T.Marko has added a photo to the pool:
Snow falls softly along a sacred forest path, where ancient cedar trees rise like silent guardians. Two figures walk forward, wrapped in winter layers, disappearing into the stillness ahead.
Stone shrine guardians, crowned with snow, stand watch from the sides — timeless witnesses to passing footsteps and fleeting seasons. The muted winter palette and gentle snowfall create a contemplative atmosphere, where nature and spirit quietly meet.
_kleon_ has added a photo to the pool:
@Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
横浜駅に向かう途中の夕景。
夕焼けが綺麗でした。
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From being a writer for hire in the 1950s to his solo pop stardom and emphatic 1970s comeback, the late musician’s catalogue is stuffed with stunning, surprising songcraft
• News: Neil Sedaka, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do singer and pop song hitmaker, dies aged 86
As a young jobbing songwriter charged with devising a hit for Connie Francis after the singer released a couple of flops, Neil Sedaka was unsure about Stupid Cupid: modest to a fault, he suggested that Francis, “a classy lady”, would be insulted by its daftness. Instead, she literally jumped up and down with excitement when she heard it. Understandably so: if Stupid Cupid is certainly silly – listen to the off-key guitar twangs – it’s irresistibly silly, a perfect encapsulation of a certain kind of 50s pop innocence, and Francis’s vocal completely sells it.
Continue reading...Thousands flock to Oxford Street in Darlinghurst to participate in the 48th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or have the chance to watch the parade roll past
With more than 170 floats and 10,000 marchers, the 48th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebration was an explosion of colour.
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Just north of Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a small studio draws on ancient Peruvian traditions. The town of Urubamba is home to Ceramicas Seminarios, a workshop founded by husband and wife Pablo Seminario and Marilú Behar in 1980. For decades, the pair and their team have been crafting sculptures, functional wares, and decorative objects rooted in the culture of the valley.
As a child, Seminario was fascinated by huacos, pre-Columbian ceramic works often utilized for Andean rituals and ceremonies rather than everyday life. This interest developed throughout his university years and beyond, as he researched the various techniques and designs that characterized Peru’s ancient cultures. Seminario and Behar ultimately teamed up to collaborate on a unique method that approached these enduring practices through a contemporary lens. “It is not about reproducing the past but about engaging in dialogue with it,” says Kusi Seminario Behar, the artists’ son who now collaborates with his parents.
Today, the studio’s team of about 25 produces a range of objects in the “Seminario Style,” one defined by a sculptural impulse, etched linework, and local materials. “We apply the same level of care and rigor to all pieces,” Seminario Behar says. “Many of our utilitarian pieces have a strong sculptural quality, and several of the more artistic works originate from everyday forms and functions. We do not establish rigid boundaries between these categories; all are part of the same vision.”
Materials are sourced from within Peru to maintain the integrity of the practice, and the artisans helm each part of the process, from clay preparation to hand-building and throwing on a wheel to refining and painting. “Firing the pieces is a carefully controlled process. In more complex works, there is internal engineering: carefully calculated joints, slow drying times, and precise planning to prevent cracks and ensure structural stability,” Seminario Behar adds.
In addition to selling their works, Ceramicas Seminarios also taps into the local tourism industry and educational opportunities like Murmur Ring’s immersion program to support its mission. These twin pillars provide financial backing and visibility. “Sharing these techniques and making their complexity visible is essential so that they are not lost, and people can truly appreciate the work behind each piece,” Seminario Behar says. “It allows us to sustain the project, broaden its reach, and continue researching and producing long-term.”
Find available pieces on Etsy, and follow the project on Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Inside the Sacred Valley Ceramics Studio Referencing Ancient Peruvian Practices appeared first on Colossal.
JERUZALEM (ANP) - Israëlische functionarissen denken dat de leider van de machtige Iraanse Revolutionaire Garde (IRG) is gedood bij de aanvallen op Iran. Dat schrijft nieuwssite Times of Israel. Ook de Iraanse minister van Defensie en inlichtingenchef zouden vermoedelijk zijn gedood.
IRG-topman Mohammad Pakpour had die functie minder dan een jaar. Zijn voorganger Hossein Salami was in 2025 gedood bij Israëlische aanvallen op Iran. Iran en de Israëlische krijgsmacht moeten de dood van Pakpour nog bevestigen.
De zwaarbewapende Revolutionaire Garde geldt in Iran als een belangrijke steunpilaar van het regime.
Darren Schiller has added a photo to the pool:
Fowler Lane, Adelaide CBD
D. & J. Fowler Ltd. was a wholesale grocery company in Adelaide, South Australia. It was founded as a retail establishment by David Fowler in 1854, before becoming a leading wholesale and indenting firm in the colony of South Australia. They were the creators and owners of the well-known Lion brand, which included confectionery, flour, coffee, canned fruit and other goods; "Lion" brand flour endures, under different ownership, today. The firm's interests and holdings were extensive, including the Adelaide Milling Company (purchased 1895), Adelaide Bottle Company (1912), the Robur Tea Company (1928), and others.
D. & J. Fowler Ltd. was taken over by the Adelaide-based Southern Farmers Ltd in 1982/83.
