These photographs have been taken over a period of nine years. These churches are the remnants of thousands that were built all over Russia from the time of Prince Vladimir, who, on his conversion to Christianity in 988, ‘ordained that wooden churches should be built and established where pagan idols had previously stood.
1168
(via metrodorus)
(via allyschrute)
Your wonderful Mitt Romney:
- laid off thousands of workers as head of the investment company Bain Capital.
- set up shell companies in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda to avoid U.S. taxes.
- calls Obama’s payroll tax cut that would save middle class/lower income families $1,500 a year “temporary little band aids.”
- plan for a “middle class tax cut” would provide zero benefits to 73.9 percent of the middle class.
- called for taxes on the poor, saying low-income Americans having no income tax liability is “a problem” that will “kill the country.”
- would repeal the Dodd-Frank bill, which regulates the risky practices that led to the 2008 crisis.
- said he wants to “get the federal government out of education”
- As governor, vetoed a minimum wage increase to $8 an hour.
- said he “cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified” for an American Muslim.
- opposes troop withdrawal from Iraq.
- said that catching bin Laden would be “insignificant” and it’s “not worth moving heaven and earth.”
- supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
- supports penalties for doctors who perform an abortion.
- would “absolutely” support a state constitutional amendment to define life as beginning at conception, which would restrict women’s right to an abortion.
- pledged to expand a Bush-Era policy of permitting doctors to deny women access to contraceptives.
- drafted a bill to exempt a religious group from nondiscrimination rules, allowing it to ban gay couples from adopting children.
- refused to condemn the booing of a gay soldier at a GOP debate.
- blamed pornography for the Virginia Tech shooting. (WTF?)
- first act as president would be to allow all states to opt out of health reform through executive action, which would be illegal.
- feels Americans’ pain because he’s “also unemployed.” Romney was worth $250 million in 2008.
- won’t release his tax returns.
- “loves” george bush
- thinks windows in airplanes should open
- believes that rapists should have parental rights over children resulting from the rape they committed.
So no, YOU do your research. If that last three, especially, don’t make you think Romney is a complete idiot, then you’re on some other shit.
(via flosculus)
(Source: captaininrandom, via allyschrute)
Ritual helmet
Place of origin: Nepal
Date: 1677
Materials and Techniques: Gilt copper, set with stones
Gallery notes: Elaborate crowns of this type are worn by Vajracaryas, Buddhist priests when officiating at religious ceremonies in Nepal. Vajracarya, “master of the thunderbolt”, is both a caste and family name indicating those entitled to perform priestly functions. They command the highest rank in the Buddhist community, the equivalent of Brahmins in the Hindu context. They typically use both a vajra (thunderbolt sceptre) and ghanta (ritual bell) in these rituals. A painted Nepalese manuscript cover dated 1532 depicts such a crowned Vajracarya engaged in ritual on behalf of a donor and his family at a temple stupa; he is depicted holding both vajra and ghanta and seated before a fire altar and assorted ritual utensils, including an offering dish, mirror and miniature chaityas (stupas). The ritual crown depicted bears close comparison to the V&A example, with its forehead diadem and elaborate superstructure, and the ear-like pendants.
This crown has individually cast medallions depicting Bodhisattvas positioned around the dome, with Vairocana in the centre; each is framed within an elaborate foliate medallion. The crown is surmounted by a five-pronged half-vajra. A dated inscription (Nepal Samvat 797) invokes Vajrasattva, the supreme deity of the vajra sect. A number of these crowns have survived, but this example is the finest and most complete.
(via flosculus)
(Source: aurvm, via metrodorus)
