Frank Sinatra – It was a very good year

Frank Sinatra

It was a very good year

“IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR”

Frank Sinatra – It Was a Very Good Year (Live)

“IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR”

The Taj Mahal – Agra India

The Taj Mahal

Agra India

Closer Shot, Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, Agra India

Closer View, Taj Mahal, Agra India

Taj Maham, Agra India

Taj Maham, Agra India

The Taj Mahal (also “the Taj”) is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

When I look at this monumental Cultural and Artistic statement of Ascetic Beauty, I often wondered what happened to Islam, India and the Hindu culture that allowed it’s falling behind the West? Fareed Zakaria, in his excellent book The Post American World (which I will do an entire post on later), points out that in the construction of the dome, an immense ramp of earth was constructed to do this. He did not say if the mass of unskilled laborers that did this were Muslims or Hindu’s but the problem wasn’t the lack of previous knowledge or skill used, but the fact that in Europe of the period, there would have been engineering scaffolding, stone masons, Cranes and not mass conscription of peasant labor. Why build scaffolds and cranes when it’s simpler to use cheap labor? Why bother (efficiency?) just draft the poor peasants and do it that way and is that why they fell behind, no need or desire to use more advanced construction methods when labor is so plentiful and cheap (unproductive/inefficient)? Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure was a stone mason and had enough time and some resources to look around him at the world and fall hopelessly in love with his idealized image of his cousin Sue, the builders of the ramp probably just tried to not keel over dead from their labors, but Jude felt his life was too insignificant and it may have been by Victorian standards. But building an earthen ramp was done by the Ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Mexico. the dome was harder but still done that way something was wrong that is just now being addressed.

The Romans built a giant ramp up to the Hebrew fortress of Masada, but probably more out of the idea that the Jews were unable burn a earthen ramp more than engineering considerations? I joined the Legions to fight as a trade, not to pile up dirt!!! Shut up Stupidicus and move that wheelbarrow or you’ll be on latrine duty to boot!!!

Limp Bizkit – Re-Arranged- Nookie – Break Stuff

Limp Bizkit

Re-Arranged

Nookie

Break Stuff

Limp Bizkit – Nookie

Limp Bizkit – Re-Arranged

Limp Bizkit – Nookie (live)

Limp Bizkit Break Stuff Uncensored Explict

Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff (Woodstock 99)

Grasshopper – David Carradine 1936–2009

Grasshopper

David Carradine 1936–2009

Though the many beings are numberless,
I vow to save them.
Though greed, hatred, and ignorance rise endlessly,
I vow to cut them off.
Though the Dharma is vast and fathomless,
I vow to understand it.
Though Buddha’s Way is beyond attainment,
I vow to embody it fully.

David Carradine KungFu

Brandon Lee VS David Carradine- Finale in Kung Fu: The Movie

Kill Bill Vol. 2 – Reaction

The Official David Carradine® Website

French Chassepot 1866 “Needle Gun”

French Chassepot 1866

“Needle Gun”

French Soldier with Chassepot 1866 Rifle

French 1866 Model Chassepot “Needle Gun”

The Chassepot, officially known as Fusil modèle 1866, was a bolt action military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French forces in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and 1871. It replaced the obsolete muzzle-loading Minié rifle. It was a great improvement on the military rifles previously in use and marked the real commencement of the epoch of bolt action, breech loading, military firearms generally. It was very easily converted to fire metallic cartridges in 1874 (Gras rifle), a step which would have been impossible to achieve with the Dreyse needle rifle. [2] It was mainly manufactured by MAS (an abbrevation of Manufacture d’Armes St. Etienne – one of several government-owned arms factories in France)

Needle Gun Bolt mechanism (1866)

French Infantryman with Chassepot Gun

History

It was so called after its inventor, Antoine Alphonse Chassepot (1833—1905), who, from 1857 onwards, had constructed various experimental forms of breechloader, and the rifle became the French service weapon in 1866. In the following year it made its first appearance on the battlefield at Mentana on 3 November 1867, where it inflicted severe losses upon Giuseppe Garibaldi’s troops. It was reported at the French Parliament that “Les Chassepots ont fait merveille!”, or loosely translated : “The Chassepots have done exceedingly well.

In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) it proved greatly superior to the German Dreyse needle gun, outranging it by 2 to 1. Although it was a smaller caliber (11 mm vs. 15.4 for the Dreyse), the chassepot ammunition had more gunpowder and thus faster muzzle velocity (by 33% over the Dreyse), resulting in a flatter trajectory and a longer range which was 1200 yards (1100 m). The Chassepots were responsible for most of the Prussian and other German casualties during the conflict.

Image via Wikipedia

Jerry Lee Lewis – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – LeAnn Rimes – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Randy Travis – I’m so lonesome I could cry

Jerry Lee Lewis

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

Jerry Lee Lewis – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

Hank Williams Sr. – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Hank Williams Live Performance

I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY – Hank Williams

Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
Im so lonesome I could cry

Ive never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means hes lost the will to live
I’m so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I’m so lonesome I could cry

Cowboy Junkies – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

Cowboy Junkies – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

LeAnn Rimes

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

LeAnn Rimes – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

Randy Travis

I’m so lonesome I could cry

Randy travis – i’m so lonesome i could cry

The Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei

The Mosque

in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei

Named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the mosque, which is seen as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei, dominates the skyline in the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan. The building was completed in 1958 and is an impressive example of modern Islamic architecture. It is one of the main sights in the capital and the country in general.

Architecture

The architecture of the mosque has a heavy influence of both Islamic and Italian styles. Designed by an Italian architect, the mosque is constructed on an artificial lagoon near the banks of the Brunei River circulated by a water village (named Kampong Ayer). The Sultan Omar Ali Saiffuddin mosque consists of marble minarets and golden domes with courtyards and fertile gardens filled with fountains. The mosque is circulated by a plethora of trees and floral gardens which in Islam it is considered as an interpertation of heaven. It also has a long bridge meandering across the lagoon to Kamong Ayer (the water village). Also, there is another marble bridge connecting to a structure in the water that resembles a ship was at one time used for official state ceremonies.

The main dome which is thought to be the mosque’s most recognisable feature is covered in pure gold. The mosque stands at 52m (171ft) high and can be seen from virtually anywhere in Bandar Seri Begawan. The main minaret is the mosque’s tallest feature. It incorporates a Renaissance and Italian architectural style which is a unique theme seen in few Islamic houses of worship across the world. The minaret has a working and modern elevator which goes to the top of the structure, people who reach the top of the minaret can witness a panoramic view of the city.

The interior of the mosque is for prayer only but it has a magnificent mosaic stained glass, as well as many arches, semi-domes and marble columns. Nearly all the material used in the construction of the building has been shipped in from other countries. For example, the marble is from Italy, the granite from Shanghai, the crystal chandeliers from England and the carpets from Saudi Arabia.

Call to prayer brunei

Quran recitation brunei

Allah Kay Ghar – Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei

Shah Faisal Mosque – Islamabad – Pakistan

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (Banned Version) [1983]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Relax

(Banned Version) [1983]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (Banned Version) [1983]

Fiat 124 Sport Spider

Fiat 124 Sport Spider

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fiat 124 spider sport 1969

Chrysler LLC and Fiat Group Announce Global Strategic Alliance to Form a Vibrant New Company

Chris Frame’s ‘77 Fiat 124 Spider

The 124 Sport Spider is a 2+2 convertible sport car made by Fiat, introduced at the November 1966 Turin Auto Show, and manufactured until 1985. Most of the cars were exported to the United States.

Gary Poage’s 1969 Fiat 124 Spider. Club: Fiats of South California, nominated for ItalianCarFest Best Spider Challenge.

The Sports Spider and the Fiat 124 Coupé, introduced in 1967, were related to the 124 sedan in name through the use of much of the mechanical running gear and in the case of the Coupé, a shared platform. However, the Sports Spider utilized a shorter platform along with a shorter wheelbase. Fiat designed and manufactured the Coupé in-house while the Spider’s monocoque was designed and produced by Italian carozzeria Pininfarina — at the time Pininfarina’s most successful commercial venture.

BEST ! FIAT 124 Spider Abarth,Sany@Omiš-Brnistra 2007

Fiat 124 spider in de herfst / Fiat spider in autumn

www.spidercenter.com

The Breakers – Newport – Rhode Island

Cornelius Vanderbilt II

Cornelius Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.

He was the favorite grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who left him $500,000.00, and the eldest son of William Henry Vanderbilt, who left him close to $70 million. In his turn he succeeded them as head of the New York Central and related railroad lines in 1885.

Cornelius Vanderbuilt II

The Breakers

Newport – Rhode Island

The Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue, Newport,Rhode Island,USA, United States on the Atlantic Ocean.  It is a National Historic Landmark, a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

The Breakers was built as the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy United States Vanderbilt family. Designed by renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt and with interior decoration by Jules Allard and Sons and Ogden Codman, Jr., the 70-room mansion boasts approximately 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m2). of living space.

The home was constructed between 1893 and 1895 at a cost of more than seven million dollars (approximately $150 million in today’s dollars adjusted for inflation). The Ochre Point Avenue entrance is marked by sculpted iron gates and 30-foot (9.1 m) high walkway gates are part of a twelve-foot-high limestone and iron fence that borders the property on all but the ocean side. The 150′ x 120′ dimensions of the five-story mansion are aligned symmetrically around a central Great Hall.

Part of a 13 acre (53,000 m²) estate on the seagirt cliffs of Newport, it sits in a commanding position that faces east overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

the Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island