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tahomina30 · 10 months ago

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Unleashing the Thrill: A Comprehensive Guide to UFC

Introduction:

Welcome to the electrifying world of UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship. In recent years, UFC has skyrocketed in popularity, captivating audiences worldwide with its adrenaline-pumping mix of skill, strategy, and sheer combat prowess. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the origins, evolution, and global impact of UFC, exploring why it has become the undisputed champion of mixed martial arts (MMA) entertainment.

History of UFC:

The UFC, founded in 1993, has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Initially conceived as a platform to determine the most effective martial art in a real fight scenario, UFC has morphed into a global phenomenon. Today, UFC stands as the pinnacle of mixed martial arts competitions, showcasing elite athletes from diverse disciplines. With each passing year, the UFC continues to evolve, setting new standards in sports entertainment.

UFC: A Global Spectacle:

As UFC gained momentum, it transcended its American roots, captivating audiences on a global scale. The UFC's unique blend of athleticism and raw combat has turned it into a cultural juggernaut. From London to Sydney, fight fans eagerly anticipate each UFC event, creating a shared experience that knows no borders. UFC has truly become a global spectacle, captivating diverse audiences and transcending cultural boundaries.

The Rise of UFC Champions:

One of the defining features of UFC is the relentless pursuit of excellence by its fighters. From iconic names like Conor McGregor to Amanda Nunes, UFC has produced legendary champions who have etched their names in the annals of sports history. These fighters embody the essence of UFC – discipline, determination, and a thirst for victory. As the UFC roster continues to grow, the competition for championship belts becomes fiercer, providing fans with a constant influx of high-stakes, edge-of-the-seat action.

UFC's Impact on MMA:

While UFC is synonymous with MMA, its impact on the broader martial arts landscape cannot be overstated. The organization has played a pivotal role in popularizing and legitimizing mixed martial arts as a mainstream sport. UFC's commitment to professionalism, safety, and innovation has elevated the entire industry, attracting top-tier talent and fostering a competitive environment that pushes fighters to their limits.

UFC: The Ultimate Fan Experience:

For fans, attending a live UFC event is an unforgettable experience. The atmosphere is charged with anticipation as fighters step into the Octagon, and the roar of the crowd reverberates through the arena. The UFC goes beyond just fights; it's an immersive experience that combines athleticism with entertainment, making it a must-see for sports enthusiasts. Whether you're watching from the comfort of your living room or witnessing the action live, UFC delivers an unparalleled fan experience.

Behind the Scenes:

UFC Training Camps: The road to the UFC Octagon is paved with dedication and sacrifice. Fighters undergo rigorous training camps, honing their skills, and fine-tuning their strategies to compete at the highest level. These training camps are a crucial aspect of a fighter's journey, showcasing the grit and determination required to make it in the UFC. From cardio drills to sparring sessions, the behind-the-scenes glimpse into a fighter's preparation adds a layer of authenticity that resonates with fans worldwide.

UFC's Future and Innovation:

As UFC continues to dominate the sports landscape, its commitment to innovation remains unwavering. From groundbreaking fight venues to technological enhancements, the organization constantly seeks new ways to enhance the viewing experience. The UFC's forward-thinking approach ensures that it stays at the forefront of sports entertainment, keeping fans engaged and excited for what the future holds.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, UFC stands as a global powerhouse, redefining the world of mixed martial arts and captivating audiences with its unparalleled blend of athleticism and entertainment. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a cultural phenomenon, the UFC has truly come of age. As we eagerly anticipate the next chapter in the UFC story, one thing is certain – the Octagon will continue to be a stage where legends are made, and the world will be watching. Embrace the thrill, feel the excitement, and join the global community that is UFC.

Red more

#ufc #ufc 297 #mma #boxing #bjj #kickboxing #muaythai

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shatterwraith · 2 years ago

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Mnemopolis Act I - Jess (Calibrating)

When I woke, I found myself in the same blinding white operating room that I was put under in only a few hours before. Delirious from the sedation still lingering in my body, I limply raised my right arm, lifting my head only slightly to see the IV still injected. What a pain, I thought. Still, if I'm gonna be living and working in Vanity Peak, I guess I need the updated microchip.

A soft yet masculine voice came over the room's intercom. "Hello, Miss Richards. We'll be back with you in just a moment. There weren't any complications during the surgery, but it's most important for you to rest at this time."

Stretching and pressing the back of my head deeper into the hospital pillow underneath it, I sighed deeply. Typical, I thought. Hopefully, I can get out of here soon, though. I closed my eyes for a moment and let the warmth of my achievement wash over me. It's not often that a geo makes it all the way to the top of the dome and gets to rub shoulders with the elite. Hearing the whine of the double metal, windowed doors as they were pushed open, I perked my head up to catch a glimpse of Dr. Piter, my surgeon. The stout and balding, bespectacled man hobbled through the doors, wearing a medical mask and holding a clipboard with paperwork under his lab coat. As he cleared his throat, I gently laid my head back down on my pillow, squinting to resist the harsh overhead light.

"Right, Miss Richards," the man said with his monotone, clinical voice as he took a moment to retrieve the papers from his coat and rifle through them. "Operation went well, nothing unexpected. You may find your mind a little foggy and susceptible to suggestion at this time, so you'll want to get as much bed rest as possible. We're also advising that you avoid caffeine and painkillers for a month because many patients report diminished stress tolerance and paranoid delusions due to the interaction between the related substances and the recovery process."

"Oh man, I'm gonna miss my daily Astro's," I laughed sardonically. "Anything else?"

"Right, uh…" Dr. Piter cleared his throat. "You're not going to be able to interface with the aerosphere's PsyTec until the AeroChip finishes calibrating to your unique, personal neurology, so we're sending you with a temp pass. The calibration process shouldn't take more than twenty-four hours, but you won't be able to access your residence without the temp pass while it finishes. So don't lose it." I heard him retrieve the pass from his coat and set it down on the low, metal surgical table to the left of my hospital bed.

"Try not to," I sighed back. Gotta love New Denver, I thought.

"Well, that's all we have for you today," he said. "We're sending you with some stabilization fluid just in case you get migraines during this process as some people do. I will also remind you that our office is only open until six PM today, so please don't lose the temp pass. We may not have a curfew as you're accustomed to, but we still don't want you getting locked out of your apartment, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," I whined as I leaned up in bed to look the doctor in the eye before grabbing the thick plastic temp pass and waved it at him, letting it dangle by its thin, clear plastic lanyard. "I won't lose it."

Dr. Piter pushed his gold-framed octagonal eyeglasses up his crooked nose, looking down at me with dry empathy. "Okay," he said. "In any case, it was nice to make your acquaintance. You have a copay today that you can take care of at the front desk."

God bless the Reformed Republic of America, I thought. "Sounds good, doc. See ya real soon."

"Let's hope not," Dr. Piter sighed under his breath before turning and staggering back out the twin metal doors that he entered from. I laid back down, still clutching the temp pass in my hand, and waited for a nurse to pull that stupid IV out of my arm.

The same calming voice as before came over the intercom. "Be with you in just a moment, Jessica. You may remember from your previous calibrations, but you should take this time to think about your home, family, etc. – anything that might be pertinent info for identification purposes. It should help speed things along."

Lovely, I thought. Time for one more family visit.

I let my thoughts wander to my first home: the 25th sector of New Denver's geosphere, colloquially called "The Devil's Pits." Far beneath the crust of this ravished earth, even further beneath where I had currently found myself. It's nighttime in my memory, and the thermal shielding on my family's shady hovel is being eroded by the sweltering subterranean winds from the nearby factory. I'm listening to a piece of it being blown around like a tarp in a hurricane right outside my bedroom window, and I'm trying to block out the sound to fall back asleep. My efforts are suddenly squashed by the sounds of dishes clattering and smashing on the terracotta floor of the kitchen, followed by the sounds of human and inhuman shrieking. I recognize the sound of the inhuman shrieking. It's the sound of my childhood friend disappearing from my sight in the city's market. It's the distant shrieking I hear as I cry and search desperately for Marcus, no stranger stopping in their tracks to help me. I'm kicked around and stepped on by the thick, apathetic pedestrian traffic, and I sob on the dusty ground of the market, shielding my face from careless feet and dust. Stop. I'm standing in the kitchen of my family's hovel and artificial light is meekly seeping through the yellow-orange wrappings of the thermal shielding on the windows. My mom is standing inches from me, glaring up at me and yelling, and she's tearing clumps of wispy gray hairs from her scalp. Where were you? The voice of my mother, still echoing in my subconscious. I look around at the undried blood spilled on the terracotta floor leading to the ravaged and eviscerated body of my father, deep cuts engraved in his stomach and face. He doesn't look like himself, but this is how I remember him.

The double metal doors in front of my bed reopened, and I jumped at the noise, tears beginning to gather in my eyes. The young, skinny male nurse in with long, scruffy hair pulled back into a bun stopped in his tracks just past the doors of the operating room. "We all good here?" he questioned hesitantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," I quickly responded as I wiped away the tears that were starting to gather.

Hearing this, he continued his advance to the right side of my hospital bed. "Let's take this out then, yeah?" he said as he gently grabbed my arm with a gloved hand. "Ready?"

"Ready," I nodded.

"One… two… three," he counted down slowly before tenderly slipping the IV out of my arm. He then turned to wrap the rest of the IV tubing around his hand, grabbed the IV bag, and walked over to the tall, red trash can next to the long sink and counter on the right side of the room to throw them away. After turning back to face me, he let his gaze fall to the floor and walked back over to the right side of my bed. He looked back up at me modestly, rubbing his hands together and taking a moment before speaking. "Can I ask you a question that might seem… a little rude?"

"You definitely can," I snickered. "Can't tell you if the question is rude without hearing it, though."

"Fair enough," he sighed. "It's just. I was reading your file, and…"

After waiting a few seconds, I took a stab at his curiosity. "You're wondering how somebody like me made it all the way up here."

"Yeah, basically," he let out with a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

I looked away from him and took a few seconds to mull the question over in my head. This guy, I thought. "Pretty rude to ask about a lady's economic background when she doesn't even know your name," I tutted at him playfully.

"Yeah, uh…" he started while rubbing the back of his neck with his arm. "It's Charlie."

"Well, Charlie. I've done what I've needed to do in order to survive the living nightmare that the geosphere is, but do you honestly think they would have let me up here if I had something to hide?"

"S'pose not," Charlie replied, shrugging. "Just not every day you see someone from the geos. Especially up here. It's not entirely uncommon in the midsphere, sure, but that's not where we are."

"I know, I'm just playing with you, man," I smiled at him, which he instinctively shied away from. Seeing this, I let out a playful groan. "You tippers are all so serious."

"You'll find that's for good reason," he replied flatly, looking me directly in the eye now. I shivered. For some reason, I believed him – almost as if I could see my future in the aerosphere laid out before me. "That's actually… part of why I was asking," he continued. "Just… be careful, okay? I'm sure you're excited to be here, but it's not always clear skies. Just a thought."

"I believe you," I nodded at him sincerely.

"Then take my number," the nurse blurted out. "You know, just in case. You need friends up here."

I cocked my head, raising an eyebrow, and stared at him for a second before I relented. "Okay. Okay, fine," I sighed as I looked down at the ground and shook my head. Looking back up at him, I held out the temp pass that I had been clutching onto.

"Okay, great!" he exploded before carefully grabbing the temp pass from me. He held the thick, gray plastic pass against his forehead and pressed the plastica epithelium button behind his right ear twice in order to transmit his contact information to it. "That should work for you," he said, returning the pass to me. "You know how to retrieve stored info from a temp pass, right?"

"No, I've actually never used one of these before!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, okay. Then you just-"

"Fucking with you again. Really sorry, I'll stop," I interrupted him with genuine remorse.

Charlie just shook his head in response and turned, headed back towards the twin metal doors, pausing just in front of them again. "Just… call if you get in a jam, alright?" he instructed me, turning his head only enough for the words to project to me. "Or need a character reference or something." Having said his piece, Charlie walked back out the metal doors, letting them whine and swing behind him.

He's cute, I thought. Feel kinda bad about teasing him so much, but at least I can get out of here now. Using my arms and leg muscles, I swung my legs off the open space to the left of my hospital bed. Okay, one… two… three, I counted down in my head before lifting myself off the bed and onto my feet. Time to get this show on the road.

#writing #spilled in prose #spilled in writing #science fiction #dystopia #my writing #prose

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anisanews · 4 years ago

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‘Seinfeld’ Actor Steve Hytner Finds Gold In L.A.’s Hot Housing Market

How hot is the L.A. market right now? Actor Steve Hytner sold his longtime home in the Picfair … [+] Village area of Los Angeles for nearly $200,000 over the asking price.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

Actor Steve Hytner has sold his Mid-City Los Angeles home for $1.59 million, which is nearly $200,000 more than the listing price for the newly-remodeled property.

As Hytner’s most well-known character, Kenny Bania on the hit NBC sitcom Seinfeld, would say, “That’s gold, Jerry! Gold!”

The “Seinfeld” actor’s home received more than 50 offers after hitting the market in early April.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

The sale of the three-bedroom closed in 30 days after listing in early April, typical of the hot real estate market in California and throughout the country. The California median home price reached an all-time high in March, with nearly two-thirds of homes selling above the asking price, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Listing agent Marcie Hartley of Hilton & Hyland said she had 50 showings over four days and eight offers.

The classic living room retains its original fireplace.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

The 1930 stucco house is emblematic of L.A.’s Picfair Village neighborhood, a diverse area filled with Revival-style bungalows and mid-century homes.

“It’s definitely one of the ‘hot’ pockets in Los Angeles,” Hartley said. “It’s centrally located, lovely landscaped yards, well-kept homes, good-sized lots, wide streets, and one of the few places you can get into the market for under $2 million, or even under $1.5 if you’re lucky. Most houses coming up for sale in Picfair Village are flying off the market with multiple offers.”

According to listing agent Marcie Hartley, Picfair Village homes often sell before hitting the … [+] market.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home in California hit a record low of eight days in March, down from 15 days in March of last year.

Record-low inventory across California has been a factor, with the supply of homes for sale dropping by more than half over the last year in 30 of the state’s 51 counties.

The home office has French doors that open to deck space.

Mark Singer Photography

Original features and a recent renovation helped boost the home’s appeal. Hytner, who had owned the house since 2004, recently remodeled the kitchen and repainted the interior. There is also a newly tiled entry porch, refinished hardwood floors, new light fixtures throughout and new landscaping in front and back, including 18-foot privacy hedges in the backyard.

Original features include barreled ceilings, an original octagonal breakfast room with diamond cut windows.

A staircase connects the deck to a lush and landscaped backyard.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

“This is hard to find in a city where flippers come in and tear out a lot of the original charm in a home,” Hartley said. “This owner chose to preserve this home’s integrity and features. He just kept it well maintained over the years, so the recent renovations only enhanced it and made it really shine on the market.”

The home also features a bedroom that opens to a raised deck overlooking the backyard and a separate two-car garage with sliding barn doors and a pitched ceiling that has been finished out with drywall and can be used as an accessory dwelling.

A trellis tops the dining patio in a back corner of the yard.

Mark Singer Photography | go.marksinger.com

Along with Seinfield, Hytner has appeared on a number of sitcoms, including Friends, The King of Queens, Two and a Half Men and Working, as well as in the HBO series Hung and such movies as In the Line of Fire, Forces of Nature, and Eurotrip.

Hilton & Hyland is a founding member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3fFILRD

#breaking news today breaking news headlines breaking news headlines today chicago breaking news usa

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agape-philo-sophia · 2 years ago

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➝ Orchestrating Plandemic for Great Reset — Globalization for Full Spectrum Dominance 🚨

The Globalization Agenda of the Great Reset is intended by the evildoers to usher in the One World Order or Agenda 2030 as the fourth industrial wave transitioning humanity into transhumanism and technocratic control, which is planned to bring the complete and total slavery of the entire global population on the earth surface.

"Yearly the World Economic Forum (WEF)/Davos brings together the world's most powerful CEO's along with governmental policy decision-makers.... The World Economic Forum is a facilitator for the goals and objectives of the United Nations - which is world government."~ Joan Veon

The Octagon Group in located in Davos, Switzerland is the same group behind the current World Economic Forum and fourth wave of the transhumanist Great Reset that have a Black Sun chain of command extending to the Moon and other planets. These same lunar entities and their preferred bloodlines have been administering an assortment of surface cataclysms by obliterating chosen demographic areas for decimation.

"The Global Power Elite works out policies to advance their interests with regard to the management and protection of global capital and the enforcement of debt collection worldwide They are strategically placed to impose these policies through their members' positions within individual states and transnational state institutions. The enormous concentrations of economic power translate into enormous influence over global policymaking. The Global Power Elites of the Transnational Capitalist Class make efforts to protect their interests through global organizations like the World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, the G20, G7, World Economic Forum, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group, Bank for International Settlements, and other transnational associations... Within this system, nation-states become little more than population containment zones, and the real power lies with the decision makers who control global capital." ~ Peter Phillips

Take note and pay attention to those in positions of globalist power or in the governments that are promoting the globalization-socialism agendas of the World Economic Forum and the Davos, Switzerland elites. Proclamations from Prince Charles and other elite world leaders as well as those politicos onboard with the globalist agendas, are publicly talking about changing the entire world all at once and soon.

Schwab published the book COVID-19: The Great Reset - make it clear that he is only initiating everything to save the planet from the “human virus”.

It is a new form of fascism that found new political forms in the 21st century in order to continue its core project of adapting humanity to socialism by authoritarian means. Schwab uses this new fascism ostensibly to save the planet, but actually it only protects the interests of the rich. In his eyes, humans are the virus from which the planet must be saved.

People have to realize: it was never about a virus, it was always about the Great Reset.

The scale of change that globalist elites are calling for through the vehicle of the Great Reset, requires the implosion of the current world structure in order to lay the foundations for their One World Order tyranny. Pay attention to the flowery words and empty promises propagandizing the Great Reset with online pictures of deliriously happy people with key phrases like, “you’ll own nothing and be happy”. This is the largest attempted stealing and transfer of national wealth and power for instigating global human slavery under the Luciferian Covenant, along with the theft of every last drop of global human resources through an orchestrated plandemic with the strong-arm response of bullies designed to abolish western culture. Expecting that nations hand over the reins of regional power to the Power Elite Controllers that finalizes their long-term plans to finally strip away all human rights, in which they own everything and everyone and begin the systematic confiscation of personal property, individual choice and the extermination of the undesirables.

"The WEF's agenda matches goals set out by the United Nations to achieve Agenda 2030. In the future, the less-developed world will not rise to the developed, rather the other way, as advanced civilizations must go down to their living standards to become 'sustainable'. COVID-19 has created the perfect justification for this shift. The 'well-timed' New York pandemic exercise, Event 201, on October 18, 2019 was co-sponsored by the World Economic Forum and the Gates Foundation." ~ TOTT News

The United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organizations, NATO and International Monetary Fund are promoted to serve global free trade and enforce the rule of the law, to prevent economic disputes within nations that may arise into warfare, yet they are the same organizations that were put in place after World War II to fully protect the monopolies represented in the Power Elite Controller’s international business interests. Many of which rely on the hidden components of human slavery, human trafficking, drug running and child sexual slavery as a part of their international and off planet business models.

Thus, the majority of people are not aware of the Power Elite agenda that is aggressively pushing for increased globalization through the implementation of Marxist-socialist governmental structures in the western nations is not just for the purpose of centralizing global control by dissolving national sovereignty. The biggest secret of the globalization agenda is that through the highest cabal networks that have full control over all transnational corporate conglomerates, these are operating on an international scale on and off planet, in which implementing globalization and centralized automated bureaucratic control with AI makes human trafficking, global human slavery and genocide of the deplorables much easier to implement and manage.

➝ We Continue To See The Chess Pieces Coming Together More Than Ever Before 🚨: https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1432349031010406408?referrer=MindCom

➝ The Papal Bloodlines Black Nobility Crime Families 🚨: https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1430532570327552008?referrer=MindCom

➝ The Unholy Roman Church — Control Power Tri-Entity Pyramid 🚨: https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/903253137500381184?referrer=MindCom

➝ For Thousands of Years These Satanic Demon Rats Have Been Managing and Controlling Their Human Cattle 🚨: https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1427437874696949769?referrer=MindCom

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fedoremelianenkodevoted · 3 years ago

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So many fighters have graced the coveted UFC octagon, but few who enter will ever eventually be considered great.

Many come to find even achieving something such as a ranking is an almost in-human task, given the elite competition to be found within the promotion. Even fewer could be considered great in the historically brutal heavyweight division though, and such is the topic of today.

We’re breaking down the 12 greatest MMA heavyweights of all time, with set criteria giving you the details why they’re ranked as is. What is the criteria for determining greatness? It’s honestly so tricky to define such a thing, as greatness can be interpreted so many ways by people. It could be the employee who remains ever-so punctual and does their job near perfect every day. Or it could be Lebron James, Tom Brady, or even Artem Lobov. Greatness itself is like an enigma. What really is it? Well, let’s break it down. At least in terms of defining greatness for this article goes.

Defining Greatness

So what will define greatness, and specifically the greatness of our soon to be mentioned heavyweights? First, we could say winning should play a major factor. After all, isn’t that the most important part of prizefighting? However, just winning itself won’t be the entire metric.

It’s most important to ask things such as: who did the fighter beat? How many title fights did they win? What’s the highest amount of wins in a row they managed to achieve (within the UFC)? And maybe the most important: how did they win? Such as a boring decision will tip the scales slightly in their favor while putting on terrifying knockouts or insane submissions would more so do that.

As such, winning will be one thing we take into account. Another would be longevity within the division. Any fighter can stand dominant , but whether that’s for one night or 10 years would make a big difference.

Lastly, such as one of the factors that made a seemingly mystical figure like Michael Jordan come to life: what type of aura do they have? Weird maybe, but think about it. This is one of the things people claim makes Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time when someone like a Bill Russell could be seen as the better due to overall titles/rings won.

Best MMA Heavyweight Fighters:

12. Fabricio Werdum (24-9-1)

11. Mark Coleman (16-10)

10. Alistair Overeem (47-19 1NC)

9. Francis Ngannou (16-3)

8. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (38-11-2 1NC)

7. Daniel Cormier (22-3)

6. Junior Dos Santos (21-9)

5. Cain Velasquez (14-3)

4. Randy Couture (19-11)

3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-10-1)

2. Stipe Miocic (20-4)

1. Fedor Emelianenko (40-6)

Fedor Emelianenko, the name inspires awe among MMA fans “The Last Emperor” is widely considered the greatest heavyweight of all time, for good reason.

Imagine a man who isn’t human. He’s a robot or at least seems very likely to be. There’s no emotion with Emelianenko. It’s all an icy persona that just radiates “I will maul you”. Then, you look at the resume.

It’s the 21 years of dominance. It’s the way he wins, the way he carries himself. “The Last Emperor” might just be the Michael Jordan of MMA. There’s really no comparison that comes close enough to the aura he gives off. The man isn’t unbeatable, but when you see the scale of competition you realize he’s really faced the best to ever do it and almost beaten them all.

We could go on for hours. There can be seminars about his history, entire books written just about his legacy. “The Last Emperor” is a special breed. He’s one of those humans that seems so great at what he does that it’s almost like he even isn’t real.

Emelianenko has beaten the best fighters great organizations could give him. Pride FC, Strikeforce, the ever-so-storied brand Affliction, DREAM, Bellator, and more. He’s done it all within the sport, and he should be considered the greatest heavyweight of all time simply because he’s earned it!

#fedor emelianenko #the last emperor #fedor mma #mma fedoremelianenko #mmaru #fedoremelianenkodevoted #g.o.a.t.#thelastemperor #fedoremelianenkolegend #fedoremelianenko #fedor king #mma

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, and the Legacy of Ninja Movies

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins spoilers.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been to the movies and an even longer time since we’ve seen a ninja flick on the big screen. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a dazzling return to the underrated ninja genre – a breakout premiere in the shadow of the pandemic.

Ninja films rarely earn a theatrical showing anymore. They are pigeon-holed as B-grade movie fodder, and justifiably so. Back in the 1980, ninja films proliferated when second and third-run movie theaters ruled. Campy, low budget ninja pictures were popular fare there back then, right alongside slasher films and teen sex comedies. But with the advent of home entertainment, those cheap flea-ridden theater seats atop soda-sticky floors are long gone. Nowadays, most new ninja films go straight to streaming so to see one on the big screen is quite a treat for fans of the genre.

Above and beyond the G.I. Joe franchise, Snake Eyes rides on the cloak tails of a massive colorful genre (even if that color is mostly black splattered with sanguineous red). In Japan, ninja films are part of their venerated cinematic category known as Jidai-geki, or “period dramas.” Silent Japanese movies about ninjas can be found as early as the 1910s – silent like Snake Eyes himself.

Ninjas still proliferate Japanese cinema, especially in anime. Who can deny the impact of Naruto? And as anyone who has seen it knows – Batman Ninja is an uncommon treat of an anime mash-up. There are literally hundreds of Japanese ninja films – anime, classic historical, modern depictions, tokusatsu stories, even a whole sub-genre of erotic ninja films.

And ninja movies are still popular in Japan. In 2019, director Yoshitaka Yamaguchi delivered his highly regarded dual ninja films, Last Ninja: Red Shadow and Last Ninja: Blue Shadow. Like Snake Eyes, that was a creation story circling around a ninja rivalry.

Early Hollywood Ninja Movies

The immigration of ninjas to Hollywood goes back to none other than James Bond. In 1967, You Only Live Twice introduced Bond (Sean Connery in his final appearance as 007 in an Eon Production) to a clan of ninja accomplices. The film marked a significant departure from Ian Fleming’s original novel. You Only Live Twice was the conclusion of Fleming’s “Blofeld trilogy” where Bond finally gets revenge on his arch nemesis and murderer of his bride. Bond finally tracks down Blofeld in Japan, hiding in his “Garden of Death,” a restored castle surrounded by poisonous plants, and dispatches him in a brutal sword fight.

The movie script was written by children’s book author Roald Dahl, who pirated the plot of the second book of the Blofeld trilogy, Thunderball, in which SPECTRE steals a missile, but instead of atomic bombs, it’s a manned spacecraft. In retrospect, it felt right to have Her Majesty’s top assassin introduce Japan’s elite killers to Western audiences.

In 1975, celebrated action director Sam Peckinpah reintroduced Western audiences to ninjas in Killer Elite. James Caan and Robert Duvall play former covert operative partners, Mike Locken and George Hansen. Again akin to Snake Eyes, Locken and Hansen are split by a vengeance-filled rivalry. Hansen is in cahoots with a ninja clan, led by Negato Toku, played by renowned real-life Karate master Takayuki Kubota. Kubota invented a popular self-defense keychain that he dubbed Kubotan and instructed many celebrities, notably Martin Kove who plays Kreese in Cobra Kai. Sadly, Peckinpah succumbed to cocaine during production and Killer Elite is regarded by many critics as his worst film.

The 1980s: The Golden Age of Ninja Movies

The addition of Snake Eyes into the G.I. Joe universe came as a reboot of the toys that reflected the times. Originally G.I. Joe dolls were 12” military figures that were introduced in the 1960s. These were reality-based figures, each emulating the authentic uniforms and gear of U.S. armed forces. In 1982, the toy line was rebooted at 3 ¼” scale, the same size as the popular Star Wars figures introduced in the late 70s.

These new G.I. Joe came out with an accompanying marketing plan that included a simultaneous comic series from Marvel that revealed the rivalry between the “Real American Hero” G.I. Joe team and the villainous terrorist organization known as Cobra. The campaign was so successful that the first animated G.I. Joe TV show came out the following year.

And at the movies, the great ninja wave began with Chuck Norris’ 1980 flick The Octagon. Regarded as one of his stronger films, Norris played Scott James, a retired Karate champion, who has to face his rival half-brother, the ninja terrorist Seikura, played by another renowned Karate master, Tadashi Yamashita. Yamashita is credited as the man who taught Bruce Lee how to use his signature nunchaku. Norris opened the door for the ninja invasion of the ‘80s with The Octagon, as well as inspired the UFC’s trademarked octagonal ring, The Octagon, which has become a hallmark of the brand.

Following Norris’ lead, Sho Kosugi emerged as the leading ninja in grindhouse cinema. He starred in a series of ninja films beginning in 1981 with his preposterous yet entertaining “Ninja Trilogy,” Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and my personal favorite, Ninja III: The Domination (although most feel his 1985 film Pray for Death which falls outside the trilogy was his ninja masterpiece).

The other leading ninja franchise of the eighties was the American Ninja pentalogy. Michael Dudikoff played Private Joe Armstrong in a franchise which echoed the paramilitary ninja connection from G.I. Joe. In the first film, Armstrong faced the Black Star Ninja, seeing Tadashi Yamashita once again playing a ninja baddie.

Dudikoff was an exception to the rule that ninja film leads must have a martial arts background. However he was athletic and a quick study, and became a dedicated practitioner from his involvement with the franchise. Dudikoff starred in three of American Ninja films. He skipped American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt because he didn’t want to get typecast as a martial arts actor and was anti-apartheid (it was filmed in South Africa). He returned for American Ninja 4: The Annihilation but didn’t appear in American Ninja V. Both Kosugi’s films and American Ninja franchise were produced by that goliath grindhouse of the eighties, Cannon Films. They made ample bank slinging ninja films back then.

The ‘80s ninja craze helped inspire G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes, and he quickly rose to become a favorite character. The pivotal G.I. Joe comic issue #21, “Silent Interlude,” was published in 1984 (coincidentally the same year the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic was released). This was one of the first modern comics to be told entirely without word bubbles. It helped set the tone of silence for Snake Eyes’ character. That issue also marked the first appearance of Storm Shadow.

As with all comic-to-cinema characters, Snake Eyes has several incarnations, depending upon which story you follow. In the comic canon, Snake Eyes suffers a horrible helicopter crash while saving Scarlett’s life. His face is burned and he loses his voice, something very different than what we see on screen in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong was getting into the action by infusing Kung Fu movies with ninjas. Leading the charge was the ultimate martial arts rivalry between China and Japan, 1978’s Challenge of the Ninja (a.k.a. Heroes of the East) in 1978, Veteran Kung Fu star Gordon Liu played Ho Tao, who must match his skills against his Japanese bride’s family. Got ninjas? According to Liu, the solution is scattering your yard with peanut shells!

In a savvy move for those times, Challenge of the Ninja depicts the Japanese respectfully instead of as caricatured villains, with the exception of the ninja who Ho declares to be dishonorable. Challenge of the Ninja is widely considered as one of the all-time best Kung Fu films and in its wake, dozens more ninja films came out in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In 1982, the legendary Kung Fu grindhouse Shaw Brothers studios delivered the outrageously imaginative Five Elements Ninjas, directed by the legendary Chang Cheh who dominated the Kung Fu film genre with his gloriously bloody epics.

The last major ninja film that was released theatrically in the United States was Ninja Assassin in 2009 (coincidentally the same year that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra came out). It was James McTeigue’s second directorial effort following V for Vendetta, and starred K-pop singer and dancer, Rain. For ninja fans, it had a fitting homage by casting Sho Kosugi as the villain. Ninja Assassin was Kosugi’s final theatrical film role to date. The film hoped to continue as a new ninja franchise, and although it was profitable, it failed to attract enough of a following to warrant a sequel.

The Rise of Snake Eyes

It’s a bold move for Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins to premiere exclusively in theaters. Not even Black Widow was so daring with the Delta variant looming. As theaters reopen, it seems telling that several of the first theatrical films coming out are about stealthy martial arts masters.

You could argue that Natasha Romanoff is an MCU ninja (Elektra is the real Marvel ninja but Jennifer Garner’s film doesn’t count in the MCU “sacred timeline”). You could also argue that Mortal Kombat is a ninja movie. Both have black clad assassins wielding martial arts weapons.

However Snake Eyes is a pure ninja film, unabashed and unapologetic in its style and gratuitousness. Regardless of its G.I. Joe origins, the Joes are peripheral. Snake Eyes evades that with a glorious reboot, shifting away from the canon established in the previous two live-action G.I. Joe films and forging its own path.

Snake Eyes is Hasbro’s Batman Begins. It’s a completely novel creation story for the characters that defies what the film franchise has already established. The origin story of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow was already told in the first film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. While not the central tale, it was a significant story arc that forecasted how the ninjas would eventually eclipse the Joe’s paramilitary characters in popularity.

In Paramount’s previous G.I. Joe films, Wushu champion Ray Park played the silent Snake Eyes, and taekwondo practitioner Lee Byung-hun was Storm Shadow. Byung-hun is constantly twirling a shuriken like a fidget-spinner, predating the 2017 fad by eight years. Park never speaks or shows his face, in character with the Snake Eyes of the comics. Their teacher the Hard Master is played by another real life martial arts master Gerald Okamura.

The sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation added another ninja, Kim Arashikage, a.k.a. Jinx, played by Elodie Yung, a black belt in Karate. Yung went on to play Elektra in Netflix’s Daredevil. The standout act was a thrilling ninja battle while rappelling down a Himalayan cliffside. That show-stopping scene put the sequel above the original film, especially if you saw it in 3D IMAX. In a sneaky way, the ninja story arc creeps up on the G.I. Joe films from behind, and now it’s all about those ninjas.

Bringing Ninjas Back

Compared to the CGI bombast of the earlier two films, Snake Eyes has cool cinematic style, bathed in Tokyo neon and split with flashing katana blades. And when it comes to action, it cuts quickly to the chase. Like any good ninja flick, there’s just enough plot to get to the next sword fight, no more, no less. And in contrast to previous outings, Snake Eyes tells a completely different origin story for the mysterious Snake Eyes.

In this reboot, Snake Eyes (Henry Golding) and Thomas Arashikage (Andrew Koji) meet as adults, not as children. The Hard Master is played by Iko Uwais, a genuine master of the Indonesian martial art of Silat. A practitioner of Taekwondo and Shaolin Kung Fu, Koji best known as Ah Sahm, the lead role in the Bruce Lee inspired Cinemax series Warrior.

Like Dudikoff decades ago, Golding had no martial arts background prior to accepting the role. Once he landed it, the Crazy Rich Asians star spent four hours a day training with the stunt team in preparation.

With the exception of Golding, the casting of genuine martial arts practitioners underscores a critical element in ninja films. Ninja films are about martial arts fights. No matter how good the story and acting might be, a ninja film fails if it doesn’t bring great action. Consequently for a ninja film to work, it needs a cast with a genuine martial arts background.

Golding makes up for his lack of skills with his smoldering screen presence, but much credit must be given to the film’s fight coordinator, Kenji Tanigaki. Tanigaki is one of Asia’s top choreographers who has been in the business since the mid ‘90s. Just prior to Snake Eyes, he oversaw the action on Donnie Yen’s last two films, Enter the Fat Dragon and Big Brother, and completed two more installments of the five-part samurai manga-turned-movie series Rurouni Kenshin.

Snake Eyes is poised to spin off into its own franchise. The end credits scene with Storm Shadow declaring his new identity to the Baroness (Úrsula Corberó) was hardly a surprise to anyone, but it teased the possibility of a sequel. Back in May 2020, Paramount and Hasbro were in negotiations with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse to write the script, but then the world plunged into the pandemic and no more developments have been announced at this writing. Will the sequel be Snake Eyes’ The Dark Knight? For ninja fans all over the world, we can only hope.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is now playing in theaters.

The post Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, and the Legacy of Ninja Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

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zara-law-photography · 4 years ago

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Clean White Research

I chose zoe as my model for this project, as she has recently started amateur wrestling so i thought this would be an interesting topic to explore. so i have researched different photographers for inspiration.

Jeff Bottari

This photographer was born in San Diego, California Bottari had a real passion for sports type photography. When he was in high school he worked on the newspaper and yearbook. He the when on to study at the Brooks institute of photography, he majored in visual journalism and commercial photography.

In his early career he documented big sports company names like NBA all-star games he watched and learned from the elite industry photographers of that time.

For the last few years Bottari is best known for working with a variety of sports events like MMA, NASCAR, NFL, Rugby and X-games. His work has been presented on sport illustrated, ESPN. He is associated with Getty images and has corporate partners in adobe, fortune and HSBC and many more.

He is currently living with his wife in Las Vegas, Nevada and is working as a staff photographer for The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) this means he has to travel to all the different event locations, shooting fight action shots and studio fighter portrait shots.

Some examples that would tie into my thought for my clean white shoot as they are his studio work as hes known for a lot of his in action shots of the fights in the UFC octagon. these are also some his most recent work

Mark Mann

Mann was born in Glasgow, he never considered a career in photography until he was on a train heading to Edinburgh and he started speaking to a photography student about photography so he took an interest in the subject. He then went to study at Manchester polytechnic for 3 years the same university as the student he spoke to on the train. He then moved to New York where hes stayed for the past 20 years.

Mann is known for photographing famous faces like Barack Obama, Richard Branson, Snoop Dogg, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more.

Mann liked to keep his gear as minimal as possible he didn’t like using the traditional strobe lighting as it took up too much space for the areas he worked in. he also had a specific technique to do his portraits he liked to put the lighting slightly above the subject to put emphasis on facial features like cheekbones.

Here is some examples of his work that i found interesting.

#preproduction #cleanwhite

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harrelltut · 1 year ago

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kingjaffejoffer · 7 years ago

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Would you like to see another mixed fighters match similar to what happened with Conner and Floyd? Maybe this time the boxer fights in the UFC ring, or maybe a real Tekken IRON FIST TOURNAMENT

No.

No mma fighter is ever going to beat an elite boxer in a boxing ring

No boxer is ever going to beat an mma fighter in the octagon

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rickhorrow · 5 years ago

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10 To Watch : Mayor’s Edition 93019

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 30 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

EverFi “Runs the Right Plays.” Premiering earlier this year, The Sport Business Handbook recognizes the last 50 years as the formative period for the modern era of sport. Likewise, online education leader EverFi is celebrating over a decade of harnessing technology to equip communities with the skills they need for success. To celebrate the good work in our communities contributors continue to do, EverFi presents "Running the Right Plays: Doing Good Through Sport" on October 2 in Washington, DC. This symposium will present a rare opportunity to hear directly from key contributors in sport, business, and philanthropy and gain exclusive access to their personal insights. Panelists joining Rick Horrow for the evening include Lisa Bowman, Chief Marketing Officer, United Way Worldwide; Jon Chapman, Co-Founder & President, EverFi; Phil de Picciotto, Founder & President, Octagon; Damon Phillips, General Manager, NBC Sports Washington; Nick Sakiewicz, National Lacrosse League Commissioner; and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. We will also present the top five Washington, DC community impact milestones in and around sports.

The San Francisco 49ers filed a lawsuit to "block Santa Clara's attempt to end the team's management of non-football events at Levi's Stadium," according to the San Jose Mercury News. The lawsuit filed on Friday "comes in the wake of the City Council's vote to terminate the 49ers' management agreement, effective November 15." City officials "contend the team misrepresented its experience in managing 'public assembly facilities' and has violated city and state rules governing public contracts and prevailing wages." Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor in a tweet Friday night "doubled down on those claims." She tweeted, "We terminated the 49ers non-NFL events agreement because we discovered fraud and wage theft. They mismanaged a public facility. Net profits plunge from around $5 million to $0 in two years." If the city succeeds, the 49ers would "no longer book and manage stadium events unrelated" to NFL games and activities. Santa Clara "owns Levi's Stadium and leases the facility to the 49ers." The team is "responsible for managing it year-round and generating revenue to be shared with the city through concerts and other non-NFL events." The 49ers' lawsuit requests that a judge invalidate the city's termination notice.

Tennis Channel is going bi-coastal, opening a fully equipped broadcast control room on the site of the USTA National Campus in Orlando. The new facility is designed to give the network a year-round presence at the training center for elite American professional and junior players. The facility, which establishes an East Coast production base for the West Coast-based network, provides Tennis Channel with greater access to National Campus competitions and players, in addition to Florida's tennis community. It was put to immediate use September 24-29, as the network carried the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals for the first time. Tennis Channel has clearly benefitted operationally and financially from its $350 million acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group three years ago – a fact that’s not lost on Sinclair’s newly-purchased roster of Fox Regional Sports Networks and their executives.

Kroenke, Spanos reportedly at odds over Sofi Stadium PSL sales. According to a report from ABC 10 News San Diego, Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke is upset about a lack of financial contribution by the L.A. Chargers for their shared Inglewood stadium, which is set to open next summer. Kroenke was anticipating the Chargers would generate close to $400 million from the sale of Personal Seat Licenses. Instead, the real figure is turning out to be tens of millions short of the target, and Kroenke is the one responsible for making up the difference. Costs for the Inglewood stadium are skyrocketing to almost $5 billion. The facility was initially expected to cost $1.9 billion. Kroenke is responsible for everything but the money the Chargers generate in PSL sales and a $200 million NFL G-6 loan. The Chargers, though, get to keep all of their game day revenues when they play in the new building. Kroenke has very little way of recouping the money from Spanos, because it was all part of the deal allowing the Chargers to move from San Diego to L.A.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency has announced the launch of its new global division to be headquartered in London, with Michael Yormark, who will serve as president of the new venture, heading up branding and strategy. Over the past couple years, Roc Nation has drastically expanded their roster in Europe and become more involved with sports. Roc Nation Sports International’s clients currently include six soccer players: Jerome Boateng, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Eric Bailly, Axel Witsel, and Samuel Chukwueze. The company will officially open its London office on October 1 with a major focus on soccer. Based on the expertise of Roc Nation, on the artist and athlete side of the business, the agency believes this is a natural next step to have feet on the ground in the U.K. and develop their company in a 360 degree fashion. The new international venture will bring lifestyle, music and sport to the epicenter of the world’s soccer market.

Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Field House officially open after $185 million renovation. Downtown Cleveland was "electric" Saturday afternoon for a "celebration and official opening" of the $185 million renovated Rocket Mortgage Field House, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. An "estimated 2,500 people attended the ceremony" that was followed by a "free public open house." People had the "chance to explore the space and try new dining options." Updates include a "77,110 square foot illuminated aluminum curtain, more than 42,000 square feet of new space in the atrium, a power portal entryway featuring LED panels and Soundscape technology." Cavaliers President of Business Operations Nic Barlage said, "Today was perfect.” The first event in the renovated arena "won’t be a sporting event but a concert, when the Black Keys perform" on Monday night. A fitting opening for a building mere blocks from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

ESPN and Facebook strike a deal to bring sports shows to the social media platform. Under the new deal, ESPN will distribute exclusive digital shows and content on the social giant’s Facebook Watch video platform. According to Variety, the new collaboration will begin with ESPN’s Facebook Watch lineup of additional segments from “Always Late With Katie Nolan,” the late-night sports/comedy show premiering this week on ESPN2; exclusive versions of college-football “Countdown to GameDay” and “Fantasy Focus Live,” and “The People’s MMA Show,” a weekly series about mixed martial arts fighters. With the new content, ESPN will engage with fans through Facebook Watch platform via Watch Parties, polls, or live talent Q&As. Facebook has made a huge push in the last two years to gather more sports content including live MLB games and now all-encompassing sports content from one of sports media’s titans as the push to break into OTT sports intensifies.

Burton Snowboards joined millions of students and workers from around the world in support of the Global Climate Strike. On September 20 and 27, the snowboard brand closed all its offices and retail stores in America, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia so its employees could join the strike and attend local marches, while still being paid. Burton.com was also closed for online orders around the world on the same days. According to The Telegraph, visitors to the website were automatically redirected to the Global Climate Strike homepage instead. In addition, the brand’s flagship stores, which are largely based in the U.S., were open to the public as a space to gather before and after the marches. People in 150 countries organized Global Climate Strikes in September, in which people were encouraged to walk out of work or school to join a local march to draw attention to the need for a new approach to combat climate change.

A pair of new-found friends cycle from London to Tokyo for charity and the Rugby World Cup. James Owens and Ron Rutland cycled from London to Tokyo, a total of 20,093 kilometers and a distance that spanned across 27 countries over 230 days to reach rugby's showpiece event. The primary aim of the journey was to raise money and awareness for ChildFund Pass It Back, the Rugby World Cup's official charity. According to CNN, the aim of the project was to help children from developing communities in Asia learn essential life skills through the sport. Seeing the actual children who were benefiting from the project’s $83,181 raised was the highlight of the journey for Owens and Rutland, who had only met five days before their journey and were also tasked with delivering the official whistle for the opening match between Japan and Russia. Rutland had previously cycled 41,843 km over two years and three months in the world's first unsupported solo cycle through Africa to watch his beloved South Africa in 2015 in England. This time, he used his extreme conditioning to better the lives of others.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation donates three mini soccer pitches to Baltimore. The D.C.-based soccer philanthropy and advocacy organization plans to fund and build three $60,000 “mini-pitches” at Desoto Park in Southwest Baltimore’s Morrell Park neighborhood, the Farring-Baybrook Recreation Center in Brooklyn, and Betty Hyatt Community Park in Washington Hill. According to Baltimore FishBowl, the donations would come as part of the nonprofit’s “Safe Places to Play” program. The foundation has partnered with sports-lighting firm Musco Lighting on a modular soccer field design, roughly the size of a basketball or tennis court, for underserved areas around the country and they come with lighting to allow for after-hours play, plus storage and benches. And the effects from these “city pitches” won’t be short lived – the foundation is partnering with MLS teams, corporations, and others to install 1,000 around the country by 2026.

#10 #10towatch

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2whatcom-blog · 6 years ago

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UFC 234 predictions

So far as identify worth goes, UFC 234 is perhaps a two-fight present, however what a few headlining fights they're. Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker competes in his Australian stomping grounds on Saturday when he goes for his first official title protection towards Kelvin Gastelum in the primary occasion of UFC 234. Once we final noticed Whittaker, he was surviving 5 extra rounds towards Yoel Romero (who missed weight, rendering their rematch a non-title affair). Now he as soon as once more faces an elite wrestler with dynamite arms. Whereas Gastelum doesn’t have the freakish ending energy of Romero, he brings a continuous method that may completely match the fearless Whittaker. Within the co-main occasion, Israel Adesanya appears to capitalize on a 4-0 2018 marketing campaign and begin off his 2019 season with an announcement win over MMA legend Anderson Silva. “The Final Stylebender” has been saying all the suitable issues about what going through Silva means to him and the way he’s able to tear the torch from Silva’s grasp, however he could possibly be headed in direction of disappointment if Silva can flip again the clock and placed on a classic efficiency. Additionally on the primary card, Ricky Simon continues his climb up the bantamweight rankings when he fights Rani Yahya, Montana De La Rosa faces Australia’s personal Nadia Kassem in a flyweight bout, and 22-year-old mild heavyweight prospect Jim Crute fights short-notice substitute Sam Alvey. What: UFC 234 The place: Rod Laver Area in Melbourne, Australia When: Saturday, Feb. 9. The three-fight UFC Battle Cross preliminary card begins at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight ESPN preliminary card begins at eight p.m. ET, and the five-fight pay-per-view foremost card begins at 10 p.m. ET. Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum Will Robert Whittaker’s middleweight reign be halted earlier than its begun? And by the hands of one other welterweight transplant? That’s a authentic risk as Kelvin Gastelum lastly will get his title shot, although not within the weight class that he lengthy predicted he would. The previous Final Fighter winner has been excellent at 185 kilos, together with his deep gasoline tank and quick arms giving him a bonus over the division’s finest. Former UFC champions Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort, and Chris Weidman all felt Gastelum’s energy, with Bisping and Belfort failing to make it out of the primary spherical and Weidman getting rocked earlier than managing to compose himself and submit Gastelum. In a straight boxing match, this can be a toss-up. Whenever you add in Whittaker’s skillful kicking sport, the chances lean extra clearly in direction of the champion. He’s going to punish Gastelum’s lead leg with kicks whereas utilizing his knowledgeable vary hanging to make it troublesome for Gastelum to arrange takedown makes an attempt. As he’s proven in two fights with Yoel Romero, Whittaker’s takedown protection is out of this world. Towards the fence, Gastelum will have the ability to stop Whittaker from opening up, however retaining him pinned there's one other problem altogether. Search for Whittaker to keep away from being smothered and hold the motion primarily within the heart of the Octagon, the place he can take his time feinting and selecting Gastelum aside. Gastelum has by no means been knocked out and that ought to stay true at UFC 234, although it will likely be Whittaker who will get his hand raised after 5 robust rounds. Choose: Whittaker Anderson Silva vs. Israel Adesanya Israel Adesanya is 100 p.c right in saying that Anderson Silva isn’t getting his correct respect from the oddsmakers. He’s additionally 100 p.c right that he’s going to place Silva away. That’s no slight to Silva, whose struggles within the Octagon over the previous couple of years have been considerably overstated. In his losses to Chris Weidman, he confronted a hungry challenger in his prime who was a matchup nightmare for Silva (and that’s not even mentioning his unlucky leg break of their second combat). He defeated Nick Diaz in a five-round combat that has basically been erased from the books as a result of each of them failing drug checks. He was outworked by Michael Bisping, however appeared to knock “The Depend” out chilly in the midst of the combat solely to have Bisping saved by the bell. He was utterly grounded by Daniel Cormier after agreeing to combat the long run heavyweight champion with lower than 48 hours to arrange. And he escaped with a slim resolution win towards Derek Brunson in his final outing. All of that's to say that Silva continues to be a high-level fighter and positively one that's a lot better than his current outcomes would point out. Selecting Adesanya is extra concerning the repute that “The Final Stylebender” has made for himself over the previous 12 months. By far, Silva is one of the best striker that Adesanya has confronted within the UFC, so that is will likely be a real take a look at of Adesanya’s vaunted kickboxing abilities. No takedowns, no wrestling, simply who has one of the best standup. Silva isn’t a quick starter, so it gained’t be stunning to see Adesanya lead the dance early on. The query is whether or not Silva can nonetheless attain the highest speeds that he used to. We all know Adesanya can and if he senses the slightest weak spot or hesitation on Silva’s half, he'll pounce. Had this combat occurred in Silva’s prime, it could be a way more troublesome name to make. As it's, youth will likely be served and Adesanya goes to select up a knockout win. Choose: Adesanya Rani Yahya vs. Ricky Simon There’s quite a bit to love about Ricky Simon’s sport, particularly because it pertains to thwarting Rani Yahya. He has nice wrestling, which ought to permit him to find out the place the combat takes place. And his cardio is top-notch, so he ought to have the sting in a three-round battle. The place Yahya has at all times excelled is within the grappling division and nearly as good as Simon’s wrestling is, he’ll be in severe hazard if he makes any errors on the mat. Even when he doesn’t, Yahya is such a gifted jiu-jitsu artist that he might pressure the motion and catch Simon with one thing. He’s proven a willingness to face and commerce on the ft too, however Yahya could be clever to preserve his power relatively than go all out attempting to dent Simon’s comparatively recent chin. I like Yahya to discover a submission in some unspecified time in the future, although if he begins too gradual and permits Simon to take the initiative, he'll lose on the playing cards. Choose: Yahya Montana De La Rosa vs. Nadia Kassem Montana De La Rosa higher be prepared for boos as a result of she’s going to take out the hometown woman. Taller, longer, and extra battle-tested, De La Rosa has a number of benefits getting into her combat with Nadia Kassem. A cursory look at their stats would possibly make this look like a traditional grappler vs. striker matchup, however De La Rosa confirmed in her win over Rachael Ostovich that she’s comfy hanging from distance and Kassem was aggressive off of her again with submission makes an attempt en path to defeating Alex Chambers. Ought to this be contested totally on the ft, it will likely be troublesome for Kassem to land an influence shot towards the rangy De La Rosa. On the bottom, De La Rosa has proven she is a harmful finisher and carried out so towards higher competitors than Kassem has confronted. That have will make an enormous distinction. De La Rosa by submission in spherical two. Choose: De La Rosa Jim Crute vs. Sam Alvey Jim Crute has all of the makings of a fan favourite fighter together with his aggressive angle and a well-rounded talent set. Sam Alvey has no drawback coping with fighters who look to push the tempo and at all times finds a approach to gradual issues down (sometimes to the chagrin of these in attendance). His left hand is a continuing risk as nicely and Crute should be cautious of it if he doesn’t need to see his Zero go. That is a kind of fights the place the youthful fighter goes to must mature quick and present that he can adapt, particularly if Alvey fights as secure as he often does. Crute did an ideal job of out-grappling the submission-minded Paul Craig and he needs to be comfy mucking issues up with Alvey if want be. Alvey is troublesome to complete, however I see Crute having the sting within the standup and getting the higher of the clinch work to earn a convincing resolution win. Choose: Crute Undercard Devonte Smith def. Dong Hyun Ma Shane Young def. Austin Arnett Kai Kar... .. Read the full article

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justbritishmotoring · 8 years ago

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Some may not realize that the MG brand and logo are now in the hands of a Chinese firm, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, a state-owned firm based in Shanghai. They are the largest Chinese automaker by sales with over 5 million units sold in 2014.

Brand names that are exclusive to SAIC are Maxus, MG and Roewe, but they have joint production with such brands as Baojun, Buick, Chevrolet, Iveco, Skoda, VW, and Wuling. The MG that is the subject of this article is known as the MG GT, a medium-sized four-door fastback sedan which was launched in 2014 and produced in China. SAIC maintains a UK facility that does engineering work for its MG-branded products and until recently did some low volume assembly of MGs there for the UK market.

The subject of this article, MG GT It is powered by either of two engines, both gasoline, inline four cylinder of 1.4 or 1.5 liter. The smaller one being a direct injection unit producing 110KW at 5600 RPM and the larger one 95KW at 5500 RPM. Gearboxes are manual six speeds, automatic six speeds or a seven-speed dual clutch unit. Zero to 100 KMH (62 MPH) range from 9.5 to 9.8 seconds depending on the engine and gearbox. Trim levels for the MG GT include names such as Fashion, Elite, Luxury, and Flagship. Equipment puts these modern cars a long, long way from our “classic” MGs with such things as a start-stop system, smart charging regenerative braking, cruise control, power windows, door locks, something called, InkaNet 4.0 Telematics, GPS, Voice Control, Mirrorlink connection and Blue tooth connectivity. A dual zone auto air conditioner or in lesser versions, a manual air conditioner with a pollen filter. For safety, there are dual front airbags, dual side airbags, side curtain, ABS rear camera and other features. However, SAIC specs some of these features only on the top of the line version. Classic MG folks will relate to the leather seats or leather/cloths seats and the “Sports Instrument Panel” So these cars at least in the non-base line version are right up there with current automotive technology and features.

The models of this MG GT come in a pair mounted on a fancy decorative raised plinth with a clear cover. Unlike most models in 43rd scale there is no indication what model company produces this pair except for the chassis of the cars that states “SAIC Motor” in English and some Chinese characters which are presumably a translation. The cars and the box they come in, unlike most all models, have absolutely no indication of the maker of the actual model. The MG logo is prominent on the outer box and the mounting plinth so presumably the car maker SAIC have “licensed” this model product but normal licensing rules and regulations in China may be much different than in the rest of the world as the Chinese are well known for unapproved knockoffs and clones.

Of the two cars, the red one is quite stock and the white one is a sort of rallye or race version, having an internal roll cage, only the driver’s seat which is a sort of Recaro style bucket seat with a four-point seatbelt evident. Both are left-hand drive as suitable for China where most of the real car are sold. The red car has a sunroof in a dark tinted glass, an all-black interior and chrome allow style wheels. There is even a tiny grid replicating a heated the rear window. MG octagon logos are prominently displayed on the front edge of the bonnet and hatchback. In the modern style there is minimal chrome trim, most being black. Interestingly the front and rear license plates on the MG GT state “Morris Garages” so somebody has done their MG history homework.

Looking closer at the rallye version which is in white with a non-sunroof flat black roof with a very large MG logo picked out in gloss black. There is black and red decorative striping on the flanks, a black wing on the rear somewhat like what might be found on some Subaru WRX cars. The rear tail pipes are different than the red street car in that they are well separated instead of being side by side but in both cases they are chrome plated. The chassis shows a fair amount of detail such as the full exhaust system, front and rear suspensions, transverse engine sump, end on gearbox and some floor sheet metal detail. Judging by weight all indications are that both of these replicas are diecast, not the now more common resin material used in Asian made 43rd scale miniatures. The metal diecast medium is an indication that these models will be made in relatively high production numbers compared to the resin issues. The model maker has taken the trouble to create two wheel styles, the MG GT street car with silver alloys and the rallye car with large diameter black alloys. Both being the open spoke type, so brake discs of two different diameters are shown behind the wheels. Nice attention to detail here.

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Note: Thanks to John F Quilter for this article. Please note that John got the photos of the real cars from the China Auto Web who did not respond to multiple attempts to obtain permission to use them.

MG GT Models in Minature Some may not realize that the MG brand and logo are now in the hands of a Chinese firm, …

#MG GT #models #SAIC #toys

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kuwaiti-kid · 5 years ago

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Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake – Returning to Midgar

Sitting in anticipation, I grip my controller as I watch the opening movie flash with the beginning scenes of Midgar.

Familiar characters and locations gleam as they appear one by one. That familiar tune begins to play as the loading screen appears. It is impossible not to get emotional while the nostalgic theme song of the original flow from your speakers.

The difference? Everything looks so real I want to reach out and touch it-like a kid in a digital candy store.

Brace yourselves; the long-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake game has finally arrived!

Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy is the most famous RPG franchise ever, and 7 is the most famous Final Fantasy ever. The original, released 23 years ago in 1997, sold more than 11 million copies and inspired spinoffs, animated movies, and fan fiction.

The octagon shapes and bright colors that once made up our beloved game have been traded for the highest level of graphic design. You can see every strand of Cloud’s hair shift when he moves. Every detail of emotion can be seen in Aerith’s eyes. It makes you wonder if this could be the true definition of magic.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake brings the nostalgia of our beloved story to life. With the newly enhanced graphics, upgraded designs, and storyline enhancements, it is enough to keep us all on the edge of our gaming chairs. Midgar looks beautifully realistic. You can practically smell the stench of the Mako.

The Remake game had a release date of April 10 and received very favorable reviews.

Grab a basket of your favorite flowers and let us once more begin a story that will shape the destiny of an entire world—the world of Midgar.

***Spoiler Alert!***

We will be reviewing upgrades, story plotline, and some details that may ruin a surprise or two. If you want to experience the surprise on your own, save this article to read after you play the FFVII Remake!

The Story Begins – A Quick Recap

Final Fantasy VII was one of the most revolutionary games around and was an introduction for many into the next generation of games.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake is not just a retelling of that iconic storyline. The first few hours of the game take on its own form of JRPG storyline, adding depth and details to the original. The main story is the same, but they added several enhancements to the story that go more in-depth.

The overall base of the story has to do with the Mako. Mako is the lifeblood of the planet and the fuel that powers the city of Midgar. By exploiting this resource through their Mako Reactors, the Shinra Electric Power Company has all but seized control of the entire world. A group of idealists, known as Avalanche, is one of the last bastions of resistance.

The main story itself revolves around the electric company Shinra, and the controversy of extracting the life force (Mako) from the earth and turning it into energy. Doing so is slowly killing the planet. Midgar itself is plagued by wealth inequality, split into two main sections separated by a massive plate: The business class society and the low-class slums.

You play as Cloud Strife, an elite operative turned mercenary. He is introduced by taking part in an Avalanche operation to destroy Mako Reactor 1 in the city of Midgar. If you haven’t heard of the infamous Cloud, he is the one wielding a sword larger than his entire body.

This is the base of where our story begins in both versions of the game, but the true question is, when does this one end?

The World of Midgar Reimagined…and Divided

Square Enix has made a bold move in utilizing the chapter feature. Rather than release the entire game in one shot, the developers decided to split it into episodes. And they have not revealed how many episodes are planned or how they will be connected.

The story progresses with chapters as if in a book. But how long will this first book be? You will have to play to find out.

Game makers have already confirmed that there will be at least two installments of the game, but they are still deciding on how many different installments there will be.

Due to this decision, they took the time to create new sections of the story that did not exist before.

Story Additions: Thickening the Plot

By the time you are a few hours into gameplay, you have already experienced some of the new additions to the story. They are some great extensions that add enriching details, pulling you even further into their world.

Curious about the difference? Here are a few changes that were made to the main storyline!

Shinra blows up its own reactor.

Unlike the original game, the bomb Cloud and Barret set in the Sector 1 reactor in Remake does not blow the facility up. Instead, Shinra does the dirty work itself, causing an explosion far bigger and more devastating than Avalanche had planned.

But why would Shinra do this?

Obviously, keeping the reactors running would make them plenty of money. Unfortunately, the only thing more profitable than the reactors would be war. Shinra wants to encourage the population of Midgar to support a second war with the nation of Wutai, and so it begins to spread propaganda that Avalanche is in allegiance with them.

Jessie’s mission

One of the few completely new locations in Final Fantasy 7 Remake is the Sector 7 Employee Housing Area, a residential zone on Midgar’s upper plate. Here we get to see how the wealthier people of the city live, as well as visit Jessie’s family home.

Apart from this entire mission being new, including the attack on a Shinra warehouse to secure more explosives, we’re also introduced to a whole new villain in the form of Roche, a flamboyant member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER division. This marks Roche’s first and only appearance in the whole game.

Sector 7’s hidden lab

After the company drops an entire sector of the upper city on the slums to try and wipe out Avalanche, the party discovers a hidden laboratory that’s been operating in secret beneath Sector 7 – something that doesn’t exist (or at least is never mentioned) in the original.

While exploring its tunnels in search of Wedge, Barret and Tifa discover practically a whole army of creatures who attack them on sight. These creatures are failed experiments and appear to be Remake’s answer to the original game’s Makonoids; humans who have been saturated with Mako to the point that they have become monsters.

Take note, upon completion of the first game; you can revisit individual chapters to complete tasks you may have missed.

One of the best parts? You will be playing all of these characters with an unbelievably lifelike makeover.

The Revamped Character Designs

The original designs for the characters in 1997 were limited to the technology of the time. Though FF7 Remake certainly isn’t the first time these characters were updated or redesigned, it’s indeed striking to see them in 4K and on modern consoles.

The variety in character design is one aspect of FF7 that has remained a favorite among fans since the original, but some of them have had more of a glow-up than others.

Sephiroth

What makes Sephiroth such an iconic character within Final Fantasy VII and arguably one of the most recognizable video game villains in history is his simple yet elegant design. They have kept his look fairly streamlined throughout but have added detail.

Seeing him in the new graphics really brings his original design to life.

Cloud Strife

In a similar level to Sephiroth, his classic iconic design has been kept intact. However, the upgrades in detail due to the new technology are striking. Every single detail has been perfected right down to the knitted detail in his turtleneck.

Although his design has remained pretty much the exact same, he now looks better than he ever did in Advent Children.

Jessie

All of AVALANCHE received quite a few changes, but Jessie’s had the least as far as adjustments. Her design was one of the simplest in the original game, after all.

Still, the upgrades to facial expressions and body language really give Jessie a way more significant-feeling role than she ever had.

Wedge

Wedge has come a long way since the original game, as well as the earlier builds of the Remake. He was always seen as a sort of comic relief background character with minimal design.

The new remake really lets him shine with his excellent voice work, and the rework of his facial and character design.

Biggs

Out of all the minor AVALANCHE characters, Biggs is probably the one many least expected to look this good in the remake. However, it’s an entirely fair statement to say that Biggs is a contender for one of the most attractive characters in the game.

Barret Wallace

This is, without a doubt, the best iteration of Barret to date, and is precisely how he was pictured past the limitations of the original game. Due to his bigger stature, his overworld model on the PS1 was arguably one of the worst out of all the characters, but he looks near perfect in the Remake.

Tifa Lockhart

Even though Tifa never fit the stereotype of fantasy characters donning ridiculously complicated and intricate outfits, instead choosing to rock a simple white crop-top and a short skirt for maximum close-combat kickboxing efficiency.

The remake still manages to make her look more stunning than ever. Not a single detail has been forgotten on her design.

Aerith Gainsborough

From the first sight of the opening cutscene of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, Aerith shows the true scope of how far graphical capabilities have come in video games.

Her original models were already some of the best in the game, but Square Enix truly knocked it out of the park with her modern design. The details are impeccable, her hair looks real, and adding a voice to her really made the character design hit you right in the feels.

Several other characters received a huge enhancement in the game, including Heidegger and President Shinra.

The character redesigns are truly a work of art. Every detail was considered, and it shows.

But the reimagined character designs are another massive change people are talking about. Another colossal change is the battle system.

Battle System – A Hybrid

All of us that have played the classics grew accustomed to the original ATB system. This system relied almost completely on turn-based strategy as you had to be sure to utilize each character to its best potential. It ultimately meant just picking what your characters did from a menu and then watching the animations play out.

There will be some settings options for players who don’t like the new system, including a classic mode for people who want to just play the FFVII Remake in the spirit of the original. When you first begin the game, you will receive the option to select the classic gameplay.

The newly reimagined Final Fantasy VII battle system makes it feel as if it is a brand-new game. This new version blends the best elements of prior games into one cohesive system. This new system allows more freedom and is sure to give you an adrenaline rush.

They combined the battle systems of Final Fantasy with Kingdom Hearts to create a splendid blend of combat.

This is what would be considered more of an action-based RPG system. You can battle in real-time, experiment with fight abilities, and change characters with the quick click of a button. Every character has a unique style to them that feels like playing a totally different game when you switch over. Plus, there are tons of new customization options for weapons, skills, and the game’s materia magic system that stand to make overall combat much deeper than the original.

Remake Wrap Up

The Final Fantasy VII Remake exceeded all expectations. It provided its fans exactly what they were begging for and more. You can genuinely say it was not only remade, but it was reimagined.

With the new graphics, you can feel even more connected to your beloved characters.

The added storylines pull you further into the turmoil of their tale.

Some play games for fun, and for others, it becomes a part of their heart. Final Fantasy VII will always have a special place in many people’s lives. Now the Remake made that piece a whole lot larger.

Whether you are a new or old fan, purchasing the game is well worth the money.

The question everyone wants to know is when will the next chapter be released? How long will we have to wait to visit Midgar once again? We will have to wait impatiently for Square Enix to answer those questions.

One thing we do know for sure, the wait will be worth it.

The post Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake – Returning to Midgar appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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vintagehomesofwhatcomcounty · 5 years ago

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Bellingham Then & Now: Wardner’s Castle (1890)

Crowning the corner of 15th St and Knox St in Fairhaven, the house officially recorded on the Historic Register as the James F. Wardner House was constructed in 1890 in a flurry of development in the Fairhaven area in the late 1800s. It immediately became known as Wardner’s Castle,

“due, no doubt, to its prominent siting, its corner octagonal tower topped by a crown-shaped finial, and the flamboyant personality of its aspiring owner.” (source).

While the National Register documents don’t include any grainy black-and-white pictures to show off the interior, we know there were twenty-three rooms, seven fireplaces, colored stain glass windows near the stairway, and an octagon-shaped library lit by windows on four sides. References to “finely carved garlands” and finishes in the “white and gold of the Louis XVI style” speak of a house that once truly lived up to its regal nickname.

Jim Wardner was among those championing Fairhaven to be the terminus of the Great Northern Railroad. He bought up 135 lots in Fairhaven and built logging, milling, electric and financial enterprises. According to Register documents, Wardner enjoyed his reputation as an ostentatious, bold, and shrewd businessman, and was once one of the elite local investors.

“Wardner, an ambitious entrepreneur who acquired his wealth in lumber, mining and real estate, but who also dabbled in innumerable other ventures throughout the United States and abroad, is counted among a small group of men who were the creators and developers of the Fairhaven boom in the late 1880s and early 1890s.” (source)

The gamble paid off early, raking in high profits …

Until the cash flow dried up.

Fairhaven lost the bet for the Great Northern Railway, crushing the high hopes of local boosters. Development slowed further due to the the Depression of 1893. Hit with significant losses in his mining business, Jim Wardner dashed along to his next project in South Africa. He ended up living in his home for just a year, but his Castle on the hill stands to this day.

Originally published here, with sources & image credits

#bellingham #BellinghamThen&Now #vintagehousesofwhatcomcounty #vintagehouses

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sherpaetrek · 5 years ago

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"This city also is known as Patan, once as independent Newar kingdom before the Shah dynasty took over, is best known for its finest traditional crafts and rich artistic heritage."

Some eight kilometers south of central Kathmandu situated on a plateau across the Bagmati River is a lovely little city called Lalitpur, the city of fine arts.

This city of Lalitpur divided into 22 municipal wards and is inhabited by approx 200,000 people. A substantial portion of its population is engaged in various trades, especially in traditional handicrafts and cottage industries. Lalitpur is fast is the only town in entire Nepal

That has produced the highest number of most talented artists and the finest craftsmen recorded in Nepalese art history. The most famous Newar artists and master craftsmen, like Arniko, Abhay Raj and siddhi Raj, were all born in Lalitpur.

It is said that the city was designed and built after the Buddhist Dharma Chakra

(the wheel of righteousness). It is surrounded by four big stupas- each of the four main stupas in cardinal points. It is believed that these monuments were built by the Indian Emperor Ashoka when he came to Kathmandu Valley on his pilgrimage tour some 22,50 years ago. When we look at the shape and size of these stupas, in many ways they seem to breathe their antiquity in a real remote past. It is interesting to note that there are more than 1,200 Buddhist monuments of various shapes and sizes scattered in and around this city alone. However, the most important monumental center of this city is, of course, Patan Durbar square, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

A British traveler precibal London was highly impressed by the sight of this beautiful square wrote way back in 1928 ‘As an ensemble, the Durbar in Patan probably remains the most picturesque collection of buildings that have been set up in so small a place by the piety of oriental man”.

In fact, Patan Durbar Square is the only monumental area among all three cities of Kathmandu Valley that still outstands with its rich architectural splendor and unique artistic beauty. Patan, in its long chequered history, has undergone many sociopolitical upheavals. Even so, this lovely little city seems to have fairly well preserved its glorious cultural heritage and the history of its finest craftsmanship.

In 299 A.D, Lalitpur said to be have founded by King Veer Deva and has its many old names such as Yala, Yupagram, Lalitpatan, and Mangal. According to several historical records plus many other legends also indicate that Patan is the oldest of all three cities of Kathmandu Valley.

Trip Highlights

Patan Durbar Square

Golden Temple

Kumbheshwar Temple

Rudravarana Mahavir

Mahabouddha Temple

Machhendranath Temple

PATAN DURBAR SQUARE

Patan Durbar Square, situated in the heart of the city attracts the focus of visitors. The square is full of ancient monuments, temples and shrines, noted for their exquisite craftsmanship and architectural beauty. One can explore for treasures in the various shops around the square.

GOLDEN TEMPLE

This three-story golden pagoda of Shakyamuni (Lord Buddha) was Built in the 12

century by King Bhaskar Berman. It is located in the courtyard of Kwabhal. Inside the upper story of this pagoda, placed on the pedestal, are the elite images of Amoghpash Lokeshwor and a large prayer wheel. There is a wealth of gems like beautiful carvings on its walls and paintings depicting a complete life history of Buddha.

KUMBHESHWOR

Kumbheshwor temple in Patan and Nyatapola temple in Bhaktapur are the only temples in the valley with five roofs, with the exception of the round five-tiered Pancha Muni Hanuman of Kathmandu’s Hanuman Dhoka palace. This temple of Lord Shiva was built during the reign of King Jayasiddhi Mall. Latera golden finial was added to it. A religious fair is held here on the Janai Purnima day in August.

THE ASHOKA STUPAS

There are four ancient stupas at the four corners of Patan, believed to have been built in 250 B.C. by Emperor Ashoka. Their stupas are situated in Pulchwok, Lagankhel, Ebahi(on the way to sankhamul and teta (on the way to Lubu Sano Gaon) respectively. These stupas are evidence of the city’s ancient religious importance.

JAGAT NARAYAN TEMPLE

It is a tall, imposing temple of Lord Vishnu in red brick, situated on the bank of the Bagmati river(sankhamul), the temple has many fine images of stone and an artistic metal statue of Garuda in stone pillar right in front.

JYAPU ACADEMY CENTRE

Jay samajh, Yala has its own indigenous and artistic Jyapu Academy Centre “Jyapu Pragya Bhawan” at Ward No. 9, Bholadhoka. It was established in order to play a positive role in society building activities. Uniting and managing 40 indigenous jyapu Toles of Lalitpur City area. An ethnic museum has already been launched on the upper basement floor with a wide collection of artifacts, objects, and materials of typical rituals, the tradition of various nationalities and Newar of Nepal including indigenous Juapus. The life-size models with the identity of indigenous nationalities from the eastern to western Himalayas and Terai area also on display. These are different models reflecting the culture, traditions, the monthly celebrated festivals, the historical artifacts, objects, costumes, musical instruments applied since the birth until death long in the newer community are beautifully displayed in this museum.

MAHA BOUDDHA

About 10 minutes walk from Patan Durbar Square lies this Buddhist temple made of high-quality bricks in which thousands of images of Lord Buddha were engraved. The terracotta structure is one of the 14th-century Nepalese architectural masterpieces. It was constructed by an architect named Avaya Raj.

RUDRA BARANA MAHABIHAR

This unique Buddhist monastery complex contains an amazing collection of five images and statues in metal, stone, and wood. Many Kings in ancient times were crowned in this monastery. Even these days many treasures offered by the devotees can be seen here.

TEMPLES OF RED MACHHENDRANATH AND MINNATHE

The temple of red Machhendranath, built in 1408 A.D. is situated at tabahal, Red Machhendranath also was known as Avalikiteshwor is housed here in for six months another six months in Bungamati, the temple of Minnath is situated at Tangal, which is supposed to be older than the temple of Red Machhendranath.

ACCHESHWOR MAHABIHAR

It was established towards the beginning of the 6

century to house an idol of Lord Buddha. The Mahabihar was reconstructed not too long ago. It has altogether 30 rooms in this complex including, ”Dhyankuti” research room, training room, library, review room, guests room, and so on. Situated behind the Ashoka Stupa at Pulchwok, the Mahavira Commands a beautiful view of the Kathmandu Valley.

KRISHNA MANDIR

This temple of Lord Krishna built in the 17

century by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla holds a commanding position in the Durbar Square of Patan, it is supposed to be the first specimen of the shikhara-style temple all made in stone. It is the only temple on Nepal having 21 golden pinnacles. Most of the important scenes from the ancient Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been engraved on its friezes.

THE MAIN CHOWKS

The ancient Royal Palace is the main attraction of Patan Durbar Square. It consists of three main chwok (courtyards): Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk, and Mani Kesav Narayan Chwok. In the northern corner of the Mul Chowk is the three stories octagonal temple of Taleju Bhawani Built By King Shree Niwas Malla in 1667. The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone sculptures popularly known as Royal bath. Between the central Mul Chowk and Mani Keshab Narayan Chowk lies a temple of Degu Taleju Lookin out onto the main square.

#Patan Tour #Tour in Patan #Tours in Patan #Patan

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