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New energy efficient LED lighting illuminates the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: red and white for the Canadian arch and red, white, and blue for the American arches. View of Sault Canal and bridge from the Sault Ste. Marie / St. Marys River boardwalk.
The International Bridge- -a 4.5 kilometer / 2.8 mile long metal Cantilever (suspended deck) Warren Through Truss two lane bridge with a two span arch over the American Soo Locks and a single span arch over the Canadian Sault Canal. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and London; the bridge opened October 1962. The bridge spans the St. Marys River and connects Sault Ste. Marie Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
The Sault Canal opened in 1895- - it was the world’s first electrically operated lock, and the world’s longest lock- -274 metres / 899 feet long and 18 metres / 59 feet wide. Closed in 1987 due to a lock wall collapse, the canal was reconstructed and reopened for recreational boating use in 1998. The Sault Canal is operated as a National Historic Site by Parks Canada.
Thirty second exposure.
El cotxe 1508 de Plana és un Scania Irizar I6S Efficient. A la fotografia el veiem fent un servei llençadora entre diferents seus del "Mundialito 2023 de futbol juvenil" que s'ha celebrat a la Costa Daurada entre el 1 i 9 d'abril.
Happy Truck Thursday! This colorful 1998 or 99 International 3800 converted school bus was found in Ruckersville, Virginia. The DT466E engine is an inline, six-cylinder powerhouse with a displacement of 466 cubic inches. Its diesel-powered propulsion offers a fuel-efficient alternative to gasoline engines of this size and power. Additional power comes from the turbocharger and air-intercooled system. The DT466E weighs 1,425 lbs.
Sevenans, France 🇫🇷 : Left profile with reflections from new MAN Lion's City 12 Efficient Hybrid on Optymo bus network.
Saturday night cruising in Paprihaven...
Gran Turismo Omologato.
Gas, Tires, and Oil.
Sanctioned for street racing.
The 1965 Pontiac GTO is widely considered the car that ignited the golden age of the American muscle car. While the GTO debuted in 1964 as an option package for the Pontiac LeMans, the 1965 model year saw it evolve into its own legendary identity with iconic styling and massive power.
The most striking change for 1965 was the shift from horizontal to vertically stacked twin headlights. This gave the car a more aggressive, forward-leaning appearance that became a signature for Pontiac throughout the late 1960s.
Other key design features included a simulated hood scoop (which could be made functional with a dealer-installed cold air induction kit).
A distinctive "egg-crate" grille.
New "wraparound" taillights that replaced the previous year’s simpler design.
But, while all of that is nice, it'[s what's under the hood that made this an American Powerhouse.
The 1965 GTO featured a 389 cubic-inch V8, but buyers had two primary choices for how that power was delivered. You could choose a Standard 389 which delivered 335 hp but, why? If you're buying a GTO get the "Tri-Power" 389 that cranked the hp up to 360 and shaved another second off the 0-60.
Because, that's what this vehicle is about. Subduing and humiliating wannabes at the stoplight. If they can get to 60 in under 6 seconds they can talk to you. Otherwise, go park at the drive-in.
The "Tri-Power" setup is the holy grail for collectors today. It allowed the car to cruise efficiently on the center carburetor during normal driving, but when you floored the accelerator, the two outer carburetors opened up to provide a massive surge of power.
🚌🚦🚗⛽🚐🚍🚎🚔🚑🚨🚒🚓🚔🚕🚧🚖🚜🚘🚲
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Welly
1965 GTO
No. 2092
1990s, China
A 2006 GTO was seen in BP 2023 Day 21:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52640674356/
And another 1965 GTO, Hurst Edition, was seen in BP 2023 Day 301!
Aerial photograph of the British Sugar factory, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk — one of only four remaining sugar beet processing plants still operating in the UK. Opened in the late 1920s, it has grown into a vast, highly efficient industrial complex, handling over two million tonnes of beet every year during the autumn and winter campaign. The factory produces around a quarter of a million tonnes of refined sugar annually, together with valuable by-products including animal feed, lime for agriculture, and bioethanol.
The six tall silos store tens of thousands of tonnes of finished sugar, while the circular tanks and clarifiers handle beet juice and wastewater treatment. The surrounding lagoons and settling ponds are part of the site’s environmental management system. Steam billows from the main chimney as part of the energy recovery process — much of the plant’s heat is recycled to improve efficiency.
British Sugar’s Bury St Edmunds site plays a vital role in East Anglia’s long-standing beet industry, supporting hundreds of local farmers and marking nearly a century of continuous production.
The first of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company's two new ships MENAWETHAN makes her debut at Penzance just after 08:45 on the completion of her delivery voyage from Vietnam via Brittany on June 18, 2025.
She is due to replace the GRY MARITHA as the company's freight ship - but will also be able to carry some passengers in much better style than the limited accommodation on the GRY MARITHA.
The MENAWETHAN is a purpose-built 45-metre ship built at the Piriou Shipyard in Vietnam, she successfully arrived in Penzance, Cornwall, after an impressive 8,000-mile delivery voyage via the Cape of Good Hope. She serves as the vital lifeline link connecting the mainland to the islands.She is named after one of the uninhabited Eastern Isles of the Isles of Scilly.
Key Features and Capacity
•Cargo Space: The 45 m ship boasts a 207-tonne cargo capacity.
•Refrigeration: Includes 20% more space for chilled and frozen perishable goods, vastly improving supply transfer reliability.
•Passenger Facilities: Features a dedicated lounge that can comfortably accommodate up to 12 passengers year-round.
•Equipment: Equipped with a 60-tonne/12-tonne heavy-lift deck crane and a MacGregor side door for efficient loading and unloading.
Construction and Delivery
•Construction: The build officially commenced in Vietnam in June 2024.
•Launch: Floated out of the shipyard and launched in October/November 2025.
•Voyage Home: The 8,000 mile landmark delivery journey took approximately two months, featuring logistical stops in Mauritius, Namibia, and Brittany before arriving in the UK.
For more photographs of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company please click here: www.jhluxton.com/Shipping/Shipping-Companies-Short-Sea-Fe...
In Malaysia, pedestrian-pulled rickshaws were gradually replaced by cycle rickshaws (beca in Malay). Cycle rickshaws were ubiquitous up to the 1970s in cities. Since then, rapid urbanization has increased demand for more efficient public transport, resulting in dwindling cycle rickshaw numbers.
DIPLOMAT BUILDING FEATURES
Elegant two-story lobby
Upscale arrival piazza for convenient resident drop-off
Lushly landscaped exterior plaza at the amenity level
Twenty-four-hour access control security desk
Closed circuit Television surveillance system and keyless
entry
Elevated pool deck overlooking the ocean
Professionally equipped fitness center
Covered controlled access parking
State-of-the-art surround sound theater/media room
Resident clubroom with a full-service kitchen
Business center & conference room
Billiard Lounge & Card Room
Poolside Cabanas
Bicycle storage
DIPLOMAT RESIDENCE FEATURES & AMENITIES
Private elevator lobbies
Elegant double-door entry
Magnificent views from expansive windows and terraces
Exceptional quality materials and finishes
Designer lighting package
Large his and her’s walk-in wardrobe closets
Large capacity front-loading washer and dryer
Two-panel interior doors with brushed chrome hardware
Impact-resistant windows and doors
Pre-wired for high-speed internet access
Spacious balconies and terraces
Fully sprinkled fire and alarm systems
Recessed lighting in halls, kitchens, and baths
Granite countertops & backsplash in Kitchen
Premium Kitchen appliance packages including:
42" Subzero refrigerator with ice maker
Electric Range (Gas Optional)
Built-in wall oven with microwave
Multi-cycle "quiet-power" dishwasher with pot scrubber
Undermount Sink with European-style faucet
9' Ceilings
Solar tinted and laminated glass on all windows & sliding
glass panels
Energy efficient heating, ventilation & cooling systems
Air-conditioned storage
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
www.diplomathollywoodcondos.com/Building/Index/building/9...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Crab is a superior form not only in nature: turns out it is efficient in combat as well.
Callinectes, nicknamed "siege crab" by NMC personnel, is heavy-armored all-terrain walker with two main purposes.
First - to clear the way of rubble for advancing troops, dig trenches and make other defensive structures.
Second - to provide those troops with artillery fire with its 155mm howitzer.
Six main legs provide substantial mobility to Callinectes on difficult terrain.
Two giant manipulators resembling crab claws not only can lift, cut and tear heavy debris, but also act as movable shields for covering the chassis - or personnel on the ground.
Two hands at the back are used to dig and plow, above them are separate set of optic and other sensors. That makes moving back almost equivalent to moving forward for Callinectes.
Other than heavy armor the Siege crab has only one machine gun turret and active defense systems - it mostly relies on ground troops and light vehicles for protecting it in close combat.
///
Heard about carcinisation? I bet you did. Time for Crab is all about it.
I pretty much thought about making something like this since the first time I saw this event. This time I take part in it myself. Enjoy!
Also it is sort of a spiritual successor to Mudcrab - chech that out if you haven't.
We used the Métro often while in Paris. Quick and efficient. Much better than the O-Train we have here in Ottawa.
It was moving on and under leaves that have fallen down. Typical Gartersnake is an efficient hunter of amphibians, fish, small mammals, slugs and leeches. Soon will overwinter in an underground hibernaculum, emerging each spring to mate.
Another two view above the leaves…
Motorcycles are the lifeblood of Vietnamese cities, dominating streets as the most common mode of transport. Affordable, fuel-efficient, and nimble, they navigate narrow alleys and dense traffic with ease. Motorcycles serve diverse roles—from daily commuting to delivering goods, showcasing their adaptability. Iconic scenes of entire families riding a single motorbike or stacked deliveries highlight their cultural and economic significance. They epitomize urban mobility in Vietnam’s bustling cities.
Steve, a very kind and extremely efficient man hung my photographs at the Bexley Wing of St James Hospital, Leeds.
35% of any sales, if there were to be any, will go to the Leeds Hospital Charity. Prices are to cover costs only. Here's the link.
www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/
The Bexley Wing is a beautiful large light space with a cafe and parking or on a good bus service from the centre of Leeds.
This is how to get there: www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/our-hospitals/st-jam...
Here is a link to an article in On Landscape about why.
www.onlandscape.co.uk/2023/10/flux-celebrating-the-comple...
The photographs were printed by Alec at Fresh Aire in Leeds and framed by The Art Works in Otley
freshaire.co.uk/ and artworksframing.co.uk/
If you are interested you can see the images better here it's called Flux:
geraintevans.myportfolio.com/work
Prices
35% of proceeds go to the Leeds Hospital Charity, the fundraising arm of the Leeds Cancer Centre. The rest of the price is to cover the printing/framing costs; Geraint is not charging anything for his photography.
Original framed images - as exhibited
Print size
Price
10 x 10 inches
£55
16 x 16 inches
£100
16 x 20 inches
£115
20 x 20 inches
£125
Unframed prints – to order
Print size
Price
10 x 10 inches
£20
16 x 16 inches
£38
16 x 20 inches
£38
20 x 20 inches
£45
All prints are on Hahnemühle Hemp, an environmentally-friendly paper with a tactile, natural feel, made from 60% bamboo fibres mixed with 40% cotton rag.
You can advance the technology but this is still the most efficient and effective way to advertise on the beach. For 60 years this advertising method was used. Even today it is still in force. It is good to keep some of the old customs. Mar del Plata city. Atlantic coast. Argentina.
Today we leave the town of Autun to reach a very small village perched on a high hilltop (at 603 meters of altitude, I wouldn’t call it a “mountaintop”): Mont-Saint-Vincent. Although its height remains modest, it dominates a large portion of southern Burgundy and offers fine views all around, which may be one of the reasons it was inhabited and used both for religious and defensive purposes since the dawn of times.
A first church was built here to receive the mortal remains of Saint Vincent in the 6th century, but there is nothing left of it. Then, a Cluniac priory was founded here in the 9th century, after the place was donated to the priory of Paray-le-Monial (itself affiliated directly to Cluny) by the Count of Chalon in 988.
Significant portions of that church remain integrated in the third church, the one we can still see today, which was completed in the early 1100s.
It is a fine and massive Romanesque church (albeit with unfortunate Gothic additions), featuring in particular a fine porch and a nice and harmonious apse which I will show you tomorrow.
However, the main reason I wanted to see that church is because it is the only one in the whole Christendom (to the best of my knowledge!) that copied and used the marvelously simple and efficient architectural find implemented in the big abbey church of Tournus, i.e., transverse barrel vaulting over the nave.
This Columbus’s egg of Romanesque architecture, which allows a perfectly efficient distribution of the weight of the stone vault, was a great discovery, which allowed the Saint-Philibert church in Tournus to rank among the very foremost masterpieces of the Middle Ages... but, strangely enough, it was never ever used after Tournus... except in the humble church of Mont-Saint-Vincent!
One final look at the apse: robust, simple, no-nonsense.
The western parts of lots 20 and 22 of Market Street accommodate this tiny house with a West Fourth Street address in Hermann, Missouri. The lintel above the doorway tells us it was built in 1913. In a niche in the wall to the left, a small marble slab tells us, in German, that the wall was built
in 1897, by E. Schuch.
Did you know that cats have favorite authors and genres? Jarvis Cocker prefers non fiction and so his favorite authors are Claudia Rankine, Sasha Geffen, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Broadcast prefers experimental Asian fiction and so her favorite authors are Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Bae Suah, Can Xue, Banana Yoshimoto, Kazuo Umezz, Shin Kyung-Sook, Karen Tei Yamashita,Keiichirō Hirano, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Krys Lee and Banana Yoshimoto. PJ Harvey prefers poetry so her favorite authors are Rumi, Hanif Abdurraqib, Naomi Shihab Nye, Ocean Vuong, Nikki Giovanni and Eve L. Ewing. When I asked her what she thought of Nick Cave’s lyrics, you should have seen her reaction! What all my cats can agree on is that Karen Tei Yamashita’s Through the Arc of the Rainforest is a masterpiece and so, I always have to read that one out loud to them during cat story hour. Though I didn’t read Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor this year either, it’s still a solid second choice for our story hour together.
I have to always preface these lists by making the disclaimer that while no human being can read all of the books in existence put out in one year, I read even less this year having only finished a little under 150 books (I read 365 last year). Not all of these books were released this year and some of these books may be released in the future depending on which alternative timeline of reality you exist in. The pandemic really put a dent into my reading because I typically read while on the elliptical at the gym for a couple of hours every day but, with the gyms closed, I had to turn to memorizing K pop dance moves off of Youtube for my exercise for several months (I am not good at this), which caused me to almost get murdered by my downstairs neighbor until I straight up invested in an elliptical a couple of months ago and saved myself from the sudden doom that would have rivaled any gruesome ending of a Chan-wook Park film.
These books represent a few different genres-nonfiction, fiction, graphic novels, poetry-and are in a general order but I decided not to number them as I kept changing the order depending on my mood and that didn’t seem very efficient (I am not a journalist) Feel free to share your favorite books that you read this year. You may be stuck in a black hole reading books that we don’t even have in our reality. I want to hear about those too!
And, without further ado, my feline fanatic friends and literature lovers, gather around for this is my Favorite Books of 2020:
The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Sometimes it’s actually hard to take science fiction seriously….why? Maybe because it’s so fun and engaging….either way, it’s actually quite hard to write something that is very inventive and also relevant in our modern times. In a way, it speaks to the high ability of the author to also be able to make it grounded in reality enough to be just believable but imaginative enough to get truly lost in a unique story. Such is the case for The City We Became, which has all of the NYC buroughs represented by different humans with vivid personalities fitting their areas who have to work together to stop an evil takeover and, of course, have a really tough time with that pesky and racist ignorant Ms. Staten Island. N.K. Jemisin creates a world of actual monsters and proud boy like art dealer/real estate mogul monsters (the kind we don’t actually have to work hard to imagine because they exist in real life). This looks like what will be the first in hopefully a long series of riveting books!
Tropic of Orange: Karen Tei Yamashita
I read Through the Arc of the Rainforest last year and this year Tropic of Orange was my exceptional read by this Japanese American author who is so imaginative in the way she writes both memorable characters and interwoven plots. I can’t predict any endings for any of their lives and that is quite something indeed. If you don’t like magical realism or complex storylines, you may miss out on the brilliance that is Yamashita and the bulk of her work. But, if you find yourself wanting to explore what creative literature is capable of, please look no further!
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi-
Just released this year and highly recommended by me! This book was philosophically engaging from start to finish. Set in the fictional town of Lucille, the residents have conquered all of the “monsters” (who are basically Trump voters and the like) until an angel (who looks like a monster) emerges from a painting to find a “family monster” who is abusing a child. The protagonist is a trans adolescent whose mom reads the great Nnedi Okorafor to her and speaks through sign language. I loved the layers of moral complexity here. Pet gets into what truly makes a monster and how insidious monsters (again, basically republicans) can hide in plain sight and if a monster is redeemable too. I liked Freshwater (Emezi’s 1st novel) but this was 100x better imo
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
This novel is both imaginative and also heart breaking…its main plot involves a country overtaken by American forces who also can’t trust their own government and a corpse that reanimates from other corpses to seek revenge. Though it delves into a little bit of black comedy and takes on a creature who may seem more familiar to those who enjoy the horror genre, it’s the horror of reality with the violence of the American invasion of Iraq that the novel is actually about. What Saadawi does is to create a vivid metaphor that evolves throughout the book and forces us to think deeply about morality. We must remember that Saadawi may also be coming to terms with his own grief, mortality, and the modern reality of living in Iraq. He has had friends lost through suicide bombs that he narrowly missed being killed in himself, for instance.
Catherine Lacey: Pew
I am always a little hesitant to promote the work of someone who is white when there are many women of color who are under-recognized and struggling to earn both critical acclaim and also just a living. So, I will just say that I found Catherine Lacey’s very recent novel Pew incredibly moving and relevant for our times. She writes about race and gender identity in a way that feels fully realized. This book is about identity that words cannot define and the frustrations that result in a white community (who considers themselves super religious) because they cannot take ownership over human identity. There’s a real sense of the frustration of language and lack of it and of not being in control and the way these humans handle that feeling. It is a postmodern masterpiece and I would highly recommend it. On a side note, it doesn’t really matter or seem worth mentioning the personal romantic life of a female author but, in this case, I must mention that she is currently the partner of one of my favorite authors who also resides in Chicago, Jesse Ball, and has a funny statement about him at the end in the thank-you section that is worth taking a look at.
Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
This novel is fiercely feminist following so many female friends from all walks of life in Turkey and the way the body lives on after death. This book starts with death but is really filled with life! As our heroine protagonist, murdered yet still filled with extreme senses, dies a little more on each page, we find out a little more about her and what in her life brought her to this point. And therein lies the largest devastation of this novel because we fall in love with dear Leila but it’s too late to save her. Her life was doomed from the beginning because she happened to be born female and poor and did not have any rights to make her own happiness despite having all the ambitions to do so.
Imani Perry: Breathe, A Letter to My Sons:
This book was a little reminiscent of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “Between the World and Me” but I actually was even more moved by this mothers take on raising her two boys in America with it’s racist past and present. Really wise and incredible. This was such a gift to be added to the canon of American literature and as a resource to help nurture the modern African American family and was both honest and insightful.
Yaa Gyasi: Transendent Kingdom
Yaa Gyasi’s second novel is quite a bit different than her first, Homegoing. This one is about a family from Ghana but one that lives in Alabama and struggles to make their way in the American South. It is a portrait of a family in turmoil as the family unit as a whole is severed in a couple of major ways…and, I am hesitant to say more on that end as I don’t want to spoil the novel. Gyasi writes us a very strong female protagonist in Gifty who is a neuroscientist studying mice and both reward seeking and inhibition in her quest to understand and make sense of addiction. It is one of those soul searching types of books that is well worth reading and without artifice or cliché, which is sometimes quite a challenge to find in literature.
The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
In some ways, this was not as profound as an earlier fiction work by this Israeli author, Waking Lions, but is still however very meaningful and relevant about lies that take on a life and storyline of their own between Israel and Poland and between both a young and a much older female protagonist. To me, this book was incredibly relevant especially in these times about how a little bit of dishonesty ends up leading to incredibly different results in the lives of humans. It’s a short read but very worthwhile in the way it makes you think of the role of truth in one’s life.
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Dr. Monique W. Morris
This was a really difficult read by the Founder and President of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI). Yet, it was also an important read for me not just as an educator but as someone who also wants to do right by all students I support. Morris gets into some of the facts behind racial profiling in schools and does well to expose how it is often overlooked what impact early racism in schools has on young women (although, it is often acknowledged and still very damaging for young Black men). The treatment of young women in a place of learning is very important and could be instrumental in nurturing and encouraging these girls to succeed and to set ambitious yet achievable goals but they have to not only be taught skills but believe in their own worth. We also need to recognize signs of trauma and ensure that we are addressing the whole child. We cannot ignore these facts and we cannot assume that every educator before us was kind and acted within the best interest of every student. So, when we consider what a child’s perception of education may be, for a student of color especially a young human who may be Black, there may be a lot of work to do in changing a negative sense of school. What we see in our schools is not “safe spaces” but punishment that sets the stage for a cruel future. Do we really want this as a society? We must accept that we have failed and that we must change.
We must actively change schools across America! It is a gift to be able to teach and nurture and abuses of power are the most heinous kind. On a personal note, I spent much of my time this summer protesting against police brutality and cops in schools. Our mayor and Board of Ed. in Chicago has kept a few incidents of racially motivated violence against students in schools from the public and, instead of hiring nurses and ending our contract with the cops, tax payers are still footing the bill. They’ll make us take a mandatory online training about stopping the school to prison pipeline but, in terms of policy and where our tax dollars are going, Chicago is far from walking the same walk they are preaching.
Brit Bennett-The Vanishing Half
This reminded me of a modern day Passing by Nella Larsen and a great follow up novel to The Mothers. Bennett shows a portrait of two sisters, one who decides to pass and leads a much different life than the other who ends up having a child with a man who has a much darker skin tone than herself and returns to their small town in Louisiana where there is an obsession about shades of skin. This novel is as much an examination about race as it is about the human desperation driven by racism and what humans are capable of denying about themselves and others they love to continue to live safely within a certain space and level of comfort. There is also a second layer that is about transitioning genders that adds to the storyline and characters overall.
The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar
The story of racism that a Bengali immigrant family experiences in the American south (in a suburb of Atlanta) is important but what elevates this work is the unique writing style. I literally felt like I was slipping to and fro through time and seeing these glimpses of a vivid life in all its joys and sorrows. Laskar is incredibly poetic in her exploration of police violence and trauma and was also herself a victim of racial profiling. She’s another author who I hope continues to gain readers and write more books. For a debut, this is exceptional and really reads like it come from an author who has written her whole life.
Disability / Visibility edited and FW by Alice Wong
This is nonfiction at its finest because it has the power to open your mind to the struggles of a group of humans you may not have had a clue about before you opened the first page. Wong did an excellent job of finding an incredibly diverse group of perspectives not just in terms of race, class and religion but also in terms of ability level and opinions on ableism and world perspectives. Keah Brown and Haben Girma are probably the most well known authors in this collection but each of these essays is enlightening in a different way-some focus more on technological aspects, others on fashion, others on abortion, and still others on deficits in terms of public transport. All of these perspectives are valid and insightful and should give able bodied humans a clue as to what obstacles need to be examined and removed in our society to make a better world exist.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho.
In an alternative reality where white American born humans also need to pass a citizenship test, this would be required reading. Acho comes from Nigerian parents and grew up in Texas. I didn’t realize he wasn’t just a political science philosopher type of author (He’s also an NFL player) when I started reading as I don’t really follow the actual sports game but he does a fantastic job with these questions, which are actual questions submitted by white people in America. Some of these questions show a huge lack of understanding of history and privilege. Other questions are more related to wanting to help and be anti-racist but not knowing where to start. Acho calmly rewinds and takes us through some background and gives suggestions on how to live differently and be better as well as some valuable resources. And, in order to keep in mind white privilege, I will say that it is definitely not the responsibility of Black or African American humans to educate us but when they do make an effort (and hopefully like Acho are compensated for it), it’s definitely our duty to listen. As ignorant as some of these questions seem, we must all be humble and willing to ask questions and all the more willing to listen to the answers. It’s also worth noting that this nonfiction was written after the murder of George Floyd so it is incredibly current and Acho also writes very calmly and in a way that most people probably won’t find having a huge adverse reaction to when confronting white privilege and entitlement.
A Man by Keiichirō Hirano
What an engaging read! I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that so effectively skirted the line of experimental fiction in its exploration of identity and story lines before. First, there is the identity based on an exchanged one and a lie for a human being who lives a quiet life as someone else. But, then there is the exploration of identify of what it means to be S. Korean and living in Japan and the xenophobia experienced by humans in this predicament. In some ways, A Man reads like a thriller and mystery novel but in many other ways, it is a deeply philosophical work that cannot be contained by genre but makes you wonder about and question the human stories were are assigned, we tell ourselves, and that we make up altogether. I can’t wait for At the End of the Matinee to be released April 15th, 2021!
Hidden Colors by Nillu Nasser
The book explores the struggles of Syrian refugees in Berlin putting on a magical circus but after a couple of years. the anti-immigrant sentiment rises and politicians and journalists have to choose which side to take. This book feels fantastical in the sense of the circus production but realistic in its depiction of the hardship of existence as a mere pawn in politics and left vulnerable to political whims and opinions of the public. There’s a great deal here about the ethics of journalism as well and the responsibilities in terms of telling of the human story. Though this book is technically a work of fiction, it is highly relevant to our current world.
A Fortune For Your Disaster by Hanif Andurraqib
I didn’t do as much poetry reading this year as I did last year but this one definitely stood out. I read it for book club. Full disclosure-I love everything by Hanif and would recommend Go Ahead in the Rain, his nonfiction regarding A Tribe Called Quest if you are fan of the band. I follow Hanif on Twitter and am a fan of him both in terms of his politically conscious side and his human side where he bakes and talks about his love of music and Columbus, Ohio. He’s also great to see speak. He’s an incredibly lovable human. Anyway, this poetry is so rich with imagery and soul and, though it definitely explores topics of racism, I would also say that it explores the full range of what it means to be human and does so artfully. So many of the lines should be read more than once and contemplated. Read a poem and put it down for a while and think about the full complexity of what Hanif was exploring and picture the photograph he created with his masterful words that appears in your head.
Just Us by Claudia Rankine:
Rankine is an extraordinary poet who is also insightful when it comes to race in America and her observations based on both casual encounters and a whole lot of systemic racism. At the end of the day, Rankine is aware of the damning impact of white supremacy and she wants humans to heal and for the world to become a better and safer place for all human to exist in. And, that isn’t going to happen without some conversations taking place that are sometimes challenging to initiate and to explore. We find ourselves sometimes in situations that might at first seem perplexing but have a history based in reality. If you haven’t read Citizen, the collection of poetry by Rankine, you might be blown away but this work of nonfiction. If, like me, you have read Citizen, you might at this point be more impressed by the fact that with all of the facts and insights Rankine has, she still is willing to have conversations about race and that speaks to the kind of beautiful human being she is.
The Drifting Classroom Volume 1-3 by Kazuo Umezz
This is a riveting 700+ page graphic novel about a school that disappears from the present and travels to a desolate future with a lot of human psychological issues of those trapped in this new reality. I will say one key thing in this epic journey through the minds and choices of these young children is that both the surreal storyline and the art work are captivating and I was soon hooked and couldn’t wait for the third volume to be released a couple of months ago. I devoured it like a piece of decadent chocolate cake while soaking in my bathtub for night after night. I became very invested in these creatures who first had to fight for their lives when there was a struggle for power and then when their dreams came alive and then when there was a plague and then when there was still extreme scarcity of food and water….and somehow our hero and protagonist is able to community at some points with his mom living in the time and reality they came from even though they are far from it. Just a fantastic imaginative series for Japanese graphic novel fans especially.
Myla Goldberg’s Feast Your Eyes-
Tis is a very well done and complex portrait of a photographer living in NYC in the 60s-70s who didn’t actually exist but you’ll be convinced did exist by the way this book is laid out describing her photographs with fictional journal entries and fictional accounts of friends and family. This is a lot about artistic rights and the line between art and child protection. Interesting philosophically and based on several other female photographers who actually did exist like Vivian Maier and Diane Arbus. It really reads like a very engaging nonfiction work instead of fiction, which is an interesting experience for the reader.
Sharks in the Time of Saviors: by Kawai Strong Washburn
I had two books by native authors, this one and Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun become available around the same time from my Chicago Public Library holds list and they couldn’t be more different. But while I did love the imagination of Black Sun overall, I didn’t feel as connected to the characters and just saw it as a starting point for hopefully a long series whereas Sharks in the Time of Saviors feels like a truly stand alone work. This book is, in many ways, a portrait of a native Hawaiian family struggling to get by and having a son with healing powers. There is a bit of a leap in terms of what you can believe here but it is written with enough reality that the surreality is very effective. Our hero Noa is trying to find himself and come to terms with a crucial error he makes. In the meantime, his brother and sister are also floundering between not being the most brilliant basketball star (former) and with same sex preferences (latter) and no one has any money to fly home to Hawaii from college because, of course, it’s just far too expensive even for the natives to get home. What is the most interesting to me is how the relationships between family members is explored and the idea that you shouldn’t ever encourage someone to define their identity with just one main thing or being good at one thing because it destines them to an unhappy sort of life and failure. I found the writing here very engaging and it dealt with some of the real issues Natives face in our country, especially in areas where cost of living has become insurmountable.
A Burning: by Megha Majumbar
This was a very difficult book to read, primarily because Majumbar writes us a story where you easily feel connected to and devastated by the chain of events that bring our heroine, Jivan, a poor Muslim girl in the Indian slums to a prison cell wrongfully accused of being a terrorist. In some ways, it made me think of a modern day Kafka-esque tale where it just seems all odds are stacked against our protagonist and it just keeps getting worse. Majumbar explores the corruption in modern day India but also interestingly enough explores the life and rise of a transgender fried of the protagonist at the very same time. This book is filled with politicians and political opportunists and liars who don’t seem to mind making Jivan a fall girl for their own political agenda and it made me wonder how possible all of this might actually be, especially as Majumdar was born and raised in Kolkata herself though is now living in NYC. This is Majumdar’s first novel and shows a promising career.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
One of the reasons why this nonfiction is so powerful is because these voices are so often not heard or misheard. Johnson takes us through his life and what it was like to grow up with two identities, sometimes at odds with himself and what it meant to be both an African American and one who questioned his gender and preferred humans of the same sex to his biologically given gender. Johnson takes us through his very harrowing struggle to fit in and the relief of finding members in his family who at least partially understood what he was going through. He takes through what it’s like to be sexually abused and have assumptions made about him. It is harrowing and honest and makes you grateful that he has created something that shows us the whole range of humanity and helps some of us find comfort in who we are and others of us understand how to be better and more compassionate humans.
Glitter up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary by Sasha Geffen
Sasha Geffen is a human who has devoted countless hours to exploring how we came to this exact moment in music history and all of the steps that led us here in an all inclusive non fiction epic journey examining how, in just about every genre of music I can think of, gender identity and transforming gender norms was a part of both image and sound of musicians. I am a huge fan of music and many of these musicians and bands I was already familiar with and own albums by. However, Geffen caused me to view many songs, concerts, and even album covers a different way and I also learned about many artists I was not familiar with. This is a must read for those who love music and for those who seek to accept and appreciate all genders (male, female, and non-binary) and their artistic contributions within this very flawed yet sometimes quite beautiful world.
A Partial History of Lost Causes by Jennifer duBois
This book fascinated me….Irina knows she is going to die and it is going to possibly be horrible and painful when she does the genetic testing and finds out she inherited Huntington’s Disease. She knows what the future holds because she saw her father progressively lose abilities and she starts to lose control in ways that signal to her what her future could hold. And so, she decides she’s going to go on adventure to Russia in order to find a chess master who is an active political opponent of Putin because, after all, what exactly does she have to lose? This book is about the idea of taking your life into your own hands and controlling your destiny instead of letting genetics define you. It is also about trying to make the most out of a life that many others would consider doomed. It also has a really great joke about Adam and Eve actually being soviets and it takes a lot to make me laugh in the middle of a pandemic.
Vivian by Christina Hesselholdt
This work explores all ll different points of view including Vivian Maier’s own on life and photography with interesting narrator interjections and musings based on what is known of this photographer. I have to admit that I have a personal bias of loving many of Maier’s photographic works so this was a very engaging read for me based on my familiarity with and admiration of the photographer that was the focus of this technically “biographical fiction” work. I think it might be a key point to get acquainted with some of Maier’s photographs and read this book if you are enamored. But, you might also enjoy this book if you in general love photography and think often about what might a photographer be like as a human and what makes for a good photographer as well.
Empire of Wild: Cherie Dimaline
This is the first novel I have read by a Métis (Native French Canadian) author and I really loved it. It was definitely wild and centered around the traditional Native myth of the Rogarou as it kills and steals souls. This was as much about human deception and religion and racism as it was about this creature and it was impossible for me to not visualize the horror while, at the same time, see Rogarou as a metaphor for white opportunists who will do whatever it takes to steal Native land. I had my heart in my throat for a lot of this journey and I think the power of the writing really showed its effectiveness.
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves edited by Glory Edim.
Fantastic autobiographical accounts of prominent African American female authors of today and how they were inspired by literature that uniquely spoke to them. This book does well to emphasize the importance of representation and I would advocate that those who define curricula across the country on every level should start considering whether we are really celebrating our current list of authors because they were talented and had something relevant to say then and now or whether it goes within our nation’s history of white supremacy to promote primarily white male authors as the definitive standard even though they had every advantage over their women of color possible colleagues. What is hopeful is that now more than ever talented women of color are being published and truly heard but, in my opinion, there is still a lot of history around celebrating only or primarily only white male authors that should be challenged in this country. In any case, this collection features a great deal of talented contemporary female authors such as Jesmyn Ward, Jacqueline Woodson, Zinzi Clemmons, N. K. Jemisin, Tayari Jones and more and speaks to the power of literature and it’s transformative qualities!
The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep by Guy Leschziner.
I thought this was nonfiction about dreams but it was mainly about different sleep disorders…still very interesting and informative though! Did you know you can have something called Restless Chest Syndrome? Yikes! I tend to love neuroscience and yet besides this book and The Telomere Effect by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, I didn’t read nearly as many science oriented books in 2020. I read far more nonfiction books about race, gender, and immigrant memoirs. Still, I love to learn about all facets of the human brain and I believe in life long learning. The case studies in this book were especially fascinating and made me feel like my reoccurring insomnia is really not so bad at all compared to what it could be!
Wow, No Thank You: Samantha Irby
This nonfiction collection of essays made me laugh so hard (especially the chapter on cat vs. dog ownership) that I instantly fell in love with Irby as both an author and as a human being and, though she no longer lives in Chicago, it was cool to see what living in Chicago twenty or so years ago was like through her eyes. Irby is happily married and has encountered both homophobia and racism in her life and these essays showed both an intellectual and a quick witted approach to dealing with it. Irby is so candid and does not hold anything back when it comes to her own biology, either, which is almost shocking (and also appreciated) at times in its brutal honesty and well worth reading. Irby is also my age so I could relate to some of these chapters quite a bit because of that. Hello 911, filled with imagined 911 calls as well as Love and Marriage where she answers ridiculous questions are also not to be missed chapters if you want to laugh hysterically.
The Monk of Mokha (Story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali) told by Dave Eggers
I actually led a two hour remote book club on this book last month and, though I love discussing books, what is odd is that I liked the book better before the discussion. This is an incredible story of a Yemeni American man who risks literally his life more than once to bring back viable coffee beans and establish a coffee trade between his homeland of Yemen and the United States. Dave Eggers insists emphatically that this is 100% nonfiction and it is unfathomable the lengths that Mokhtar goes to. There’s an undying sense of the human spirit that can be both courageous and also lucky in this book. There’s also a component of the struggle itself against both the violent conflict situation in Yemen and the racism encountered in America. In any case, if you are interested, here’s an article about the book.
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/dave-eggers-te...
I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me: Juan Pablo Villalobos
Good, because they probably won’t! This is an adventure in surrealist experimental fiction walking the line between humor and existential dread. In the end, you honestly don’t know exactly what really happened and if the protagonist is even still alive. There are doubling of characters, journal entries, a talking dog, and lots of unsavory types I wouldn’t trust with my favorite pencil (or even my least favorite pencil). Our extremely flawed hero is a Mexican intellectual who wants to study humor in literature in Catalonia, Spain but is side tracked before he can even get there by a group of mafia like henchmen in an impossible scheme his cousin roped him into involving seducing a woman identifying as a lesbian amongst other crazy shenanigans. This is a wild ride! If you’re an intellectual who dislikes thrillers, try this one out to see if maybe it was just the writing style in those other books wasn’t enough for you in the first place.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I expected a lot from Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens because of the human (a coworker and friend) who recommended it to me and I did think it was worth reading. I like the sense of looking into isolationism and classism as well as the justice system in the American South plus there’s a courtroom cat! (Sunday Justice) but probably best of all was the fierce individualism of the female protagonist, Kya, the “Marsh Girl” who learns to make her own way in life. Kya’s unusual personality and talents drew me into the story line as a whole but it was the ending that made it truly worthwhile and landed it on my best of 2020 list.
Junji Ito’s Yon & Mu:
This is a super adorable autobiographical #catlife graphic nonfiction about his wife’s 2 cats that he learns to 💕 and who turn him into a cat person. I loved the drawings in this book and the little stories about getting his cat neutered, going on a business trip and missing his cats, cats around his chair where the heater was, cats on his lap, cats in his bed….you know the drill. A lot of these are relatable and silly but sweet and the book also includes photos! I’ve read Ito’s harrowing fiction, graphic horror novels and this was quite a departure but it gave me a glimpse into his lovable human side. Though this was maybe not the best book I read critically, it was still definitely one of my favorites as someone who is a fan of Ito’s graphic novels and cats!
Cats of the Louvre: Taiyo Matsumoto
Full disclosure here that I didn’t really think anyone would take me seriously if I started with these last two books/graphic novels because, honestly, I love cats and so I cannot be objective about extreme cat topics and/or cat protagonists. This one is perfection-a wildly imaginative storyline centered around the cats that live in Le Louvre. What more do you need to know? Ok, there’s a human trapped in a painting and also all the cats take on human traits at night when no on is looking. Is this not a good enough reason to read this book right now?!?! Oh wait, you’re a dog lover??? Well, forget you anyway! 😹
Honorable mentions:
Ok, so again this list only represents about 30% of the books I read this year. I can’t write about 100+ more books but here are the books I would still recommend:
Little Gods by Meng Jin
I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
Eatheater by Dolores Reyes
Dear Girls by Ali Wong (so funny!)
Telephone by Percival Everett
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire by David Mura
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Telomere Effect by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn
1919 by Eve L. Ewing
**All photos are copyrighted**
Morning Joy
Description: This bird is predominantly granivorous. The beak shape is efficient in crushing and sectioning seeds, but they might feed on insects occasionally. Their nest is bowl-shaped, and Sicalis flaveola are often seen usurping abandoned nests. Females lay an average of 4 eggs, which are incubated for 14 or 15 days. They like dry lands, but are often seen in urbanized areas, preferring to cling to groups. The male has a bright yellow coloring, while the female's coloring is less saturated, reaching a shade of grey. The subject portrayed in the picture is a female and was photographed in the Santa Catarina state in Brazil. Sicalis flaveola pelzeini is one of the two subspecies of saffron finch found in Brazil and belongs in the order Passeriformes, suborder Passeri, superfamily Passeroidea, family Thraupidae and subfamily Diglossinae.
According to this source (www.wikiaves.com.br/canario-da-terra), we have the following subspecies:
Sicalis flaveola brasiliensis (Gmelin, 1789) - Occurs in Brazil in the states of Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Piauí, Ceará, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. The Northwestern males of Sicalis flaveola brasiliensis display a stronger coloring, with a bigger reddish-orange crown. The dorso possesses a few thin stretch marks and is subtly greenish. Females are yellow and possess a reddish-orange crown, which is attenuated in comparison to the males.
Sicalis flaveola pelzelni (P. L. Sclater, 1872) - Occurs in Bolivia, East of the Andes. In Brazil, they are found in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Males possess stretch marks on the head and dorso. The ventral region is of an attenuated yellow, especially on the neck. Females possess stretch marks on the head and dorso, but these are less attenuated than those of S. f. brasiliensis, and the under tail covert is colored equally with the ventral area.
Sicalis flaveola flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) - Occurs in Colombia, Guianas, Venezuela and Trinidad. Has been introduced to Panama, Porto Rico and Jamaica. The crown is orangeish and the back slightly green with a few attenuated stretch marks. The inferior is an yellowish-green. They're bigger than S. f. brasiliensis.
Sicalis flaveola valida (Bangs & T. E. Penard, 1921) - Occurs in Peru and Ecuador. They're the biggest subspecies. The yellow is darker than that of S. f. flaveola and the crown is reddish. They posses greener backs than S. f. flaveola. The beak is bigger and stronger and the legs are pinkish. Males and females are similar.
Sicalis flaveola koenigi (G. Hoy, 1978) - Occurs in the Northwest of Argentina, in the regions of Salta and Jujuy. They're similar to S. f. brasiliensis, but the beak is shorter and larger.
However, according to this source, S. f. brasiliensis can also be found in the region, so I'm leaving the subspecies as doubtful: www.cobrap.org.br/especie/5/can%C3%A1rio.
Feeding type: Granivorous. May feed on insects occasionally.
PROJECT NOAH (Português): www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1403863758
predator on ice....coyotes are such efficient predators. They will often hunt in packs trying to spook 'game' to each other, while this guy was on the ice two others were up on the dam moving thru the grass, he was watching them intently waiting for them to spook out game..even a more efficient savanger
The TIE fighter, produced in large numbers, light, cheap, efficient. They all look the same, no insignia, no markings. Well, almost no markings, there is the one with a large pentagon shaped emblem on the side but that’s about it. The TIE fighter is an intimidating sight, a faceless adversary, they just keep coming one after another.
I’ve wanted a TIE fighter for photography for a long time, but there is a catch. Not just any TIE would do, it’d preferably have to be a studio scale model, accurate to the last detail. But, alas, I cannot afford one.
The TIE fighter wings are quite special, you see. The material they’re made with, the Koolshade screen, does not really exist anymore. The machine used to manufacture it broke down long ago and now, decades later, the remaining stocks are extremely low. The original vintage Koolshade is VERY expensive. There is a newer version, it’s almost the same, almost indistinguishable from the original, but ultimately different. Without the vintage Koolshade, the accuracy is out the window and alternative routes open.
Many years ago I bought this Hasbro toy. It’s fairly close to the real thing, proportions are off and it’s a little smaller, but it’s not all that bad. Since I am not gonna get the real thing, this is a good substitute. I made some tweaks to it and hit it with new paint. Actually, maybe this is more fun than a true replica. For starters, it was really cheap. And since it’s a toy it doesn’t break that easily, this is one for rougher missions.
I haven’t built the wings yet, I will do that later. Until then I’ll play with the cockpit unit a little. I figured it would work like that, without wings, in case of emergency, like an escape pod of a sorts. Maybe even on Hoth.
This was a quickie outdoors yesterday as we had a great day of sunshine. After a winter that never came, it felt comforting.
Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Subway Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography!
New Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography facebook page!
An important thing to remember is that even though pixel sizes keep getting smaller and smaller, the technology is advancing, so the smaller pixels are more efficient at collecting light. For instance, the Sony A7rII is back-illuminated which allows more photons to hit the sensor. Semiconductor technology is always advancing, so the brilliant engineers are always improving the signal/noise ratio. Far higher pixel counts, as well as better dynamic ranger, are thus not only possible, but the future!
Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! I worked on phototranistors and photodiodes as well as an artificial retina for the blind. :)
You can read more about my own physics theory (dx4/dt=ic) here: herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com/
And follow me on instagram! @45surf
Facebook!
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Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!
I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!
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Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)
And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
The new Lightroom rocks!
Beautiful magnificent clouds!
View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Subway Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Sony A7R2 & Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens!
fine art landscape photography,fine art photography, fine art photographer, elliot mcgucken photography, landscapes, fine art landscape, landscape, landscape photography
I shall do washing, dusting AND ironing. But first, I shall put the guinea pig on the lawn. Oooh look! A pot of moss.....!!
New energy efficient LED lighting illuminates the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: red, white, and blue for the American arched spans and red and white for the Canadian arched span. View from the west pier of the Sault Canal (Parks Canada) National Historic Site.
The International Bridge- -a 4.5 kilometer / 2.8 mile long metal Cantilever (suspended deck) Warren Through Truss two lane bridge with a two span arch over the American Soo Locks and a single span arch over the Canadian Sault Canal. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and London; the bridge opened October 1962. The bridge spans the St. Marys River and connects Sault Ste. Marie Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Also seen, three sections of the International Railroad Bridge: part of the nine span Camelback Truss bridge across the St. Mary's River / St. Marys Rapids; a Bascule Bridge over the American Soo Lock’s Davis and Sabin Locks; and a Vertical Lift Bridge- -raised- -over the American Soo Lock’s Poe and MacArthur Locks.
We came across a sweet deal on energy efficient, environmentally conscious LED light bulbs so we decided to install them throughout our house. We had spiral CFL lights before, and we donated all of them so they will still be put to good use. LED lights do produce a nice warm glow, similar to incandescent bulbs. I just used a flash here to make it look cool! :o)
LEDs are much better than incandescent or CFLs because they don't contain mercury, they use far less energy and they last a lifetime.
Seen at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow is new West Coast Motors tri-axle mirrorless Integral Irizar i6s efficient 12308 - YT23HYK in Scottish Citylink livery.
It looks deliberate, almost mathematical, and it turns out, it is. That graceful pattern isn’t just for show; it’s one of nature’s most efficient team strategies. Flying in a V helps geese conserve energy, communicate more easily and stay organized over enormous distances
Energy efficient LED lighting illuminates the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: red, white, and blue for the American arches over the Soo Locks; red and white for the Canadian arch over the Sault Canal. View from Lake Superior State University.
The International Bridge- -a 4.5 kilometer / 2.8 mile long metal Cantilever (suspended deck) Warren Through Truss two lane bridge with a two span arch over the American Soo Locks and a single span arch over the Canadian Sault Canal. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and London; the bridge opened October 1962. The bridge spans the St. Marys River and connects Sault Ste. Marie Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Thirty second exposure.
50 Way GO Green!!!!
HOME
If you can't afford a new home or a large remodeling project, there are still plenty of things you can do to be environmentally friendly and save money.
1. Update your lighting
Make it a policy to buy energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. You can now get a variety of shapes and perfectly match the color hue and lighting for each room. They look good and use at least two-thirds less power than regular lighting.
2. Buy Energy Star
When you are ready to buy new home appliances, buy smart. Check for the Energy Star rating. These more efficient machines can reduce your utility bill as much as 30-percent. Deb Snoonian, Managing Editor of Plenty Magazine said, "Energy Start is a program sponsored by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Essentially, it's a way for them to recognize the companies and the products that are most energy-efficient. On average, an Energy Start appliance -- whether it's a computer monitor, a refrigerator, a washer or dryer -- is going to be about 30-percent more energy efficient."
3. Wall Warts
Those clunky power adaptors draw energy from the wall all the time. Unplug them individually or attach them to a power strip and turn off the whole switch when not in use. Around 75-percent of all electricity in a home comes from appliances that are turned off, but are still plugged in. Make sure that you only have those appliances plugged in where you're actually using the electricity. You will save on bills and we as a society will save on energy.
4. Dormant Appliances
Practically every appliance uses electricity even when it's switched off. Unless it needs power to retain programming memory, hit the switch. Better yet, make it a family practice. Amy Schachter, an Upper East Side resident, said, "My family reminds each other constantly. That's partly money, partly the fact that we know now that we're creating energy usage that is totally unnecessary."
5. Energy Audit
You can find out how much energy your home uses each year with an energy audit. Many utility providers and state energy departments will audit your home free or at low cost to help you find ways to be more energy efficient.
6. Insulate
Make sure your ducts are properly insulated and install weather-stripping around windows and doors for a better seal. Tax credits on efficiency-increasing heating and cooling equipment make now a great time to upgrade. And remember, insulation pays for itself year round. Cascio Construction President Michael Cascio said, "It translates into the heat or the air conditioning that you're going to use, and certainly you want to retain whatever heating system or whatever cooling system you're using, you want to retain that inside the house."
7. House Plants
Invest in large, live houseplants that will help keep your indoor air fresher.
8. Save Water
Place a water bottle filled with liquid or pennies into your toilet's water tank. This will cause the tank to use less water every time you flush. Plenty Magazine Managing Editor Deb Snoonian estimates it wil save you about a quart to half a gallon per flush.
9. Solar Water Heater
Consider eventually installing a solar hot water heater on your property. It would cost about $8,500 for a family of four. You can apply for federal and state tax credits, which adds up to almost 50-percent. It'll take about six and a half years for the system to break even on its investment, then you're making free hot water.
10. Green Power
Many utility companies offer renewable energy products that can be purchased as a percent of total energy use or in blocks of kilowatts. Buying green energy helps support the development and use of renewable fuel souces.
RECYCLE
There are few things you can't turn into something environmentally friendly while making your pocket a little greener in the process.
11. Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies
Using simple ingredients such as baking soda, soap and vinegar, you can make cheap, easy, and non-toxic cleaning products save money, time, and your indoor air quality. This is especially important if you have kids, pets or if there are elderly people in your home who are sensitive to chemicals in the air so you and your home will be healthier.
12. Safer Paint
Paint can be made with the same volitile organic compounds found in nail polish or gasoline. Major manufacturers and some boutique brands have introduced low VOC paint. It spreads, it covers and leaves the room smelling just fine.
13. Aerosols
Limit your use of aerosol cans. Because they have limited recycling value, the containers will probably wind up in a landfill. Instead of aerosols, look for spray bottles, liquids, powders and roll-ons.
14. Cloth
Paper towels and napkins can be made from recycled paper, though in some cases the recycling costs more than making a brand new product. You won't hear that about cloth napkins, which can be washed and re-used again and again.
15. Laundry Room
By making sure your lint filter is clean and your dryer exhaust free to open and close, you are essentially tuning up the efficiency of your appliance. It will run better and be more cost efficient.
16. Air Dry
For the ultimate in low cost laundry drying, put the clothes on either a drying rack or go outside and use the clothesline.
17. Smart Landscaping
Trees and shrubs provide shade during the summer and can help shield your house from frigid winter winds. Both can help lower your energy bill.
18. Walking the Dog
Instead of plastic bags, scoop your doggie's doo in biodegradable bags.
19. Compost your leftovers
Composting helps reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill. In the process, you create free, healthy fertilizer for your garden.
20. Collect the Rain
Place a barrel under a gutter downspout and let it fill over time. Plenty Magazine Managing Editor Deb Snoonian said, "Rain water is actually healthier for plants and gardens than tap water which often has chlorine in it to kill bacteria, but bacteria can inhibit plants from growing.
OFFICE
Green at home is one thing; green at the office has its own set of special challenges. Going green is a lifestyle choice, not just a home activity. So what are some steps you can take at work to make things more environmentally friendly?
21. Buy a laptop
Even an oversize laptop runs more efficiently and takes less energy than a desktop.
22. Reduce Paper
The paper trail follows many of us, adding hundreds of pounds of waste. You can reduce it with just a few changes. Save printing: send documents by email and keep files on your computer, not a filing cabinet.
23. Print Double Sides
You can save plenty of paper by programming your printer to use both sides of the paper. In the case of a long report, do you really need 500 one-sided pages?
24. Refill and Reuse Cups
"Many of us get take our coffee in the morning and were using plastic and cardboard cups," said Plenty Magazine Managing Editor Deb Snoonian. "Bring your own mug. You can leave one at work; you can even often times bring a reusable mug as you're commuting in your car. It can be refilled over and over again. Wash it at home it's a nice habit to get into that saves you one cup a day."
25. Pay Your Bills Online
It's not only quicker and easier to pay by computer, it also puts a major dent in the paper waste pile.
26. Recycle Your Appliances
Not just the big ones. Cell phones, PDAs and laptops can all find a new purpose after you're done with them. Many organizations refurbish them for low-income families.
27. Become Battery Smart
Stretch your battery use. A battery too drained to power a flashlight might be perfect to operate your TV remote. Before you pitch it - switch it!
28. Lights Out
Motion sensors, dimmers and timers can be set to turn things on and off when needed.
29. Going Grey
Ask your commercial building manager about using gray water tanks. It's a system that recycles water from your building's toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. Impractical? Don't say that around New Jersey's Aspen Ice Skating Rink where the septic water is collected, treated and put back on the rink. At this point, the systems are a bit too costly for one-family use, but if you're in a commercial building or a planned community, consider making the water work for you.
30. Water
Speaking of water, instead of bottled water around the meeting table, filter your tap for drinking water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it produces large amounts of wasteful containers.
CAR & GAS
Even if you can't buy the most environmentally friendly car, there are still plenty of things you can do to get from one place to another with minimum energy. Getting to work, school and running errands all add to your energy budget. To go green you don't have to give up transportation, just use it a bit more wisely.
31. Work From Home
Instant messaging and video conferencing now allow you to hold conferences or even take online classes. This means you save time and gas.
32. Use Public Transportation
Trains, buses, boats, car pools and your own feet.
33. Rental Car
When driving is necessary, use an inexpensive hourly rental car.
34. Drive Economically
Even if you can't afford a fancy hybrid, there are plenty of cars that get great mileage. A car that gives you another 10 more miles to the gallon puts $1,000 dollars a year back in your pocket!
35. Drive Smart
Properly inflate your tires, change your air filter and drive 55 mph on the highway.
36. Friendly Fuels
Using bio fuels goes way beyond ethanol. Look for environmentally friendly oil car fluids and, of course, read how to use and dispose of them properly.
37. Car Air Conditioning
It's practically standard on modern cars. Use it wisely. At higher speeds, open windows create drag and lower your mileage. Roll them up and use the air and recirculation. At slower speeds and around town, roll down your windows and catch a cool breeze.
38. One Right Turn Deserves Another
The time spent in your car idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year. In metro New York, United Parcel Service (UPS) reduced emissions by 1,000 metric tons with a software map program customized for every driver to minimize lefts.
39. Drive Thru
Avoid the drive thru. Instead of idling in line with your engine running for several minutes, save the gas by parking and going inside for your order.
40. Car Wash
Commercial car washes can be more efficient than home washing. Check to make sure that they clean and recycle the water.
AT THE STORE
In the store, in your home, even while you sleep...There are things you can do to be more energy efficient and better to the environment.
41. B.Y.O.B.
Bring Your Own Bag. Some grocery stores give you cash toward your next purchase for every bag you bring in to use again. It saves them and you money. "In the U.S., we use five hundred billion plastic bags every single year and only three percent of those get recycled," said Deb Snoonian, Managing Editor of Plenty Magazine. "You can also buy permanent bags with designer colors."
42. Packaging
Check the amount of cardboard, plastic and other materials used for the box. Some retailers are replacing plastic containers with corn-based packaging.
43. Buy Big
By purchasing things in larger quantities, you will probably save money and certainly save the cost of packaging and transporting smaller boxes of the same thing.
44. Green Fashions Are Becoming Hot
Look for clothes and accessories like handbags that are environmentally friendly.
45. Pet Products
Even kitty litter can be laced with questionable ingredients. Look for natural alternatives.
46. Antiques
Antiques are sort of the ultimate recyclable, servicing generations of owners. Many can be restored with natural wax products at a very reasonable price.
47. Buy Water Efficient Showerheads and Aerators
Many modern showerheads are built to conserve. Check to see how well yours works. Also, aerators on the faucets will keep water waste to a minimum.
48. Mattresses
Federal regulations will soon require all sleeping mattresses to be fire resistant. If you like the safety but don't care for the flame retardant chemicals, some popular brands are introducing models with a more natural fiber based flame retardant barrier.
49. Energy Offset Certificates
These essentially allow you to invest in an environmentally friendly cause.
50. Smart Recycling
Smart recycling can be environmentally sound and pleasing, too. Companies like IceStone make durable surfaces made from recycled materials, like glass and concrete. Recycling is not limited to bottles. Used doors windows, fixtures can all be bought at a fraction of the new price. Think creatively - a New York man built a veritable castle of recycled materials.
info taken from WNBC.com
In order to explore further in the near future, I need to be prepared well for the worst scenario. When running into over meters high waves, it is quit possible kayak flipping over. The roll back is the most efficient way to rescue. This is self-training for different kayak rolls
Pegasus Racing Team enters the race!
My entry for Space Jam 2020 - Space Rally Racers (Collab Category)
Driven by the intrepid Tina Jansen, the PR-20 Off-Road Quadrapod is aiming to win the rally event. Articulated legs have replaced the wheels in order to negotiate rocky terrain more efficiently.
Team collaboration with
- BrickSpirou : www.flickr.com/photos/124366215@N03
- BobDeQuatre : www.flickr.com/photos/bobdequatre
- F@bz : www.flickr.com/photos/fabz71