Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Downtown Newark, New Jersey

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Zoom!

I see something black

Moving so fast

I shake my head

What is that!

 

It appears

A black Swallowtail Butterfly

Flying slower than before

Surveying our garden all around

 

Could you slow down?

You can drink some nectar

 From the Butterfly bush flowers

 

Oh, yes that’s good

You find the flower that you like

Thank you for stopping by

It is a special treat for me

I never saw you before

Last year I saw about

Six golden Swallowtail Butterflies

A few years before I saw

Eight Monarch Butterflies at one time

But none last year and this year so far

 

Two Admiral Butterflies

Visited our garden this year

 

Would you please slow down a little bit?

I would like to capture you on my camcorder

Thank you very much

Finally you stay in one flower

 

Did you come from far away?

Did you see Israelis and Palestinians fighting?

Did you see the fighting in Libya?

Syrians and Iraqis still kill each other

In Ukraine they still fight

 

Oh yes in Africa some countries are

In trouble with wars between religions

Ebola disease began killing people in West Africa

And the disease spread out to countries near by

Oh there are a lot more

Humans in trouble in this world

 

I wonder who sells those high tech weapons

To those fighting countries

They are making a lot of money

As the war keep on going

 

It is amazing to know that some groups of people

Who hate the west and do not want

Women or girls to be educated

But they use high tech communication

And weapons of the west

I bet they use the latest computers and ipads

For their war strategies

 

I wonder why they don’t spend their time and money

To educate themselves and discover new inventions

So that the west can buy from them

The world can benefit

And will be proud and honor them

 

Instead they hate western education

But spending their money to buy

The technology and weapons from the west

To kill each other in their own country

 

Sorry to bore you with all of humanity’s problems

I should just enjoy your visit

And thank you for staying long enough

For me to record your beauty

For me and others to admire you

 

I treasure you

I will remember you

As long as I live

 

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Tuesday, July 29, 2014, 11:08 pm

Please visit the following links for more information:

https://www.google.com/#q=black+swallowtail

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polyxenes

Papilio polyxenes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The (Eastern) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), also called the American Swallowtail or Parsnip Swallowtail,[1] is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than P. polyxenes. The species is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Polyxena (pron.: /p??l?ks?n?/; Greek: ????????), who was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy.

The Papilio polyxenes demonstrates polyandry and a lek mating system, showing no male parental care and display sites. Females are therefore able to choose males based on these sites and males are the only resource the females find at these sites.[2]

Taxonomy

P. polyxenes is part of the Papilionidae family of the swallowtail butterflies in the Papilionini tribe. The members of this tribe all have tails on the backwings, and therefore include species named Swallowtail.[3] P. polyxenes is part of the genus Papilio, which is the biggest group of the Papilionidae family. Members of this genus typically feed on plants of the family Lauraceae, Rutaceae, and Umbelliferae.[3]

Distribution

Papilio polyxenes are found from southern Canada through to South America. In North America they are more common east of the Rocky Mountains.[4][5] They are usually found in open areas like fields, parks, marshes or deserts, and they prefer tropical or temperate habitats.[6]

Morphology

Mating systems

Protandry

The Black Swallowtail is protandrous, meaning males emerge before females.[25] This emergence pattern is advantageous, because males that emerge earlier have a greater success in competing for superior territories, indicated by female preference.[25] These superior territories will most likely still be available for early emerging males, and securing one of these territories is highly predictive of mating success.[25] Furthermore, female fertility is directly correlated with their weight at emergence. This favors larger females, and explains why they emerge later to prolong the larval feeding period.[25] Male success is not dependent on size, so selection favors early emergence to get the best territories preferred by females, though this will most likely result in smaller males.[25] However, there is a drawback to this emergence system. For biological reasons, overall male mating frequency decreases as the mating season goes one. Therefore, early emerging males with early access to preferred territories will not be able to mate as often later in the mating season when female emergence is at its peak.[25]

Similar species

Lek Mating

This type of territorial organization leads the Black Swallowtail to engage in a lek mating system.[26] These butterflies satisfy the four criteria for lekking behavior, as defined by J.W. Bradbury: (1) there is no male parental care, (2) males aggregate at specific sites for display, (3) the only resource females find at the lek are the males themselves, and (4) females can select their mates.[26]

The territory that has the most male-male encounters can be seen as being the most desirable to both males and females, and is also the territory that has the highest female visitation rate.[2] Hilltop leks give the advantage to females because they make it easy to locate mates, and competition for superiority creates an array of males who have already demonstrated their quality as a mate.[2]

Copulation

Males can only mate twice a day, but females will mate more than once to replace a sperm supply that has deteriorated with time.[27] P. polyxenes has a long mating period due to females tendency to mating multiply and having a broad emergence period.[27] This allows males to mate several times during their lifetime, despite only being able to copulate twice on the same day.[27] The Black Swallowtail engages in brief courtship flights and copulations will last around 45 minutes.[28]

Sexual dimorphism

The Black Swallowtail has a wingspan of 6.9–8.4 cm, and females are typically larger than males.[10] The upper wing surface is black with two rows of yellow spots – these spots are large and bright in males and smaller and lighter in females. Females have a prominent blue area between these two rows, while males have a much less prominent blue area. These differences give rise to effective Batesian mimicry seen in females.[10]

Both sexes show a red spot with a black bulls-eye on the inner hind margin of the hind wings and an isolated yellow spot on the front edge of the wings. The ventral side of wings of males and females are essentially identical: front wings have two rows of pale yellow spots, and hind wings have rows of bring orange spots separated by areas of powdery blue. The ventral side also acts as an effective mimic for both males and females for protection against predators.[10]

Mimicry

Female markings are similar to those of B. philenor, allowing females to engage in dorsal mimicry to reduce risk of predation by birds that preferably prey on the Black Swallowtail.[8] Females have evolved dorsal mimicry because they spend more time revealing their dorsal wing side during oviposition.[8] The ventral wing surface of the Black Swallowtail also mimics that of B. philenor, so both males and females are protected when their ventral wing surface is displayed.[8]

Intrasexual Selection

Male Black Swallowtails can sometimes mimic the female wing-back pattern, and therefore succeed in reduced predation as well.[11] However, males of the typical coloration are more successful in intrasexual competition for mating territories compared to the males who mimic the female wing pattern.[11] Females have no preference based on wing markings, and are equally likely to mate with a typical versus an alternative coloration.[11] Therefore, male-male intrasexual selection is of greater importance than female mate choice in maintaining the classic male wing-back coloration and pattern.[11]

Life cycle

Females lay single eggs on host plants, usually on the new foliage and occasionally on flowers. The eggs stage lasts four to nine days, the larval stage 10-30 days, and the pupal stage 18 days.[12] The duration of these stages may vary depending on temperature and the species of the host plants.[12]

Eggs and larvae

Eggs are pale yellow. Young larvae are mostly black and white with a saddle, and older larvae are green with black transverse bands containing yellow spots.[7]

Caterpillar and chrysalis

This caterpillar absorbs toxins from the host plants, and therefore tastes poorly to bird predators.[8] The Black Swallowtail caterpillar has an orange “forked gland”, called the osmeterium. When in danger, the osmeterium, which looks like a snake‘s tongue, everts and releases a foul smell to repel predators.[8]

Chrysalis

The pupae may be green or brown, but not depending on surroundings or the background on which they have pupated. The color of the chrysalis is determined by a local genetic balance that ensures the majority of pupae will blend in.[9] Note that a section of the green pupae will turns a much darker green at the very end of the pupae stage. This color change occurs a few hours to a full day before hatching.[9]

Emergence

Winter is spent in the chrysalis stage, and adults will emerge in the spring to seek out host plants.[13] Adults will emerge in the mornings on a daily basis. First brood adults will fly from mid May until late June, second brood adults will fly from early July until late August, and occasionally a partial third brood will occur that will emerge later in the season.[14]

Life expectancy

Members of the Black Swallowtail are long-lived compared to other butterflies that inhabit temperate zones.[15] They encounter little predation and are quick and agile if they are disturbed. However, mortality from predators will occur during roosting and during unfavorable weather due to the associated increase in predation.[15] Adult butterflies are at the highest risk for predation when they are incapable of flight or are starved from poor weather.[15]

Food plants

Papilio polyxenes utilize a variety of herbs in the carrot family (Apiaceae), but will choose the food plants for their larvae based on visual and chemical variations.[16] Host plant odor is one of the cues involved in the selection of landing sites for oviposition.[17] The responses to these cues are innate, and feeding on a host plant as a larva does not increase the preference for that plant as an adult.[18]

Species of host plants include:[19]

Behavior

Thermoregulation

Core body, or thoracic temperatures of around 24 degrees Celsius are necessary for flight.[20] Therefore, the Black Swallowtail will regulate thoracic temperatures by behaviorally changing their abdomen position, wing position, orientation to the sun, perching duration, and perching height.[20] In lower temperatures, butterflies will raise their abdomens above flattened wings, and will perch relatively close to the ground.[20] In higher temperatures, butterflies will lower their abdomens in the shade of their wings.[20] Higher temperatures are also associated with shorter perch durations, greater flight durations, and higher perch heights.[20]

Territorial defense

Male butterflies secure territories to use in mate location and courtship.[21] These territories contain no significant concentration of nectar sources, larval host plants, or night settling sites. Once secured, a male will maintain exclusive use of a territory 95% of the time.[21] Males will aggressively chase other males who approach their territory, and then return to their territory.[21] Success in defending a territory depends on the number of competitors and his previous success, but the size of the male is not a contributing factor.[21] Males that emerge early in the brood are more likely to defend a female-preferred territory.[21] These males will have early access to available territories, and will choose the ones that are most preferred by females.[21] What makes a territory desirable by females remains unknown, and is only measured by the number of aggressive encounters between males and the overall mating frequency at these sites[21]

Male territories are generally of high relative elevation and topographic distinctness.[22] This feature serves as an advantage to the lek mating system described later, as males will be concentrated in predictable locations and will be easy to encounter by females.[23]

Aggression

In previous studies, nearly 80% of successful courtship flights were confined to a male’s territory. Because a preferred territory site is crucial in mating success, males are extremely aggressive in maintaining their territory.[24] Black swallowtails have a 4:1 male biased sex ratio, and a low female mating frequency which leads to intense male-male competition.[24]

Life Cycle of Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Life Cycle of Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Please visit the following link for more information:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26835233

Ebola virus outbreaks

“It was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 since when it has affected countries further east, including Uganda and Sudan.  This outbreak is unusual because it started in Guinea, which has never before been affected, and is spreading to urban areas.”

Israel intensifies Gaza attacks after Netanyahu warning

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28539528

No place to hide for children of war in Gaza and Syria

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28513709

Libya crisis: More deadly clashes in Benghazi

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27862365

Is this the end of Iraq?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27815618

Nigeria’s Boko Haram crisis reaches deadliest phase

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27823386

South Sudan’s food crisis ‘worst in the world’ – UN

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28502260

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Roads and bridges for peace UPF Argentina

I received an email from UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION (UPF) Argentina inviting me to be in, “Roads and bridges for peace”, is the title of the 6th International Poetry Contest. I asked about posting the email information of the Poetry Contest on my Blog. Miguel responded that I can do that.  The following is the content of UPF Argentina and my response to the organization: 

Subject: Roads and bridges for peace
From: “UPF Argentina” <argentina@upf.org>
Date: Sun, July 20, 2014 10:02 pm
To: ing@ingpeaceproject.com

 

“Roads and bridges for peace” is the title of the 6th International Poetry Contest organized by the UPF Argentina, which is for writers, poets, students, and every person who feels inspired to express a content of universal value about this topic.

The following document has the Bases, which we would appreciate you could spread, with all these details: dates, Jury, Godmothers, and awards. The poem (in Spanish)can be sent by email until July 31 to: concursoupfarg@gmail.com

Lic. Miguel  Werner

UPF Argentina

argentina@upf.org

PD: See details of the 2013’s edition:

https://upf.org/international-day-of-peace-2013/5366-upf-argentina-announces-winners-of-5th-annual-poetry-cost

It is worth mentioning that in April it was presented at the Sociedad Argentina de Escritores SADE (Argentinian Society of Writers) the Anthology “UPF Argentina “Sentido y Paz”, which has some of the winning poems of the five previous editions of the contest:  https://enigmaeditores.com.ar/Sentido-y-Paz-libro.html

6th INTERNATIONAL POETRY CONTEST – UPF Argentina

 “Roads and Bridges for Peace”

 Following the International Day of Peace 2014

Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” Preamble of UNESCO’s Constitution (1945)

BASES

1. Objective: Despite the historical disappointments and conflicts are still around,a peaceful world remains as an inalienable imperative, an inescapable moral duty, a possible goal, and a task to perform. Culture, especially literature, can contribute to this based on universal values, and transcending frontiers, traditions, ideologies, and religions. We expect this wish, this special and universal yearn in the hearts of peoples and cultures, can be captured in the writings of the 6th International Poetry Contest of the UPF Argentina, this year under the title “Roads and Bridges for Peace.” The International Day of Peace 2014, established by the UN (Resolution 36/67), joins this event to “commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace in each nation and each people, and among them.”   

 2. Formalities: The 6th International Poetry Contest “Roads and Bridges for Peace” is open to writers, poets, students, and every person who feels inspired to express a content of universal value about this topic. Each participant can submit one poem in Spanish, and it must be written in it: author’s name and surname, city, province/state, and country. There should also be a telephone number and an email so as to report the Jury’s evaluation, the winning poems, and other details. The format will be a written poem in verse, which should not exceed one A4 page, letter N° 12.

The poem can be sent by email to: concursoupfarg@gmail.com; or by post to: Av.

Rivadavia 755 – 3° Piso “F” (C1002AAF) – Buenos Aires – Argentina.

3. Launching of the Contest: June 1st, 2014.

 4. Last day of receipt: Thursday, July 31, 2014. Meeting of the Jury: from August 12 to 22, 2014.

 5. Jury: Consists of Prof. Bertha Bilbao Richter, literary critic, member of the Hispanic Cultural and Literary Institute (ILCH) and the Argentinian Society of Writers (SADE); Ms. Liria Guedes, writer and Honor Band of the SADE, member of the American Association of Poetry and the ILCH; writer Mabel Fontau, Honor Band of SADE, member of the ILCH and Gente de Letras; poet Donato Perrone, from the Ateneo Poético Argentino “Alfonsina Storni”, Coordinator of the Lyric Space from Café Tortoni, and representative of the Group of Poets Livres de Santa Catarina (Brazil); and a local representative of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF); all of them being Ambassadors for Peace of the UPF. The Jury’s decision is final and it has the right to solve any problem which is not covered by these Bases.  

 6. Godmothers: The writer and poet Juana Alcira Arancibia, founder and president of the Hispanic Cultural and Literary Institute (ILCH) and director-editor of the prestigious international literary magazine “Alba de América”; the Brazilian poet Marina Fagundes Coello, bilingual writer (Portuguese–Spanish), member of the ILCH, and member of different literary circles of outstanding trajectory in America; and the writer and poet Nélida Pessagno, vice-president of the SADE and Main Counselor of the “El Libro” Foundation.    

 7. Awards: The winning poem will be read by the author, or by someone they choose, at the Award Ceremony. They will also receive the Certificate of Recognition and the poem will be spread nationally and internationally. It will be also given four Honorable Mentions, five Special Mentions, and two Mentions with its certificates. Each person who receives one of these distinctions will also receive presents, and their poems will be included in the next book edition, as a way of promoting the values of a culture of peace.  

 8. Award Ceremony: The delivery of awards will take place in the Celebration of the International Day of Peace, in an artistic, cultural, and  interreligious event that organizes the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Argentina according to the UN date (Resolución 36/67), on Monday, September 22, 2014, and whose details will be reported opportunely.

9. Organization: the UPF Argentina, whose mottos worldwide are: “The hope of all times is a unified world of peace” and “A global family centered on God”, organizes this 6th International Poetry Contest, sponsored by the International Educative Foundation (FEI).

 10. Joining this Contest implies accepting these Bases.

 UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION (UPF) – Status ECOSOC ONU

UPF Argentina: Av. Rivadavia 755 – 3° Floor “F” (C1002AAF) – Buenos Aires – Tel/Fax: (+54-11) 4343-3005

To Miguel Werner UPF Argentina:

Thank you very much for informing me about your event, “Roads and bridges for peace”. the title of the 6th International Poetry Contest.

I appreciate and am honored to receive your invitation.  It is important to raise awareness to all the world to concentrate on peace in both one’s self and for society as a whole.  Encouraging people to write a poem or any form that relates the concept of Peace is a valuable solution for oneself and others.

I am not a professional poet or writer.  I wrote from my heart to let people understand me and make me able to exam myself and my concept.  I believe that there are a lot more people that are superior to me.  I do not like participating in a competition.  I do not want to have my Peace poem in the competition but if you think that my peace poem has some validity to others then I welcome your use of my peace poem anytime you deem it suitable to the occasion.  I would appreciate if you introduce my website to the others. I would also appreciate if you could translate any relevant projects in my website into Spanish so Argentineans will be able to acquire the information on my website.  The intention of my peace project is as follows:

My idea of starting the Peace Project was to spread out the conversation on peace.  My project is not copyrighted; anybody can use it and set up their own peace project.

Peace is for everyone, first for oneself to have peace in order to be happy and function well.  Secondly is peace for society.  A peaceful society comes from individuals having peace within, as a collective group of peaceful people.  Hence we produce a peaceful and concerned society.  I am really sad to hear a lot of bad news all over the world, including in this country.(USA)  Corruption and greed are everywhere, especially with some politicians who are supposed to govern.

 I see a lot of people fighting about religion, discrimination, race, and sexuality. Lately I started telling people that my peace project is not about religion, not about race or sexuality it is for human being, as long as we eat, poop, sleep and die then we are all the same.  We are all equal no matter what religion, race or type of sexuality.  There is no donation or any money involved with my peace project, I only want people to express and talk about it.  By doing so we are better able to understand each other and try to help each other achieve peace.

I will be glad to see people use my peace project to develop their own peace projects by themselves I will help if I can or supply my peace poster and materials.  I like to take pictures of others presenting the peace projects as information for what is possible for website.  Please let me know if you have any good ideas.

The attachment is my Peace Poem in English and in Spanish:

Thank you very much,

Ing

(Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts)

PS. Do you mind if I post your email information on (“Roads and bridges for peace” is the title of the 6th International Poetry Contest) in my Blog so that anyone who views my Blog will know about your event.

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Supermoon and The Three US Flags

Supermoon and The Three US Flags

In downtown Newark, New Jersey

On Saturday, July 12, 2014

Supermoon rises

Between two buildings

In downtown Newark. New Jersey

The three US flags

Wave with gentle wind

Moving along

The supermoon shows her beauty

Greeting the earth

With the flags waving on

Hello, Supermoon

We welcome you

Supermoon radiating your beauty

To be admired

Supermoon drifting

Into the darkness

The cloud swallows her

Bit by bit till

She is gone

Lonely

Three US flags

Without the moon

Still waving

With the wind

Waiting for the next evening

The moon will arrive

Hoping that the US flags

Will be waving along

Supermoon and the Three US Flags

Supermoon rises

Between two buildings

In downtown Newark. New Jersey

The three US flags

Wave with gentle wind

 

Moving along

The supermoon shows her beauty

Greeting the earth

With the flags waving on

 

Hello, supermoon

We welcome you

Supermoon radiating your beauty

To be admired

 

Supermoon drifting

Into the darkness

The cloud swallows her

Bit by bit till

She is gone

 

Lonely

Three US flags

Without the moon

Still waving

With the wind

 

Waiting for the next evening

The moon will arrive

Hope that the US flags

Will be waving along

 

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Sunday, July 13, 2014, 1:02 pm

On Saturday, July 12, 2014 John and I went to do some food shopping after we closed our shop after 6:00 pm.  I told John that I would like to go to Jersey City by the Hudson River to video the super moon rising.  But after we finished our shopping we looked at the sky.  It was so cloudy; looking like it was going to rain any minute.  So we changed our plan and tried to think of where we should go in Newark to be able to view the super moon.  John suggested that high ground is better than lower ground.  John needed to go to the pottery studio to cover the clay he used in teaching his summer pottery class at Rutgers University.  The pottery studio is on the fifth floor of Bradlely Hall, the art building.  John said the pottery studio will be a good place to see the super moon.  The pictures above were viewed from Rutgers University pottery studio on the fifth floor of art building where john teaches a summer pottery class.  Some of the pictures are poor quality due to my inexpensive camcorder and visible obstructions from cloud and moisture in the sky, I used Adobe Photoshop to enhance and intensify some of the photos for clarity.

Please visit the following links for more information:

https://ingpeaceproject.com/education-for-all/supermoon/

 https://www.google.com/#q=super+moon+2014

 https://www.space.com/26517-supermoon-photos-wow-stargazers.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermoon#mw-navigation#mw-navigation

“Supermoon” my video on YouTube I produced last year.

Link to YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q3lg4eW7UE&feature=youtu.be (3:34 minutes)

“Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like, on Jupiter and mars. In other words, hold my hand, ———–”  While I was editing my pictures for the Supermoon video Nat King Cole’s recording of, Fly me to the moon was echoing in my ears.  I love his voice and music.  It is my honor to combine my video with his song. 

I was lucky taking the picture of the Supermoon on Sunday, June 22, 2013.  I tried to take pictures of Supermoon again on Monday, June 23 which was supposed to be the best day of the full moon but the sky was so cloudy because of so much moisture in the air.  I saw no moon.  I tried again until June 26 there was no moon appearing in the sky only dark blankets of clouds. 

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Ing’s Peace Project & International CranioSacral Therapists 2014, Iceland

Ing’s Peace Project

and

International CranioSacral Therapists  2014, Iceland

Comments on

“What does “Peace” mean to you?”

During May and June 2014

Mr. Joseph Giacalone came to our shop to purchase a gift for his wife.  I took advantage to introduce my peace project to him.  He came back a few weeks later on Thursday, May 15, 2014 and wanted to have my peace poster to take to Iceland where he was having a conference with international therapists in CranioSacral Therapy. Therapists were from USA, Canada, Scotland , UK, Germany,  Finland, Copenhagen, Sweden, Brazil and Iceland.

  I gave him my peace poster; he returned the peace poster with written comments on Wednesday, June 4, 2014.  I am very glad and appreciate Mr. Joseph Giacalone’s generosity to spend time to introduce my peace project to others.  Thanks to all people who wrote their comments on peace.  I started to work on the finished artwork with the peace comments.  The following is the step by step formation of how I composed the finished artwork:

 

My Shadow of Peace poster

I went on the internet to research on Iceland.  I found that one of the places that people like to visit is the Blue Lagoon of Iceland.  The Blue Lagoon is a spa, built around a lagoon located in the middle of a lava landscape, which has natural spring waters with a blue color resulting from the presence of silica minerals on it.  I decided to incorporate the Blue Lagoon in my artwork.

Shadow of Peace and the Blue Lagoon, Iceland

These are the comments on my peace poster that Mr. Joseph Giacalone retuned to me; on the left is the original writing.  I decided to add certain colors before I incorporated it in to the final artwork, on the right.

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

 Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” comments

Shadow of Peace, Blue Lagoon, Iceland and “What does Peace mean to you?” All comments are included in the final artwork.

The original comments from Shadow of peace poster

I added Iceland’s native flowers birds and ducks to incorporate into the finished artwork to make it come alive.

 

Finished “Peace” artwork

Shadow of Peace and the International CranioSacral Therapists 2014, Iceland, comments on “What does Peace mean to you?” during May and June 2014, organized by Joseph Giacalone Finished artwork, after the written comments by Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts

Please note that my peace project is not affiliated with the Upledger Institute and is not sponsored by it. The signings were after the project was over. Before it is officially published.

Joseph Giacalone is a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in advanced manual therapy in CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Neural Manipulation. Joseph is a Teaching Assistant for Upledger Institute’s CranioSacral courses. He is a support therapist in Upledger’s Integrated Intentions Comprehensive Treatment Programs in New Mexico and Iceland.

Mr. Giacalone has extensive training in CranioSacral therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Neural Manipulation, Manual Articular Approach and Total Body Balancing. He participates in monthly study groups led by master therapists. He has an Associates degree in Massage Therapy and has completed 1,000 hours in clinical massage. He also holds a Masters of Science degree in Special Education. A major focus of his work is to tune into a client’s inner wisdom and facilitate its healing process.

Skills

Mr. Giacalone specializes in melding with the client’s inner wisdom and is guided to the bodies’ healing process. His therapy provides high quality treatment for physical, neurological, musculoskeletal and chronic pain dysfunction. Mr Giacalone’s passion and focus is to help the client to restore balanced functioning, be pain free and integrate the body and mind.

Joseph Giacalone

Professional Associations / Memberships

International Alliance of Healthcare Practitioners

American CranioSacral Therapy Association

American Massage Therapy Association

Website:

https://nyc-craniosacral.com/

The link for Upledger website

https://upledger.com/

Go to  “Find a therapist” and type in  Giacalone and Giacalone profile will come up

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwestern Iceland. Wikipedia

A.   Iceland  Country

    1. Iceland, in full the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It has a population of 325,671 and an area of 103,000 km², making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Wikipedia
    2. Capital: Reykjavik
    3. Currency: Icelandic króna
    4. Population: 320,137 (2012) World Bank
    5. Continent: Europe
    6. Government: Constitutional republic, Parliamentary republic
    7. Points of interest

View 30+ more

Hallgrímskirkja

Gullfoss

Blue Lagoon

Harpa

National Museum of Iceland

Iceland (Ísland)

Left: Iceland Map                       

Right: Location of  Iceland  (dark green) in Europe  (dark grey)  –  [Legend]

Iceland’s AnthemLofsöngur

Left:Iceland’s Flag                                              Right: Iceland’s Coat of arms

Iceland i/?a?sl?nd/ (Icelandic: Ísland [?istlant]), in full the Republic of Iceland (Lýðveldið Ísland), is a Nordic country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It has a population of 325,671 and an area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe.[5] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík; the surrounding areas in the South-West of the country are home to two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists mainly of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields

lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.

According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[6] In the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918, Iceland was ruled by Norway and later Denmark. The country became independent in 1918 and a republic in 1944.

Until the 20th century, Iceland relied largely on fishing and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which supported diversification into economic and financial services. In 2008, affected by the worldwide crisis, the nation’s entire banking system systemically failed, resulting in substantial political unrest. In the wake of the crisis, Iceland instituted “capital controls” that made it impossible for foreign investors to take money out of the country, leading to the Icesave dispute. The economy has since then made a significant recovery.[7][8][9]

Iceland has a free-market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries.[10] It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[11] Iceland ranks high in economic, political and social stability and equality. In 2013, it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations’ Human Development Index.[4]

Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation’s Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and West Norwegian dialects. The country’s cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, Icelandic literature and mediaeval sagas. Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army, its lightly armed Coast Guard being in charge of defence

Left: Iceland, as seen from space on 29 January 2004

Right: Suðureyri

Left: The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

Right: The erupting Geysir in Haukadalur valley, the oldest known geyser in the world

Left: Eyjafjallajökull glacier, one of the smallest glaciers of Iceland

Right: The Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station services the Greater Reykjavík Area‘s hot water and electricity needs. Virtually all of Iceland’s electricity comes from renewable resources.[120]

Left: Language-A page of Njáls saga from Möðruvallabók. The sagas are a significant part of the Icelandic heritage

Right: A typical Þorramatur assortment

Much of Iceland’s cuisine is based on fish, lamb, and dairy products, with little to no utilization of herbs or spices. Due to the island’s climate, fruits and vegetables are not generally a component of traditional dishes, although the use of greenhouses has made them more common in contemporary food. Þorramatur is a selection of traditional cuisine consisting of many dishes, and is usually consumed around the month of Þorri, which begins on the first Friday after 19 January. Traditional dishes also include skyr, hákarl (cured shark), cured ram, singed sheep heads, and black pudding. Puffin is considered a local delicacy that is often prepared through broiling.

Left: The writer Halldór Laxness by Einar Hákonarson, 1984

Right: Traditional Icelandic turf houses. Until the 20th century, the vast majority of Icelanders lived in rural areas

Largest cities or towns of Iceland
statice.is

Rank

Name

Region

Pop.

1

Reykjavík Capital Region

120,165

2

Kópavogur Capital Region

30,401

3

Hafnarfjörður Capital Region

26,031

4

Akureyri Northeastern Region

17,481

5

Reykjanesbær Southern Peninsula

14,099

6

Garðabær Capital Region

10,584

7

Mosfellsbær Capital Region

8,517

8

Árborg Southern Region

7,928

9

Akranes Western Region

6,630

10

Fjarðabyggð Eastern Region

4,736

Top left:Kópavogur                Top right: Akureyri

Bottom left:Reykjavík                 Bottom right: Hafnarfjörður

Iceland’s Scenery, People and Houses

Please visit the following links for more information:

https://www.google.com/#q=iceland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland

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Man Smells Rose and Blood

Man Smells Rose and Blood

Man smells rose

Smile on his face

Fragrance is pleasing

Man calls children and wife

Joining in

How beautiful the rose

Cultivated with bare hands

Family is pleased

Smelling roses in the air

Man smells blood

Tears run down

Heart is broken

Sickening smell

All over the town

The air is thick

Cannot breath

Man falls to his knees

Why kill my family

In the name of whatever you believe?

 

Where is my fragrant rose?

Where is my family?

Syria, Iraq, South Sudan

Other countries of the world

You are smelling blood

Wake up

Grow roses

Give happiness

To fellow men

 

Man smells rose

Smile on his face

Happiness and peace in the land

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Sunday, June 29, 2014, 10:57 am

I woke up with the beautiful fragrance of roses passing through our bedroom window by the backyard garden.  I peaked out the window seeing that our roses are in full broom.

I feel so fresh and happy.  I would like to share this happiness with others, especially in the countries that are in crisis right now such as Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and many countries in Asia and Africa.

“Man smells rose” came to mind.  I hurried to open my computer and composed the verses above.  I showed this to John.  He liked my writing.  I am always grateful for his help to correct my writing.

The following are the pictures of roses that I took from our garden during the month of June 2014:

The following are the links to informations about the present crises throughout the world:

Syria Crisis:

https://en.wikipedia. vorg/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

BBC News – Syria Conflict

www.bbc.co.uk/…/world-middle-east-1…

British Broadcasting Corporation

Syrian refugees Exodus from Syria. Interactive guide to how the Syria war created one of the biggest refugee crises since WWII …

https://www.google.com/#q=crisis+in+syria

Iraq Crisis:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27815618

Maps: Sunnis and Shia in the Middle East

Sunnis and Shia: What are the differences?

Jeremy Bowen: Sharpening Sunni-Shia schism

A boost for Kurdish aims in Iraq?

Ukraine Crisis:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26461029

Africa Crisis:

https://www.google.com/#q=crisis+in+africa

Crisis in the Horn of Africa : FAO in Emergencies

www.fao.org/…/crisis/horn-of-africa/e…

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