Et cetera …
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Some really good news for our Barrier Reef!
Scientists in Australia have achieved the first-ever off season coral spawning in the history of coral breeding and restoration sciences.
The breakthrough dramatically expands the capacity to grow corals in captivity to then use to restore the Great Barrier Reef, since it allows the scientists to spawn coral 50% more often than in nature.
At the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, coral colonies are kept in captivity with the hopes of one day transplanting them to the biggest reef on earth. Out on the GBR, coral spawning happens only twice a year, between October and December.
Spawning coral – Credit: Australian Institute of Marine Science by Marie RomanIt’s all here….
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Twenty five years…gone but not forgotten.
Daily Express
Princess Diana’s Memorial Gardens at Kensington Palace
The Sunken Garden was reportedly one of her favourite parts of the palace.
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/GETTY IMAGESGETTY IMAGES
“In the mornings, she would go out for a jog and would stop by the garden and have a chat with Graham [the gardens manager] and the gardeners,” head gardener Sean Harkin told Country Living. “She would say how much she liked the garden and comment on what it was looking like depending on the seasons. She would have a bit of a joke with them and was really friendly and warm.”
Taken from Town and Country
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Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 predict a 60% chance of favourable weather conditions for an Artemis I launch attempt during a two-hour window that opens at 2:17 p.m. EDT Saturday, Sept. 3. While rain showers are expected in the area, they are predicted to be sporadic during the launch window.
A fueling webcast will begin at 5:45 a.m. EDT (0945 GMT), with the launch webcast beginning in earnest at 12:15 a.m. EDT (1615 GMT).
Did you know!
Artemis 1 is named after the mythological Greek goddess of the Moon who was also the twin sister of Apollo, the Artemis Program aims to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024.
The A symbolizes an arrowhead from Artemis’ quiver and represents launch.
The tip of the A of Artemis points beyond the Moon and signifies that our efforts at the Moon are not the conclusion, but rather the preparation for all that lies beyond.
The crescent of the Earth at the bottom shows missions from humanity’s perspective. From Earth we go. Back to Earth all that we learn and develop will return. This crescent also visualizes Artemis’ bow as the source from which all energy and effort is sent.
The trajectory moves from left to right through the crossbar of the “A” opposite that of Apollo. Thus highlighting the distinct differences in our return to the Moon. The trajectory is red to symbolize our path to Mars.
Taken from spacecenter.org
NASA.gov
SOURCE DHX Media Ltd.
Have a great weekend!!
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By practicing a little laughter each day, we can enhance social skills that may not come naturally to us. Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter are far-ranging. Studies so far have shown that laughter can help relieve pain, bring greater happiness, and even increase immunity.
Instead of complaining about life’s frustrations, try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it’s ridiculous, realize that you could ‘look back on it and laugh.’ Think of how it will sound like a story you could tell your friends, and then see if you can laugh about it now.
In other words don’t sweat the small stuff!
Have a happy week!!!
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On Aging
When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don’t think I need your chattering.
I’m listening to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don’t pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I’ll do without it!When my bones are stiff and aching,
And my feet won’t climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don’t bring me no rocking chair.When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don’t study and get it wrong.
‘Cause tired don’t mean lazy
And every goodbye ain’t gone.
I’m the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain’t I lucky I can still breathe in.… by Maya Angelou
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Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as Britain’s new prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership election.
Truss, the Foreign Secretary, defeated the former chancellor of the exchequer 81,326 votes to 60,399, winning 57 per cent of the vote.
On Tuesday she will head to Balmoral in Scotland to be sworn in by the Queen as the United Kingdom’s 56th prime minister, becoming the third woman to hold the role after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.
Swearing in at Balmoral is a break in tradition as the Queen is too unwell to travel to London. According to news reports, the Queen may never travel to London again.
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Notting Hill Carnival ….
Pictures sourced from The Guardian
A brief history of this event….
After a series of racially motivated attacks on the West Indian residents of West London’s Notting Hill area in August 1958, Trinidadian human rights activist Claudia Jones decided to create a special gathering in an attempt to unify the community.
Called the ‘Caribbean Carnival’, and broadcast on the BBC, it was held the following January, in St Pancras town hall. Little could Jones have then imagined that, more than 60 years on, this expression of community solidarity would have grown to become the largest street party in Europe, held every August bank holiday weekend …and an event that has become a cornerstone of British culture.
I remember as a youngster, we sneaked off to have a look and it was not as grand as it is today (our parents didn’t know)…however…I have always loved it !!
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(Picture Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
Being the first cat of the United Kingdom is not an easy job, especially when you have to deal with a revolving door of prime ministers. Larry is the first cat to hold the title of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.
Larry the cat, who resides in 10 Downing Street, has outlasted the past three prime ministers of the United Kingdom: Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and David Cameron.
Even though the timeline for Boris Johnson’s replacement has not been confirmed, Larry is expected to still be at 10 Downing Street when the new prime minister takes office.
Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality.
His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.
(Taken frm Snopes.com)
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The Queen looking frail but cheery as she greets the new UK Prime Minister”
Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Truss during an audience at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she invited Truss to form a new government.Jane Barlow/APedition.cnn.com
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Queen Elizabeth II waits in the drawing room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral. Credit: Jane Barlow/APPerthnow.com
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perthnow.com
The Best Tulips in Perth are at Araluen Botanic Park and I’m off to see them!! Have a great weekend all.
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It is expected that Charles will be officially proclaimed King on Saturday. This will happen at St James’s Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council.This is made up of members of the Privy Council – a group of senior MPs, past and present, and peers – as well as some senior civil servants, Commonwealth high commissioners, and the Lord Mayor of London.
More than 700 people are entitled in theory to attend, but given the short notice, the actual number is likely to be far fewer. At the last Accession Council in 1952, about 200 attended. At the meeting, the death of Queen Elizabeth will be announced by the Lord President of the Privy Council (currently Penny Mordaunt MP), and a proclamation will be read aloud.
The wording of the proclamation can change, but it has traditionally been a series of prayers and pledges, commending the previous monarch and pledging support for the new one.This proclamation is then signed by a number of senior figures including the prime minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellor.
As with all these ceremonies, there will be attention paid to what might have been altered, added or updated, as a sign of a new era. After a fanfare of trumpeters, a public proclamation will be made declaring Charles as the new King. This will be made from a balcony above Friary Court in St James’s Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms.
He will call: “God save the King”, and for the first time since 1952, the national anthem will be played with the words “God Save the King”.
Gun salutes will be fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London and from naval ships, and the proclamation announcing Charles as the King will be read in in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
King Charles said the Queen’s loss would be ‘deeply felt throughout the country’. Photograph: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images
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WHO IS THE GARTER KING OF ARMS?
The Garter King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, the highest rank of an officer of arms. Since 1415, the Garter has been the principal adviser to the sovereign of the United Kingdom with respect to flag-flying, ceremony and heraldry – which encompasses the design and display of coats of arms, badges and mottoes. His seal and signature appear on all grants and arms made by the College of Arms.
On the death of the British monarch it is the Garter’s duty to announce the new monarch. The current Garter King of Arms is David White.
All the best to King Charles III ruling in turbulent times on many fronts including his own family ructions, economic pressures in the UK and global tensions. Hope his mother’s legacy of calm, wisdom and dedication serves him well.
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Despite incessant London rain, the crowd continued to build outside the palace gates through the night.
By nightfall, a huge crowd had descended on Buckingham Palace. (ABC News: Nick Sas ) In the evening, a symbol appeared.
A double rainbow stretched across the sky above the mourners gathered outside Buckingham Palace.
At Windsor Castle, another arched over the grounds just as the Union Jack flag was lowered.
A double rainbow emerged above Buckingham Palace after the announcement of the Queen’s passing.(Reuters: Toby Melville) -
A gun salute and national day of mourning: Here’s how Australia will mark the Queen’s death
Australia is mourning the passing of the nation’s head of state with a number of events and other measures planned to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Flags around Australia are being flown at half-mast and federal parliament has been suspended as the nation mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
A gun salute will be held at Australia’s Parliament House at dusk on Friday, with one round fired for every year of the Queen’s life.
Parliament will be suspended for 15 days and flags will likely remain at half-mast until the day after the Queen’s funeral, except for Saturday, when Prince Charles is proclaimed as the new sovereign.
A National Day of Mourning will be held following the return of the prime minister and Governor-General from London, with a moment’s silence to be observed. A date for this has yet to be announced.
Canberra Times
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An artist who attracted widespread praise for her Platinum Jubilee sketch of the Queen with Paddington Bear has created another touching tribute to mark Her Majesty’s death.
Eleanor Tomlinson’s latest work shows the Queen arm in arm with the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021.
The sketch, titled Our Beloved Queen, also features Her Majesty’s favourite animals – a corgi and a horse.
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Picture Source: Vanity Fair
Floral Tribute
Evening will come, however determined the late afternoon,
Limes and oaks in their last green flush, pearled in September mist.
I have conjured a lily to light these hours, a token of thanks,
Zones and auras of soft glare framing the brilliant globes.
A promise made and kept for life – that was your gift –
Because of which, here is a gift in return, glovewort to some,
Each shining bonnet guarded by stern lance-like leaves.
The country loaded its whole self into your slender hands,
Hands that can rest, now, relieved of a century’s weight.
Evening has come. Rain on the black lochs and dark Munros.
Lily of the Valley, a namesake almost, a favourite flower
Interlaced with your famous bouquets, the restrained
Zeal and forceful grace of its lanterns, each inflorescence
A silent bell disguising a singular voice. A blurred new day
Breaks uncrowned on remote peaks and public parks, and
Everything turns on these luminous petals and deep roots,
This lily that thrives between spire and tree, whose brightness
Holds and glows beyond the life and border of its bloom.
SIMON ARMITAGE
Poet laureate -
Picture: Andrew Milligan / POOL / AFP
The Queen’s children and grandchildren greeted her coffin on its arrival at Buckingham Palace.
The King was there with Royal Family members including his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princes William and Harry and their wives, Catherine and Meghan.
Princess Anne, the queen’s only daughter, travelled with the coffin, first from the remote castle at Balmoral to Edinburgh, where it was greeted by tens of thousands of mourners, and then as it was brought to London.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys,” Anne said in a statement. “Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”
The Princess Royal was born on the 15th August and my own birthday is a few days ahead of hers. I have never been more proud of a fellow Leo as I am of Princess Anne.
The Queen’s coffin will rest in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace until it is conveyed to Westminster Hall on Wednesday
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Fox News
King Charles III waited for Queen Elizabeth II’s casket to arrive at Buckingham Palace with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle directly behind him on a staircase Tuesday evening in London.
Foxnews.com
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Prince Harry served in the military in wartime. He was in the armed forces for 10 years. Who are these “Palace Officials” that decide who wears uniforms!
The last word is with the King…as a father…Charles should override this and allow Harry to wear his uniform at the late Queen’s funeral. To hell with the so called “protocol”…I feel sure his grandmother would have wanted this.
Charles did nothing much for his country, by the way!
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Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s Funeral, a new photograph has been released.
It was taken this year to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, as she became the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.
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The Queen will be buried in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel, alongside her husband Prince Philip and royal predecessors.
The chapel — inside the walls of the castle — has been the burial place for almost every British monarch since King George III’s death in 1820.
Specifically, the Queen will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a small enclave inside St George’s. The Queen commissioned it as a burial place for her own father, King George VI, in 1962.
Source: Daily Mail
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Source Daily Mail.com
Princess Anne escorted Queen Elizabeth’s casket as it travelled from Balmoral, Scotland, to Edinburgh.
She continued to accompany her mother’s coffin during its funeral processions in London.
The Princess Royal was by her mother’s side until she was laid to rest at Windsor Castle.
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Photo: BBC
Following a sombre service led by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, with prayers read by the Minister of Crathie Kirk, Chaplain of Windsor Great Park and Rector of Sandringham, the chapel’s choir went silent.
Then, courtiers gently removed the Orb, Sceptre and Imperial State Crown and handed the symbols of sovereignty to the Dean, who symbolically placed them on the chapel’s altar.
A final hymn was sung, and King Charles lll placed the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. The Lord Chamberlain poignantly “broke” his Wand of Office over the coffin, and placed the pieces there.
Then the coffin was lowered into the vault.
(This was the moment I really cried)
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Nestled among the flowers of the Queen’s funeral wreath was a handwritten card, which read: “In loving and devoted memory, Charles R.”
At King Charles’s request, the wreath on top of the Queen’s coffin contained flowers and foliage from the royal properties of Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, in London, and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. Also at the King’s request, the wreath was sustainable, and affixed in a nest of English moss and oak branches.
The wreath contained myrtle, the ancient symbol of a happy marriage, cut from a plant that was grown from a sprig of myrtle in the Queen’s wedding bouquet in 1947. It also contains rosemary as a symbol of remembrance and English oak, a national symbol of strength, in a nod to the Queen’s constancy and steadfast duty. Other foliage includes pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious.
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I think Prince George and Princess Charlotte behaved impeccably during the funeral.
I was particularly taken with the moment when Charlotte told George “you need to bow”.
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European monarchs attending the late Queen’s funeral…and they are all related..
Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe of Denmark II shared a close friendship as the only reigning queens until the death of the British monarch. Now, Margrethe has paid heartfelt tribute to Her Majesty, who she described as an “inspiration to us allOut of respect for the late Queen, Danish Queen Margrethe ll called off events to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Elizabeth’s third cousin and friend cancelled a carriage procession through Copenhagen and a palace balcony appearance, while a reception and lunch at City Hall were postponed.
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I know you’re a proud Britisher Sophie and I have to say no one but the British could put on such a magnifico spectacle. All there, precision, pomp, ceremony the lot, but I have a couple of salient points.
Seating those little kids George and Charlotte opposite the coffin for way longer than an hour can’t be good for their mental health.
The other complaint I have it was way too sombre and they forgot the entertainment
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I agree Lucca no other nation does parades like this and Central London was designed with staging these events in mind. I felt quite homesick watching all the places I am so familiar with. Time for a visit with the rellies. I thought it might be a good idea to wait until the Coronation date is set so we can book flights and go for that event. My brother has already “booked” our room in his home, so no hotel to worry about!
As for the children at the funeral…I must admit, I had the same thought running through my head several times. Hope they fare well.
Every sombre occasion could do with a bit of humour and love your comment about Louis. The mind boggles at what he must be getting up to at home, now the coast is clear!!
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Some rare photos of our late Queen Elizabeth…
HULTON DEUTSCHGETTY IMAGES
HULTON ARCHIVEGETTY IMAGES1930
The ubiquitous handbag!
Swimming lessons
GETTY IMAGES1942
HULTON DEUTSCHGETTY IMAGES1943Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin for another theater production. And that’s Margaret playing the princess
Enjoying a square dance in Canada
All pictures sourced from: cosmopolitan.com/entertainment
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The Queen’s name has been inscribed alongside her parents and late husband’s on the ledger stone in the Windsor chapel where she is buried.
Buckingham Palace said the inscription on the ledger stone in the George VI Memorial Chapel, will bear the names of George VI, the Queen Mother, Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip, along with their years of birth and death.
The new stone replaces a black stone slab set into the floor that bore the names of the Queen’s two parents, interred in 1969 and 2002 respectively.
The coffin of Prince Philip, previously interred in the Royal Vault elsewhere in St George’s Chapel, was moved to the chapel on Monday to rejoin his wife, who was laid to rest in a private service attended by the King and the royal family.
The fresh stone now bears the names of two generations of royals whose coffins lie beneath the chapel floor: “George VI 1895-1952” and “Elizabeth 1900-2002” followed by a metal Garter Star, and then “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” and “Philip 1921-2021”.
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Hundreds arrested as Russians protest Putin’s mobilisation order
Anti-war protests are sweeping Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilisation to escalate the invasion of Ukraine.
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Is Putin bluffing? No one can trust what a cornered rat will do.
People worldwide need to be prepared that something absolutely atrocious, another crazy move, can happen any time.
Have a look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbuMsKaSh_0
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that he would activate the firm’s satellite internet service, Starlink, in response to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s tweet that the United States took action “to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information” to Iranians.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday issued guidance expanding the range of internet services available to Iranians despite U.S. sanctions on the country, amid protests around Iran following the death of a 22-year-old woman in custody. Officials said the move would help Iranians access tools that can be used to circumvent state surveillance and censorship
“As courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the United States is redoubling its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said.
reuters.com
Mahsa Amini must be the catalyst for change.
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Now what the hell do I do with this? Mummy? Mummy?
King Charles with his first Red Box!
Victoria Jones, PA Wire
Source: Town and Country
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“Jupiter is rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.”
This happens every 13 months and makes Jupiter appear bigger and brighter than any other time of the year.
What happens less frequently is Jupiter making its closest approach to Earth — the last time Jupiter was this close to Earth was in 1963, NASA said in a blog post.
Jupiter reaches opposition on Tuesday between 5am and 6am AEST.
So it’ll be at its brightest in the early hours of Tuesday morning and Tuesday night.
Professor Horner says around midnight would be best, because that’s when it’ll be almost directly above us in the sky.
“The further in the night sky, the more spectacular it will be and the clearer the air will be,” he says.
Sadly we have rain forecast our way. 🙁
But Jupiter will be visible all through the night.
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King Charles new cipher!
The Palace is planning his Coronation and also making arrangements for his funeral!
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Thanks Sophie.
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram or monogram-like device of a country’s reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch’s name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown.
On 26 September 2022, Buckingham Palace unveiled the cypher of the new king, Charles III, that will gradually replace the cypher of Elizabeth II in everyday use. The design was selected by Charles from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms and features the King’s initial “C” intertwined with the letter “R” for Rex with “III” denoting Charles III, with a Tudor Crown above the letters. Charles’s Scottish cypher uses the Scottish Crown instead.
Slow Changes
His new monogram will appear on government buildings and state documents, however, new bank notes with King Charles III’s face on them will be unveiled by the end of 2022, but won’t be in public circulation until mid-2024. All existing postboxes will remain unchanged and those already in production or being prepared for installation will also retain the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. Once these have been installed, new postboxes will feature the cypher of King Charles III. The late Queen will also feature on four new memorial stamps, the first set to be approved by the King. On sale from November 10, they will feature four different portraits taken of Queen Elizabeth over the 70 years of her reign.
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