View allAll Photos Tagged Counterpart
In speaking with one of my counterparts we both agree that since mid November we have seen a decline in the presence of the Great White visitor from the North.
Going from 12 plus in a single day to yesterday with only 3 owls spotted...and only 1 that permitted to be photographed.
Hopefully there will be some that setup on a territory and stick around...so the search continues.
Tropical counterpart to Northern Mockingbird of North America. Common and often conspicuous in open and semi-open lowland tropical areas, perching on roadside wires and bare snags. Silvery gray above and whitish below with a long rounded tail that is black with a bold white tip. Lacks the big white wing patches of Northern Mockingbird, and the ranges of the two species do not really overlap. Varied calls and loud mimic song is much like Northern Mockingbird.
This one was photographed in Colombia guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.
St Michael's Mount (Cornish: Karrek Loos yn Koos, (Carrek Los yn Cos), meaning "hoar rock in woodland", also known colloquially by locals as simply the Mount is a small tidal island in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water. The population of this parish in 2011 was 35. It is managed by the National Trust, and the castle and chapel have been the home of the St Aubyn family since approximately 1650. The earliest buildings, on the summit, date to the 12th century, the harbour is 15th century and the village and summit buildings were rebuilt from 1860 to 1900, to give the island its current form.
Its Cornish language name — literally, "the grey rock in a wood" — may represent a folk memory of a time before Mount's Bay was flooded, indicating a description of the Mount set in woodland. Remains of trees have been seen at low tides following storms on the beach at Perranuthnoe, but radiocarbon dating established the submerging of the hazel wood at about 1700 BC.
Historically, St Michael's Mount was a Cornish counterpart of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France (which shares the same tidal island characteristics and the same conical shape), when it was given to the Benedictines, religious order of Mont Saint-Michel, by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century.
Tropical counterpart to Northern Mockingbird of North America. Common and often conspicuous in open and semi-open lowland tropical areas, perching on roadside wires and bare snags. Silvery gray above and whitish below with a long rounded tail that is black with a bold white tip. Lacks the big white wing patches of Northern Mockingbird, and the ranges of the two species do not really overlap.
This one was photographed in Colombia guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.
Although not as brightly marked as their counterparts just to the north, the Chaco Rainbow Boa still has a busy pattern that I think is very appealing.
We found this boa just after dark at the edge of a large floodplain called the Patino Marsh in southern Paraguay.
"Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for hydropower generation, flows over Horseshoe Falls. The remaining 10% flows over American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. It is located between Terrapin Point on Goat Island in the US state of New York, and Table Rock in the Canadian province of Ontario. These falls are also referred to as the Canadian Falls.
Niagara Falls (/naɪˈæɡərə, -ɡrə/ ny-AGG-ər-ə, -grə) is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. It is also known as the Canadian Falls. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.
Formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario before flowing out to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.
Niagara Falls is 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Buffalo, New York, and 69 km (43 mi) southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path over and through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean.
Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada, adjacent to, and named after, Niagara Falls. As of the 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the Niagara River, which forms part of the Canada–United States border, with the other side being the twin city of Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls is within the Regional Municipality of Niagara and a part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA).
Tourism is a major part of the city's economy: its skyline is comprised of multiple high-rise hotels and observation towers that overlook the waterfalls and adjacent parkland. Souvenir shops, arcades, museums, amusement rides, indoor water parks, casinos, theatres and a convention centre are located nearby in the city's large tourist area. Other parts of the city include historic sites from the War of 1812, parks, golf courses, commercial spaces, and residential neighbourhoods.
Tourism started in the early 19th century and has been a vital part of the local economy since that time. The falls became known as a natural wonder, in part to their being featured in paintings by prominent American artists of the 19th century such as Albert Bierstadt. Such works were reproduced as lithographs, becoming widely distributed. Niagara Falls marketed itself as a honeymoon destination, describing itself as the "honeymoon capital of the world". Its counterpart in New York also used the moniker. The phrase was most commonly used in brochures in the early twentieth century and declined in usage around the 1960s." - info from Wikipedia.
Late June to early July, 2024 I did my 4th major cycling tour. I cycled from Ottawa to London, Ontario on a convoluted route that passed by Niagara Falls. During this journey I cycled 1,876.26 km and took 21,413 photos. As with my other tours a major focus was old architecture.
Find me on Instagram.
Here is another attempt at shooting that camera. So this time, I elevated the subject and increased the amount of light falling on it in a couple of ways:
• 2 speedlights (slightly angled in towards each other to create a mild crosslight effect) bouncing off a large foamcore reflector above the subject
• This light then bounced of white cards to either side of the subject; the card to camera left being about twice the size of its counterpart to camera right; the idea being to throw more light onto the Canon's "nameplate"
• FInally, I added another two reflectors between the subject and the camera:
> a round silver reflector almost parallel to the overhead cardboard reflector, bouncing light back up towards the subject, and
> another large white card held vertically above the subjects' lens to cast light back onto the facia of the Canon.
Post-processing this time was quite minimal, perhaps because the lighting overall was more balanced. Please let me know what you think—I welcome any suggestions!
For the first time, astronomers using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have traced a budding outflow of gas from a cluster of young stars in our galaxy — insights that help us understand how the universe has evolved as NASA explores the secrets of the cosmos for the benefit of all.
The cluster, called Westerlund 1, is located about 12,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Ara. It’s the closest, most massive, and most luminous super star cluster in the Milky Way. The only reason Westerlund 1 isn’t visible to the unaided eye is because it’s surrounded by thick clouds of dust. Its outflow extends below the plane of the galaxy and is filled with high-speed, hard-to-study particles called cosmic rays.
This image of super star cluster Westerlund 1 was captured with the Near-InfraRed Camera on NASA’s James Webb’s Space Telescope. The cluster is largely hidden at visible wavelengths by dust clouds, which infrared light penetrates. Westerlund 1’s large, dense, and diverse stellar population of massive stars has no other known counterpart in the Milky Way.
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), M. G. Guarcello (INAF-OAPA) and the EWOCS team
#NASAMarshall #NASA #NASAFermi #NASAGoddard
After making a setout at Davis Junction, the NS 8101 strolls through the siding in making a perfectly-timed meet with its counterpart, the CP 473 train of 5-8-15.
My approximation of Aaron Beck’s “Flathead” mech. This probably was one of my more challenging builds to date. Not only am I not accustomed to building things that look as close to their real life or concept counterpart, this one also had only one image as reference. Figuring out how the elements not in view would look/work was…interesting. In the end I’m pleased with the model, even if building and photographing it were extremely challenging.
Why this concept art? For one, I followed Aaron from way back, I think he’s an exceptional artist with truly unique and instantly recognizable designs. If you’re not familiar with his work, he has done designs for Elysium, Avatar and Call of Duty, to name just a few. His blog is a treasure trove of awesomeness. And two, this specific design just kinda stuck with me over the years. It’s such a fun concept, basically a walking ammo drum, with the right balance between plausibility and weirdness.
I used this macro photo as part of an album cover that I created for an album of ambient, atmospheric, mind-warping music. I've recorded my first Eleven Shadows album in what seems like half a century, "The Seahorse in the Center of Your Mind". I create ambient, atmospheric mind-warping music as Eleven Shadows. I feel like the music I make is the sonic counterpart to my night photos.
#elevenshadows #marismaoscura #ambient #fourthworld #psychedelia #spacemusic #atmospheric #trippy #music #drone #brianeno #darkambient #photography #albumcoverart #albumcover #macrophotography
After catching this pair a few days earlier on the Northtown to Williston freight, the same set heads back east with the counterpart Williston to Northtown train. It is captured in Becker, MN along the newly constructed second main line that will be in service within a couple months. 10-10-15
Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
Focal Length: 75mm
Aperture: f/25.0
Shutter Speed : 2 seconds
ISO: 50
Exposure: Manual
The larger counterpart to the DCVA, the DIVA boasts higher firepower in the form of an FAS: Frame, Assault Rifle. It also has higher defensive capabilities due to heavier armor, and the OSA(Orbital Sub Arm) module with the defense loadout. This equipment combined with the OSA system allows for an almost 360 degree coverage with 20mm armored shields, designed to be compatible with the OSA for the fastest possible maneuvering of the shields in order to grant the DIVA extra armor protection from any actively or passively detected threats.
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
El Pic de Mieidia de Bigòrra (Pic du Midi de Bigorra, o Pic du Midí a seques, en francès), és una muntanya de 2877 m. A dalt de tot hi ha un dels observatoris astronomics més importants d'Europa. Es va començar a construir el 1870, i compta amb sis telescopis i un museu.
Curiosament és la contrapartida pirinenca del molt similar tant en estructura com en nom Aiguille du Midí, situada als Alps, prop del Mont Blanc. He estat a ambdós llocs.
Foto presa amb una Voigtländer Bessa II fabricada el 1951; objectiu Color-Skopar; pelicula Ilford FP4+ €100, revelada amb HC110, i escanejada amb un Epson V800.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pic_del_Migdia_de_Bigorra
==========================================
The Pic of Mieidia de Bigòrra (Pic du Midi de Bigorra, or Pic du Midí to dry, in French), is a mountain of 2877 m. At the top there is one of the most important astronomical observatories in Europe. It began to be built in 1870, and has six telescopes and a museum.
Peculiarly, it is the Pyrenean counterpart of the very similar in structure as in Aiguille du Midí name, located in the Alps, near the Mont Blanc. I've been to both places.
Picture taken with a Voigtländer Bessa II made in 1951; Color-Skopar lens; Ilford FP4+ @100, developed with HC110, and scanned with an Epson V800.
Passerine birds...The sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution brought about by a similar nectar-feeding lifestyle. Some sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.
from Wikipedia
Nikon D700 + Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D + Kenko 2X Teleconversion Lens + Handheld
Fall warblers #12
Her male counterpart is unmistakeable with his beautiful blue back, all black face and throat, white undersides and belly. I chose to show the female as she is harder to id with her dull greenish-blue above and dirty buff below. I always look for the distinctive white "handkerchief" at the base of the primaries on both.
Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
After a long muddy walk, I finally met this image. Together with its mirrored counterparts the scene was just perfect. The two sides of the visual equation looked immediately in a perfect balance, apparently still and very untouchable. The straws looked so orange in contrast to the gray of the sky that seemed almost fake. It was the first day of spring, 2010, and it seemed as all the seasons were there at the same time.
Then, suddenly, the unbalancing factor. The rain. Don't know why but the beautiful vision I was attempting to freeze in a photograpy was replaced in my mind by the quote of an old movie, Blade Runner:
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those ... moments will be lost in time, like tears... in rain."
The mirrored image was gone in a matter of seconds. Luckly enough, I have managed to make this picture eternal, remaining on the right side of such a beautiful, vanishing equation of my memories.
Dopo un lungo cammino nel fango, finalmente incontro questa immagine. Insieme alla sua controparte speculare, la scena era perfetta. I due membri dell'equazione visiva apparivano subito in un equilibrio perfetto, apparentemente immobile ed intoccabile. I pennacchi apparivano davvero arancioni, così in contrasto con il grigio del cielo da sembrare quasi finti. Era il primo giorno di primavera, 2010, e sembrava che tutte le stagioni fossero lì insieme. Quando, all'improvviso, ecco il fattore che rompe l'equazione. La pioggia.
Non so perchè, ma la visione meravigliosa che stavo cercando di congelare in una fotografia aveva lasciato il posto ad una citazione da un vecchio film, Blade Runner:
"Io ne ho viste cose che voi umani non potreste immaginarvi. Navi da combattimento in fiamme al largo dei bastioni di Orione, E ho visto i raggi B balenare nel buio vicino alle porte di Tannhäuser. E tutti quei momenti andranno perduti nel tempo... come lacrime nella pioggia."
L'immagine riflessa era già sparita, nell'arco di secondi. Con un po' di fortuna, sono riuscito ad immortalare questa foto, rimanendo dal lato giusto di una così bella ed evanescente equazione, nei miei ricordi.
BMW Z3 M Coupe (1998-02) Engine 3200cc S6 Production 5179 (= 2178 European S50 LHD cars, 821 S50 European RHD, + 2180 North American S54 LHD)
Registration Number KX 02 ZEN (Northampton)
BMW ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623759864432....
The BMW M Coupe is a shooting brake coupe styled high-performance automobile produced by BMW. Only two generations of the M Coupe have been manufactured, the original E36/8 Z3 Coupe and the second generation E86 Z4 Coupe.
The original E36 M Coupe was developed under Burkhard Göschel with the intention of adding increased torsional and structural rigidity to the Z3 roadster’s chassis. The team could only convince BMW to put the car into production, if it proved to be cost efficient. To achieve this goal, as many body panels as possible had to be shared with the roadster, thus the doors and everything from the A-pillar forward are interchangeable between the coupe and roadster, as are most interior parts. The Z3 coupe, which mates the M coupe's body with the standard Z3 drivetrain, chassis and cosmetics was approved for production at the same time.
The car is based on the BMW M Roadster. Although, the semi-trailing arm rear suspension was not modified from the M Roadster, The coupe is 2.7 times torsionally stiffer than its convertible counterpart. The most important aspect of the E36/8 M Coupe was the difference in engines, the BMW S50, BMW S52, and the BMW S54, were all offered in different markets at different times. Due to the unique styling of the M Coupe, dealer sales were slow, and dealerships sidestepped the M Coupe to sell the more practical and more profitable M3 models to performance enthusiasts.
As a result they were always relatively rare
Diolch am 92,432,079 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 92,432,079 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 23.04.2022 at the Bicester Spring Scramble, Bicester, Oxfordshire 158-096
The name of this work is in Finnish as some things do not translate well. In dominant English-American culture, Santa's little helpers are know as elves, are generally small, cheerful, beardless and wear green. They are ridiculous. Their Finnish (and probably Swedish etc.) counterparts are known as tonttu (tomte), deriving from the folkore creature that keeps watch on saunas, barns, stables and so on. At least in modern descriptions, they are short, bearded, oldish, wear pointed caps and grey, red, brown and - sometimes - mossy natural green.
Anyway, I built this for my LUG Palikkatakomo's Christmas Ornament contest. I won the pro category. This was the third time, in a row.
More on Cyclopic Bricks.
Happy New Year!
In 1964, an evil counterpart of Wonder Woman from a parallel universe named "Superwoman" was introduced. This Superwoman was a member of the Crime Syndicate of America, a villainous counterpart of the Justice League of America from the parallel world of "Earth-Three" (vs. the Justice League's world of "Earth-One").
Superwoman, like Wonder Woman, was an Amazon, and possessed similar powers of super-strength and flight. Unlike most/all other versions, her golden lasso could change shape into any form she desired, including a giant winged serpent. The Crime Syndicate first came to Earth-1 to battle the Justice League when, after near capture, they felt they needed a real challenge to their powers.
Superwoman is defeated by Wonder Woman on Earth-1 when each deploy their lassos with Wonder Woman’s proving itself the superior of the two.
However each Crime Syndicate member has a fail-safe that transports themselves and the victorious Justice League member to Earth-3. Another battle ensues and this time Wonder Woman falls victim to Superwoman’s lasso.
The Crime Syndicate puts the Justice League into a trance on Earth-1 while they prepare to battle the Justice Society of America on Earth-2, an Earth that will provide a neutral location for a final battle.
Superwoman is again defeated by the host Earth's heroine, this time Black Canary who is able to use Superwoman’s strength against her and encircles her with her own lasso.
Another fail-safe transports them to Earth-3 where Black Canary and the rest of the Justice Society are imprisoned. Superwoman and Wonder Woman have a final showdown on Earth-2 where neither has a home Earth advantage.
Superwoman yanks Wonder Woman’s lasso from her and proceeds to hurl both ropes at her rival, ensuring Wonder Woman won’t be able to make a move against her, but is surprised when the ropes sail high, realizing it takes more super-strength to control both lassos.
Wonder Woman, having anticipated this, “let” her lasso be taken and then relies on her super-swiftness to put Superwoman out of commission before she can recover from her surprise. The Crime Syndicate, having all been defeated, are imprisoned between Earth-1 and Earth-2 by Green Lantern in a green bubble.
The Crime Syndicate were freed by the time travelling villain Per Degaton after he was caught up in a time-storm, discovered their bubble, and freed them. They tried to get him, but he revealed he had made sure he and his Time Machine would vibrate at a different speed to them, meaning they could not touch him.
They helped him change history and conquer Earth-2 by stealing nuclear missiles from the Cuban Missile Crisis of Earth Prime, and when the Syndicate betrays him they are sent to 1982 of Earth-1, as he had made sure this would happen when they touched him.
They materialized on the JLA's satellite headquarters and defeated the heroes. The JSA were imprisoned in their prison, but the combined powers of Starman and Doctor Fate got them out.
They helped him again when the JLA tried to restore history, though were planning to betray him. When Degaton was defeated this timeline was erased and the Syndicate was re-imprisoned.
In the Pre-Crisis DCU any Amazon seen without her nonremovable indestructible bracelets was in fact driven mad. Superwoman was never seen with bracelets and this was part of her look to show she was, in fact, an evil aging Amazon (she also had a streak of grey hair).
On the original Pre-Crisis Earth-Three, Superwoman and Lois Lane are two separate people, with Lois working as a reporter for the Daily Star just like Earth-Two and even having a short-lived romance with Captain Comet when he came to her universe while chasing the Secret Society of Super-Villains across multiple realities.
The Pre-Crisis version of Superwoman was killed, along with the rest of the CSA, when they were trying to save Earth-Three from being destroyed by the Anti-Monitor's antimatter wave.
During the Convergence storyline, Superwoman was on death row after an accidental death happened to the Earth-Three version of Bruno Mannheim during the attack on Earth-Three's Metropolis. Due to the Rogue Hunter's interference, the Crime Syndicate failed to rescue Superwoman from death row as the electric chair was activated. She however later got better and fought her Justice League 1,000,000 counterpart.
In Post-Crisis continuity, as established in the 2000 graphic novel JLA: Earth 2 by Grant Morrison, Superwoman (and the rest of the Crime Syndicate) comes from a parallel world similar to Earth, but located in an antimatter universe (also home to the planet Qward).
Superwoman continues to make occasional appearances as a member of the Crime Syndicate, most recently appearing in storylines in the Justice League and Superman comics.
Unlike her pre-Crisis counterpart, her magic lasso doesn't change shape but releases the inhibitions of anyone tied to it (just as Wonder Woman's compels victims to tell the truth). Bizarrely she also possesses heat vision, as Superman and Ultraman do, although there is no explanation for this.
Taking the alias Lois Lane, Superwoman is an Amazon by birth, and has risen through the ranks to become the chief editor of the Daily Planet in what she calls "Patriarch's World".
This disguise resembles Wonder Woman's secret identity of Diana Prince. At the Planet, Superwoman is shown to upset her colleagues; the antimatter-Cat Grant refers to Superwoman as "Queen B", and negatively alludes to her "friendship" with the antimatter Jimmy Olsen.
In her later appearances, it is stated that prior to taking on Lois Lane's identity, Superwoman was born on Damnation Island, presumably the Antimatter counterpart to Themyscira (or "Paradise Island").
It is mentioned that she had murdered all of her fellow Amazons, and upon meeting Donna Troy, she becomes ecstatic over the prospect of being able to murder another one of her kind for the first time in years. The Antimatter Universe's version of Superwoman is the first version of the character to combine Diana of Themyscira and Lois Lane.
Jimmy Olsen is the only civilian who knows of Superwoman's secret identity. A compliant sycophant, he is so besotted that he ignores her gibes and insults, even when she tauntingly refers to him as, "Superwoman's Snitch, Jimmy Olsen", and prints it in the Planet.
Also in the Earth 2 story, her lover Ultraman hates Superwoman's frigidity towards him. Meanwhile, she is two-timing him with Owlman, and they sneak trysts whenever they feel Ultraman is not watching.
However, from his floating fortress (the antimatter counterpart to the Fortress of Solitude), Ultraman doesn't hesitate to fire warning bursts of heat vision towards them whenever he catches them together.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Flight: Superwoman can fly.
Heat Vision: Superwoman is capable of a version of red energy projection from her eyes.
Superhuman Strength: Superwoman was strong enough to rip open the thick, metal doors of Arkham Asylum with her bare hands, as well as injure Black Adam.
Superhuman Stamina
Superhuman Durability: Superwoman was able to survive Black Adam's powerful Shazam lightning, although it did knock her out.
Virtual Immortality
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Diana
Publisher: DC
First appearance: Justice League of America #29 (August 1964)
Created by: Gardner Fox (Writer)
Mike Sekowsky (Artist)
When it was built, George III (The Mad King) was on the throne, and Napoleon was still a student. Loyalist citizen Laura Secord, of the same family as Peter, was the Canadian counterpart to the American hero Paul Revere.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secord_family
The Secord family (originally Sicard) was a colonial New York family whose loyalties were split during the American Revolution. The family traces its origins back to Ambroise Sicard who was born in France about 1631. Sicard, a Huguenot, brought his family to British America in 1688 to escape religious persecution. Although a few of his descendants were active as Patriots during the American Revolution, a significant number were Loyalists who joined British provincial regiments such as Butler's Rangers, and afterwards settled in what is now Ontario and New Brunswick.
The topmost decorative element on the Jewish gravestone is reminiscent of a stylised crenellated crown or architecture with arches, which could be based on Solomon's temple or a synagogue. Such architectural motifs are not uncommon on Jewish gravestones and often symbolise spiritual meanings.
The crenellated shape can symbolise the Temple of Solomon, which plays a central role in Jewish tradition, or it can generally express a connection to holiness and faith. The idea of the "crown of the Torah" (כתר תורה, Keter Tora) can also resonate, pointing to the wisdom and religious knowledge of the deceased.
Overall, this element is an indication of the importance of religion and tradition in the life of the deceased as well as the desire for a connection between this world and the afterlife.
In Jewish tradition, Jerusalem is figuratively and linguistically given various honourable and symbolic names. Some of the most important are:
1. Ir HaKodesh (עִיר הַקּוֹדֶשׁ) - "The Holy City"
- This designation emphasises the spiritual and religious significance of Jerusalem as the centre of Judaism and the site of the Temple.
2. zion (צִיּוֹן) - "Zion"
- Zion is often synonymous with Jerusalem and refers in particular to the Temple Mount or the heavenly ideal of the city.
3. Jerusalem shel Ma'ala (יְרוּשָׁלַיִשֶׁל מַעְלָה) - "The heavenly Jerusalem"
- This term distinguishes between the earthly city and its idealised, divine counterpart in the spiritual world.
4. ir David (עִיר דָּוִד) - "The City of David"
- This designation refers to the biblical foundation of Jerusalem as the capital by King David.
5th capital of Jewish hope
- In prayers, psalms and Jewish liturgy, Jerusalem is seen as the centre of Jewish longing for redemption (e.g. "Next year in Jerusalem" at the Passover Seder).
Pictorial representations:
- With walls and towers:
- Jerusalem is often depicted in Jewish art as a walled city with towers, with the Temple at its centre.
- With the temple or a crown:
- The Temple of Solomon or a stylised crown symbolise the holiness of the city.
- With seven gates or twelve gates:
- This depiction can refer to the messianic expectation and the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Golden Jerusalem ("Yerushalayim shel Sahav")
- A poetic image that shows Jerusalem as a radiant, divine city.
All these images and titles emphasise the central position of Jerusalem in Jewish religion and history.
As counterpart to the last photo: now the eye of a white lion cub, so that you can compare them, especially the shape of the pupil, which is round in big cats!
Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is the Earth-Two counterpart of Supergirl and first cousin to Kal-L, the Superman of Earth-Two.
Journey from Krypton
After discovering Krypton was about to explode, Kara's father Zor-L launched her as an infant to Earth in a ship at the same time that Kal-L's ship was launched. However, Kara's ship took a much longer journey, resulting in her arriving on Earth decades after her cousin.
Power Girl's existence was not revealed to the general public until years after her arrival on Earth-Two. Her cousin Clark and his wife Lois provided her with a family environment that aided her transition from the virtual reality she had experienced during her voyage to real life relationships. She came to regard her cousin and his wife as her "uncle" and "aunt" for raising her on Earth-Two despite being cousins by blood and marriage. Lois Lane-Kent stated that they regarded her as their daughter.
In her first recorded case, Kara assisted Justice Society members Flash and Wildcat in containing an artificially induced volcano that had erupted in Peking, China. She then joined them and other young heroes Robin and Star-Spangled Kid to form a Super Squad, along with active members of the Justice Society, to defeat Brain Wave and Per Degaton's scheme for world domination. Later, she was granted full membership when she took over Superman's vacated spot on the team roster.
Having been raised by the Symbioship with artificial Kryptonian life experiences, Power Girl had trouble fitting into life on Earth, but with the help of reporter Andrew Vinson, she eventually adopted the secret identity of computer programmer Karen Starr. She developed her knowledge in this field from treatment under Wonder Woman's purple ray on Paradise Island. Outside of the Justice Society, she developed a close friendship with Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Earth-Two Batman and Catwoman and was later a founding member of Infinity, Inc.
Following the events of the original Crisis, Kara's background was completely altered. With Earth-Two no longer existing, Kara's origin could only be guessed at, and it was mistakenly thought that she was the granddaughter of the Atlantean sorcerer Arion and had been frozen in suspended animation for millennia until the present day.
In search of her origins, Kara traveled to Skartaris. During her journey, she met Jennifer Morgan whom she ended up considering like a sister. Eventually, the Fates called Kara back, claiming the surface needed her. It was with a broken heart she left the people she had grown to consider like her people.
After the Invasion, Kara joined Justice League Europe and was later badly injured by the second Gray Man suffering a significant loss of power. Despite this, she remained a key member of the team throughout its history, including the first encounter with the Extremists and the Overmaster.
Power Girl was recruited to be one of Oracle's first field agents. Their short-lived partnership ended in failure after a disastrous mission that resulted in a large loss of life. Power Girl believed that poor orders from Oracle were to blame for the tragedy and disliked Oracle intensely as a result (although she has worked with her again on a few occasions when needed.)
When Black Canary resigned from the JSA, she recommended Kara take her place, bringing Power Girl full circle back to the Justice Society of America.
During the events of Infinite Crisis, the Psycho-Pirate showed Kara multiple versions of her origin in an effort to drive her insane, but eventually revealed that she was not only Kryptonian but also a survivor of the entire Earth-Two universe.
Kal-L himself returned to the mainstream universe after breaking down the walls of the paradise dimension in which he, Lois Lane-Kent, Alexander Luthor, Jr., and Superboy-Prime had been living since the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Appalled by the rapidly-deteriorating state of affairs on the contemporary Earth, their goal was to replace the post-Crisis planet with a recreated Earth-Two.
Kal-L's first order of business was to track down Power Girl and explain the events of the original Crisis to her, as well as confirming Psycho Pirate's claims of her Earth-Two origin. Kara's memories of her Earth-Two life were restored to her when she was re-introduced to an ailing Lois Lane-Kent.
Soon after, Kara stumbled upon a machine in which the Martian Manhunter was held captive. Before she could free him, she was attacked by Superboy-Prime and attached to the machine alongside J'onn J'onzz. Alex Luthor then revealed his true ambition of restoring the multiverse using representatives of various Earths, with Kara selected because of her link to Earth-Two.
Kara was later freed by Wonder Girl and Kon-El and joined them in fighting Superboy-Prime and Alexander Luthor, Jr.. Superboy-Prime fled Earth for Mogo, pursued by the two Supermen whom he fought. During the fight, Kal-L was mortally wounded and Power Girl arrived on Mogo with the Green Lantern Corps just in time to bid a tearful farewell to her dying cousin.
Power Girl went on to help reform the Justice Society of America, where she was elected Chairperson of the team. She led the team through its dealings with the Superman of Earth-22 and the confrontation between the JSA and the super-being known as Gog. During that battle, Power Girl was sent by Gog to the parallel Earth known as Earth-2.
Thinking she had somehow returned to her home reality of Earth-Two, she sought to adapt to life there with the counterparts of her long dead (and historically erased) friends. However, she noticed several major differences from her reality, particularly in the actions of Helena Wayne, who was going to murder the Earth-2 Joker. When Earth-2's actual Power Girl returned, it became clear that this was not her home and she returned to the Justice Society.
Following a disagreement in operational methods, Power Girl and the younger members of the JSA split into the Justice Society of America All-Stars. At the same time, she began devoting more time to her old R&D firm, Starrware Labs in New York City. and became friends with the young superheroine Atlee aka Terra III, becoming something of a mentor to her.
While in New York, she defended the city from Ultra-Humanite, who tried to transfer his brain into her body. After his defeat, Kara was spared any major conflicts until Ultra-Humanite's ex-girlfriend Satanna tried to avenge his defeat. She nearly succeeded in killing Power Girl, but Atlee's intervention saved her life.
Ultra-Humanite eventually returned to fight Power Girl, this time having Satanna put his brain in Atlee's body. She was able to knock out Ultra-Humanite without seriously hurting her friend's body, then tracked down Satanna to force her to undo the damage. When that failed, she then took Atlee and Ultra-Humanite to Strata.
Atlee's brain as returned to her body, and Ultra-Humanite' brain was put into a clone, also curing him of his genetic disease at the same time. Later, Kara offered him a job, but he refused. Before having his memories erased, he revealed that he was still evil, and swore vengeance on Power Girl before having his memory wiped.
Following Blackest Night, Power Girl returned to duty with the Justice League in order to hunt down the resurrected Maxwell Lord. While in Moscow, Booster Gold ends destroying the Justice League International embassy, greatly upsetting Power Girl. She flew off to investigate the next lead provided by Batman alone, only to encounter OMACs. She fought them, but they shut down after Maxwell Lord activated a device that erased his identity from minds of everyone on Earth.
When she returned home, she found out that her financial officer and trusted friend Donna Anderson stole all of her company's money, leaving Starrware in bankruptcy. The bank and Kara's rival companies systematically took everything all of Starrware's creations.
She then encountered a mysterious cyborg called C.R.A.S.H that was programmed to level New York City. She managed to stop the cyborg, but before she was able to turn him in, Maxwell appeared and rescued C.R.A.S.H. It was also during this time that Nicholas Cho, an employer of Starrware, figured out Power Girl and Karen Starr were one in the same and threatened to expose her.
She manages to convince him otherwise and convinces him to serve as her partner. Power Girl then went to Batman to investigate both Maxwell Lord and Donna who stole from her company. Due to Maxwell's powers, though, they forgot about him once again. Focusing on finding Donna, they learned that she died of an apparent drug overdose. Not buying the facts, Kara traced a potential lead to Antarctica. Upon arrival, she fought Divine, a clone of her created by Maxwell Lord and Dr. Sivana. When Power Girl came close to winning, Maxwell appeared, stunning her and taking Divine away. After the encounter, Kara remembered who Maxwell Lord was.
Power Girl tried to convince the JSA and Batman about Lord and the threat he posed. However, during the meeting, another mind wipe causes them to forget about him once again. Power Girl then goes to Professor Ivo's new lab in Vietnam where he's revived, Project Cadmus.
Before she could shut it down, Maxwell stopped her and used his powers, to force her to kill the Justice League International. The JLI managed to snap her out of Maxwell's control and decides to join them in stopping him.
She then goes to dig up the corpse of Ted Kord to prove that he was murdered. When she takes the body to Batman to examine it, he initially refused, but after some convincing with Batman (the recently returned Bruce Wayne), the two examined the body to learn that Ted Kord was indeed killed by Lord.
Power Girl then joins Batman and the JLI in stopping Maxwell Lord. After Lord was defeated, Kara was able to restore her company and refocus it on using her creations to help the general public. Knowing that this would mean Karen Starr would have to enter the public spotlight, she puts some advice she received from Superman into action and begins putting more effort into managing her secret identity.
Powers
Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Power Girl possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Power Girl's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system.
Her biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and her bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
Heat Vision: Power Girl can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. She can vary the heat and area affected.
Super-Hearing: Power Girl's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, she can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
Enhanced Vision: Power Girl's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
This umbrella ability includes the following:
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Vision: Power Girl can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. She can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, she can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows her to see the aura generated by living thing.
Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Power Girls can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. She can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed.
The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
Infrared Vision: Power Girl can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
Flight: Power Girl is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of her dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Power Girl is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, her extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
Enhanced Immunity
Superhuman Stamina: Power Girl is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on her body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
Superhuman Strength: Power Girl's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of her musculature. Her strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables her to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
Superhuman Speed: Power Girl is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to her perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
This also confers:
Superhuman Agility
Superhuman Reflexes
Super-Breath: Power Girl is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from her lungs. She can chill the air as it leaves her lungs to freeze targets. She can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into her lungs.
Longevity: Power Girl can live longer than regular humans, remaining at her prime as long as she was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Abilities
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Kara has trained with several notable teachers including her teammate Wildcat, who is a world-renowned boxer and hand to hand combatant. She was also trained in Karate by martial arts instructor Mongo Krebs.
Boxing
Karate
Genius Level Intellect: Power Girl has shown enhanced memorization, intelligence, and computational abilities.
Business Management
Computer Operation: Once Power Girl's computer abilities were crucial in order to save Keystone City.
Super Ventriloquism
Weaknesses
Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Power Girl possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
Vulnerability to Kryptonite
Vulnerability to Magic
Vulnerability to Psionics: Kara Zor-L is as vulnerable to psionic attacks as a normal human being. She is subject to mental domination attacks against her. Those whose mental powers are superior to her own have been able to render her unconscious or disrupt her natural thought processes in battle.
Vulnerability to Raw Materials: Power Girl was vulnerable to unprocessed, natural materials, such as branches and rocks for a short while.
Power Limitation: Kara's x-ray vision cannot penetrate lead or lead-lined walls, or objects of dense enough structure. Certain energies also can be used to block her from visually analyzing them.
Power Instability: Originally Power Girl, as an Earth-Two Kryptonian, did not function on solar power, but her own body generated its own energies. However, based on recent events, Kara operates in a similar way to the New Earth universe Kryptonians, whereby she requires solar energy to function at peak capacity, or her powers fade to greatly reduced levels, some disappearing entirely if her solar reserves are empty. How Power Girl's powers function under suns not colored red or yellow is unknown.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Kara Zor-L, Karen Starr
Publisher: DC Comics
First appearance: All Star Comics #58 (February 1976)
Created by: Gerry Conway (Writer)
Ric Estrada (Artist)
Wally Wood (Artist)
This is Power Girl's first Bijou Planks appearance, but she has appeared many times in the main Paprihaven storyline. Such as in issue 371:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/18915405459/
And in issue 487:
This is an amazing assassin striking fear into small birds.
As we sat he swooped in on silent wings just a few inches off the ground and then swooped up and landed obligingly on this stump.
A few rapid clicks to capture his image.
He is smaller than the female and can only hunt down smaller prey that his female counterpart who will on her own bring down wood pigeons – quite amazing.
Counterpart trains U260 (CREX 1503) and U261 (leftmost train) meet each other in Neenah WI. 12/28/18
Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed : 1/60
ISO: 100
Exposure: Manual
Here's the female counterpart of the bird in the previous photo. She, too, was at the feeder right outside my office window. During today's miserable weather, other birds fed and watered at my front porch instead. Windsor Park is a part of Charlotte, N.C. (See map at right.)
The crew of southbound ethanol train # 640 are all smiles as they wait in the siding for their northbound counterpart # 641 to roll by on the main. Fortunately for the crew, the siding is located adjacent to a Tim Hortons and to quote the conductor, the lead EMD "runs smooth and reliably, unlike the pair of GEs that crapped out on us last time".
A gorgeous duck in her own right while she may not have the flamboyance of her male counterpart this Mandarin is still pretty amazing. taken at Golden Acre Park.
After three days of nothing but rain, this sunrise scene was a sight for sore eyes on this morning. With there being only so much space between the mountains in this composition, it can sometimes be difficult to capture any clouds between them, while the light is right. I know this is one very large mass of a cloud, but I think it did its job beautifully!
May this be an open window to somewhere other than where you currently are :-)
© 2016 Keith Briley Photography - All Rights Reserved
www.charlestonphotographytours.com
This image may not be used without the full consent of Keith Briley Photography.
CSX Q409 heads south on the Charleston Subdivision for Waycross via Savannah as it passes the Amtrak station for Yemassee on the former Atlantic Coast Line’s “A Line.” Powering the train on this day is the “Hardin Triplets,” CSX’s Spirit engines which honor the armed forces (the 1776; leading), law enforcement (3194; trailing), & first responders (911; mid-train DPU). These engines were the talk of the week after surprisingly being brought out of a year & a half long period of sitting in storage in Waycross after being tagged for “Special Events Only” a week earlier when they were surprisingly assigned to take Q410 north to Selkirk, NY. Not knowing how long they would stay in service with rumors going around that this run was just to make sure that they were mechanically good before going back into storage, I made sure to get out & get them while I could when they came back south a week later on 410’s counterpart. 2-21-21
Binomial name
Trachypithecus phayrei
Phayre’s leaf monkey, also known as Phayre’s langur, is an Old World monkey native to Southeast Asia. Its geographic distribution spans the countries of India (specifically, the northeastern states of Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), China, Lao PDR (Laos), Thailand, and Vietnam.
Head-to-body length for Phayre’s leaf monkeys ranges from 17.3 to 24 in (44–61 cm). Females are typically a bit longer, or taller, than their male counterparts.Head-to-body length for Phayre’s leaf monkeys ranges from 17.3 to 24 in (44–61 cm). Females are typically a bit longer, or taller, than their male counterparts.
Extra 66 Sedan - full-size 4-door luxury sedan that was produced by Classique Motor Company from 1954 to 1961. It was much comfortable for 4 or 5 passengers in comparison with its 2-door counterpart, '53 Classique 66 Vegas, but significantly more expensive.
It's the main reason why 66 Sedan - at least "Extra" trim, was widely used in governmental structures, by businessmans and even some American politicians. This model later served as a base for Classique Extra 66 Presidential limousine.
BLANCA JARA MEZA NIKON D 7000 70 300 VR . fotografia Horacio Patrone.. BUENOS AIRES...( ARGENTINA ) . . -The most striking aspect of the northern barrios (Retiro, Recoleta, Palermo), especially in comparison with their less affluent southern counterpart. .buenosaires.for91days.com/2011/03/10/the-carlos-thays-bot...
Gourocaur the Great Beast:
The Brayherd is a faction of human-like beasts, with the torsos and faces of regular beings but the legs and horns of beasts. However, that is the only similarity they share with their human counterparts. The Brayherd is a feral and ravenous race, with an immense rage that is unseen in any other faction. Some in the Brayherd are clawed beasts and some are hooved; while others are so gigantic and ferocious that they dominate the herd and strike a deep rooted fear into their enemies. Gourocaur the Great Beast is one such case.
The origin of Gourocaur is unknown. Some say he was created after breeding giants with mammoths, while other say he was created by the dark powers to destroy the lands of Warscape from all that is good. Either way, he is feared by all of his enemies and many dread to face him in battle. This brayherd beast has never been defeated in combat. Gourocaur's dense hide and leathery tough skin deflect arrows and sword blows, while crude metal plate's deflect tougher weapons. He wears a crude helm that sprouts metal spikes and drips with his insatiable bloodlust.
Many of Gourocaur's enemies now hang on his body, strapped to planks of wood to rot and decay until only skeletons are left. He carries a huge spiked club that crushes beings lesser than him and is able to throw his great spears hundreds of yards, impaling his chosen prey with a deadly accuracy.
Woe is the day of man when Gourocaur musters the Brayherd and marches to burn the world of Warscape. And that day has come.
I photograph these tiny wildflowers (weeds!) every year as I think they are so pretty and interesting with all the folklore attached to them. They come in pink or white.
Herb Robert is thought by many to be a noxious weed (the seeds eject forcefully from the pod and can travel up to 20 feet away from the plant). It has many common names, including Bachelor’s Buttons, Granny-thread-the-needle, Stinking Robert, Death Come Quickly, Robin Redbreast and Pink Pinafores. The unpleasant odour of freshly picked and crushed leaves is said to repel mosquitoes. Outdoors, the plant was said to bring good luck, but if you took it indoors, death was sure to follow. The association with death was enhanced by the name Robert, a folk name for a devilish sprite who liked to cause trouble for people, though I've read elsewhere that it was named after a monk, Robert, who liked to use it in his healing work. Interestingly, it can often be found growing on or near to the sites of old monasteries, which gives credence to this idea.
Both in England and abroad it was believed to be the plant of the house goblin, the German Knecht Ruprecht, and in England Robin Goodfellow. 16th Century mentions of this creature make him hairy and red-featured, so common qualities with the plant in colour and hairiness.
It is considered the vegetable counterpart to the Robin which can bring good luck if treated kindly or conversely terrible mishaps if killed or its nest destroyed.
123 pictures in 2023 (69) no bigger than a credit card
Not quite as colourful as her male counterpart, being mostly brown and grey, but still a striking duck in my opinion. Taken at Bretton Country Park near Wakefield. West Yorkshire.
Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM
Focal Length: 23mm
Aperture: f/22.0
Shutter Speed : 1.3
ISO: 50
Exposure: Manual
Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed : 1/100
ISO: 160
Exposure: Manual
Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f/9.0
Shutter Speed : 1/100
ISO : 100
Exposure: Manual