In 2000, my wife and I sat on the edge of our bed watching CNN. The Supreme Court had just announced that time had run out on the weeks-long series of recounts for Florida’s 25 electoral votes. George W. Bush had beat Al Gore and was declared the winner in the state. Bush won the Electoral College and the presidency by one electoral vote. Disappointed? You bet. But I remember thinking, “The office of President is one of compromise. Those around him will temper the effects of his decisions.” I was wrong.

Twenty-one years later, I sat on that same bed watching as Trump loyalists, incited by President Trump and others, stormed the Capitol shouting, “Stop the Steal” and “Hang Mike Pence.” After Trump’s 2016 campaign, his four years of authoritarian reign, and the aftermath, I no longer believed that Constitutional checks and balances would hold back the right. Our culture had changed. In the Republican Party, conspiracy theories replaced common sense and critical thinking. This is the world of Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. How did we get here?

The Road Downhill: Lee Atwater

We find deceit at every level of American politics. As mass media developed, backroom deals gave way to more public dirty tricks. In the 1980s, Lee Atwater was this strategy’s most prominent disciple. As South Carolina Republican Congressman Floyd Spence’s campaign consultant in his 1980 re-election bid, he released the results of a fake survey aimed at White suburban voters. The survey showed that Spence’s opponent, Tom Turnipseed, was a member of the NAACP. At a press briefing, he hired a fake reporter to say, “We understand Turnipseed has had psychiatric treatment.” Atwater replied that he “got hooked up to jumper cables,” referring to electroshock therapy Turnipseed had as a teen. Spence was re-elected.

Atwater went on to greater notoriety later that decade by suggesting Ronald Reagan could extend the GOP’s Southern Strategy (a racial appeal to White Southerners) without it appearing racial. In an anonymous interview for political scientist Alexander P. Lamis’ book The Two-Party South, he said,

“Y’all don’t quote me on this. You start out in 1954 by saying, ‘Nigg*r, nigg*r, nigg*r.’ By 1968, you can’t say ‘nigg*r’—that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff. You’re getting so abstract now [that] you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things, and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites.”

As Atwater’s star rose in the GOP, its zenith was the infamous Willie Horton television ad during George H. Bush’s 1988 presidential bid. In 1976, Bush’s opponent, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, supported a prison furlough program for felons started by Republican Governor Francis Sargent in 1972. The state legislature passed a measure outlawing the practice, but Dukakis vetoed it. Shortly after that, the state released convicted murderer Willie Horton on a weekend furlough when he assaulted, robbed, and raped a couple.

The ad showed prisoners going through a revolving exit from prison. Only one was African American, and he was the only one who looked directly into the camera. “That’s the guy to be afraid of,” said ABC newsman Sam Donaldson. Atwater used this incident to suggest that Dukakis was too liberal and soft on crime. He vowed to “strip the bark off the little bastard” and “make Willie Horton his running mate.” Dukakis’ seventeen-point summer lead vanished, and Bush won the race.

Slash and Burn: Newt Gingrich

Lee Atwater’s vision was to get Republicans elected no matter what it took. The man who led those Republicans on a slash and burn sortie into our legislative process was Newt Gingrich. Running in his first successful race for Congress in 1978, he told college Republicans, “One of the great weaknesses of the Republican Party is we recruit middle-class people. Middle-class people, as a group, are told you should not shout at the table, you should be nice, you should have respect for other people, which usually means giving way to them.” He admonished the students to “raise hell” if you’re going to be in politics. And during his twenty years in the House, raising hell was precisely what he did.

Gingrich upended the niceties and conventions of Congress. As Congressional scholar Thomas Mann has stated, “Most members still believed in the idea that the Framers had in mind. They believed in genuine deliberation and compromise … and they had institutional loyalty.” Gingrich’s focus was less on legislation and more on tactics to discredit Democrats and moderate members of his party. He did this by ignoring etiquette, sensationalizing issues for TV viewers, and using ethics regulations to spotlight one’s political enemies. “He thought a lot about confrontation and saying things that were explosive because he believed that the more confrontational, the more outlandish you were, the more the media would cover you, and the more the media would replicate what you said about your opponent—whether it was true or not true,” according to Julian E. Zelizer, in his book, Burning Down the House.

We can credit Gingrich with the “fierce, institution-destroying partisanship” that gave birth to the tactics of the Tea Party and Donald Trump. Newt sent out a memo to aspiring Republican candidates entitled “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control,” in which he listed words for them to use to describe Democrats. They included words like sick, pathetic, lie, anti-flag, traitors, radical, and corrupt. When you hear Trump give people obnoxious nicknames like President Biden’s “Sleepy Joe,” that comes directly from Gingrich’s playbook.

Release the Kraken: The Ginny and Clarence Thomas Story

In our present rarified atmosphere, when laws do get passed, partisan objections often end up on the docket of the Supreme Court. As the ultimate arbiters in legal matters, we hope justices base their opinions on their interpretations of the Constitution. But unlike lower court judges, there are no ethical standards by which they must abide. Each justice determines their own ethics. The only safeguard we have for a rogue justice is impeachment. That has only happened once.

The founders of our country envisioned a court that rose above the politics of the Legislative and Executive branches of government. But partisanship has seeped into the court with justice nominees’ confirmations decided by today’s factional Senate. In February 2022, Justice Neil Gorsuch gave a speech behind closed doors to the Federalist Society, a group of conservatives and libertarians. So what did he speak about? We’ll never know. The Society barred the media from the Justice’s talk. That veil of secrecy only magnifies the aura of politicization, questioning the court’s impartiality.

This is the backdrop to Ginni Thomas’ power and activism. As the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, she has been a forceful advocate for Trump’s attack on our democratic process. She firmly believes the Democrats stole the election despite a long list of dismissed court challenges to the election results. Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham confirmed Ms. Thomas’ direct access to President Trump on a recent episode of The View. She said that Thomas would often have lunch with the President, bringing lists of people who should be fired and hired. Grisham described the damage control the staff would have to do after these meetings.

Two days after the 2020 election, Ms. Thomas texted Trump’s Chief-of-Staff, Mark Meadows, to “Release the Kraken and save us from the left taking America down.” In mythology, a Kraken is a gigantic sea monster that resembles a giant squid or octopus. #ReleaseTheKraken is a tag used by conspiracy theorists to discredit President Biden’s victory.

She also texted Meadows, “Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!... You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.” Also, “Biden crime family & ballot fraud co-conspirators (elected officials, bureaucrats, social media censorship mongers, fake stream media reporters, etc.) are being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition. I hope this is true.” (emphasis mine). She wants a revolution!

Thomas and Meadows exchanged twenty-nine texts he released to the House committee investigating the January 6th Insurrection. Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times, said, “It is one thing, experts in legal ethics said, for the spouse of a Supreme Court justice to express political views, even ones shot through with wild conspiracy theories. That may not by itself require the justice’s recusal from cases touching on those views. . . . But the text messages from Ms. Thomas . . . revealed something quite different and deeply troubling.” The texts Thomas sent to Meadows clearly showed she was directly involved in the attempt to overturn the election.

So should her husband recuse himself in any case about the 2020 election? Any judge with close relationships with people or institutions associated with an issue should do so. That’s what Justice Elena Kagan did when she ascended to the bench in 2010. Because of her former job as Supreme Court Solicitor General (the court’s chief legal representative to the court and lower appellate courts), she recused herself in 25 of 51 cases during her first term.

Justice Thomas has not recused himself in at least one case concerning the 2020 election. In January 2022, he was the lone dissenter in litigation Trump brought to the Supreme Court to prevent the January 6th Committee from obtaining his presidential records. The US Code of Laws expressly prohibits judges from participating in cases where their impartiality might be questioned. Title 28, § 421(5) states that judges shall disqualify themselves when a spouse is likely to be a material witness. Yet there are no penalties when a Supreme Court Justice violates this law.

The Thomases are very close and share many political views. In his memoir, Justice Thomas wrote that he and his wife are “one being—an amalgam.” They call each other their best friends. If he’s ethical, he has a moral obligation to stand down in any proceeding concerning the 2020 presidential election, including the January 6th Insurrection. If he doesn’t, he should resign or be impeached. Thomas’ sole job is to interpret the Constitution. There’s no room in American jurisprudence for activist judges. Isn’t that what conservatives say?

The System Is Broken. What Can We Do About It?

What can we do when people like Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows (political elites with direct access to power) strongly believe in these conspiracy theories? Or when our legislators aren’t interested in solving the economic and social issues that affect millions of Americans. This animosity is destroying our country. Having to call for Clarence Thomas’ recusal on cases where his wife is deeply involved reveals a much larger problem.

The Problem

Sixty percent of Americans approve of a woman's right to an abortion. Sixty-four percent support a “wealth tax” to fund public programs. Seventy-six percent of the public wants to protect LGBTQ rights. Why can’t we have reasonable gun control legislation when 84% of Americans approve of universal background checks (including 77% of Republicans)? The effects of climate change concern 60% of Americans. These issues are under attack or considered unimportant in Republican-run states. Yet the majority of Americans support them.

Negative partisanship is creating an existential threat to our democracy. “In today’s environment, rather than seeking to inspire voters around a cohesive and forward-looking vision, politicians need only incite fear and anger toward the opposing party to win and maintain power.” According to the Economist magazine’s “Democracy Index 2021,” the United States is no longer considered a full democracy. We’re now considered a “flawed democracy.” Eighty percent of Americans have no confidence in our legislators.

In a Princeton University study, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, the impact of average citizens’ influence on public policy is near zero when compared to economic elites and organized interest groups. This is the fundamental problem with our political system.

The Answers

RepresentUs suggests that fixing our elections and ending political bribery will restore influence to the American people. Consulting with Constitutional scholars and strategists, they found that 87% of all Americans (no matter their party affiliation) supported an anti-corruption law that would reduce the influence of special interests. Their model, The American Anti-Corruption Act, provides a plan for ending bribery at all government levels, restores the public's influence over moneyed interests, and fixes our broken elections.

Enact Campaign Finance Reform. The costs of a political campaign are staggering. Congresspeople spend 50% of their day fundraising instead of legislating. Political candidates are beholden to large donors to win elections. In 2020, only 1.44% of Americans donated more than $200 to political campaigns and political action committees. Mega-donors have more clout, while the public has little to none. And with these high rollers come the strings of special interests. Lobbyists ply politicians with money to ensure their support. So, instead of legislating on issues important to most Americans, they pass laws that favor these special interests. Where’s health care reform? Why are drug prices so high, and why is Medicare prevented from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices? Because “Big Pharma” makes sure any attempt to change the system will be defeated.

RepresentUs hired Tulchin Research, a polling and strategic consulting firm, that polled a diverse group of Americans on the financial problems with our elections. Their findings are revealing.

While we’re aware of the deep divide in American politics and ideology, voters across the board agreed political corruption is rampant. Instituting reforms is critical to restoring health to our system. Reframing political finance reform as ending political corruption was compelling to poll respondents.

Conflict of interest reforms are most important to voters. The Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision damaged financial election reform by allowing corporations and other groups to contribute unlimited funds to elections. This exacerbated the advantage that wealthy donors have and increased the use of “dark money” in our elections. The top three anti-corruption measures supported by those polled were: prohibiting politicians from taking money from the industries they regulate, reducing how much money lobbyists can contribute to political campaigns, and instituting clear limits on unregulated Super PACs.

Public Funding is critical to reform. The tax refund and public voucher model was the most supported by those polled. Many local jurisdictions are developing these types of programs. Seattle gives every voter a publicly funded voucher to contribute to candidates. And as the number of jurisdictions using public financing rises, this can eventually have ramifications on the national level.

We should also reinstate a nationwide matching fund program, and institute total fundraising and spending transparency. Former elected officials should be prohibited from working for lobbyists, and legislators should be banned from fundraising during working hours (they’re raising funds on our dime!).

Eliminate Gerrymandering. One of the most egregious misuses of power is gerrymandering. It makes races less competitive and reduces voters’ say. Several states (both Republican and Democrat) are being called to task for gerrymandering after the 2020 census. State courts are forcing both Republican and Democrat-run states to redraw their maps. Only 16% of Congressional districts are competitive (64 districts are still under review). So 75% of elected officials are winning office without having to communicate outside of their own party.

According to Gallup, Independents represent the largest group of voters in America. Yet registered Independents can’t vote in most Democrat or Republican primaries. Nor are third parties invited to take part in presidential debates. Not every vote is equal.

But a different way of holding elections would change that. Using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), you get to rank your choices for public office. This reduces voting for the “lesser of two evils,” candidates with similar platforms form coalitions, and campaigns become less divisive. Forty-three jurisdictions used RCV in their most recent elections.

We already know that voter participation increases when we make voting more accessible. But look at how many times the GOP challenged automatic voter registration and voting by mail during the pandemic. The party knows that if more Americans vote, they’ll lose support. Even Trump admitted that. In a Pew study, the number of voters in the US was 31st out of 35 developed countries. Full democracies encourage voter participation.

The Electoral College. As our country has developed, we’ve made changes to the Electoral College. We’ve refined the role of electors and allowed citizens to vote for these electors in every state (some states initially gave that role to their legislatures). In addition, we have expanded voting rights (initially, only White male landowners and taxpayers could vote). So the process for electing presidents is not historically set in stone. It’s time to consider making changes that reflect our present society.

Some of our Founders thought that most 18th-century voters didn’t have the resources to make fully informed decisions. So they rejected direct voter participation. They also feared mob mentality relying on the populous to make such an important decision. Today, mass media saturates society with information. And, as for mob rule, the Electoral College didn’t prevent the storming of the Capitol on January 6th.

Our Founders also believed that this system would stop a drawn-out national recount. But look what happened in 2020. Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College and filed over sixty suits to overturn elections in crucial states. Eighteenth-Century concerns about the tyranny of the majority (another original reason for the Electoral College) have given way to the tyranny of conspiracy theorists today.

The Electoral College was a compromise when our founders first implemented it. Small states feared the power of larger states. Today, that dynamic has shifted. Now the system emphasizes the role of a few swing states. This means that candidates spend much more time and money in those areas than broadening their campaigns nationwide.

Since our country’s inception, there have been five presidential elections where the loser of the Electoral College received more popular votes. The 2000 election between Bush and Gore and the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the latest examples. Partisan politics would make it an uphill battle to amend the Constitution to change how we elect presidents. So, many states and the District of Columbia have signed on to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. They promise to give their electoral votes to the popular vote winner. This provision will go into effect when enough signatories’ electoral votes reach 270, the amount required for the Electoral College to declare a winner. So far, the Compact has 195 Electoral votes. They need only 75 more to implement the pact. But that could be an uphill battle, as the red states fear the voter's will.

Let’s Not Forget Ginni and Clarence Thomas

Ginni Thomas’ desire to overthrow our government is a clear example of a corroded political system. Justice Thomas’ refusal to recuse himself in cases that are apparent conflicts of interest should concern Americans. Together, their power undermines the foundation of the American ideal. It smacks of special interests and political corruption at the highest levels of our government.

As David Frum wrote in The Atlantic, “Washington has always been full of polarizing people like the Thomases, and always will be. What’s been different in the Donald Trump years has been the complicity and cowardice of the people who should have kept those polarizing figures in check.” My initial expectations about the people surrounding the president (or any government official) were correct. Trust in our politicians demands constant oversight.

It’s time we the people release our own Kraken.

Feel free to pass this poster on. It's free to download here (click on the down arrow just to the lower right of the image).

See the rest of the posters from the Chamomile Tea Party! Digital high res downloads are free here (click the down arrow on the lower right side of the image). Other options are available. And join our Facebook group.

Follow the history of our country's political intransigence from 2010-2020 through a seven-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.

Cape Leadwort (a.k.a. Blue Plumbago, Cape Plumbago; Plumbago auriculata) - The Space Coast of Florida

And yet another backyard beauty from South Africa.

Beatuiful, but beware (as is inferred by its name) that ingesting this plant can cause "blood poisoning". Not in the way that lead causes blood/lead poisoning, but that chemicals in the plant (not lead) can lower the blood's white cell count and compromise the body's ability to fight infections. Skin contact with Blue Plumbago's juices can also cause serious cases of skin dermatitis in some individuals. So it's a good idea to enjoy the beauty of this flowering shrub from a distance!

The Boss had a craving for pancakes for breakfast. Me? Not so much. As a compromise, we headed over to a fairly recently opened local restaurant, Stacked (Pancake & Breakfast House), on the West of the Grimsby, Ontario downtown. Once seated and engaged in perusing the menu, a rather lengthy process for some members of the family, ahem, the sun broke through the heavy cloud cover and cast a small slit of sunbeam onto the condiments tray on the adjacent table. Now, I am sure any of you with an interest in street photography have seen the classic (cliche?) shot of the person caught in such a narrow slanting sunbeam and I am also subject to such temptations (www.flickr.com/photos/jwvraets/52577936307/in/datetaken/ ). Not being one to discriminate against inanimate objects however, I waited until the beam caught the rather attractive ketchup squeeze bottle as seen here. Also, given the wall colour scheme in this part of the restaurant as well as the obvious red of both the ketchup bottle and the syrup dispenser, this is Red Rule shot. - JW

Date Taken: 2025-06-19

Date PP: 2025-06-19

(c) Copyright 2025 JW Vraets

If you are interested in prints or licensing of any of my images, DM me with a brief description of what you may be looking for.

Tech Details:

Taken using a hand-held Olympus OM-D EM-5 fitted with an Olympus M Zuiko 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II lens set to 15mm, Program Exposure mode, Daylight WB, Matrix metering, ISO200 (Auto ISO), f/5.0, 1/125 sec with an EV-0.33 Exposure Bias. PP in free Open Source RAWTherapee from Olympus RAW/ORF source image: set final image size to be 9000px wide and apply a little perspective correction and level the image, crop a little off the bottom and right side to better centre the condiments area, apply Tone Mapping at default levels, use the Shadows/Highlights tool to recover a bit of both the Highlights and the Shadows, slightly boost Contrast and Chromaticity in L-A-B mode, slightly boost Vibrance, apply some noise reduction, sharpen, save. PP in free Open Source GIMP: use the Levels tool in Auto mode to get a slightly better tonal range and also remove a bit of a red colour cast in the neutral wall section from the light bouncing off the red wall opposite, use the Contrast/Brightness tool to slightly boost both Contrast and Brightness, use the Curves tool to slightly pull up (brighten ) the middle of the curve (mid-tones),use the Hue-Saturation-Brightness tool to slightly boost overall saturation and bring out the reds a little better, sharpen, save, scale image to 6000px wide, sharpen slightly, save, add fine black-and-white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale image to 3000 wide for posting online, sharpen, save.

I just COULD NOT stand the thought of uploading an SP today, so I thought I would compromise and still play on my own terms!! haha

Here is the RANDOM FACT ingredient quiz, if your tagged, play along and don’t spoil the fun!!

Once you have completed the questions, upload your SP and copy and paste the info below in your description {change to your answers} section then tag a handful of contacts you think might enjoy!

Six names you go by

1. Mum

2. Susie or Martha {Susie Homemaker, Martha Stewart}

3. Hayles

4. H

5. Sweetie

6. Aunty

Three things you are wearing right now

1. Creme and floral print tunic

2. Black tights

3. M.A.C "Steamy" on my toenails!

Four things you want very badly at this moment

1. For my Epiphanie "Belle" bag to hurry up and arrive in the post!!

2. a wedding proposal {it's worth a try, right?! 6 years and waiting....haha}

3. An office space! {If only for somewhere cute to decorate!!!}

4. Lens extension set for my 50mm!!

Three people who will answer this

1. Hmmmm.... I don't really know...

2.

3.

Two things you did last night

1. Watched "Couple Retreat", David's choice... {girls in bikinis! lol}

2. Danced and sang "Haven't met you yet" with my little munchkin in his bedroom... we laughed SOOO hard, it was great fun! {I love Michael Buble}

Last two people you talked to on the phone

1. One of my best friends, Maz... She is beautiful and I love her to bits!!

2. David!

Two things you are going to do tomorrow

1. Document the BEAUTIFUL daughters of one of my dearest friends, CAN'T WAIT!

2. Spend time with my two handsome men!

Three favorite drinks

1. Coke Zero ~ Until last year I only ever drank water and tea... but I am SUCH a caffeine addict now, it's caramel lattes and coke zero all the way!!!

2. Caramel latte!!

3. Vitamin Water ~ Focus {Pink}

THE RANDOM FACT INGREDIENT

My Friday nights are spent at home, often knitting and watching "Antiques Roadshow" and sadly... its not because it's all that's on... its because I am apparently an 80 year old woman in a 29 year old's body, and happen to ENJOY it!!!! lol I am the "mature for my age" one in my group of friends , as they politely word it... I am totally a home body who loves to bake, decorate and make things pretty... and yep... I totally vacuum in high heels like a 50's housewife... I just don't have a closet gin and tonic or Valium addiction!!!! lol

They're out there, but often unnoticed once they have been installed. Compromise joint bars (for joining rails of different weights/sizes) awaiting duty, and fitting in with their surroundings on this late fall day.

Bonkers didn't like the compromise I enforce on him so as soon as he was able, he tried to move back to the cold spot he prefers. (We think he likes it because it gives him a good view of the living room.) His legs aren't very good right now, unfortunately.

"The Great China Conspiracy"

Marriage, they say, is about compromise. That’s why I now live in what can only be described as a porcelain minefield.

My wife, bless her delicate, doily-loving heart, collects china teacups like a Victorian aristocrat preparing for a ghostly tea party. Every garage sale, antique store, and dusty corner of the internet is an opportunity to “rescue” another lonely little cup with gold trim and a name like "Lady Marigold" or “Queen’s Garden No. 7.”

She displays them in a glass cabinet, arranged by era, color, and level of emotional attachment. Some are apparently too fancy to even be looked at directly during daylight hours.

Now here’s the punchline to this floral-scented joke of fate:

I’m allergic to tea.

Not just a little. I mean eyes-swelling, throat-scratchy, ER-visit kind of allergic. If Earl Grey so much as breathes in my direction, I’m one sneeze away from becoming a medical case study.

So imagine living in a home that constantly smells faintly of bergamot, with a kitchen full of delicate cups I’m not allowed to touch, surrounded by the sound of phrases like, “Oh this one’s from 1892! Feel how thin the porcelain is!” Meanwhile, I’m Googling, “Can you serve coffee in a teacup without being excommunicated from England?”

Every time I walk past her shrine of saucers, I swear they jingle with passive-aggressive delight. I think they know. I think they’re mocking me.

She even hosts afternoon tea parties. With real tea. Real people. Real cucumber sandwiches. I sit on the sidelines like a man allergic to oxygen at an aromatherapy convention, sipping iced water out of a manly mason jar, trying not to break into hives.

But you know what? I still love her.

Even if I suspect she married me to complete some twisted Beauty-and-the-Beast-meets-Chamber-of-China prophecy.

with some compromises the minifig now fits, had to chop one plate so the windshield fit better, but meant had to redisign the seat and doors to get the minifig in - awkward little things

Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got. -Janis Joplin

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FOR { O R I C E - 2011

On this particular night, we had yet to see the Main Street Electrical Parade or Wishes, and this would be our last opportunity of the trip. However, if we stayed for Wishes, we risked not being able to get to EPCOT in time for Illuminations. To beat the crowds heading to the TTC after Wishes, we decided we’d compromise, and watch Wishes from the TTC. To do this, we couldn’t watch the entire MSEP, either, as it started at 7, Wishes started at 8, and there probably would be a decent line for the monorail already amassed by 7:30, the earliest we’d likely get out of the MK. We compromised, watching a little of the MSEP before bolting for the TTC. Even with leaving early, we still had to wait for a while at the monorail station. I can only imagine the line after MSEP or Wishes.

I had never photographed fireworks from the TTC, so I sent Matt an email asking about focal lengths and locations. He gave me terrible advice, suggesting an 8mm lens and standing on the EPCOT monorail platform, presumably hoping that I would get poor results. Luckily, I didn't follow his advice.

We got to the TTC about 5 minutes before Wishes started, and I found a spot from which to photograph. Not realizing what the gates right in front of the location where I set up did (I’ll admit, I had some of that “herd mentality” as I merely set up where I saw other people waiting to watch the fireworks), I poised myself for the show. About 1 minute into it, I saw a mass of people heading towards me. I was set up right on the other side of an exit gate for the Magic Kingdom Ferry! Luckily, there were several gates and no one attempted to come through the one where I was, but I still had to brace the gate so the vibration from the other gates didn’t slap the gate near me open and into my tripod. I also had to growl at anyone who came within 15 feet of the gate. I’m sure some people wondered what was going on with that. Live and learn, I guess.

---

Our Christmas 2010 Trip Report is now posted! The TR contains many photos, reviews of the D23 Magic & Merriment Event, as well as the WDW Today Reunion 2010 events. Please check it out by clicking here!

“It takes no compromise to give people their rights...it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.”

― Harvey Milk

Rainbow flags are not just for Pride but it's the perfect excuse to shake it out and show some love and support for the day that's in it and esp after this weeks historical court rulings on same sex marriage. Here in SF it was a big one with 1.5 million attending this years 43rd parade! The Danbos couldn't go so they had their own one out in the garden :)

Happy Pride! <3 !

A Pair Of [Danbos} and A touch of {Pride} for ODC

Compromise makes a good umbrella but a poor roof.

INFO & STYLE CREDITS:

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💗 no.match_ ~ NO_COMPROMISE ~ all COLORS @ Warehouse Sale July

❖ Unrigged mesh braid with matching hairbase EVOX and head tattoo - for THE WAREHOUSE SALE ( 15 % DIscount / 10 % store credit ) - open on 23rd

📌 maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rotten/127/110/23

📌 Main Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VALHAL/119/132/21

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💗 erratic / teddy - joggers / FATPACK @DUBAI July

📌 maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Horizon%20Beach/128/128/22

💗 erratic / meadow - sweater / FATPACK

📌 Main Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LE%20LOOK/175/128/15

========

💗 OMY Social Junkie Phone

📌 OMY Main Store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/OMY/191/134/2502

❖ Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/145472540@N05

❖ MP: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/193851

❖ FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071864393777

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Stings vs. Ex~sting~tion

www.limebluphotography.com

Explore #248 May 14, 2009

Pop Philosophy 101: Life is 99% about compromise and trade-off.

This is a 650kb file, shot with the D300. The action was at the outer limit of the D300's effective usefulness. If I had used the D7000 with its 33% more megapixels, it would have been a 1mb file, with that much less cropping, and that much more sharpness.

That is to say, it would have been IF the D7000 had managed to grab focus in the cold, in the moving action, and had captured this (or similar) frame in its cold-reduced burst mode.

It stood to reason -- the fickle photography gawds being as they are -- that some of the best shots of the day would be distant ones, where MORE MEGAPIXELS mean everything. However, the still unequaled 51 point 3D AF capability of the D300 means that if the shot is there, and moving, it will most likely get captured in focus. And the machine gun-like burst mode means that the subtleties in pose change in a short period will give more choices in editing. Still, this photo would have been more interesting if captured with a higher resolution sensor.

The Red-Tail spiraled up and up in an attempt to get away from the solitary Crow...to no avail. Eventually the Hawk fled / the crow chased away in the distance.

Next upload will return to the 'bread and butter' subject...duck in flight.

Compromise Road

The heat waves from my own vehicle are causing the image distortion you may notice.

Uma cliente do Rio me pediu um casal “equilibrado” - e já chegou por lá - parecido com este que chegou agora ao Koni Baa, sempre charmoso! Parecem equilibrados?! Na verdade eles estão totalmente “Sem Compromisso”... Tom e Chico, Chico e Mart´nalia falam disto muito bem hehehe...pérolas da nossa música brasileira!

A client from Rio de Janeiro asked me a couple “balanced” like this that has now arrived in Koni Baa. Seem balanced?! Hehehehe ... In fact they are totally "Without Compromise"… Tom and Chico, Chico and Mart´nalia speak it very well hehehe…pearls of our brazilian music!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdxMuqmJ3v4 Tom Jobim e Chico Buarque

letras.terra.com.br/chico-buarque/45173/ Chico Buarque e Mart´nalia

Sem Compromisso

Chico Buarque

Composição: Nelson Trigueiro / Geraldo Pereira

Você só dança com ele

E diz que é sem compromisso

É bom acabar com isso

Não sou nenhum pai-joão

Quem trouxe você fui eu

Não faça papel de louca

Prá não haver bate-boca dentro do salão

Quando toca um samba

E eu lhe tiro pra dançar

Você me diz: não, eu agora tenho par

E sai dançando com ele, alegre e feliz

Quando pára o samba

Bate palma e pede bis

My first baking experience , Pineapple bread , tastes like semi sweet cake , Martin’s Photographs , a Lonely Good Friday exercise , because i cannot be to close to Family and friends , physical distancing , because of my compromised immune system , good time learning new skills and having fun doing so , Ajax , Ontario , Canada , April 10. 2020

Exercise

IPhone XR

Pineapple bread

My first baking experience

Martin’s photographs

Lonely Good Friday

Physical distancing

Friends

New baking skills

Bread

Baking

Close to family and friends

Compromised immune system

C.L.L.

You all have a good and safe Easter weekend

Having fun doing so

Ajax

Ontario

Canada

April 10 2020

April 2020

Good time learning new skills and having fun doing so !

Not to close to family and friends

Nosey! The longer nose of the F4-E.

As I've said previously, I've been building this one in the background as it has more compromises than the 4B due to the colour / parts availablity (especially the dark tan parts) ....It also has a lot more sticker usage, especially as I've been trying to keep the cost down by using vinyl over black parts that I have lots of, rather than buying the green or dark green variants.....plus the green I have for matching the standard LEGO green is very slightly off, so I've had to use it all over the standard green parts : |

BUT, this camo colour scheme is too good to not build one as near as I can ;)

17 days left in the Print Giveaway

[283:366]

Compromise.

Not a strength of mine, I must admit.

Over the weekend, something occurred that reminded me just how bad I can be when it comes down to working with others. And it had me thinking that every once in a while I try to do better with compromise, but I always slip back into my stubborn self, my way or the highway. And it seems that when I'm going through the "let's try to compromise" phase, things just get messy and don't end up working and I always look back and wonder if I compromised with the person or with myself?

It's a balance I don't have, whenever I give a little, I wonder if I'm giving up part of me to make someone else happy with a situation, and to be honest that just doesn't sit well with me.

So that's been on my mind for the past couple days, and that's what's inspired this photo.

Oh and I'm embarrassed to say how long this took me to put together in photoshop. Note to self: work on photoshop skills.

Hope everyone is having a good Tuesday.

Click "L" to view on a darker background.

為了吃，沒有事情是不能妥協的！For common good, nothing can't compromise!!

This eastbound with two SD75M's was held in Towal Siding for two westbounds meaning the sun angle was compromised somewhat.

Acrylic on paper, A3.

www.instagram.com/brechtvandenbroucke/

Of course you can come over and do your laundry, but you have to be my mask model for the day.

Today I decided to revisit an old shot from when I was shooting with the D7000. I always loved the framing of this shot but originally had to make some major compromises on this shot due to my lack of skill at editing at the time. In fact I had to basically completely black out the sky at the time due to dusting I wasn't able to fix. Well this is the shot I should have originally posted, but I guess that's why we keep learning and trying to get better. I hope you all enjoy this new Spaceship Earth Without the Compromise! :) Thanks for looking.

My 500px | SmugMug | deviantART | Follow Me on Facebook | Twitter | Google+

sinsofvanity.blogspot.it/2012/10/few-compromises-between-...

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Panther tank, officially Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 171, was a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to the end of the war. The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It is considered one of the best tanks of World War II for its excellent firepower, protection, and mobility although its reliability in early times were less impressive.

The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (700 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armor, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements.

Between 1964-1973 the USSR rebuilt the entire Syrian military from the ground up, reorganizing it along Warsaw Pact lines and equipping it with gear strictly of Soviet origin. There was no place for ex-Wehrmacht tanks and in any case, Czechoslovakia had ended spares & ammo support for the Panzer IV and the Panthers, so the types had no future. The surviving tanks were scrapped in Syria, except for a single Panzer IV survivor sold to a collector in Jordan.

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)

Weight: 50 tonnes (55.1 long tons; 45.5 short tons)

Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only

7.52 m (24 ft 7¾ in) overall with gun facing forward

Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only

3,70 m (12 ft 1¾ in) with retrofitted side skirts

Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)’

Ground clearance: 56 cm (22 in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

Fuel capacity: 720 liters (160 imp gal; 190 US gal),

some Syrian Panthers carried two additional external 200 l fuel drums

Armor:

15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.93 in)

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)

Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads; 450 km (280 mi)with auxiliary fuel tanks

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

Power/weight: 14 PS (10.1 kW)/tonne (12.7 hp/ton)

Engine & transmission:

Maybach HL230 V-12 gasoline engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)

ZF AK 7-200 gearbox with 7 forward 1 reverse gear

Armament:

1× 7,5 cm KwK 40 (L/48) with 87 rounds

2× 7.92 mm MG 34 or 42, or similar machine guns;

one co-axial with the main gun, another in the front glacis plate

with a total of 5.100 rounds (not always mounted)

Provision for a 12.7 mm DShK or Breda anti-aircraft machine gun on the commander cupola

The kit and its assembly:

A rather exotic what-if model, even though it’s almost built OOB. Inspiration came when I stumbled upon the weird Syrian Panzer IVs that were operated against Israel during the Six Day War – vehicles you would not expect there, and after more than 20 years after WWII. But when I did some more research, I was surprised about the numbers and the variety of former German tanks that Syria had gathered from various European countries, and it made me wonder if the Panther could not have been among this shaggy fleet, too?

I had a surplus Dragon Panther Spähpanzer in The Stash™, to be correct a “PzBeobWg V Ausf. G”, an observation and artillery fire guidance conversion that actually existed in small numbers, and I decided to use it as basis for this odd project. The Dragon kit has some peculiarities, though: its hull is made from primed white metal and consists of an upper and lower half that are held together by small screws! An ambiguous design, because the parts do not fit as good as IP parts, so that the model has a slightly die-cast-ish aura. PSR is necessary at the seams, but due to the metal it’s not easy to do. Furthermore, you have to use superglue everywhere, just as on a resin kit. On the other side, surface details are finely molded and crisp, even though many bits have to be added manually. However, the molded metal pins that hold the wheels are very robust and relatively thin – a feature I exploited for a modified running gear (see below).

For the modified Panther in my mind I had to retrograde the turret back to a late standard turret with mantlet parts left over from a Hasegawa kit – they fitted perfectly! The PzBeobWg V only comes with a stubby gun barrel dummy. But I changed the armament, anyway, and implanted an aftermarket white metal and brass KwK 40 L48, the weapon carried by all Syrian Panzer IVs, the Jagdpanzer IVs as well as the StuG IIIs. This standardization would IMHO make sense, even if it meant a performance downgrade from the original, longer KwK 42 L70.

For a Syrian touch, inspired by installations on the Panzer IVs, I added a mount for a heavy DShK machine gun on the commander’s cupola, which is a resin aftermarket kit from Armory Models Group (a kit that consists of no less than five fiddly parts for just a tiny machine gun!).

To change and modernize the Panther’s look further, I gave it side skirts, leftover from a ModelCollect T-72 kit, which had to be modified only slightly to fit onto the molded side skirt consoles on the Panther’s metal hull. A further late addition were the fuel barrels from a Trumpeter T-54 kit that I stumbled upon when I looked for the skirts among my pile of tank donor parts. Even though they look like foreign matter on the Panther’s tail, their high position is plausible and similar to the original arrangement on many Soviet post-WWII tanks. The whip antennae on turret and hull were created with heated black sprue material.

As a modern feature and to change the Panther’s overall look even more, I replaced its original solid “dish” road wheels with T-54/55 “starfish” wheels, which were frequently retrofitted to T-34-85s during the Fifties. These very fine aftermarket resin parts (all real-world openings are actually open, and there’s only little flash!) came from OKB Grigorovich from Bulgaria. The selling point behind this idea is/was that the Panther and T-54/55 wheels have almost the same diameter: in real life it’s 860 vs. 830 mm, so that the difference in 1:72 is negligible. Beneficially, the aftermarket wheels came in two halves, and these were thin enough to replace the Panther’s interleaved wheels without major depth problems.

Adapting the parts to the totally different wheel arrangement was tricky, though, especially due to the Dragon kit’s one-piece white metal chassis that makes any mods difficult. My solution: I retained the inner solid wheels from the Panther (since they are hardly visible in the “3rd row”), plus four pairs of T-54/55 wheels for the outer, more rows of interleaved wheels. The “inner” T-54/55 wheel halves were turned around, received holes to fit onto the metal suspension pins and scratched hub covers. The “outside” halves were taken as is but received 2 mm spacer sleeves on their back sides (styrene tube) for proper depth and simply to improve their hold on the small and rounded metal pin tips. This stunt worked better than expected and looks really good, too!

Painting and markings:

Basically very simple, and I used pictures of real Syrian Panzer IVs as benchmark. I settled for the common green livery variant, and though simple and uniform, I tried to add some “excitement” to it and attempted to make old paint shine through. The hull’s lower surface areas were first primed with RAL 7008 (Khakigrau, a rather brownish tone), then the upper surfaces were sprayed with a lighter sand brown tone, both applied from rattle cans.

On top of that, a streaky mix of Revell 45 and 46 – a guesstimate for the typical Syrian greyish, rather pale olive drab tone - was thinly applied with a soft, flat brush, so that the brownish tones underneath would shine through occasionally. Once dry, the layered/weathered effect was further emphasized through careful vertical wet-sanding and rubbing on all surfaces with a soft cotton cloth.

The rubber side skirts were painted with an anthracite base and the dry-brushed with light grey and beige.

The model then received an overall washing with a highly thinned mix of grey and dark brown acrylic artist paint. The vinyl tracks (as well as the IP spare track links on the hull) were painted, too, with a mix of grey, red brown and iron, all acrylic paints, too, that do not interact chemically with the soft vinyl.

The decals/markings are minimal; the Arabian scribble on the turret (must be a name?), using the picture of a Syrian Panzer IV as benchmark, was painted in white by hand, as well as the white circle on the turret roof. The orange ID triangles are a nice contrast, even though I was not able to come up with real-life visual evidence for them. I just found a color picture of a burned T-34-85 wreck with them, suggesting that the color was a dull orange red and not florescent orange, as claimed in some sources. I also found illustrations of the triangles as part of 1:35 decal sets for contemporary Syrian T-34-85s from FC Model Trend and Star Models, where they appear light red. For the model, they were eventually cut out from decal sheet material (TL-Modellbau, in a shade called “Rotorange”, what appears to be a good compromise).

Dry-brushing with light grey and beige to further emphasize edges and details followed. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic vanish overall, and some additional very light extra dry-brushing with silver was done to simulate flaked paint. Dirt and rust residues were added here and there with watercolors. After final assembly, the lower areas of the model were furthermore powdered with mineral pigments to simulate dust.

The idea of a modernized WWII Panther: a simple idea that turned into a major conversion. With the resin DShK machine gun and T-54/55 wheel set the costs of this project escalated a little, but in hindsight I find that the different look and the mix of vintage German and modern Soviet elements provide this Panther with that odd touch that sets it apart from a simple paint/marking variation? I really like the outcome, and I think that the effort was worthwhile - this fictional Panther shoehorns well into its intended historical framework. :-D

Entered in The Blind PIg Speakeasy Challenge 26 - Simply Minimal: www.flickr.com/groups/photopigs/discuss/72157648783499286/

we compromised and traded out the merimekko fabric for a 2nd edition 1978 night of the living dead poster to hang on wall.

I kept wandering. My mind was a city with millions and millions of thoughts racing around like cars. Constantly being stopped at intersections where they would have to compromise with other speeding thoughts. Some found their way home and went to sleep meanwhile others stayed wide awake looking for a place to rest. The business of that city never seemed to slow down. It was continuous cycling of never ending apprehensive feelings. As my mind spun, my stomach clenched. It felt as if beneath the city there were workers who were never recognized by the hectic thought-driving members. Those workers pulled ropes that were tied tightly to all different emotions. As night fell down on the real world the workers grew lazy by taking those ropes and tying them to one another, creating these taut knots. The ones that kept you up at night. The ones that made you cringe at the thought of confrontation. The ones that made any thought of living an actual life impossible.

As soon as the knots were formed I knew I was in too deep. With all the workers asleep the door between my emotions and my thoughts opened. Everything mixed together and the city went still. There was a silence-an awkwardness almost. It was a moment where people would say “you could hear a pin drop”. All the workers knew what was coming. All the drivers knew it. Even all the sleepers cosily stowed in their homes knew it.

This was it.

The other night I was talking to mother and we had this conversation. it was…intense nonetheless. I came to the realization that people im closest too I tend to push away like a lot of other people im sure…very cliché in a sense I guess. But I realized the two people I treat the worst have to be my mother and my niece (the lovely child in this picture. she’s beautiful eh ?) I never really understood that when they spoke or stood there or even did nothing why it angered me so much. I never understood why I treated them so badly until the other day. untill I read over this ^ . I think theres a fragility when you let emotions and thoughts entwine with one another and I think this is what this picture means. theres that vulnerability in my opinion in her expression.

nonetheless, take this however you’d like

and thank you so much everyone. your words mean everything to me and that you not only like my work but my writing really makes my day. thank you : )

I love you peeople !

Memories of Paddington

😎 The ubiquitous and hugely annoying (in their day) Brush Type 4s or Class 47s were never a favourite of mine. However, in the age of even more dull (if that's possible) and even more ubiquitous Class 66s, I have softened my hatred for the class 😂 ;)

Here is a rather compromised shot, as regards the exposure, of 'big duff' 47319 at London Paddington. At first, I couldn't remember if it worked in on a service train or just an ECS, but after checking my photo log, I discovered it was on 5F46 which was the ECS for 1F46 18.16 Paddington-Twyford :)

Locomotive History D1800 / 47319

Built - BR Crewe. Originally delivered to British Railways as D1800 in 1964. Into traffic - 14th Jan 1965 allocated to Tinsley (41A).

Numbers carried:

D1800 14th Jan 1965

47319 renumbered Feb 1974

Liveries carried:

D1800

BR: Dual Green (Yellow warning panels)

BR: Dual Green (full yellow ends)

47319

BR: Monastral Blue (Standard)

BR: Trainload (Distribution)

BR: Trainload (Petroleum)

Named 'Norsk Hydro' Mar 1988

Withdrawn - Sep 1998

Cut-up - by Raxstar at Immingham MPD - May 2000

More on the locomotive here: www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=...

I was never a fan of the the ubiquitous and hugely annoying (in their day) Brush Type 4s or Class 47s. Known in the bashing fraternity as Duffs (unpopular locos), Strummers or Strums (engine sound on acceleration) or Spoons (source unknown - possibly the sound of the horn ;) - they appeared with such regular monotony on both passenger and freight trains, it became a fine art trying to avoid them 😄. It was certainly quite a challenge to cop them all for sight - something I didn't achieve until well into the 1980s (with the exception of the early casualties). Now, of course, in the 21st century, they have acquired a certain aura of nostalgia - as most of the original BR locomotive classes have - and some are still in mainline service some 60 years on, mostly in the guise of re-engined Class 57s.

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR camera and 75-200mm zoom lens, using Kodak Ektachrome EN135 (ASA100) slide film - 1/30 f5.6. Ektachrome exposures were particularly tricky and not as pleasing as Kodachrome 64 😀

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/

Pangasinan Solid North Transit Inc.- 1908

Bus No: 1908

Year released: 2013

Capacity: 51; 2x2 seating configuration

Route: Cubao/Kamias-San Carlos via Dau/SCTEX-Concepcion/Capas/Tarlac/Sta. Ignacia/Camiling/Bayambang/Malasiqui

Body: Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co. Ltd.

Model: 2013 Yutong ZK6122HD9 Series

Chassis: Yutong ZK6122CRD9

Engine: Yuchai YC6L310-20 (L32YA)

Fare: Airconditioned

Transmission System: M/T

Suspension: Air Suspension

Taken On: July 25, 2016

Location: Mabalacat City Bus Terminal, Brgy. Dau, Mabalacat City, Pampanga

Chassis n° DB4C/1069/L

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.400.000

Unsold

Zoute Grand Prix 2022

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2022

'The Aston Martin DB4 was perhaps the finest compromise which the David Brown-owned company ever achieved between exceptionally high-quality, exceptionally high-performance, exceptionally lavish finishing and yet properly contained overall size and weight – a great British product, benefiting from the styling input of Touring of Milan...' – Motors, 1965.

Classically proportioned and instantly recognisable from the moment of its introduction in 1958, the Touring-styled Aston Martin DB4 established a look that would survive, with only minor revisions, until 1970. Moreover, it was the first Aston Martin to carry Carrozzeria Touring's 'Superleggera' bodywork, in which light alloy panels were fixed to a framework of light-gauge steel tubes welded to a platform chassis. Although styled by Touring, the DB4's gorgeous fastback coachwork was built under license at Newport Pagnell by Aston Martin, which employed some of the finest panel beaters in the industry. The result was a car whose sleek lines were described as 'unmistakably Italian and yet... equally unmistakably Aston Martin'.

Designed by Tadek Marek and already proven in racing, the DB4's new twin-cam six-cylinder engine displaced 3,670cc while the gearbox was a new David Brown four-speed all-synchromesh unit. An immensely strong platform-type chassis, designed by Harold Beach, replaced the preceding DB2/4's multi-tubular spaceframe, the latter being considered incompatible with Touring's Superleggera body construction. The DB2/4's trailing-link independent front suspension gave way to unequal-length wishbones while at the rear the DB4 sported a live axle located by a Watts linkage instead of its predecessor's Panhard rod. Boasting disc brakes all round and with 240bhp on tap, the DB4 was the first production car capable of accelerating from a standing start to 100mph and back to rest again in under 30 seconds. At a time when few family saloons were capable of exceeding 70mph and took an age to get there, this staggering performance made the DB4 just about the fastest thing on the road, easily the equal of its Italian rivals.

Manufactured between October 1958 and June 1963, the DB4 developed through no fewer than five series. However, it should be made clear that the cars were not thus designated by the factory, this nomenclature having been suggested subsequently by the Aston Martin Owners Club to aid identification as the model evolved. The first cars had already undergone a number of improvements, including the fitting of heavy-duty bumpers after the first 50 had been made, before the 2nd series arrived in January 1960. A front-hinged bonnet, bigger brake callipers and an enlarged sump were the major changes made on the Series II, while the 3rd series featured separate rear lights, two bonnet stays and a host of improvements to the interior fittings. The 4th series was readily distinguishable by its new grille, with seven vertical bars, shallower bonnet intake and recessed rear lights, while the final (5th) series manufactured between September 1962 and June 1963 was built on a 3½" longer wheelbase (allowing for increased leg room and a larger boot) and gained 15" wheels, an electric radiator fan and the DB4GT-type instrument panel. Including Vantage and convertible models, approximately 1,100 DB4s were produced between 1958 and 1963.

The DB4 was available only as a closed sports saloon until September 1961 when the convertible version was unveiled at that year's Motor Show. Priced at £4,449, it was £250 more expensive than the saloon. Passenger space was little changed, though there was more headroom than the saloon could offer.

Its accompanying copy guarantee form shows that this Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, 'DB4C/1069/L', was delivered in July 1962 via US agent J S Inskip and sold new to Robert S Salant of Long Island, New York, USA. The car left the Newport Pagnell factory finished in Dubonnet Rosso with fawn interior trim and was delivered with following items of non-standard equipment: overdrive, chrome wheels, driver's side wing mirror, block letter initials to the doors, and a 'GB' plate.

The Aston's second known owner was a Mr A P Moody of Chicago, Illinois, who kept the car from 1989 to 1999 when it was acquired by Mr Paul Faber of Luxembourg. When Mr Faber died, the car passed to his friend, the current vendor, who has not registered it in his name.

Beautifully finished in Dubonnet Rosso, a colour very popular with Aston Martin's customers, '1069/L' is a fully matching-numbers example: the chassis, engine, and gearbox are all original. The engine was upgraded to the more powerful Vantage specification early in the car's life, and that, coupled with the highly desirable overdrive gearbox and new modern power steering (by Aston Heritage), makes for a highly pleasurable driving experience. The car rolls on Borrani wire wheels and comes with an original and very rare factory hardtop.

Aston Martin specialists Noble House in the Netherlands have carried out a major service which included renewing all the brakes and fitting new tyres and a new fuel tank (invoice on file). All paperwork is up to date.

Combining Aston Martin's traditional virtues of style and performance with the joys of open-air motoring, the DB4 Cabriolet is most sought after and highly prized today. With the exception of the Zagato, the DB4 Cabriolet is the rarest Aston Martin road car of the David Brown era with a total of only 70 built, six less than the legendary DB4 GT, only 10 of which were left-hand drive like this gorgeous example.

Getting through life often involves compromises because whoever only digs one’s heels in seldomly achieves general popularity or success. Therefore, you occasionally do something although you have other plans in mind. These acts might ensure a reasonable coexistence but can also make you stuck in the mutually tolerated comfort zone.

Being loud does not mean that the attention-grabbing noises always want the best for you. For all the love of compromise, at times, it painfully becomes evident that some decisions’ outcome is not negotiable. Though sometimes it’s hard to break free from what others say, it is you who has to face the consequences in the end.

Hence, thinking carefully about what you want can ensure that you listen to your own voice when making important decisions.

loom.ly/fkupenA

Challenged photos from the 1980s - or memories of a mis-spent youth

A view of one of the short-lived prototype Advanced Passenger Trains (APTs) seen approaching Bushey & Oxhey at speed, on its way to Glasgow. Sc48107 leading and Sc48103 at the tail-end :) By the end of 1985, the units had all been withdrawn and most of the coaches were sent to the scrapman. What a waste!

A somewhat compromised shot taken at a too-slow shutter speed, and a bit premature on the shutter release - but a record nonetheless :)

Something new for 2023...Sound & Vision on SoundCloud - more memories from a mis-spent youth 😎

A rather rare recording of what must have been the last operational Advanced Passenger Train (APT-P) unit that I managed to capture on tape on 14th Oct 1986. The unit had arrived at Crewe station from the north on a test train, near the end of its working life, and I managed to get my trusty 'Boom Box' set up in time to record it for posterity, as it slid out of the station and into the sidings of Crewe Electric Depot (CE). Not the most exciting of my railway tapes, but pretty rare nevertheless :)

Just checking my original notebooks, and I noted the entire unit as follows: 370006 (Sc48106) - Sc48602 - Sc49006 - Sc49002 - Sc48603 - Sc48404 - (Sc48103) 370003. The unit departed around 17.30. Visit here for the authentic sound of an APT-P: soundcloud.com/sound-vision-10193594/apt-p-advanced-passe...

Advanced Passenger Train

British Rail's Class 370 tilting trains, also referred to as APT-P (meaning Advanced Passenger Train Prototype), were the pre-production Advanced Passenger Train units. Unlike the earlier experimental gas-turbine APT-E unit, these units were powered by 25 kV AC overhead electrification and were used on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow Central. The APT-P is the most powerful domestic train to have operated in Britain, the eight traction motors fitted to the two central Motor Cars giving a total output of 8,000 horsepower (6,000 kW). This enabled the train to set the UK rail speed record of 162.2 miles per hour (261.0 km/h) in December 1979, a record that stood for 23 years until broken by a Eurostar Class 373 on the newly completed High Speed 1.

The APT-P was unveiled to the public on 7 June 1978 but by 1981 the trains were still under test and undergoing modifications. After Margaret Thatcher's arrival at 10 Downing Street, in 1979, the project was facing the possibility of cancellation, and so BR management decided to put the prototypes into service, with the first runs along the London-Glasgow route finally taking place in December 1981. However, the result was a media circus when every problem large or small received front-page coverage and the entire project derided as an example of BR's incompetence. The trains were quickly withdrawn from service again by the end of the month, to the great amusement of the press. The problems were eventually solved and the trains quietly reintroduced in 1984 with much greater success. However, by this time the competing High Speed Train (HST), powered by a conventional diesel engine and lacking the APT's tilt and performance, had gone through development and testing at a rapid rate and was now forming the backbone of BR's Inter City passenger services. All support for the APT project collapsed as anyone in authority distanced themselves from what was being derided as a failure. The three APT-Ps ran for just over a year before being withdrawn again over the winter of 1985/6. One set was retained and continued to be used for testing into 1986. Two of the three sets were broken up, and parts of the third were eventually sent to the National Railway Museum where it joined the APT-E.

Due to ongoing technical problems with the pre-production units, and a lack of cash or political will to take the project forward, the planned APT-S (Advanced Passenger Train Squadron Service) production-series units were never built, but the project did influence the design of the later InterCity 225 sets designed for the East Coast Main Line electrification. The influence is strongest with the Class 91 locos which took many features from the APT powercars. The technology was later sold to Fiat Ferroviaria and used for improving their second generation Pendolino trains which are used worldwide, including on the West Coast Main Line as the Class 390. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Passenger_Train

Units were numbered 370001-370006 (plus two spare cars labelled 370007 and were formed as follows:

48101 - 48107 - Driving Trailer Second

48201-48206 - Trailer Second

48401-48406 - Trailer Restaurant Second Buffet

48301-48306 - Trailer Unclassified

48501-48506 - Trailer First

48601-48607 - Trailer Brake First

49001-49006 - Non-Driving Motor

Taken with a Zenith TTL SLR camera and standard lens. Scanned from a print with minimal digital restoration

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/

Compromise between playing and being comfortable!

The other Europe with Tsipras -L' altra europa con Tsipras- η άλλη Ευρώπη με τον Τσίπρα

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done for Working Towards a Better World ❤️ WTBW ❤️

Angela Merkel said:

The willingness to learn new skills is very high

Politicians have to be committed to people in equal measures

When it comes to human dignity, we cannot make compromises

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Notional sun of justice

and you glorifying myrtle

don’t please don’t

forget my homeland! (poetry by Odysseas Elytis)

Της δικαιοσύνης ήλιε νοητέ

και μυρσίνη εσύ δοξαστική

μη παρακαλώ σας μη

λησμονάτε τη χώρα μου (ποίηση : Οδυσσέας Ελύτης)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrjP1VDeY

▲❍▼❏ MoRuf! - Compromise

Final piece of my Graphics exam for this year, super mega proud of this one and I'm finally beginning to understand the basics of digital painting.

Unfortunately my tablet has decided to fuck itself and is refusing to cooperate, so there will be no more new art for a while.

Here's a link to the 'making of' video, with authentic space music for your enjoyment.