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Here stands Neptune,
the counterpart of the greek god Poseidon,
the roman god of freshwater and the sea,
in his left hand his trident,
and on his right, kneeling,
the sea nymph Thetis,
also known as the goddess of water.
What is she saying and why is she kneeling?
Wasn't it Poseidon, who fell in love with her
and desired her as his wife?
As also Zeus lusted after her.
But that was before this scene.
Both wanted Thetis at that time,
Thetis herself favoured Zeus,
but there was a slight problem.
An oracle, which foretold
that the son she bore
would become greater than his father.
That was quite a damper on the ambitions
of the gods, and none of them
wanted to take on the risk.
So it became, that she should marry Peleus,
a brave and kind, but a little bit boring human,
where it would be no problem (for the gods),
if his son was mightier than him.
Thetis was not amused at all and angry,
that an oracle would crimp her plans,
but this is another story.
The son, who became mightier than
his father was Achilles,
hero of the Trojan War
and the central character and greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.
And finally we are back to this scene on the fountain:
Thetis is entreating Neptune
to favour the voyage of her son, Achilles,
who has set off to conquer Troy.
But why this scene, in a place
with about 350 km distance
as the crow flies, to the sea?
Well, Neptune driving across the seas
in dominion over the watery element,
was a common motif for monarchs
in 16th to 18th-century art,
and acted as a symbol for controlling
the destiny of their nations.
You can find this fountain in Schönbrunn
in Vienna, where it was finished in 1780
for Maria Theresa.
Right after the outbound bottles cleared, NS 5333 brings the inbound bottles east across CP 502 in East Chicago, IN.
Cnother festive delights is cured fruits. Different from it's western counterparts, the Chinese version is cured and sprinkled with sugar powder. Fruits include lotus roots, lotus seeds, ginger, winter melon, coconut etc.
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check out more Hong Kong Streets & Candid shots here:
Taking the Streets in Hong Kong
In the mood for RED :
Explore the Chinese Cultures:
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Adjacent the Robe Obelisk
For other images and the occasional musing on photography, the universe and everything, visit and like:
St. Lawrence (Nuremberg)
Towers of St. Lorenz Church, view from the west
St. Lawrence is a Gothic church in Nuremberg. The Lorenz church was the parish church of the medieval settlement located south of Pegnitz core of the former free imperial city of Nuremberg and forms the urban counterpart to the older Church of St. Sebald in the northern area . Construction of the three-aisled basilica was in 1250, the late Gothic choir was completed in 1477. Patron of the church is the Holy Lorenz. The heavily damaged in World War II construction was built according to the old model again. Since the Reformation, the Lorenz church is next to the Church of St. Sebald one of the two major Protestant Churches of Nuremberg, both of which belong to the deanery of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria. The Lorenz Church Nuremberg city is the seat of the Dean and finds it in the traditionally held launch of the country's newly elected bishop.
Architectural History
Iron scale from the 15th Century on the west facade. The unit is six Nuremberg Shoe (equivalent to 6 × 27.84 cm = 167.04 cm)
The first mention of Lawrence 's Chapel in Nuremberg from the years 1235 and 1258, during an excavation in 1929 found that it was a small three-aisled basilica with the previous Romanesque. Parts of this building from the early 13th Century have been reused in the rising masonry.
The architectural history of the Lorenz church was always inspired by the model and the competition of the more important in the Middle Ages St. Sebald church. Construction of the three-aisled basilica is dated to about 1250 (St. Sebald ca. 1230/40). However, the exact series episode has yet to be determined. The dating of the sculpture of the west facade plays a supporting role, the workshop will also be seen in Nuremberg at the Tomb of Konrad Gross. The three-aisled basilica was completed around 1390th.
As early as 1400 but was extended (again, following the example of St. Sebald) the aisles by as much moved to their outside walls that is now located in the interior of the church buttresses forming small private chapels for the Council sexes. The last major phase of construction of the hall choir to the altar Deocarus fell in the years 1439-77 (The project is backed by inscriptions; hall choir of St. Sebald 1361-79).
The church was heavily damaged by the air raids in World War II and in the final battle for Nuremberg in April 1945 and has been rebuilt from 1949. Mainly the roof and the vault were destroyed. The roof has been completely redesigned, and the roof was built over the nave due to material shortages of steel. It had to be installed along 1.5 km pursuit and new vault keystones.
History
Lorenz Church, view from south
At least the predecessor of St. Lorenz church, mentioned in the first half of the 13th Century, the bambergischen upper parish in Fuerth was assumed, while St. Sebald originally belonged to Poppenreuth. St. Lawrence could never reach the significance of the sister church, the highlight of this development was in 1425 with the canonization of the public for the past two centuries revered local saint Sebald achieved by the Curia of the entire Middle Ages. St. Lawrence, patron of St. Lorenz church, did not offer the same ID space, especially since you did not have his body . This explains also the 15th Century growing devotion to the Holy Deocarus, confessor of Charles the Great, whose relics were kept in the Lorenz Church since 1316. On his 1436/37 donated altar was allowed, proven from the funds of Nuremberg citizens, establish the late-Gothic hall choir to the east of the church.
Not only for the construction of Hall Choir (1439-1477), but for the entire construction financed by wealthy citizens and the City Council is likely. The same is true for some very valuable assets, in some cases it is here a concrete founder of the patricians can be found ( as in the tabernacle, and the English greeting). This was probably also the reason that the art treasures of St. Lawrence were spared during the Reformation period of iconoclasm. St. Lawrence was one of the first churches in Germany, which were Lutheran (1525), but apparently they wanted to Nuremberg in the memory of the ancestors own honor and had therefore made by them donated sculptures.
In the subsequent history of the church, there are well-known personalities: That there was a preacher among others Andreas Osiander who in St. Lawrence worked - his picture hangs in the sacristy Lorenz .
Building design
The west facade is extremely rich articulated for a parish church, which reflects the high standards of the Nuremberg citizenship, which funded the building substantially. The facade is dominated by the two towers, the model can again to be found in St. Sebald and thus indirectly in the Bamberg Cathedral, the towering sharp Gewändeportal (embrasure portal), well-indented rose window with nine feet in diameter, and the finely perforated Maßwerkgiebel (tracery gable), elements in the form are borrowed and claim all the Gothic cathedrals.
The main building has the shape of a three-nave pillar basilica of eight yokes. In the nave pointed arches on clustered piers carry the nave wall, per yoke breaks through a pointed arch window, the clerestory wall. Presented service bundles to wear a ribbed vault, the ribs are pulled down to the level of the clerestory window sills. The peculiarity of the side aisles is much lower in small family bands, caused by the displacement of the outer walls to the outer edge of the buttress.
The late Gothic hall choir, mirror of the architectural fashion of his time, is seamlessly connected to the main ship. It is distinguished above all by its playful vaulting and the magnificent two-story window tracery in handling. On the south side of a two-storey is inserted the sacristy.
Dimensions of the church nave aisle hall choir
Length: 91.20 m Height: 24.20 m Height: 11.50 m Height: 24.20 m
Width: 30,00 m Beam : 10,40 m Width : 5,90 m Width: 28,60 m
The towers are 80.8 m and 81 m high.
Artworks
Nuremberg, St. Lawrence, north side, angle of nave and transept house: entrance hall with Olives
Tabernacle by Adam Kraft
Annunciation (1517/18) by Veit Stoss
Not all the moving pieces on the rich furnishings are originally from St. Lawrence. Many of the cultural heritage came from secular or destroyed monasteries of Nuremberg and the surrounding area.
Particularly noteworthy are two masterpieces of late Gothic sculpture belonging to the original design of the church: The brainchild of Adam Kraft 1493-1496 tabernacle (donated by Hans Imhoff the Elder.), a 18.70 meter high sandstone tabernacle, consisting of a walk-handling stage and a consequent growing up, pointed, but towards the ceiling rolled spire, which is diverse finely broken. The structure is supported by the back of three crouching figures in three different ages whose mean, equipped with stone tool, probably represents the artist himself. Above the actual Sakramentsschränkchens (small sacrament cabinet) various scenes of Christ's Passion are presented. Despite its delicate shape and the severe damage to the Lorenz Church by bombing in the Second World War, the tabernacle was largely spared from destruction by a surrounding wall.
Another brilliant performance of late Gothic art is hung in the choir German greeting (also: Annunciation in the Rosary), which was 1517/18 given by the patrician Anton Tucher at the sculptor Veit Stoss in order. It shows on the big man, colorful framed and gilded largely linden wood figures of Mary and Gabriel at the Annunciation, surrounded by a wreath of gold roses 55 (372 × 320 cm). Perched above the scene of the blessing God the Father, for the minds of the protagonists buzz musical angels, at the bottom there is a snake with bitten into apple in its mouth. Seven medallions show the seven joys of Mary. Due to a crash on the 2nd April 1817 almost completely destroyed the English greeting had to be carefully restored. Belonging to the twelve angels candlesticks on the choir stalls and the central upstream Marie chandelier.
As one of the few dated altarpieces are the Deocarusaltar of 1436/1437 for the history of the Nuremberg painting and Bilderschnitzerei (sculpture) of great importance. From 1316 to the 19th Century housed the Lorenz Church in Deocarusaltar Deocarus relics of saints, the legendary founder and first abbot of the city Herrieden. Predellenflügel (predella wing) on the right shows how Ludwig the Bavarian city of Nuremberg is about the relics of the saint.
In the right aisle is the Rochus-Altar, a foundation of the Nuremberg trade Imhoff family. When the Altarbau (construction of the altar) started, can not be ascertained clearly, probably around 1485, when the plague was raging in Nuremberg and each solution was welcome. In Venice, the dealer Imhoff family knew very well from Peter Imhoff the Elder managed in Venice from 1465 to 1476 the benefice for the altar of St. Sebald in the church of San Bartolomeo at the Rialto Bridge, which was the altar of German merchants, and is the year he was appointed consul of the Germans in fondaco dei Tedeschi. 1499th Francis Imhoff was a member of the Fraternity of Saint Roch in Venice and knew the local customs very well. And also the success of this saint cult. So it made sense for the Imhoff to make Rochus also known at home in Nuremberg. In the plague year 1484 was celebrated on 16 August in the Lorenz Church in Nuremberg the feast of Saint Roch, a little later probably Imhoff began building the altar. The altar Rochus includes not only the image of Rochus but also of Sebastian, the other plague saint, and is one of the most distinctive sign of early dissemination of the cult of Roch from Venice north of the Alps, before the 1500s. In the lower part you can see the coat of arms of the Imhoff and the Holzschuher, another Nuremberg family.
Numerous altars with paintings and carvings, sculptures in wood and stone, stained glass, some wall paintings, bells, epitaphs, dead shields and a choir from the late 15th Century complete the picture. Also mounted on the exterior are numerous sculptures, some are copies.
Bell
Tagmessglocke (a bell to call the churchgoers or monks)
Laurentia (prayer bell)
The bells of St. Lorenz church consists of 16 bells läutbaren (ringable) and thus representIing the second largest peal of a Protestant church in Germany. It consists of the main elfstimmigen (in eleven voices) bells (1-11 ) and the Cymbelgeläut (cymbeline ringing) ( 12-16). The fire bell is restored as a memorial to the two world wars on the west portal. The old silver bell hangs in the east choir and can be rung from there by cable, but it does not belong to the regular ringing bells ringing but only occasionally to Mittagslob (pray of noonday) on Krell altar. All the bells hang in a wooden belfries of wooden yokes. Due to static problems were in the course of a reorganization almost all the bells upper weights placed on the yoke to slow the Läuterhythmus (rhythm of ringing).
1 bell Christ Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 1953 1815 4407 -4 h0 North Tower
2 Tagmessglocke 1552 Hans (III ) Glockengieser 1490 2006 d1 -1 North Tower
3 Laurentia ( prayer bell ) 1409 1608 2600 Hainrich Grunwalt e1 -1 south tower
4 dead memorial bell Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 1953 1180 1153 fis1 ± 0 South Tower
5 Garausglocke ~ 1400 ( Hermann Kessler ) 1040 ~ 700 g # 1 +2 South Tower
6 Paul Bell 1953 988 668 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling a1 -1 south tower
7 Luther Bell in 1953 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling h1 +1 885 480 South Tower - octagon
8 Osianderglocke 1953 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 802 377 d2 ± 0 - south tower octagon
9 Lazarus Spengler bell Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 1953 705 253 -1 South Tower e2 - octagon
10 Youth With Bell 1953 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling fis2 630 185 -1 South Tower - octagon
11 Silver Bell 1960 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 39 389 d3 +6 silver turrets ( Westgebiel )
I Laudate 1954 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 505 90 a2 +4 North Tower octagon
Magnificat II 1954 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 454 h2 64 +5 North Tower octagon
Bendedictus 1954 Frederick William III Shilling sharp3 +5 410 39 North Tower octagon
Nunc Dimittis in 1954 Frederick William IV Shilling 355 35 e3 +5 North Tower octagon
V Adorate 1954 Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling 325 28 +4 fis3 North Tower octagon
- Old silver bell 2 H. 14 Century ( Hermann Kessler ) 375 d3 +6 ~ 30 east chancel
- Fire bell 1 H. 14 Century ( Hermann Kessler ) 1504 2637 e1 +0.5 parked at the west portal
Läuteordnung
Like other churches, too, St. Lorenz Church has a fixed Läuteordnung (regime of ringing) that lets the bells ring out both on a regular basis as well as on special occasions. At 8 am and in the evening by 21 clock rings the Tagmessglocke, the beep for lunch ringing by 12 clock to Laurentia, which was in 2009 600 years, the Garausläuten (burn out ringing) done with the Garausglocke depending on the sunset 16 to 20 clock. Fridays by 15 clock reminds the great bell at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. Our Father in all worship the Paul Bell is rung. Saturday is by 14 clock of Sunday, heralded by the ringing of the bells 8, 7 , 6, 4 and 2 ( d2 h1 -a1 -d1 - f k1 ), which does not change over the church year. Depending on the form of worship, church festival degrees and years vary the number and/or the musical compositions (motives ) of the bells.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lorenz_(N%C3%BCrnberg)
I'll never forget when I first heard about the movie "High School Musical." It was in geometry class my freshman year of high school. The particular class I was in was mostly all sophomores, with the exception of myself and four other freshmen. I recall that some of the sophomores were discussing how they'd watched the movie premiere on the Disney channel the night before. Apparently, my teacher had also seen it with his kids. He was joking around, saying that Gabriella looked way too young to be with Troy. He also said Troy had a huge ego (or something along those lines). I thought it was amusing that my older classmates had watched something on the Disney channel, that was clearly aimed for younger kids (especially when playing with dolls at the time would have been considered unacceptable). I personally did not watch the movie, nor did I have any interest. The word "musical" was in the title, after all...and I have always despised musicals (they make me very uncomfortable). I kept hearing about this movie though after its release. I never expected that it would become a cult phenomenon with two additional sequels!
By the time I graduated High School, both sequels had been released. The third movie even made it to theaters. I still had yet to watch a single one...I did not understand all the hype over a cheesy DIsney channel movie. Something that had caught my attention, however, were some of the dolls made for the third movie. At that point, I was "done" with dolls altogether. I had stopped buying them, and had even packed up all my pre existing ones. My love for dolls and interest, however, had never truly left. I was simply trying to conform to societal expectations...teenagers were not "supposed" to play with dollies. In our rural area in 2007, a huge super Walmart opened. This was a huge deal to everyone in the area. The opening of Walmart was like the grand reveal of some kind of monument. Even when we went a few weeks later to see the new store for ourselves, it was still jam packed. Finding parking was ridiculous. Eventually, while Walmart was still busy, it wasn't insanely packed anymore. As I was not collecting dolls at that time, I had no reason to wander into the toy section. In fact, I didn't set foot into the toy section until 2011, when my adult doll journey began. However, I was sorely tempted to have a gander at the High School Musical dolls. There were some large displays of the prom themed dolls in particular, circa 2008, on the endcaps of the aisles. Every time we were in Walmart with Dad and walked by, I slowed down to take in the dolly sights. I was always drawn to celebrity/movie related dolls. I didn't have to know anything about the movie, characters, or celebs to want to purchase their plastic incarnations. I was baffled by the realistic detail and their similar stature to my beloved Mary-Kate and Ashley dolls.
Even after several more years passed, the thought of those delightful High School Musical dolls always lingered in the back of mind. Fast forward to 2011, when I finally embarked on my adult doll collecting journey, I once again had the High School Musical dolls thrust in my face. By this time, the third movie had been out several years. Many of the kids who had grown up with the High School Musical franchise were over their dolls. Therefore, they were EVERYWHERE!!! It was a constant temptation when we went secondhand shopping with Dad...there were so many times I desperately wanted to purchase a HSM doll. In those days, I was far more selective about purchasing random dolls. I was trying to keep a pruned, aesthetically pleasing collection (boy, that didn't last long). I couldn't "justify" buying random High School Musical dolls. But there was also a part of me that knew this was the opportune moment to get into collecting them. Why? They were at that age where they were new enough to still be wearing their original outfits, and they were very common to find. Despite the perfect circumstances, I didn't cave for a whole other year.
It was early 2012, if I'm not mistaken, when I decided it was the moment to get my first High School Musical dolls. I can't remember anymore if it was right after Dad passed away, or before. Either way, it was a very rainy, dreary Sunday morning at the local flea market. Therefore, all the sellers who were usually set up outside weren't there. Colleen and I opted to do the trek to the flea market anyways....to kill time. Inside the building, there was one lady who had a box full of Barbies. She was the same seller I got my very first secondhand Bratz from the year before (2003 Slumber Party Yasmin and 2002 Strut It! Meygan). Her dolls were between $2 and $3 each, which seemed a little steep to me at the time. But they were always fully dressed, and fairly clean. We spent a considerable amount of time digging through the box of bagged dolls. It was there I found my High School Musical 2 Gabriella, wearing her little red lifeguard swimsuit. She had the most beautiful face, adorable hairstyle, and clearly was sporting her original ensemble. "This is it," I thought to myself, "I HAVE to start collecting the High School Musical dolls." It turns out the seller had four ladies altogether. Besides that minty looking Gabriella, she also had the two tall "Singing" dolls released for the first movie, and of course a High School Musical Sharpay. What I remember most about that flea market day is that we actually double backed to retrieve more of the dolls, once I realized who the tall gals were. I had gone home and begun identifying High School Musical 2 Sharpay and Gabriella, when I stumbled upon the images of the singing ladies. Ironically, both Gabriella dolls were donning their original attire, but the Sharpays turned out to be in the incorrect clothes. In my defense, the My Scene Juicy Bling dress that High School Musical Sharpay was wearing did look like a ridiculous costume she'd come in!
So it began...my collection went from 0 dolls to four overnight. I couldn't be more happy with the selection. I desperately wanted guy dolls for my High School Musical family. The first was my Tree House Moment Troy, who I got not long after, from "Mulan Lady." He was wearing High School Musical clothes...just not his. Within that first year, I had amassed many High School Musical dolls. I got a fully dressed Ryan, two other High School Musical 2 Sharpays (wearing the two outfits she was sold with), Sing Together Gabriella, Midsummer's Night Talent Show Gabby, Graduation Day Gabby, Sing Together Troy, "Prom" Sharpay, and "Prom" Taylor. I even snagged the East High School playset (shown here) for ONE DOLLAR!!! Granted, it was gutted, but the structure itself still had enough going for it to be useful for photos. I wasn't kidding when I said these dolls were easy to find--the majority I just mentioned were wearing their original ensembles, or genuine High School Musical clothes. While the majority of my luck was concentrated in 2012/2013, it didn't stop there. I even found some boxed dollies within the next few years. Graduation Day Sharpay was an unexpected find at the mall in 2014. She was in a novelty toy store...we were actually on the hunt for Harry Potter figurines that Colleen collects! There was also a very awesome Cinderella doll there, but she was way too expensive. Sharpay was about retail price, so I thought she was worth snagging. In 2015, we ventured out to an old indoor flea market in a mill Dad used to take us to. The seller I got my Funk 'N' Glow Meygan from years before had three "basic" Senior Year boys--Troy, Chad, and Ryan. What a steal...they were all inexpensive and guy dolls!!! They were probably the best find yet in my High School Musical collection. In 2017, I scored another High School Musical 2 Gabriella doll, still sealed inside her original box, albeit a rather crushed one. I was excited to have a better swimsuit for my very first HSM doll to wear! Little by little, I found additional dolls for my collection, and even random outfits to reunite with the ones I had purchased without them! At some point, I was even able to find all three DVDs for a $1 or so each at the flea market, and I finally watched the films. It was super awesome knowing the context of the dolls, their outfits, and the basic story line. Honestly, I still find the movies cringey, but they did have that delightful side effect of making me want more dollies!
High School Musical dolls will always have a special place in my heart. They were one of the first things that intrigued me that wasn't attached to my childhood. I had no sentiment for them when I first heard about the movies in high school. But I knew the moment I saw the dolls at Walmart in 2008, that they would have been a huge hit with my younger self. In a way, I think I was honoring 11 year old Shelly's interests by finally collecting High School Musical dolls. I would have been giddy if these dolls had come out a few years before. Most used the same body molds as Mary-Kate and Ashley. I would have loved their outfits and accessories...for use on the Olsen twins of course. But not only that, Gabriella was even more attractive than my Mary-Kate and Ashley dolls. I have a feeling she would have stolen the show, and would have been wearing THEIR clothes. To this day, my favorite doll in my collection is my first High School Musical 2 Gabriella. There is something I find just as magical about her, as I did with my Winning London Ashley. I can even tell her apart from her formerly boxed counterpart...I know her that well. And of course, Tree House Moment Troy is a close second. I was beside myself the day we rescued him in 2012. The idea of having a male doll appropriately sized for Mary-Kate and Ashley, was hard to wrap my head around. Although the movies were never my thing, the dolls are an important landmark in my doll collecting journey. They bridge the gap between the past, what could have been, and where I am now!
After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 7000 K After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse captured via Minolta MD Celtic 28mm f/2.8 Lens. City of Trinidad. Coastal Lowlands section within the Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Mid September 2013.
Exposure Time: 1/320 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-200 * Aperture: Unknown * Bracketing: None * Color Temperature: 5000 K * Film Plug-In: Fuji Superia 100
(cont.) …its counterpart at the northern entrance to the mall has a bit of a different design now! Unlike the previous shot, this photo was taken just last weekend, and shows a new sign at the center’s Airways and Marathon Way entrance. This was reportedly necessary because a car crashed into the old one that had previously stood here. (I don’t recall seeing the damage from that myself, though, but I still don’t doubt that it did happen.)
Even though the sign shown in the previous pic was at the other entrance – and to my knowledge, has not itself been replaced – the one that used to be here was identical, so that’s why I uploaded it as your comparison view. Compared to that one, this one is different in that the Southaven Towne Center lettering is now noticeably white instead of blue… and the little logo icon has turned the stem of the flower green as well. There’s also an unfortunate odd horizontal scar above the CBL line, which I’m not sure will be fixed. Thankfully, the base at least will be fixed – brick will likely arrive soon to finish that out, if it hasn’t yet!
(c) 2018 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
While embodied on Atlantis, the Goddess of Liberty erected the Temple of the Sun on what is now Manhattan Island. With the sinking of the continent, the physical temple was destroyed, but its etheric counterpart remains a major world center focusing the flames of the twelve hierarchies of the Sun. The temple, which was the West gate of Atlantis, has become the East gate of the New World. It is one of the most important retreats on the planet.
Goddess of Liberty, Mother flame of freedomThe central altar of the Temple of the Sun is over the Statue of Liberty on Liberty (Bedloe’s) Island in New York Harbor, the spread of the focus extending over Manhattan Island and parts of New Jersey. The temple is a replica of the temple of Helios and Vesta in the sun of our solar system. In the central flame room of the temple, we find the pattern that is reproduced over and over again throughout the universe from the heart of the Great Hub to the Flaming Yod, to the sun of each solar system and each God Star.
Every planetary home has a Sun Temple where the central altar is dedicated to the Father-Mother God, the pure white essence of the creative fire of Alpha and Omega, and the twelve surrounding altars are tended by the representatives of the twelve hierarchies of the Sun who focus their flames on behalf of the evolutions of that planet.
Tiers of flame rooms proceed out from this center room. In these flame rooms, the brothers in white attend other flames of the one hundred and forty-four. The flame of liberty, the fleur-de-lis of pink, blue and gold, blazes from one of these outer courts.
The aura of the retreat is saturated with the golden flame of illumination, and as the Château De Liberté in France (also a focus of the threefold flame of liberty) emits a pink aura, so we find that the twin flames of Helios and Vesta are represented in perfect balance in these two retreats dedicated to the liberation of all mankind. The gold and the pink reflect the wisdom and the love of our Sun God and Goddess.
An Open Door for Souls Yearning for Freedom
The Goddess of Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."1
Her Temple of the Sun is the open door of America from Europe, opening the door to all facets of the consciousness of humanity through the twelve aspects of the twelve solar hierarchies. The many millions who have come from Europe and Asia are the people who are destined to become a part of the mandala, or pattern, of the golden age.
The great diversity of virtues proceeding from the Temple of the Sun accounts for the great immigration that has been drawn to the Eastern shores of the United States. The melting pot that has created the nation of America has occurred through the grid and the forcefield of this retreat. Every evolution associated with this planet can be found on Manhattan Island. Every form of endeavor of science, art, music and everything under the sun that mankind have imagined - either to amplify the attributes and virtues of the twelve hierarchies or as perversions of the same - all can be found within a few miles of this retreat.
The flame of this retreat inspired the creation of the Statue of Liberty. The book she holds is the Book of the Law that is destined to come forth in America, the teachings of the great masters of wisdom, the teachings of the ascended masters.
Prayer to Go to the Goddess of Liberty's Temple of the Sun
Call in the name of your own Christ Self to the Goddess of Liberty to go to the Temple of the Sun over Manhattan to be saturated in the flame of freedom.
In the name of the Christ, my own Real Self, I call to the heart of the I AM Presence and to the angel of the Presence, to Archangel Michael and legions of blue flame angels to take me in my soul and in my soul consciousness to the Temple of the Sun retreat of the Goddess of Liberty over Manhattan, New York. I ask for those lessons my soul needs to be a freedom fighter for the liberation of my soul and all souls of light on Earth. And I ask that all information necessary to the fulfillment of my divine plan be released to my outer waking consciousness as it is required. I thank thee and I accept this done in the full power of the risen Christ.
The Greater Way of Freedom by Elizabeth Clare ProphetThe Greater Way of Freedom: Teachings of the Ascended Masters on the Destiny of America includes the dictation "The Karma of America" by the Goddess of Liberty. After the dictation, Elizabeth Clare Prophet said,
We express our gratitude to the Goddess of Liberty for her contact with our hearts and her release of this most important instruction. It is always a priviege to be in the presence of the Goddess of Liberty, awakening a devotion we have to her that spans the ages—her great courage and strength, her keeping the flame of the Mother that has welcomed all of us, our ancestors, to this soil. She has held the immaculate concept for our life, for our nation, for a destiny throughout the world.
www.ascendedmastersspiritualretreats.org/ascended-master-...
I had to capture this scene. I rarely come across older stuff owned by different owners now so thought this would do nicely as a future upload, and 19 months later, here we go. I got a new point and shoot today so my trusty IXUS has now been retired, after over 5300 photos.
Anyway the cars:
The vehicle details for M247 LAB are:
Date of Liability01 02 2014
Date of First Registration04 10 1994
Year of Manufacture1994
Cylinder Capacity (cc)1998cc
CO₂ EmissionsNot Available
Fuel TypePETROL
Export MarkerN
Vehicle StatusLicence Not Due
Unfortunately M507DLO has since been scrapped, M247LAB is a near top of the range CDX whereas the former was a lowish LS, so not a huge surprise.
The male counterparts for Epeoloides coecutiens of the females we uploaded a few weeks back. From the Netherlands. Photo license: CC-BY-SA. This photo can be reused as you wish. When doing so, please credit the creator (USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab) and the source (Naturalis Biodiversity Center) and adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
The specimen in this photo is provided by Naturalis Biodiversity Center in The Netherlands. For inquiries please contact: Frederique Bakker, email: frederique.bakker@naturalis.nl.
This image is part of the photo series ‘Cool bees of The Netherlands’. For more information: marten.schoonman@naturalis.nl
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All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
Photography Information:
Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde
You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML
Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:
Best over all technical resource for photo stacking:
Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World:
www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/...
Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland:
bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf
Basic USGSBIML set up:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY
USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4
Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus
www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections
PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:
Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:
plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU
Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:
Contact information:
Sam Droege
sdroege@usgs.gov
301 497 5840
Counterparts to my previously-uploaded hitmen team (www.flickr.com/photos/152182009@N04/41792014862/in/album-...), intended to be low threat-level adversaries to the League of Lego Heroes group.
Left to right:
Groundskeeper
Nationality: Ukrainian
An exceedingly blunt member of the team, but a firm believer in gimmicks being half the importance of maintaining super-villain status; Wherever he takes down his victims, he buries them, right then and there. On grass, floorboards, concrete or otherwise, he uses his shovel and jackhammer to not only carry out the job, but give the departed a "proper" burial. This zealousness has led to some problems, however, usually when time is of the essence. Once he tried to perform his signature deed on an inflatable raft in the middle of the ocean.
Mother May I.
Nationality: Argentinian
Senior member and secret mastermind of the Contin-Gents. Having earned her position and respect years ago, she hardly ever operates in the field anymore, preferring to control the other members of the organization from afar. Not to suggest she isn't still handy with a carbine; The other Contin-Gents KNOW this, and wisely don't make a single move without her approval.
Zweikampf
Nationality: German
Descendant of real German knights, Zweikampf (meaning "duel") dawned chainmail and a helmet, seeking the glory of his ancestors. He'll accept any mission, but still humbly requests to his superiors that he be assigned single targets he can engage one-on-one. A few of the Contin-Gents think he must have a very skewed sense of chivalry, but his not-so-very historically-accurate submachine gun as a weapon of choice would suggest he's really only interested in thrills.
Visor
Nationality: Korean
An assassin that lost interest in performing average hits day after day, therefor developing a virtual-reality visor that could change a "mundane" task into a deathmatch with vampires on a spaceship, or robots in the wild west. This satisfied his imagination and got him back into the business. His compound bow is just as versatile, with incendiary arrows, grapple cables, and boomerang capabilities. Quite competent, when weighed against his teammates; however, he's rather vulnerable whenever adjusting the volume or brightness to his liking.
French postcard by Les Presses de Belville / LYNA, no. 345, 1964. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Publicity still for The Sword in the Stone (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963). Caption: Mosquito ended up in the water ... He was swimming!
The 18th Disney animated feature film, The Sword in the Stone (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963) is a take on King Arthur's legend, scripted by Bill Peet. It was the final Animation feature to be released before Walt Disney's death and the first solo directorial effort of famous animator Wolfgang Reithermann. The film is based on the novel by T.H. White, which was first published in 1938, and was republished in 1958 as the first book of the tetralogy The Once and Future King. The Sword in the Stone was released to theaters on 25 December 1963. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praised the film: "Adapting T. H. White's beloved novel of King Arthur's boyhood, the Disney unit has shaped a warm, wise, and amusing film version. (...) Just as flavorsome, visually, are several droll caricatures of English nobility, a temperamental, educated owl named Archimedes and, for good measure, a perky, self-spooning little sugar bowl.
But the most beguiling of the lot is Merlin's arch-rival, a harum-scarum old sorceress named Madam Mim. Their "magicians' duel," a screamingly funny bit of nonsense, is pure Disney gold. This sequence alone should be enough Christmas for anybody." Aubry Anne D'Arminio at AllMovie: "The lackluster animation and unimpressive musical numbers disappointed audiences upon the film's initial opening, but its tale of a stout-hearted child destined for greatness proved timeless as it lured scores of Disney fans to theaters upon its several re-releases. (...) If the movie's animation is not up to par, the remarkable and eccentric characters well make up for it. The skinny, bowlegged Wart is as much a hero as his predecessors, the wooden Pinocchio and the big-eared Dumbo. Moreover, Merlin's skeptical sidekick, the scholarly owl Archimedes, as well as his wacky nemesis, the sorceress Mad Madam Mim, make the film as colorful as any of its state-of-the-art cartoon counterparts." The Sword in the Stone was a box office success and became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1963.
Sources: Bosley Crowther (The New York Times), Aubry Anne D'Arminio (AllMovie), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 7000 K
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.
The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.
The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.
However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.
Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.
The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.
The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.
The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.
In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.
Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.
In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.
Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.
The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.
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The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.
The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.
Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).
The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.
The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.
The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..
The kit and its assembly:
Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.
The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.
Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.
The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.
Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.
The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.
Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.
Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.
Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.
Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.
The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.
The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.
Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.
Painting and markings:
The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.
Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.
The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.
Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.
For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.
The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.
As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.
Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.
After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.
The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.
A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!
An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!
+++ 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:
As an island nation, Japan’s highest priorities for research in World War II were its navy and aviation industries. The army was large, but its military equipment could not match rival European counterparts who had stronger ground forces. Japan did not use heavy tanks, and an examination of the most advanced mass-produced Japanese vehicle—the Type 97 Chi-Ha—shows it lighter, smaller and with worse armament than its contemporaries: the Soviet T-34, German Pz.Kpfw IV and US M4 Sherman.
The reason that Japan did not develop heavier tanks was not the result of military incompetence, but rather of logistics: Japan was fighting for control of small Pacific islands. All vehicles and equipment had to be transported by sea, onto island terrain not suitable for using heavy vehicles; where designs were concerned, lighter was better! At the time, China, the only major mainland rival of Japan, did not have good armor or anti-armor capabilities, so the existing Japanese vehicles were deemed acceptable for the task at hand. Additionally, except for battle ships, the Japanese industry did not have much experience with the production of heavier tanks, and the respective tools were also not present.
On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and went to war with the USA. They achieved several early victories, invading the Philippines, multiple islands of Oceania, and part of New Guinea. The Allies were hard-pressed to keep up.
During their domination in the Pacific region, the Japanese created a defensive perimeter using islands as strongholds. The Americans and other allied forces began to hit back. In June 1942, the Japanese lost four aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway, and US forces slugged it out for six months during the Battle of Guadalcanal before emerging victorious in February 1943. Similar to Stalingrad in the East these two battles deprived Japan of the strategic initiative, and their defensive perimeter fell under attack, island by island. The Allied forces were nearing the Japanese Home Islands.
In June 1943, Japan's ambassador visited one of the Wehrmacht's heavy tank detachments. He was very impressed by the huge tiger. Germany and the Kaiserreich made a deal. Allies help each other. Anyone who has a particularly effective new weapon passes information about it to the army of the country that is fighting at least one common enemy. This is exactly what happened in the Third Reich between June 1943 and autumn 1944. The Japanese embassy in Berlin had concluded from press reports about the unsuccessful battles by German troops in Tunisia, which ultimately ended with a surrender, that the Wehrmacht had a new super tank. So, Ambassador General Hiroshi Oshima asked to see this new weapon - after all, the Japanese Empire was fighting against the USA, if not against Stalin's Soviet Union. On June 7, 1943, he personally visited the German front in front of Leningrad with a few adjutants. That was unusual; Actually, such a mission would have been more the task of a military attaché - although Oshima had already been in Berlin from 1934 to 1938. He also spoke perfect German and was friends with Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
The Wehrmacht had had a stranglehold on the former Russian capital since autumn 1941; conquering them was one of the main goals of Army Group North, especially of 18th Army. This is one of the reasons why the 1st Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion remained in Siewersi, around 70 kilometers south of Leningrad city center. It was one of the detachments with the new Tiger tanks. Commanded by Oberleutnant Klaus Diehls, the 1st company had only one Tiger ready for action after heavy fighting around Schlüsselburg in January 1943, but by the beginning of June they received new vehicles as supplies, so that the unit again had 14 Panzer VIs at its disposal - the was the nominal strength after the regrouping to a pure Tiger company. A day after the arrival of the new vehicles, the Japanese military delegation, accompanied by Colonel General Georg Lindemann, the commander of the 18th Army, Klaus Diehls, the heavy tanks demonstrated their capabilities to the high-ranking guests, and Oshima was even allowed to take the commander's seat of a tiger. The ambassador was deeply impressed by the sheer power of the tank.
Oshima knew that the Japanese tanks could not match the firepower and protection of the models in the European theater of war. In 1943 the most modern model was the Type 1 Chi-He, which with a weight of 17.5 tons, a 47 mm gun and an output of 240 hp was just about the same as a German Panzer III from 1940. However, this was not due to any incompetence on the part of Japanese engineers - their specifications were simply different: Since the empire wanted to expand its sphere of influence far into the Pacific, ship portability was an essential criterion when developing its own armored vehicles.
However, since the Japanese defeat in the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the US Marines increasingly used Sherman tanks during the fierce fighting for individual Pacific islands. This medium combat vehicle was clearly superior to the German Panzer III and, depending on the version, roughly equivalent to the Panzer IV; Shooting down Japanese models was no problem at all for its 75mm gun. So, in Japan there was the idea of replicating the most modern German tanks and transporting them to the occupied Pacific islands that had not yet been attacked, in order to stop or at least slow down the advance of the marines.
The time for an indigenous development, so the calculation, could be saved if the Japanese industry simply copied or license-built operational models from Germany. The Japanese delegation was particularly impressed by the firepower of the German “Acht-Achter”, the Tiger's 88 mm gun. With such a weapon it should be possible to stop the Marines' Shermans.
A few weeks later, in July 1943, Oshima and his companions visited the Henschel tank factory in Kassel. Here he had the production of the German super tank explained in detail, experienced a demonstration at the test site near Wilhelmsthal Castle and also viewed a specimen of the new medium-heavy German tank, the Panther. Presumably, the German side rather concealed the weaknesses of the Tiger, which had already become apparent during the first operations in 1942/43: the vertical armor of the hull at the front and the sides was unnecessarily vulnerable. The engine was undersized, the weight too high for many routes and the speed off-road at a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour too low. While the Henschel engineers were developing the successor to the Tiger I, logically called Tiger II, to production maturity in the second half of 1943, the Japanese embassy was negotiating with the Wehrmacht about the delivery of the Tiger I.
In 1943, Germany sent Japan two packages of technical documentation, but Japan also wanted to purchase the tank and import vehicles to Japan by submarine. The cost to produce a Tiger was around 300,000 Reichsmarks in 1943, while the Ministry of Armaments and the Henschel Company requested 645,000 Reichsmarks from the Japanese for a fully loaded tank. The Germans had not simply decided to “cash in” on oversea allies: the cost of technical documentation was also included into the amount; and the tank would be supplied with ammunition, an excellent radio, and optics. Also, Germany was prepared to disassemble and pack the thirty-ton tank for shipment to Japan.
The Allies commanded the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic, so underwater shipping was the only way to get the Tiger to Japan, but few vessels could carry a bulky 30-ton tank hull. The only option were Japanese submarine aircraft carriers that had corresponding characteristics, namely the IJN’s I-400-class submarines. These were the largest submarines of World War II and remained the largest ever built until the construction of nuclear ballistic missile submarines in the 1960s. Measuring more than 120 m (390 ft) long overall, they displaced 5,900 t (6,500 short tons), more than double their typical American contemporaries. The cross-section of its pressure hull had a unique figure-of-eight shape which afforded the necessary strength and stability to handle the weight of a large on-deck aircraft hangar. To allow stowage of three aircraft along the vessel's centerline, the conning tower was offset to port. Located approximately amidships on the top deck was a cylindrical watertight aircraft hangar, 31 m (102 ft) long and 3.5 m (11 ft) in diameter. The outer access door could be opened hydraulically from within or manually from the outside by turning a large hand-wheel connected to a rack and spur gear. The door was made waterproof with a 51-millimetre-thick (2.0 in) rubber gasket.
The I-400 class was designed with the range to travel anywhere in the world and return. A fleet of 18 boats was planned in 1942, and work started on the first in January 1943 at the Kure, Hiroshima arsenal. However, within a year the plan was scaled back to just five ships, and this fleet hardly had any practical value in the aircraft carrier role except for long-range reconnaissance or special strike missions, so that they were frequently used for underwater transport of heavy/bulky items – including the disassembled Tiger I tank!
With this highly limited logistics option, the Tiger tanks had trouble reaching Japan at all. Most optimistic estimates put its arrival in December of 1944. Despite many difficulties, the first tank for Japan was sent to a Bordeaux port in February 1944, and the Japanese paid for the order: officially coming into possession of the Tiger, but not able to use or reverse engineer it. Until summer of 1944, when the Allies landed in Normandy, only a handful of Tiger Is had been sent to Japan through I-400 submarines, re-assembled and put into IJA service, where they were designated Type 99 ‘To-Ra’.
The To-Ra was, even though it looked like the German Tiger I, a unique variant that differed from its ancestor. The hull was the same, with the same level of overall armor, but apparently the “export Tigers” were produced with hardened steel of lower quality than the German tanks, saving material and money. The running gear was simplified, too; it had only twelve wheels instead of the Tiger I’s original arrangement of sixteen interleaved wheels and used the rubber-saving all-metal wheels that were often retrofitted to German tanks during field repairs. The commander cupola on top of the turret was the new, standardized cast model (the same one that was used on the Panzer V Panther, too) that was introduced on late-production Tiger Is; it was easier to produce and offered a better field of view than the Tiger’s early welded “dustbin” model. Another small difference were all-metal drive wheels, another sign of the use of steel with less quality, and the export tanks were not – like late German production Tiger Is – watertight and not capable of deep-fording anymore.
The tanks for Japan mostly retained the original German equipment, including the radio set, optics, engine and the powerful 8.8 cm KwK 36. However, the gun was outfitted with a simpler and slightly longer single-piece L/71 barrel (instead of the original L/56 two-piece barrel), and the machine guns were not fitted upon delievery; they were, upon re-assembly in Japan, replaced with Japanese 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns. Another, visible domestic modification was the installation of a rigid frame radio antenna on the turret instead of the European whip antenna on the rear hull.
In September 1944, with a worsening control situation in France, the submarine transfers were moved to other ports under German control. However, they ceased altogether in late 1944, due to the worsening war situation, logistics problems, the general dangers of the long naval travel and the increasing lack of fuel to support the deliveries in both Germany and Japan. All in all, probably less than twenty Tiger I tanks reached Japan. All were re-assembled, but only a little more than a dozen became fully operational and ready for combat.
The Type 99 was exclusively allocated to home defense units, where it would have been a powerful asset. They were based on the southern Japanese mainland, waiting for the Allied invasion (operation Olympic), but it never came. Most of the time the Tigers were just used to train crews, or they were enlisted for PR appearances, boosting morale and confusing the enemy with potential massive resistance and firepower.
The To-Ras was, however, due to their sheer bulk and weight, very limited. The Japanese Tigers were relatively immobile and could not be transferred to the continental Japanese colonies, where they were direly needed and where the might have had some impact: When the Soviets invaded Manchuria in August 1945, they found an impressive Japanese tank force, at least on the paper, but a deep ravine separated the IJA and Soviet types. The latter had constantly improved their models in response to German tanks, and were much more advanced in speed, firepower, and protection than the average IJA models, which were light and/or obsolete by any standards of the time. The To-Ra/Tigers would have been a match, even a serious threat at long distance, but they were too few and stuck in homeland defense, so that their overall contribution was negligible. In fact, no Japanese Tiger fired in anger until the end of the war.
Specifications:
Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Weight: 54 tonnes (60 short tons) empty,
57 tonnes (63 short tons) combat weight
Length: 6.32 m (20 ft 8.7 in)
8.85 m (29 ft) overall with gun facing forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar, interleaved road wheels
Fuel capacity: 540 liters
Armor:
25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads
20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
Operational range: 195 km (121 mi) on road
110 km (68 mi) cross country
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Engine & transmission:
Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 petrol engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW),
Maybach Olvar Typ OG 40 12 16 gearbox (8 forward and 4 reverse)
Armament:
1× 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/71 with 92 AP and HE rounds
2× 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns with a total of 4,800 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This rather romantic what-if model is an interpretation of the real historic desire of Japan to obtain the Tiger I from Germany, and there are actually OOB model kits of this oddity available (e .g. from Border Models in 1:35). However, I am not a big fan of the Tiger I – it looks like a box with tracks and a bulky turret on top, very uninspired. Well, I had a Hasegawa 1:72 Tiger I kit in The Stash™, which I only had bought a while ago because it came with an extra set of road wheels, which had already gone into another conversion problem. The IJA Tiger, aptly called “To-Ra” (which means “Tiger” in Japanese, AFAIK), offered a good story to finally build the leftover kit – even though constructing a plausible background story how this heavy tank might have shown up in Japan called for some serious imagination!
That said, the very simple kit was built almost OOB, using the kit’s late production rubber-saving all-metal wheels and an optional roof top with the late, cast commander cupola. I also used one of the kit’s optional gun mantlets and implanted a longer, single-piece 8.8cm gun barrel from an early-production Jagdpanther (Armorfast), for a slightly different look. For more “Japanism” I scratched a frame antenna from steel wire and sprue material. It's just a small change, but with the antenna the tank looks quite different now, and it has a retro touch?
However, mounting the road wheels turned out to be a bit tricky. The featureless “inner” set of wheels needed its central holes to be considerably widened to fit onto their respective swing arms, and the “outer” wheels lack deep holes on their backs, so that the area that holds them on the swing arm tips(!) is very limited. Everything appears über-tight, all in all a wobbly affair, even though I understand that the Tiger I’s running gear is a complex thing to depict and construct in 1:72. However, I have built the Trumpeter counterpart of this model, and it was much easier to assemble and robust.
Painting and markings:
The more exotic aspect of the model, and I applied a typical IJA paint scheme from earlier war periods – one with the famous yellow contrast stripes, which were probably in real life more subdued than frequently depicted. The four-tone camouflage consists of Humbrol 160 for the “cha-iro” red brown, Humbrol 30 for “midori-iro” (dark green), a mix of Humbrol 155 and 121 for a greenish variant of the light IJA khaki, and Humbrol 81 (Pale Yellow) for the contrast stripes.
The black vinyl tracks were painted with a streaky mix of grey, red brown and some silver.
The markings were applied after an overall washing with dark brown acrylic paint; they were improvised and are purely fictional, even though the white flash icon appeared AFAIK on tanks of the unit the model depicts. The Japanese flags are further romantic geegaw – even though such markings apparently appeared on late-war IJN tanks.
After the decals the model received an overall treatment with dry-brushed dark earth and beige, and some bare metal marks with silver. As final steps, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, assembled, and then lightly dusted with mineral artist pigments around the lower areas.
A rather simple project – something that might make World of Warcraft nerds nervous? The frame antenna was the biggest modeling challenge, the running gear a nuisance. But finding a halfway plausible explanation how even a small number of Tiger I tanks from Germany could appear in Japan at all was a bigger one! However, the result looks surprisingly convincing, and the IJA paint scheme suits the boxy Tiger I well, it looks very natural under the false flag, And I am happy that I eventually found a use for the leftover kit! :-D
I recognize this story from having seen its counterpart at colonial churches in Peru.
To modern eyes, it might seem that the angels around the periphery are holding microphones on booms.
That's not the case: they're holding two of the Arma Christi, or Instruments of the Passion.
On our left, an angel holds a vinegar-soaked sponge on a reed. The angel on the left appears to be holding the torch.
The second angel on the right holds Veronica's veil.
The crown of thorns is in the hands of the angel floating to the right of God's left shoulder.
However, this leaves a long list of Instruments of Passion unaccounted for. Maybe they're beyond the bottom of the frame. They are:
The pillar or column where Jesus was whipped in the Flagellation of Christ.
The whip(s), in Germany often birches, used for the 39 lashes.
The Holy Lance with which a Roman soldier inflicted the final of the Five Wounds in his side.
The Nails, inflicting four wounds on the hands and feet.
The reed which was placed in Jesus' hand as a sceptre in mockery.
The purple robe of mockery.
The Titulus Crucis, attached to the Cross. It may be inscribed in Latin (INRI, Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum), Greek, Hebrew, or some other language.
The Holy Grail, the chalice used by Jesus at The Last Supper, and which some traditions say Joseph of Arimathea used to catch his blood at the crucifixion.
The Seamless robe of Jesus
The dice with which the soldiers cast lots for Christ's seamless robe.
The rooster (cock) that crowed after Peter's third denial of Jesus.
The vessel used to hold the gall and vinegar.
The ladder used for the Deposition, i.e. the removal of Christ's body from the cross for burial.
The hammer used to drive the nails into Jesus' hands and feet.
The pincers used to remove the nails.
The vessel of myrrh, used to anoint the body of Jesus, either by Joseph of Arimathea or by the Myrrhbearers.
The shroud used to wrap the body of Jesus before burial.
The sun and moon, representing the eclipse which occurred during the Passion.
Thirty pieces of silver (or a money bag), the price of Judas' betrayal.
A spitting face, indicating the mockery of Jesus.
The hand which slapped Jesus' face.
The chains or cords which bound Jesus overnight in prison.
The lantern or torches used by the arresting soldiers at the time of the betrayal, as well as their swords and staves.
The sword used by Peter to cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant.
Sometimes a human ear is also represented.
Sometimes the heads or hands of figures from the Passion are shown, including Judas, Caiaphas, or the man who mocked Christ spitting in Christ's face.
The washing hands of Pontius Pilate may be shown.
The trumpet played for mocking Christ on the Way to Calvary.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arma_Christi
Another difference between the Arma Christi I have seen in Peruvian churches and this Northern European example is that in Peru the Instruments are depicted as a static ensemble (or, in archaeological terms, an assemblage) of objects. There are no beings in the scene.
Here, however, the evidence of the Crucifixion have been seized by the heavenly hosts. (Is that what happens in Scripture?) While I'm not a believer, I am not without empathy. For that reason, I prefer this scene to the evidence-locker approach to depicting the Instruments. It no doubt served and may still serve a purpose in furthering the role of religious art under the dictates of the Council of Trent.
The difference is that this sculpture clearly depicts the passage of time. It is no longer the day of the Crucifixion but Easter Morning. The instruments have lost their sting.
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The Church of St. Francis of Assisi at Vilnius, Lithuania.
From signage in the church:
Between 1764 and 1781 the church was fitted with an ensemble of late Baroque fixtures: the pulpit, confessionals, pews and eleven altars. The ensemble displayed stylistic harmony, as well as a singleness of purpose-drawing attention to the main altar.
[The main altar] now contains the Crucifix that had previously hung above the altar of the Holy Cross. The cross was known to bestow special grace, and it was at this time that the fresco depicting this Crucifix was painted on the façade of the church. The identity of the person who designed the new interior furnishings is not now known. The interior was executed by several joiners (Giotto, Holtzas, Valteris and others are mentioned). Paintings for the altars were done by . . . a person with the surname Motiejus.
Between 1764 and 1768 Mikaloju Jansonas, a renowned organ builder of the day, restored the church organ and moved it from the side nave to a platform constructed at the back of the presbytery (choir). (At the end of the 19th century the organ was reconstructed once again and moved to the old balcony of the Bernardines.)
From the middle of the 18th century until the end of the 20th century the architecture and furnishings of the church remained largely unchanged. When the church was closed during the Soviet years, the painting over the altar, the liturgical vessels and other fixtures were scattered among museum collections or given to other churches.
The altar ensemble, which was disassembled for reconstruction has only been partially restored. In response to present-day liturgical requirements, a new altar created by Rimas Skakalauakas was constructed in 1998 and placed in the central nave of the church. The altar echoes the lines and shapes of the old Gothic belfry.
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From Wikipedia:
The Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard (also known as Bernardine Church) is a Roman Catholic church in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is located next to St. Anne's Church. Dedicated to Saints Francis of Assisi and Bernardino of Siena, it is an important example of Gothic architecture in Lithuania.
History
After their arrival in Vilnius, Bernardine monks built a wooden church in the second half of the 15th century, and at the end of the same century - a brick one.
In the early 16th century it was reconstructed, apparently with the participation of a master from Gdansk (Danzig) Michael Enkinger.
In the beginning of the 16th century the church was incorporated into the construction of Vilnius defensive wall, so there are shooting openings in its walls.
Afterwards it was renewed many times, particularly after the 1655-61 war with Moscow, when the Cossacks ravaged the church killing the monks and citizens who had taken shelter there.
In the times of the Soviet occupation it was closed down and handed over to the Art institute.
In 1994, the brethren of St. Francis returned to the church.
Church and Monastery are some of the largest sacral buildings in Vilnius, although in the 17th and 18th centuries they acquired the Renaissance and Baroque features.
Being much larger and more archaic than the St. Anne's Church, it forms and interesting and unique ensemble with the latter.
Gothic pointed-arch windows and buttresses stand out on the façade. Above them rises a pediment with twin octagonal towers on the sides and a fresco depicting the Crucifix in the middle niche.
A Gothic presbytery is the oldest part of the church. Eight high pillars divide the church interior into 3 naves.
There are many valuable 16th-century wall paintings in Bernardine church and the oldest known artistic Lithuanian crucifix sculpture from the 15th century. [2]
The walls of the naves are decorated with Gothic polychrome frescoes, partly uncovered in 1981 - dynamic, colourful figural compositions on biblical and hagiographic themes, with occasional inscriptions in Gothic characters, floral ornaments, heraldic insignia etc.
These mural paintings date from the early 16th century and are considered unique in the world: their composition and type of presentation of the subject matter belongs to Renaissance, and the stylistics - to the Gothic style. [3]
The Bernardine monastery north of the church, built simultaneously with the church, was renovated and reconstructed several times. Since its founding, a novitiate and a seminary operated at the monastery, a rich library had been accumulated, and a scriptorium operated. There [were] artists, craftsmen and organists among the monks. The monastery was closed in 1864, and the building housed soldiers' barracks. In 1919 it was given to the art faculty of the university, later - to the Art Institute (now the Art Academy).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Francis_and_St._Berna...
German fire engines are quite distinctive and very different from the Hong Kong (hence British) and Canadian (hence American) fire trucks that I usually see. German fire engines are compact and have a very short wheelbase for easy manoeuvring. With military-style deep-groove tires/ tyres, German fire engines have very high ground clearance for flood rescue or off-road situations. In the countryside, fancy ladder or hydraulic platform/ bucket fire engines seem rare. Finally, while American fire trucks have extended overhanging bumpers, their German counterparts have functional but subdue bumpers.
Here is what they sound like... two-tone sirens! (Not my video):
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While exploring the town of Meißen / Meissen in Saxony, suddenly a whole army of fire engines, ambulances and a solo police car raced from the historic old town southwards on Neugasse and Talstraße / Talstrasse. Initially It looked like a major incident had occurred, but an hour later, I happened to encounter their return into town, so I suspect it was more a precaution than something truly serious.
The male counterparts for Epeoloides coecutiens of the females we uploaded a few weeks back. From the Netherlands. Photo license: CC-BY-SA. This photo can be reused as you wish. When doing so, please credit the creator (USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab) and the source (Naturalis Biodiversity Center) and adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
The specimen in this photo is provided by Naturalis Biodiversity Center in The Netherlands. For inquiries please contact: Frederique Bakker, email: frederique.bakker@naturalis.nl.
This image is part of the photo series ‘Cool bees of The Netherlands’. For more information: marten.schoonman@naturalis.nl
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All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
Photography Information:
Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde
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Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:
Best over all technical resource for photo stacking:
Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World:
www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/...
Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland:
bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf
Basic USGSBIML set up:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY
USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4
Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus
www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections
PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:
Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:
plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU
Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:
Contact information:
Sam Droege
sdroege@usgs.gov
301 497 5840
The alpaca (Lama pacos) is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can successfully crossbreed. Both species are believed to have been domesticated from their wild relatives, the vicuña and guanaco. There are two breeds of alpaca: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca.
Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 metres (11,000 to 16,000 feet) above sea level. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be working animals, but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to sheep's wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles, and ponchos, in South America, as well as sweaters, socks, coats, and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia, and 16 as classified in the United States.
Alpacas communicate through body language. The most common is spitting to show dominance when they are in distress, fearful, or feel agitated. Male alpacas are more aggressive than females, and tend to establish dominance within their herd group. In some cases, alpha males will immobilize the head and neck of a weaker or challenging male in order to show their strength and dominance.
In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality wool from other breeds of sheep. In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohair and luster.
An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99 centimetres (32 and 39 inches) in height at the shoulders (withers). They usually weigh between 48 and 90 kilograms (106 and 198 pounds). Raised in the same conditions, the difference in weight can be small with males weighting around 22.3 kilograms (49 lb 3 oz) and females 21.3 kilograms (46 lb 15 oz).
Background
The relationship between alpacas and vicuñas was disputed for many years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the four South American lamoid species were assigned scientific names. At that time, the alpaca was assumed to be descended from the llama, ignoring similarities in size, fleece and dentition between the alpaca and the vicuña. Classification was complicated by the fact that all four species of South American camelid can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. The advent of DNA technology made a more accurate classification possible.
In 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos, following the presentation of a paper on work by Miranda Kadwell et al. on alpaca DNA to the Royal Society showing the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, not the guanaco.
Origin and domestication
Alpacas were domesticated thousands of years ago. The Moche people of Northern Peru often used alpaca images in their art. There are no known wild alpacas, and its closest living relative, the vicuña (also native to South America), is the wild ancestor of the alpaca.
The family Camelidae first appeared in Americas 40–45 million years ago, during the Eocene period, from the common ancestor, Protylopus. The descendants divided into Camelini and Lamini tribes, taking different migratory patterns to Asia and South America, respectively. Although the camelids became extinct in North America around 3 million years ago, it flourished in the South with the species we see today. It was not until 2–5 million years ago, during the Pliocene, that the genus Hemiauchenia of the tribe Lamini split into Palaeolama and Lama; the latter would then split again into Lama and Vicugna upon migrating down to South America.
Remains of vicuña and guanaco dating around 12,000 years have been found throughout Peru. Their domesticated counterparts, the llama and alpaca, have been found mummified in the Moquegua valley, in the south of Peru, dating back 900 to 1000 years. Mummies found in this region show two breeds of alpacas. More precise analysis of bone and teeth of these mummies has demonstrated that alpacas were domesticated from the Vicugna vicugna. Other research, considering the behavioral and morphological characteristics of alpacas and their wild counterparts, seems to indicate that alpacas could find their origins in Lama guanicoe as well as Vicugna vicugna, or even a hybrid of both.
Genetic analysis shows a different picture of the origins of the alpaca. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA shows that most alpacas have guanaco mtDNA, and many also have vicuña mtDNA. But microsatellite data shows that alpaca DNA is much more similar to vicuña DNA than to guanaco DNA. This suggests that alpacas are descendants of the Vicugna vicugna, not of the Lama guanicoe. The discrepancy with mtDNA seems to be a result of the fact that mtDNA is only transmitted by the mother, and recent husbandry practices have caused hybridization between llamas (which primarily carry guanaco DNA) and alpacas. To the extent that many of today's domestic alpacas are the result of male alpacas bred to female llamas, this would explain the mtDNA consistent with guanacos. This situation has led to attempts to reclassify the alpaca as Vicugna pacos.
Breeds
The alpaca comes in two breeds, Suri and Huacaya, based on their fibers rather than scientific or European classifications.
(Museum of Osteology)
Huacaya alpacas are the most commonly found, constituting about 90% of the population. The Huacaya alpaca is thought to have originated in post-colonial Peru. This is due to their thicker fleece which makes them more suited to survive in the higher altitudes of the Andes after being pushed into the highlands of Peru with the arrival of the Spanish.
Suri alpacas represent a smaller portion of the total alpaca population, around 10%. They are thought to have been more prevalent in pre-Columbian Peru since they could be kept at a lower altitude where a thicker fleece was not needed for harsh weather conditions.
Behavior
Alpacas are social herd animals that live in family groups, consisting of a territorial alpha male, females, and their young ones. Alpacas warn the herd about intruders by making sharp, noisy inhalations that sound like a high-pitched bray. The herd may attack smaller predators with their front feet and can spit and kick. Their aggression towards members of the canid family (coyotes, foxes, dogs etc.) is exploited when alpacas are used as guard llamas for guarding sheep.
Alpacas can sometimes be aggressive, but they can also be very gentle, intelligent, and extremely observant. For the most part, alpacas are very quiet, but male alpacas are more energetic when they get involved in fighting with other alpacas. When they prey, they are cautious but also nervous when they feel any type of threat. They can feel threatened when a person or another alpaca comes up from behind them.
Alpacas set their own boundaries of "personal space" within their families and groups.They make a hierarchy in some sense, and each alpaca is aware of the dominant animals in each group. Body language is the key to their communication. It helps to maintain their order. One example of their body communication includes a pose named broadside, where their ears are pulled back and they stand sideways. This pose is used when male alpacas are defending their territory.
When they are young, they tend to follow larger objects and to sit near or under them. An example of this is a baby alpaca with its mother. This can also apply when an alpaca passes by an older alpaca.
Training
Alpacas are generally very trainable and usually respond to reward, most commonly in the form of food. They can usually be petted without getting agitated, especially if one avoids petting the head or neck. Alpacas are usually quite easy to herd, even in large groups. However, during herding, it is recommended for the handler to approach the animals slowly and quietly, as failing to do so can result in danger for both the animals and the handler.
Alpacas and llamas have started showing up in U.S. nursing homes and hospitals as trained, certified therapy animals. The Mayo Clinic says animal-assisted therapy can reduce pain, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. This type of animal therapy is growing in popularity, and there are several organizations throughout the United States that participate.
Spitting
Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. "Spit" is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, although alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green, grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen targets. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will also occasionally spit at a human.
Spitting can result in what is called "sour mouth". Sour mouth is characterized by "a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth."
Alpacas can spit for several reasons. A female alpaca spits when she is not interested in a male alpaca, typically when she thinks that she is already impregnated. Both sexes of alpaca keep others away from their food, or anything they have their eyes on. Most give a slight warning before spitting by blowing air out and raising their heads, giving their ears a "pinned" appearance.
Alpacas can spit up to ten feet if they need to. For example, if another animal does not back off, the alpaca will throw up its stomach contents, resulting in a lot of spit.
Some signs of stress which can lead to their spitting habits include: humming, a wrinkle under their eye, drooling, rapid breathing, and stomping their feet. When alpacas show any sign of interest or alertness, they tend to sniff their surroundings, watch closely, or stand quietly in place and stare.
When it comes to reproduction, they spit because it is a response triggered by the progesterone levels being increased, which is associated with ovulation.
Hygiene
Alpacas use a communal dung pile, where they do not graze. This behaviour tends to limit the spread of internal parasites. Generally, males have much tidier, and fewer dung piles than females, which tend to stand in a line and all go at once. One female approaches the dung pile and begins to urinate and/or defecate, and the rest of the herd often follows. Alpaca waste is collected and used as garden fertilizer or even natural fertilizer.
Because of their preference for using a dung pile for excreting bodily waste, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.
Alpacas develop dental hygiene problems which affect their eating and behavior. Warning signs include protracted chewing while eating, or food spilling out of their mouths. Poor body condition and sunken cheeks are also telltales of dental problems.
Alpacas make a variety of sounds:
Humming: When alpacas are born, the mother and baby hum constantly. They also hum as a sign of distress, especially when they are separated from their herd. Alpacas may also hum when curious, happy, worried or cautious.
Snorting: Alpacas snort when another alpaca is invading its space.
Grumbling: Alpacas grumble to warn each other. For example, when one is invading another's personal space, it sounds like gurgling.
Clucking: Similar to a hen's cluck, alpacas cluck when a mother is concerned for her cria. Male alpacas cluck to signal friendly behavior.
Screaming: Their screams are extremely deafening and loud. They will scream when they are not handled correctly or when they are being attacked by a potential enemy.
Screeching: A bird-like cry, presumably intended to terrify the opponent. This sound is typically used by male alpacas when they are in a fight over dominance. When a female screeches, it is more of a growl when she is angry.
Reproduction
Females are induced ovulators; meaning the act of mating and the presence of semen causes them to ovulate. Females usually conceive after just one breeding, but occasionally do have trouble conceiving. Artificial insemination is technically difficult, expensive and not common, but it can be accomplished. Embryo transfer is more widespread.
A male is usually ready to mate for the first time between two and three years of age. It is not advisable to allow a young female to be bred until she is mature and has reached two-thirds of her mature weight. Over-breeding a young female before conception is possibly a common cause of uterine infections. As the age of maturation varies greatly between individuals, it is usually recommended that novice breeders wait until females are 18 months of age or older before initiating breeding.
Alpacas can breed at any time throughout the year but it is more difficult to breed in the winter. Most breed during autumn or late spring. The most popular way to have alpacas mate is pen mating. Pen mating is when they move both the female and the desired male into a pen. Another way is paddock mating where one male alpaca is let loose in the paddock with several female alpacas.
The gestation period is, on average, 11.5 months, and usually results in a single offspring, or cria. Twins are rare, occurring about once per 1000 deliveries. Cria are generally between 15 and 19 pounds, and are standing 30 to 90 minutes after birth. After a female gives birth, she is generally receptive to breeding again after about two weeks. Crias may be weaned through human intervention at about six months old and 60 pounds, but many breeders prefer to allow the female to decide when to wean her offspring; they can be weaned earlier or later depending on their size and emotional maturity.
The average lifespan of an alpaca is between 15 and 20 years, and the longest-lived alpaca on record is 27 years.
Pests and diseases
Cattle tuberculosis can also infect alpacas: Mycobacterium bovis also causes TB in this species worldwide. Krajewska‐Wędzina et al., 2020 detect M. bovis in individuals traded from the United Kingdom to Poland. To accomplish this they develop a seroassay which correctly identifies positive subjects which are false negative for a common skin test. Krajewska‐Wędzina et al. also find that alpacas are unusual in mounting a competent early-infection immune response. Bernitz et al., 2021 believe this to generalise to all camelids.
Habitat and lifestyle
Alpacas can be found throughout most of South America. They typically live in temperate conditions in the mountains with high altitudes.
They are easy to care for since they are not limited to a specific type of environment. Animals such as flamingos, condors, spectacled bears, mountain lions, coyotes, llamas, and sheep live near alpacas when they are in their natural habitat.
Population
Alpacas are native to Peru, but can be found throughout the globe in captivity. Peru currently has the largest alpaca population, with over half the world's animals. The population declined drastically after the Spanish Conquistadors invaded the Andes mountains in 1532, after which 98% of the animals were destroyed. The Spanish also brought with them diseases that were fatal to alpacas.
European conquest forced the animals to move higher into the mountains, which remained there permanently. Although alpacas had almost been wiped out completely, they were rediscovered sometime during the 19th century by Europeans. After finding uses for them, the animals became important to societies during the industrial revolution.
In popular culture
Nuzzle and Scratch was a British children's television programme featuring two fictional alpacas that was first broadcast between 2008 and 2011.
Interest in alpacas grew as a result of Depp v. Heard, the 2022 trial in which Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for defamation in Virginia after Heard wrote an op-ed saying she was a public victim of domestic violence. Depp testified, under oath, that he would not make another Pirates of the Caribbean film for "300 million dollars and a million alpacas".
Diet
Alpacas chew their food which ends up being mixed with their cud and saliva and then they swallow it. Alpacas usually eat 1.5% of their body weight daily for normal growth. They mainly need pasture grass, hay, or silage but some may also need supplemental energy and protein foods and they will also normally try to chew on almost anything (e.g. empty bottle). Most alpaca ranchers rotate their feeding grounds so the grass can regrow and fecal parasites may die before reusing the area. Pasture grass is a great source of protein. When seasons change, the grass loses or gains more protein. For example, in the spring, the pasture grass has about 20% protein while in the summer, it only has 6%. They need more energy supplements in the winter to produce body heat and warmth. They get their fiber from hay or from long stems which provides them with vitamin E. Green grass contains vitamin A and E.
Alpacas can eat natural unfertilized grass; however, ranchers can also supplement grass with low-protein grass hay. To provide selenium and other necessary vitamins, ranchers will feed their domestic alpacas a daily dose of grain to provide additional nutrients that are not fully obtained from their primary diet. Alpacas may obtain the necessary vitamins in their native grazing ranges.
Digestion
Alpacas, like other camelids, have a three-chambered stomach; combined with chewing cud, this three-chambered system allows maximum extraction of nutrients from low-quality forages. Alpacas are not ruminants, pseudo-ruminants, or modified ruminants, as there are many differences between the anatomy and physiology of a camelid and a ruminant stomach.
Alpacas will chew their food in a figure eight motion, swallow the food, and then pass it into one of the stomach's chambers. The first and second chambers (called C1 and C2) are anaerobic fermentation chambers where the fermentation process begins. The alpaca will further absorb nutrients and water in the first part of the third chamber. The end of the third chamber (called C3) is where the stomach secretes acids to digest food and is the likely place where an alpaca will have ulcers if stressed.
Poisonous plants
Many plants are poisonous to the alpaca, including the bracken fern, Madagascar ragwort, oleander, and some azaleas. In common with similar livestock, others include acorns, African rue, agave, amaryllis, autumn crocus, bear grass, broom snakeweed, buckwheat, ragweed, buttercups, calla lily, orange tree foliage, carnations, castor beans, and many others.
Fiber
Main article: Alpaca fiber
Alpacas are typically sheared once per year in the spring. Each shearing produces approximately 2.3 to 4.5 kilograms (5 to 10 pounds) of fiber per alpaca. An adult alpaca might produce 1.4 to 2.6 kilograms (50 to 90 ounces) of first-quality fiber as well as 1.4 to 2.8 kilograms (50 to 100 ounces) of second- and third-quality fiber. The quality of alpaca fiber is determined by how crimpy it is. Typically, the greater the number of small folds in the fiber, the greater the quality.
Prices
Alpacas were the subject of a speculative bubble between their introduction to North America in 1984 and the early 21st century. The price for American alpacas ranged from US$50 for a castrated male (gelding) to US$675,000 for the highest in the world, depending on breeding history, sex, and color. In 2006, researchers warned that the higher prices sought for alpaca breeding stock were largely speculative and not supported by market fundamentals, given the low inherent returns per head from the main end product, alpaca fiber, and prices into the $100s per head rather than $10,000s would be required for a commercially viable fiber production herd.
Marketed as "the investment you can hug" in television commercials by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, the market for alpacas was almost entirely dependent on breeding and selling animals to new buyers, a classic sign of speculative bubbles in livestock. The bubble burst in 2007, with the price of alpaca breeding stock dropping by thousands of dollars each year thereafter. Many farmers found themselves unable to sell animals for any price, or even give them away.
It is possible to raise up to 25 alpacas per hectare (10/acre), as they have a designated area for waste products and keep their eating area away from their waste area. However, this ratio differs from country to country and is highly dependent on the quality of pasture available (in many desert locations it is generally only possible to run one to three animals per acre due to lack of suitable vegetation). Fiber quality is the primary variant in the price achieved for alpaca wool; in Australia, it is common to classify the fiber by the thickness of the individual hairs and by the amount of vegetable matter contained in the supplied shearings.
Livestock
Alpacas need to eat 1–2% of their body weight per day, so about two 27 kg (60 lb) bales of grass hay per month per animal. When formulating a proper diet for alpacas, water and hay analysis should be performed to determine the proper vitamin and mineral supplementation program. Two options are to provide free choice salt/mineral powder or feed a specially formulated ration. Indigenous to the highest regions of the Andes, this harsh environment has created an extremely hardy animal, so only minimal housing and predator fencing are needed. The alpacas' three-chambered stomachs allow for extremely efficient digestion. There are no viable seeds in the manure, because alpacas prefer to only eat tender plant leaves, and will not consume thick plant stems; therefore, alpaca manure does not need composting to enrich pastures or ornamental landscaping. Nail and teeth trimming are needed every six to twelve months, along with annual shearing.
Similar to ruminants, such as cattle and sheep, alpacas have only lower teeth at the front of their mouths; therefore, they do not pull the grass up by the roots. Rotating pastures is still important, though, as alpacas have a tendency to regraze an area repeatedly. Alpacas are fiber-producing animals; they do not need to be slaughtered to reap their product, and their fiber is a renewable resource that grows yearly.
Cultural presence
Alpacas are closely tied to cultural practices for Andeans people. Prior to colonization, the image of the alpaca was used in rituals and in their religious practices. Since the people in the region depended heavily on these animals for their sustenance, the alpaca was seen as a gift from Pachamama. Alpacas were used for their meat, fibers for clothing, and art, and their images in the form of conopas.
Conopas take their appearance from the Suri alpacas, with long locks flanking their sides and bangs covering the eyes, and a depression on the back. This depression is used in ritual practices, usually filled with coca leaves and fat from alpacas and lamas, to bring fertility and luck. While their use was prevalent before colonization, the attempts to convert the Andean people to Catholicism led to the acquisition of more than 3,400 conopas in Lima alone.
The origin of alpacas is depicted in legend; the legend states they came to be in the world after a goddess fell in love with a man. The goddess' father only allowed her to be with her lover if he cared for her herd of alpacas. On top of caring for the herd, he was to always carry a small animal for his entire life. As the goddess came into our world, the alpacas followed her. Everything was fine until the man set the small animal down, and the goddess fled back to her home. On her way back home, the man attempted to stop her and her herd from fleeing. While he was not able to stop her from returning, he was able to stop a few alpacas from returning. These alpacas who did not make it back are said to be seen today in the swampy lands in the Andes waiting for the end of the world, so they may return to their goddess.
Victory Liner Inc.- 2049
Bus No: 2049
Year released: 2012
Capacity: 49; 2x2 seating configuration
Route: Cubao-Baguio via Dau/SCTEX-Concepcion/Capas/Tarlac/Gerona/Paniqui/Moncada/San MAnuel/Carmen/Urdaneta/Pozzorubio/Sison/Rosario/Tuba
Body: Santarosa Motorworks Inc.
Model: 2012 SR-Cityliner AC RE Series
Chassis: Daewoo BV115
Engine: Daewoo DE12TiS-BA
Fare: Airconditioned
Transmission System: M/T
Suspension: Leaf-Spring Suspension
Taken on: August 10, 2016
Location: McArthur Highway, Brgy. San Roque, Tarlac City, Tarlac
A counterpart to this ad from a few months earlier https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49786275476
Although the ads are similar, note how the small red logo with the crown and wing has evolved slightly—the now-italicised text is now much closer to the VIP-style logo that Sky eventually ended up with. The forecourt canopy is also interesting. Sky's offer to garage owners seems to suggest that the salesgirls and their uniforms would come as part of the package—which sounds similar to what Apex (Gem) were similarly offering before they were bought by Burmah, if I understand it right: Sky would effectively rent forecourts from their owners, put in their own branding and people, and keep the profits from fuel sales.
As noted before, Sky Petroleum is mainly remembered today for a legal case against VIP (by that point owned by Occidental Oil), arising out of the 1973 Oil Crisis (starting within a month of this advert). As can be glimpsed from the "VIP Petroleum Ltd" on the cab door of the Dodge 500 / K-series(?), Sky's business was closely tied up with VIP as their primary supplier, contracted to supply a certain amount of fuel. I've since realised a bit more about their predicament: in the weeks before the above advert, both Trident and Redwing (other independent chains) had gone out of business, due to their suppliers either just ceasing to supply them, or raising prices to an unfeasible level. Trident were supplied by Tampimex.
Thrust (Bayford) and Victor Gauntlett's new upstart Pace were, like Sky, supplied by VIP. When the oil crisis hit, VIP tried to pay Sky damages rather than stick to the terms of the contract to supply the fuel (I don't know whether Thrust and Pace were similarly affected). Sky won the case against VIP, requiring VIP to supply them with actual fuel rather than damages. See e.g. lawcasesummaries.com/knowledge-base/sky-petroleum-ltd-v-v...
Although here in the advert, Sky has quite different branding from VIP, by the mid-70s (by which time both companies had been bought by Elf), the logo had been redesigned to be very similar to VIP's.
Here www.ewrc-results.com/entries/49657-castrol-manx-trophy-ra... it looks like "The Ian Trotter & Sky Petroleum" racing team entered an Escort RS in the 1974 Castrol Manx Trophy Rally.
I wonder where on Furzehill Parade in Borehamwood Sky House was?
After completing the strenous journey from Hamilton to Guelph Junction, empty ethanol train # 641 flies through Puslinch while it's counterpart # 640 waits patiently in the siding.
After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 7000 K After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-100 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 7119 K * Film Plug-In: Fuji Astia 100F HC
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 L IS
Focal Length: 40mm
Aperture: f/22.0
Shutter Speed : 10 seconds
ISO : 50
Exposure: Manual
+++ 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:
As an island nation, Japan’s highest priorities for research in World War II were its navy and aviation industries. The army was large, but its military equipment could not match rival European counterparts who had stronger ground forces. Japan did not use heavy tanks, and an examination of the most advanced mass-produced Japanese vehicle—the Type 97 Chi-Ha—shows it lighter, smaller and with worse armament than its contemporaries: the Soviet T-34, German Pz.Kpfw IV and US M4 Sherman.
The reason that Japan did not develop heavier tanks was not the result of military incompetence, but rather of logistics: Japan was fighting for control of small Pacific islands. All vehicles and equipment had to be transported by sea, onto island terrain not suitable for using heavy vehicles; where designs were concerned, lighter was better! At the time, China, the only major mainland rival of Japan, did not have good armor or anti-armor capabilities, so the existing Japanese vehicles were deemed acceptable for the task at hand. Additionally, except for battle ships, the Japanese industry did not have much experience with the production of heavier tanks, and the respective tools were also not present.
On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and went to war with the USA. They achieved several early victories, invading the Philippines, multiple islands of Oceania, and part of New Guinea. The Allies were hard-pressed to keep up.
During their domination in the Pacific region, the Japanese created a defensive perimeter using islands as strongholds. The Americans and other allied forces began to hit back. In June 1942, the Japanese lost four aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway, and US forces slugged it out for six months during the Battle of Guadalcanal before emerging victorious in February 1943. Similar to Stalingrad in the East these two battles deprived Japan of the strategic initiative, and their defensive perimeter fell under attack, island by island. The Allied forces were nearing the Japanese Home Islands.
In June 1943, Japan's ambassador visited one of the Wehrmacht's heavy tank detachments. He was very impressed by the huge tiger. Germany and the Kaiserreich made a deal. Allies help each other. Anyone who has a particularly effective new weapon passes information about it to the army of the country that is fighting at least one common enemy. This is exactly what happened in the Third Reich between June 1943 and autumn 1944. The Japanese embassy in Berlin had concluded from press reports about the unsuccessful battles by German troops in Tunisia, which ultimately ended with a surrender, that the Wehrmacht had a new super tank. So, Ambassador General Hiroshi Oshima asked to see this new weapon - after all, the Japanese Empire was fighting against the USA, if not against Stalin's Soviet Union. On June 7, 1943, he personally visited the German front in front of Leningrad with a few adjutants. That was unusual; Actually, such a mission would have been more the task of a military attaché - although Oshima had already been in Berlin from 1934 to 1938. He also spoke perfect German and was friends with Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
The Wehrmacht had had a stranglehold on the former Russian capital since autumn 1941; conquering them was one of the main goals of Army Group North, especially of 18th Army. This is one of the reasons why the 1st Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion remained in Siewersi, around 70 kilometers south of Leningrad city center. It was one of the detachments with the new Tiger tanks. Commanded by Oberleutnant Klaus Diehls, the 1st company had only one Tiger ready for action after heavy fighting around Schlüsselburg in January 1943, but by the beginning of June they received new vehicles as supplies, so that the unit again had 14 Panzer VIs at its disposal - the was the nominal strength after the regrouping to a pure Tiger company. A day after the arrival of the new vehicles, the Japanese military delegation, accompanied by Colonel General Georg Lindemann, the commander of the 18th Army, Klaus Diehls, the heavy tanks demonstrated their capabilities to the high-ranking guests, and Oshima was even allowed to take the commander's seat of a tiger. The ambassador was deeply impressed by the sheer power of the tank.
Oshima knew that the Japanese tanks could not match the firepower and protection of the models in the European theater of war. In 1943 the most modern model was the Type 1 Chi-He, which with a weight of 17.5 tons, a 47 mm gun and an output of 240 hp was just about the same as a German Panzer III from 1940. However, this was not due to any incompetence on the part of Japanese engineers - their specifications were simply different: Since the empire wanted to expand its sphere of influence far into the Pacific, ship portability was an essential criterion when developing its own armored vehicles.
However, since the Japanese defeat in the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the US Marines increasingly used Sherman tanks during the fierce fighting for individual Pacific islands. This medium combat vehicle was clearly superior to the German Panzer III and, depending on the version, roughly equivalent to the Panzer IV; Shooting down Japanese models was no problem at all for its 75mm gun. So, in Japan there was the idea of replicating the most modern German tanks and transporting them to the occupied Pacific islands that had not yet been attacked, in order to stop or at least slow down the advance of the marines.
The time for an indigenous development, so the calculation, could be saved if the Japanese industry simply copied or license-built operational models from Germany. The Japanese delegation was particularly impressed by the firepower of the German “Acht-Achter”, the Tiger's 88 mm gun. With such a weapon it should be possible to stop the Marines' Shermans.
A few weeks later, in July 1943, Oshima and his companions visited the Henschel tank factory in Kassel. Here he had the production of the German super tank explained in detail, experienced a demonstration at the test site near Wilhelmsthal Castle and also viewed a specimen of the new medium-heavy German tank, the Panther. Presumably, the German side rather concealed the weaknesses of the Tiger, which had already become apparent during the first operations in 1942/43: the vertical armor of the hull at the front and the sides was unnecessarily vulnerable. The engine was undersized, the weight too high for many routes and the speed off-road at a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour too low. While the Henschel engineers were developing the successor to the Tiger I, logically called Tiger II, to production maturity in the second half of 1943, the Japanese embassy was negotiating with the Wehrmacht about the delivery of the Tiger I.
In 1943, Germany sent Japan two packages of technical documentation, but Japan also wanted to purchase the tank and import vehicles to Japan by submarine. The cost to produce a Tiger was around 300,000 Reichsmarks in 1943, while the Ministry of Armaments and the Henschel Company requested 645,000 Reichsmarks from the Japanese for a fully loaded tank. The Germans had not simply decided to “cash in” on oversea allies: the cost of technical documentation was also included into the amount; and the tank would be supplied with ammunition, an excellent radio, and optics. Also, Germany was prepared to disassemble and pack the thirty-ton tank for shipment to Japan.
The Allies commanded the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic, so underwater shipping was the only way to get the Tiger to Japan, but few vessels could carry a bulky 30-ton tank hull. The only option were Japanese submarine aircraft carriers that had corresponding characteristics, namely the IJN’s I-400-class submarines. These were the largest submarines of World War II and remained the largest ever built until the construction of nuclear ballistic missile submarines in the 1960s. Measuring more than 120 m (390 ft) long overall, they displaced 5,900 t (6,500 short tons), more than double their typical American contemporaries. The cross-section of its pressure hull had a unique figure-of-eight shape which afforded the necessary strength and stability to handle the weight of a large on-deck aircraft hangar. To allow stowage of three aircraft along the vessel's centerline, the conning tower was offset to port. Located approximately amidships on the top deck was a cylindrical watertight aircraft hangar, 31 m (102 ft) long and 3.5 m (11 ft) in diameter. The outer access door could be opened hydraulically from within or manually from the outside by turning a large hand-wheel connected to a rack and spur gear. The door was made waterproof with a 51-millimetre-thick (2.0 in) rubber gasket.
The I-400 class was designed with the range to travel anywhere in the world and return. A fleet of 18 boats was planned in 1942, and work started on the first in January 1943 at the Kure, Hiroshima arsenal. However, within a year the plan was scaled back to just five ships, and this fleet hardly had any practical value in the aircraft carrier role except for long-range reconnaissance or special strike missions, so that they were frequently used for underwater transport of heavy/bulky items – including the disassembled Tiger I tank!
With this highly limited logistics option, the Tiger tanks had trouble reaching Japan at all. Most optimistic estimates put its arrival in December of 1944. Despite many difficulties, the first tank for Japan was sent to a Bordeaux port in February 1944, and the Japanese paid for the order: officially coming into possession of the Tiger, but not able to use or reverse engineer it. Until summer of 1944, when the Allies landed in Normandy, only a handful of Tiger Is had been sent to Japan through I-400 submarines, re-assembled and put into IJA service, where they were designated Type 99 ‘To-Ra’.
The To-Ra was, even though it looked like the German Tiger I, a unique variant that differed from its ancestor. The hull was the same, with the same level of overall armor, but apparently the “export Tigers” were produced with hardened steel of lower quality than the German tanks, saving material and money. The running gear was simplified, too; it had only twelve wheels instead of the Tiger I’s original arrangement of sixteen interleaved wheels and used the rubber-saving all-metal wheels that were often retrofitted to German tanks during field repairs. The commander cupola on top of the turret was the new, standardized cast model (the same one that was used on the Panzer V Panther, too) that was introduced on late-production Tiger Is; it was easier to produce and offered a better field of view than the Tiger’s early welded “dustbin” model. Another small difference were all-metal drive wheels, another sign of the use of steel with less quality, and the export tanks were not – like late German production Tiger Is – watertight and not capable of deep-fording anymore.
The tanks for Japan mostly retained the original German equipment, including the radio set, optics, engine and the powerful 8.8 cm KwK 36. However, the gun was outfitted with a simpler and slightly longer single-piece L/71 barrel (instead of the original L/56 two-piece barrel), and the machine guns were not fitted upon delievery; they were, upon re-assembly in Japan, replaced with Japanese 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns. Another, visible domestic modification was the installation of a rigid frame radio antenna on the turret instead of the European whip antenna on the rear hull.
In September 1944, with a worsening control situation in France, the submarine transfers were moved to other ports under German control. However, they ceased altogether in late 1944, due to the worsening war situation, logistics problems, the general dangers of the long naval travel and the increasing lack of fuel to support the deliveries in both Germany and Japan. All in all, probably less than twenty Tiger I tanks reached Japan. All were re-assembled, but only a little more than a dozen became fully operational and ready for combat.
The Type 99 was exclusively allocated to home defense units, where it would have been a powerful asset. They were based on the southern Japanese mainland, waiting for the Allied invasion (operation Olympic), but it never came. Most of the time the Tigers were just used to train crews, or they were enlisted for PR appearances, boosting morale and confusing the enemy with potential massive resistance and firepower.
The To-Ras was, however, due to their sheer bulk and weight, very limited. The Japanese Tigers were relatively immobile and could not be transferred to the continental Japanese colonies, where they were direly needed and where the might have had some impact: When the Soviets invaded Manchuria in August 1945, they found an impressive Japanese tank force, at least on the paper, but a deep ravine separated the IJA and Soviet types. The latter had constantly improved their models in response to German tanks, and were much more advanced in speed, firepower, and protection than the average IJA models, which were light and/or obsolete by any standards of the time. The To-Ra/Tigers would have been a match, even a serious threat at long distance, but they were too few and stuck in homeland defense, so that their overall contribution was negligible. In fact, no Japanese Tiger fired in anger until the end of the war.
Specifications:
Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Weight: 54 tonnes (60 short tons) empty,
57 tonnes (63 short tons) combat weight
Length: 6.32 m (20 ft 8.7 in)
8.85 m (29 ft) overall with gun facing forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar, interleaved road wheels
Fuel capacity: 540 liters
Armor:
25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads
20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
Operational range: 195 km (121 mi) on road
110 km (68 mi) cross country
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Engine & transmission:
Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 petrol engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW),
Maybach Olvar Typ OG 40 12 16 gearbox (8 forward and 4 reverse)
Armament:
1× 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/71 with 92 AP and HE rounds
2× 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns with a total of 4,800 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This rather romantic what-if model is an interpretation of the real historic desire of Japan to obtain the Tiger I from Germany, and there are actually OOB model kits of this oddity available (e .g. from Border Models in 1:35). However, I am not a big fan of the Tiger I – it looks like a box with tracks and a bulky turret on top, very uninspired. Well, I had a Hasegawa 1:72 Tiger I kit in The Stash™, which I only had bought a while ago because it came with an extra set of road wheels, which had already gone into another conversion problem. The IJA Tiger, aptly called “To-Ra” (which means “Tiger” in Japanese, AFAIK), offered a good story to finally build the leftover kit – even though constructing a plausible background story how this heavy tank might have shown up in Japan called for some serious imagination!
That said, the very simple kit was built almost OOB, using the kit’s late production rubber-saving all-metal wheels and an optional roof top with the late, cast commander cupola. I also used one of the kit’s optional gun mantlets and implanted a longer, single-piece 8.8cm gun barrel from an early-production Jagdpanther (Armorfast), for a slightly different look. For more “Japanism” I scratched a frame antenna from steel wire and sprue material. It's just a small change, but with the antenna the tank looks quite different now, and it has a retro touch?
However, mounting the road wheels turned out to be a bit tricky. The featureless “inner” set of wheels needed its central holes to be considerably widened to fit onto their respective swing arms, and the “outer” wheels lack deep holes on their backs, so that the area that holds them on the swing arm tips(!) is very limited. Everything appears über-tight, all in all a wobbly affair, even though I understand that the Tiger I’s running gear is a complex thing to depict and construct in 1:72. However, I have built the Trumpeter counterpart of this model, and it was much easier to assemble and robust.
Painting and markings:
The more exotic aspect of the model, and I applied a typical IJA paint scheme from earlier war periods – one with the famous yellow contrast stripes, which were probably in real life more subdued than frequently depicted. The four-tone camouflage consists of Humbrol 160 for the “cha-iro” red brown, Humbrol 30 for “midori-iro” (dark green), a mix of Humbrol 155 and 121 for a greenish variant of the light IJA khaki, and Humbrol 81 (Pale Yellow) for the contrast stripes.
The black vinyl tracks were painted with a streaky mix of grey, red brown and some silver.
The markings were applied after an overall washing with dark brown acrylic paint; they were improvised and are purely fictional, even though the white flash icon appeared AFAIK on tanks of the unit the model depicts. The Japanese flags are further romantic geegaw – even though such markings apparently appeared on late-war IJN tanks.
After the decals the model received an overall treatment with dry-brushed dark earth and beige, and some bare metal marks with silver. As final steps, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, assembled, and then lightly dusted with mineral artist pigments around the lower areas.
A rather simple project – something that might make World of Warcraft nerds nervous? The frame antenna was the biggest modeling challenge, the running gear a nuisance. But finding a halfway plausible explanation how even a small number of Tiger I tanks from Germany could appear in Japan at all was a bigger one! However, the result looks surprisingly convincing, and the IJA paint scheme suits the boxy Tiger I well, it looks very natural under the false flag, And I am happy that I eventually found a use for the leftover kit! :-D
After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 7000 K After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in the Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company.
In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall.
Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford).
In August 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, a former mayor of Trinidad.
www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=870
Photo of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, with a hint of Trinidad Head in the background, captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens and the bracketing method of photography in the city of Trinidad. Coast Range. North Coast. Humboldt County, Northern California. Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-100 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: +1 / -1 * Color Temperature: 5800 K * Film Plug-In: Kodak E100G HC
My counterpart at the CF Health clinic sent me a few packages of Legion poppies to plant at Chez Plevna knowing I was a CF veteran and I loved to photograph flowers. We planted them this spring and they are finally coming up.
Canon EOS 7D Sigma 105mm macro lens aperture priority at f2.8 hand held imported into Lightroom Classic and edited with the Luminar Flex plugin.
Inspiriert durch Lichtblick! "Gegenüber" (Alternative)
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Inspired by Lichtblick! "counterpart" (alternative)
After meeting eastbound counterpart train 204, it was obvious that we didn't have the usual all EMD consist when train 201 throttled up to depart the siding at McIntosh, Ontario. By this time, the big MLWs were getting really rare on the CN as far west as Winnipeg so it was pretty neat to see Montreal to Vancouver intermodal 201 with the 9669-2327 for power.
Animate - Rush
Polarize me
Sensitize me
Criticize me
Civilize me
Compensate me
Animate me
Complicate me
Elevate me
Goddess in my garden
Sister in my soul
Angel in my armor
Actress in my role
Daughter of a demon lover
Empress of the hidden face
Priestess of the pagan mother
Ancient queen of inner space
Spirit in my psyche
Double in my role
Alter in my image
Struggle for control
Mistress of the dark unconscious
Mermaid of the lunar sea
Daughter of the great enchantress
Sister to the boy inside of me
My counterpart, my foolish heart
A man must learn to rule his tender part
A warming trend, a gentle friend
A man must build a fortress to defend
A secret face, a touch of grace
A man must learn to give a little space
A peaceful state, a submissive trait
A man must learn to gently dominate
Polarize me
Sensitize me
Criticize me
Civilize me
Compensate me
Animate me
Complicate me
Elevate me
Today The Rogues are looking at lyrics, poems and other published words which have a personal meaning.
This has been on of my favourite Rush songs for a long while. It is apparently about the Jungian concept of Anima and Animus, specifically from the point of view of a man and the need to accept and embrace his feminine 'anima'.
On a simpler level it is about a man coming to terms with his feminine side; something which is of great importance to me.
Both images are me; the male one was taken today - my 'anima' is a previously unposted picture from my archives.
The texture is from Spektoral Addendum
And the combination of gritty texture plus pretentious song lyrics is, of course, a prime candidate for Cliche Saturday.