tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45259874023864122592024-03-13T20:28:07.379+13:00The Flying TortoiseA Selection Of Musings. Philosophy. On A Gypsy lifestyle. The Journey. The Joy Of Living Simply In Small spaces. Solar Power. Living Off-Grid. Self Sufficiency. New Zealand. The World. Opinions. Snippets. Ideas. Things Intriguing Entertaining Amusing Informative And Inspirational. People. Art. Architecture. Design And Photo Images. Social Commentary...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.comBlogger2221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-36974205153173160012015-09-21T06:00:00.001+12:002015-12-28T13:17:54.259+13:00The Last Post...
It's time. I've decided.
I've given it serious consideration.
It's been wonderful and now it's time to say goodbye. It's time to go. And time too, to take another step back away from society.
Witnessing what is happening in the world on a daily basis is not a happy experience any more.
So much of it has become far too upsetting and depressing and it's hard not being affected by it.
Greed, speedThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-66858881146323285872015-09-20T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-20T07:30:04.273+12:00Bertie May Be The Fastest Tortoise In The World But He Can't Fly...
Bertie may just have broken a thirty seven year record becoming the fastest tortoise on the planet and racing his way into the Guinness Book of Records by sprinting 5.48 meters in an amazing 19.59 seconds, watch out Usain Bolt, but he can't fly.
There's only one tortoise who can do that...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-55445218459529303332015-09-19T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-19T06:00:04.211+12:00Waiting At A Bus Stop In Russia Can Be An Interesting Experience...
Canadian photographer and traveler Christopher Herwig returned to what was the Soviet Union a decade ago to photograph the architectural oddities that are Russia's bus stops.
There's more here but these roadside waiting pavilions are the legacy of many of the vast region's local artists and architects striving to express themselves through their art...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81797232162890492212015-09-18T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-18T06:00:02.794+12:00What A Wonderful Housebus...
Can you imagine it.
What a wonderful housebus this beautiful
old girl could be transformed into.
Imagine the rich all wooden interior, the bed there, a bath perhaps, certainly a little wood stove to keep warm by and to cook on.
I can see it now...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-4131000735846384612015-09-17T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-17T06:00:03.659+12:00After Three Million Years Of Evolution...
After three million years of evolution.
We've lost only the hair...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-15053269888032452092015-09-16T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-16T11:40:20.433+12:00Standing Alone Is Ok...
Standing alone is ok.
If you have to...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-55050262853844274512015-09-15T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-18T17:10:22.870+12:00This Tiny Camper Expands To Three Times Its Size At The Touch Of A Button...
It had to happen.
People want small and big at the same time.
And supposing the electrics function properly and reliably, by pushing a button, Beauer's tiny teardrop styled camper goes from 43sq ft to 129sq ft in a moment or less. If the electrics work. You've heard of Murphy's Law.
There's more about this here
if you'd like to know more.
And then there's their expandable van concept...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-19524087599565460992015-09-14T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-14T06:57:08.978+12:00The Open Road Has Never Looked So Bright...
The open road is Long Island artist Grant Haffner's favourite place to be.
"When I drive I feel completely alive he says.
For a small moment in between this place and that I'm free from reality.
My vehicle and I become a motion of blurred colour, barreling through space and time. I like to keep my window open to listen to the sound that traveling makes, to enjoy the smell of the landscape. The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-12913052492429003762015-09-13T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-14T07:12:05.456+12:00Tokio's Little Morioka Shoten Is A Bookstore With A Beautiful Difference...
The beautiful little one room Morioka Shoten is a bookstore in Tokio that displays one very carefully selected book at a time,
It's a long long way from the not so gentle giant Amazon who's existence has been responsible for putting thousands of traditional bookstores around the world out of business.
The little bookshop displays perhaps the most ultimate minimalist philosophy, desiring that The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-8851852278151051722015-09-12T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-12T08:35:19.769+12:00Wow! Twelve Life Sentences. That's Three Thousand Three Hundred And Eighteen Years Thinks Convicted Batman Theatre Killer James Holmes. That's A Long Time...
Wow! Twelve life sentences. A total of three thousand three hundred and eighteen years in jail with no chance of parole. If I'd known I was going to get that length of sentence I may not have done it, convicted Batman theater killer seems to be thinking as he's led away from the Colorado courtroom to begin his never ending term of imprisonment.
But nothing seems to deter some of the US The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-49900384081042473512015-09-11T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-11T06:00:01.413+12:00Said To Be 104 Years Old, Gunther Krabbenhoft Is A Wonderfully Stylish Fashion Statement No Matter What Age He Might Be...
Some people are suggesting Berlin's Gunther Krabbenhoft is one hundred and four but he says he's a lot younger. Some people are suggesting that he should know but let's not let silly unimportant facts get in the way of a good story.
Gunther is one great timeless fashion statement and someone many young and hip fashionista's could learn a thing or three from.
I've always dressed like this, it's The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-78153944264844578032015-09-10T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-13T07:36:52.384+12:00The Sons And Daughters Of The Vikings Come To The Rescue...
I received this comment from Hanne Maja Christiansen and am compelled to share it.
It touches my heart and restores some faith in humanity. Thankyou, sons and daughters
of the Vikings.
"Well I wrote that the Germans could be proud
of themselves. The last day has made me proud of the the many Danes who are committing
Civil Disobedience.
They go up against the Danish government and the The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-71723191913421181062015-09-09T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-09T07:17:16.681+12:00There Is No Shortcut On The Road To Success...
Sometimes the funniest things happen
on the road to success...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-57442288687151306332015-09-08T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-08T07:16:06.179+12:00Thankyou Germany...
Thousands and thousands of immigrants
and refugees are, as you're reading this, arriving in Germany where they're being welcomed
with open arms.
The Pope has ordered each of his churches in Europe to provide accommodation for at least one family. The Finnish Prime Minister has offered his second home to refugees. People around the world are opening their hearts and their homes, making ready The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-20197555000706922152015-09-07T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-07T08:55:59.775+12:00Nashvilles Homeless Get Bright Teeny Tiny Houses To Live In And Call Their Own...
A few days ago, six vehicles towing teeny tiny trailer homes made their way down Broadway to the Reverend Jeff Carr's Green Street Church grounds where they are now housing some of Nashville's poorest.
Yes they're small but they are shelter and they are accommodation and they are something these homeless folk have never had.
The security of living in their own home.
And no matter how The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-22402360068563070732015-09-06T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-06T07:38:46.029+12:00Shame On You World...
I post these images with a very heavy heart.
But with no apology.
I am upset. I am sad. I am angry. I am crying.
And like you. I am not powerless.
Please join me and millions of others in demanding action from our governments to increase their paltry efforts and somehow bring an end to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis the world is experiencing.
The world refugee dilemma is not new and moreThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-56490298580651568912015-09-05T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-05T06:00:03.590+12:00Men Are Not Allowed In The Little Kenyan Village Of Umoja...
The little Kenyan village of Umoja is
a sanctuary for women and their children.
Men are not allowed to live there.
Originally it became a place of refuge for the fifteen survivors of a brutal rape by British soldiers back in 1990 and now is a happy community of forty seven women and around two hundred children.
There's more here about how the little
single sex village is thriving.
Perhaps The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-35941409956657536252015-09-04T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-04T06:00:01.724+12:00Scenes From The Terrible History Of Marriage...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-71497204203149204912015-09-03T06:00:00.001+12:002015-09-03T06:00:01.303+12:00Amsterdam's Wonderfully Quirky Sleeping Pods On Centre Island...
Urban Campsite Amsterdam is located in the Centrumeiland or Centre Island, which is an artificial peninsular created with layers of sand. It's a temporary home to these wonderfully quirky sleeping pods which are also an open-air exhibition for the public to view.
Various designers were commissioned to create fourteen mobile structures for sleeping in...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81996233891814246562015-09-02T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-02T06:00:00.652+12:00German College Student Leone Muller Chooses To Live Life As A Train Nomad...
Presented suddenly with options she hadn't and wouldn't have considered without a dispute with her landlord causing her to move from her apartment, twenty three year old student Leone Muller realised she didn't want to live in a normal accommodation anyway.
She didn't want to live anywhere.
She wanted to be free
So she purchased a subscription which allows her to travel on any train in Germany The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-16685849956185389832015-09-01T06:00:00.000+12:002015-09-01T06:00:04.429+12:00On The Same Team...
These two avid baseball fans may cheer for different teams, she for the Giants and he for the Cardinals but Carol and Warren Reckmeyer have been on the same team since June 1952. And proud of it. It's good they can still remember which side of the other to walk on...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-90533681636059549092015-08-31T06:00:00.001+12:002015-08-31T09:17:22.171+12:00Usain Bolt Tells The Secret Of How To Run One Hundred Meters in 9.79 Seconds...
Usain Bolt is the world's fastest runner.
On August 23 at the Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing the twenty nine year old Jamaican won the men's 100m final of the World Athletics Championship in a time of 9.79 seconds.
It wasn't as fast as his seriously fast 9.69 second win in 2008 but hey, it's still really quite speedy.
Having a drink with him after the race I asked him the secret to running so The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-57229639465908556672015-08-30T06:00:00.000+12:002015-08-30T12:26:58.041+12:00Ever Wonder Why Some Pharmaceuticals Are So Very Expensive...
These extravagant interiors with their fully carved wood corridors, gold foil inlays, crystal chandelier and massive marble columns are part of the offices of the state owned Harbin Pharmaceutical Group in China's Heilongjiang Provence.
Said to be built on the pain of millions of suffering patients, it's a distasteful reminder of why the Chinese people can't afford to go to the doctor for The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-75096988637997777642015-08-29T06:00:00.000+12:002015-08-29T06:00:03.706+12:00The Good News Is A Giant Asteroid Will Not Hit Planet Earth Next Week...
NASA has denied viral internet claims that an asteroid will crash into Earth next week.
The predictions were first made by biblical theorists who claimed a space rock will wipe out parts of North and South America
some time next month.
NASA's Paul Chodas, manager of the space agency in Pasadena California especially contacted The Flying Tortoise to allay fears and say there's no scientific The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-37110787592671383492015-08-28T06:00:00.000+12:002015-08-28T07:22:49.198+12:00The Little Neighbourhood Of Las Palmitas Has Become Mexico's Biggest Piece of Graffiti Art...
It used to be that the little neighbourhood of Las Palmitas in Pachuca, a hundred or so miles from Mexico City was known only as a poor and violent community.
But now, thanks to the efforts of the local and national government bodies, organised graffiti artists have executed the biggest mural in Mexico and restored some pride back to the folk of the now very colourful community.
We painted two The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3