

Location: Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Its graves date back to the early 1800s. It is the second rural cemetery (i.e. not a church cemetery) in the country and is situated overlooking the Schuylkill river. Back then, it was so far away from the city center that many funeral processions would arrive by boat.

This is just one of the many ornate gravestones spotted throught the grounds. Stephen Kingston was one of the founders of the 19th Army Regiment of volunteers founded in Philadelphia in the 1840s. Back then, women did not get their own gravestones and were often buried in the same lot as their husband. This one is unique in that regard.

I like that the stones on the side are dark bringing focus to Julia Kingston's headstone. A little desaturation and unsharpen mask made this one more appealing than the original shot. Graveyard photos are fairly common and so I plan on keeping my cemetery submissions to a minimum.

Photo by John Iwasz, Philadelphia, USA.

Brokedown Palace

brokedown palace, originally uploaded by tearapen.

Im Going to leave this brokedown palace,
On my hands and my knees, I will roll, roll, roll.
Make myself a bed by the waterside,
In my time, in my time, I will roll, roll, roll.

Photo by Will Snap.

Get 'em out by Friday

Get 'Em Out by Friday, originally uploaded by The baboon.

Photo by Gal M., ISRAEL.

Kitchen

kitchen, originally uploaded by wizmo.

Photo by Susan Bein, Monterey Peninsula - USA.

Toul Sleng - Torture-Room, Cambodia

Toul Sleng - Torture-Room, Cambodia, originally uploaded by Timoluege.

This is one of the beds the Khmer Rouge used to tie there victims to for torture in the Tuol Sleng prison (Cambodia). I wrote a longer description of what happend in Tuol Slong at this picture.

Photo by Timo Luege, Munich - GERMANY

3rd floor, Harrigan's

3rd floor, Harrigan's, originally uploaded by Whittier.

Beds for Sale

Photo by Whittier, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Curious

Curious, originally uploaded by Western Sahara Project.

A curious child, Dakhla refugee camp.

The image is from the "Free Zone" of Western Sahara, an ex-Spanish colonial territory that is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement, which represents the indigenous Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. Western Sahara is effectively partitioned between Morocco and the Polisario, who administer a state-in-exile in neighbouring Algeria, where some 160,000 Sahrawi refugees have lived since the Moroccan invastion of Western Sahara in 1975. The Polisario-controlled Free Zone is essentially uninhabited due to lack of water and the risk of renewed conflict - hence the location of the Sahrawi refugees across the border in Algeria rather than in the Free Zone.

The Western Sahara Project is an ongoing geoarchaeological project in the Polisario-controlled zone, undertaken in close collaboration with the local authorities. The aim of the project is to record and understand the archaeology of the Free Zone, in the context of past environmental change. Travel (from London) is via Algiers and the Sahrawi camps, then overland into the Free Zone.

If you have an interest in deserts, archaeology, or just in very remote and little-known parts of the world, you can VOLUNTEER to spend some time in the field assisting with the project. No experience is necessary, although experienced excavators are always welcome. Experienced excavators must cover their own costs. The cost for volunteers with no previous experience is higher, and helps to help fund the research, which is conducted on a strictly non-profit basis. The cost of participation for volunteers with no excavation experience is comparable with the costs of small-group adventure holidays such as safaris or cultural expeditions. Participation in this capacity will involve assisting with field survey and recording. While the locations are often remote, with extemely basic (and sometimes essentially no) facilities, the work is not arduous, and as a valued paying guest you will be free to do as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.

Volunteering represents a unique opportunity to visit a part of the world that is otherwise closed to outsiders, in the company of a team of specialists in desert environments and archaeology. You must be able to cope with remoteness and very basic facilities, but you will not be worked too hard, unless of course you want to be!

Photo by Nick Brooks Norwich, UK.

Salon Moderno...

Salon Moderno..., originally uploaded by lapidim.

Astúrias - España

Photo by Mario Lapid, Madrid - SPAIN.

Sitting Shotgun

Sitting Shotgun, originally uploaded by TooLoose-LeTrek.

A community center turned crack house turned char...in Detroit.

Photo by Too-Loose le Trek, USA.

What's his wish for Christmas?

What's his wish for Christmas?, originally uploaded by carf.

What's his wish for Christmas?
What we at Hummingbird use in an entire year to keep each of our kids off the streets, the government uses each week to incarcerate kids who are in conflict with the law, locked away in public reform centers, better known as criminal high schools. We actually use a great deal of our taxpayer’s money to train hardened criminals in Brazil, certainly not to recuperate them!

Just take a look at our photos and tell me who’s losing out in this game! If you think we’re worth the small investment needed to keep a kid off the streets instead of in and out of the state sponsored criminal high schools, then simply go ahead and do your little bit, your concrete little action! We need you and so do our kids, because if we are to wait for government reforms to do the job, we too will end up joining the ranks of our kids on the losing end!

Please join Marília (MYLENS) in her initiative to reach for the stars and help the children that can still be rescued if we wish so, if you wish so!

Photo by Gregory J. Smith, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

Vigo. Nº 4A / 1

Vigo. Nº 4A / 1, originally uploaded by Manuel Bóo.

Photo by Manuel Bóo, Vigo, España

Shed no tears

shed no tears, originally uploaded by seanorr.

Photo by Sean Orr, Vancouver - CANADA.

My dog discovers Narnia

My dog discovers Narnia, originally uploaded by Wyrd.

Photo by Wyrd, Wales.

Packed House

Packed House, originally uploaded by Mr. Yuk.

Photo by Eric Grimes.

My home is my castle...

My home is my castle..., originally uploaded by carf.

My home is my castle...
Our new community base, run by youth of the Hummingbird Project, is situated at the foot of this shanty, the Morro de Macaco (Monkey’s Mound).

I walked up and down these hills yesterday afternoon until nightfall, meeting many of our kids flying their kites on the steep slopes of this once beautiful natural forest, but I was utterly dismayed with the reality many of them are living.

Behind each “house” there are a dozen huts. Behind each wall there is a tragic story to be told; I listened to many from suffering mothers, about their sons who have been murdered, about their plight for survival.

They cried, I cried!
And as always, they thanked me for what we are doing; I thanked them for sharing their suffering with me. I feel so honoured to be in such a position, to be the listener, and I hope to share all this with those of you less privileged.

I hope you will also share with me by supporting the initiative of a fellow Flickrite, who is challenging you all to reach the stars.

I cannot but admire these people, these children, for their incredible strength to overcome such difficulties and yet still keep smiling.

Take a closer look!

Photo by Gregory J. Smith, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

Yazd

, originally uploaded by HORIZON.

The capital of Yazd province, a relaxed city surrounded by desert.
the city of Yazd’s first mention in historic records predate it back to around 3000 years B.C. when it was related to by the name of Ysatis, and was then part of the domain of Medes, an ancient settler of Iran.

In the course of history due to its distance from important capitals and its harsh natural surroundings, Yazd remained immune to major troops' movements and destruction from wars, therefore it kept many of its traditions, city forms and
architecture until recent times.

During the invasion of Genghis Khan in the early 1200’s A.D. Yazd became a safe haven and home for many artists, intellectuals and scientists fleeing their war ravaged cities around Persia.

Yazd was visited by Marco Polo in 1272, who described it as a good and noble city and remarked its silk production. Isolated from any approach by a huge tract of monotonous desert, the vibrancy of Yard is invariably a surprise.

For a brief period, Yazd was the capital of Atabakan and Mozaffarid dynasties (14th Century A.D.). During Qajar Dynasty (18th Century A.D.) it was ruled by the Bakhtiari's Khans.

The city of Yazd is located in the eastern part of central Iran situated on the high, desert plateau that forms much of the country. Amidst the immense desert, Yazd retains its sterling of old in religion, traditions and architecture. Recognized by
UNESCO as holding one of the oldest architecture all over the world.

The word Yazd means, feast and worship, The city of Yazd has resisted the modern urbanization changes and maintained its traditional structure. The geographical features of this region have made people developed special architectural styles. For this reason, in the older part of the city most houses are
built of mud-bricks and have domed roofs. These materials served as insulation preventing heat from passing through.

The existence of special ventilation structures, called Badgirs(WIND TOWER) on the roofs is a distinctive feature of the architecture of this city (A Badgir is a high structure on the roof under which, in the interior of the building, there is a small pool). Therefore, Yazd has presented its stable identity at the foothills of the 4000 meter Shir Kooh.

Jame Mosque
The Jame Mosque (Friday Mosque) crowned by a pair of minarets, the highest in Persia, the portal's facade is decorated from top to bottom in dazzling tile work, predominantly blue in colour. Within there is a long arcaded court where, behind a
deep-set south-east Ivan, is a sanctuary chamber. This chamber, under a squat tiled dome, is exquisitely decorated with faience mosaic: its tall faience Mihrab, dated 1365, is one of the finest of its kind in existence.

The Mosque was largely rebuilt between 1324 and 1365, and is one of the outstanding 14th century buildings in Persia. The tile work has recently been skilfully restored and a modern library built to house the mosque's valuable collection of books and manuscripts.

Zoroastrians have always been populous in Yazd. Even now roughly ten percent of the town's population adhere to this ancient religion, and though their Atashkadeh (Fire Temple) was turned into a mosque when Arabs invaded Iran, a dignified new fire temple was inaugurated thirteen hundred years later.

Atashkadeh (Fire Temple)
Atashkadeh (Fire Temple) intitates meet there, but nobody apart form the Moubad (Grand Priest), a descendant of the Magi, reciting the Avesta, has access to the Moubad-e Moubadan (Saint of Saints) where for the past 3000 years a fire burns in a brazen vessel. The fire itself is a representation of what is good.

Being located beside the central mountains, far from the sea, adjacent to the kavir and in the shadow rainy region, Yazd has a climate which mostly resembles dry desertic climate. Little rain along with high water evaporation, relatively low
humidity, high su radiation and great temperature changes are among the factors making this province, one of the driest parts of Iran. The only moderating climatic factor is height and so, there is a pleasant climate dominant in Shirkuh heights.

Photo by HORIZON, Iran.

City of contrasts

City of contrasts, originally uploaded by Ypsoon.

Rich and poor... next door!
Hong Kong Island, 2003

Canon AE-1, 80-300mm, Linear Polarizer, Fujichrome Velvia

Photo by Daniel Tückmantel, Geneva - SWITZERLAND.

The truth

The truth, originally uploaded by isolano.

Here is the original photo. The light really wasn't there, I added it when I accidentally discovered that it was possible to do it with Fireworks. I also darkened the photo a little bit.

Photo by Isolano, Lisbon - PORTUGAL.

Porch. . .

porch. . ., originally uploaded by debby_ziegler_(peaches4).

Photo by Debby Ziegler, Cumberland, Md., United States.

Family Home

Family Home, originally uploaded by sigma..

Found in Aurora, Ontario. Last remaining farm house surrounded by urban sprawl...

Photo by Chris Smart, Toronto, Canada

Do visit my Photoblog