“Michael Jackson, the performer, consistently transcended racial and gender perceptions; Michael Jackson tribute artists, impersonators and lookalikes reflect this in that they embody a wide span of inspiration and intention. The current crop of impersonators are people who take great care in their appearance – some spend a lot of money and time on their make up and clothing, while others are more concerned with the physical gestures associated with his dances while expressing very little concern in the creation of an illusion”. – Lorena Turner. (Photo and caption by Lorena Turner)

While communism, collectivism, worms, dry rot and casual looting failed to destroy the majestic wooden churches of Russia, it may be ordinary neglect that finally does them in. Dwindled now to several hundred remaining examples, these glories of vernacular architecture lie scattered amid the vastness of the world’s largest country. Just over a decade ago, Richard Davies, a British architectural photographer, struck out on a mission to record the fragile and poetic structures. Austerely beautiful and haunting, “Wooden Churches: Traveling in the Russian North” (White Sea Publishing; $132) is the result. Covering thousands of miles, Mr. Davies described how he and the writer Matilda Moreton tracked down the survivors from among the thousands of onion-domed structures built after Prince Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988.

Thoughts. They fly through the broad expenses of our mind, floating gracefully in midair, going into the clouds, and then reemerging once again. Some are quick and furtive, others are grand and majestic. We reflect upon them as they enter our minds, and once they leave, they are usually gone for good. However, some thoughts are different. These thoughts resemble a flock of angry birds or a swarm of hungry moths that invade your mind, slowly eating away at your sanity, strength, and desire to live. Such thoughts often plague that minds of people with Obsessive Compulsive disorder. They completely occupy their time; constantly there; ever-present. With his book sculpture, Thomas Wightman was able to accurately convey the way these thoughts consume the mind, slowly building a nest within it, resisting all attempts to drive them away.

A Nepalese army solder stand next to a horse during the “Ghodejatra” Horse Race festival, which is organised by the Nepal Army, in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 7, 2016. Ghode Jatra, the horse racing festival of Nepal, celebrated on the New Moon day of mid March or early April is among the important celebrations of the Kathmandu Valley. Grand horse parade including various acrobatic style of shows are performed by Nepal military at Tundikhel-a fenced parade ground located in the heart of Kathmandu city. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

Kendrick Lamar performs “Freedom” with Beyonce (L) at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 26, 2016. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

“The Gorch Fock is a tall ship of the German Navy (Deutsche Marine). She is the second ship of that name and a sister ship of the Gorch Fock built in 1933. Both ships are named in honor of the German writer Johann Kinau who wrote under the pseudonym "Gorch Fock" and died in the battle of Jutland/Skagerrak in 1916. The modern-day Gorch Fock was built in 1958 and has since then undertaken 146 cruises (as of October 2006), including one tour around the world in 1988. She is sometimes referred to (unofficially) as the Gorch Fock II to distinguish her from her older sister ship”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The “Gorch Fock” German Navy tall ship sails towards Kiel on May 6, 2011 in Kiel, Germany. The ship returns to Germany following investigations in January while it was in port in Ushuia, Argentina, into allegations of attempted mutiny following the death of a female crew member. German Defense Minister at the time Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg suspended Captain Norbert Schatz, and though investigators absolved Schatz of wrongdoing, critics charge the investigation was inadequate. The "Gorch Fock" is the German Navy's flagship training vessel. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

“The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling points was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell and that it was fast (when introduced) and durable. With its mediocre performance, smoky two-stroke engine, and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Enthusiasts weared in uniforms of the former eastern german army trive in a military Trabant car as fans and owners of East German-era Trabant cars gather at the 2011 International Trabantfahrer Treffen (International Trabant Drivers Meeting) on June 26, 2011 in Zwickau, Germany. The Trabant, also known as the Trabi, was among the main cars produced in communist East Germany and built by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke in Zwickau for 30 years until 1989. Today the car has cult status for many followers and one company, IndiKar, is even seeking to revive the brand in a modern, electric version. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

Women soldiers dance during a parade marking the 78th anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, October 5, 2023. (Photo by Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo)