block
I took this picture of a wooden block on the HMCS Haida. What fascinated me is the Haida saw service in WWII and the Korean war and had the highest technology available at the time—yet wooden blocks line this have been used for hundreds of years.
free speach
I took this shot ages ago at Speaker’s Corner in London England—a place where free speech is allowed. At the time I never saw the contradiction in having a place set aside for free speech in a nation that is supposed to be a democracy, which means that free speech should be allowed anywhere!
I also never saw the irony of people buying into the idea of this being the only place to exercise their right of free speech. An irony because this spot is always watched closely by the authorities so that when the revolutionaries, subversives, freedom fighters and even general rabble rousers want to say their thing, they travel all the way to London and say it on this very spot, under the watchful eye of government. Odd eh - the place is uplifted as a bastion of democracy serves to ensure that free speech is closely monitored!
Lots of famous people have spoken here—including such people as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell, and William Morris.
I also never saw the irony of people buying into the idea of this being the only place to exercise their right of free speech. An irony because this spot is always watched closely by the authorities so that when the revolutionaries, subversives, freedom fighters and even general rabble rousers want to say their thing, they travel all the way to London and say it on this very spot, under the watchful eye of government. Odd eh - the place is uplifted as a bastion of democracy serves to ensure that free speech is closely monitored!
Lots of famous people have spoken here—including such people as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell, and William Morris.
functional fashion
I thought that Crocs were a sort of an ugly fashion statement—but oh no they are much more! They have non-marking and slip resistant soles which makes them great for sailing! So when asked to crew on a sailboat put on your Crocs because not only will they stop you slipping off the boat, they will also not leave scuff-marks on the deck which will make the captain happy.
last sunset of summer
Taken this evening as the sun went down on the last official day of summer 2007.
the beach
I took this picture on an Australian beach some time ago now—so long ago that it seems like a hazy dream that was not real. Yet somewhere still this turquoise ocean still splashes white over coral reefs. Somewhere this lazy catamaran still chases the wind between sea and sky. Somewhere a swimmer dives to the world beneath the waves. And someday I will sail back to wake up in that dream again.
around the corner
Sometimes you never know what is around the next corner! This is one of the shots from the series I recently did for the Hamilton and Halton region police tactical units.
headsail
This shot was taken sailing past the Hamilton Steel Works on Saturday. The headsail in this picture is a Jib—we had to take the Genoa off as we blew out the seams on the leech (back part of the sail) Friday when the wind was gusting up to 50 knots. Lucky for us we had this unused Jib that we hitched up to the furler and from there on it was plain sailing—literally.
hidden dragon
Someone asked in the comments where the photo was taken so I thought I had best give some details. It was taken in Toronto at the Royal Ontario Museum. I called it “hidden dragon” partly after the movie 臥虎藏龍 (crouching tiger hidden dragon) but mostly because I think that this dragon had been hiding in the rock for thousands of years until released, or at least partly released, by the carving.
sailpast
Sailing past Hamilton steel works on a rainy day (this morning). I took this shot of the starboard spinnaker block but I rigged these blocks to have the Genoa sheets run through them because it is far easier to work that way.
The above may need some translation—so see below. And no it is not my boat, it is belongs to one of my son's, but that means I get to use it :-)
Starboard = right side
Spinnaker = a big sail like a kite at the front of a sailboat
Block = pulley
Genoa = a big triangular sail at the front of a boat
Sheet = rope that goes to the bottom corner of a sail by which you control it
The above may need some translation—so see below. And no it is not my boat, it is belongs to one of my son's, but that means I get to use it :-)
Starboard = right side
Spinnaker = a big sail like a kite at the front of a sailboat
Block = pulley
Genoa = a big triangular sail at the front of a boat
Sheet = rope that goes to the bottom corner of a sail by which you control it
for luciano
I searched all my photos and there is not one that can say the words needed today, and so I leave the words to Pavarotti himself. "Penso che una vita per la musica sia una vita spesa bene ed e a questo che mi sono dedicato" (Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007)
high flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
By John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
By John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
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