One of my all time favorite museums, the US Naval Air Museum Pensacola.
PBY Catalina cutaway by Tom, on Flickr
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The new Random Pictures Thread:
- Thread starter Scorpio
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Clearly Oriental design and coloration. Roof corners are not rolled enough to be Japanese. Could be Chinese but I'm not seeing enough in the way of "Dragon Motifs". Oddly the coloration leads me back toward the west and slightly south as in India/Nepal/Tibet. This is bolstered by what appear to be cattle heads on the ends of the joists. It is here I must note that the pic looks somewhat "fuzzy" and aged on my monitor. Not a criticism of the photography, just remarking on the appearance on my monitor. Could be in Sheboygan for all I know.
Very astute eye for detail. Yeah, sry I didnt realize it was that blurry.
https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/
https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/
Very astute eye for detail. Yeah, sry I didnt realize it was that blurry.
https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/
https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/
From yet another perspective this has been an interesting lesson for me as yet another point in links joining Asian cultures. Politically/socially/culturally this magnifies and clarifies the extent and damage of Mao's cultural revolution. When working at the college I had to work with a Chinese professor and a growing Chinese segment of the student body. Of course they elected to have a "Chinese Club" and to demonstrate Chinese celebrations of important dates of the Chinese calendar.
As I had opportunity I queried the professor on Chinese mythology and ancient Chinese tales of the great dragon and she was both stunned and appeared wholly void of any such cultural knowledge. Among the students I spoke with they were not stunned at my questions and simply had no knowledge of the subject. I was stunned and saddened that all were without any information or knowledge of the basis of such an ancient, basic, vital part of their own culture. I still wonder today if their lack of a response was due to a deep fear of state reprisals for speaking of such things. I have to think that grandparents and even parents would pass on such tales to their children so the children would have at least a little something to know who and what they were all about as a people. Perhaps they shield themselves with a porcelain veneer made thicker by Mao's oppression as a matter of survival and externally embrace a vapid existential life just to get through life in China which is a trait they carry with them in other countries and cultures. Chinese history, at least that which we know of, shows a long, drawn out history of brutality and oppression imposed by their enemies and their leaders.
Over the years I have come across those few articles on archaeological finds in China such as the clay statues of an army of soldiers , the graves of humans in Tartan Plaids, pyramids and other fragments that all speak of China having an ancient, rich, integral role in world history and one that would fill in many of the missing pieces of that puzzle. If only there was a way to get them to open their archives, their memories, their land to show who and what they are and their role and contribution to world history...
Now you guys are talking my language!..
This happens to be one of my favorite books to look at on occasion...
I thoroughly enjoy having my mind turn to butter when contemplating this ancient, divinely conceived, incredible phenomenon-
To me it is the absolute pinnacle of architecture. Merging incredible structural integrity with mind blowing artistic design. Its simply inconceivable that people created this THOUSANDS of years ago.
These buildings were historically used to store precious artifacts and Holy relics.
Their design is such that everything is put together like a puzzle, with no fasteners, and the peak of the temple has a cable affixed to it and it travels straight down to the ground where it is anchored in place. This allows the whole building to survive violent earthquakes by going with the flow. Incredible.
NO FASTENERS!
Here's an older post of mine on the mini temple built as a pre-curser to the 50' temple down the road.
https://www.goldismoney2.com/threads/workin-man.117461/page-50#post-1417802
All of the pieces were cut(for the lrg temple) by hand, by a team of men( I swear he[the architect]told me it took 30 Men full time cutting parts, for three years or something similar) - totally mind-boggling to me.
The large temple, made from Eastern yellow cedar IBIW, expands and contracts.........get this- 3 FEET! meaning that when the wood swells moist air it takes on so much water that the entire building gets 3 ft taller ! I'm still wrapping my head around how everything stays so tightly constructed .
Thinking about the people who built these things thousands of years ago in the incredibly desolate and unforgiving wilderness, high up on the edge of a cliff or similar, is simply humbling.
This happens to be one of my favorite books to look at on occasion...
I thoroughly enjoy having my mind turn to butter when contemplating this ancient, divinely conceived, incredible phenomenon-
To me it is the absolute pinnacle of architecture. Merging incredible structural integrity with mind blowing artistic design. Its simply inconceivable that people created this THOUSANDS of years ago.
These buildings were historically used to store precious artifacts and Holy relics.
Their design is such that everything is put together like a puzzle, with no fasteners, and the peak of the temple has a cable affixed to it and it travels straight down to the ground where it is anchored in place. This allows the whole building to survive violent earthquakes by going with the flow. Incredible.
NO FASTENERS!
Here's an older post of mine on the mini temple built as a pre-curser to the 50' temple down the road.
https://www.goldismoney2.com/threads/workin-man.117461/page-50#post-1417802
All of the pieces were cut(for the lrg temple) by hand, by a team of men( I swear he[the architect]told me it took 30 Men full time cutting parts, for three years or something similar) - totally mind-boggling to me.
The large temple, made from Eastern yellow cedar IBIW, expands and contracts.........get this- 3 FEET! meaning that when the wood swells moist air it takes on so much water that the entire building gets 3 ft taller ! I'm still wrapping my head around how everything stays so tightly constructed .
Thinking about the people who built these things thousands of years ago in the incredibly desolate and unforgiving wilderness, high up on the edge of a cliff or similar, is simply humbling.
I've spent some time in cemeteries taking pictures of the statues and monuments. Look closely at the 3rd one down, it was cut from a solid block of marble, you can see the rock veins running through it. That one is from the early 1900's. What skill! The fingers, toes, folds of the robe, her face, all perfect!
Statue behind St Mary's in Milton by Tom, on Flickr
DSC07631 by Tom, on Flickr
Angel at Atlanta's Westview Cemetery by Tom, on Flickr
Confederate Memorial by Tom, on Flickr
Closeup of Statue by Tom, on Flickr
About 3-4 years ago, I found a Craftsman branded screwdriver set at the local Sears Outlet store featuring industrial diamond encrusted blade tips. The diamond tips keep them from camming out. They were so superior that I immediately went back and bought another backup set and ended up gathering up about 15 pounds of cheap screwdrivers collected over the years and donating them at the thrift store.
I've got a pretty selection of Makita and Bosch battery tools including impact drivers so I try hard not to use hand screwdrivers but when I do, I refuse to use anything other that the diamond ones.
I've got a pretty selection of Makita and Bosch battery tools including impact drivers so I try hard not to use hand screwdrivers but when I do, I refuse to use anything other that the diamond ones.
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