@soryang
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Thanks for the pictures and info about the Shilla Kingdom and the crown.

These come from the Silla Kingdom during the first millennium. The early Shilla Kingdom was during the three kingdoms period, which was later followed by Unified Shilla. I first saw an example of this type of crown at the Korean National Museum when it was housed in the old Japanese Imperial Government building in front of Kyeongbok palace in Central Seoul north of Gwanghwamun. That was before the museum was moved as the building was an unpleasant reminder of Japanese imperialism and was demolished. The crown was quite impressive.

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

There is a theory that Queen Seondeok may have worn such a crown as it is possible that it was not just intended for male rulers.

I had read speculation once that the design of the crown may have originated in southwest Asia, and that Alexander may have worn such a crown with the tree and antler theme.

Queen Seondeok was also a great historical Kdrama that I especially enjoyed.

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

For music I picked Baek Ji-yong's performance in Pyongyang for the "Spring is Coming" cultural exchange between North and South Korea in 2018. She performs Like I was shot with a gun, and Don't forget me. The lyrics for the pain of two lovers separated by unspecified circumstances, are somewhat analogous to the irrepressible desire of nationhood unfulfilled, and the pain of the separated families. I realized I hadn't written my own translations to English, I had been enjoying them in Korean for years and didn't get around to it. Roughly the theme is "I have one question to ask, how did we become separated?" "We live under the same sky, but we live in different places." "Although we are in love, now we have to separate (break up)" "Someday, perhaps you will return to me." In the intro to Don't Forget Me, Baek Ji-yong tells the North Korean audience she won't forget her performance for them today, and that she hopes they don't forget their meeting. You can skip the first three and a half minutes, that's when her performance begins.

@dystopian
Like minds think alike. Of all the great Stones music, Can't You Hear Me Knocking and Time Waits For No One are at the top of my list.

Hi all, Hey SP! Great pix SP! Nice big looks at little things. Very cool stuff man!

One of the best two Mick Taylor leads he ever wrote/played. Can't Ya Hear Me Knocking being the other. He was something else, especially when he got to get out of the box ... But yeah, time waits for no one.

Wyman plays a synthesizer (!) and Nicky Hopkins is the great piano.

Hope all are well!

@The Liberal Moonbat
Thanks for letting us walk down your stairs to look at your wonderful things.

"Yes, wonderful things...."

@dystopian
Thanks for the great assortment of beetles. I've seen an all black Ironclad in my backyard a few times. Love the metallic green on the Fig beetle.

There is a saying akin to 'God had an inordinate fondness of beetles'. This because there are soooo many species compared to many other groups of insects. Even diverse groups are dwarfed by beetle diversity. It is often credited to Darwin, but I don't think that is correct, it may have been Wallace. Anyway, my family had an inordinate fondness for beetles. We collected insects. Some were good enough that when UC students (my dad) displayed their collections (much of which my bro and I collected) for the final, some were stolen (CSULongBeach)! I still love a good beetle. The front two wings are the hardened elytra, the non flight-capable outer protective 'shell'. They fly just with the two hindwings. Not all fly but most do surprisingly well. Apologies if you saw these before ...

One of the Ironclad beetles, family Tenebrionidae - these bend mere mortal insect pins.

Eyed Elatarid - Elataridae is the click beetle family, usually small and brown, some are big and fancy.

Firefly is a beetle too.

Longhorn Beetles are a favorite, this Stenapsis verticallis insignis. Lots don't have common names.

Placosternus - another Longhorn Cerambycid

A couple Scarabs, first a scan of ventral and dorsal of one of those Peach/Fig Scarabs.

This is a Harlequin Flower Beetle, another Scarab.

I could go on for far too long... but I am out of time...

Hope all are well!

@Cassiodorus

@humphrey
Our future doesn't look very bright. You would think after years of Mother Nature slapping the planet upside the head that TPTB would get a clue and take action.

It is not a reflection of those who participate here but a message to those who need it.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUVqUz8m2PQ]

@orlbucfan
The sad part is, as bad as things have been, there only going to get worse.
Glad we were able to bring you a little cheer.

and tunes. Cheers me up, and I need it after the horrendous damage to my beloved Atlantic Ocean and GOM c/o Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. The kozmik chickens are home and roosting comfortably thanks to greedy over-development.
Rec'd!!