#december 1973 50th birthday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

heavenboy09 · 9 months

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Happy Birthday 🎂 In Heaven For 💛 For 1 Of The Greatest Asian Female Actresses To Ever Dawn The MORPHINOMENAL SKILLS OF BEING A POWER RANGER ⚡💛🐅

Born On December 14th, 1973

Thuỳ Trang was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on December 14, 1973, to father Ky Trang and mother Be Trang. She had two brothers and one sister. Her father, a South Vietnamese army (ARVN) officer, was tasked with protecting Saigon from communist North Vietnamese army. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, he was forced to leave his family behind and fled the country, immigrating to the United States. Trang and her family lived in a detention camp as her father petitioned the U.S. government for political asylum for his family. They fled Saigon when Trang was two years old.

The role was originated by actress Audri Dubois in the pilot episode before Trang took over the part. After securing the role, Trang moved from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles to be closer to the set of the show, which she found to be a major adjustment. Trang described her character as having "quick hands and a peaceful soul", and felt the character was inspiring for viewers who have long desired an Asian superhero: "Asians are not portrayed in the media very well, and there are not many roles for Asian people except for the stereotypes – gangsters, hookers, things like that. A lot of older Asian people come up to me and say that I'm doing a service to the Asian community."

She was a Vietnamese-American actress. She was known for her role as Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger on the original cast of the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

She Died In A Car Crash 🚗 😢 In September 2001

She Was 27 Years Old

Please Wish This Young & Bright Asian Actress 🙏 😢 Who Was Gone Too Soon, A Happy Heavenly Birthday In The Morphin Grid In The Sky ⚡☁️

You Know Her

You Grew Up To Her

& Her Legacy Lives On

The 1 & Always

MS. THUY TRANG 🇻🇳 AKA TRINI KWAN, THE YELLOW POWER RANGER ⚡💛🐅 OF THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS

HAPPY HEAVENLY 50TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 ✨ IN HEAVEN MS. TRANG & MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU. ALWAYS 😞 #ThuyTrang #YellowPowerRanger #SabertoothTiger #MightyMorphinPowerRangers #ItsMorphinTime #OnceARangerAlwaysARanger

#Thuy Trang #Trini Kwan #Yellow Power Ranger #Sabertooth Tiger #Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #Its Morphin Time #Once & Always #SoundCloud

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girlactionfigure · 5 years

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He was drafted into the Army in 1943. His fellow recruits remembered him as "simple, bland, unassuming." He described himself as a "nothing, a nobody." No one, including the young man, knew what life had in store for him.

In the Army, he served as a staff sergeant in the 20th Armored Division. Elements of his division participated in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp - Although his unit was near, they did not actually enter the camp.

Although he was proud of his service, he remembered that time as very painful for him - he not only witnessed the horrors of war, but it was also the same time his mother passed away.

His father, a barber, was born in Germany, and his mother was of Norwegian heritage.

He was born on this day, November 26, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Being the only child, he was very shy. His uncle gave him the nickname, "Sparky" after the horse "Spark Plug" from the Barney Google comic strip.

His mother was bedridden during his high school years, and the young man often heard her cries of pain. Her illness was identified as cancer in November 1942, the same month he was drafted. On February 28, 1943, he used a day pass to visit his mother one last time. He got to say goodbye to her that day, but he said, "I'll never get over that scene as long as I live."

He would also regret the fact that his mother would never see what he would become.

After returning from the war in the fall of 1945, he sold his first cartoons to his local newspaper.

"The first Peanuts strip appeared on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers nationwide. Although being a professional cartoonist was [Charles] Schulz’s life-long dream, at 27-years old, he never could have foreseen the longevity and global impact of his seemingly-simple four-panel creation," according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

In the summer of 1968, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and after corresponding with teacher Harriet Glickman, Schulz made a bold decision, introducing a character named "Franklin" to his Peanuts comic strip. As told in the July post on the Peace Page celebrating Franklin's 50th birthday, Schulz by that time was already a very popular comic strip artist and did not have to acknowledge the school teacher's request to introduce a black character in order to bring the country together and show people of color that they are not excluded from American society.

Schulz carefully thought about it, knowing that his career could be in jeopardy, as other cartoonists had politely declined Glickman's request. But, he corresponded with Glickman's black friends to ensure that he would present Franklin in the best light, smart as Linus and not condescending, even to the point where some would joke that Franklin was too boring and "normal" compared to the other Peanuts characters.

He also received backlash as some newspapers threatened to cut his strip if he showed Franklin in the same classroom as other Peanut characters. He courageously ignored the threats, sitting Franklin in front of Peppermint Patty at school and playing center field on her baseball team. He even told the president of the comic's distribution company that "Either you print it just the way I draw it or I quit."

According to The New Yorker, Schulz always worried about the portrayl of Franklin. "He needn’t have worried, though, because Franklin felt real — or at least felt respected — as a kind kid on the beach with whom Charlie Brown plays in the sand. (“Whites Only” pools were not uncommon in 1968.) Though Schulz may have lived a quiet, remote life in his California studio, he was woke enough to realize that all one had to do was care enough about a character for he or she to 'work,' even if the shell of the character wasn’t his own."

Schulz later introduced another black character, Milo, as well as semi-Latino Jose Peterson, one of the first characters of Hispanic descent in U.S. comics. He also gave voice to women in sports in the strip after he became friends with tennis star Billie Jean King, leading to a lifelong interest in the fair treatment of women athletes and a seat on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation that King founded.

Today, the work of Charles Schulz is still very popular, even though recently the Peanuts' animated Thanksgiving special is embroiled in some undeserved social media controversy designed to divide fans who may not be aware of how Franklin was originally introduced.

In an article in Snopes, Nat Gertler, author of a book about Peanuts, wrote:

That even though the animated cartoon was in a completely different media than Schulz' newspapers, there is an "assumption that Charles Schulz himself planned the admittedly awkward shot being referenced [of Franklin sitting alone on one side of the picnic table]. While Schulz definitely kept a hand in the animated work, by 1973 when the Thanksgiving special aired, the Peanuts characters were starring in not only a steady stream of TV specials, but also a series of animated feature films. Schulz certainly wasn’t laying out every shot himself — he had a day job to take care of, writing and drawing the most popular comic strip going, as well as creating original books, handling licensing materials, and so on. A talented team of animation folks were doing their job on this."

Schulz critics also like to ask why Franklin was drawn to look "dirty" in the first early panels, not realizing that back then every newspaper comic strip was printed in black and white with no option for shading other than drawing lines to depict shades.

Gertler would conclude, "Schulz stuck his neck out introducing Franklin." Others have pointed out that the network which produced the original Peanuts Thanksgiving special is also responsible for cancelling The Smothers Brothers show for being critical of the Vietnam War and the political mainstream. It should also be noted that it was only recently in 2015 that the television academy recognized a black woman, Viola Davis, for best actress in a drama, the first time that award has gone to a black woman in nearly 70 years of award-giving, shedding some light on how ground-breaking the introduction of Franklin was in 1968.

"Despite the over-all racial imbalance of the “Peanuts” cast, this caring is really the secret, mysterious power of Schulz’s entire strip. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Schroeder, Franklin, and everyone else came alive on that page because of Charles Schulz’s ability to make you care about and feel for — and, in Charlie Brown’s case, at least, feel through — nearly every one of them," according to The New Yorker.

Schulz died on February 12, 2000. By the time he retired in "December 1999, the Peanuts comic strip was syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers worldwide, with book collections translated in over 25 languages," according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

The Museum also says of Schulz, "The continuing popular appeal of Peanuts stems, in large part, from Schulz’s ability to portray his observations and connect to his audience in ways that many other strips cannot."

"The thoughtful pacing in 'Peanuts' is reminiscent of that of 'Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.' The two also share a rejection of the violence and manic energy that characterize other children’s media of the time", according to the New Yorker.

“Schulz wasn’t an artist because he suffered. He suffered because he was an artist," said writer Jonathan Franzen in the Press Democrat. "To keep choosing art over the comforts of life — to grind out a strip every day for 50 years, to pay the very deep psychic price for this — is the opposite of damaged. It’s sort of choice only a tower and strength and sanity can make.”

Bruce Handy in The Atlantic wrote:

"So if I were asked to pick the character most likely to find happiness if he or she ever grew up . . . I wouldn’t hesitate to pick Charlie Brown. Maybe he does find a form of redemption in his suffering? He feels his failures deeply, he suffers profoundly, and yet he remains ever willing to take another run at kicking the football or trying to get his kite aloft or pitching the next game or hoping this year, finally, to receive a valentine. If he is a blockhead, it is in part because he cares so much; diffidence doesn’t merit the insult. Like his creator, he has passion and persistence. If he were real, I like to tell myself, Charlie Brown would be fine."

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

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fencehopping · 5 years

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Seventy-five years ago today, a 20-year-old closeted gay American G.I. named Ferris LeBlanc shivered with his army munitions unit on the beaches of Dover as, across the English Channel, 156,000 allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy in what was the largest amphibious assault in human history: D-Day. Boarding an assault transport ship, his advance unit would land in France within hours and began the perilous process of clearing out towns of German snipers and boobytraps and bombs. That December, Ferris’ unit would dig into the Ardennes in Belgium and, through their tenacity, help beat back the Nazi counteroffensive at the Battle of the Bulge.

Decades later, days after his 50th birthday, Ferris would burn to death gruesomely in a notoriously unsolved arson fire at a gay bar in 1973 New Orleans that claimed 32 lives. Called the Up Stairs Lounge fire, it was the deadliest blaze on record in city history, yet the victims would be alternately castigated or ignored in death — despite the fact that nearly one-third of them were veterans — due to widespread aversion to homosexuality. Although Ferris would be identified among the fire dead through an anonymous phone call by a person too closeted or fearful to say more, news of the death never reached his family back in California — in large part because authorities never thought to examine Ferris’ federal military records. Thus was Ferris LeBlanc, an honorably discharged G.I., buried without honors or even a grave marker in a remote potter’s field for the unclaimed and indigent dead in New Orleans East. His body still lies there today despite genuine efforts of the LeBlanc family to fight Louisiana bureaucracies, exhume his body and bring him home for a hero’s sendoff.

Since the founding of our nation, queer Americans have bravely served and/or lost their lives to preserve the cause of freedom. On this day, please consider what happened to that 20-year-old G.I. shivering on a beach at Dover as he prepared to cross the English Channel and liberate Europe. Remember the name Ferris LeBlanc and his 10 fellow veterans killed at the Up Stairs Lounge. They, too, were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. They, too, were “the troops.”

My friend Bobby wrote this - I’m sharing because he’s not on tumblr and I thought it was beautiful. >

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jafreitag · 3 years

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Grateful Dead Monthly: Hollywood Sportatorium – Pembroke Pines, FL 5/22/77

On Sunday, May 22, 1977, the Grateful Dead played a concert at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The Sportatorium was built in 1968 in a then-sparsely-populated and unincorporated area of Broward County southwest of Fort Lauderdale and northwest of Miami. The developers were a couple of guys – Stephen Calder and Norman Johnson – who opened a horse track and later a motorsports track nearby. The plan for the venue sounds like a proto Florida Man’s fever dream. From the Wiki:

Among the plans for the Sportatorium were sports events, ice follies programs, auto and boat shows, and eventually a “Gold Coast State Fair”. The Sportatorium was constructed as a hangar-like facility constructed out of concrete, a steel roof, an asphalt floor, and no air conditioning. Originally designed to seat 18,000 for stage events and 15,000 for arena events, it opened in December 1969 with only 6,000 seats.

“The idea was to have a facility which could have entertainment and events out of weather”, said Bruce Johnson, Norman Johnson’s son, who managed the arena until 1980. At first, it hosted indoor rodeos, indoor motocross events, wrestling, boxing, and some concerts.

According to the Wiki, the first event in the Sportatorium was the 1969 Miami Rock Festival on 12/27-29. The Dead played that Fest on 12/28, but Deadlists indicates that the venue was the International Speedway (the aforementioned motorsports track?), so the Wiki is likely inaccurate. The Sportatorium ultimately did become the premier concert mecca in South Florida, fulfilling the Johnson family promise of something something inside. Here’s a list of who played there in the early/mid-’70s: ELP, Zeppelin, the MC5, Fleetwood Mac, and Spirit in 1971; ABB, Floyd, and Yes in 1972; Uriah Heep, Zappa, Elton John, and Chicago in 1973; Dylan and King Crimson in 1974; the Doobies and Skynyrd in 1975; and the Eagles, ZZ Top, Clapton, and KISS in 1976. Yeah, the ’70s were eclectic and amazing, and dominated by duuudes.

By the late ’80s, the Miami Arena was the main stop for big acts, and the Sportatorium was reduced to booking stale metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. (Zero shade: I’m fine with Maiden and Priest, but they were past their primes at that point.) The last show there was on 10/21/88 – some country and western unknowns. In 1992, the land was zoned residential. In 1993 after Hurricane Andrew, the Sportatorium was leveled.

The Dead played there for the first time in 1977. (They returned in ’78, 80, and ’85.) Let’s get to the tour and the show. Caveat: I am a complete ’77 geek. I don’t think that the band played a bad show that entire year, and most of them were exemplary.

The band started the year with a handful of Cali shows – San Bernardino (2/26), Santa Barbara (2/27), Winterland (3/18-20) – before heading to the other coast. By then, the weird/cool segue-happy ’76 approach had been jettisoned for something leaner, setlist-wise. The 1977 template was basically the one that the band would use until 1995: A crowd-pleaser opener or openers; Bobby stuff (sometimes cowboy, sometimes blues, and Dylan in the ’80s-90s) interspersed with Jerry stuff (mostly ballads); a big first-set closer; a big second-set opener; a song or two leading into something sorta jam-able; drums and space; a vaguely-segued, three-to-five-song, crowd-pleaser ender that could/would include Bobby energy and Jerry gravitas; and encore that might be fun. Shit was predictable, but it worked.

In April, the band landed in Philly (4/22), traveled up to Springfield, MA (4/23), traveled back down to Passiac, NJ (4/25-27), camped out for five nights (4/29-30, 5/1, 3-4) at the Palladium in NYC, then jumped from New Haven, CT (5/5) to maybe the best three consecutive nights in their history – Boston (5/7), Ithaca, NY (5/8), and Buffalo (5/9). The tour then wound its way around the eastern half of the country: St. Paul > Chicago > St. Louis > Tuscaloosa, AL > Atlanta > Florida (two places, including the Sportatorium) > Richmond, VA > Baltimore > Hartford, CT. My recitation of that itinerary isn’t gratuitous. Like the setlist architecture, the tour structure was starting to take shape. The only reason that ’77 didn’t become the template for the latter was Mickey’s June 20th car accident, which gave the band a summer break that extended until September.

On a recent road trip, my best friend and I deep-dived into the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast, the “official” podcast from Rhino Records, who owns the vault. The first season was a track-by-track dissection of Workingman’s Dead. The second season was a track-by-track dissection of American Beauty. Those records celebrated 50th birthdays last year. Somewhere in the second season, main talker Jesse Jarnow mentions that touring wasn’t really a thing in the late ’60s and early ’70s. His point, which comes across with great aplomb in an interview with road manager Sam Cutler, is that the Dead had to create the tour concept for themselves before they could draw ‘heads into following them across the country year after year. Anyway, I can’t recommend that podcast highly enough – it’s been fantastic so far, and I’m excited to hear when it goes next. Well worth a listen.

So. 5/22/77. It must be alright if Dick Latvala picked it as the third release in the vault series that bears his name? Yep.

The show starts with a fun Funiculi Funicula wiggle, then drops into a funky The Music Never Stops. Next is a fantastic Sugaree that seems to go on forever. Is it the longest of the tour? No. According to a post on the Dead for a Year blog, there were seven versions of Sugaree in 5/77. (I confirmed that.)The longest is 5/28 (18:43, per Deadlists); the next longest is 5/19 (17:02). The rest, including 5/22, fall into the 13-15 minute range. This one is 15:38, and it doesn’t disappoint. The rest of the first set is a trade off between Bobby and Jerry. El Paso, Peggy-O, Minglewood, Friend of the Devil, Lazy Lightnin’ > Supplication, Ramble on Rose. All excellent. The first set-closing Dancing in the Street is just slightly less great than the Cornell version.

The second set-opening Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower is just slightly less great than the Buffalo version. (Hey, DW. Just checking if you’re awake.) The Samson & Delilah pops, and Donna isn’t a minus, until she is. After a so-so Brown-Eyed Women and an even more so-so Good Lovin’, she’s back to lead Sunrise. Whatever. The Estimated > Eyes ticks all the boxes for me. Estimated is big and round, and Eyes is plenty fast. The segue from Eyes into Wharf Rat is an honest >, noodly and smooth. (Deadlists calls it Space, but it’s better than that.) A short Terrapin and a long Dew ends the set. And Sugar Magnolia is a suitable encore. That’s my take.

Here’s everybody’s favorite Deadhead with his listening notes. Ladies and Gentlemen, Emcee ECM…

When GD archivist, Dick Latvala unearthed a damaged analog tape of 5/22/77, it was probably one of best finds/surprises in Grateful Dead taping history. Of course, the story of Rob Eaton acquiring the Betty Boards of 5/8/77 (among many other shows that were missing from the vault) takes first prize, but most people in the taping community already knew about Cornell from audience tapes that circulated. With 5/22/77, nothing circulated. It was a completely unknown show, which made it’s mystery all the more intriguing. Latvala and crew painstakingly restored the damaged analog tape and released it for all of us to hear as Dick’s Pick Volume 3 in 1995. The show opens with a mind blowing Music > Sugaree combo, the latter being an all-time version. Listen to the way Garcia weaves a hypnotic spider web of notes in Sugaree. Later in the set we get a sizzling Lazy>Supplication and a tender Peggy-O. The set closes with a groove-a-licious version of Dancing In The Street that gives Cornell a run for its money.

In Set 2, we get our faces melted with a spellbinding Slipknot! and a joyous Franklin’s Tower. Eyes of the World starts with a gorgeous lengthy opening jam before the verses and ends with an otherworldly jam that leads into a stunning Wharf Rat. Then we get to the reason why Dick Latvala released this show. It’s one of those magical Grateful Dead moments where everything seems right in the universe. Here, somehow, Wharf Rat finds its way into Terrapin Station WITHOUT the Lady With A Fan section. It’s the only time this ever happened. From there we get another incredibly rare treat: Morning Dew. The last version the band played was at Cornell two weeks before this performance. Dew was only played five times in 1977, and all of the versions are astounding including this one. Also, this is the third of only four performances ever of the TerraDew combo. Wish they would have played it more just as I wish they would have performed the Playin’ Palindrome more often. A legendary Grateful Dead show in the legendary month of May 1977. Time to revisit this Dick’s Picks if you haven’t done so already.

As Ed mentioned, most of this show is an official release, Dick’s Picks #3. (Idk why they opted to include Sunrise over BEW or Sugar Mags.) Here’s the Spotify widget…

And if you’re not on Spotify, or just want the whole show, transport to the Charlie Miller remaster of the soundboard recording HERE.

More soon.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years

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DANNY THOMAS

January 6, 1912

Danny Thomas was born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz in Deerfield, Michigan and raised in Toledo, Ohio. His parents were from Lebanon. He attended Catholic schools and the University of Toledo.

Initially, Thomas performed in nightclubs, but reached a wider audience on radio in such shows as “The Bickersons” and “The Baby Snooks Show”.

His screen career began in 1947 but he was most famous for appearing on television in the long-running show “Make Room for Daddy” (1953-64), which was shot at Desilu Studios and was later known as “The Danny Thomas Show.”

When the series moved from ABC to CBS in 1957, Thomas and the cast starred in a rare TV cross-over with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” titled “Lucy Makes Room for Danny.”

In return for this appearance on “The Comedy Hour,” Lucy and Desi appeared as the Ricardos on “Make Room for Daddy” just a few weeks later (January 5, 1959).

In December 1959, Danny Thomas was one of many stars on the lot who appeared in “The Desilu Revue” - a holiday show-within-a-show featuring the young actors of Lucille’s Desilu Playhouse workshop.

Lucy (4) and Danny (5) both appeared on a September 1963 TV season preview called “General Foods Opening Night”.

In 1965 Lucille Ball guest starred on “Danny Thomas’ Wonderful World of Burlesque” on NBC, doing an aerial ballet!

In addition, a few weeks later, Thomas played himself on a 1965 episode of “The Lucy Show.”

In 1971, Lucy and Danny did yet another cross-over when Lucy Carter of “Here’s Lucy” appeared on “Make Room for Granddaddy.”

In 1973, Thomas played an eccentric Italian artist on the sixth season premiere of “Here’s Lucy”.

In 1976, Thomas talked about Lucy’s song and dance skills in “CBS Salutes Lucille Ball: The First 25 Years”.

That same year, Lucy played an eccentric hypochondriac on the second season premiere of Thomas’s sitcom “The Practice” (S2;E1).

In 1976, Lucille Ball paid tribute to her friend on “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Danny Thomas” (S4;E2).

When CBS marked their 50th Anniversary with a week-long tribute in late March 1978, Lucille Ball and Danny Thomas were present to represent Monday nights.

After Ball’s death, Danny Thomas was part of 1989′s “Bob Hope’s Love Affair with Lucy” on NBC.

In addition to his performing career, Thomas is fondly remembered for founding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In 1936, he married Rose Marie Martell and they had three children, including actress Marlo Thomas. He died in 1999 a month after his 79th birthday.

#Danny Thomas #Lucille Ball #I Love Lucy #Make Room for Daddy #TV #The Lucy Show #Here's Lucy #The Practice #Make Room for Granddaddy #the Danny thomas show #Marlo Thomas #The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour

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waughphotos · 7 years

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Best Phone Pix of 2017

Yes I have fancy DLSRs but they are for proper work. So here’s my favourite images taken on my phone during the past 12 months. The casual stuff that caught my eye.

If You Go Down to the Woods Today.

This is my custom painted David Bowie bike out on it’s maiden voyage after being painted by a company called Fatcreations in the south of England. I was riding along my usual route in Epping Forest on the edge of London when I came across these mahoosive fungi! I mean look at them. Triffids nearly. I subsequently found they prey on the shallow roots of elm trees which could account for the dying and fallen trees that adorn that forest and often make a diversion necessary. The forest is the ancient hunting ground of King Henry 8th so some of them have been there quite a long time...

Jamming Good with Weird and Gilly

This was a such a great night for me. The film ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ was screening at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo in London - and showed the gig where Bowie retired Ziggy from his repertoire before he moved on to Aladdin Sane and ever onwards. So I was sitting in a seat at the very same venue watching it unfold like I was there in 1973! It was no God only small affair.

Life in the Big Apple

Another major highlight for me was returning to New York and taking our daughters for their first taste of the USA. We stayed mid town and could look up to the top of the Empire State which was right outside our window. I took this picture of the corridor outside our room which reminded me of the scene from The Shining. Sidenote: enormous bagels = happy girls!

Give the Drummer Some

When a friend asked my band, The Adaptones, to pay at his 50th birthday party saying no was never an option. The event was in the basement of a local hotel and I snapped this pic of my drum kit all set and ready to batter, er, I mean play. The lighting was such that the image had little to no post editing. I think I pulled the highlights back a bit (I use Snapseed btw). Anyway, I was well pleased with the mood of this image and we had a storming night. Jobs done.

Vive La France

Summer hols found us on the small French island called Ile de Re at the northern end of the Bay of Biscay. Charming little fishing ports and quiet roads meant we could rent a bike and pedal around with ease. My girls - top pic obvs - loved it as did I. Plenty of characters ready to pose for a pic too!

London Calling

Dawn breaking over the River Thames from Waterloo Bridge towards the City of London with St Pauls Cathedral on the left and the financial district’s newer buildings making the ever-changing skyline of the Uk’s capital. I’m not usually around at this time of the day but I was on a photoshoot for Cat Eye bike lights and we had to be up before the light broke. I love being around the city streets when it is waking up.

Forza Espresso!

On a break from shooting a bike ride on the white roads of Tuscany, I rounded up all our espresso cups for a swift ‘grid’ type shot. Molto bene!

Southend Sundown

This was a really frustrating day semi rescued thanks to my phone. I had packed my Hasselblad and a bike with the intent of driving to the ride the Olympic track at Hadleigh and then onto to Southend for some nice square medium format images on film. But, as luck would have it, the shutter on the camera had jammed. I could only watch as the sun dipped into this amazing display of nature. I kicked off my disappointment and drove along the seafront to a likely spot and shot some images on my phone. They still look great and it is still a record. That won’t happen again though.

Snow in England Shocker!

Yes, it really happened. Snow fell in December, in the UK. In England. In the south of England no less. And the news channels overheated. Of course, it only lasted 48 hours but the school kids made the most of it. And I went for a nice morning walk at some local lakes where I shot this image of the poplar trees in an empty car park.

A Rainy Night in Soho

It’s gradually being changed beyond recognition, but Soho remains a draw for its (past) reputation and its buzz of energy. I love wandering around the narrow streets, in morning before 11am when it has yet to wake or late evening when it is eyes wide open and ready to roll. The new Fiorucci store on Brewer Street is housed in a building that for many years was a store selling movie memorabilia but now floods the streets with neon advertising its high fashion wear. Good for me that the rain-soaked tarmac made for reflections then. For both these images the neon was the main draw and I waited until the right moment to capture the guy on his own, walking purposefully and the two shoppers silhouetted against the green store lights.

For the record, I took these images on iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 cameras. I do like to post process and Snapseed is my go to app. Pretty upset that Google decided to dumb it down, but that does seem the way of the world! Here’s to a bumper crop of phone pix and even better technology in 2018. Remember - don’t leave home without it.....

#photography #iphonography #iphone photooftheday pixoftheyear london

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bigyack-com · 5 years

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How RN Kao – India’s top spymaster - helped integrate Sikkim into India - india news

A new book on the life of founding chief of India’s external intelligence agency — Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) — RN Kao, reveals how the agency ran a 27-month-long, ruthless operation between December 1972 and May 1975 and started an uprising against Sikkim’s ruler to annex it to India.In the book, RN Kao: Gentleman Spymaster , strategic affairs analyst and author, Nitin A Gokhale, writes that the Chogyal, or the then King of Sikkim (Palden Thondup Namgyal), was pressuring India to revise the Indo-Sikkim Treaty, according to which it was a protectorate, and had developed ambitions to have a separate state like Bhutan. This is when (December 1972) ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi turned to Kao and asked him: “Can you do something about Sikkim?”Gokhale writes that a plan was prepared in Kolkata within a fortnight by the then joint director of R&AW, PN Banerjee, who also had a major role in covert operations in Bangladesh during 1971 war. Kao took the plan to Gandhi, who instantly cleared it. The strategy was to undermine and weaken the Chogyal through agitations launched by political parties led by Kazi Lendhup Dorzi (who was leader of the Sikkim National Congress) and other younger leaders, who had launched a joint action committee (JAC) in Sikkim against the Chogyal.Kao’s officers, Banerjee and Ajit Singh Syali (who was posted as OSD in Gangtok and primarily collected trans-border intelligence on Tibet) launched their operations, Janamat and Twilight, which were perhaps the code names given to agitation leaders KC Pradhan and Kazi respectively, Gokhale writes. Pradhan and Kazi met Banerjee’s team in February 1973.Around the same time, Banerjee alerted Kao that one political officer at US Consulate in Calcutta – Peter Burleigh, who according to Banerjee’s assessment was a CIA operative, visited Sikkim as state guest of Chogyal. Kao also received inputs that Chogyal was trying to wean away Kazi by negotiating with him couple of exclusive, one-on-one meetings with the SNC leader.In a meeting called on R&AW’s request in Delhi, it was decided to “strengthen and encourage the agitation till it came to a stage where the Chogyal would be forced to approach government of India for assistance in dealing with the situation”. It was further decided to publicise that the Chogyal had no right to be the king and once the agitation gained momentum, to send Indian army troops for occasional route marches to remind the people of their presence and make sure that the anti-Chogyal, or pro-democracy, movement was not abandoned as it had been in 1949.As part the plan, the local R&AW team got down to the task of instigating and guiding the agitation, kept the anti-Chogyal leaders united and focused, and, of course, offered financial help whenever necessary, Gokhale writes.On Chogyal’s 50th birthday, April 4, 1973, there were clashes on the streets of Gangtok, leading to police firing and a couple of deaths. When Chogyal’s elder son, Tenzing, was stopped on his way to the palace, one of the Sikkim Guards opened fire on demonstrators in panic. This was used by Kazi to whip up anti-Chogyal sentiment. By the next day, there was looting and arson on the streets across Sikkim.Kao informed Gandhi that the takeover of Sikkim was imminent.By April 8, Chogyal was forced to sign a draft prepared by India, which stated that administration would be taken over by Indian government and Commissioner of Police would be placed under GOC, 17 Mountain Division, of Indian Army.Kazi then called off the agitation in Gangtok.The ministry of external affairs then selected IPS officer, BS Das as Chief Executive of Sikkim. He was briefed about India’s ultimate objective in Sikkim: the merger of the state to the Indian union.The May 8 agreement signed by the Chogyal, Kewal Singh (the then foreign secretary) and parties led by Kazi, left the Chogyal with control of Sikkim guards and the administration of the palace. However, Gokhale writes “a bigger challenge awaited Kao since Indira Gandhi had made it clear that she wanted a complete merger of Sikkim with India, and in the shortest time possible”.In an assessment on May 7, 1973, Kao cautioned that Chogyal may change his attitude any moment and that JAC leaders should not feel frustrated and accuse the government of India of betrayal.Over the next few months, R&AW instructed further anti-Chogyal demonstrations and rallies in Sikkim. Kao also instructed Banerjee to allow the Nepalese or other extremist elements of Darjeeling to join hands with JAC. “We must ensure that in any agreement reached among the various political parties, India’s special position in Sikkim is further strengthened. Neither the Durbar, nor the preponderant Nepalese community, nor the Bhutias/Lepchas should dominate the future setup of Sikkim. There should be ample scope for us to play one group against the other in future so that no one group becomes too powerful,” Kao wrote on his communication.Kao added that India should look to have 70% of candidates (who are on its side) in the assembly. He also instructed Banerjee that people must be made aware of the disparity in development and progress between Sikkim and the neighbouring districts of West Bengal like Darjeeling so that they start demanding direct representation in Indian parliament, writes Gokhale.Over six months of elections in 1975 in Sikkim, Kao wanted the agitation maintained. “Foreign secretary Kewal Singh was equally supportive and was ruthless in implementing India’s eventual plan to merge Sikkim with India,” Gokhale writes.In April elections, Kazi won with landslide victory, winning 31 of 32 seats. He got a new act — The Government of Sikkim Act, 1974, — passed in the assembly, giving Sikkim the status of an associate state.Chogyal was meanwhile trying to internalise the issue.This is when R&AW launched the final stage of its plan. While the government prepared the ground for a resolution to be passed in the assembly, the R&AW had to make sure no bloodshed took place and it was essential to disarm the Sikkim guards, the Chogyal’s loyal soldiers.Gokhale writes an elaborate plan was drawn up for justifying the disarming of the Sikkim guards. “The scheme is a classic example of what the R&AW could and can do when required,” he writes.The Sikkim guards were to be disarmed on the April 8 or 9, 1975, but before that public meetings and processions were planned in Gangtok demanding removal of the Sikkim guards, complete merger with India and removal of the Chogyal.The R&AW stated in its plan that “In case the Chogyal asks for asylum, he should be moved to the India House. After some time, he may be shifted to a suitable guest house about 15- 20 miles outside Gangtok…”Gokhale writes that Kazi wrote two letters to the Indian representatives; the first asking the Sikkim guards to be disarmed, and the second requesting for an emergency session of the Sikkim Assembly.Three battalions of Indian army brigade, led by Brig (later Lt Gen) Depinder Singh were deployed. “Troops marched to the palace and despite one sentry at the gate resisting (he was shot dead), it took less than 20 minutes for the Indian Army to disarm the Sikkim guards. The Chogyal was furious but was helpless,” Gokhale writes.By May 15, Sikkim officially became the 22nd state of India. Read the full article

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jamessandersweb · 6 years

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Zara Tindall May Not Be a Princess, but She's Still One of the Royal Family's Most Interesting Members

Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo

Zara Tindall (née Phillips) is, in my opinion, one of the British royal family's most underrated members. As the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne, Zara's royal status has been decidedly less in-your-face than that of her cousins Prince William and Prince Harry - but that doesn't mean she's any less interesting. In fact, the 37-year-old's low-key lifestyle might make her even more fascinating. Here are six things to know about Zara.

How Many Grandchildren Does Queen Elizabeth II Have? A Guide to Her Royal Family Tree

She is the queen's eldest granddaughter.

Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips was born on May 15, 1981, at St. Mary's Hospital in London, the same place that several of her family members were also delivered. She is the only daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, who were married from 1973 to 1992. Her older brother, Peter, was born in November 1977, and Zara is 17th in line for the throne after him and his two daughters, Savannah and Isla.

She doesn't carry a royal title.

Unlike her cousins Princes William and Harry or Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara doesn't have an official title. Princess Anne declined a title for both Zara and her brother Peter, and they don't use the HRH style, either. The grandchildren born to sons of the monarch automatically get the title prince or princess, but grandchildren born to a daughter (for example, Zara) do not. On not having the pressure of a title attached to her name, Zara has said, "I'm very lucky that both my parents decided to not use the title, and we grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do."

She's a former royal wild child.

Much like her cousin Harry, Zara isn't a stranger to making headlines for what was seen at the time as "naughty" behavior. As a teenager, she flaunted a new tongue piercing at Prince Charles's 50th birthday party, which subsequently had the public's tongues wagging; Buckingham Palace refused "absolutely" to comment. In 2000, she "hired a waiter in a leather thong to serve drinks" to her friends as they "giggled over sex toys" at a party. And her volatile relationship with jockey Richard Johnson was made public when they were seen "punching and kicking each other" outside a friend's home. Zara also "overturned her Land Rover in a ditch" after one of their fights, and they broke up in 2003. Of her "royal rebel" persona, Zara has said, "I don't know if I was that wild. I guess it looked like that because of my family background. I'm sure that is what it's probably compared to."

Image Source: Getty / Adrian Dennis

She is an accomplished equestrian.

Early on, Zara developed the same love of horses that her mother and grandmother share. Princess Anne famously competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games as a member of the British equestrian team, and Zara followed suit, winning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics as part of Team GB's eventing team. Her mother, Princess Anne, was the one who presented her with a medal!

She married a fellow athlete.

In 2003, Zara was in Australia with her brother and Prince Harry when England won the Rugby World Cup. At a victory party, Zara was introduced to rugby player Mike Tindall. The palace announced their engagement in 2010, and they tied the knot on July 30, 2011, at the Canongate Kirk church in Edinburgh, Scotland. In January 2014, Zara gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Mia. Two years later, the palace announced that Zara and Mike were expecting their second child, but Zara suffered a miscarriage in December 2016. She is currently pregnant for a third time.

She has always had a close relationship with her cousin William.

Zara and William, the son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, were born just a little over a year apart, and are said to be very close. Will and his new wife, Kate Middleton, attended Zara and Mike's wedding just a few months after their own big day in 2011, and when their first child Prince George was born in 2013, Zara was named as one of his godparents.

Zara Tindall May Not Be a Princess, but She's Still One of the Royal Family's Most Interesting Members published first on https://filmstreaminghdvf.tumblr.com/

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jamessandersweb · 6 years

Text

Zara Tindall May Not Be a Princess, but She's Still One of the Royal Family's Most Interesting Members

Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo

How Many Grandchildren Does Queen Elizabeth II Have? A Guide to Her Royal Family Tree

She is the queen's eldest granddaughter.

She doesn't carry a royal title.

She's a former royal wild child.

Image Source: Getty / Adrian Dennis

She is an accomplished equestrian.

She married a fellow athlete.

She has always had a close relationship with her cousin William.

Zara Tindall May Not Be a Princess, but She's Still One of the Royal Family's Most Interesting Members published first on https://filmstreaminghdvf.tumblr.com/

0 notes