Ruins of Catholic Church

East Gary, Indiana

 

Date: 1910

Source Type: Postcard

Publisher, Printer, Photographer: August F. Haase (#4)

Postmark: July 20, 1910, East Gary, Indiana

Collection: Steven R. Shook

Remark: This Catholic church was referred to as Church of St. Margaret's, and occasionally as Church at Lake. It was established in 1861 with a membership of twenty families, and a property valuation of $2,000. The church was abandoned as early as 1908.

 

The following article, which concerns this church, was published in the May 21, 1908, edition of The Chesterton Tribune:

 

LAKE COUNTY OFFICERS DRAG WESTCHESTER MAN INTO GRAVE MYSTERY

 

Sheriff Carter and Assistants Say That Frank VanDeusen, Wellknown [sic] Nurseryman, Can Tell Something of How Young Girl’s Body Research Abandoned Grave in Cemetery at Lake Station.

 

Henry VanKuren and Mrs. VanDeusen Are Also Sought by Officers -- They Are Working on the Theory that Body Found is that of Mildred Stewart -- VanDeusen Says Young Woman is Still Alive in Canadian Town.

 

Story of Many Matrimonial Alliances of Mrs. VanDeusen -- The History of “St. Margaret’s Parish,” as Told by an Indianapolis News Man -- Tribune Locates the Parties Desired by the Lake County Officers.

 

Through the caprices of fate the Lake Station grave mystery, involving the finding of the headless body of old Joe Schneider, an abandoned grave in the cemetery of St. Margaret’s parish, and the disintegrating body of a young woman, has been brought home to Chesterton, and as a result the whereabouts of Frank Van Deusen, the well known Westchester township nurseryman, is being sought with all possible diligence by Sheriff Carter and other police officers of Lake county. Fate has not only seen to connect Mr. Van Deusen’s name with the mystery that shook the little hamlet across the county line, but also involved in its meshes the divorced wife of the latter, her daughter, Mildred Stewart, and Henry Van Kuren, with whom Mrs. Van Deusen resided for years as his wife, but between whom the sacred vows of wedlock were never spoken, and as equally desirous of finding this trio is Mr. Van Deusen, are the Lake county officials.

 

Today The Tribune proposes to not only divulge the present whereabouts of the principals of the supposed solution of the grave mystery, but also to explode the theory upon which the Lake county authorities promised to solve the mystery surrounding the graveyard enigma.

 

More than a quarter of a century ago there resided in London, Ont., a comely young miss of 17 years by the name of Mary Hobbs. The girl was pretty of figure and fair of face and was considered the belle of her home community. Adjoining the property of her step-father was a well-to-do farmer of past middle age who, attracted by the grace and beauty of little Mary Mobbs [Hobbs?], sought her hand in marriage. The girl found not in the aged suitor the ideal sweetheart of her girlhood dreams, but a stern parent forced her into an unwilling matrimonial alliance with the aged man and in the due course of time she became Mrs. Stewart. One child was born to this union, a daughter, christened Mildred. Shortly after the child-wife became a mother the aged husband and father died and for three years Mrs. Stewart wore widow’s weeds.

 

Eventually a man named Fletcher met, wooed and won the pretty young widow and by this marriage a son was born. The happiness of the little home had been completely restored when one day, a woman came to the Stewart home and claimed she was the wife of Stewart by a marriage of several years prior. Fletcher admitted the claim and escaped prosecution through the generosity of Mrs. Stewart, No. 2. His departure from the hearthstone in the little Ontario town followed the discovery of his duplicity. After a time the abandoned wife left London and went to Detroit where she secured a position in a hotel and where she met Henry Van Kuren. A warm friendship grew up between the two and resulted in their departure from Detroit some weeks later. All trace of the couple is obliterated after their departure from Detroit until their arrival at Lake Station about nine or ten years ago where they and their family, then consisting f five children, resided for several months. From Lake Station the family oved to Hobart where Frank Van Deusen was drawn into the kaleidoscopic matrimonial career of the former pretty little Mary Hobbs. Through being a neighbor of the Van Kuren family, Van Deusen became intimately acquainted with their relations which, at that time, were more or less tempestious [sic]. By that time the daughter, Mildred Stewart, had grown to be a beautiful young girl of 18 years. Upon being acquainted with the cross currents in the family circle, Van Duesen [sic] says he offered the daughter Mildred financial assistance to return to her grandmother in London, Ont. He claims she accepted the offer and one night in the spring of 1901 or 1902 she departed from Hobart for Valparaiso. In the latter place she spent two or three days, so says Van Deusen, before going to Milwaukee, where she resided for a few weeks when she left for her old Canadian home. According to Mr. Van Deusen she was latter married at Londan [sic] to a well-to-do farmer and at the present time is residing in the country near that place.

 

Following the disappearance of Miss Stewart from Hobart, Van Kuren preferred [sic] a charge of adultery against his wife and Frank Van Deusen and their arrest on that charge followed. The case was venued to Porter county and came to trial in Judge H. B. Tuthill’s court in Valparaiso. Prior to the trial Mrs. Van Kuren and Van Deusen were married and at the hearing it was established that Van Kuren and the former Mary Hobbs were never married, notwithstanding the fact that they had resided together as man and wife for 15 years or so, during which time five children had been born to them. The jury, after hearing the facts, acquitted both Mr. and Mrs. Van Deusen on the charge of adultery, while the court scored Van Kuren unmercifully for exposing the fact that only a common law marriage had existed between him and the mother of his five children.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Van Deusen resided together until three years ago when the latter sought a divorce in both the Porter and Lake county courts, but was refused in both counties. During last March Van Deusen applied for a divorce and was granted legal separation in the Porter superior court. Though Mrs. Van Deusen was not present at the hearing, her whereabouts was well known at that time, a well known and prominent Valparaiso lawyer having communicated with her relative to the divorce suit of her husband, she then being at Rochester, Mich.

 

The Lake county authorities have been working on the theory that the body found in the abandoned grave in the cemetery of St. Margaret’s parish, Lake Station, is either that of Miss Mildred Stewart, or her mother, Mrs. Van Deusen, and it is for the purpose of throwing some light on this supposed solution that they may have been making a search for Van Deusen, his divorced wife, and Henry Van Kuren the past several days. The following dispatch from Crown Point gives the theory upon which Lake county officials are working:

 

“Officials of Lake county this week began a search for Mr. and Mrs. Henry Van Kuren, formerly of Hobart, Ind., in an effort to solve one of the most baffling mysteries of years -- that of how the body of a young girl came to be in a grave which was believed to be empty but had once been occupied by the corpse of Philip Schneider of Lake Station. A similarity, which is believed to exist between the 18-year-old daughter of the Van Kurens and the body found in the grave, led to the search of the Lake county officials have been unsuccessful.

 

The Van Kuren family was traced to Hobart from Lake Station, where they had lived prior to the disappearance of their daughter, and then to Whiting. No one in Whiting could tell where they had gone and for a time at least the trail has been lost.

 

The search for the Van Kurens began when Sheriff Carter and Coroner Shankland learned of the strange resemblance between the body found in the supposedly deserted grave and that of Mrs. Van Kuren. Both the body and the girl were 5 feet 6 inches in height, both had auburn hair and other resemblances were traced.

 

It was recalled that shortly before the Van Kurens left Lake Station in 1904 their daughter had not been seen around the house. It was found that they had gone to Hobart, Ind., but inquiries there developed that the girl had not accompanied them there.

 

All other efforts to find traces of the Van Kuren girl have as yet failed to meet with any success.

 

Coroner Shankland is also puzzled by another feature of the mystery -- the disappearance of a necklace which was grasped in the girl’s hand when the body was first discovered. This necklace seems to have been torn from the hand of the body, as a few beads from it remained in the rough box in which the body was buried.

 

The circumstances which followed and preceded the discovery of the body have convinced Coroner Shankland, he says, that he is on the trace of a crime.

 

“Everything connect with the finding of the body is strange,” he declared today. “The body was first discovered after the suicide of Joseph Schneider. The Schneider family owned a lot in the cemetery at Lake Station and they wanted to bury the decedent there. Joseph Schneider, a nephew, remembered that the grave which had formerly contained the body of Phillip Schneider, his father, had been opened six years ago and the body disinterred by relatives and buried elsewhere. He decided to bury his uncle in the grace of his father’s body had formerly occupied.”

 

“Young Schneider had the sexton of the cemetery started to dig and they had gone down less than three feet when they struck what they supposed was a coffin, but which appeared to be rather a strong box. This was broken open and in it was the body of the young woman.

 

“I am convinced from all the evi-circumstances [sic] connected with the discovery of the body that the finding of it has led to the unearthing of a crime. The fact that the box containing the body was only three feet below the ground seems to indicate that the persons who buried it expected to find a coffin if they went deeper. They, evidently did not know that the body of Schneider had been removed from the grave and thought that they had covered their traces safely by putting the body of the girl where no one would look for it.”

 

If the story told by Frank Van Deusen is true then the Lake county officials will be required to look to another quarter for the solution of the grave mystery. The truthfulness of Mr. Van Deusen’s statements can be easily determined by writing to the authorities at London, Ont., or Mrs. Mary Hobbs, of the same place, who is the grandmother of the supposed dead girl.

 

W. H. Herschell, a special writer with the Indianapolis News, was sent to Lake Station by his paper and his story of the tragedies of the little hamlet is as follows:

 

The Gunness tragedy at Laporte has revived interest in the mysteries and tragedies of the little parish of St. Margaret’s known on the railroad maps as Lake Station, a village of less than 200 inhabitants, lying here in the sand dunes, 35 miles east of Chicago.

 

“The parish of St. Margaret’s is one of the oldest settlements in northern Indiana, having been established back in Indian trading-post days. The village was founded by French traders on the banks of Deep river, a winding stream that empties into the Calumet, which disposes of its waters in Lake Michigan. When the Michigan Central railroad was built through here the company gave the perish the name of Lake Station because of its proximity to Lake Michigan, a short distance to the north. The village is an agricultural community, quiet and unprogressive, but it has had enough tragedy and mystery to make it take rank with the most austere city. A few years ago the Catholics of the community joined their brethren in the town of Hebron, 14 miles south, and built a new church in Hobart. This meant the abandonment of the church of St. Margaret’s, a quaint old wooden structure that has stood on the southern side of the village for 70 years.

 

Voices of the Dead Haunt the Parish.

 

“The voice of the dead seems to haunt the old parish of St. Margaret’s. The stranger here is at once impressed with the atmosphere which welds yesterday to today. The history of the village is one of sorrow and tragedy. The sun shines brightly on Deep river, and its silver reflections glow on the white sands of the dunes, yet life is not bright here. The old church of St. Margaret’s stands in a corner of the graveyard and the shadow of its tall tower darkens moss-grown tombstones that stand above the heads of citizens departed scores of years ago. The old cemetery is a tangle of trees and vines, of shrubbery and wild flowers. From the broken windows of the decaying church one looks out upon the town and its old-fashioned homes and streets. The picture is one that tells of a long ago.

 

Finding of Recluse’s Body.

 

“A continuation of the tragedies of St. Margaret’s came a few weeks after a lull of several months. Joseph Schneider, one of the pioneer settlers of the community, known as a recluse and loiterer, was found dead on a sand dune a mile east of town. Conrad Peterson, a citizen, found the body on the dune while inspecting some scrub oak trees on the property, which he had bought a few days before. Peterson examined the body and found the Schneider had evidently been dead several days. The throat was cut from ear to ear. Schneider had not been missed from the village, for he was a man of strange habits and made his home in the deserted church of St. Margaret’s.

 

“Schneider was an uncle of Philip Schneider, a young farmer living north east of Lake Station. The nephew had refused the old man a home because of his bad habits, but not until repeated efforts had been made by the nephew to make the old man be cleanly and of good deportment. Old Schneider was quarrelsome and fault-finding and the nephew finally had to tell him to seek another home. The separation between nephew and son [uncle?] came several months ago. The old man sullenly made his way to the deserted church in the graveyard, and there, behind the altar, made his nightly bed. From the good-hearted people of the community he got his daily bread.

 

Broods Near Forsaken Altar.

 

“There was something pathetic about the last days of the old man. He sought no company other than the old church and the tombstones in the graveyard. He walked among the stone as if they gave him communion with old friends that were dead. When the night came on he would steal through the creaking doors of St. Margaret’s and tramp down the plastered-covered floor to the altar. The wind whistled through the broken windows and sometimes grew so strong that it made the old bell in the belfry toll. This old bell, one of the sweetest toned in Indiana, is today the object of contention between the Catholics of St. Margaret’s and Hobart, the latter seeking it for the belfry of their new church. The parishoners [sic] of the old church cling to it, for it called them to worship for more than a half century. It was hauled across the sand dunes to St. Margaret’s on a wagon drawn by many oxen many years ago. The loving sentiment attaches the old parishioners of St. Margaret’s to it.

 

“The decaying church that gave Schneider his last earthly home is built of huge ax-hewn timbers that seem to stand the storms with the same fortitude that its builders withstood hardship. The plastering, however, and the old altar is a wreck. A few images yet remain on it. Above it hang several ecclesiastical pictures that are entwined by a withered wreath. In this solemn spot “old man Schneider” spent his last days.

 

“One morning early in April he was seen leaving the church by children on the way to school. They saw him turn to the east and follow a lane to the sand dunes along Deep river. That was the last seen of him alive. After the finding of the body Philip Schneider, the nephew, had it prepared for burial. Young Schneider remembered that [sic] his own father’s estate included the ownership of a lot in St. Margaret’s churchyard. His father had been buried in it years ago. Later the body had been removed to another lot in which other members of the family were buried. Young Schneider decided to give his uncle a grave in the place formerly occupied by his father. That decision brought to the parish of St. Margaret’s another mystery.

 

Find “The Woman of the Rosary.”

 

On the morning following the finding of the body of Joseph Schneider, two young men, Davy McMichael and Samuel Akers, went to St. Margaret’s churchyard to dig a grave for the suicide. They were digging away quite busily when suddenly young McMichael’s spade struck something that was hard. He called the attention of Akers to the incident and they carefully removed the earth from around the obstacle. To their utter amazement they covered a skull. Hurriedly summoning other citizens from the village as witnesses, the young men went on with the work and soon uncovered a skeleton that is now known in the parish as “The Woman of the Rosary.” Around the skull twined long strands of auburn hair. On the breast lay a rosary and a cross. The teeth of the cadaver were white and perfect, indicating that youth had been buried there.

 

“The find mystified the village. Hundreds gathered to see the skeleton and to try to reason out its story. The only trace of a clew was offered by Albert Smith, a carpenter, who a few years before had built a fence around the churchyard. Part of the fence was of wire. Smith recalled that one morning while he was building the fence, he came to work to find that several strands had been cut. He thought it the work of mischievous boys and made repairs. A few hours later several school children playing in the cemetery found a part of a white dress covered with blood. Smith paid not attention to the find and finished his fence without reporting to the county authorities.

 

“The finding of the skeleton leads many to believe that a murder has been committed near St. Margaret’s and that the perpetrators, familiar with the fact that the body of Philip Schneider’s father had been moved, threw the body into the grave and closed it. The work evidently was done quickly for the skeleton was lying in a half-crouched position. No marks on the skull or skeleton gave a clew to the cause of death. The young men soon replaced the body in the grave and covered it with board. Then they threw earth upon it and the mysterious “Woman of the Rosary” went back to sleep. The body has been placed there within the last seven years, for up to that time the body of Philip Schneider’s father had rested there. The coroner believes the boy to be that of Mrs. H. M. Van Deusen, who disappeared from Hobart, Ind., five years ago. Just before her disappearance she was married to Van Deusen, after she had been living with a man Van Kuren.

 

The Queer Case of Thompson.

 

“One of the most interesting of the tragedies in the parish of St. Margaret’s centers on George Thompson, known around here as ‘the meanest man that ever lived.’ Thompson, until a few months ago, owned a small farm adjoining Philip Schneider. He was of the hermit type and had no friends.

 

On day about a year ago Thompson became sick. The neighbors, in their largeness of heart, went to him. He would have none of their help, but asked that a nurse be sent him. A nurse was obtained from a nearby town. Thompson thought he was going to die and deeded his farm to the nurse. He got better, however, and took the farm away from her. Soon he was sick again and a woman from Lake Station nursed him She pulled him through a long siege. During his illness he again deeded his farm to his nurse. This one was not so easy as the other nurse. She immediately had the deed recorded.

 

“The loss of the farm angered Thompson. The woman offered it back if he would pay her for her services. He refused. The day following the recording of the deed Thompson went to Hobart and bought 200 half-galloon glass fruit jars. He also bought a large quantity of dynamite and dynamite caps. He then returned home and began making little engines of death to plant on the farm. He placed a quantity of dynamite in ach jar, together with some matched and paper. In the lid of each can he placed a dynamite cap and sealed the lid with beeswax. The 200 jars were then planted in the cornfields surrounding the place. The barn was literally mined with the explosive, as was also the house. Then Thompson poisoned his faithful old horse, ‘Prince.’ After seeing the animal die in great agony he went to the barn, set it on fire, cut his own throat and fell in a corner where he was found cremated after the fire. The neighbors, who had hurried to the place, where driven back by the explosion of the dynamite.

 

“Philip Schneider bought the farm from the nurse to whom Thompson had deeded it. The purchase came near proving a sorrowful one. Schneider’s plow came into contact with one of the glass fruit jars one morning last fall and the explosion blinded him for a time. He has partially recovered his sight. Since that time Davy McMichael, who has been doing most of the plowing on the place, has plowed up 67 of the would-be death dealers. He takes no chances, however. The plow he uses is one of the riding type, but he does not ride. He has tied long ropes to the lines and walks fully 40 feet back of the plow. Every now and then the plow turns up a can, but the horses were not hurt. The farm is now known in the community as “The dynamite Farm.”

 

Other Gloomy Mysteries.

 

“Dynamite played a mysterious part in another bit of the parish history. Federick Kappleman was a local reformer. Lake Station has several saloons, and Kappleman went after them. He also made war on other evils that he thought the community should be rid of. One night Kappleman’s home was wrecked by dynamite. One end of it was blown out. Kappleman thought that was enough and moved to another city.

 

“Not long ago Mrs. Frank Brock, the wife of a prominent and influential citizen, died in terrible agony, the result of an operation. Mrs. Brock’s husband became temporarily insane, and during a moment of deep grief, one morning last January, shot himself. He recovered, but is still grieving and his case is one that hold the pity of the community.

 

During the past two weeks two bodies of unknown dead were found in the sand dunes and in Deep river, and their identity is still a mystery. While Oren Simon, a young man living her, was crossing one of the sand dunes he came upon the dead body of a man whose throat was cut. He had evidently been dead for days. The coroner has thus far failed to learn whose body it is.

 

“Twenty-four hours after, William Kitzman saw the nude body of a man floating among the willows in Deep river. He pulled the body ashore, and called citizens of Lake Station to view it. Nobody could tell whose it was. The clothing was lying nearby under a tree, but no mark that would lead to identification was found. And the dead man’s name is still a mystery.”

 

Sources:

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; May 21, 1908; Volume 25, Number 8, Page 1, Columns 3-4, and Page 6, Columns 1-5.

 

Copyright 2019. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.

Koekohe Beach, Otago

I'm still months behind on posting my photos. These photos were taken in June and early July of this year (2022).

 

I'll try to get caught up in the near future.

 

I've had these nice very comfortable espadrilles with leather uppers for many years. I used to wear them to work in the city fairly often,. The soles are worn down, and somewhat rotted from getting wet in the rain.

 

Pieces are popping out and falling away, but they are still good to wear. When the soles completely disintegrate, I want to repair them. I've seen replacement rope soles for sale on the Internet. I need to look into that more.

I'm still months behind on posting my photos. These photos were taken in June and early July of this year (2022).

 

I'll try to get caught up in the near future.

 

I've had these nice very comfortable espadrilles with leather uppers for many years. I used to wear them to work in the city fairly often,. The soles are worn down, and somewhat rotted from getting wet in the rain.

 

Pieces are popping out and falling away, but they are still good to wear. When the soles completely disintegrate, I want to repair them. I've seen replacement rope soles for sale on the Internet. I need to look into that more.

Disintegrating Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) & incoming meteor

18x20s ISO 1600 Nikon D600 Ha mod. Nikkor AIS 85mm @f/2,8

Urban sky. Lockdown

I'm still months behind on posting my photos. These photos were taken in June and early July of this year (2022).

 

I'll try to get caught up in the near future.

 

I've had these nice very comfortable espadrilles with leather uppers for many years. I used to wear them to work in the city fairly often,. The soles are worn down, and somewhat rotted from getting wet in the rain.

 

Pieces are popping out and falling away, but they are still good to wear. When the soles completely disintegrate, I want to repair them. I've seen replacement rope soles for sale on the Internet. I need to look into that more.

And no car show would be complete without the beauty that is Rolls Royce's best selling car, the Silver Shadow. Saving the best till last I give you the car that took Rolls Royce out of the hands of the aristocracy and placed it into the hands of the people, a tradition that has continued ever since. Once rock-stars, pop-stars, TV presenters and alike were seen driving around in a car that was once the exclusive pride and joy of the established gentry, it was then and there that the Class System had truly disintegrated. The Victorian-era divisions of society were well and truly dead.

 

In 1965 it was apparent that the nearly 10 year old Silver Cloud was starting to look its age, and as time continued to crawl on the aristocratic look of the Rolls Royce was no longer its biggest selling point. Prior to the 1960's society was clearly defined, with what was known as the 'Glass Ceiling' through which none of the lower classes could rise up through the ranks. It was very easy for the Upper Class and Aristocracy to lose their titles and come down, but even if you were a Lower Class person who'd made it rich, you'd still be socially unacceptable due to your background. However, after World War I the emergence of the new Middle Class was starting to bend the rules, and as time went on the ways in which money could be obtained started to become easier thanks to stage and screen. After World War II the influence of the new generation distorted the lines of society even more with the appearance of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, people from low backgrounds who had managed to get a free ticket to the top due to their fame in the music industry. Of course when someone gets money, the first thing they want to do is spend it on luxury items, and nothing back then was more luxury than owning a Rolls Royce.

 

However, when the Cloud was designed society was still very much in the same Victorian ideal as before, and so its aristocratic look was about as hip and with-it as a China Cabinet in a Discotheque. In order to survive, Rolls Royce was going to have to adapt, so in 1965 they launched the Silver Shadow, a car that was designed for the new money, and the first Roller to be brought to the masses. What made it so appealing was a case of many things.

 

For starters, it was the first Rolls Royce to be a 'Driver's' car. Previous models had always been built with chauffeur driven passengers in mind, but the Shadow with upgraded suspension, an updated Rolls Royce V8 engine and the same general driving feel of a regular car (if not better with innovative power steering), made it ideal for the 'posers' of the upmarket realm. Secondly, the car was the first to be built with a monocoque, where the body and chassis are part of the same structure. Previously, Rolls Royce would provide the owner with a chassis, and then it was up to the owner what body would be put on it, with a variety of coachbuilders available to do the job including H.J Muliner Park Ward, Hoopers of London and James Young. The advent of the monocoque meant that potential buyers didn't have to go through the rigmarole of buying a chassis and then having a body constructed for it at extra cost.

 

As mentioned though, reception was something of a mixed bag, whilst motoring press and many people gave it critical acclaim for its revolutionary design, the usual Rolls Royce customer base saw it as something of a mongrel, appealing to the lowest common denominator rather than holding up the traditional standard that the Double R was famed for. But just because it was built for the masses didn't make it any less a car, each individual Shadow cost £7,000 new, weighed 2.2 tonnes and took 3 months to build. The interior was compiled of 12 square feet of wood, and three cows had to sacrifice themselves to create the leather hides that line the seats. Soft and springy Wilton Carpets made up the floor and power from Rolls Royce's astounding V8 engine could whisk the car to about 100mph, but why would you want a sporty Rolls Royce anyway? *Cough* Rolls Royce Wraith *Cough*

 

After launch the Silver Shadow was whipped up by pretty much anyone and everyone who wanted to show off their wealth, with a total of 25,000 examples being built during its 15 year production life, making it the most numerous Rolls Royce ever built. The Silver Shadow also formed the basis of several other designs, including the convertible Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 2-Door Saloon which later became the Corniche in 1971, the Bentley T-Series which was exactly the same only with Bentley badge and grille, and the controversial Rolls Royce Camargue of 1975 which was designed by Pininfarina.

 

For a time the Shadow was on top of the world, but things started to crumble fast in the 1970's. New American legislation meant that the car had to conform at the cost of its class, with the chrome bumpers being replaced by composite or rubber, and the ditch lights being slumped underneath on a rather unsightly chin-spoiler. In 1977 this revised car was launched as the Silver Shadow II, which I consider to be but a shadow of its former self due to the fact that this was when Rolls Royce started to become downplayed and underwhelming. Indeed the best intentions were in mind with safety, but without the chrome to adorn its lovely body, the Shadow was merely a husk.

 

This was added to by the fuel crisis of the mid-1970's, which made motoring a very expensive practice, especially if you ran a Shadow. Shadow's are incredible gas guzzlers at less than 20MPG, and refilling one will set you back in today's money about £80. At the same time it was considered socially unacceptable to be seen driving around in one of these after such a blow, almost as if you were driving a giant middle-finger down the street to everyone else who couldn't afford to drive. Because of this, owners turned to more subtle cars such as Mercedes so as not to fall victim to vindictive passers by. With sales starting to drop, Rolls Royce had to see off the Silver Shadow as soon as possible. After nearly 10 years of development, 1980 saw the launch of the much more angular and somewhat mundane Silver Spirit/Spur range, and with that now on the go the shadows grew long for the Silver Shadow, which was killed off the same year. Spiritually however, the design of the 60's lived on in the Corniche, which was to be built for another 15 years before that too was ended in 1995.

 

In some ways the Shadow became a failure of its own success, with Rolls Royce building far too many cars for the market that intended to buy them, with the result that the 2nd hand market became saturated with nearly new cars that fell into some disreputable company. Throughout the 1980's the Shadow was noted for being the ride of sleazy salesmen, gang lords and Members of Parliament (pure evil!). Additionally, many Shadows were bought cheap simply for the way they made the owner look.

 

If you were intending to use your cheapy Shadow to plunder yourself some girls and didn't have the attraction of money to back you up, you'd be out of luck and soon out of cash, because the bills required to run a hand-built luxury car would very quickly be walking through the door, both in terms of fuel and maintenance. Critical failures are rare and these cars are very reliable (although Jeremy Clarkson would have you think otherwise), but when they do happen, it would probably be cheaper to buy yourself another car. The worst problem you could face is a failure of the hydraulics that controlled the rear suspension, the steering and the brakes, which would render the car inoperable if something were to go awry.

 

Frequent maintenance of a Shadow however (every 4 to 6 months) will probably even out at about £100, which when you consider the £10,000 or more you'd be paying to replace the hydraulic system, is a small sacrifice. Rust is another problem, especially for early Shadows. The Chrome sills and guttering on the roof are especially prone, although the most critical problem is rust on the chassis, which if left can compromise the whole car and essentially write it off. A bit of a buying tip, if the car's body looks good, be sure to check underneath because you may see some costly rust gremlins down there that could ruin your investment.

 

Another place the Shadow has found itself is in the world of movies. Of course any film that has an upper-crust theme or feel to it would have to include a Rolls, but since 2nd hand Shadows could be picked up for a song you could easily put them in your movie. Sadly, most movies that feature Shadows are ones which feature them being destroyed.

 

So why do I love Shadows so much? Basically because it's a mixture of all things you'd want in a car. It has a spacious, luxury interior, it has a world beating design dripping with chrome and adorned with the finest hood ornament, and because it's dimensions aren't that far off a normal car, it can easily be used as an everyday machine unlike the Silver Cloud which is simply too big for everyday use. The Shadow is also a very personable sort of machine, if I was to own one I would treat it like a pet, and probably name it Sally (old girlfriend of mine).

 

Today, Shadows are by no means rare and the ones you'll find on the road are probably the best. Most of the poorer 2nd Hand ones rusted away and died back in the 1980's and 90's (or were blown up in movies, or put in swimming pools), which means that the survivors are largely under the ownership of avid enthusiasts who cherish their cars. You can find Shadows for next to nothing, with some examples going for as little as £4,000, but you'd have to be very desperate to get one of those as they'd probably be in very bad condition. Minters however can go for about £15,000 to £20,000, which when compared to some of the other cars of comparative size and quality such as the BMW's and Mercs of this world, is not a bad deal.

good morning, herr doktor. say, have you seen murray today?

murray? why, er, yes, I have.

do you know where he is?

not exactly. but I do know where he isn't.

what?

he agreed to help me test my new invention, you see.

what invention?

it's a little device that captures and eviscerates mass protons.

sounds interesting. but where's murray?

well, he was right over there. but, as you can see, he's not there now.

you mean. . . my god! what happened to him?

actually, I'm not really sure. I need to run further tests.

further. . . ?

yes. you aren't busy right now, are you, my boy?

me? why, no. I mean, yes! very busy!

this will only take a minute, I promise.

but what about murray?

if you happen to see him, or some form of him, be sure and say hello for me.

"Shown disintegrating after 25 seconds of flight, this Little Joe II launch vehicle tests the Launch Escape System of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Apollo moon spacecraft. The malfunction automatically triggered the Apollo's escape system, sending the Command Module, on the rocket's nose, to a safe descent. Twenty-five months of testing has qualified the escape system as dependable for the moon spacecraft."

 

See also, at the fantastic George's Rockets website:

 

georgesrockets.com/GRP/Scale/DATA/JoePhotos2/apmisc-65-H-823(A-003).jpg

 

And good additional A-003 reading at:

 

www.airspacemag.com/space/confidence-booster-32681/

 

Amazing footage:

 

Apollo Launch Abort - View on Imgur: m.imgur.com/t/space/2WKROwy

Credit: imgur/willpatt

This shot was taken a couple of months back at a really neat little mill that was about a 1.5-hour walk from school. I went back there for you :D Anyways, enough of the cheesy pie.

 

Right now I am in Vienna waiting for my dad and sister to arrive, their flight was suppose to come in last night but it was cancelled so now I have some time to myself. I was thinking about these last few days and I have really been bored with life. To be honest, if I had the choice of being here or back at school I would choose the little, dinky town of Schladming (where school was). Here I have been living the “good life,” I have a hotel room all to myself with a nice view of the city and I have a public transit pass to get me anywhere in this beautiful city. Yet compared to experiencing God, it does not even come close. I say this because I feel that too few Christians truly experience Christ. They go to Church on Sunday, going through the motions, and then live life pretty normally throughout the week. Life with Christ is an adventure and if all you are doing is going through the motions then you are living how Satan wants you to live. And I have been just as bad at doing this in the past and it was so BORING!!! Going to Bible school was probably one of the biggest leaps of faith I have taken in my life and I experienced God in such awesome ways, I can’t go back to normal life. We consider it radical when one of our Church members decides to sell everything and go off to do missions work but I feel like this should be normal. Let’s take a look through the New Testament, I am honestly going to take a book out of Acts at random and I will find the “normal” for their Church. Chapter 12; Peter is arrested by Herod who intends to kill him as he also killed James, and “an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison.” If you read after that “Bob sold his house and moved to Africa” you would think, well that is boring, what happens to Peter?!?! You see we get caught up in normal life and we think that is all there is. Life with Christ is an adventure and I really encourage you to live REAL Christian life. Don’t be worried about your circumstances, God’s word is full of promises to take care of us. So get out there and live life like an adventure!

 

“the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”

- Ephesians 1.18-19

 

If you are ever looking for a way to get fired up for Christ I recommend this video, it always works for me!

On April 6, 2020, astronomers reported, on The Astronomer's Telegram, the possible disintegration of Comet ATLAS. The comet has fragmented into several pieces. The fragmentation may be the result of the outgassing causing an increase in centrifugal force of the comet. This Composite image includes 5 inverted images (taken by me) of the core taken on the 31st. March, 5th. 8th. 9th. & 11th. April 2020 showing how in 12 days the core has changed and faded considerably.

Integral to hardcore punk’s politics was the disintegration of crowd/band barriers. In the above picture Ian Mackaye, of seminal DC Hardcore band Minor Threat, stoops to give the microphone to the crowd to participate. The dynamic here is crucial to understanding the new punk strain’s view of life and how to operate as a human being. With the “death of punk” in ‘79, the music media quickly rejected all of those who still clung to ideas in punk’s brevity, intelligence, and straightforwardness. The kids (literally, the hardcore scene was populated by young to older teens, generally speaking) took charge themselves. Ian Mackaye and Jeff Nelson (the drummer of Minor Threat, not pictured) started Dischord Records as a means to release their first band’s posthumous record. There was no profit here, just a dedication to an art form and culture that relied on ingenuity and economy to survive. With this as a back-story, we can see why barriers were demolished. Going to a hardcore show was not a passive action. You didn’t go just to “watch”. It was a participatory event.

 

Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2001.

 

Friedman, Glen E. Fuck You Heroes. New York: Burning Flags Press, 1994.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dischord

 

Tsitsos, William. “Rules of Rebellion: Slamdancing, Moshing, and the American Alternative Scene,” Popular music Editorial 18, no. 3 (1999): 397-414. links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0261-1430(199910)18:3<397:RO...

Julia "Julie" is the daughter and second child of James and Margaret Power. James Power is an inventor who once made a device which (unbeknownst to him) could destroy large parts of the universe.

 

The alien race known as the Snarks came looking for the device and thus came into conflict with the Power kids, whom moments before had received amazing powers from Whitey, an alien who died trying to warn the Power family of the nearing danger of the Snarks.

 

Julie was given the power of flight. Her siblings also gained super powers: Alex could control gravity, Jack could manipulate his body density and Katie could disintegrate matter and then fire energy balls. Julie adopted the code-name Lightspeed.

 

Although they four of them now had amazing powers, they could not stop the Snarks from kidnapping their parents and taking them of into space for further study of the humans.

 

All seemed lost until the smart-ship (named Friday) of the now dead alien Whitey told the Power kids he could follow the Snarks and try helping them rescue their parents.

 

The foursome went of to outer space, in hot pursuit of the Snarks. After an intense battle the Power kids found their parents on the Snarks mother-ship, where able to save them and flee the forces of the Snarks.

 

Afterwards, Julie's parents didn't have any memory of the Snarks or their kidnapping. The four siblings decided to keep their powers a secret to their parents and the world. Especially Julie was in a moral dilemma thinking that her mother and father wouldn't love her anymore and think of her as a freak if she told them about her powers.

 

When Julie asked her mom, Margaret if she would love her no matter what, Margaret replied that "she would love her, even if she would start flying" (witch ironically was Julie's superhuman power), reassuring Julie it was all OK. And thus Power Pack was born, the world's youngest superhero team.

 

In battles, Julie possessed quick reflexes and was a strong fighter. In the Pack's initial conflict with Prince Jakal, Julie was able to single-handedly bring down the Snark's ship.

 

She was also the only member of Power Pack to be directly responsible for the death of another — Pestilence, who fell to her death when Julie struck her with the "Julie Hammer" battle technique.

 

At some point, Julie and the Power Pack teamed-up with Moon Girl, Devil Dinosaur and Gwenpool.

 

Having begun super-heroic activities as a child and spent nearly half her life in that role, Julie felt she had missed experiencing a normal life, and decided to retire from being a superheroine and focus more on her private life.

 

During her first meeting with the Loners, she explained that she wanted to become an actress. However, she (as well as the others within the group) agreed to go on the mission offered by Rick Jones to help bring in the Runaways for their own good. After the mission they decided that it was a one time thing and returned to their support group.

 

Julie however felt the urge to make use of her powers again and dove off a building and soared through the sky.

 

When Julie intruded during a battle between Hollow and Ricochet, she was stabbed through the shoulders by Hollow.

 

Fortunately, her alien metabolism allowed her to heal from the wound quickly. Later, she enjoyed a conversation over burgers with Ricochet and had him take her to Marvel Studios for an audition. Julie failed her audition but caught the eye of an action director who hired her and Ricochet to use their powers as stunt people, which meant she had to lie about having registered under the SHRA.

 

She quit this job quickly though when the director came onto her despite her being underage and completely uninterested and then began trying to be honest with her friends. Julie then helped the team as they fought against Nekra and then Phil Urich when he succumbed to mental illness and stole the Darkhawk amulet from Chris Powell.

 

Julie, along with many other members of the Loners, joined Avengers Academy. Soon after, the Academy came under attack by Hybrid.

 

After a couple of months, all of a sudden her brother Alex was transported to her apartment via Dragon Man's teleportation ability. He begged her to come with him as he needed help in saving the Future Foundation from dangerous creatures.

 

She agreed but wasn't given enough time to change her attire as Dragon Man brought them back to Asteroid 1984-JA. She freaked out that Alex didn't give her a chance to change her clothes which prompted Bentley-23 to make a snarky comment about how the Power siblings were useless.

 

But of course Julie was able to help as the creatures they were being attacked by were photophobic, so she used her light-speed powers to carry each member of the team to safety without any injury from the monsters as her body generated light as she flew.

 

After they made it back to the ship, Julie went to Alex's quarters to play catch up with what was going on in each other's lives. She conveyed that she had nothing worth going back to at home and asked if she could join the ranks of the FF to help Alex lead the team. He gave her an undeniable yes and the both of them hugged each other with a warm embrace.

 

Powers and Abilities

 

Powers

Julie Power received her powers from the Kymellian, Whitey, including:

 

Self-Propelled Flight: Julie can fly at supersonic speeds while creating a stream of refracted light. After regaining her powers from her sister Katie, Julie learned how to hover in the air without accelerating.

 

Speed: Julie's maximum speed is at least 800 mph, faster than the speed of sound. She has been shown creating sonic booms when flying.

 

Rainbow Trail: Julie also emitted a distinct rainbow colored trail while flying. She eventually learned to manipulate this trail so that she could stand on it, use it to cushion the falls of others, and even as a hammock.

 

Teleportation: The second manifestation of Julie's Acceleration powers, which manifested after Julie had a strong desire to be in two places at once. This power allowed her to traverse great distances, seemingly without effort. She teleports in a flash of pink light.

 

Limited Invulnerability: Lightspeed has survived direct energy blasts from Ultron, which previously disintegrated Marianella Mancha, meaning that Julie may have been able to draw on the powers of her siblings even though they were not nearby. Previous incidents have demonstrated a sharing and linking of these powers when the siblings are in proximity to each other.

 

Paraphernalia

 

Julie wears a special costume made of unstable molecules by the Kymellian Smartship Friday.

 

Personality

 

Julie was perhaps the most "normal" of the Power siblings. When she was not in "superhero mode" Julie could be quite shy and quiet.

 

Julie was also a voracious reader, and was frequently seen reading, carrying or quoting books. She frequently stepped into a maternal role with her siblings, caring for Katie and Franklin Richards and attempted to restore peace during conflicts.

 

Quotes

 

"All super heroes have secrets. Even ex-super heroes."

 

Profile

 

Real Name: Julie Power

Known Relatives: James Power (Father), Margaret Power (Mother), Katie Power (Sister), Jack Power (Brother), Alexander Power (Brother), Roy Craig (Grandfather).

Group Affiliation: Power Pack.

Base of Operations: New York City, New York, USA.

 

Power Pack Origin

 

Long ago the Kymellians destroyed their homeworld attempting to generate energy via a matter/anti-matter conversion, causing a cataclysmic chain reaction.

 

When Aelfyre "Whitey" Whitemane, a Kymellian studying humanity by tapping into mankind's transmissions and computer network, learned a human scientist, Dr. James Power, was about to test the same process on Earth, he felt he had to intervene in spite of his race's non-interference laws.

 

He sent a signal to his people requesting permission, but it was intercepted by the warlike Snarks (slang for the race translated to English as Z^nrx or Sn^rx), who sent ships to steal the process. They shot down Whitey's Smartship Friday, though not before he managed to remotely wipe Power's computers, leaving James the only person who knew the process.

 

The aerial battle was witnessed from the Powers' beachfront house by Katie, James' youngest daughter, but the rest of the family believed her sighting to be shooting stars.

 

Hoping for more stellar displays, the Power children-Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie-slept out on the porch; that night Katie spotted Friday floating in the sea, and they went to have a closer look.

 

Jack and Julie returned home to get their parents, but as they neared the house they saw the Snarks capturing James and Margaret Power. The children tried to stop the aliens, but were about to be killed when Whitey intervened.

 

Though he saved the kids, Whitey was badly wounded, and the Snarks escaped with the two adults. Before he expired, Whitey transferred his ability to control aspects of energy, mass, acceleration, and gravity to the children.

 

At Jack's suggestion they each chose super-hero names: Alex became Gee, able to control gravity; as Lightspeed, Julie could fly and left a trail of rainbow light; Katie became Energizer, able to convert physical objects to energy, then absorb and discharge it as destructive bolts; while Jack's ability to become cloud-like and later tiny and super-dense made him Mass Master (failing to appreciate that, perhaps due to human/Kymellian variation, he altered his density and volume, not his mass).

 

Friday provided them with unstable molecule costumes, and they dubbed themselves Power Pack.

 

They saved the world from annihilation by destroying their father's prototype conversion device, but his boss Carmody recognized them, assuming them to be mutants.

 

They rescued their parents from the Snarks, whose interrogation methods had destroyed portions of their father's memories, leaving him unable to recreate his process.

 

Carmody reported them to the government, but his anti-mutant obsession and attempts to harm them backfired; a mutant detector marked them as human, and after Carmody endangered the children, Dr. Power quit, taking a job in New York.

 

Within days of arriving in the Big Apple, Power Pack encountered Spider-Man, Cloak and Dagger, Dragon-Man, and Marina, as well as enduring the travails of starting new schools and making new friends.

 

They encountered the Morlocks and the X-Men in the sewers, being briefly kidnapped and brainwashed to replace Annalee's dead children. Carmody returned, using a Project: PEGASUS surplus battlesuit to become the Bogeyman, but was warned off by the children's new friends, the Asgardian Warriors Three.

 

Shortly after this, Franklin Richards, son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, began to see Power Pack in prophetic dreams, while on Snarkworld Whitey's cousin Kofi learned that High Snark Jakal was heading to Earth to steal the children's abilities, hoping to use them to become the next Emperor.

 

Kofi raced to warn them, but was shot down, crashing near the Statue of Liberty. Franklin encountered the Power children in Central Park and led them to the injured Kymellian, but they were ambushed by Jakal. Assisted by Franklin and Kofi, they defeated him, and Franklin joined Power Pack as Tattletale.

 

Soon after they met the Beyonder during his super-hero phase, and fought Kurse after he hospitalized their mother, later assisting Thor and Beta Ray Bill in defeating the dark elf.

 

Next they stopped demons hoping to gain power to overthrow their ruler Magik (Illyana Rasputin), from sacrificing Katie, while Magik's teammate Mirage used her Valkyrie powers to keep Death from claiming Margaret Power.

 

Jakal's mother Maraud kidnapped the Power children and Kofi, taking them to Snarkworld, with Franklin pursuing in Friday.

 

Jakal stole the Pack's powers, and tried to kill Snark Emperor Bhadsha, but Franklin and an escaped Kofi rescued him. Meanwhile the transferred powers proved too much for Jakal, and they reverted back, but not to the original owners.

 

Alex gained the energy powers as Destroyer; Julie, the mass powers, becoming Molecula; Katie, the flight, to become Starstreak, while Jack became Counterweight with the gravity powers.

 

Jakal, his brain failing, allowed the dying Bhadsha's mind to be transferred into his healthy body.

 

Power Pack returned to Earth to be reunited with their worried parents, who learned of their unusual friends, but not their powers, at this juncture.

 

Soon after this, Power Pack fought Sabretooth during the Marauders massacre of the Morlocks and helped X-Factor rescue Leech and Caliban.

 

They met the Avengers and Fantastic Four, and Mr. and Mrs. Power befriended Franklin's superpowered parents.

 

Over the next few weeks Power Pack fought the drug dealing gang Trash and their employer, the Garbage Man, adventured with Madcap, stopped Master Mold from killing Franklin, and fought alongside X-Factor against the Horsemen of Apocalypse, preventing his ship from crashing into the Statue of Liberty.

 

They saved the young mutant Rebecca Littlehale from her out-of-control teleportation powers, but later she was kidnapped by the Bogeyman, who tried to sell her and Starstreak to the demon N'Astirh.

 

Though he was stopped by Power Pack and the New Mutants, he soon returned, transformed by N'Astirh into a demon, and attacked the Power family during Inferno, when demons invaded New York.

 

To save their parents, the children were forced to reveal their powers; Margaret and James seemed unable to cope with the revelation, so the New Mutant Mirage convinced them the superpowered children were illusions she had generated to fool the Bogeyman.

 

In the following months the Pack met Dakota North and the Punisher, and Katie fell into an extra-dimensional pocket of her costume, ending up in Elsewhere, the realm from which the costumes were cleaned and transported.

 

Then they visited the artificial Kymellian homeworld, where they met Force 4, Kymellian heroes, and learned that Kofi's father Yrik had brainwashed their parents to ensure the children's abilities could remain secret; it was this conditioning that had caused the adverse reactions when the powers were revealed.

 

Angered, Power Pack and Kofi ran away, just before Maraud attacked Kymellia. Meanwhile, Power Pack encountered Numinus, cosmic embodiment of the wonders of the universe, and learned she intended them to save the Kymellians from stagnation and extinction.

 

Returning to Kymellia, they ran into Maraud and were forced to transfer their powers to her, but when she broke her promise not to attack Kymellia again, they wrested them back.

 

Julie regained the flight powers, as Lightspeed; while Jack, Alex and Katie took the Destroyer, Mass Master, and Counterweight powers and names, respectively. They defeated Maraud, and the Kymellians moved from their artificial world to a verdant new planet, rejecting excessive technology.

 

The Kymellian Technocrat, unhappy with this, kidnapped the Power adults and replaced them with artificial duplicates at an unspecified point soon after, planning to extract the matter/anti-matter process from James Power's mind.

 

He hoped to use this to destroy the new homeworld and force his race back to an artificial one. Alex began to suspect the switch so he was also replaced.

 

Back on Earth Power Pack fought Typhoid Mary and prevented Mysterio from frightening everyone out of their apartment building.

 

"Alex" began to lose his hair, his form reverting to its true appearance. Power Pack battled the son of the Star-Stalker alongside Galactus' herald Nova (Frankie Raye), an Elan child, and a fireproof tramp called Raymond.

 

Seeing the battle on TV, "Margaret Power" had a breakdown, while "James" finally learned his children's secret. Soon after, "Alex" transformed physically into a Kymellian.

 

Mr. Fantastic tried to return him to normal, but an attack by the Red Ghost and his Super Apes interrupted the attempt. With "Margaret" catatonic and "Alex" stuck in his alien form, the Power family traveled the world looking for a cure, meeting Excalibur in Britain and the "Monster from the Lost Lagoon" family in the Caribbean.

 

Unable to find help on Earth, they flew to Kymellia, where Power Pack learned of the substitutions, and defeated both the Technocrat and Maraud. They switched powers around again, finally ending up with each having their original powers, and the reunited Power family returned to Earth.

 

⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽

_____________________________

A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.

 

Secret Identity: Julie Power

 

Publisher: Marvel

 

First appearance: Power Pack #1 (Aug 1984)

 

Created by: Louise Simonson (Writer)

June Brigman (Artist)

 

* Katie Power seen here!

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53094011876/

 

Jack Power seen here!

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53108536747/

 

Alex Power seen here!

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53157840259/

Shot #9: Glinda lets go of the pendant, and it begins to disintegrate.

 

Evanora Fights Glinda

Oz The Great and Powerful

 

Re-enactment of the scene where Evanora tries to flee the Emerald City, but is stopped by Glinda. A fight between the Wicked Witch of the East versus the Good Witch of the South ensues. Used in these shots are the Evanora and Glinda 11.5 inch fashion dolls by the Disney Store, part of the Disney Film Collection. They are movie accurate depictions of the characters from Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful, which went into wide release on March 8, 2013.

 

Description of each shot in this re-enactment, which is a condensed version of the scene in the movie:

 

Shot #1: Evanora is crossing the Throne Room, trying to flee Emerald City.

Glinda [from the throne, offscreen]: ''Not so fast! You and I aren't finished here.''

Shot #2: Glinda confronts Evanora.

Evanora: ''You have the throne, Glinda. What more could you want?''

Glinda: ''You can't give me that. You took what mattered most from me: my father.''

Shot #3: Evanora knocks Glinda down with a lightning bolt.

Evanora, gloating: ''What's the matter, Glinda, out of bubbles?''

Glinda, getting up: ''I don't need them, bubbles are just for show!''

Shot #4: Evanora and Glinda square off against each other, floating in midair.

Shot #5: Evanora and Glinda grapple with each other in hand to hand combat. Evanora uses lightning, which Glinda contains with her wand. Glinda grasps Evanora's necklace, with the emerald amulet. Wide shot.

Shot #6: Evanora and Glinda grapple with each other in hand to hand combat. Evanora uses lightning, which Glinda contains with her wand. Glinda grasps Evanora's necklace, with the emerald amulet. Closeup shot.

Shot #7: Evanora has Glinda down on the ground, and is ready to finish her off.

Shot #8: Evanora cannot conjure up her lightning spell, and realizes that her magical emerald pendant is gone. Evanora: ''What have you done?''

Shot #9: Glinda lets go of the pendant, and it begins to disintegrate.

Shot #10: Evanora crawls away from Glinda, weak and aging rapidly. Evanora: ''Look what you've done to me!''

 

disintegration

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined sports car, designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and manufactured in Molsheim, France, by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

 

The original version had a top speed of 407.12 km/h (252.97 mph). It was named Car of the Decade and best car award (2000–2009) by the BBC television programme Top Gear. The standard Bugatti Veyron also won Top Gear's Best Car Driven All Year award in 2005.

 

The current Super Sport version of the Veyron is recognized by Guinness World Records as the fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), and the roadster Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse version is the fastest roadster in the world, reaching an averaged top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph) in a test on 6 April 2013.

 

Name origin

 

The Veyron EB 16.4 is named in honour of Pierre Veyron, a Bugatti development engineer, test driver and company race driver who, with co-driver Jean-Pierre Wimille, won the 1939 24 hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti. The "EB" refers to Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti and the "16.4" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders and 4 turbochargers.

 

World record controversy

 

A controversy developed in 2013 over the Veyron Super Sport's status as the world’s fastest production car, ultimately resolved in the Veyron's favor.

 

In early April 2013, driving.co.uk (also known as Sunday Times Driving) began an investigation following claims from US car maker Hennessey that its 928 kW (1,244 bhp) Hennessey Venom GT was entitled to the Guinness World Record. With a recorded speed of 427.6 km/h (265.7 mph) the Hennessey was 3.4 km/h (2.1 mph) slower than the Veyron but Hennessey dismissed Bugatti’s official record saying that the Veyron Super Sport was restricted to 415 km/h (258 mph) in production form and that for it to achieve its record top speed of 431.0 km/h (267.8 mph), the car used was in a state of tune not available to customers. Hennessey said its Venom GT was road-ready and unmodified and was therefore a production car in the strict sense of the term.

 

Driving.co.uk requested clarification from Guinness World Records, which investigated this claim and found that the modification was against the official guidelines of the record. Upon finding this, Guinness World Records voided the Super Sport's record and announced it was "reviewing this category with expert external consultants to ensure our records fairly reflect achievements in this field."

 

After further review, Shelby SuperCars, the producers of the Ultimate Aero TT, said that they had reclaimed the record, however Guinness reinstated the Super Sport's record after coming to the conclusion that "a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

 

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, World Record Edition (2010–)

 

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is a faster, more powerful version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Production is limited to thirty units. The Super Sport has increased engine power of 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp), a torque of 1,500 N·m (1,100 lbf·ft), and a revised aerodynamic package. The Super Sport has a 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) top speed, making it the fastest production road car on the market although it is electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tyres from disintegrating.

 

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition is a version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. It is limited to five units. It has an orange body detailing, and a special, black, exposed, carbon, body.

 

The vehicle was unveiled in 2010 at The Quail, followed by the 2010 Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca, and the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

This Lego MotorCity-scale 2010 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. In the case of the Veyron Super Sport, the fastest road car in the world - 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph).

 

Sand Mold Clay Pit and Track Over Which Cars are Drawn up the Incline by Cable Direct to Hopper of Disintegrator.

 

Date: 1906

Source Type: Photograph

Publisher, Printer, Photographer: The Clay-Worker, March 1906

Postmark: Not Applicable

Collection: Steven R. Shook

Remark: In 1890, the Chicago Hydraulic Pressed Brick Company established a large production facility at Porter. Two additional facilities were erected in Porter over the next decade. On October 21, 1904, the plant was destroyed by fire, with the exception of the barns, clay sheds, and some minor buildings. The fire resulted in a loss reported to be $50,000. Early in the spring of 1905 the plant was rebuilt, and the buildings were made to be more fire proof. The image shows the brick manufacturing facility in 1906 after it was rebuilt. The facility ceased operations in 1924 when clay was becoming scarce, and thereby too expensive, to make brick manufacturing profitable in the area.

 

This image was obtained from the following article published in the March 1906 issue in The Clay-Worker:

 

A MODEL PRESSED BRICK PLANT.

 

A MODEL PLANT, unique in more than one detail, is that put into commission by the Chicago Hydraulic Pressed Brick Co., at the beginning of the season just closed. Located at Porter, Ind., it has risen, Phoenix-like, (with apologies for that thread-bare phrase) from the ashes of the company's first plant, which was destroyed by fire October, 1904.

 

A device for using the waste heat from the cooling kilns in a dryer into which the brick are run on rack cars directly from the presses and again directly to the kilns, a truss roof stock shed absolutely without center supports to interfere with handling, and a movable shelter shed under which the clay is dug out from the rich clay bank, are among the features which make the Hydraulic's plant at Porter, remarkable among the other pressed brick plants in the country.

 

The Chicago Pressed Brick Company was incorporated February, 1890. It is controlled by the Hydraulic Pressed Brick Company of St. Louis, which, prior to 1890, had furnished practically ninety per cent. of the face brick of all colors used in Chicago. Operating at Porter, Ind., prior to 1890 were the Purington-Kimbell Brick Company, the Thomas Moulding Company, and the Hinchcliff and Owen Brick Company.

 

The Chicago Hydraulic Pressed Brick Company purchased the yards from the parties last named, and other acreage comprising a total of 420 acres. This area contains the only deposits of clay burning a deep red, within 150 miles of Chicago. As Porter is only 45 miles from Chicago, and with an unlimited supply of clay, the object of the Chicago Hydraulic Pressed Brick Company in securing this property is self-evident.

 

The plant up to October 1904 had a capacity of 20,000,000 brick a year. Then came the fire, entirely destroying this valuable and productive plant, at the close of a season when it had been worked to its limit. The Company was not long in preparing the recoup this loss and rebuild the plant. Rebuilding operations commenced March 2, 1905, were completed the following May, and the plant is now the most modern pressed brick plant owned by any company, according to Chicago experts. No expense was spared in rebuilding, and every advantage given be recent patents in handling the product in an up-to-date manner, was eagerly seized by the alert management. E. C. Kimbell himself, had immediate oversight of almost every detail, and spent the greater part of his time down at Porter during the building of the new plant.

 

The output of the plant during its first year was practically 18,000,000. Being located on the Michigan Central, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railways, with switch connections with the Pere Marquette and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern, the shipping facilities are perfect. The plant is equipped to run winter and summer, and since rebuilding, has been run continually to its full capacity.

 

The officers of the company are: E. C. Eliot, president, St. Louis; F. G. Middlekauff, first vice-president, St. Louis; F. L. Joy, second vice-president and secretary, St. Louis; G. F. Baker, treasurer, St. Louis; and E. C. Kimbell, assistant secretary and general manager, Chicago.

 

At the Hydraulic's new plant it has been demonstrated for the first time that a pressed brick manufactured by the hydraulic process can be successfully passed through a dryer in which the waste heat from the cooling kilns is used, and this process in addition to turning out a superior product of brick, lessens the cost considerably, as the brick have only one handling from machine to kiln, ready to set. Reference to the cut will show the position of the rack car as bricks are being loaded onto the pallets direct from the machine. This will make it clear to any one interested in the manufacture of pressed brick wherein the advantage of handling brick in this manner lies.

 

A 50,000 per day Potts machine for the manufacture of sand molded brick, which are also handled through the dryer, is another feature of the plant, and the cut shows also the sand mold clay pit with the track cars are drawn up the incline by cable direct to the disintegrating hopper.

 

One of the prize features of the plant, however, is the temporary shelter shed which has been installed. This follows along the clay bank as the clay is dug out, enabling the shovelers to work in any kind of weather. This shed is thirty-two feet square. The corner supports are six by eight timbers. The "bank side" of the shelter is seven feet high and runs along the top of the bank on a grooved wheel which rides a track set on a plank. The low side is sixteen feet high and also rides along on grooved wheels set at the two lower corners, these also running on a track bent to a plank. This shed keeps twelve feet of the clay bank under operation. Two tracks run through it and the cars carry the clay away as it is "mined." A volcano stove rests on a platform which is hung from a truss in the roof by rods. The mean leave their dinner pails around this stove and have hot dinners, while on an ordinary winter day the temperature is so hot that the men work with their coats off. The shelter is equally good against the heat of summer, however. The shed is so strong that it has been found possible to explode a two-pound charge of dynamite under it without effecting [sic] it at all, and one man with a crowbar can "pinch," the whole structure along by working at the front wheel.

 

Another cut shows the main passageway into the kilns, and the track used to bring brick from the dryers direct to the kiln. Three transfer tracks run from the main kiln track, and each car on these tracks is a double transfer car. These double cars run on a four-foot guage [sic]. The pallet or rack cars are on a two-foot guage [sic]. These run out from the dryers to the double transfer cars, aboard the double transfer cars, down the movable tracks, running into the kilns. These movable tracks are also two-foot guage [sic], and the cars are run off the transfer car direct to the kilns.

 

The interior of the stock shed is also shown in a cut. It is 290 feet long and sixty-four feet wide. Its truss roof and absence of center posts make it absolutely unique. A loading track runs through the center of the shed. It is the first stock shed of its kind used for this purpose.

 

This model plant is in charge of W. J. Soper, the superintendent, who, with the exception of three years has been with the company since its organization.

 

Source:

Anonymous. 1906. A Model Pressed Brick Plant. The Clay-Worker 45(3):475-476.

 

Copyright 2021. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.

In a not so distant America, the politics will split the country into 3 new countries before the invasion by Mexico, Japan and Canada. Alamo will be retaken by Mexico and Hawaii taken by Japan. Canada will take New York to Maine.

 

Size: 11 x 14 inches

 

paintings for sale: www.shawnshawn.co

Newsletter: www.shawnshawn.co/contact.html

Code: MM08204

Mamiya Six Automat II, Sekor 75mm f/3.5 lens. Scanned with Sony a6000.

Wanted to mess around with the new grip. Laser pistols turn out ok with it I think

♫ Explosions In the Sky - Disintegration Anxiety

Hand detailed Hubley Atomic Disintegrator ray gun with custom box and display stand

I'm still months behind on posting my photos. These photos were taken in June and early July of this year (2022).

 

I'll try to get caught up in the near future.

 

I've had these nice very comfortable espadrilles with leather uppers for many years. I used to wear them to work in the city fairly often,. The soles are worn down, and somewhat rotted from getting wet in the rain.

 

Pieces are popping out and falling away, but they are still good to wear. When the soles completely disintegrate, I want to repair them. I've seen replacement rope soles for sale on the Internet. I need to look into that more.

Jasper Ave.

 

Entropy

When I was a kid, forty years ago, Jasper Ave. was the showboat street of Edmonton. It was the local hero — the strip — a place where the whole city co-mingled, from oil barons to labourers and everybody in between. It’s fall from grace has been gradual, a slow death from bad policy to a thousand cuts of a failing economy and economic transition in general.

 

Big retail has pulled out and independent retail has pretty much croaked. The only businesses that seem to prosper are vape shops and donair places. If you didn’t know the Avenue before, you might not notice. But if you do remember it from way back, it’s sort of like seeing an old friend with a terminal disease… Entropy. A measure of uncertainty has crept into the grid.

 

Iphone: 49961624601_fb7cf860c6_o

8x8 Vignette

 

(made for Vancouver Lego Club - April Competition)

 

Elbow split, TBLeague (Phicen) S45 figure.

 

Figure purchased new: November 2021

 

Damage noticed: March 2022

 

Figure has been sitting undisturbed since January with the elbow bent at no more than a 45 degree angle. The extreme angle in these images is to illustrate the tear in the material.

 

I am disappointed to see this; I am now questioning my decision to invest fairly significantly in seamless-bodied action figures. Maybe it's time to transition back to Pinky-Street, Bratz, and Monster High (although most of my Monster High figures are experiencing extreme loosening of the joints).

Spaceflight (or space flight) is ballistic flight into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft with or without humans on board. Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union was the first human to conduct a spaceflight. Examples of human spaceflight include the U.S. Apollo Moon landing and Space Shuttle programs and the Russian Soyuz program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station. Examples of unmanned spaceflight include space probes that leave Earth orbit, as well as satellites in orbit around Earth, such as communications satellites. These operate either by telerobotic control or are fully autonomous.

 

Spaceflight is used in space exploration, and also in commercial activities like space tourism and satellite telecommunications. Additional non-commercial uses of spaceflight include space observatories, reconnaissance satellites and other Earth observation satellites.

 

A spaceflight typically begins with a rocket launch, which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of gravity and propels the spacecraft from the surface of the Earth. Once in space, the motion of a spacecraft – both when unpropelled and when under propulsion – is covered by the area of study called astrodynamics. Some spacecraft remain in space indefinitely, some disintegrate during atmospheric reentry, and others reach a planetary or lunar surface for landing or impact.

  

History

Main articles: History of spaceflight and Timeline of spaceflight

Tsiolkovsky, early space theorist

 

The first theoretical proposal of space travel using rockets was published by Scottish astronomer and mathematician William Leitch, in an 1861 essay "A Journey Through Space".[1] More well-known (though not widely outside Russia) is Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's work, "Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами" (The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices), published in 1903.

 

Spaceflight became an engineering possibility with the work of Robert H. Goddard's publication in 1919 of his paper A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. His application of the de Laval nozzle to liquid fuel rockets improved efficiency enough for interplanetary travel to become possible. He also proved in the laboratory that rockets would work in the vacuum of space;[specify] nonetheless, his work was not taken seriously by the public. His attempt to secure an Army contract for a rocket-propelled weapon in the first World War was defeated by the November 11, 1918 armistice with Germany. Working with private financial support, he was the first to launch a liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. Goddard's paper was highly influential on Hermann Oberth, who in turn influenced Wernher von Braun. Von Braun became the first to produce modern rockets as guided weapons, employed by Adolf Hitler. Von Braun's V-2 was the first rocket to reach space, at an altitude of 189 kilometers (102 nautical miles) on a June 1944 test flight.[2]

 

Tsiolkovsky's rocketry work was not fully appreciated in his lifetime, but he influenced Sergey Korolev, who became the Soviet Union's chief rocket designer under Joseph Stalin, to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles to carry nuclear weapons as a counter measure to United States bomber planes. Derivatives of Korolev's R-7 Semyorka missiles were used to launch the world's first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957, and later the first human to orbit the Earth, Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1, on April 12, 1961.[3]

 

At the end of World War II, von Braun and most of his rocket team surrendered to the United States, and were expatriated to work on American missiles at what became the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. This work on missiles such as Juno I and Atlas enabled launch of the first US satellite Explorer 1 on February 1, 1958, and the first American in orbit, John Glenn in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. As director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Von Braun oversaw development of a larger class of rocket called Saturn, which allowed the US to send the first two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, to the Moon and back on Apollo 11 in July 1969. Over the same period, the Soviet Union secretly tried but failed to develop the N1 rocket to give them the capability to land one person on the Moon.

Phases

Launch

Main article: Rocket launch

See also: List of space launch system designs

 

Rockets are the only means currently capable of reaching orbit or beyond. Other non-rocket spacelaunch technologies have yet to be built, or remain short of orbital speeds. A rocket launch for a spaceflight usually starts from a spaceport (cosmodrome), which may be equipped with launch complexes and launch pads for vertical rocket launches, and runways for takeoff and landing of carrier airplanes and winged spacecraft. Spaceports are situated well away from human habitation for noise and safety reasons. ICBMs have various special launching facilities.

 

A launch is often restricted to certain launch windows. These windows depend upon the position of celestial bodies and orbits relative to the launch site. The biggest influence is often the rotation of the Earth itself. Once launched, orbits are normally located within relatively constant flat planes at a fixed angle to the axis of the Earth, and the Earth rotates within this orbit.

 

A launch pad is a fixed structure designed to dispatch airborne vehicles. It generally consists of a launch tower and flame trench. It is surrounded by equipment used to erect, fuel, and maintain launch vehicles. Before launch, the rocket can weigh many hundreds of tonnes. The Space Shuttle Columbia, on STS-1, weighed 2,030 tonnes (4,480,000 lb) at take off.

Reaching space

 

The most commonly used definition of outer space is everything beyond the Kármán line, which is 100 kilometers (62 mi) above the Earth's surface. The United States sometimes defines outer space as everything beyond 50 miles (80 km) in altitude.

 

Rockets are the only currently practical means of reaching space. Conventional airplane engines cannot reach space due to the lack of oxygen. Rocket engines expel propellant to provide forward thrust that generates enough delta-v (change in velocity) to reach orbit.

 

For manned launch systems launch escape systems are frequently fitted to allow astronauts to escape in the case of emergency.

Alternatives

Main article: Non-rocket spacelaunch

 

Many ways to reach space other than rockets have been proposed. Ideas such as the space elevator, and momentum exchange tethers like rotovators or skyhooks require new materials much stronger than any currently known. Electromagnetic launchers such as launch loops might be feasible with current technology. Other ideas include rocket assisted aircraft/spaceplanes such as Reaction Engines Skylon (currently in early stage development), scramjet powered spaceplanes, and RBCC powered spaceplanes. Gun launch has been proposed for cargo.

Leaving orbit

 

This section possibly contains original research. Relevant discussion may be found on Talk:Spaceflight. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (June 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Main articles: Escape velocity and Parking orbit

Launched in 1959, Luna 1 was the first known man-made object to achieve escape velocity from the Earth.[4] (replica pictured)

 

Achieving a closed orbit is not essential to lunar and interplanetary voyages. Early Russian space vehicles successfully achieved very high altitudes without going into orbit. NASA considered launching Apollo missions directly into lunar trajectories but adopted the strategy of first entering a temporary parking orbit and then performing a separate burn several orbits later onto a lunar trajectory. This costs additional propellant because the parking orbit perigee must be high enough to prevent reentry while direct injection can have an arbitrarily low perigee because it will never be reached.

 

However, the parking orbit approach greatly simplified Apollo mission planning in several important ways. It substantially widened the allowable launch windows, increasing the chance of a successful launch despite minor technical problems during the countdown. The parking orbit was a stable "mission plateau" that gave the crew and controllers several hours to thoroughly check out the spacecraft after the stresses of launch before committing it to a long lunar flight; the crew could quickly return to Earth, if necessary, or an alternate Earth-orbital mission could be conducted. The parking orbit also enabled translunar trajectories that avoided the densest parts of the Van Allen radiation belts.

 

Apollo missions minimized the performance penalty of the parking orbit by keeping its altitude as low as possible. For example, Apollo 15 used an unusually low parking orbit (even for Apollo) of 92.5 nmi by 91.5 nmi (171 km by 169 km) where there was significant atmospheric drag. But it was partially overcome by continuous venting of hydrogen from the third stage of the Saturn V, and was in any event tolerable for the short stay.

 

Robotic missions do not require an abort capability or radiation minimization, and because modern launchers routinely meet "instantaneous" launch windows, space probes to the Moon and other planets generally use direct injection to maximize performance. Although some might coast briefly during the launch sequence, they do not complete one or more full parking orbits before the burn that injects them onto an Earth escape trajectory.

 

Note that the escape velocity from a celestial body decreases with altitude above that body. However, it is more fuel-efficient for a craft to burn its fuel as close to the ground as possible; see Oberth effect and reference.[5] This is another way to explain the performance penalty associated with establishing the safe perigee of a parking orbit.

 

Plans for future crewed interplanetary spaceflight missions often include final vehicle assembly in Earth orbit, such as NASA's Project Orion and Russia's Kliper/Parom tandem.

Astrodynamics

Main article: Orbital mechanics

 

Astrodynamics is the study of spacecraft trajectories, particularly as they relate to gravitational and propulsion effects. Astrodynamics allows for a spacecraft to arrive at its destination at the correct time without excessive propellant use. An orbital maneuvering system may be needed to maintain or change orbits.

 

Non-rocket orbital propulsion methods include solar sails, magnetic sails, plasma-bubble magnetic systems, and using gravitational slingshot effects.

Ionized gas trail from Shuttle reentry

Recovery of Discoverer 14 return capsule by a C-119 airplane

Transfer energy

 

The term "transfer energy" means the total amount of energy imparted by a rocket stage to its payload. This can be the energy imparted by a first stage of a launch vehicle to an upper stage plus payload, or by an upper stage or spacecraft kick motor to a spacecraft.[6][7]

Reentry

Main article: Atmospheric reentry

 

Vehicles in orbit have large amounts of kinetic energy. This energy must be discarded if the vehicle is to land safely without vaporizing in the atmosphere. Typically this process requires special methods to protect against aerodynamic heating. The theory behind reentry was developed by Harry Julian Allen. Based on this theory, reentry vehicles present blunt shapes to the atmosphere for reentry. Blunt shapes mean that less than 1% of the kinetic energy ends up as heat that reaches the vehicle, and the remainder heats up the atmosphere.

Landing

 

The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules all splashed down in the sea. These capsules were designed to land at relatively low speeds with the help of a parachute. Russian capsules for Soyuz make use of a big parachute and braking rockets to touch down on land. The Space Shuttle glided to a touchdown like a plane.

Recovery

 

After a successful landing the spacecraft, its occupants and cargo can be recovered. In some cases, recovery has occurred before landing: while a spacecraft is still descending on its parachute, it can be snagged by a specially designed aircraft. This mid-air retrieval technique was used to recover the film canisters from the Corona spy satellites.

Types

Uncrewed

See also: Uncrewed spacecraft and robotic spacecraft

Sojourner takes its Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement of Yogi Rock on Mars

The MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury (artist's interpretation)

 

Uncrewed spaceflight (or unmanned) is all spaceflight activity without a necessary human presence in space. This includes all space probes, satellites and robotic spacecraft and missions. Uncrewed spaceflight is the opposite of manned spaceflight, which is usually called human spaceflight. Subcategories of uncrewed spaceflight are "robotic spacecraft" (objects) and "robotic space missions" (activities). A robotic spacecraft is an uncrewed spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe.

 

Uncrewed space missions use remote-controlled spacecraft. The first uncrewed space mission was Sputnik I, launched October 4, 1957 to orbit the Earth. Space missions where other animals but no humans are on-board are considered uncrewed missions.

Benefits

 

Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and lower risk factors. In addition, some planetary destinations such as Venus or the vicinity of Jupiter are too hostile for human survival, given current technology. Outer planets such as Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic probes are the only way to explore them. Telerobotics also allows exploration of regions that are vulnerable to contamination by Earth micro-organisms since spacecraft can be sterilized. Humans can not be sterilized in the same way as a spaceship, as they coexist with numerous micro-organisms, and these micro-organisms are also hard to contain within a spaceship or spacesuit.

Telepresence

 

Telerobotics becomes telepresence when the time delay is short enough to permit control of the spacecraft in close to real time by humans. Even the two seconds light speed delay for the Moon is too far away for telepresence exploration from Earth. The L1 and L2 positions permit 400-millisecond round trip delays, which is just close enough for telepresence operation. Telepresence has also been suggested as a way to repair satellites in Earth orbit from Earth. The Exploration Telerobotics Symposium in 2012 explored this and other topics.[8]

Human

Main article: Human spaceflight

ISS crew member stores samples

 

The first human spaceflight was Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, on which cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin of the USSR made one orbit around the Earth. In official Soviet documents, there is no mention of the fact that Gagarin parachuted the final seven miles.[9] Currently, the only spacecraft regularly used for human spaceflight are the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft. The U.S. Space Shuttle fleet operated from April 1981 until July 2011. SpaceShipOne has conducted two human suborbital spaceflights.

Sub-orbital

Main article: Sub-orbital spaceflight

The International Space Station in Earth orbit after a visit from the crew of STS-119

 

On a sub-orbital spaceflight the spacecraft reaches space and then returns to the atmosphere after following a (primarily) ballistic trajectory. This is usually because of insufficient specific orbital energy, in which case a suborbital flight will last only a few minutes, but it is also possible for an object with enough energy for an orbit to have a trajectory that intersects the Earth's atmosphere, sometimes after many hours. Pioneer 1 was NASA's first space probe intended to reach the Moon. A partial failure caused it to instead follow a suborbital trajectory to an altitude of 113,854 kilometers (70,746 mi) before reentering the Earth's atmosphere 43 hours after launch.

 

The most generally recognized boundary of space is the Kármán line 100 km above sea level. (NASA alternatively defines an astronaut as someone who has flown more than 50 miles (80 km) above sea level.) It is not generally recognized by the public that the increase in potential energy required to pass the Kármán line is only about 3% of the orbital energy (potential plus kinetic energy) required by the lowest possible Earth orbit (a circular orbit just above the Kármán line.) In other words, it is far easier to reach space than to stay there. On May 17, 2004, Civilian Space eXploration Team launched the GoFast Rocket on a suborbital flight, the first amateur spaceflight. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne was used for the first privately funded human spaceflight.

Point-to-point

 

Point-to-point is a category of sub-orbital spaceflight in which a spacecraft provides rapid transport between two terrestrial locations. Consider a conventional airline route between London and Sydney, a flight that normally lasts over twenty hours. With point-to-point suborbital travel the same route could be traversed in less than one hour.[10] While no company offers this type of transportation today, SpaceX has revealed plans to do so as early as the 2020s using its BFR vehicle.[11] Suborbital spaceflight over an intercontinental distance requires a vehicle velocity that is only a little lower than the velocity required to reach low Earth orbit.[12] If rockets are used, the size of the rocket relative to the payload is similar to an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Any intercontinental spaceflight has to surmount problems of heating during atmosphere re-entry that are nearly as large as those faced by orbital spaceflight.

Orbital

Main article: Orbital spaceflight

Apollo 6 heads into orbit

 

A minimal orbital spaceflight requires much higher velocities than a minimal sub-orbital flight, and so it is technologically much more challenging to achieve. To achieve orbital spaceflight, the tangential velocity around the Earth is as important as altitude. In order to perform a stable and lasting flight in space, the spacecraft must reach the minimal orbital speed required for a closed orbit.

Interplanetary

Main article: Interplanetary spaceflight

 

Interplanetary travel is travel between planets within a single planetary system. In practice, the use of the term is confined to travel between the planets of our Solar System.

Interstellar

Main article: Interstellar travel

 

Five spacecraft are currently leaving the Solar System on escape trajectories, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and New Horizons. The one farthest from the Sun is Voyager 1, which is more than 100 AU distant and is moving at 3.6 AU per year.[13] In comparison, Proxima Centauri, the closest star other than the Sun, is 267,000 AU distant. It will take Voyager 1 over 74,000 years to reach this distance. Vehicle designs using other techniques, such as nuclear pulse propulsion are likely to be able to reach the nearest star significantly faster. Another possibility that could allow for human interstellar spaceflight is to make use of time dilation, as this would make it possible for passengers in a fast-moving vehicle to travel further into the future while aging very little, in that their great speed slows down the rate of passage of on-board time. However, attaining such high speeds would still require the use of some new, advanced method of propulsion.

Intergalactic

Main article: Intergalactic travel

 

Intergalactic travel involves spaceflight between galaxies, and is considered much more technologically demanding than even interstellar travel and, by current engineering terms, is considered science fiction.

Spacecraft

Main article: Spacecraft

An Apollo Lunar Module on the lunar surface

 

Spacecraft are vehicles capable of controlling their trajectory through space.

 

The first 'true spacecraft' is sometimes said to be Apollo Lunar Module,[14] since this was the only manned vehicle to have been designed for, and operated only in space; and is notable for its non aerodynamic shape.

Propulsion

Main article: Spacecraft propulsion

 

Spacecraft today predominantly use rockets for propulsion, but other propulsion techniques such as ion drives are becoming more common, particularly for unmanned vehicles, and this can significantly reduce the vehicle's mass and increase its delta-v.

Launch systems

Main article: Launch vehicle

 

Launch systems are used to carry a payload from Earth's surface into outer space.

Expendable

Main article: Expendable launch system

 

Most current spaceflight uses multi-stage expendable launch systems to reach space.

 

Reusable

Main article: Reusable launch system

Ambox current red.svg

 

This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2019)

 

The first reusable spacecraft, the X-15, was air-launched on a suborbital trajectory on July 19, 1963. The first partially reusable orbital spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, was launched by the USA on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight, on April 12, 1981. During the Shuttle era, six orbiters were built, all of which have flown in the atmosphere and five of which have flown in space. The Enterprise was used only for approach and landing tests, launching from the back of a Boeing 747 and gliding to deadstick landings at Edwards AFB, California. The first Space Shuttle to fly into space was the Columbia, followed by the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. The Endeavour was built to replace the Challenger, which was lost in January 1986. The Columbia broke up during reentry in February 2003.

 

The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition on mission STS-1

 

Columbia landing, concluding the STS-1 mission

 

Columbia launches again on STS-2

 

The first automatic partially reusable spacecraft was the Buran (Snowstorm), launched by the USSR on November 15, 1988, although it made only one flight. This spaceplane was designed for a crew and strongly resembled the US Space Shuttle, although its drop-off boosters used liquid propellants and its main engines were located at the base of what would be the external tank in the American Shuttle. Lack of funding, complicated by the dissolution of the USSR, prevented any further flights of Buran.

 

Per the Vision for Space Exploration, the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011 due mainly to its old age and high cost of the program reaching over a billion dollars per flight. The Shuttle's human transport role is to be replaced by the partially reusable Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) no later than 2021. The Shuttle's heavy cargo transport role is to be replaced by expendable rockets such as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) or a Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle.

 

Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne was a reusable suborbital spaceplane that carried pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie on consecutive flights in 2004 to win the Ansari X Prize. The Spaceship Company has built its successor SpaceShipTwo. A fleet of SpaceShipTwos operated by Virgin Galactic planned to begin reusable private spaceflight carrying paying passengers (space tourists) in 2008, but this was delayed due to an accident in the propulsion development.[15]

 

Challenges

Main article: Effect of spaceflight on the human body

Space disasters

Main article: Space accidents and incidents

 

All launch vehicles contain a huge amount of energy that is needed for some part of it to reach orbit. There is therefore some risk that this energy can be released prematurely and suddenly, with significant effects. When a Delta II rocket exploded 13 seconds after launch on January 17, 1997, there were reports of store windows 10 miles (16 km) away being broken by the blast.[16]

 

Space is a fairly predictable environment, but there are still risks of accidental depressurization and the potential failure of equipment, some of which may be very newly developed.

 

In 2004 the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety was established in the Netherlands to further international cooperation and scientific advancement in space systems safety.[17]

Weightlessness

Main article: Weightlessness

Astronauts on the ISS in weightless conditions. Michael Foale can be seen exercising in the foreground.

 

In a microgravity environment such as that provided by a spacecraft in orbit around the Earth, humans experience a sense of "weightlessness." Short-term exposure to microgravity causes space adaptation syndrome, a self-limiting nausea caused by derangement of the vestibular system. Long-term exposure causes multiple health issues. The most significant is bone loss, some of which is permanent, but microgravity also leads to significant deconditioning of muscular and cardiovascular tissues.

Radiation

 

Once above the atmosphere, radiation due to the Van Allen belts, solar radiation and cosmic radiation issues occur and increase. Further away from the Earth, solar flares can give a fatal radiation dose in minutes, and the health threat from cosmic radiation significantly increases the chances of cancer over a decade exposure or more.[18]

Life support

Main article: Life support system

 

In human spaceflight, the life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in outer space. NASA often uses the phrase Environmental Control and Life Support System or the acronym ECLSS when describing these systems for its human spaceflight missions.[19] The life support system may supply: air, water and food. It must also maintain the correct body temperature, an acceptable pressure on the body and deal with the body's waste products. Shielding against harmful external influences such as radiation and micro-meteorites may also be necessary. Components of the life support system are life-critical, and are designed and constructed using safety engineering techniques.

Space weather

Main article: Space weather

Aurora australis and Discovery, May 1991.

 

Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in outer space. It is distinct from the concept of weather within a planetary atmosphere, and deals with phenomena involving ambient plasma, magnetic fields, radiation and other matter in space (generally close to Earth but also in interplanetary, and occasionally interstellar medium). "Space weather describes the conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems. Our space weather is a consequence of the behavior of the Sun, the nature of Earth's magnetic field, and our location in the Solar System."[20]

 

Space weather exerts a profound influence in several areas related to space exploration and development. Changing geomagnetic conditions can induce changes in atmospheric density causing the rapid degradation of spacecraft altitude in Low Earth orbit. Geomagnetic storms due to increased solar activity can potentially blind sensors aboard spacecraft, or interfere with on-board electronics. An understanding of space environmental conditions is also important in designing shielding and life support systems for manned spacecraft.

Environmental considerations

 

Rockets as a class are not inherently grossly polluting. However, some rockets use toxic propellants, and most vehicles use propellants that are not carbon neutral. Many solid rockets have chlorine in the form of perchlorate or other chemicals, and this can cause temporary local holes in the ozone layer. Re-entering spacecraft generate nitrates which also can temporarily impact the ozone layer. Most rockets are made of metals that can have an environmental impact during their construction.

 

In addition to the atmospheric effects there are effects on the near-Earth space environment. There is the possibility that orbit could become inaccessible for generations due to exponentially increasing space debris caused by spalling of satellites and vehicles (Kessler syndrome). Many launched vehicles today are therefore designed to be re-entered after use.

Oh I miss the kiss of treachery

The shameless kiss of vanity

The soft and the black and the velvety

Up tight against the side of me

And mouth and eyes and heart all bleed

And run in thickening streams of greed

As bit by bit it starts the need

To just let go

My party piece

 

Oh I miss the kiss of treachery

The aching kiss before I feed

The stench of a love for a younger meat

And the sound that it makes

When it cuts in deep

The holding up on bended knees

The addiction of duplicities

As bit by bit it starts the need

To just let go

My party piece

 

But I never said I would stay to the end

So I leave you with babies and hoping for frequency

Screaming like this in the hope of the secrecy

Screaming me over and over and over

I leave you with photographs

Pictures of trickery

Stains on the carpet and

Stains on the scenery

Songs about happiness murmured in dreams

When we both us knew

How the ending would be...

 

So it's all come back round to breaking apart again

Breaking apart like I'm made up of glass again

Making it up behind my back again

Holding my breath for the fear of sleep again

Holding it up behind my head again

Cut in deep to the heart of the bone again

Round and round and round

And it's coming apart again

Over and over and over

 

Now that I know that I'm breaking to pieces

I'll pull out my heart

And I'll feed it to anyone

Crying for sympathy

Crocodiles cry for the love of the crowd

And the three cheers from everyone

Dropping through sky

Through the glass of the roof

Through the roof of your mouth

Through the mouth of your eye

Through the eye of the needle

It's easier for me to get closer to heaven

Than ever feel whole again

 

I never said I would stay to the end

I knew I would leave you with babies and everything

Screaming like this in the hole of sincerity

Screaming me over and over and over

I leave you with photographs

Pictures of trickery

Stains on the carpet and

Stains on the memory

Songs about happiness murmured in dreams

When we both of us knew

How the end always is

 

How the end always is...

 

The Cure

This is possibly the only scrap of packaging that remains from my vintage Kenner "Star Wars" toy collection. I received it earlier today along with several cards from my 9th birthday. It's amazing what your parents uncover when they pack up one home and move to another. #TBT

Grew up in Brighton & watched the West Pier slowly disintegrate throughout my youth. During the process the "r" dropped off one of the old signs. I vaguely remember the council offering the Pier for sale for £1, on condition the buyer spent the £x million needed to restore it. Nobody was tempted. I couldn't keep the rain off my lense so gave up trying, hence the softness. The very dull grey sky made the sea look extra green. Huge thanks to Skeletal Mess www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/ for generous permission to use his filters.

 

Brussel is een onmiskenbaar politieke plaats en de laatste tijd lijken de p’s en de b’s, de politici en de burgers, in twee tegengestelde werelden te leven. Of zijn het melkwegstelsels? Boeren, buschauffeurs, brandweerlui, bohémiens, Brusselaars versus politici. Real life en de macht. Koen Cobbaert trok een ongelooflijk treffend beeld van België: een leeuw en een haan samengeprangd op een plastic dingske voor het grootse, lege plein van het paleis, in ouderwetse kassei.

 

Tekst: Leen

The Colt Disintegrator Model 3

Frontiersman. Nothing like the classics to

hold up throughout a long campaign. At sea,

the standard-issue side arms were too few

to meet our needs, logistics being what

they were. But somehow Colt would manage it.

For special orders, they would find us - cut

through hostile forces if they had to - get

the product to us come what may. The Mod-

el 3 was just as rugged. Its atom-

ic core could be replenished from a broad

array of power sources - thermals, pack kits, bombs...

 

Yes, Colt’s Frontiersman Model 3 Disin-

tegrator proved the edge for us to win.

   

© Keith Ward 2007

Hit Head On

 

Click here for more about this series, SF Sonnets.

 

The ray gun in the photo is actually an Atomic Disintegrator cap gun made by Hubley, a toy manufacturer (now defunct) out of Lancaster PA. It's in rough shape, but even ones in rough shape go for a hundred bucks, minimum. I was lucky. Got mine for a fraction of that.

 

The currency underneath the ray gun is Univars space play money. There are at least twleve denominations for all eight planets, redeemable at all interplanitary banks in 80.1 % refined stardust, and guaranteed by Interplanetary Bank - the issue is secured by deposit in the Vault of Heaven. The play money was produced by the Tracies Company of Holyoke, Mass.

 

The image has Photoshop Elements 5's poster edges filter applied to it, and increased color saturation.

 

Take a look at the image in the large or the original size view. If you're into vintage toys, like vintage science fiction, or just enjoy close-up looks at cool images, you'll thank yourself for checking it out intimately...

A study in disintegration, a run-down dairy farm buildings and silos near Eagle Island State Park, Idaho. During a brief trip to Boise, Idaho I visited Eagle Island State Park along the banks of the Boise River. Photographically speaking, there wasn't much the state park had to offer in the way of landscape scenery. The most intriguing photo subject I found at the park was a dilapidated dairy, complete with decaying buildings, silos, barns, fences and other structures. The weeds had taken over, adding to the feel of decay.

 

I give you the car that took Rolls Royce out of the hands of the aristocracy and placed it into the hands of the people, a tradition that has continued ever since. Once rock-stars, pop-stars, TV presenters and alike were seen driving around in a car that was once the exclusive pride and joy of the established gentry, it was then and there that the Class System had truly disintegrated. The Victorian-era divisions of society were well and truly dead.

 

In 1965 it was apparent that the nearly 10 year old Silver Cloud was starting to look its age, and as time continued to crawl on the aristocratic look of the Rolls Royce was no longer its biggest selling point. Prior to the 1960's society was clearly defined, with what was known as the 'Glass Ceiling' through which none of the lower classes could rise up through the ranks. It was very easy for the Upper Class and Aristocracy to lose their titles and come down, but even if you were a Lower Class person who'd made it rich, you'd still be socially unacceptable due to your background. However, after World War I the emergence of the new Middle Class was starting to bend the rules, and as time went on the ways in which money could be obtained started to become easier thanks to stage and screen. After World War II the influence of the new generation distorted the lines of society even more with the appearance of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, people from low backgrounds who had managed to get a free ticket to the top due to their fame in the music industry. Of course when someone gets money, the first thing they want to do is spend it on luxury items, and nothing back then was more luxury than owning a Rolls Royce.

 

However, when the Cloud was designed society was still very much in the same Victorian ideal as before, and so its aristocratic look was about as hip and with-it as a China Cabinet in a Discotheque. In order to survive, Rolls Royce was going to have to adapt, so in 1965 they launched the Silver Shadow, a car that was designed for the new money, and the first Roller to be brought to the masses. What made it so appealing was a case of many things.

 

For starters, it was the first Rolls Royce to be a 'Driver's' car. Previous models had always been built with chauffeur driven passengers in mind, but the Shadow with upgraded suspension, an updated Rolls Royce V8 engine and the same general driving feel of a regular car (if not better with innovative power steering), made it ideal for the 'posers' of the upmarket realm. Secondly, the car was the first to be built with a monocoque, where the body and chassis are part of the same structure. Previously, Rolls Royce would provide the owner with a chassis, and then it was up to the owner what body would be put on it, with a variety of coachbuilders available to do the job including H.J Muliner Park Ward, Hoopers of London and James Young. The advent of the monocoque meant that potential buyers didn't have to go through the rigmarole of buying a chassis and then having a body constructed for it at extra cost.

 

As mentioned though, reception was something of a mixed bag, whilst motoring press and many people gave it critical acclaim for its revolutionary design, the usual Rolls Royce customer base saw it as something of a mongrel, appealing to the lowest common denominator rather than holding up the traditional standard that the Double R was famed for. But just because it was built for the masses didn't make it any less a car, each individual Shadow cost £7,000 new, weighed 2.2 tonnes and took 3 months to build. The interior was compiled of 12 square feet of wood, and three cows had to sacrifice themselves to create the leather hides that line the seats. Soft and springy Wilton Carpets made up the floor and power from Rolls Royce's astounding V8 engine could whisk the car to about 100mph, but why would you want a sporty Rolls Royce anyway? *Cough* Rolls Royce Wraith *Cough*

 

After launch the Silver Shadow was whipped up by pretty much anyone and everyone who wanted to show off their wealth, with a total of 25,000 examples being built during its 15 year production life, making it the most numerous Rolls Royce ever built. The Silver Shadow also formed the basis of several other designs, including the convertible Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 2-Door Saloon which later became the Corniche in 1971, the Bentley T-Series which was exactly the same only with Bentley badge and grille, and the controversial Rolls Royce Camargue of 1975 which was designed by Pininfarina.

 

For a time the Shadow was on top of the world, but things started to crumble fast in the 1970's. New American legislation meant that the car had to conform at the cost of its class, with the chrome bumpers being replaced by composite or rubber, and the ditch lights being slumped underneath on a rather unsightly chin-spoiler. In 1977 this revised car was launched as the Silver Shadow II, which I consider to be but a shadow of its former self due to the fact that this was when Rolls Royce started to become downplayed and underwhelming. Indeed the best intentions were in mind with safety, but without the chrome to adorn its lovely body, the Shadow was merely a husk.

 

This was added to by the fuel crisis of the mid-1970's, which made motoring a very expensive practice, especially if you ran a Shadow. Shadow's are incredible gas guzzlers at less than 20MPG, and refilling one will set you back in today's money about £80. At the same time it was considered socially unacceptable to be seen driving around in one of these after such a blow, almost as if you were driving a giant middle-finger down the street to everyone else who couldn't afford to drive. Because of this, owners turned to more subtle cars such as Mercedes so as not to fall victim to vindictive passers by. With sales starting to drop, Rolls Royce had to see off the Silver Shadow as soon as possible. After nearly 10 years of development, 1980 saw the launch of the much more angular and somewhat mundane Silver Spirit/Spur range, and with that now on the go the shadows grew long for the Silver Shadow, which was killed off the same year. Spiritually however, the design of the 60's lived on in the Corniche, which was to be built for another 15 years before that too was ended in 1995.

 

In some ways the Shadow became a failure of its own success, with Rolls Royce building far too many cars for the market that intended to buy them, with the result that the 2nd hand market became saturated with nearly new cars that fell into some disreputable company. Throughout the 1980's the Shadow was noted for being the ride of sleazy salesmen, gang lords and Members of Parliament (pure evil!). Additionally, many Shadows were bought cheap simply for the way they made the owner look.

 

If you were intending to use your cheapy Shadow to plunder yourself some girls and didn't have the attraction of money to back you up, you'd be out of luck and soon out of cash, because the bills required to run a hand-built luxury car would very quickly be walking through the door, both in terms of fuel and maintenance. Critical failures are rare and these cars are very reliable (although Jeremy Clarkson would have you think otherwise), but when they do happen, it would probably be cheaper to buy yourself another car. The worst problem you could face is a failure of the hydraulics that controlled the rear suspension, the steering and the brakes, which would render the car inoperable if something were to go awry.

 

Frequent maintenance of a Shadow however (every 4 to 6 months) will probably even out at about £100, which when you consider the £10,000 or more you'd be paying to replace the hydraulic system, is a small sacrifice. Rust is another problem, especially for early Shadows. The Chrome sills and guttering on the roof are especially prone, although the most critical problem is rust on the chassis, which if left can compromise the whole car and essentially write it off. A bit of a buying tip, if the car's body looks good, be sure to check underneath because you may see some costly rust gremlins down there that could ruin your investment.

 

Another place the Shadow has found itself is in the world of movies. Of course any film that has an upper-crust theme or feel to it would have to include a Rolls, but since 2nd hand Shadows could be picked up for a song you could easily put them in your movie. Sadly, most movies that feature Shadows are ones which feature them being destroyed.

 

So why do I love Shadows so much? Basically because it's a mixture of all things you'd want in a car. It has a spacious, luxury interior, it has a world beating design dripping with chrome and adorned with the finest hood ornament, and because it's dimensions aren't that far off a normal car, it can easily be used as an everyday machine unlike the Silver Cloud which is simply too big for everyday use. The Shadow is also a very personable sort of machine, if I was to own one I would treat it like a pet, and probably name it Sally (old girlfriend of mine).

 

Today, Shadows are by no means rare and the ones you'll find on the road are probably the best. Most of the poorer 2nd Hand ones rusted away and died back in the 1980's and 90's (or were blown up in movies, or put in swimming pools), which means that the survivors are largely under the ownership of avid enthusiasts who cherish their cars. You can find Shadows for next to nothing, with some examples going for as little as £4,000, but you'd have to be very desperate to get one of those as they'd probably be in very bad condition. Minters however can go for about £15,000 to £20,000, which when compared to some of the other cars of comparative size and quality such as the BMW's and Mercs of this world, is not a bad deal.

In a not so distant America, the politics will split the country into 3 new countries before the invasion by Mexico, Japan and Canada. Alamo will be retaken by Mexico and Hawaii taken by Japan. Canada will take New York to Maine.

 

Size: 11 x 14 inches

 

paintings for sale: www.shawnshawn.co

Newsletter: www.shawnshawn.co/contact.html

Code: MM08201

Trying something new...this is a sketch using pastel pencils on a sketch pad - I need more "saddle" time to get better. Don't know what I was thinking of when I started this but this is how it ended up. The picture has been cropped a bit. I don't have a scanner so I took a snap of this with my camera.

 

Sketch and editing: Zeeva Quintessa

This image captures a decaying billboard standing tall at the edge of the highway, a fading testimony to a bygone era of advertising. The structure seems to be on the verge of collapse, with missing panels and remnants of the original ad hanging below, barely clinging on. A bird’s nest finds a home in the wreckage, illustrating the resilience of nature amidst the crumbling man-made relic. The billboard, once a powerful symbol of consumerism and commercialism, now evokes a sense of desolation and decay.

 

As one gazes upon the weathered billboard, they can’t help but ponder its relevance in today’s world of technology and distraction. With most people glued to their phones, it’s unclear whether the traditional advertisement medium holds any persuasive power. The scene seems to embody the concept of broken promises, as the once-glorious ad campaign now lies in disrepair, forgotten and forsaken.

 

The fragmented layers of the billboard add a sense of depth and texture, reminiscent of urban relics and vanishing ads from the past. The peeling paint and rusted metal are a testament to the passage of time and the inevitable process of disintegration. This image, captured by Duncan Rawlinson, is a haunting reminder of the transience of human endeavors and the fragility of our creations.

 

With its crumbling structure and faded glory, this photograph titled “Faded Persuasion” is an evocative portrayal of the decline of traditional advertising methods and the relentless march of time. The image serves as an urban canvas, illustrating the impact of neglect and obsolescence on the physical world around us. The decaying billboard stands as a poignant symbol of a world that once was, and the ever-changing nature of our cultural landscape.

 

Duncan.co/faded-persuasion

I give you the car that took Rolls Royce out of the hands of the aristocracy and placed it into the hands of the people, a tradition that has continued ever since. Once rock-stars, pop-stars, TV presenters and alike were seen driving around in a car that was once the exclusive pride and joy of the established gentry, it was then and there that the Class System had truly disintegrated. The Victorian-era divisions of society were well and truly dead.

 

In 1965 it was apparent that the nearly 10 year old Silver Cloud was starting to look its age, and as time continued to crawl on the aristocratic look of the Rolls Royce was no longer its biggest selling point. Prior to the 1960's society was clearly defined, with what was known as the 'Glass Ceiling' through which none of the lower classes could rise up through the ranks. It was very easy for the Upper Class and Aristocracy to lose their titles and come down, but even if you were a Lower Class person who'd made it rich, you'd still be socially unacceptable due to your background. However, after World War I the emergence of the new Middle Class was starting to bend the rules, and as time went on the ways in which money could be obtained started to become easier thanks to stage and screen. After World War II the influence of the new generation distorted the lines of society even more with the appearance of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, people from low backgrounds who had managed to get a free ticket to the top due to their fame in the music industry. Of course when someone gets money, the first thing they want to do is spend it on luxury items, and nothing back then was more luxury than owning a Rolls Royce.

 

However, when the Cloud was designed society was still very much in the same Victorian ideal as before, and so its aristocratic look was about as hip and with-it as a China Cabinet in a Discotheque. In order to survive, Rolls Royce was going to have to adapt, so in 1965 they launched the Silver Shadow, a car that was designed for the new money, and the first Roller to be brought to the masses. What made it so appealing was a case of many things.

 

For starters, it was the first Rolls Royce to be a 'Driver's' car. Previous models had always been built with chauffeur driven passengers in mind, but the Shadow with upgraded suspension, an updated Rolls Royce V8 engine and the same general driving feel of a regular car (if not better with innovative power steering), made it ideal for the 'posers' of the upmarket realm. Secondly, the car was the first to be built with a monocoque, where the body and chassis are part of the same structure. Previously, Rolls Royce would provide the owner with a chassis, and then it was up to the owner what body would be put on it, with a variety of coachbuilders available to do the job including H.J Muliner Park Ward, Hoopers of London and James Young. The advent of the monocoque meant that potential buyers didn't have to go through the rigmarole of buying a chassis and then having a body constructed for it at extra cost.

 

As mentioned though, reception was something of a mixed bag, whilst motoring press and many people gave it critical acclaim for its revolutionary design, the usual Rolls Royce customer base saw it as something of a mongrel, appealing to the lowest common denominator rather than holding up the traditional standard that the Double R was famed for. But just because it was built for the masses didn't make it any less a car, each individual Shadow cost £7,000 new, weighed 2.2 tonnes and took 3 months to build. The interior was compiled of 12 square feet of wood, and three cows had to sacrifice themselves to create the leather hides that line the seats. Soft and springy Wilton Carpets made up the floor and power from Rolls Royce's astounding V8 engine could whisk the car to about 100mph, but why would you want a sporty Rolls Royce anyway? *Cough* Rolls Royce Wraith *Cough*

 

After launch the Silver Shadow was whipped up by pretty much anyone and everyone who wanted to show off their wealth, with a total of 25,000 examples being built during its 15 year production life, making it the most numerous Rolls Royce ever built. The Silver Shadow also formed the basis of several other designs, including the convertible Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 2-Door Saloon which later became the Corniche in 1971, the Bentley T-Series which was exactly the same only with Bentley badge and grille, and the controversial Rolls Royce Camargue of 1975 which was designed by Pininfarina.

 

For a time the Shadow was on top of the world, but things started to crumble fast in the 1970's. New American legislation meant that the car had to conform at the cost of its class, with the chrome bumpers being replaced by composite or rubber, and the ditch lights being slumped underneath on a rather unsightly chin-spoiler. In 1977 this revised car was launched as the Silver Shadow II, which I consider to be but a shadow of its former self due to the fact that this was when Rolls Royce started to become downplayed and underwhelming. Indeed the best intentions were in mind with safety, but without the chrome to adorn its lovely body, the Shadow was merely a husk.

 

This was added to by the fuel crisis of the mid-1970's, which made motoring a very expensive practice, especially if you ran a Shadow. Shadow's are incredible gas guzzlers at less than 20MPG, and refilling one will set you back in today's money about £80. At the same time it was considered socially unacceptable to be seen driving around in one of these after such a blow, almost as if you were driving a giant middle-finger down the street to everyone else who couldn't afford to drive. Because of this, owners turned to more subtle cars such as Mercedes so as not to fall victim to vindictive passers by. With sales starting to drop, Rolls Royce had to see off the Silver Shadow as soon as possible. After nearly 10 years of development, 1980 saw the launch of the much more angular and somewhat mundane Silver Spirit/Spur range, and with that now on the go the shadows grew long for the Silver Shadow, which was killed off the same year. Spiritually however, the design of the 60's lived on in the Corniche, which was to be built for another 15 years before that too was ended in 1995.

 

In some ways the Shadow became a failure of its own success, with Rolls Royce building far too many cars for the market that intended to buy them, with the result that the 2nd hand market became saturated with nearly new cars that fell into some disreputable company. Throughout the 1980's the Shadow was noted for being the ride of sleazy salesmen, gang lords and Members of Parliament (pure evil!). Additionally, many Shadows were bought cheap simply for the way they made the owner look.

 

If you were intending to use your cheapy Shadow to plunder yourself some girls and didn't have the attraction of money to back you up, you'd be out of luck and soon out of cash, because the bills required to run a hand-built luxury car would very quickly be walking through the door, both in terms of fuel and maintenance. Critical failures are rare and these cars are very reliable (although Jeremy Clarkson would have you think otherwise), but when they do happen, it would probably be cheaper to buy yourself another car. The worst problem you could face is a failure of the hydraulics that controlled the rear suspension, the steering and the brakes, which would render the car inoperable if something were to go awry.

 

Frequent maintenance of a Shadow however (every 4 to 6 months) will probably even out at about £100, which when you consider the £10,000 or more you'd be paying to replace the hydraulic system, is a small sacrifice. Rust is another problem, especially for early Shadows. The Chrome sills and guttering on the roof are especially prone, although the most critical problem is rust on the chassis, which if left can compromise the whole car and essentially write it off. A bit of a buying tip, if the car's body looks good, be sure to check underneath because you may see some costly rust gremlins down there that could ruin your investment.

 

Another place the Shadow has found itself is in the world of movies. Of course any film that has an upper-crust theme or feel to it would have to include a Rolls, but since 2nd hand Shadows could be picked up for a song you could easily put them in your movie. Sadly, most movies that feature Shadows are ones which feature them being destroyed.

 

So why do I love Shadows so much? Basically because it's a mixture of all things you'd want in a car. It has a spacious, luxury interior, it has a world beating design dripping with chrome and adorned with the finest hood ornament, and because it's dimensions aren't that far off a normal car, it can easily be used as an everyday machine unlike the Silver Cloud which is simply too big for everyday use. The Shadow is also a very personable sort of machine, if I was to own one I would treat it like a pet, and probably name it Sally (old girlfriend of mine).

 

Today, Shadows are by no means rare and the ones you'll find on the road are probably the best. Most of the poorer 2nd Hand ones rusted away and died back in the 1980's and 90's (or were blown up in movies, or put in swimming pools), which means that the survivors are largely under the ownership of avid enthusiasts who cherish their cars. You can find Shadows for next to nothing, with some examples going for as little as £4,000, but you'd have to be very desperate to get one of those as they'd probably be in very bad condition. Minters however can go for about £15,000 to £20,000, which when compared to some of the other cars of comparative size and quality such as the BMW's and Mercs of this world, is not a bad deal.

I give you the car that took Rolls Royce out of the hands of the aristocracy and placed it into the hands of the people, a tradition that has continued ever since. Once rock-stars, pop-stars, TV presenters and alike were seen driving around in a car that was once the exclusive pride and joy of the established gentry, it was then and there that the Class System had truly disintegrated. The Victorian-era divisions of society were well and truly dead.

 

In 1965 it was apparent that the nearly 10 year old Silver Cloud was starting to look its age, and as time continued to crawl on the aristocratic look of the Rolls Royce was no longer its biggest selling point. Prior to the 1960's society was clearly defined, with what was known as the 'Glass Ceiling' through which none of the lower classes could rise up through the ranks. It was very easy for the Upper Class and Aristocracy to lose their titles and come down, but even if you were a Lower Class person who'd made it rich, you'd still be socially unacceptable due to your background. However, after World War I the emergence of the new Middle Class was starting to bend the rules, and as time went on the ways in which money could be obtained started to become easier thanks to stage and screen. After World War II the influence of the new generation distorted the lines of society even more with the appearance of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, people from low backgrounds who had managed to get a free ticket to the top due to their fame in the music industry. Of course when someone gets money, the first thing they want to do is spend it on luxury items, and nothing back then was more luxury than owning a Rolls Royce.

 

However, when the Cloud was designed society was still very much in the same Victorian ideal as before, and so its aristocratic look was about as hip and with-it as a China Cabinet in a Discotheque. In order to survive, Rolls Royce was going to have to adapt, so in 1965 they launched the Silver Shadow, a car that was designed for the new money, and the first Roller to be brought to the masses. What made it so appealing was a case of many things.

 

For starters, it was the first Rolls Royce to be a 'Driver's' car. Previous models had always been built with chauffeur driven passengers in mind, but the Shadow with upgraded suspension, an updated Rolls Royce V8 engine and the same general driving feel of a regular car (if not better with innovative power steering), made it ideal for the 'posers' of the upmarket realm. Secondly, the car was the first to be built with a monocoque, where the body and chassis are part of the same structure. Previously, Rolls Royce would provide the owner with a chassis, and then it was up to the owner what body would be put on it, with a variety of coachbuilders available to do the job including H.J Muliner Park Ward, Hoopers of London and James Young. The advent of the monocoque meant that potential buyers didn't have to go through the rigmarole of buying a chassis and then having a body constructed for it at extra cost.

 

As mentioned though, reception was something of a mixed bag, whilst motoring press and many people gave it critical acclaim for its revolutionary design, the usual Rolls Royce customer base saw it as something of a mongrel, appealing to the lowest common denominator rather than holding up the traditional standard that the Double R was famed for. But just because it was built for the masses didn't make it any less a car, each individual Shadow cost £7,000 new, weighed 2.2 tonnes and took 3 months to build. The interior was compiled of 12 square feet of wood, and three cows had to sacrifice themselves to create the leather hides that line the seats. Soft and springy Wilton Carpets made up the floor and power from Rolls Royce's astounding V8 engine could whisk the car to about 100mph, but why would you want a sporty Rolls Royce anyway? *Cough* Rolls Royce Wraith *Cough*

 

After launch the Silver Shadow was whipped up by pretty much anyone and everyone who wanted to show off their wealth, with a total of 25,000 examples being built during its 15 year production life, making it the most numerous Rolls Royce ever built. The Silver Shadow also formed the basis of several other designs, including the convertible Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 2-Door Saloon which later became the Corniche in 1971, the Bentley T-Series which was exactly the same only with Bentley badge and grille, and the controversial Rolls Royce Camargue of 1975 which was designed by Pininfarina.

 

For a time the Shadow was on top of the world, but things started to crumble fast in the 1970's. New American legislation meant that the car had to conform at the cost of its class, with the chrome bumpers being replaced by composite or rubber, and the ditch lights being slumped underneath on a rather unsightly chin-spoiler. In 1977 this revised car was launched as the Silver Shadow II, which I consider to be but a shadow of its former self due to the fact that this was when Rolls Royce started to become downplayed and underwhelming. Indeed the best intentions were in mind with safety, but without the chrome to adorn its lovely body, the Shadow was merely a husk.

 

This was added to by the fuel crisis of the mid-1970's, which made motoring a very expensive practice, especially if you ran a Shadow. Shadow's are incredible gas guzzlers at less than 20MPG, and refilling one will set you back in today's money about £80. At the same time it was considered socially unacceptable to be seen driving around in one of these after such a blow, almost as if you were driving a giant middle-finger down the street to everyone else who couldn't afford to drive. Because of this, owners turned to more subtle cars such as Mercedes so as not to fall victim to vindictive passers by. With sales starting to drop, Rolls Royce had to see off the Silver Shadow as soon as possible. After nearly 10 years of development, 1980 saw the launch of the much more angular and somewhat mundane Silver Spirit/Spur range, and with that now on the go the shadows grew long for the Silver Shadow, which was killed off the same year. Spiritually however, the design of the 60's lived on in the Corniche, which was to be built for another 15 years before that too was ended in 1995.

 

In some ways the Shadow became a failure of its own success, with Rolls Royce building far too many cars for the market that intended to buy them, with the result that the 2nd hand market became saturated with nearly new cars that fell into some disreputable company. Throughout the 1980's the Shadow was noted for being the ride of sleazy salesmen, gang lords and Members of Parliament (pure evil!). Additionally, many Shadows were bought cheap simply for the way they made the owner look.

 

If you were intending to use your cheapy Shadow to plunder yourself some girls and didn't have the attraction of money to back you up, you'd be out of luck and soon out of cash, because the bills required to run a hand-built luxury car would very quickly be walking through the door, both in terms of fuel and maintenance. Critical failures are rare and these cars are very reliable (although Jeremy Clarkson would have you think otherwise), but when they do happen, it would probably be cheaper to buy yourself another car. The worst problem you could face is a failure of the hydraulics that controlled the rear suspension, the steering and the brakes, which would render the car inoperable if something were to go awry.

 

Frequent maintenance of a Shadow however (every 4 to 6 months) will probably even out at about £100, which when you consider the £10,000 or more you'd be paying to replace the hydraulic system, is a small sacrifice. Rust is another problem, especially for early Shadows. The Chrome sills and guttering on the roof are especially prone, although the most critical problem is rust on the chassis, which if left can compromise the whole car and essentially write it off. A bit of a buying tip, if the car's body looks good, be sure to check underneath because you may see some costly rust gremlins down there that could ruin your investment.

 

Another place the Shadow has found itself is in the world of movies. Of course any film that has an upper-crust theme or feel to it would have to include a Rolls, but since 2nd hand Shadows could be picked up for a song you could easily put them in your movie. Sadly, most movies that feature Shadows are ones which feature them being destroyed.

 

So why do I love Shadows so much? Basically because it's a mixture of all things you'd want in a car. It has a spacious, luxury interior, it has a world beating design dripping with chrome and adorned with the finest hood ornament, and because it's dimensions aren't that far off a normal car, it can easily be used as an everyday machine unlike the Silver Cloud which is simply too big for everyday use. The Shadow is also a very personable sort of machine, if I was to own one I would treat it like a pet, and probably name it Sally (old girlfriend of mine).

 

Today, Shadows are by no means rare and the ones you'll find on the road are probably the best. Most of the poorer 2nd Hand ones rusted away and died back in the 1980's and 90's (or were blown up in movies, or put in swimming pools), which means that the survivors are largely under the ownership of avid enthusiasts who cherish their cars. You can find Shadows for next to nothing, with some examples going for as little as £4,000, but you'd have to be very desperate to get one of those as they'd probably be in very bad condition. Minters however can go for about £15,000 to £20,000, which when compared to some of the other cars of comparative size and quality such as the BMW's and Mercs of this world, is not a bad deal.

Disintegration, "Disintegration" (1989) - The Cure

 

"No disintegrations."

Shot with Frans Bouma UUU and Nvidia Ansel