To we Brits, the Avro Vulcan, much like Concorde, represents a myriad of feelings both of praise and disdain. An engineering marvel from the 1950's, and a symbol of global annihilation, the Vulcan is one of those aircraft with a love/hate relationship, but today among crowds resounds true British innovation and technological might in a time of darkness.

It hadn't been 10 years since the end of World War II when such an aircraft had been conceived, and the world had been plunged into yet another war, only this one much more sinister and much greater in scale. The Cold War of 1947 was not a battle of tanks and men, but of words and spies, and the new threat of global destruction through nuclear strikes and bombings. The true destructive power of the Atom Bomb had been demonstrated by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of people and causing widespread devastation. Very soon the nuclear bomb had become the ultimate accessory of warfare, and although the B-29's that delivered the original deadly payload against Japan were capable aircraft, the advent of larger bombs and the coming of the jet age meant that a new breed of aircraft had to be constructed to deliver these instruments of Armageddon. As such, the capitalist powers of NATO and the Soviet led powers of the Warsaw Pact devised a slew of jet powered monstrosities to carry out this world-ending task. The United States developed the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress, the Soviet Union built the Tupolev Tu-16 Badger and Tu-95 Bear, whilst we here in Britain created a trio of V-Bombers, the Handley Page Victor, the Vickers Valiant, and the crown prince of destruction, the Avro Vulcan.

Planning of the aircraft itself goes back to 1946 with the proposal of the British Atomic Weapon Programme and Nuclear Deterrent policies, which not only gave the go-ahead to the development of better nuclear weapons, but also aircraft on which to carry them. As such, in January 1947, the Ministry of Supply distributed Specification B.35/46 to UK aviation companies to satisfy Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.229 for "a medium range bomber landplane capable of carrying one 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bomb to a target 1,500 nautical miles (1,700 mi; 2,800 km) from a base which may be anywhere in the world." The aircraft would have to have a cruising speed upward of 500 knots and a cruising altitude of between 35,000 and 50,000ft. Whilst Handley Page and Vickers set off to create their own designs, Avro technical director Roy Chadwick and chief designer Stuard Davies led the project under designation Avro 698.

The desire was to create an aircraft that could fill the specified payload capabilities, but at the same time be faster than other contemporary bombers. Investigations into German swept-wing aircraft such as the prototype Horten Ho 229 helped design what would later be known as the Delta Wing, intended to bring the aircraft as close as possible to that mysterious entity known as the Sound Barrier. Whilst other bombers such as the B-52 and Badger were comparatively slow and lumbering, requiring fighter escorts to carry out their mission, the future Vulcan's design was to make the aircraft as fast as possible so as to outrun contemporary interceptors of the era. Prototypes began with 1949's Avro 707, a proof-of-concept aircraft to show that the Delta Wing concept worked in practice, of which 5 examples were built. These craft were essentially ⅓-scale versions of what was designated under Avro as the 698.

Upon successful testing of the 707, the 698 went into prototypical production, and a contract was made with Rolls Royce and Bristol to design engines, which came in the form of the Bristol BE.10 Olympus, later to be known as the Rolls Royce Olympus. Designed back in 1947, the Olympus was originally designed for Bristol's own version of the Vulcan, but after the contract was handed to Avro, the production continued. Several engines were considered, starting with the Rolls Royce Avon engine, and later the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire ASSa.6, both being tested on prototype Vulcan VX770, which would later become a testbed aircraft for the Rolls Royce Conway engines fitted to later Vickers VC10 Jet Airliners. Olympus engines however were preferred for the much greater amounts of thrust, with early examples providing 10,000lbf, although this would later rise to 20,000lbf on the production Vulcans. Four of these engines were fitted to the aircraft, giving an overall thrust of 80,000lbf, pushing the aircraft to just short of the Sound Barrier at Mach 0.96, or 645mph.

In terms of armament, the Vulcan was not intended to be able to defend itself in air-to-air combat, using its aforementioned speed to evade pursuers and anti-aircraft fire. As such, the aircraft's main weaponry was its payload, which could include 21 x 1,000lb conventional air-raid bombs, or one of any of the contemporary nuclear gravity bombs, including the pioneer British nuclear weapon, the Blue Danube bomb, and the later Red Beard and Yellow Sun designs.

With all developments completed, the aircraft was christened the name Vulcan, the ancient Roman God of Fire, by far the most terrifying name you could put on a nuclear bomber. Don't get me wrong, B-52 and B-47 sound very military and technical, and NATO codewords for Soviet aircraft such as Badger and Bear sound quite fearsome, but Vulcan and its connotations to the God of Fire truly does make this aircraft sound like the bringer of an inferno! The first prototype made its first flight on August 30th, 1952, fitted with the original Rolls Royce Avon engines, this being followed by a selection of other test flights throughout 1953 using differing engines and additional improvements such as extra fuel tanks in the wing. Two prototypes, VX770 and VX777 were tested between 1952 and 1956, being outshopped in RAF gloss white paint. The first production Vulcan left the ground in February 1955, whilst the second production model dazzled crowds at the 1955 Farnborough Airshow with a spectacular barrel roll, for which the pilot, Roland Falk, was disciplined by the Civil Aviation Authority for performing such a move!

Proposals were made to sell these aircraft abroad, but no offers sadly materialised, many Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, choosing instead to buy the later F-111C Starfighters of the USA. September 1956 saw the first Avro Vulcan officially handed over to the RAF, this aircraft being Vulcan B.1 XA897. As part of a goodwill tour, the aircraft flew around the world to the colonies of the British Empire, but ended in tragedy when the aircraft crash landed in bad weather at London Heathrow at the end of the tour on October 1st, 1956. 230 Squadron, Operational Conversion Unit, were the first to receive the Vulcan, later deployed with 83 Squadron in May 1957. In all, 134 of these aircraft were built in two variants, the original B.1, and the latterly improved B.2, which debuted in 1954 with improved electronic countermeasures and the much more powerful Rolls Royce Olympus engines. Proposals were made for a myriad of other variations, including a Missile Carrier and a Delta Winged Jet Airliner. None of these ever went to the prototype stage, although much of the design behind the Vulcan was used to develop the world's first and only supersonic passenger airline, the Bae/Aerospatiale Concorde, in yet another situation where innovations in the world of Military Supremacy have resulted in Civilian Progress.

The Vulcan however never did truly find itself in the combat situation it was designed to confront. As the 1960's and 70's wore on the aircraft's role in the possible future nuclear war never happened, and the aircraft spent much of its time simply doing exercises and strategic reconnaissance patrols over Soviet territory. Before the 1960's had finished the original and fearsome V-Bomber force had largely been disbanded from its nuclear role, with the Valiant being retired in 1965 due to prominent fatigue and inter-crystalline corrosion, and the Victor being converted into aerial refuelling tankers in 1969.

The only time the Vulcan was ever used in anger against an enemy was in the 1982 Falklands War in the audacious operation known as Black Buck. After the Argentine invasion of the British owned Falklands, a task force was sent to reclaim them, and the plan of Operation Black Buck was to disable the airport at Port Stanley to stop the Argentinian forces from using it as a base for fighter jets. The operation involved a Vulcan flying to the Ascension Islands, then onwards to the Falklands in a non-stop, 6,800 nautical mile air raid. Using squadrons of strategically placed Victor Tankers, the first raid, led by Vulcan XM607, would have 11 Victor tankers refuel one another before the furthest Victor would refuel the Vulcan over the mid-Atlantic. The Vulcan then proceeded to Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands, unleashing its payload of twenty-one 1000lb bombs on the airport before escaping north to a planned rendezvous with a Victor some way off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Although the damage to the runway was not enough to stop use of the airport, it did show the true capabilities of these mighty aircraft, and took the enemy completely by surprise.

This however was not enough to keep the Vulcans alive, and as the 80's dragged on it was clear this tired design mixed with new aircraft and the advent of satellite guided inter-continental ballistic missiles such as Trident had spelled the end for conventional air raids such as those the Vulcan was meant to carry out. After nearly 30 years of devoted service, the Vulcan's were retired in March 1984. Happily though, 18 aircraft have been preserved across the world, of which one example, XH558, remained airworthy for airshows until October 2015 when it was finally retired for good, bringing an end to this magnificent aircraft's time in the air.

With the passing of the Vulcan into history though, we can reflect however on its life and times, the fact that such aircraft, instruments of war and destruction, have become such symbols of joy and British engineering. Built during a time when we all thought we'd wake up and be atomized, today the fear of nuclear destruction has passed, the Cold War has passed, and now we can see the Vulcan for what it really is, a marvel of 1950's British engineering, conceived in a time when trains still ran on coal and hot water!

constructive is overrated.

for my big gigantic wreck of a poster.

edit:

is now going to be made into a postcard series. phew.

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

The wall from another house leans up against another..

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6]

As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Why can't you say sorrow

Why can't you say think I believe

Thou must not steal borrow

Why must you steal things I receive?

Why can't you say sorrow

Why can't you say think I believe

Why must you steal borrow

Always conceal cling to belief

Damaged this way hollowed

Living the lie that you can't take

Damaged maintained solemn

Living for rules you only break

How can you say?

The enemy is thrown into the sadness,

For the enemy there's only pain and sadness then death...

Paradise Lost

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgQoYFp_K4

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeownerâs lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

Debry and cars litter the town after a devestating Tornado on April 21, 1967. Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as

it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

1 proton and 1 electron (usually) with a mass of about 1.008 amu the most simple element on the periodic table. Elusive, rare, light, buoyant, critically important to scientific discovery, destructive but important to healing, the true elixer of life with the possibility of being the philosopher's stone of energy.

Discovery of hydrogen as an element attributed to Henry Cavendish 1766.

Antione Lavoisier & Pierre-Simone Lapalce isolated hydrogen in mass conservation reactions by oxidizing iron with steam.

Fe + H2O → FeO + H2

2 Fe + 3 H2O → Fe2O3 + 3 H2

3 Fe + 4 H2O → Fe3O4 + 4 H2

They named it the element Hydrogen from Hydros (water) and Genes (creator) since it was created from the reduction of water (H2O).

Lighter than air, pure hydrogen provides an upward buoyant force against air and provided lift to balloons and dirigibles. But alas it use as a lifting gas was limited by its other chemical property - high reactivity - "Oh the humanity!"

Although it is the most abundant element in the universe it is rare on earth. That buoyant property causes it to float to the top of the atmosphere and drift off into space. Most of the hydrogen on earth is in the form of water - and it is this stable form that hydrogen seeks when it oxidizes explosively from H2 to H2O back.

Separating hydrogen from water is an incredibly energy intensive process done either by electrolysis or by extreme heat. Most hydrogen is produced via the slightly less energy intensive process of high temperature splitting of hydrocarbons.

Nature with its extreme time scales to tinker has come up with nifty and complicated enzyme catalyzed biological reactions in which hydrogen is produced during the anaerobic digestion of organic material. Mostly it is recaptured and turned into methane.

Hydrogen should also also be included in the great company of the great quantum physicists of the 20th century. Its simple atomic structure facilitated discovering the bewildering and unintuitive statistical machinations under which the subatomic universe operates. The hydrogen ion is the only atom for which there is an exact solution to Schrodinger's equation and the proof of the theory is in the prediction of hydrogen's spectral lines.

Like all elements hydrogen has several isotopes which are named deuterium (1 proton and 1 neutron, 0.0015% abundance) and tritium (1 proton and 2 neutrons, <0.0015%).

Deuterium isotope water (heavy water) is a critical component of nuclear reactors because of it's moderating properties - it slows neutrons - which are then easily captured by unstable, large nuclear cross-section atoms such as Uranium 238.

Deuterium has an integer spin (no magnetic moment) and as such is not detectable in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and is useful for elucidating molecular structure of organic compounds containing normal hydrogen or enriched in carbon 14.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging detects the spin of hydrogen in the water in our bodies. It interacts with the molecules of the tissues of our bodies and produces at signal at slightly different magnetic field strengths allowing us to "see" individual tissues.

Hydrogen's far less abundant isotope tritium is an important aspect of nuclear weapons (H-bombs). A conventional fusion atomic bomb is detonated and the radiation pressure initiates the fission reaction driving the less stable tritium to fuse with itself and form helium - in the process releasing huge amounts of energy according to Enstein's E=mc2 from a small amount of tritium. There is no theoretical limit to the size of the H-bomb that can be produced - the largest monster being the 50 megaton "Tzar Bomba" detonated by the USSR in 196. It had a total destruction radius of approximately 21 miles. It was scaled down from 100 megatons to reduce fallout.

Turning skyward it is this same process, driven by a battle between gravity and radiative pressure, rather than an initiating fission blast that powers the sun - and all stars for that fact. All energy on our planet from the warmth on your skin to the oil we burn to the trees we grow and the weather we experience come directly from the fission furnace of our sun - which produces about 10e10 megatons per second! the products of this reaction are all the other elements in the table!. These don't just happen except when produced in the core of stars. So to reference Crosby Stills and Nash: we truly are star dust!

Perhaps one day we will mimic this process to peacefully harness this energy and end our need for other energy sources. At the least we may be driving hydrogen powered cars which utilizes another of hydrogen's properties, the ability to form metal hydrides.

Which leads me to the other end of the temperature scale. Liquifaction of hydrogen occurs at temperatures near to absolute zero (-273 degrees C). This was a important component of nuclear physics for it was the cloud or bubble chambers that showed the paths and products of particle collisions.

Liquid hydrogen also helped bring out the superconducting properties of metals for which many of our electronics and medical devices now rely - although thankfully with higher temperature superconductors.

Back to the hydrogen cars for a moment . High pressure Tanks of liquid hydrogen are clearly not a desirable component of cars. Metal hydrides absorb hydrogen like a sponge - no pressure no ultra-cold temperature and may be the fuel of the future provided an economical and environmentally friendly manner can be found to produce it.

Ah, lovely hydrogen and Art Deco!

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

A 1963 Chevy sits on a driveway of a heavily damaged home. Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

March 22, 2019 was Extinction Rebellion Declaration Day in Melbourne with people gathering in Treasury Gardens before marching on the Victorian State Government offices, then the Commonwealth Government offices in Treasury Place. We had the solemnity of the Climate Guardian angels to amplify our message that we are in a climate crisis needing climate emergency action.

Declaration:

OUR DEMANDS

WE CALL ON THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

TO DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND INITIATE A TRANSITION TO ZERO EMISSIONS AND BEYOND AT A SCALE AND SPEED NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN PEACETIME

§ We demand that the Australian government and the media tell the truth about the climate emergency and honestly inform the public that we are facing a threat to human civilisation that imperils the life of most people on Earth.

Our leaders have promoted the falsehood that climate change is not a serious or imminent threat to our survival. We are in a climate emergency and the population deserves to be informed.

¬¬¬¬¬¬

§ The earth is already too hot. It is reckless beyond imagining to continue making our planet hotter. We demand that all levels of government work to rapidly reduce greenhouse gases to zero by 2025. We must also commence the massive task of removing excess greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere until we restore a safe climate.

Urgent action is not only required but achievable. We must move to an emergency footing to address this threat to our survival.

§ Our democracy has been corrupted by vested interests and our political representatives have failed to protect us. We demand that the emergency transition be directed by a Citizens’ Assembly as we move towards a democracy fit for purpose.

We need a national Citizens’ Assembly to initiate, direct and oversee the implementation of those solutions that governments are clearly unwilling or unable to achieve without such assistance.

We hold the following to be true:

This is our darkest hour. Humanity finds itself in a crisis unprecedented in its history.

Unless this crisis is immediately addressed, it will result in the destruction of all that we love and hold dear: this land, its peoples, its ecosystems, and the very future of the human race.

The science is clear: we are in the sixth mass extinction event and we will face catastrophe if we do not act now.

Biodiversity is being annihilated around the world. Our seas are poisoned, acidic and rising. Flooding and desertification will render vast tracts of land uninhabitable and lead to mass migration. The insect population of the planet is plummeting, threatening the very basis of our global ecosystem. The breakdown of our climate has begun. There will be more bushfires, unpredictable and destructive storms, increasing drought, and famine as food supplies and fresh water become scarce and unreliable. But this is not just a matter of adjusting to new difficulties. We are fast approaching the point of no return. Unless we act now everything around us will begin to die with terrifying swiftness and our species too may perish. Already millions of lives have been lost. Soon it will be billions if we do not act.

Across Australia we are already seeing the onset of disaster.

This summer we have been ravaged by fire and flood, our arable land killed by drought, and our rivers choked by rotting fish as we continue to mismanage our ecosystems. In an age where we are losing species to extinction at a rate far greater than normal, we have had our first mammalian extinction directly due to the climate emergency. The Bramble Cay Melomys has been sent to extinction by the unnatural flooding of its island home in northern Queensland. Our culture of endless expansion and consumption killed this little life, but it is not too late to save ourselves. The ecological crises destroying this land of ours can no longer be ignored or denied by anyone who claims to have reason, conscience, or morality.

In accordance with these values, with truth and with the weight of scientific evidence, we declare it is our duty to act on behalf of the security and well-being of our children, our communities, and the existence of life on earth.

Australia’s economy is founded upon the values of industrialisation and commercialisation of the natural world. It has dispossessed and impoverished the Indigenous people of this land and tragically degraded country that was cared for over tens of thousands of years. No longer will this nation be one of destruction and genocide. We need to hear the ancient wisdom of the world’s indigenous people, and treat our home with deep love and respect. The land is our mother. We cannot live without her and all the other species with which we share her.

We, in alignment with our consciences and our reasoning, declare ourselves in rebellion against our government and those corporations that threaten our future until such time as our demands are met.

Some of our political representatives openly deny that we are in a climate emergency. Many advocate change that is too gradual, ineffective or insufficient to the global crisis we are facing. We believe this is done in order to protect the profits of their political donors. But we are not content to die because our leaders lack the wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to ensure a safe climate future.

The wilful complicity displayed by our government has shattered meaningful democracy and cast aside the common interest in favour of short-term gain and private profits.

Like a termite colony undermining the structure of a house, consumer capitalism and the politicians it has bought will destroy the foundations of life on this planet. When politics has become corrupted by the powerful few it is our right as citizens to restore meaningful democracy. It is our right to protect the security of the land and its peoples where our governments have failed. It is our sacred duty as people who believe in life and love to rebel.

As much as we are powered by a knowledge of the imminence of complete desolation, we are strengthened by hope and the knowledge of what is possible.

In Tasmania, after Lake Pedder was lost, protestors left behind the idea of politely asking power to change its mind, and used direct action to save the Franklin River from being dammed. Thousands of people from all over the world joined the Franklin River Blockade, and thousands were arrested. Prisons overflowed, but the campaign ended with the river being saved. The hand of power was forced, and all because of the far greater power of the people deploying direct action.

The same happened to the Terania forest in New South Wales in the 1970s. This will happen again in the Galilee Basin when the Adani mining licence is cancelled and all fossil fuel extraction is banned once and for all time. Do not think that we haven’t tried everything else possible. This is our last resort.

We hereby declare the bonds of the social contract, which the government has rendered invalid by their complete failure to protect us, to be null and void.

We call upon every principled and peaceful citizen to rise with us. To be freed from oppression by the powerful few we will cast aside social divisions based upon race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, and gender, and come together and fight for our lives. We will not allow corporate profiteers to dictate government decisions that place us and future generations in deadly peril.

This rebellion is for everyone, and it is international.

We are a global movement. We stand with every other land rising with us, all over the world. Our near neighbours on Pacific Islands are already losing the land under their feet. We stand with and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land. Indigenous Australians have already faced the consequences of ecological and cultural destruction and the Traditional Owners’ objections to mining on their lands have been repeatedly ignored or overridden. We say no more. We say enough!

We will no longer stand idly by and witness the destruction of our only home by the greedy few. We are many. We will act. We will rise. We demand justice. We will protect ourselves. We will prevail.

With love and rage

#ExtinctionRebellion

Hurricane Sandy (also unofficially known as "Superstorm Sandy") was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the second-costliest hurricane in United States history. Classified as the eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year, Sandy was a Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in Cuba.[1] While it was a Category 2 storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km)).[2][3] Estimates as of March 2014 assess damage to have been over $68 billion (2013 USD), a total surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina.[4] At least 286 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries.[5]

Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sandy six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually intensified. On October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica, re-emerged a few hours later into the Caribbean Sea and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. On October 25, Sandy hit Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, then weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 26, Sandy moved through the Bahamas.[6] On October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 29, Sandy curved north-northwest and then[7] moved ashore near Brigantine, New Jersey, just to the northeast of Atlantic City, as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds.[1][8]

In Jamaica, winds left 70% of residents without electricity, blew roofs off buildings, killed one, and caused about $100 million (2012 USD) in damage. Sandy's outer bands brought flooding to Haiti, killing at least 54, causing food shortages, and leaving about 200,000 homeless; the hurricane also caused two deaths in the Dominican Republic. In Puerto Rico, one man was swept away by a swollen river. In Cuba, there was extensive coastal flooding and wind damage inland, destroying some 15,000 homes, killing 11, and causing $2 billion (2012 USD) in damage. Sandy caused two deaths and damage estimated at $700 million (2012 USD) in The Bahamas. In Canada, two were killed in Ontario and an estimated $100 million (2012 CAD) in damage was caused throughout Ontario and Quebec.[9]

In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. Its storm surge hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.[10][11] Damage in the United States amounted to $65 billion (2013 USD).[12]

coming/here/done

17 March 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most terrifying and destructive eruptions of Mount Etna volcano in Sicily in the past few hundred years. That eruption nearly brought doom to the small town of Randazzo on the north-northwestern flank of the volcano, but the unusually fast-moving lava flows narrowly missed the town and a nearby village, although they destroyed a few hundred isolated buildings from small cots to sizable weekend homes. The 1981 Randazzo eruption serves as a reminder that Etna is capable of producing eruptions that develop incredibly fast, with kilometer-long fissure systems extending down to low altitude and very high rates of lava emission generating unusually mobile lava flows. In 1981, a relatively sparsely populated sector of the volcano was affected; if a similar eruption were to occur on the opposite, south-southeastern side of the mountain, it would possibly produce the worst disaster seen at Etna in the past two millennia.

During the 20th century, Etna showed higher levels of activity than during the previous two centuries, especially since 1950. Frequent summit eruptions, often nearly continuous for many years, reshaped the morphology of the summit of Etna, where at the beginning of the century there was one single crater; by the 1970s the number of summit craters had grown to four.

In addition to the intense summit eruptions, there were 23 eruptions from new vents opening on the flanks - so-called flank eruptions. More than half of these occurred during the interval between 1971 and 1993, one of the most frantically active periods at Etna in recorded history. Following three relatively minor and harmless flank eruptions in 1978, a more dramatic flank eruption occurred in August 1979 near Fornazzo on Etna's east flank, severely threatening this little village, which had already been in the path of menacing lava flows twice in the previous 30 years.

Etna went through a series of powerful summit eruptions in 1980, and a particularly large paroxysm occurred at the Northeast Crater in early February 1981. Then, in early March, the seismic stations operated on Etna by the University of Catania and the International Institute of Volcanology (a forerunner of today's INGV in Catania) started to record an increasing number of small earthquakes. On 15 March 1981, the earthquakes significantly increased in number and magnitude (reaching up to magnitude 4), and shifted from the central portion of the volcano toward its northern flank. On the following day, a warning of an imminent eruption was issued to authorities and news media.

The eruption broke out shortly after 13:30 h on 17 March, thirty years ago today, when dozens of small vents opened along a series of short fissures high on the northern flank of the mountain. Over the next 26-28 hours, this fissure system propagated over a full length of 8 km, cutting northwestward across Etna's flank. The sequence of events proceeded with overwhelming swiftness and violence, rarely seen before at Etna, which is generally considered a "friendly volcano". On the evening of 17 March, a particularly productive fissure segment opened between 1800 and 1400 m elevation, directly above the small hamlet of Montelaguardia, and a tremendous flood of lava burst forth, rushing down the flank consuming chestnut, poplar, oak and beech tree forests, then covering cultivated land, including extensive vineyards, and engulfing a number of farm buildings and weekend houses. The village of Montelaguardia was hastily evacuated; a few elderly people had to be rescued from isolated country homes just minutes before they would have been reached by the exceptionally fast-moving lava flow. During the night, the lava cut a number of important lifelines - roads, the Circumetnea railway, and interrupted power and telephone lines to the nearby town of Randazzo.

While this huge lava flow continued its work of destruction and disruption, new eruptive vents opened still further downslope, to an elevation of 1300 m, releasing small lava flows that started to flow straight into the direction of Randazzo, a peaceful town with a beautiful historical center packed with Medieval churches and other monuments. Many of the inhabitants of Randazzo only now realized that all hell had broken loose on Etna; weather conditions were not too favorable for direct observation of the eruption. Some frantically rushed to their land houses in the path of the lava flow only to find them already gone, others packed a few things and left their houses in Randazzo. Still others gathered in a procession begging the patron saint S. Giuseppe, whose feast was to be held on 19 March, to protect their town.

On the evening of 18 March, Etna seemed to be decided to give Randazzo the death-blow. A new fissure ripped open at only 1235-1115 m elevation, and small lava flows began to trickle into the direction of the town. For a few hours, thousands of people lived in anxiety with the whole slope of the volcano above the town seeming to be on fire. The main lava flow, which had passed only 1 km to the east of Randazzo, was approaching the bed of the Alcantara river, which had last been blocked by lava flows from Etna a few thousand years ago.

But early on 19 March, things seemed to calm down some - the main lava flow had significantly slowed its advance, and many of the higher eruptive vents were shutting down, whereas those on the lowest fissure segment (1235-1115 m) were showing relatively mild activity, and their lava flows were emitted at a lazy, low-rate pace, encroaching slowly on the southern margin of Randazzo. Throughout the day, the situation further relaxed, the single remaining active vents being those at the lower end of the eruptive fissure system. The lava flows fed from these vents would, at this rate of emission, not be able to reach Randazzo anytime soon.

The lowermost vents continued to produce small-scale Strombolian activity and minor trickles of lava until the evening of 23 March, then the eruption was over. It was estimated that between 18 and 30 million cubic meters of lava were emitted, nearly all of this volume during the first 40 hours of the eruption. At the peak of the eruption, the rates of lava emission varied between 300 and 600 cubic meters per second, which are haunting and exceptional values for Etna. Rarely has this volcano been seen erupting with such fury, although a similar eruption in November 1928 had led to the nearly complete destruction of the village of Mascali, on Etna's east-northeast flank.

In both cases, there were no human fatalities. In 1981, though, some elderly people were saved in extremis, furthermore large amounts of livestock (sheep, goats, cows, horses, donkeys, pigs, and chicken) died a horrible death while being unable to escape from their pens; their agonized cries were heard over kilometers during the first and most dramatic night of the disaster.

The photo, taken 17 years after the "Randazzo eruption", shows the ruins of a once-large country house, the "Casa Scala", just to the east of Randazzo, which was overwhelmed by the main lava flow of March 1981. The mountains in the background belong to the Peloritani mountain belt that borders Etna to the north. Photo taken with a Canon AE1, and scanned from original color slide.

www.ct.ingv.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti...

boris.vulcanoetna.it/ETNA_1981.html

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeownerâs lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

A boat lays upside down in this front yard. Its anyones guess where it came from..Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians are working with state and local partners; businesses and residents to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly* a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as in Reading, Pennsylvania, on August 30, 2018. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses. Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

The image in the top left corner is a reflection of how stressful college can be. The image in the top right corner is about how war is destructive and wrong. Finally, the bottom image is about living life unafraid.

Image Sources:

pixabay.com/en/college-campus-building-university-75535/

pixabay.com/en/business-career-depressed-employee-19156/

pixabay.com/en/man-angry-irritated-unhappy-mask-390339/

pixabay.com/en/burnout-psycholgie-psychotherapy-244380/

pixabay.com/en/suffering-comics-hopeless-noise-154637/

pixabay.com/en/peace-graffiti-street-art-art-529380/

pixabay.com/en/militarism-peace-tank-war-152789/

pixabay.com/en/protest-man-outside-scruffy-438095/

pixabay.com/en/harmony-children-silhouettes-human-560630/

pixabay.com/en/sign-symbol-hand-fingers-304643/

pixabay.com/en/love-loving-relationship-606686/

pixabay.com/en/cap-college-education-school-312027/

pixabay.com/en/thunderstorm-cloud-roller-turbulence-567678/

pixabay.com/en/information-information-board-427515/

pixabay.com/en/hand-hands-the-hand-designation-427517/

pixabay.com/en/hand-hands-the-hand-cottage-house-427518/

pixabay.com/en/information-information-board-427514/

pixabay.com/en/business-card-contact-business-cards-427513/

pixabay.com/en/alphabet-f-literacy-letters-read-162574/

pixabay.com/en/letters-abc-alphabet-journal-font-451493/

pixabay.com/en/letters-abc-alphabet-journal-font-451484/

pixabay.com/en/letters-abc-alphabet-journal-font-451521/

pixabay.com/en/backdrop-background-block-brick-21534/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician William Anderson contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

-- Page 17

"Ono leads in a direction that might be called Concept-Art

INSTRUCTIVE AUTO-DESTRUCTION

THE FULL MOON hangs over the Lower East Side, its light

shines on paper-littered streets. In the daytime 2nd Avenue

is jammed with traffic and it's possible to look up through

the dust and heat at the sky and imagine what those few

seconds would be like before it came if eternity were to fit.

What an EVENT!

What is an Event and what does it have to do with Art?

Circa 1950: Yoko Ono is sitting around some-place

striking matches. She is observing the significance of a

natural act. Many matches later she finds that by lighting

a match and watching til it has gone out she is making

something that has a shorter existence than herself, and

by comparison is making her life longer.

When people are asked to observe the passage of time

they may feel ill at ease. Is this why we have a term like

auto-destruction? One of Yoko Ono's first events is

called LIGHTING PIECE: 'Light a match and watch

till it goes out.'

1961: her first one-man show in New York, in which

fifteen works were what she calls INSTRUCTUER;

'Something that emerged from instruction and yet not

quite emerged - not quite structured - never quite struc-

tured --- like an unfinished church with a sky ceiling.'

One of these works which was described by a critic as 'a

grimy unstrung canvas with a hole in it' is SMOKE

PAINTING: 'Light canvas or any finished painting with

a cigarettes at any time for any length of time. See the smoke

movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is

gone.'* For Ono, paintings like Event do end: an ad-

ditional act in life; something to solve the temptation of

insanity.

Other works in her 1961 show were, PAINTING TO

BE STEPPED ON: 'Leave a piece of canvas or finished

painting on the floor or in the street.'* A + B PAINTING;

'Cut out a circle on canvas. A. Place a numeral figure, a

roman letter, or a katakanao on canvas B at an arbitrary

point. Place canvas A on canvas B and hang them together.

The figure on canvas B may show, may show partially, or

may not show. You may use old paintings, photographs, etc.

instead of blank canvases.'* PAINTING FOR THE

WIND: 'Make a hole. Leave it in the wind.'* PAINT-

ING TO SEE THE SKIES: 'Drill two holes into a can-

vas. Hang it where you can see the sky. (Change the place

of hanging. Try both the front and the rear windows, to

see if the skies are different.')* PAINTING TO LET

THE EVENING LIGHT GO THROUGH: 'Hang a

bottle behind a canvas. Place the canvas where the west

light comes in. The painting will exist when the bottle

creates a shadow on the canvas, or it does not have to

exist. The bottle may contain liquor, water, grasshoppers,

ants or singing insects, or it does not have to contain.'*

BLOOD PIECE: 'Use your blood to paint. Keep painting

until you faint (A). Keep painting until you die (B).'*

These and the others in the show were designed to be

done by anybody although at the time it was not apparent

to most observers and as well the works had been made by

Ono, they were regarded as going in one direction only:

purely auto-destructive. Actually all her paintings exist

in two phases. (1) The instruction phase; which may be

compared to a musical composition; written, copywritten,

distributed, and generally at large for anybody to make

(perform) and show (2) the existence of the particular

piece, which generally has some aspect which is in a state

of flux. Sometimes this may be only one-way, sometimes

it may be oscillating, or the piece may just need to be

refuelled, so to speak.

The one aspect which is considered so important in

most painting, the graphic element, or visual design, is

almost never stated except in the vaguest way as in A + B

PAINTING, and like a Swiss Patent, it is never clear

exactly how the formula goes. This is left up to the indi-

vidual who is to construct the work and how he feels about

such things. For the maker of the work and the audience

this opens up all sorts of possibilities. One is able to

observe certain relationships between art and life that are

usually overlooked in purely graphic art. Instead of saying

how the hell did he do that one might say why the hell do

I have to do that. The owner and/or maker of the painting

must continually come to grips with certain problems that

force him to consider what the concept of art is all about.

Recently, while the works of hers constructed by various

painters and sculptors were being collected in a gallery

for a show this coming fall, a piece was accidentally sold.

The piece WORD MACHINE #1 SKY MACHINE,

which produces a card with the word 'sky' on it when 25c

is deposited was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scull. In

order to complete the sale in the case of this particular

piece it was necessary for Mr. Scull to sign a contract in

which he only received the right to possess the machine

but had to agree that serving of the machine would

remain the right of the maker and the maker would

receive 60% of the proceeds of the sake of 'sky' cards.

The pure iconism of the work is at question. It is a

machine, it has to be cleaned, repaired, cards replaced,

money extracted, in short, handled like crazy and the owner

and the maker have become involved in a continual

bureaucratic even in order to meet the terms of the con-

tract. Her original composition for this work states that

these machines should eventually replace all Coca-cola

and chewing gum machines, etc. everywhere. Immediately

there is a threat on these manmoth industies which have

always been auto-destructive in nature anyway - this

piece is a kind of a parody of them - and pocesses certain

interesting problems as the underworld usually controls

the vending machine operations here in New York. Is

there something wrong with a society that vends art in

machines instead of phosphate? Many agree that the coke

bottole has long been of better use and more valuable than

its contents anyway, and certain artists have even emulated

it in what has come to be known as Pop art.

Ono's work involves many facets and many roots that

are deeply traditional in Eastern and Western thought. In

the East there are traditions that have been obscured by

the advent of the West and one might hope that the reverse

may take place in the West: interbreeding considered

healthful. In Japan it was common and still is to a lesser

degree, to wrap one's lunch in a beautiful package -

intricately embossed gold foil was ideal (there are still

many things we don't know about food) - to contemplate

while eating in the woods; of course the wrapping would

be thrown away ... or for many people to gather with

the express purpose of observing the moon, without any

particular motive scientific or otherwise. This approach is

referred to as 'wabi and sabi' and it is considered that no

clear translation should be available.

In the West Ono relates to that arear referred to by Gene

Swenson as 'The Other Tradiotion'; Duchamp, Ernst,

Cage, Rauschenberg, Johns, etc., and it is interesting that

these men were attracted to her and attended her concerts

and events held in 1959-61 at her loft on Chambers St.

in New York before her return to Tokyo (at one point she

was close to Cage and tourned Japan with him in 1962, but

her music which has been described as 'music of the mind'

is diametrically opposed to his in philosophy and has no

audible sound in the conventional sense.)

What about painting of the mind? One of Ono's works

in her series 'imaginary paintings', is PAINTING TO BE

CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD: 'Imagine a flower

made of hard material such as gold, silver, stainless

steel, tin, marble, copper, etc. Imagine that the

pedals suddenly become soft like cotton or like living flesh.

In three hours prick all the petals. Save one and press it in a

book. In the margin of the page where the petal is pressed

note the derivation of the petal and the name of the petal.

At least eight hours should be spent in the construction

of the painting.'*

ANTHONY COX

New York City, July 4, 1966

For this special number of Art and Artists Yoko Ono

contributed the following: AUTO-DESTRUCTIVE

EVENTS; 1 - Dissapearing of snow, 2 - Thinking, 3 -

Dreaming, 4 - Waiting/not waiting, 5 - A wind, 6 -

Travel, 7 - Make wishknots in your head. Forget the

wish.

* reproduced by permission from Grapefruit, published by

Weltinnenraums Press, Box 186, NYC 14 USA."

Art and Artists

Volume One, Number Five

August 1966

Edited by Mario Amaya

London: Hansom Books, 1966

Private Collection of Mikihiko Hori

-- Page 19

"Yoko Ono A + B Painting 1961

Almus Gallery, New York"

"Yoko Ono Painting to be Stepped On, 1961

Almus Gallery, New York"

-- Page 17

"Ono leads in a direction that might be called Concept-Art

INSTRUCTIVE AUTO-DESTRUCTION

THE FULL MOON hangs over the Lower East Side, its light

shines on paper-littered streets. In the daytime 2nd Avenue

is jammed with traffic and it's possible to look up through

the dust and heat at the sky and imagine what those few

seconds would be like before it came if eternity were to fit.

What an EVENT!

What is an Event and what does it have to do with Art?

Circa 1950: Yoko Ono is sitting around some-place

striking matches. She is observing the significance of a

natural act. Many matches later she finds that by lighting

a match and watching til it has gone out she is making

something that has a shorter existence than herself, and

by comparison is making her life longer.

When people are asked to observe the passage of time

they may feel ill at ease. Is this why we have a term like

auto-destruction? One of Yoko Ono's first events is

called LIGHTING PIECE: 'Light a match and watch

till it goes out.'

1961: her first one-man show in New York, in which

fifteen works were what she calls INSTRUCTUER;

'Something that emerged from instruction and yet not

quite emerged - not quite structured - never quite struc-

tured --- like an unfinished church with a sky ceiling.'

One of these works which was described by a critic as 'a

grimy unstrung canvas with a hole in it' is SMOKE

PAINTING: 'Light canvas or any finished painting with

a cigarettes at any time for any length of time. See the smoke

movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is

gone.'* For Ono, paintings like Event do end: an ad-

ditional act in life; something to solve the temptation of

insanity.

Other works in her 1961 show were, PAINTING TO

BE STEPPED ON: 'Leave a piece of canvas or finished

painting on the floor or in the street.'* A + B PAINTING;

'Cut out a circle on canvas. A. Place a numeral figure, a

roman letter, or a katakanao on canvas B at an arbitrary

point. Place canvas A on canvas B and hang them together.

The figure on canvas B may show, may show partially, or

may not show. You may use old paintings, photographs, etc.

instead of blank canvases.'* PAINTING FOR THE

WIND: 'Make a hole. Leave it in the wind.'* PAINT-

ING TO SEE THE SKIES: 'Drill two holes into a can-

vas. Hang it where you can see the sky. (Change the place

of hanging. Try both the front and the rear windows, to

see if the skies are different.')* PAINTING TO LET

THE EVENING LIGHT GO THROUGH: 'Hang a

bottle behind a canvas. Place the canvas where the west

light comes in. The painting will exist when the bottle

creates a shadow on the canvas, or it does not have to

exist. The bottle may contain liquor, water, grasshoppers,

ants or singing insects, or it does not have to contain.'*

BLOOD PIECE: 'Use your blood to paint. Keep painting

until you faint (A). Keep painting until you die (B).'*

These and the others in the show were designed to be

done by anybody although at the time it was not apparent

to most observers and as well the works had been made by

Ono, they were regarded as going in one direction only:

purely auto-destructive. Actually all her paintings exist

in two phases. (1) The instruction phase; which may be

compared to a musical composition; written, copywritten,

distributed, and generally at large for anybody to make

(perform) and show (2) the existence of the particular

piece, which generally has some aspect which is in a state

of flux. Sometimes this may be only one-way, sometimes

it may be oscillating, or the piece may just need to be

refuelled, so to speak.

The one aspect which is considered so important in

most painting, the graphic element, or visual design, is

almost never stated except in the vaguest way as in A + B

PAINTING, and like a Swiss Patent, it is never clear

exactly how the formula goes. This is left up to the indi-

vidual who is to construct the work and how he feels about

such things. For the maker of the work and the audience

this opens up all sorts of possibilities. One is able to

observe certain relationships between art and life that are

usually overlooked in purely graphic art. Instead of saying

how the hell did he do that one might say why the hell do

I have to do that. The owner and/or maker of the painting

must continually come to grips with certain problems that

force him to consider what the concept of art is all about.

Recently, while the works of hers constructed by various

painters and sculptors were being collected in a gallery

for a show this coming fall, a piece was accidentally sold.

The piece WORD MACHINE #1 SKY MACHINE,

which produces a card with the word 'sky' on it when 25c

is deposited was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scull. In

order to complete the sale in the case of this particular

piece it was necessary for Mr. Scull to sign a contract in

which he only received the right to possess the machine

but had to agree that serving of the machine would

remain the right of the maker and the maker would

receive 60% of the proceeds of the sake of 'sky' cards.

The pure iconism of the work is at question. It is a

machine, it has to be cleaned, repaired, cards replaced,

money extracted, in short, handled like crazy and the owner

and the maker have become involved in a continual

bureaucratic even in order to meet the terms of the con-

tract. Her original composition for this work states that

these machines should eventually replace all Coca-cola

and chewing gum machines, etc. everywhere. Immediately

there is a threat on these manmoth industies which have

always been auto-destructive in nature anyway - this

piece is a kind of a parody of them - and pocesses certain

interesting problems as the underworld usually controls

the vending machine operations here in New York. Is

there something wrong with a society that vends art in

machines instead of phosphate? Many agree that the coke

bottole has long been of better use and more valuable than

its contents anyway, and certain artists have even emulated

it in what has come to be known as Pop art.

Ono's work involves many facets and many roots that

are deeply traditional in Eastern and Western thought. In

the East there are traditions that have been obscured by

the advent of the West and one might hope that the reverse

may take place in the West: interbreeding considered

healthful. In Japan it was common and still is to a lesser

degree, to wrap one's lunch in a beautiful package -

intricately embossed gold foil was ideal (there are still

many things we don't know about food) - to contemplate

while eating in the woods; of course the wrapping would

be thrown away ... or for many people to gather with

the express purpose of observing the moon, without any

particular motive scientific or otherwise. This approach is

referred to as 'wabi and sabi' and it is considered that no

clear translation should be available.

In the West Ono relates to that arear referred to by Gene

Swenson as 'The Other Tradiotion'; Duchamp, Ernst,

Cage, Rauschenberg, Johns, etc., and it is interesting that

these men were attracted to her and attended her concerts

and events held in 1959-61 at her loft on Chambers St.

in New York before her return to Tokyo (at one point she

was close to Cage and tourned Japan with him in 1962, but

her music which has been described as 'music of the mind'

is diametrically opposed to his in philosophy and has no

audible sound in the conventional sense.)

What about painting of the mind? One of Ono's works

in her series 'imaginary paintings', is PAINTING TO BE

CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD: 'Imagine a flower

made of hard material such as gold, silver, stainless

steel, tin, marble, copper, etc. Imagine that the

pedals suddenly become soft like cotton or like living flesh.

In three hours prick all the petals. Save one and press it in a

book. In the margin of the page where the petal is pressed

note the derivation of the petal and the name of the petal.

At least eight hours should be spent in the construction

of the painting.'*

ANTHONY COX

New York City, July 4, 1966

For this special number of Art and Artists Yoko Ono

contributed the following: AUTO-DESTRUCTIVE

EVENTS; 1 - Dissapearing of snow, 2 - Thinking, 3 -

Dreaming, 4 - Waiting/not waiting, 5 - A wind, 6 -

Travel, 7 - Make wishknots in your head. Forget the

wish.

* reproduced by permission from Grapefruit, published by

Weltinnenraums Press, Box 186, NYC 14 USA."

Art and Artists

Volume One, Number Five

August 1966

Edited by Mario Amaya

London: Hansom Books, 1966

Private Collection of Mikihiko Hori

he is just playing... :3

BALTIMORE – According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Asian Gypsy Moths are one of the most destructive insect pests in the world. They are not known to occur in the United States, yet they are knocking on our doorsteps. Three recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interceptions in Baltimore prove how hard CBP agriculture specialists are working to protect against Asian Gypsy Moths establishing here. On July 19, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists detected three suspected Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) egg masses on the M/V Liberty Ace. On July 23 and again on July 26, CBP agriculture specialists detected one suspected AGM egg mass each on the M/V Lyra Leader and the M/V Energy Innovator, respectively. CBP submitted all three interceptions to the USDA entomologist who confirmed the egg masses likely be AGM through DNA testing. The M/V Liberty Ace and M/V Lyra Leader are vehicle carriers; the M/V Energy Innovator is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker. All three made port calls in Japan, a high-risk AGM area, during June 2019. CBP agriculture specialists removed the egg masses and treated the affected area. “Alert Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists detected and quickly mitigated a potentially serious threat posed by the highly invasive and destructive Asian Gypsy Moth,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of the Baltimore Field Office. “CBP agriculture specialists continue to protect our nation’s agriculture and our economy through extraordinary vigilance and stringent inspections of merchant vessels and their cargo arriving into Baltimore.”

Photo provided by: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeowner’s lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Starring Anthony Hall, Joyce Taylor, John Dall, Bill Smith, Edward Platt, and Frank DeKova. Directed by George Pal.

youtu.be/zDCWnvBk-DI?t=9s Trailer

Some films just barely qualify for inclusion on sci-fi movie lists. George Pal's Atlantis, The Lost Continent is clearly one of them. It is 90% sword-and-sandal fantasy adventure flick. A casual viewer could easily miss the few sci-fi bits. Pal and MGM put on a grand show, though the result doesn't achieve greatness. The pretty-but-wooden acting by the leads did not help. Pal's Atlantis does, at least, steer the movie tradition back in line with the Greek legends.

Synopsis

Following some intriguing preamble about why the old world and new had similarities, the movie begins. Greek fisherman Demetrios discovers an unconscious woman floating on a raft. She turns out to be Princess Antillia of Atlantis. She demands to be taken back home. En route, she falls in love with Demetrios. They met by a fish-shaped submarine which takes them to Atlantis. Once there, Demetrios is imprisoned in the mines by Zaren, Antillia's pre-fiancee and aspirant to the throne. Demetrios, thinking that Antillia betrayed him, is miffed. His miffdom brings out her surly side and the two fail to reconcile. Zaren thinks to get rid of Demetrios with a gladiatorial fight, but Demetrios wins and is free. Zaren is using the slaves to mine a huge solar crystal which will power a heat beam weapon. With it, he plans to rule the world. Azor, the high priest, warns Demetrios that the one true God is angry at Atlantis for their cruelty and idolatry. Amid much palace intrigue and a slave revolt, the end does come. The volcano erupts, sending lava flows into the city. Earthquakes crumble the classic architecture. Demetrios and Antillia find each other and flee to a waiting boat. Zaren is about to roast them with the heat beam, but is stabbed by Azor. While Demetrios, Antillia and other refugees watch from their boats, Atlantis does in fact, sink into the sea. The End.

Pal's production has an impressive epic quality to it. The sets are luxurious with details. For a sci-fi fan, the fish-sub and crystal heat beam are high points. Hearing Paul Frees do narration and some voice-overs is fun too.

Note that the solar crystals can be used for either heating and lighting homes, or as a destructive weapon. Sounds like nuclear power. Zaren and his regime are a model of despotism. They plan to attack peaceful nations on the presumption of preventing an attack. Nationalist paranoia.

1961 was a year for Nemo revivals. Robur, in Master of the World was a Nemo-type. The cool fish-shaped submarine in Atlantis was very reminiscent of Nemo's Nautilus. Later in the year, Mysterious Island will revive the character of Nemo himself and Nautilus.

It was a hallmark of Pal's productions, that his Christian faith would enter the story somewhere. After his long career, Pal was feeling less subtle. He has Azor, perhaps on the model of Melchizedek, come to believe in "the one true God," and not all the usual Atlantean idols. Azor gives Antillia the gospel and later pronounces that God will judge (destroy) Atlantis for their wickedness and wantonness. All this brings an air of Biblical epic flavor to his movie (as in The Ten Commandments, etc.

George Pal produced and directed several big sci-fi movies, When Worlds Collide ('51), War of the Worlds ('53), Conquest of Space ('55) and Time Machine ('60). The screenwriter, David Mainwaring, wrote for the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (’56)

In a dark take-off of a trope from Pinocchio, the sinister chemists of Atlantis are turning slaves into bull-men, complete with snouts, ears and horns. The motive is apparently a strong-like-bull labor force who don't question commands. While not explored much within the script, such tampering is yet another reason for God's justice upon Atlantis.

Previous films about "Atlantis" had the place far from any ocean. Pierre Benoit's novel had been made into several films. L'Atlantide, 1921, Queen of Atlantis 1932, and Siren of Atlantis 1949. All of these used Benoit's notion that Atlantis was actually a city under the sands of the Sahara desert. The '32 film starred Bridgette Helm (from Metropolis as Antinea, Queen of Atlantis. In 1961, Edgar Ulmer directed yet another remake of Benoit's novel, using the earlier title, L'Atlantide. At least in Pal's version, Atlantis bore a closer resemblance to the ancient Greek legends. There was water.

Bottom line? Unless you happen to like sword-and-sandal movies, Atlantis will likely disappoint a sci-fi fan fond of rockets or saucers or aliens. There is precious little for the usual sci-fi fan beyond the cool sub (which only gets a few minutes of screen time) and the crystal heat beam. It has an historical niche, however.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician William Anderson contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

It saddened me to see people defacing this bamboo tree; which would thrive more if people would respect nature a bit more, and not carve writings into the tree.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) technicians are working with state and local partners to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2018. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

destructive death

Public Domain Book: A handbook of the destructive insects of Victoria : with notes on the methods to be adopted to check and extirpate them

by French, Charles, 1843-; Victoria. Dept. of Agriculture

Published 1891

Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Some 1200-1800 people were killed in the disaster, as well as a cost of $108 billion. It was the third of 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the extremely destructive 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the worst, causing widespread flooding in New Orleans and the evacuation of nearly the entire city, mainly due to levee breaches. The aftereffects were additionally marred by corruption and incompetence in various levels of government from the City of New Orleans to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the President of the United States, George W. Bush. New Orleans and the Louisiana Gulf Region are still suffering from the effects of the hurricane, and as of 2017 the area has not yet recovered.

Hurricane Katrina formed in the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. It strengthened into a Tropical Storm, then a hurricane only 48 hours later when it cut through Florida. Reducing over land, it then rapidly gained power as it reentered waters in the Gulf, becoming a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale in just nine hours. On August 29, it reentered land in Louisiana near the Mouth of the Mississippi at 200km/hr. Passing over Breton Sound, it then made landfall a third time at the Louisiana Mississippi border, where it rapidly lost strength, finally disappearing on August 31.

As news of the hurricane approached on August 28, Pres George Bush preemptively declared a State of Emergency and called in the National Guard. A voluntary evacuation order was placed affecting 1.2 million people along the coasts. Mayor Ray Nagin gave a mandatory evacuation order on August 28, 2005, far too late, many claimed. The Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Convention center were declared evacuation centers of last resort. More than 1 million people from the New Orleans metropolitan area fled that day, though at least 100000 people remained, some 10000 moving to the Superdome, overwhelming the facilities there that had prepared for 300 people.

When New Orleans was first built out of the swampy lowlands of the lower Mississippi, it was the closest high ground to the river mouth. For the old French Quarter and the districts immediately surrounding it this remained the case, however the continued expansion of the city pushed people further and further into the margins of the swamps. Another major factor was the Army Corps of Engineers, who since the 1940s had worked to control the notoriously uncontrollable Mississippi, creating an intricate series of locks and canals and levees to control the river's flow and keep the river at bay. This was especially the case under the Flood Control Act of 1965, which lead to the Corps taking over all regulation of Mississippi waters. Despite the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommending increasing the strength of the levees, the Corps decided to use standard storm models, evidently to save cost. Finally there was the fact that Louisiana was, and still is, in fact sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. This is generally believed to also be a result of those same levees blocking sediment from reaching the mouth, adding silt that would maintain the landmass. Instead with no inflow, coastal erosion has been rapidly eating away the lower tip of the state. There are also strong theories that suggest the state's massive oil and salt extraction industries, by removing the underlying support of the coast has been causing the land to sink far faster than normal-a process known as land subsidence. This theory is highly controversial in Louisiana, which is heavily dependent on those same industries. All of this led to a situation where much of New Orleans was, in fact, below the riverbank of the Mississippi, and the shore bank of Lake Pontchartrain, with no buffer for absorbing the full force of incoming storms.

On August 29, as Hurricane Katrina passed New Orleans, it heavily damaged the city. The I-10 Twin Span Bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed. The Superdome's roofing was partially sheared off, to the detriment of the people sheltering inside. Most damaging though, was the flooding. the storm surge caused 53 breaches to the floodwalls and levees around the city. The 17th Street Canal, the largest and most important canal in the city, breached catastrophically near Lake Pontchartrain, sending water pouring into the city. More than 80% of New Orleans was flooded, with the poor, marginalized (and historically built into the swamps) neighborhoods of Lakeview, Gentilly, New Orleans East, the Lower 9th Ward, and Chalmette especially badly hit, going under 3m of water. At least 700 people were killed in New Orleans, many from drowning, starvation, dehydration and the loss of medicine.

Fats Domino was a famed Creole rhythm and blues pianist and singer famous for the songs "The Fat Man" (1949) one of the first Rock-and-Roll hits, "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), "Blueberry Hill" (1956) and "I'm Walkin'" (1957). After semi-retiring, Fats Domino moved to the working-class neighborhood of the Lower Ninth Ward, and refused to travel outside New Orleans, even after being entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and receiving an invitation to perform at the White House. He became a popular figure around the neighborhood driving around in his pink Cadillac.

When Hurricane Katrina approached, Fats Domino chose to remain, due to the poor health of his wife. After the storm and the entire Ninth Ward flooding Fats Dominos mansion had been destroyed and there were widespread rumors that he had died, to the extent someone spray-painted "RIP Fats. You will be missed" onto his garage. Fats Dominos had in fact survived and had been evacuated with his family. Pres George W. Bush made a personal visit to replace the National Medal of Arts that Pres Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino. Fats Domino remains nearby, occasionally performing concerts raising money for the restoration of the City, and rebuilding his home. The piano seen here was once Domino's personal piano, located in his home. It was found in this state after the flooding, and was donated to the Presbytere Museum.

French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

Public Domain Book: A handbook of the destructive insects of Victoria : with notes on the methods to be adopted to check and extirpate them

by French, Charles, 1843-; Victoria. Dept. of Agriculture

Published 1891

Infernal cannons are destructive machines created in forges of Hell. They are able to raze cities and fortresses of filthyl mortals by belching clouds of liquid dark flame. The design of these cannons is not primitive - it originated in ancient times of myths and legends, when great intergalactic civilizations clashed with each other. The giant battery weapons of Gods' spaceships were the direct predecessors of infernal cannons. Later, when Hades betrayed his brothers and friends, he adapted that technologies for land battles and built small cannons to fight against Zeus' angels and mortal worshippers. These weapons of war performed well during interstellar conquest, destroying primitive stone castles and technologically advanced citadels alike. However, afterwards the blacksmiths of Hell ran out of resources, and Hades had to rely on demonic legions and undead raised from local populations. So the infernal cannons became the weapons for full-scale invasions only. And the war in the World of Five Races gradually became such a case.

The Flickr album

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians are working with state and local partners; businesses and residents to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly* a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as in Reading, Pennsylvania, on August 30, 2018. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses. Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeownerâs lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Constructed in two sections in 1904 and 1906, this building located at 1230 N. 2nd Street is located in the North Riverfront Industrial Historic District near the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. This section of the City was wiped nearly clean by one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history on May 27, 1896. At least 225 people died as the tornado traversed the core of the city leaving a 1 mile wide continuous swath of destroyed homes, schools, saloons, factories, mills, churches, parks, and railroad yards, and then crossed the Mississippi River into East St. Louis, Illinois. So much damage was done that some questioned whether St. Louis would still be able to host the 1896 Republican National Convention in June. After a concerted cleanup effort was undertaken, the convention went ahead as planned.

The St. Louis riverfront has been the focus of industrial and commercial activity since its founding. Prior to the tornado, most of the property within the North Riverfront District had been owned by the Belcher Sugar Refinery, which was one of the preeminent manufacturing establishments of the time employing over 300 men. With its connections to rail lines and the Mississippi River, the North Riverfront area was rebuilt following the tornado, primarily focusing on two specific industries: Power generation and cold storage.

This building at 1230 N. 2nd Street is among the most intact buildings in the district. The building was originally constructed for the Kennard & Sons Rug Company, which became one of the most extensive dealers of carpets, oil cloths, curtains and laced goods in the West. In 1901, the company built a new headquarters designed by one of the most prestigious architects in St. Louis, Isaac Taylor. When it came time to construct this warehouse, the company again turned to Taylor. The rug company used only a portion of the building. The other main tenant was the Shapleigh Hardware Company, which was one of the largest hardware and lumber suppliers in St. Louis at the time. Nonetheless, this building, and a few others in the district, still survive; some abandoned and awaiting rehabilitation, and others already repurposed for other uses. In 2015-2016, plans had been made to build a new NFL stadium in this area which would have resulted in the demolition of some of the buildings in this district. With the NFL unceremoniously abandoning its loyal fan-base in St. Louis, the future of these buildings remains a question.

Changing technology, which fueled the construction of these buildings, eventually rendered them obsolete. Large-scale warehousing and electrical generation eventually moved away from the City’s core to larger facilities outside the district.

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When I came to live near Hackney Marshes in 2010 I discovered a wild river with a turbulent past.

INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS, 2010 to early 2013

The following quote from H. Chipperfield encapsulates the destructive consequences of 19th Century industrialization and urbanization to this stretch of river: "The picturesque trees and thick clustering bushes, which in time gone by fringed the margin of the Lea, have mostly disappeared, and those which remain are stunted and withered. The silvery waters of the grand old river of yore as it peacefully meandered through the verdant plain; here sparkling over clear gravelly shallows with graceful trailing aquatic plants of brightest emerald rising and falling like living creatures on the bosom of the current .... these are things of the past. Now the river is usually low, and the sides and clumps of rushes in mid-stream are covered by a filthy black slime, showing the pollution of the water by the Walthamstow sewage, which has dealt destruction to both fish and plants" (www.clubplan.org/CMS/usr/2673/hackneymarshes/Homepage/Hac...).

If you look at this stretch of river now, in 2012, it superficially appears to have recovered and to be verdantly alive: fronds of water weed streaming in the flow, large coarse fish such as carp and barbel gliding over the gravel riverbed, herons and kingfishers search for their next meal, turquoise dragonflies hovering over the stream. However profound problems/threats remain: cormorant predation and low dissolved oxygen levels.

Two miles from the location of the photograph, as the crow - or to be more appropriate cormorant - flies, there is a colony of approximately 150 breeding pairs of cormorants at the Walthamstow reservoirs. Until the 1990s the cormorants lived on the coast of the North Sea and ate sea fish such as herring and sprats. Overfishing forced them to look inland for new food sources, finding a perfect substitute in 10-40cm coarse fish such as dace, roach, chub and small bream that physically resembled their saltwater prey. Each bird eats approximately 1kg of fish per day, which means that just the breeding adults of the colony eat about 110 tonnes of fish per year. In freshwater aquatic ecosystems they have displaced the pike as the apex predator. Unlike pike when they have eaten their way through one fish population they can just fly somewhere else and repeat the process. The result is a a degraded ecosystem of very small fish, e.g. perch, that hide from the cormorants in the weeds, and very large fish, e.g. carp and large bream, that are invulnerable because too big to eat. And nothing in between, and no small fish growing up to become big fish.

The second problem is low dissolved oxygen levels. A 2011 report for the waterway charity Thames21 by environmental scientist Grieg Davies on the river Lee [Lea] between the M25 and Bow Locks found that "The investigation determined that the overall water quality within the London River Lee and its tributaries is very poor. Excessive concentrations of reactive phosphate (orthophosphate) in combination with low saturation of dissolved oxygen were common place within many of the sampled sites, as well as high counts of total coliforms and the presence of considerable levels of faecal coliforms. Values for chemical oxygen demand were also found to be excessively high within the majority of sample sites" (from the Executive summary)(thames21.org.uk/Downloads/A%20water%20quality%20analysis%...). The river at Hackney Marshes seems to be protected from this to some extent by the oxygenating effect of the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir and the oxygen introduced into the water as a by-product of photosynthesis by the abundant waterweed, together increasing oxygen saturation.

One evening in September 2012 I went for a quick walk along the river. I climbed over a concrete wall and sat and watched the river at my favourite swim. A beautiful bronze barbel (barbus barbus, about 8lb/28 inches long) was feeding, probing the gravel of the river bed with it's snout.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician Brent van Wagoner contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

[17:43] Shilandar Deledda grins. "Absolutely." The man leaned in and gave Sable a light touch right on the chin from his mouth. Barely even a kiss, lipts touching darkness to that lightly tanned skin for a brief second before he pulled back smirking at her. "Think that's usually how ya end a date... mm? Thanks for the drink... and the conversation." His featuers were still alight in that amused state they'd been since he sat down. Deifnitely not in oen of his more destructive moods, probably for Sable's best in that.

[17:47] Candy Sperber is Online

[17:47] Sable Levee golden eyes dilate as feeling the brush of lips to skin of chin just smirks," thought it was ended with exchange of numbers and promises that are never kept.." having learned that much from sitting around the bar as unhappy bitches talk. Licking her lips then as they curve to an slight pout," so thats all ya got for me?" small body melted into yours still

[17:51] Shilandar Deledda laughed. "No, that's first meetings... dates are when tehy actually follow through with the call, or meet a second time." Not really able to argue that it happened most times though, he'd leave teh statement be and just stick his tongue out at her pout before pulling it once again into his mouth. "That's all ya get this time.. why, wasn't it enough?" Grin with those words, and a pinch of his fingers to her thigh. Hand dragegd up the entire outline of her figure, rear to spine, to shoulders and neck. Then still looking at her he started to stand up as if she wasn't even there, forcing her to get her feet under herself or end up flopped down against his legs.

[17:55] Sable Levee watches your tongue as the urge to suck and bite it sweep though the girl but strangely behaves, maybe as does not want to ruin the time that was spent. Shuddering once more as hand teases back up along petite body so you can feel the reaction though leather that covers your didgets. Stands as you do but stays close even as she is not touching you right now," no but remembers some talk of nip.." speaking of what she was refering toward

[17:56] VISTA DIVINE GIRL AO -- ZHAO-II MB2.0.8 - V.SEP08.1 U: Sit anywhere: Off

[17:58] ericF McCauley is Online

[17:59] Basch Savon is Online

[18:00] Shilandar Deledda Chi grinned some when she reacted that way, taking his hand down over her shoulder. "Oh that's right.. I did say after teh date, now didn't I?" His fingers went down her front to reach his pocket. Hooking in her top, pausing there with teh white material attached to a trailing finger. Without removing it his other hand came up, removing from one of his coat pockets two of the baggies of nip. It left her with four doses of the drug, knowing her it wouldn't last even to Wednesday. "You know even if this was a date you've gotta pay for it though... so what've ya got for me, mm?" Now he was giving her his full, arrogant grin, tugging teh top both forwards adn down to test just how well it was actually keeping itself over her cleavage.

[18:02] Shadowkat Wrigglesworth is Offline

[18:06] Sable Levee watches you breathless as it had been sometime since she had got the nip you can feel the slight tremble of slender frame as hand rests to shoulder, Watching as the baggies are produced surprising herself that she does not try to snatch them. Not even paying attention as fingers then begin to play along the flimsy top that covers breasts, If you look closely can see pink nipples are hard from time spent laying to your chest. Eyes flickering up as hears you ask of payment," thought gifts were given on dates.."

[18:10] Shilandar Deledda grins a bit "Oh that's right.. how could I forget." He actually hadn't forgotten at all. He just was always playing games, and this was no exception. "Well, if we're still calling this a date. I suppose I can give you a little now for free..." His palm flattened overtop of one nipple, then the nip bags were pushed down securely into the cloth embrace of her top. "Can always drop ya more if you and Denise end up coming by high as a kite, after all." Nod of head to that,, his palms then both dropping down to either side of her chest. Fluffing her cleavage and pushing it together, making sure the baggies plastic containers wouldn't fall away and be lost by hte barely dressed druggie.

[18:10] ericF McCauley is Offline

[18:16] Sable Levee smiles as baggies are slide between those breasts moaning with soft snarls not stoping the fondling of the fleshy globes, " ya this is still an date.." said to reinforce the fact as had nothing on her to pay for the nip. Thinking as he could have fucked her easily earlier he would not take that as payment now. Breasts mashed up along each other to laugh," ya will work on that.." looking down to see her own breasts bounce as strangely wants more of his touch, Not thinking if that is some kind of mind game he might be playing with her," so this was an good date?"

[18:16] Orchid Dollinger is Offline

[18:19] Shilandar Deledda hmms in answer to that and drops his hands from her breasts, putting them at his sides as he turned towards the city. "Well.. neither of us called it off early from the other being a complete bastard..." He smirked at this, soft chuckle running up into the air. "An' we both got some fun out of it, even if you're enjoying it a bit more than I expected... I'd call it a good date." Nodding his head as if to reinforce the statement Chi made his way onwards, hands in his pockets and eyes focused on the bridge he'd eventually cross to get into Midian proper.

[18:21] Sable Levee just stands watching the man leave as hand reaches to ply out one of the baggies prepairing to snort some, Head nodding to his words as wonders if will happen again.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technicians Brent van Wagoner and Anne Lucius contact and work with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

Find it, report it!

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

Stop the Spread

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

Remove and Destroy

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

2 of our ash trees have succumbed to the destructive effects of the Emerald Ash Bore

None has been more destructive to native wildlife as the European Starling. They push out native cavity nesters like bluebirds, owls, and woodpeckers. Large flocks can damage crops, and their waste can spread invasive seeds and transmit disease. They’re loud and annoying, and they’re everywhere. Farmers hate them so much that they’ve developed all manner of strategies to keep them away from farms, from special nets to covering fruit trees, to gas-operated “exploders” to scare birds away, even a poison called Starlicide.

Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

this particular block house is in absolutely great condition, 117 years after. kept away from the ever present destructive monster in man/woman unkind. most of its internal wooden decks/planking are in great shape. many thanks to a farmer that allowed me to document this

baie dankie jannie!

more images to follow later in a special album

photographer's note-

blockhouses were built by the british from 1899-1902 during the anglo-boer war to protect the railway bridges from

boer attacks

the stone is local while the remaining materials were imported from britain. some were constructed entirely from concrete

the block houses could house 20 men with water, munitions and supplies stored on the lower floor. The living quarters were on the middle floor and was accessible by a retractable ladder and the top floor was the lookout deck.

only about 1000 of these blockhouses were built and few have survived

they were very effective barriers and few saw any action.

end of note

*************************************

The building of blockhouses started in March 1900 to protect the railways, in particular the railway bridges. Many of these were impressive structures of stone, with corrugated iron roofs, standing three storeys high and enetred by an external wooden stair in the form of a drawbridge.

These were effective but also time consuming and costly to build. This led to more modest style structures being built in the form of rectangular, signle-storey buildings with a stone wall mounted upon which was a coorugated iron upperwork, this was pierced with loopholes and double skinned, the void between being filled with stones to block rifle fire. Even these structures were slow to construct and a solution to these was sort by Kitchener, he turned to Major Spring R Rice, Officer Commanding 23 Field Company, Royal Engineers based as Middleburg, Transvaal.

Major Rice designed two new forms of blockhouse, the first octagonal and the second, the one that became known as the 'Rice Blockhouse'. circular. This was made of of corrugated iron filled with a stone-filled, loopholed shield above and an earth-filled caisson below, the whole being topped off with a stone roof. When ideally sited the door was blocked approached under cover of a trench and the hillock on which it sat and the lower part of the walls was covered with loose stones for added protection. It was said that trained men could erect such a blockhouse in a single day and the record for erecting one was a mere three hours. It was usually garrisoned by a non-commissioned officer and six men. Outside the immediate area was protected by barbed wire and a barbed wire fence stretched between one blockhouse and the next, hung out with tin cans to make as much noise as possible when disturbed.

The fortifications in cluded numerous other modesl, often ad-hoc designs fashioned to meet the requirements of the location and adjusted to make the best of available materials, but the Rice design was the one that sprang up in huge numbers. By September 1901 the Western Railway blockhouse line from De Aar to Lobatsi, north of Mafeking, was complete, as was the Central Railway system from Naauwpoort to Pretoria and the Delalgoa Railway to the border of Koomati Poort. In addition a box west of Johannesburg and Pretoria and a line south-east to Standerton and Newcastle were operational. In the next three months the line north from Pretoria to Pietersberg was built, the Western Railwasy cover extended south-west to beaufort West and numerous additions made in Transvaal and was now Orange Colony. By May 1902 a line of blockhouses ran from Beaufort West right across Cape Colony to the Atlantic coast and yet more lines had been added elsewhere. By the end of the war there were 3,700 miles (6,000km) of lines with some 8,000 blockhouses manned by 50,000 British troops and 16,000 Africans.

Source: The Boer War South Africa 1899-1902 by Martin Marix Evans